health tips

Natural cosmetics, fresh from a winter garden

Sof McVeigh, author of ‘Treat Yourself Natural’, shares three recipes for cosmetics you can make using ingredients from your garden this winter

Winter is the time to hunker down and make the most of what you have gathered over the year. Don’t worry if you didn’t collect much; there are still many evergreen herbs available to use, such as rosemary and sage.
This is also the time of year when the kitchen spice rack comes into its own: cinnamon, ginger and cloves all make great cold busting remedies.

With the cold winter days this is a fantastic time of year for indoor activities and making presents is a fun way to keep out of the cold – even after Christmas. Try making ginger chocolates, relaxing bath salts or invigorating body scrubs. Whatever gifts you choose to make, adding a personal label and a pretty ribbon makes all the difference, so let your creativity run wild.

Sage makes a good toner for oily skin due to its antibacterial and astringent properties. Create your own oily skin toner with sage, witch hazel (to tighten the pores) and rosemary (to increase circulation to dull skin). Also for a lovely smell add either rose essential oil to soothe, or lavender essential oil to cleanse. Apply nightly with cotton wool, although it is important to carry out a skin sensitivity test before using for the first time. Once made up, this skin toner will last for three months.

What you need
• 200ml (7fl oz) still spring water
• 4 tsp (20ml) glycerine
• 2 tsp (10ml) sage tincture*
• 1 tsp (5ml) witch hazel tincture*
• 1 tsp (5ml) rosemary tincture*
• 5 drops of rose essential oil or lavender essential oil
1. Mix all of the above in a bottle.
2. Use nightly with cotton wool.

Winter body scrub

This was one of the first ‘potions’ I ever made and is incredibly easy; it also makes a great present with the addition of a pretty ribbon and label. Body scrubs are great for reviving dull winter skin: the salt sloughs away dead skin and the oil moisturizes it. Depending on the herbs you use, a body scrub can be invigorating or relaxing. Your herb choice is personal: you can choose ones whose scent you like, or you can choose them for their benefits. Mint, eucalyptus and rosemary or sage work well together as a winter decongestant body scrub, which is also invigorating and warming.

You can use this as a body scrub or add a spoonful to a hot bath rather like bath salts. However please don’t use it if you have sores or cuts, as it will really sting. If you can’t find some of the herbs or plants, just add a few drops of their essential oil instead.

What you need
To make enough to fill two 300ml (10fl oz) jam jars:
• 600ml (20fl oz) fi ne sea salt, or enough to fill both your jars
• Approximately 3 sprigs of rosemary, or 20 sage leaves, 30 mint leaves and 20 eucalyptus leaves
• 650ml (1¼ pints) olive or sunfl ower oil, to fill both your jars plus a little extra
• Pan
• Sieve lined with muslin
• 2 clean jars and labels

1. Roughly chop the plants and put them in a pan.
2. Cover them with oil and warm them on a very low heat for one hour. Do not even simmer, as the idea is just to warm the contents, encouraging the plants to release some of their goodness into the oil.
3. Line a sieve with muslin and drain the mixture into a bowl, keeping the oil; the leaves can be thrown away.
4. In another bowl pour in your sea salt, then slowly stir the oil into the salt until it reaches a consistency where the salt has completelyabsorbed all the oil. Keep any left over oil in a jar for later use.
5. Finally, spoon into clean jars and label.
6. This will last for up to one year, though the smell may start to go.

Alternative herbs
To make your own unique scrub you could try some other ideas:
• Marigold (calendula) makes a healing skin scrub.
• Lavender or chamomile creates a relaxing and soothing one.
• Honey, with it natural antibacterial properties, will add an extra element to any body scrub, as well as providing it with a great consistency and smell.
• As well as changing the herbs you use, you can also replace the salt with any of the following: sugar, ground almonds, ground oats, ground rice, bran, jojoba exfoliating grains, or apricot kernel powder. The latter two are even smooth and gentle enough to use on your face

Witch hazel spot gel

This recipe makes a strong gel to put on individual spots only, as it is very drying. Always carry out a skin sensitivity test before using.

What you need
• 40ml (1½fl oz) water
• 40ml (1½fl oz) homemade witch hazel decoction*
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• 5 drops of tea tree oil
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 12 drops of Preservative 12, used in the vegan food industry in Denmark (optional)
• Small, clean pot, approximately 80ml size
1. First add the witch hazel decoction to the water.
2. Sprinkle on the xanthum gum, whisking it in well so there are no lumps.
3. Add five drops of tea tree oil for its antibacterial properties then five drops of lavender essential oil for its lovely smell and antibacterial properties.
4. Then add 12 drops of Preservative 12 if you want the gel to last; if you don’t use this, the gel will last for a week.
5. Pour the gel into a small pot and dab it on a spot when you need to.

 TINCTURES

Make a tincture with any part of the plant you choose: put it in a jar, cover it with strong 40 per cent proof vodka and then let it soak for at least two weeks. The alcohol extracts the beneficial properties of the plant and acts as a preservative; if you don’t like the idea of using alcohol, you can substitute it with vinegar. Tinctures last a long time – on average three to four years – and they can be used either externally, or internally for some plants.

DECOCTIONS

Decoctions are easy to make, using just water. Boil the plant in water for between 15 to 20 minutes so that all the goodness from the plant is extracted into the water. Once boiled, drain and throw away the plant and use the liquid either externally, or internally for some plants. The best parts of the plant to use for making decoctions are the ‘tough’ ones: the roots, woody stems, bark, seeds and berries. As decoctions are water-based, bacteria grows in them so they don’t last as long as tinctures and vinegars: either use them straight away or add a preservative, such as sugar or citric acid. Decoctions are the base for many syrups and jellies, and are also useful for some skincare recipes.

Source: The Telegraph

12 foods that naturally whiten your teeth

We’ve all been told to avoid red wine, dark berries, and black coffee in our quests for pearly whites, but what about foods that actually brighten your smile? Try these natural solutions for a brilliant beam

Strawberries

They may be bright red, but malic acid, a chief component of this summery fruit, acts as a natural astringent to remove surface tooth discoloration, says Dr. Irwin Smigel, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. Fresh, juicy strawberries taste great in any meal—salads, desserts, cereal—and are widely available at farmers markets this time of year, so getting your daily dose is both simple and delicious

 

Seeds and nuts

Chewing these lightly abrasive, hard foods rubs plaque and stains off the surface of teeth, says Dr. Matthew Messina, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. Pop a few almonds for a mid-afternoon snack—they’re full of protein, healthy fats, and the crunch you need to get pearly whites.

Onions

Although they may not be the ideal pre-date snack, the notoriously bad-for-breath alliums could be beneficial to teeth. Because they’re colorless, they won’t cause surface stains, says Messina, adding that after eating them you’re more likely to brush—which is a surefire way to get whiter teeth.

Apples

The loud crunch you hear when you bite into this hard fruit may be annoying, but it’s also good for your choppers. Apples’ crispiness strengthens gums, and their high water content increases saliva production, dispersing and neutralizing colonies of bacteria that lead to bad breath and plaque, says Smigel.

 

Baking soda

Take a toothpaste break and try brushing with this common ingredient. Baking soda is a base, like bleach, notes Messina, and the “soda”—which is actually a form of salt—in this pantry staple is a mild abrasive that works to scrub off plaque and surface stains.

Celery and carrots

The same high water content that makes these veggies great for your waistline and your health also helps them whiten your teeth by stimulating saliva production, which aids in washing away food debris and strengthening gums, according to Smigel.

Broccoli

Unlike beets and cranberries, this crunchy vegetable doesn’t stay stuck to teeth, so it won’t cause unsightly surface stains, says Messina. Throw some raw broccoli into your lunch—the florets will scrub the surface of teeth, giving them a brief and natural midday

Cheese

Hard cheese, like the little blocks you get on those delicious appetizer trays, is full of calcium, which strengthens teeth and gums, explains Smigel. Plus, most cheeses are near colorless, meaning they won’t stain your teeth. So go ahead, order that cheese plate.

Oranges

This bright fruit contains citrus, an acid that can wear away tooth enamel if ingested in large doses, making teeth whiter—but at a cost, says Messina. So while we don’t recommend gulping down bags of oranges in the spirit of a bright smile, a juicy helping once in a while is good for your pearly whites, and thanks to loads of vitamin C, your overall health too.

Water

Drink lots of water to keep your mouth hydrated and your smile bright, advises Smigel, who recommends sipping and swishing between glasses of wine and when eating dark, pigmented foods to prevent staining. However, while water reduces the acidity in your mouth and the resulting damage to your enamel, Dr. Smigel warns against imbibing too much

Pears

Smigel recommends munching on a pear to neutralize pesky odor-causing and staining bacteria colonies on teeth. Increased saliva production brought on by this sweet, delicious fruit also washes away food debris, leaving teeth clean and sparkling.

Source: yahoo shopping

Recipe: Baby Corn salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups Baby Corn (finely sliced)
• 1 cup Peas (boiled)
• 1 cup Black Gram (sprouted)
• 1 tsp Pepper Powder
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Lime Juice
• Salt (to taste)
• Boiled Water

How to make

Place the baby corn in boiled water for 10 minutes, until tender.

In a large mixing bowl, add peas, black gram, pepper powder, sugar, lime juice and salt. Mix well.

Filter the water and add the baby corn to the bowl.

Mix well and serve.

Source: Zee news

Helping Smokers Quit, or Not Start in the First Place

“Even 50 years after the first surgeon general’s report on smoking and health, we’re still finding out new ways that tobacco kills and maims people,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently told me. “It’s astonishing how bad it is.”

Dr. Frieden and public health specialists everywhere are seeking better ways to help the 44 million Americans who still smoke to quit and to keep young people from getting hooked on cigarettes. “Fewer than 2 percent of doctors smoke. Why can’t we get to that rate in society as a whole?” he wondered.

One reason: Smoking rates are highest among the poor, poorly educated and people with mental illness, populations hard to reach with educational messages and quit-smoking aids.

But when I mentioned to Dr. Frieden, a former New York City health commissioner, that the city’s streets are filled with young adult smokers who appear to be well educated and well dressed, he said television seems to have had an outsize influence.

Focus groups of white girls in New York private schools have suggested a “Sex in the City” effect, he said: Girls think smoking makes them look sexy. In the last two years, middle-aged men, too, have begun smoking in increasing numbers after a half-century decline. Dr. Frieden cited “Mad Men,” the popular TV series featuring admen in the early 1960s, when well over half of American men smoked.

Dr. Frieden said that an antismoking effort begun in 2008 by the World Health Organization “can make a huge difference in curbing smoking, and we should fully implement what we know works.” The program is called Mpower:

M stands for monitoring tobacco use and the effectiveness of prevention programs like antismoking videos on YouTube.

P for protecting people from secondhand smoke. Half the country still lacks laws mandating smoke-free public places. The latest national health survey found that about half of children from nonsmoking households have metabolites of tobacco in their blood, Dr. Frieden said.

O for offering help to the 70 percent of smokers who say they would like to quit. “Tobacco use remains egregiously undertreated in health care settings,” Dr. Helene M. Cole, associate editor of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and Dr. Michael C. Fiore, a professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin, wrote this month in the journal.

Medical aids for quitting smoking, which can triple the likelihood of success, should become available, without a co-pay, to many more people under the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Frieden said.

W for warning about smoking hazards through larger and more graphic messages on cigarette packs and paid advertising on radio and television.

E for enforcing bans on tobacco marketing, advertising, promotion and sponsorships. In bodegas throughout the country, Dr. Frieden said, “tobacco ads are used as wallpaper.” Smoking is freely depicted in movies and popular TV shows.

R for raising taxes, which studies have shown is the single most effective way to reduce smoking in the population, especially among teens.

“A higher cigarette tax is not a regressive tax, because it would help poor people even more than the well-to-do,” Dr. Frieden noted. President Obama has proposed an additional 94-cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes, which would yield $80 billion to fund universal prekindergarten.

Smokers ready to quit can choose from among a cornucopia of aids as wide-ranging as nicotine substitutes, low-dose antidepressants, hypnosis and acupuncture. While none by itself has a high rate of success, different methods have proved effective for different people. Many former smokers required several attempts before they managed to quit for good.

But quitting smoking does not necessarily require assistance. As two public health specialists, Andrea L. Smith and Simon Chapman at the University of Sydney in Australia, have pointed out, “The vast majority of quitters do so unaided.” A Gallup Poll conducted last year in the United States found that “only 8 percent of ex-smokers attributed their success to [nicotine replacement therapy] patches, gum or prescribed drugs,” these experts noted. “In contrast, 48 percent attributed their success to quitting ‘cold turkey’ and 8 percent to willpower, commitment or ‘mind over matter’.”

They added, “For many smokers, having a reason to quit (a why) was more important than having a method to quit (a how).”

For my husband, who smoked a pack a day for 50 years, the “why” was his distress at seeing two beautiful young nieces smoking; he made a pact with them to quit if they would, and he followed through.

Techniques that can help people trying to quit when troubled by the urge to smoke include waiting 10 minutes and distracting yourself; avoiding situations you associate with smoking, at least until you have become a committed ex-smoker; using stress reducers like physical activity, yoga, deep breathing, muscle relaxation and self-hypnosis; seeking moral support from a nonsmoking friend, family member or online stop-smoking program; and oral distractions like chewing sugarless gum or raw vegetables.

Electronic cigarettes are being promoted by some as a way to resist the real thing. E-cigarettes, invented in 2003 by a Chinese pharmacist, contain liquid nicotine that is heated to produce a vapor, not smoke. More than 200 brands are now on the market; they combine nicotine with flavorings like chocolate and tobacco.

But their contents are not regulated, and their long-term safety has not been established. In one study, 30 percent were found to produce known carcinogens. Dr. Frieden said that while e-cigarettes “have the potential to help some people quit,” the method would backfire “if it gets kids to start smoking, gets smokers who would have quit to continue to smoke, gets ex-smokers to go back to smoking, or re-glamorizes smoking.”

Nearly two million children in American middle and high schools have already used e-cigarettes, Dr. Frieden said. In an editorial in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last year, Dr. Matthew B. Stanbrook, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, suggested that fruit-flavored e-cigarettes and endorsements by movie stars could lure teens who would not otherwise smoke into acquiring a nicotine habit.

A survey in 2011 of 75,643 South Korean youths in grades 7 through 12 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, revealed that four of five e-cigarette users also smoked tobacco. It could happen here: Stanton A. Glantz, the study’s senior author and a professor of medicine at the university, described e-cigarettes as “a new route to nicotine addiction for kids.”

Source: New York Times

‘Morning after pill’ under review for being less effective for overweight women

New findings suggest that “morning after pill” emergency contraceptives may be less effective for overweight and obese women.

Pills that are commonly used in the UK will be included in a review, the European Medicines Agency confirmed, but family planning experts said that women should not be put off seeking contraception and should speak to a professional if they had concerns.

It comes after the French drug company HRA Pharma changed the labelling of its product Norlevo, widely available in France, Ireland and other European countries, after studies showed the pill was less effective in women weighing 75kg or more, and ineffective in women weighting more than 80kg.

The active ingredient of Norlevo, levonorgestrel, is also contained in the most popular emergency contraceptive pill in the UK, Bayer’s Levonelle.

Professor Anna Glasier, a leading expert in reproductive medicine who led research inTO levonorgestrel at the University of Edinburgh, told The Independent it was “highly likely” that other medicines for which it was an active ingredient would be similarly affected.

The UK’s second most common emergency contraceptive, HRA’s EllaOne, which uses a different active ingredient, will also come under review.

Lynn Hearton, from the sexual health charity the Family Planning Association, said that, while the review was being carried out, any woman with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 who was concerned should speak to their GP or visit a contraception of sexual health clinic.

Source : DNA India

Olive oil may help prevent breast cancer

A new study led by an Indian origin researcher has found that a major component of olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, may help prevent breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

“We know there is a correlation between breast density and breast cancer,” Tejal Patel, M.D., breast medical oncologist with Houston Methodist Cancer Center said. “A decrease in density of one percent can potentially translate into a nearly two percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

Previous research has shown that olive oil provides many health benefits including lowering the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and possibly stroke.

Houston Methodist will enroll 100 patients — 50 premenopausal and 50 postmenopausal women. Each patient will take one 25 mg hydroxytyrosol capsule for 12 months and undergo checkups every three months. There is no placebo control.

In addition to looking at whether hydroxytyrosol has an impact on breast density, researchers will also note possible side effects of the chemical.

Source: DNA India

10 Simple Ways To Soothe A Sore Throat

If swallowing is making you cringe in pain, chances are you have a sore throat. That scratchy, burning sensation may be part of a bigger problem, such as an infection, cold or the flu, or it could just come from dryness in your throat. Whatever the cause, a sore throat is painful and very irritating. It can turn the simplest things, like eating and talking, into a chore. But the good news is that a sore throat is easily treatable. Below are 10 ways to soothe your sore throat, some common, and some unique.

1. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS

The key to soothing a sore throat is to constantly keep it moisturized, and the best way to do so is to drink plenty of fluids. This not only soothes the throat, but also washes away any bacteria that may be lingering in that area. Drinking hot fluids, such as tea or coffee, can help with inflammation and just flat-out feels good on a sore throat. Citrus drinks, such as lemonade, orange juice and lemon or lime juice with honey, are also good sore throat soothers.

Other drinks, like milk, sports drinks and water, are also good fluids for a sore throat. However, if your sore throat is cause by a cold or the flu, avoid drinks with caffeine since it is a diuretic and can dehydrate you.

2. SUCK ON A LOZENGE OR HARD CANDY

Another good way to keep the throat moist is to suck on throat lozenges, or even cough drops. Many throat lozenges are made with pectin, zinc and vitamin C, which will help boost the immune system if you’re feeling under the weather.

3. SUCK ON SOMETHING COLD

After drinking a hot drink, you may want to suck on an ice-cube or ice pops. It’s both soothing and refreshing. But if you find that sucking on anything cold is irritating your throat, simply bite off a small piece and let it melt in your mouth.

4. SUCK ON GARLIC

It may sound unappetizing, but sucking on garlic can stop your sore throat in its tracks. That’s because garlic contains a chemical called allicin, which kills bacteria, including the type that causes strep throat. Just take a fresh clove of garlic, cut it in half and put one piece in each side of your mouth. Don’t bite the garlic, but mash it with your teeth to release the allicin. This remedy is a good way to prevent sore throats as well.

5. MAKE A FUNKY DRINK

An old-fashioned remedy that has many variations is a drink of apple cider vinegar, honey and water. Just mix one tablespoon each of honey and vinegar with eight ounces of hot water and drink.

If you think you can stomach something a little stronger, try this Russian remedy: Mix one tablespoon each of horseradish, cloves and honey with eight ounces of hot water and enjoy.

6. GARGLE WITH SALT WATER

Gargling with salt water at least once an hour can help with inflammation and swelling, and can ease the discomfort of a sore throat. To make the perfect salt water mix, add one tablespoon of salt to one cup of warm water. Gargle with this mixture at least once an hour. If you have post nasal drip, you might want to gargle more often to soothe your throat.

If you want to add a little flavor to the solution, add one tablespoon of sage or a half-teaspoon of turmeric. Both can also help ease inflammation of the throat.

7. TRY THROAT SPRAY

A quick spray of Chloraseptic can numb the back of the throat – but only temporarily. Like gargling, it will have to be administered at least once every hour.

8. CLEAR YOUR NASAL PASSAGES

Postnasal drip tends to be a common cause of sore throats, so keeping your nasal passages clear is another way to prevent and ease a sore throat. You can use either a saline nasal spray or a salt water mix. Mix one tablespoon of water with one cup of warm water and put it in a Neti pot or a bulb syringe. Pour the mixture into the nose, one nostril at a time. Hold one finger over the opposite nostril while doing so. Let the excess water drain and then gently blow your nose. Repeat the process two or three times and then switch nostrils.

9. INHALE STEAM

If your sore throat was cause by a cold, or if you’re looking for another way to clear your nasal passages, try breathing in steam. Studies show that it is also effective in making a sore throat go away more quickly. An easy way to inhale steam is to take a hot shower, but you can also heat a pot of water and breathe in the steam from the pot. While leaning over the pot, place a towel over your head to tent the steam. For a more soothing steam, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the water.

10. TAKE MEDICINE

If all else fails, take some over-the-counter or prescribed medicine for relief. Also, be sure to seek medical attention for chronic sore throat or if the condition has become severe.

Source: symptom find

Tips to CONTROL your DIABETES naturally

10 ways that will help you in taking care of your blood sugar levels in a natural way

1. Fibre rich natural foods

Diabetics should load up on fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains as they provide extraordinary support to your digestive system plus your liver. These foods add up the fibre content that helps in clearing toxins from your body as fibre binds to wastes and moves them out

2. Daily exercise

Exercise done daily helps stimulate your respiratory system that includes heart, lungs and breathing that are all natural detoxifiers. Even as you lose weight, you shed the fat that stores toxins.

3. Avoid fad diets

Any kind of diet, even a detox or a cleansing diet or any fasting, dramatically disturbs metabolism and may even do long-term damage especially for people with diabetes.

Diabetics need a steady source of nutrients to support blood sugar, not fasting that overstresses your body’s metabolism.

4. Grapefruit healthy for diabetics

Grapefruit is rich in Vitamin C and Lycopene, anti-oxidants that help protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol and fighting free radicals.

Pectin in Grapefruit helps control blood sugar spikes.
4. Grapefruit healthy for diabetics

Grapefruit is rich in Vitamin C and Lycopene, anti-oxidants that help protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol and fighting free radicals.

Pectin in Grapefruit helps control blood sugar spikes.

5. Nuts are healthy for diabetics

Nuts are rich in fibre and magnesium, both of which may help regulate your blood sugar; nuts are good food sources of vitamin E, an anti-oxidant that helps prevent nerve and eye damage.

Nuts go a long way in providing seniors with healthy monounsaturated fats that is good for the diabetic heart. Nuts are high in calories so a small handful each day is enough.

6. Spices healthy for diabetics

Polyphenols found in spices and herbs are powerful anti-oxidants and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Phytonutrients in Cinnamon help improve the ability to respond to insulin, thus helping normalising blood sugar levels.

Add cloves, cinnamon, oregano, marjoram, and sage to your meal.

7. Whole grains vital and healthy for diabetics

Whole grains are packed with anti-oxidants and soluble and insoluble fibre, helping reduce blood sugar spikes, overcome insulin resistance, metabolise fats and also keep the digestive track healthy.

People who eat whole grains regularly have lower blood cholesterol and the grain also keeps blood sugar levels stable.

8. Lean meat healthy for diabetics

Lean meats, fish, beans, soy products and low fat dairy products are great sources of protein.

Ensure that the protein food you choose is low in calories and saturated fat.

9. Protein choices for diabetics

The best choices of protein foods are lower in saturated fat and calories like dried beans, legumes, peas and lentils as they are packed with protein, fibre and complex carbs.

Fish and seafood like cod, halibut herring, salmon, trout, tuna, are excellent protein foods for diabetics; try poultry, without skin with lean cuts of chicken, and turkey.

10. Omega 3 rich foods for diabetics

Salmon or tuna is rich in protein and good fats that help stabilize blood sugar.

You may also include cod, halibut herring, trout, or tuna in your diabetic diet.

Source: rediff

Device uses heartbeat to create electrical source in body

Imagine if one day, a person’s heart and other organs could be used to power medical devices in their body that they need to survive.

That day may be closer than you think. Researchers have developed a tin, flexible device that generates electricity when moved. Then, they implanted the item directly on animal hearts, lungs and diaphragms to see if the natural processes of the body could create power.

“If you look at the trends these days, you’re seeing more and more electronic implantable devices,” author John Rogers, director of the Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, said to New Scientist. “I think there’s going to be a growing demand for in-body power.”

The researchers relied on the concept of the piezoelectric effect, which is when electricity is created in certain kinds of solid materials when something puts continuous force on it. In this case, they created nanoribbons made from a piezoelectric-able material called lead zirconate titanate. These nanoribbons were placed on a flexible silicone surface that could be put on an organ and move as it moved.
The researchers found that the best place to put these devices without interfering with the body’s natural processes and movements was on one of the heart’s ventricles. At its best, the device created 0.2 microwatts per square centimeter, which was enough to power an average pacemaker.

While this isn’t the first study to look at this kind of technology, it was the first time it was tested in animals that had organs that were comparable in size to humans. This device can also be stacked on top of each other to create more electrical power if necessary. Rogers said it was a good start but further research needs to be done.

“I think the concept of creating electrical power from motions in internal organs is really interesting,”Rogers said. “The key thing is, if you’re going to do this, you need to be able to achieve efficiency and ultimately power output that is of practical use.”

Their research as published Jan. 20 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Michael McAlpine, a professor of mechanical engineering at Princeton University who was not involved in the research, told The Scientist that the technology is important because it could mean less surgery for people who have battery-powered devices like pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, neural devices and cochlear implants.

“A pacemaker runs off a battery and it’s installed in your body. Every time the battery dies, they actually have to open up your chest to replace the pacemaker completely,” he explained. “If there was some way that you could . . . harvest power from (organ) motion, maybe you could prolong the life of the battery or even replace the battery all together.”

Some experts voiced concern that the device was made out of a lead-based material, and even though it is sealed up, it could leak. However, McAlpine said there are other non-lead based piezoelectric materials that are almost as efficient as lead zirconate titanate, and further research in this area may reveal a better alternative.

“The innovation of this paper is taking what has been done on a small scale and integrating it up to a much more significant scale,” McAlpine.

Source: one news page

Meyer Lemon and Ginger for sore throat

There is a lot going on in this lovely infusion, with the tart lemon and pungent ginger. Turmeric contributes beautiful color, along with its nutritional benefits – it has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes — and the tiny pinch of cayenne packs a small punch. If you feel a sore throat coming on I highly recommend this tea

4 slices Meyer lemon

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 cloves

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

2 1/2 cups boiling water

2 to 3 teaspoons honey (to taste)

Pinch of cayenne

Place the lemon slices, ginger, cloves, and turmeric in a large measuring cup or teapot and pour on the boiling water. Stir in the honey, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and reheat if desired but do not boil. Just before serving add a tiny pinch of cayenne.

Yield: Serves 2

Advance preparation: You can keep this in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat but do not boil.

Nutritional information per serving (Note: Nutritional values refer only to the honey used in the infusion as the amount of nutrients absorbed from the other ingredients is difficult to measure): 21 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 milligram sodium; 0 grams protein

Source: New york times