Importance of Exercises

Exercise is a physical activity that boosts or retains physical condition and overall health. Exercise strengthens muscles and the cardiovascular system, It helps in weight loss, perfecting athletic skills, and maintaining a perfect biological system.

Through regular exercise disease like heart strokes,  cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes are controlled. It also amends mental health, prevents depression, and helps to promote or maintain positive self esteem, increases individuals sex appeal or body image. Childhood obesity can be decreased through regular exercise

There are different types of exercise they are flexibility exercise, Aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise.

Flexible exercise: it has got stretching which improves the motion of muscles and joints.

Aerobic Exercise: it contains cycling, swimming, walking, hiking, running or playing tennis which increases cardiovascular endurance.

Anaerobic Exercise: sprinting, weight training and functional training which increases short term muscle strength.

Pears

Pear... As we all know is a fruit that belongs to the apple family. This is a juicy kind of fruit when it is freshly consumed. This can be consumed especially during summer for it has a good amount of water content in it. This is rich in vitamins, minerals, calcium and phosphorus and is also a very good dietary fiber. Those who have the idea of reducing their weight can very well go for this fruit because of its high fiber content.

Like oranges and lemons, this fruit also has a very rich content of vitamin C that is very much required for our body. Vitamin C is responsible for maintaining the cholesterol levels and also to improve the immune system in our body that is helpful to fight against diseases. Even the recent sensational disease “Swine Flu” could be fought against if we have a good immune system which requires lot of Vitamin C content to be consumed. The effective functioning of the brain is also dependent on the good immune system maintained in our body. The pear fruit is also a well known antioxidant.

The fruit is also known for its unique shape as we have come across many people saying “pear shaped”. But this shape may vary from country to country. The pear trees are known to grow mostly in the colder parts of the world. This grows well in moist soil and the pear fruit can be preserved for more than even 5 months in freezing temperatures. Recent study has shown that this is one among the most consumed fruits in parts of America.

Skin Magics...

Apples are very rich in carbohydrates and contain very insignificant measure of fat. Apple is made up of both soluble and insoluble fibers with high water content. It contains about 80-90 percent of water in its pulp and other minerals such as potassium, iron etc. 

•  Soluble fiber such as pectin present in the apple actually aid to prevent cholesterol piling in the lining of blood vessel walls, which controls the thickening of artery walls called ASVD(arteriosclerotic vascular disease).
• The insoluble fiber in apples helps the intestinal tract to hold water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.

The cells which are responsible for the aroma and flavor are highly concentrated in the outer layer i.e., the skin.

It is always advisable to eat apple without peeling its skin, since half of the vitamin C is comprised underneath the skin and also it increases insoluble fiber content in our body.

'A' for apple..

'A' for apple. Even a 3 years old child is known very well about this pomaceous fruit. Why not?? It might have only known about this fruit. Each and every individual likes apple. It’s default blood red color grabs everybody’s attention towards it. Even it bears different colors and different varieties by mutation like green apple, golden delicious, red delicious, granny smith, jonathan apple etc.

There is a well known proverb say, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", addresses the importance and health effects of the fruit. Eating fresh apples is always good for one’s circulatory system. And an apple is chiefly made up of vitamin C.

We can find almost all nutritional benefits in the pomum (Latin name for apple) which is produced in large quantities in China. Researches suggest that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer.

The seeds of apple contain a small amount of amygdalin, and cyanogenic glycoside which are mildly toxic. But it does not bring harm to humans, but it can deteriorate birds.

Apples are in fact very delicious, easy to carry for snacking, low in calories, a natural mouth freshener, and they are still very competitive in price like apple products (ipods, phones etc.).

Laugh and Live long

If we think of alternative medicine for health, people mostly think of plants, crystals and may be some bugs. But if we realize jokes, humor and comedy are the true medicines. Earlier it was recognized that optimists live longer than pessimists, now it has proven that one with good sense of humor live long.

Studies have been made to find the relation between comedy (laugh) and health. Good jokes always lower the blood pressure, increase the memory power and boost up the immune system. A good sense of humor defends form heart diseases and also alters the biochemical state to a level where the organism generates more antibodies.

If one uses laughter as a remedial measure, the first obvious factor is that there won’t be any side effects. Secondly it improves good sense of humor along with other skills and ability. Last but not the least all of us will tend to find the funny sides of even the small things that happens everyday around us, which in turn keep our health fit.

So laugh and live long.

Basic needs of Human beings

When we consider the area of human needs the needs are many and never ending. There are needs common to every one. Humans keep on thinking about their needs until they get satisfaction. And at once the desired need is met, they move on to another need.

The needs of people move from one level to another. It keeps on increasing and never decreases. The wants of people multiplies. If these needs are not met, obviously it yields tension and anxiousness. Needs come and go. I meant, needs can change accordingly from one place to another and for every situation.

Needs are classified in many ways like safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, physiological needs etc. Mainly it is classified as primary and secondary needs.

The most common but the important needs are Hunger and food-seeking, Thirst and water-seeking, maintenance of body temperature, the need for oxygen, the need for rest, Need for sleep, Need for activity and Need for elimination. These needs are basic needs of human beings. The needs vary for people to people and age to age. These needs begin from prenatal period to old age. The above mentioned basic needs are same across all Persons. Once the basic need is satisfied they will move to secondary needs like wanting for vehicle, securities etc…

Apart from primary needs, all the other secondary needs originate from the inner desires of heart. If a man knows to control his desires then he will excel in all situations and overcome all difficulties. It doesn’t mean that we should not desire for anything. Its core meaning is that one should know to control his desire so that he can avoid tension, dissatisfaction, worries, anger, mal practices, dishonesty, sickness etc., while running for it and should know to hold his patience to come up with flying colors..

Eye Strain

Over use of eye muscles causes eye strain. Normally any muscle held in one position for a long time will cause strain. Concentrating on a particular task like reading, working with computer or watching television for a long period of time will make the eye muscles tighten up which makes the eye to feel the irritations, dry and uncomfortable.

Eye strain stems from overuse. To refresh the eye, refocus once or twice in an hour or take a five minutes break from whatever work we are doing. Close the eyes for few minutes or some few seconds which reduces the eye strain. Blink as much as you can which soothes the eye and moistens. An alternative for blinking is artificial tears which remoistens the eye and releases the strain. Certain eye products like Murine and Visine must be avoided since they can dry the eyes out further.

People working with computer suffer from eye strain; the contrast in the screen must be changed and the position of the computer screen must be placed in such a way that window light doesn’t bounce off and create glare on the screen.

Ear Infection

Each individual would have come across ear infection. Mostly kids before 2 years old get at least one middle ear infection. More often middle ear infection is the most common problems for children. Generally infection happens when germs like bacteria and viruses get inside the body and roots trouble.

The ear is divided into 3 parts they are outer, middle and inner. Germs can get into the ear very easily. If the germs are in outer ear then it is called swimmer ear. The middle ear is a small pocket of air which is behind the ear drum. If the germs enters into middle ear it is filled with pus, in which germ fighting cells are present. This causes middle ear infection.

Ear infection is not a spreading disease but even common cold an cause this problem. Allergies and cold will block the ear tube and let the germs get into the middle ear. Then as a result ear infection is caused.Many people take this ear infection very lightly and they might have not bothered about the end result. But the symptoms are in fact very dangerous that it can even lead to deafness.

Symptoms of ear infection include ear pain, fullness in the ear, hearing loss, ringing, discharge from the ear, nausea, vomiting and vertigo.

Therefore be aware of ear infection and safe guard yourself and your beloveds.

ReNu Lens

World’s largest company which produces eye health products is Bausch & Lomb. This brand is one of the most popular and respected health brands in the world. Their product lines introduced a ReNu brand of chemical purifier which is predominantly made for cleansing contact lenses.

ReNu is a multipurpose solution which provides a soften moisture for the contact lens wear. ReNu fresh solution is specially prepared to toggle with natural tears. It readily fights germs, clean lenses and remove irritating protein deposits from the soft contact lens daily. It keeps the surface of the contact lens to maintain moisture and provide fresh lens which last comfortably the whole day. This makes us feel comfortable in wearing contact lens with much confidence. Using this cleanser daily minimizes the need for a separate enzymatic cleaner or cleaning daily for many lens wearers.

ReNu lens accessories contains 8 different products, they are ReNu Travel kit, ReNu rewetting drops 15ml, ReNu multiplus Multi-purpose solution (No rub) 40 z, ReNu MultiPlus Multi-Purpose (No Rub) Solution 12oz, ReNu MultiPlus Lubricating and Rewetting Drop 8ml, ReNu Multi-Purpose Solution 4oz, ReNu Multi-Purpose Solution 12oz, ReNu Leak Proof Lens Case.

Face Pack

A simple but effective face pack that we can prepare at home. Only 5 ingredients are needed to make this paste and they are furnished below.

• Multani mitti(1 tsp)
• Honey(4-5 drops)
• Amba haldi(1 pinch)
• Almond oil(4-5 drops)
• Curd(1 tsp)

 How to make?

Take 1tsp multani mitti in a bowl.

 Pour 4-5 drops of honey on it.

 Add 1 pinch of amba haldi(turmeric)along with the content.

 Pour 4-5 drops of almond oil. If its not available you can add olive oil.

 Mix it with 1 tsp of curd.

 Stir it well and make a paste of these ingredients. And the face pack is ready now.

It will not exceed more than 3 minutes to prepare.

Now apply it on your face. Leave it for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes wash your face off with cold water. Avoid warm/hot water while washing.It is very simple to prepare and affects our skin effectively which can be seen within a week.

It can be applied for all types of skin, since curd and almond oil nourishes our skin and maintains the good ratio of moisture and multani mitti and haldi removes dead cells and cleanses the oil pores.

 It makes our skin softer and reduces wrinkles and tanning.It maintains moisture in the skin, removes dead cells and keeps our skin glowing.

 GLOW FROM WITHIN.

Jackfruit seeds and honey

Jackfruit honey is manufactured in various regions. It is well powdered and used for preparing drinks.


The seeds can be eaten after boiling which is very good for health notably in the pregnancy time for women. It is also roasted and salted as table nuts which is very rich in vitamins and minerals.

It is also used along with other vegetables while preparing curry/gravy. They can be ground and blended with wheat flour for baking.

Not only the fruit but also the whole tree is very useful in making several other products such as yellow dye, varnishes, musical instruments, furniture etc.

Every part of the jackfruit tree has its own medicinal properties which could cure many diseases such as diarrhea, snake bites, wounds etc.

Jackfruit

It’s a well known fruit and is chosen as the national fruit of Bangladesh for it environmental benefits. It is meant for its distinct taste and color. It is very rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin C and minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, proteins and carbohydrates. It is highly nutritious and contains high levels of carbohydrates. Jackfruit very well substitutes other primary foods at times of scarcity in some regions. 

The pulp of the young fruit is cooked as a various delicious dishes especially pickled or canned.

Pulp of ripe fruit is eaten raw and also as myriad of local delicacies such as jack fruit jam, jelly, pastries, cookies salads etc.

The fleshy part is even preserved as candies by drying or mixing with sugar, honey or syrup. The juice is extracted and made into essence which is used to flavor ice creams and beverages.

Vitamins and Minerals in Chikku

When Chikku is boiled with water, the decoction is good for curing diarrhea.

 

A mixture made of its flowers and fruits can bring relief and can prevent pulmonary problems.

 

A concoction made with the old chickoo leaves can prevent cough and cold as well as diarrhea.

 

Vitamins Found in Sapodilla:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)
• Folate (water-soluble B vitamin)

 Minerals:

 

• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Sodium
• Zinc

 This fruit is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.

 

Chikku Usage:

Fully ripe Sapodillas are used in desserts or cut into half and served chill or the flesh of the fruit can be added even to fresh salads.

A wonderful dessert sauce can be made by blending the flesh with orange juice. Then whipped cream is added as a topping and served chill.

Sapodilla is added to the custard batter mix, before baking it, in order to give it a distinct flavor

In many countries like Indonesia and Malaya, it is fried and sometimes stewed with lime juice and ginger. In the Bahamas, the ripe fruits are strained, boiled and preserved as syrup.

Sapodilla pie was the invention of a lady in Florida, where the sapodilla is cut into apple like pieces and placed on the lower crust of the pie. Then lime juice is sprinkled and sugar is added to prevent it from becoming rubbery.

Even wine can be made out of the fruit and its high tannin content makes it useful as a source of dyes.

Shoots of the sapodilla plant are eaten raw or steamed with rice in Indonesia, after getting rid of the sticky sap.

The bark is rich in white, gummy latex called chicle (contains 15% rubber and 38% resin). It is the main ingredient in the manufacture of chewing gums.

It’s hard, heavy and durable wood which is use for building homes and furniture, tool handles, carts, etc.

Several Varieties of Sapodilla:

In India the most commonly grown varieties include:

1. Brown Sugar:

 Found in the year 1948, the fruit is medium small and is 2-2.5 inches long. The tree bearing this variety is tall and bushy. The fruit is granular, sweet, juicy and extremely fragrant.

2. Prolific:

Found in 1951, it is a round conical fruit with a scruffy brown skin. The pulp of the fruit has a pinkish tan and is mildly fragrant. It is sweet, juicy and extremely delicious to taste.

3. Russel:

In 1935, the russel variety was introduced. The dimensions of the fruit range from around 3 to 5 inches in diameter and length. Mildly fragrant it has a granular texture and is flavor rich and sweet.

4. Tikal:

 This variety is elliptical in shape, light brown in color and is often smaller than the prolific variety. With an excellent flavor this variety ripens early.

Sapodilla

Sapodilla or the Manilkara zapota / Manilkara achras is a tropical long-lived tree commonly grown in India, Mexico, Central America, Philippines (introduced during the colonization of Spain)and the West Indies.

It is popularly referred as ‘Chikoo’ or ‘Chiku’ in Hindi, the national language of Indians, ’Zapota’ or ‘Sapota’ in major parts of South India and also in South Asia and Pakistan. The normal Sapodilla tree grows to a height of 3-4m. White gummy latex called Chicle is found in the bark of the tree.

This tree bears fruit twice a year, flowering all year round. The fruit’s skin color is brown, resembling a potato. It grows to about 4-8 cm in diameter, and may contain a minimum of two seeds. Having high latex content, it does not ripen until picked. Sweet to taste, it tastes very much like cotton candy or caramel and has a grainy texture.

Fa(s)t Foods

A recent study states that Americans spend more money on fast food than they do on higher education, personal computers, soft wares and new cars. They also spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos and recorded music combined. The world of fast food seems to be a major attraction in the latest foodie trend. Here is an insight on one of the best fast food chains in the world.

Lets explore….

Fast food was actually introduced in the western countries and now it is world wide. Fast food can be simply explained as foods that are prepared in no time. This in turn would require nothing other that more oil and additives to make it tastier and attractive. Fast food results in many major diseases because of its inappropriate composition of ingredients and also it is cooked improper to make it faster. Fast food is especially high in fat content. This would result in increased body mass index (BMI) and weight gain. High intake of fast food also results in diabetes and Heart disease.

The world is changing and we are forced to adapt to those rigorous changes. Let us relax a bit and ponder on the food that we take. Are we really bothered about the time that is going to be wasted in eating healthy food by saying no to these FAST FOODS which results in major disease. It is up to us to decide on how we are going to avoid Fast Food from now.

Avocados as a Beauty aid

Apart from all the health issues, Avocado is also used as a beauty aid. Avocado oil is good for skin which keeps our skin nourishing and lively .Avocado can also boost the immune system and is used as a nourishing food for babiesat theb stage of intaking solid foods.

It play an vital role in manufacturing beauty and fairness creams. Most of the beauticians prefer and advise to go for butter fruit facial treatments to their customers.It removes all the dead cells form the skin and makes our skin glow.

 It is also an important part of some weight loss programs, as the mono-unsaturated fats in this fruit can speed up metabolism and can reduce food consumption. It is also good for certain digestive and skin disorders.

Avocado, can be also used in various food recipes, like, soups and salads. It can be a healthy choice to eat a slice of avocado with every bowl of salad. You can also plan the diet as per the advice of your dietitian. So, include this fruit in your diet and obtain the avocado health benefits.

Avocados/Butter Fruits

The nutritional value of avocados remains unconcealed when it comes to carotenoids. As carotenoids need fat for its absorption in the bloodstream, avocados contain mono-unsaturated fats, which help the former to get absorbed. Studies show that carotenoids are absorbed better, in people, who consume avocado. This fruit can be included in salads containing other vegetables, so that the carotenoids in all the ingredients are absorbed better by the body.

Avocados contain carotenoid lutein in considerable amounts, and lutein is good to prevent eye problems, like, macular degeneration and cataract.

Avocado oil for hair is a well known ,as it is quite beneficial when used as a hair tonic.

Another avocado health benefit lies in glutathione, which is an antioxidant that is found to be beneficial in preventing aging.

Preventing oral cancer is one of the avocado health benefits.

Health Benefits of Avocado

Nutritional facts in Avocado(Butter fruit) are plenty - avocados are known to be loaded in nutrients, like, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin K, copper, potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc. It is also a good source of nutritional fiber.

Unlike other fruits, avocados have high fat content, which accounts for around 70% to 80% of its total calories. The fat level in avocados is considered to be almost twenty times higher than the average fat content in other fruits.

A medium avocado fruit contains around thirty grams of fat, but, the good news is that almost 20% of its fat consists of mono-unsaturated fats, which are beneficial for health.

Many people are cautious of the fat content in avocados; researchers suggest that the mono-unsaturated fats in avocado, especially, oleic acid, may lower cholesterol levels.

Being rich in potassium, avocados can provide you with the adequate amounts of this mineral, which regulate blood pressure. It can also contribute to prevent circulatory diseases  like heart diseases, stroke, hypertension, etc.

According to some recent researches, the oleic acid in avocados is also beneficial in preventing breast cancer and prostate cancer.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO CREATE A HEALTHY GENERATION?

A scrutiny of  the Budget of Union and State governments, post freedom, shows a steady increase in the money spent by Ministry of health and family welfare. The reasons may be attributed to growing population and raising costs of various things, over the years. These appear to be true from a superficial look. However, the truth lies hidden.

Even a casual on looker will ask few simple questions:

• 
  
  There is so much of medical advancement over the years.
• 
  
  The department of medicine has grown like anything, in almost all branches
• 
  
  There are so many specializations, so many experts, so many inventions / advancements, use of technology, new drugs, new surgical and other treatment techniques.

Yet, on the other hand, the number of diseases - deaths - disabilities is equally increasing in an alarming manner.

Recent pandemics like SARS, SWINE FLU has affected so many people, even much before doctors could recognize what it is. Before the development of any vaccine for that, the disease is almost over. Doctors themselves acknowledge that the vaccine for this season may not be effective for the next attack.

• 
  
  What could be the reason for all this?
• 
  
  Where lies the real problem?
• 
  
  What could be the solution?
• 
  
  Does any such solution really exist?

The problem is not only Indian, it is global.

Before we enter into a deep study of the problems and solutions, let us consider all the advantages of finding out and implementing such solutions:

1. The budget expenditure of Union and State governments for the department of Health and Family welfare will reduce to one tenth, in next 30 years.

2. Crime rate & terrorism rate will fall, so the need for expenditure on Security & allied services will also reduce.

3. Accident rate, family violence, Legal problems all will drop.

And so on. The list is very long. The global harmony will be fantastic.

The money thus saved, can be utilized for Education, Research, Growth & Development, Infra structural development.

Where lies the problem?

The causes of a disease can be broadly classified into Internal and External.

Examples for the external causes: Bacteria, Viruses, Pollutions, Heat & Cold, Water, life style, diet, stress etc. You name anything under the sky, it can be included under this head.

Internal cause is only one and that is the "In born body + mind nature of a person". To call it in a word - "Constitution". To add a little scientific spice to it - call it "Genes".

These genes determines all that is to happen in our life - our strengths, weakness, tolerance, intolerance, allergies, likes, dislikes, emotions, intellect - anything and every thing.

All along, medicine was focusing on managing & treating external causes and its effects. This is the reason why there was no great success and what all is discussed above.

If the genes of a person can be safely modified, the world will be a healthy one. Absolutely healthy.

How is it possible? Is that a myth? Please wait till next posting.

Dr. K. Srinivasan MD (Hom),

Salem.
gm.1971@gmail.com

Fruits

Almost all the people like fruits, from our ancestors to the present age men, from the children to the grown up, from the rich to the poor and the list goes on…. Even our fore parents Adam and Eve sinned because of their desire towards the fruit. I could bet that nobody would say “I don’t like fruits”.

Fruits are well known not only for its taste and attractive colors but also for its very special medicinal qualities and rich vitamin, fibre and water contents. Each fruit has its own unique specialty in its shape, color, taste and rich contents. No fruit is harm to our health. Wherever we go with respect to our health all we hear is to have fresh fruits in regular.

It is really good to feed our children with fruits instead of junk foods and even no kid refuse to eat fruits. Why only children, even we should avoid junk foods and take more of the fruits kind. Fruits really play an important role in curing a very minute to very big diseases. Fruits are very good companions in our routine life.

Fruits play a vital role in maintaining the human biological system. Researches prove that regular consumption of fruits reduces the risk of many diseases such as cancer, cataract, coronary heart diseases and especially functional declines related with aging.

Even many medicines are manufactured with fruits. Lets talk over the benefits and the nature of all the fruits in the coming posts.

Jaundice

Jaundice is a symptom, mainly caused by the increase of chemical bilirubin level in the blood. It is expressed as yellow discoloration of the skin and sclera (white part of the eye). Jaundice may occur in different diseases with different reasons.

Jaundice may be caused due to,

1. Increased production of bilirubin – For e.g., hemolytic anaemia

2. Any defects in the liver preventing the removal of bilirubin from blood

3. Any obstruction in the pathway of bile duct may cause bilirubin stasis – For e.g Cancers, Calculi

Jaundice may affect neonate (new born) to old age. It also affects the pregnant women with medical emergency conditions.

Jaundice may be identified with few common associative symptoms of it such as,

• 
  
   itching
• 
  
   nausea
• 
  
   loss of appetite
• 
  
  abdominal pain in case of obstructions
• 
  
   liver pathologies, in severe cases it may accompany coma & ascites .

It is an indicator of diseases of  liver, gall bladder, malignancies etc…

Homoeopathy can manage jaundice effectively with its unique approach.

Dr. K. Srinivasan MD (Hom),

Salem.
gm.1971@gmail.com