Health News

Four tips to stay warm this winter

The chill of winters has set in and staying warm has become a priority. We have some pointers here to beat the cold and enjoy this season:

Dress smart

Wear multiple layers of light and warm clothes as it will keep your body heat insulated. Choose clothes made of wool, cotton or fleeced synthetic fibres.

Keep your extremities covered as they are the first parts of your body to lose circulation in cold temperatures. Wear a scarf, mitten and woollen cap when you are heading out.

Eat right

Eat at regular intervals as the burning of food will keep your body warm. Include lots of food items which are rich in protein.

Take hot drinks often to maintain your body temperature.

Move your body

Physical activity helps generate heat and fight cold. Engage in your daily exercise and chores to stimulate blood circulation and also prevent joints and muscles from stiffening.

Use hot water bottle

Stay warm with a hot water bottle. You will find hot water bottles in any department store or you can make one yourself by filling a glass bottle with hot water and wrapping it with a towel.

Source: inagist

 

Too much exposure to TV can stall preschoolers’ cognitive development

A new study has suggested that preschoolers who have a TV in their bedroom and are exposed to more background TV have a weaker understanding of other people’s beliefs and desires.

Amy Nathanson, Molly Sharp, Fashina Alade, Eric Rasmussen, and Katheryn Christy, all of The Ohio State University, interviewed and tested 107 children and their parents to determine the relationship between preschoolers’ television exposure and their understanding of mental states, such as beliefs, intentions, and feelings, known as theory of mind.

Parents were asked to report how many hours of TV their children were exposed to, including background TV. The children were then given tasks based on theory of mind. These tasks assessed whether the children could acknowledge that others can have different beliefs and desires, that beliefs can be wrong, and that behaviours stem from beliefs.

The researchers found that having a bedroom TV and being exposed to more background TV was related to a weaker understanding of mental states, even after accounting for differences in performance based on age and the socioeconomic status of the parent.

However, preschoolers whose parents talked with them about TV performed better on theory of mind assessments.

“When children achieve a theory of mind, they have reached a very important milestone in their social and cognitive development. Children with more developed theories of mind are better able to participate in social relationships. These children can engage in more sensitive, cooperative interactions with other children and are less likely to resort to aggression as a means of achieving goals,” lead researcher Nathanson said.

The study is published in the Journal of Communication.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

New technique to treat parasitic cystic tumour of kidney

Dr Santosh Kumar, assistant professor, department of urology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has developed an innovative surgical technique to treat parasitic cystic tumour of kidney, a rare disease that can lead to destruction of kidney.

In this Santosh PGI Technique, Dr Kumar operated a 22-year-old woman by single 2 cm incision through umbilicus, the natural scar given by god, using conventional port and instrument.

The innovative surgical technique is described in a paper published in the Asian Journal of Endoscopic Surgery, a journal of the Japan Society of Endoscopic Surgeons.

According to Dr Kumar, the new minimal invasive technique helped the patient recover fast and without scar. Her kidney was saved. “We believe it is the first case of this kind in this large hydatid parasitic tumour in which this technique was used,” he said.

Parasitic cystic tumour is common in canine, dogs, sheep etc. Humans get infected by eggs and embryo in contaminated vegetable and meat. The patient may not have any symptoms, can present with palpable tumour in abdomen, allergic reaction and obstruction of kidney, according to a statement by PGIMER.

Rupture of parasitic cystic tumour like mass can lead to shock and death. Removal of kidney by open surgery used to be traditional treatment, the statement said.

Treating a giant parasitic tumour kidney was earlier reported by Dr Kumar in the Journal of Endourology, an American Endourological Society journal. In this article he described how he performed treatment of various genitourinary hydatid cystic mass by laparoscopy by three small incisions.

Talking about his latest innovation, Dr Kumar said, “In our case the patient was newly married, who had been deserted by her husband because of unfortunate social condition and risk of morbidity of disease and surgery. Single hole surgery with this new technique through natural scar i.e. umbilicus guided by nephroscope, which is very common armamentarium of urologist, was an excellent advantageous condition for her.”

“It is interesting to say that after successful surgery the husband united with her wife happily,” he added.

Source: India Medical Times

Two Fortis cardiologists nominated to Medical Council of India

Two eminent cardiologists from Fortis Healthcare, Dr Ashok Seth chairman Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi, and Dr Vivek Jawali director and chief cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, Fortis Hospital, Bangalore, have been nominated to the newly constituted Medical Council of India (MCI), the premier statutory body that governs the standards of medical education and recognition of medical qualifications in the country.

A gazette notification of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, published recently, announced the names of the council members. Apart from elected members, the Central and state governments nominate medical professionals of pre-eminence to the MCI. While, Dr Seth was nominated by the Delhi government, Dr Jawali was nominated by the Karnataka government, both for a period of four years.

Source: Times of India

 

Big Changes Ahead in Medical Education

The U.S. should be prepared for massive changes in the next few years in the way physicians are trained, experts said here Thursday.

Change will have to start with inter professional education, George Thibault, MD, president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation in New York, said at an event sponsored by Health Affairs to promote its theme issue on medical education. “We know all health professionals are going to work together in formal and informal teams, yet we educate them separately and then are surprised when they don’t work together well.” Instead, professionals should be educated together so they are prepared to work together as teams, he said.

In addition, a new model of clinical education is needed, Thibault continued. “The [current] model is very fragmented and still too hospital-based to take care of a population with chronic illnesses who are largely outside the hospital. The model needs to be more longitudinal and community-based.”

Then there is the content of the curriculum. “Since [the Flexner report], biological sciences have been the basis for medical education,” he noted. “We need to add social sciences, systems management, economics, and medical professionalism.”

Thibault also suggested that medical schools move away from time-based education and toward education based on development of competencies, “so learners move through as they are ready to move through. We cannot continue to have a locked-up approach determined by everybody doing the same thing or determined by just time and place. This can lead to a more efficient system … and to professionals who are specifically prepared for the careers they’re going to take on.”

Several speakers lamented the lack of medical students willing to go into primary care. “Part of that is the culture of medical school — what’s conveyed to students plays a major role,” said Uwe Reinhardt of Princeton University in New Jersey.

“You come home and you say, ‘I’m a pediatrician,’ or you say you’re like Sanjay Gupta — a neurosurgeon. What gets you the date?” he said.

Although people often point to medical education debt as a barrier to pursuing the lesser-paid primary care specialties rather than the more well-paid specialties, Reinhardt disagreed that it’s a major problem. “Look at medical school indebtedness — on average it’s about $220,000,” he said. “I always tell physicians who bellyache, ‘you know that guy who just opened a restaurant — what do you think they pay on a mortgage?’ It’s probably close to your [loan], and somehow they make do.”

“Debt is a nuisance, but not prohibitive,” he added, noting that the Association of American Medical Colleges is trumpeting record medical school enrollment despite students’ debt problems.

For the primary care situation to change, “we need accountability,” said David Goodman, MD, of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire and a co-principal investigator of the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. “The best way is with public guidance leading to peer review that leads to public funding,” with priorities that are set annually. “That might [include] increase in primary care [residency] funding — putting a thumb on the scale allows being a priority.”

Goodman proposed a scheme in which each year, 10% of physician training programs would need to reapply for their funding. Programs that are reapplying would be competing with other established programs as well as new residency programs. Applications would be peer-reviewed, and successful applicants would get an interim review to make sure they were on track.

Under such a system — which would mean that each program would be reviewed once per decade — meritorious training programs would be able to expand, while weaker programs would lose 10% to 15% of their funding. And because the awards would be made every year, it would give the system “the ability to change priorities with each succeeding year, over time,” he said. “Sure, we’ll make mistakes, but they’ll be smaller mistakes.”

Audience members also heard from Reps. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) and Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.)who are co-sponsoring the “Training Tomorrow’s Doctors Today Act,” a bill that would increase the number of graduate medical education (GME) slots by 15,000 over a 5-year period. “This is an issue that’s uniting [Republicans and Democrats] on Capitol Hill,” Shock said.

Both Schock and Schwartz also expressed support for legislation that would repeal and then replace Medicare’s much-maligned sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula for physician reimbursement. Schock noted that one reason the House Energy and Commerce Committee was able to get unanimous support among its committee members for its SGR repeal proposal, which would cost an estimated $179 billion, was that “they didn’t say how they’re going to pay for it.”

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee — which is charged with coming up with ways to pay for legislation such as an SGR fix — has been briefing committee members on possible “pay-fors,” said Schock, who is a member of the committee. “So stay tuned” to see what happens, he added.

Schwartz said she hopes that GME reform may eventually be included in an SGR fix bill should one be passed. “When we do something about the SGR, there might be a moment when we could slip this [GME] legislation into our discussion,” she said.

Source: Med Page today

 

Nigeria: 700,000 adults living with HIV/AIDS in Benue

At least 700,000 adults out of the 4.3 million population of people in Benue State are still living with HIV/AIDS, Weekly Trust learnt yesterday.

Of the number which excluded children, only 50,000 persons living positively with the virus are registered with the Benue Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS.

Benue State Coordinator for PLWHA, Stephen Yongo revealed this at a one-day HIV/AIDS Review Meeting of Media Forum organized by the Ministry of Information and Orientation in conjunction with Benue State Action Committee on AIDS (BENSACA).

Yongo in a paper presentation entitled  “Stigma, Discrimination and Their Implications on HIV/AIDS  Programming”, explained that the 2010 sentinel report puts Benue at 12.7 per cent on HIV/AIDS prevalence rate.

He said his association has sent an Anti-Stigmatization Bill to the State Assembly to seek punitive measures against willful infection of innocent people by those already living with the virus.

Earlier,   Executive Secretary of BENSACA, Mrs. Grace Ashi Wende solicited strong partnership with the media in the campaigns against HIV/AIDS as they plan this year’s World AIDs Day with the theme “Take Charge of Your Life,  know your HIV Status”.

Source: Weekly Trust

Yoga: why men don’t get it

Despite its benefits , the poses and the chanting can be too much of a stretch for some males, writes Eric Niller.

At a recent visit to a yoga studio, I watched as practitioners breathed, bent, twisted and stretched their way to a happier state. They left more relaxed, more energised, with better posture and a renewed outlook. But there was one curious thing: of the 24 people in the room, only four were men.

Yoga devotees say that this disparity is not unusual, no matter the time of day. Typically, they say, the ratio of women to men rarely goes much below 80-20. In fact, a 2012 survey by Yoga Journal found that of the 20.4 million people who practise yoga in the United States, only 18 per cent of them were men.

Why don’t men do yoga?
My husband said he felt bored,” says one woman whose partner was visiting the Washington studio on a day off. “He didn’t let himself enjoy it.”

She is like many women who do yoga and want their spouse or partner to give it a try. But the many myths about yoga stand in their way: Yoga isn’t a decent workout; it’s too touchy-feely; you have to be flexible to do it; men’s bodies just aren’t built for pretzel-like poses.

Adrian Hummell has heard all the excuses.

“What happens is, a guy who doesn’t know about it associates it with things like pilates or aerobics,” says Hummell, who has been doing yoga for the past three years and now teaches Bikram yoga, a particularly strenuous form of the practice, in Maryland. They think of it as a “women’s workout”, he says.

“It’s almost a joke when guys say, ‘I don’t think I should do yoga because I’m not flexible,’ ” he says. “It’s like saying, ‘I’m too weak, so I can’t lift weights.’ ”

Hummell and many other yoga practitioners extol its many benefits beyond a pleasant post-class buzz. Several studies have linked a regimen of yoga classes to a reduction in lower back pain and improved back function. Other studies suggest that practicing yoga lowers heart rate and blood pressure; helps relieve anxiety, depression and insomnia, and improves overall physical fitness, strength and flexibility, according to the US National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health. Still, despite many studies, no firm evidence has been found to show that yoga improves asthma or arthritis.

The centre is funding research to determine whether yoga can benefit in the treatment of diabetes, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis.

Loren Fishman, a Manhattan physician who sees patients suffering from a variety of ills, says his prescription is often yoga.

Fishman has written several books on using yoga as a supplement for rather than as a substitute for medicine. He has studied yoga since the early 1970s and noted that the practice was developed centuries ago by men in India. But its modern form has become feminised.

“There’s been a flip,” Fishman says. “When it came to the US, yoga became a sort of gentle gym, a non-competitive, non-confrontational thing that’s good for you. Yoga has this distinctive passive air to it. You get into the pose and stay there.”

Among those who reject the idea that yoga is just for women is Danny Poole, a Denver teacher and trainer who uses yoga to help athletes. In 2009, his students included about a dozen members of the Denver Broncos.

Poole came to the practice reluctantly himself. A basketball player at Grand Valley State University in Michigan four decades ago, he was dragged into a yoga class by his girlfriend.

“All I knew is that there were hippies doing it, and I was intimidated because I didn’t know what it was,” Poole said. “Then I got hooked on it because I never felt so good.” Poole kept up with yoga and said it helped him avoid sports injuries as he grew older. About 15 years ago, he went full-time as a teacher.

Poole decided to drop some of the elements of a traditional yoga class that could turn off men: no chanting, no Sanskrit terms for poses, no music, no headstands or handstands that are difficult and prone to causing injury. “I keep it easy and gentle, and I avoid trying to make the client not look good,” he said.

Poole says professional athletes like yoga because it keeps them loose and focused before a game and helps ease post-game soreness. During his year with the Broncos, he says, he kept his yoga group injury-free. But he understands why many men, especially former athletes and men who have spent years pumping iron, have trouble with the physical and mental aspects of yoga.

“Athletes with big muscles take a regular yoga class and it kicks their butt,” Poole says. “They tend not to come back.” But Poole said that those who stuck with the yoga program remained injury-free during the football season, which turned the doubters into converts.

When men say they are bored with yoga, Poole thinks there may be something else going on.

“Our egos are deflated because we can’t do some of the poses,” he said.

Source: The Age

45 Uses For Lemons

Most people are familiar with the traditional uses for lemons to soothe sore throats and add some citrus flavor to our foods. However the diversity of applications for lemons far exceeds general knowledge and once you read the following list, you’ll likely want to stock at least a few lemons in your kitchen 24-7.

1. Freshen the Fridge
Remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab lemon juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Make sure to toss out any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.

2. High Blood Pressure
Lemon contains potassium which controls high blood pressure and reduces the effect of nausea and dizziness.

3. Prevent Cauliflower From Turning Brown
Cauliflower tend to turn brown with even the slightest cooking. You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice on them before heating.

4. Mental Health
Lemon water can also prep up your mood and relieve you from depression and stress. Long distance walkers and world travelers as well as explorers look upon the lemon as a Godsend. When fatigue begins, a lemon is sucked through a hole in the top. Quick acting medicine it is, giving almost unbelievable refreshments.

5. Refresh Cutting Boards
No wonder your kitchen cutting board smells! After all, you use it to chop onions, crush garlic, and prepare fish. To get rid of the smell and help sanitize the cutting board, rub it all over with the cut side of half a lemon or wash it in undiluted juice straight from the bottle.

6. Respiratory Problems
Lemon water can reduce phlegm; and can also help you breathe properly and aids a person suffering with asthma.

7. Treating Arthritis and Rheumatism
Lemon is a diuretic – assists in the production of urine which helps you to reduce inflammation by flushing out toxins and bacteria while also giving you relief from arthritis and rheumatism.

8. Prevents Kidney Stones
Regular consumption of the refreshing drink — or even lemon juice mixed with water — may increase the production of urinary citrate, a chemical in the urine that prevents the formation of crystals that may build up into kidney stones.

9. Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and windowsills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against roaches and fleas: Simply mix the juice of 4 lemons (along with the rinds) with 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and roaches flee. They hate the smell.

10. Anti-Aging
Lemon water reduces the production of free radicals which are responsible for aging skin and skin damage. Lemon water is calorie free and an antioxidant.

11. Fruit and Vegetable Wash
You never know what kind of pesticides or dirt may be lurking on the skin of your favorite fruits and vegetables. Slice your lemon and squeeze out one tablespoon of lemon juice into your spray bottle. The lemon juice is a natural disinfectant and will leave your fruits and vegetables smelling nice too.

12. Treat Infections
Lemon water can fight throat infections thanks to its antibacterial property. If salt water does not work for you, try lime and water for gargling.

13. Deodorize Your Garbage
If your garbage is beginning to smell yucky, here’s an easy way to deodorize it: Save leftover lemon and orange peels and toss them at the base under the bag. To keep it smelling fresh, repeat once every couple of weeks.

14. Keep Guacamole Green
You’ve been making guacamole all day long for the big party, and you don’t want it to turn brown on top before the guests arrive. The solution: Sprinkle a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice over it and it will stay fresh and green. The flavor of the lemon juice is a natural complement to the avocados in the guacamole. Make the fruit salad hours in advance too. Just squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple slices, and they’ll stay snowy white.

15. Purges The Blood
We consume a lot of junk food or food with a lot of preservatives and artificial flavours. This builds up a lot of toxins in the blood and body but daily consumption of lemon water helps to purify the blood.

16. Make Soggy Lettuce Crisp
Don’t toss that soggy lettuce into the garbage. With the help of a little lemon juice you can toss it in a salad instead. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water. Then put the soggy lettuce in it and refrigerate for 1 hour. Make sure to dry the leaves completely before putting them into salads or sandwiches.

17. Oral Health
Lemon juice also stops bleeding gums and reduces toothaches

18. Lighten Age Spots
Why buy expensive creams when you’ve got lemon juice? To lighten liver spots or freckles, try applying lemon juice directly to the area. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your skin clean. It’s a safe and effective skin-lightening agent.

19. Create Blonde Highlights
For salon-worthy highlights, add 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then, sit in the sun until your hair dries. To maximize the effect, repeat once daily for up to a week.

20. Make a Room Scent/Humidifier
Freshen and moisturize the air in your home on dry winter days. Make your own room scent that also doubles as a humidifier. If you have a wood-burning stove, place an enameled cast-iron pot or bowl on top, fill with water, and add lemon (and/or orange) peels, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple skins. No wood-burning stove? Use your stovetop instead and just simmer the water periodically.

21. Clean and Whiten Nails
Pamper your hands without a manicurist. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon to 1 cup warm water and soak your fingertips in the mixture for 5 minutes. After pushing back the cuticles, rub some lemon peel back and forth against the nail.

22. Cleanse Your Face
Zap zits naturally by dabbing lemon juice on blackheads to draw them out during the day. You can also wash your face with lemon juice for a natural cleanse and exfoliation. Your skin should improve after several days of treatment. Lemon water is also a cooling agent, best way to beat the heat.

23. Freshen Your Breath
Make an impromptu mouthwash by rinsing with lemon juice straight from the bottle. Swallow for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing bacteria that causes bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes because long-term exposure to the acid in lemons can harm tooth enamel.
24. Treat Flaky Dandruff
If itchy, scaly dandruff has you scratching your head, relief may be no farther away than your refrigerator. Just massage two tablespoons lemon juice into your scalp and rinse with water. Then stir one teaspoon lemon juice into one cup water and rinse your hair with it. Repeat daily until your dandruff disappears.

25. Get Rid of Tough Stains on Marble
You probably think of marble as stone, but it is really petrified calcium (also known as old seashells). That explains why it is so porous and easily stained and damaged. Those stains can be hard to remove. If washing won’t remove a stubborn stain, try this: Cut a lemon in half, dip the exposed flesh into some table salt, and rub it vigorously on the stain. But do this only as a last resort; acid can damage marble. Rinse well. Use These Lemons To Clean – Easy and Effective

26. Remove Berry Stains
It sure was fun to pick your own berries, but now your fingers are stained with berry juice that won’t come off no matter how much you scrub with soap and water. Try washing your hands with undiluted lemon juice, then wait a few minutes and wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat until your hands are stain-free.

27. Soften Dry, Scaly Elbows
Itchy elbows are bad enough, but they look terrible too. For better looking (and feeling) elbows, mix baking soda and lemon juice to make an abrasive paste, then rub it into your elbows for a soothing, smoothing, and exfoliating treatment. Rinse your extremities in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, then massage with olive oil and dab dry with a soft cloth.

28. Headaches
Lemon juice with a few teaspoons of hot tea added is the treatment of a sophisticated New York bartender, for those who suffer with hangover headaches–and from headaches due to many other causes. He converts his customers to this regime, and weans them away from drug remedies completely.

29. Chills and Fevers
Chills and fevers may be due to a variety of causes; never the less the lemon is always a helpful remedy. Spanish physicians regard it as an infallible friend.

30. Diptheria
Skip the vaccine for this disease. Lemon Juice Treatment still proves as one of the most powerful antiseptics and the strong digestive qualities of the fruit are admired around the world. With the juice every hour or two, and at the same time, 1/2 to 1 tsp. should be swallowed. This cuts loose the false membrane in the throat and permits it to come out.

31. Vaginal Hygiene
Diluted lemon juice makes a safe and sane method of vaginal hygiene. Though it is a powerful antiseptic it is nevertheless free from irritating drugs in douches and suppositories.

32. Forget The Moth Balls
A charming French custom to keep closets free from moths is to take ripe lemons and stick them with cloves all over the skin. The heavily studded lemons slowly dry with their cloves, leaving a marvelous odor throughout the closets and rooms.

33. Stomach Health
Digestive problems are the most common ailments but warm water and lime juice is the solution to most digestive problems. Lemon juice helps to purify the blood, reduces your chances of indigestion, constipation, eliminates toxins from the body, adds digestion and reduces phlegm.

34. Disinfect Cuts and Scrapes
Stop bleeding and disinfect minor cuts and scraps by pouring a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut. You can also apply the juice with a cotton ball and hold firmly in place for one minute.

35. Soothe Poison Ivy Rash
You won’t need an ocean of calamine lotion the next time poison ivy comes a-creeping. Just apply lemon juice directly to the affected area to soothe itching and alleviate the rash.

36. Remove Warts
You’ve tried countless remedies to banish warts and nothing seems to work. Next time, apply a dab of lemon juice directly to the wart using a cotton swab. Repeat for several days until the acids in the lemon juice dissolve the wart completely.

37. Bleach Delicate Fabrics
Avoid additional bleach stains by swapping ordinary household chlorine bleach with lemon juice, which is milder but no less effective. Soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda for at least half an hour before washing.

38. Clean Tarnished Brass and Polish Chrome
Say good-bye to tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and coat the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too. Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse. Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome. Simply rub lemon rind over the chrome and watch it shine! Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

39. Replace Your Dry Cleaner
Ditch the expensive dry-cleaning bills (and harsh chemicals) with this homegrown trick. Simply scrub the stained area on shirts and blouses with equal parts lemon juice and water. Your “pits” will be good as new, and smell nice too.

40. Boost Laundry Detergent
For more powerful cleaning action, pour 1 cup lemon juice into the washer during the wash cycle. The natural bleaching action of the juice will zap stains and remove rust and mineral discolorations from cotton T-shirts and briefs and will leave your clothes smelling fresh. Your clothes will turn out brighter and also come out smelling lemon-fresh.

41. Rid Clothes of Mildew
Have you ever unpacked clothes you stored all winter and discovered some are stained with mildew? To get rid of it, make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub it on the affected area, then dry the clothes in sunlight. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.

42. Eliminate Fireplace Odor
There’s nothing cozier on a cold winter night than a warm fire burning in the fireplace — unless the fire happens to smell horrible. Next time you have a fire that sends a stench into the room, try throwing a few lemon peels into the flames. Or simply burn some lemon peels along with your firewood as a preventive measure.

43. Neutralize Cat-Box Odor
You don’t have to use an aerosol spray to neutralize foul-smelling cat-box odors or freshen the air in your bathroom. Just cut a couple of lemons in half. Then place them, cut side up, in a dish in the room, and the air will soon smell lemon-fresh.

44. Deodorize a Humidifier
When your humidifier starts to smell funky, deodorize it with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. Repeat every couple of weeks to keep the odor from returning.

45. Reduce Asthma Symptoms
In addition to a general detoxifying diet, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice before each meal, and before retiring can reduce asthma symptoms.

Source: Knowledge weighs nothing

6 technology trends that will change your family’s health forever

When the Affordable Care Act takes effect in January, it will not only change the health care system but how we manage our families’ health and our own.

And as technology continues to evolve, digital health tools will play an even bigger role in how we stay healthy and fit.

Read on for six of the latest health trends to look for.

1. Telemedicine

If you live far from a doctor, the office is closed, or it’s just not a convenient time, telemedicine might be the answer. Telemedicine – in the form of a phone consultation or “virtual visit” a la Skype or FaceTime – is relatively new, but the concept has been gaining momentum among doctors, according to Dr. Joseph C. Kvedar, founder and director of the Center for Connected Health in Boston, Mass.

Through telemedicine, a doctor could check your child’s throat for infection, do a follow-up visit for acne, or even send a prescription to the pharmacy. Yet experts say telemedicine will never replace traditional medicine.  “This isn’t in any way a substitute for the relationship you have with your doctor face to face when you need it,” Kvedar said.

2. Wearables

Gadgets that use sensors to measure and track your steps, calories, heart beat, body temperature, and even sleep, are one of the fastest growing areas in the digital health market. There are even kid-friendly pedometers that allow kids to upload their stats and get rewards for their progress.

“You’re seeing fitness wearables help people take their overall fitness seriously and make it kind of fun,” said Robin Raskin, founder of Living in Digital Times.

Next up? Look for these gadgets in smart watches too.

3. There’s an app for that

From apps that can help diagnose your child’s symptoms or send blood pressure readings to your doctor, to weight-loss programs that use photos of meals to estimate calories, apps will be a big part of your family’s health.

“The next time you go to your doctor, you may be just as likely to get an app as an aspirin,” Raskin said. In fact, by 2015, 500 million smartphone users worldwide will be using a health care app, according to a report by research2guidance. And as the Food and Drug Administration continues to oversee and approve mobile medical apps, expect to see more of them.

4. The Internet of things

The Internet of Things – products that combine a physical device, cloud-based data, and a mobile device to analyze and track health stats – is expected to be a big part of our lives. For example, a scale that captures your daily weight, tracks it on your mobile device and then allows you to share your progress with your community, can help you lose weight. The Internet of Things will also show up in heart monitors, blood glucose monitors and even stethoscopes.

5. Medical records all in one place

Web-based personal health record sites and free apps from insurance companies are some of the best and newest ways you can keep track of your child’s immunizations, lab results, and prescriptions.  These programs also allow you to share this information with your child’s doctors and school.

6. Health and safety at home

Sensors are also helping moms care for and keep their children safe at home. Instead of an invasive thermometer, new digital thermometers scan the forehead for a fever, for example. Sensor technology is also showing up in medicine bottles that sound an alarm if your child tries to open them.

Source: News.nom

7 nutrients lacking in your diet

Think you eat pretty well and get enough key nutrients? Hopefully you do, but unfortunately the diets of most Americans are far from ideal.

A recent re-analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2001-2008, commissioned by Nature Made, found that the diets of most Americans are lacking in several key nutrients. Even if you eat an appropriate amount of calories, you may not be getting enough important nutrients. Here are some of the nutrients that may be low in your diet, and easy ways to get more.

Vitamin A
If you associate vitamin A with healthy eyesight, you’re correct — vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins for healthy eyes. The vitamin A family also plays a key role in immune function and reproduction. According to the NHANES analysis, 78 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A.

How to get more? The highest concentration of vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes. Other good food sources of vitamin A include beef liver, spinach, black-eyed peas, fish, milk, eggs, spinach, and yellow or orange fruits and vegetables (like carrots, squash, cantaloupe, mangos, apricots, and peaches).

Vitamin C
A powerful antioxidant that protects against cell damage, vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps form collagen in the body.  It’s also an important ingredient in key bodily processes like protein metabolism and synthesis of neurotransmitters. According to the NHANES analysis, more than half of U.S. adults (56 percent) don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C.

How to get more? If you think of citrus when you think of vitamin C, you are correct. Other good sources of this power vitamin include sweet red peppers, orange juice, kiwi fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe — just another reason to eat your daily fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a nutrient that supports the absorption of calcium and may contribute to the maintenance of a healthy mood. A multitude of studies also support its role in immune health and the reduction of inflammation. According to the NHANES analysis, 99 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin D.

Surprisingly few foods contain vitamin D, unless it’s added to the food. That’s because your body is meant to get vitamin D through your skin (from sunlight) rather than through food. However, age, altitude, time of year, and other factors can make getting vitamin D from sunlight alone problematic for many people.

How to get more? The best sources of vitamin D from food are fatty fish (like tuna, salmon or mackerel), vitamin D fortified foods (like milk, yogurt, orange juice, and cereal), beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. However, due to the low intake of vitamin D in the US diet, supplements can be an important source.

For healthy adults, a common supplement recommendation is 1000 IU per day of vitamin D3 (also known as “cholecalciferol”). When choosing a vitamin D (or any) supplement, look for brands that have been tested and verified by third-party organizations, such as United States Pharmacopeia (USP). Always talk to your health care professional to see what supplement regimen is best for you.

Vitamin E
As a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin E protects cells from harmful molecules called free radicals. Vitamin E is also important for healthy blood vessel function and clotting (so when you cut yourself it stops bleeding), as well as for immunity. According to the NHANES analysis, 98 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E. While naturally occurring vitamin E exists in eight chemical forms, alpha- (or α-) tocopherol is the only form that is recognized to meet human requirements.

How to get more? The best source of vitamin E is wheat germ oil, with 1 tablespoon providing 100 percent of the daily value. Other top sources of vitamin E include nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts), peanuts and peanut butter, and some oils (sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, and safflower oil).

Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and the vast majority of it is stored in your teeth and bones. The remaining calcium helps your heart, muscles, and nerves function properly. Some studies suggest that calcium, along with vitamin D, may also play a role in protecting against cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure – but more research is needed. According to the NHANES analysis, 69 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium.

How to get more? It’s no surprise people think of milk when they think of calcium – dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt) contain the highest amounts of naturally occurring calcium. Other sources of calcium include calcium-fortified foods (calcium-fortified orange juice, soymilk, and cereals), dark, leafy greens (kale, spinach, and collards), and some beans (soybeans and white beans).

Magnesium
Magnesium participates in more than 300 reactions in the body and is critical to many bodily functions such as blood glucose control, blood pressure regulation, keeping bones strong, and converting carbohydrates, protein, and fat into energy. Sine magnesium is widely distributed in plant and animal foods and in beverages, it might be surprising that according to the NHANES analysis, 82 percent of U.S. adults don’t get the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium.

Low magnesium intake in the U.S. may be due to the fact that some types of food processing, such as refining grains in ways that remove the nutrient-rich germ and bran, can lower magnesium content substantially. Groups most at risk for magnesium deficiency are older adults and those with gastrointestinal diseases, type 2 diabetes or alcohol dependence.

How to get more? Good dietary sources of magnesium are green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. In general, foods naturally containing dietary fiber provide magnesium. Magnesium is also added to some breakfast cereals and other fortified foods.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
In addition to the nutrients shown to be lacking in the recent NHANES analysis, other nutrient intake surveys show that omega-3 fatty acids are deficient in the American diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are considered essential fatty acids. They contribute to heart health, brain health, and may help reduce inflammation.

There are two major types of omega-3 fatty acids in our diets: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in some vegetable oils, walnuts, flaxseed, and some green vegetables, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is found in fatty fish. ALA is partially converted to DHA and EPA by the body. Unfortunately, most Americans do not get enough of either type.

How to get more? For good health, you should aim to get at least one rich source of omega-3 fatty acids into your diet every day. This could be through a serving of salmon or other fatty fish, a tablespoon of salad dressing made with canola or soybean oil, a handful of walnuts, or ground flaxseed mixed into your morning smoothie.

For those at risk for heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends a dose of omega-3 (EPA + DHA) of 1 g per day or more. Since this is more than most people get in their diet, omega-3 supplements containing EPA + DHA may be beneficial. When choosing a fish oil supplement, choose a brand that is tested for purity and potency, like Omax3 Ultra-Pure. Before taking any supplement, discuss with your health care provider what regimen is best for you.

Source: Fox News