Month: May 2014

7 Simple Steps for Head-to-Toe Sun Protection

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Stay sun-safe from head to toe
by Lisa WhitmoreYou won’t read “Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 DAILY!” here, because by now, you know you should. Still, you may need a reminder of why this habit is so important. Some eye-openers: “Up to 90 percent of skin cancers are associated with UV exposure,” says Elizabeth Hale, MD, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the NYU Langone Medical Center. One in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer—which includes deadly melanoma—in their lifetimes. Our hassle-free guide is filled with practical tips on keeping every body part safe. To-do: Read, stock up on SPF, rub!

Legs
Women are more likely to develop melanoma on their lower legs and men on their backs, probably because men take off their shirts in summer while women bare their gams. “For everyday, a body lotion with SPF 15 is better than nothing,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Beach days require an actual sunscreen. Don’t forget your feet—they’re at risk for melanoma too, and very exposed in sandals2

Back and arms
These are also prime spots for melanoma. To help them (and every inch of you) stay protected at the beach or pool, slather on SPF at home in the buff, says Dr. Hale; it takes about 15 minutes to sink in. Derms prefer lotion to sprays for the first coat because you get an even layer of coverage. Have your partner or a friend do your back, from the tops of shoulders on down. Rays can still penetrate the fabric of a one-piece, particularly if it’s an older suit that’s wearing thin. If nobody is around to lend a hand, use sunscreen spray with a 360-degree nozzle to reach behind you. Either way, pack a spray for touch-ups every two hours. By law, sunscreens can no longer claim to be sweatproof or waterproof—the truth is, you do sweat them off. And don’t rush the spritz process. Yes, it’s supposed to be quick, but you still need to be thorough. “Hold the nozzle 1 to 2 inches away from skin, spray for one to two seconds per part, then rub it in,” advises Dr. Zeichner. Avoid applying downwind or most of your protection will get blown out to sea.

Neck and chest
“Signs of sun damage show up here early in life, perhaps because the area is more sensitive and often exposed,” says Kevin Cooper, MD, chair of the department of dermatology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. Cover the entire region with sunscreen, including the sides of your neck. “The area under your ears is particularly susceptible to aging and cancer because it doesn’t have the benefit of the shadow of your chin, which gives the front of your neck some protection,” says Dr. Zeichner. If you’re wearing a ponytail, be sure to smear the back of your neck.

Face
It’s a common spot to develop basal and squamous cell carcinoma, the most prevalent forms of skin cancer. And we hardly need to mention the dark splotches, fine lines and crow’s-feet that come from sun exposure. “Don’t count on your makeup,” cautions Dr. Hale: It may contain SPF, but you probably won’t apply enough to achieve a significant level of protection. Your best bet is a sunscreen that’s lightweight and oil-free, especially if you’re acne-prone. Alternatively, find SPF in a multitasking daily moisturizer. And choose a hat over a baseball cap, which doesn’t cover the sides of the face or ears.

Eyes

If your regular sunscreen brings on redness or tears, try a formula with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, both of which are unlikely to irritate eyes. Wear sunglasses that block 100 percent of UV rays, the best defense against cataracts and other eye damage caused by rays.

Lips
Your ideal shield: SPF 30 lip balm. If there’s none handy, use a matte lipstick. Avoid glossy lip colors if you’re spending a lot of time outside, notes Dr. Hale: Gloss—even if it has SPF—intensifies the sun and can increase the damaging effects of UV rays like baby oil can.1

Scalp and ears

Scarily, skin cancer on areas with little fat is more apt to spread because it penetrates deeper than it would on a fleshier spot, says Dr. Zeichner. “Dip a cotton swab in SPF lotion and paint it on your part and ears,” suggests Francesca Fusco, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. Or use a sunscreen stick. A nice blowout can come in handy: One Australian study showed that hair worn down gives ears substantial coverage.3

Know the trouble spots
The average adult has 10 to 40 moles, per the National Cancer Institute. (People with 50 or more are at higher risk of developing melanoma.) While most little brown spots tend to be benign, some can indicate cancer. ID yours here. 4

Moles to get checked, stat, are…
– Larger than a pencil eraser
– Scabby, hard or lumpy
– Jagged around the edges
– Uneven in color
– Starting to itch, ooze or bleed (any change merits a doctor’s visit)

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Moles that are typically benign are…
– Smaller than 5 millimeters wide
– Rounded or dome-shaped
– Symmetrical
– Consistent in shade
– Unchanging over time

Source: health

10 easy ways to slash sugar from your diet

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You may not be eating Oreos by the roll or guzzling cans of Coke, but that doesn’t mean sugar’s absent from your diet. You’re likely eating sugar throughout the day without even realizing it, said Amari Thomsen, RD, owner of Chicago-based nutrition consulting practice Eat Chic Chicago.

Sugar is added to foods that don’t even taste all that sweet, like breads, condiments and sauces. And it adds up: although the American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day (or about 100 calories), most of us take in double that. (One note: we’re talking about added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugars found in dairy and fruit.) A high-sugar diet boosts your odds of tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes, not to mention weight gain.

Slash your sugar intake now with these 10 expert tips.

Read food labels
You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists.

“Even things that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad dressings can be packed with sugar,” said Diane Sanfilippo, certified nutrition consultant and author of “The 21 Day Sugar Detox.” Ingredients are listed in order of how much exists in the product, so if sugar’s near the top, that’s a red flag.

Learn sugar’s aliases
When you read food labels, you’ll need to look for more than just the word “sugar.” Sugar hides under several sneaky names, including high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose (or any word ending in “-ose”), brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup.

These can be listed separately on ingredients lists, so many foods, even seemingly healthy ones like yogurt and cereal, may contain three or four different types of sweetener. If several sugars appear on the label, it’s an indication that the food is less healthy than you may think.

You may not be eating Oreos by the roll or guzzling cans of Coke, but that doesn’t mean sugar’s absent from your diet. You’re likely eating sugar throughout the day without even realizing it, said Amari Thomsen, RD, owner of Chicago-based nutrition consulting practice Eat Chic Chicago.

Sugar is added to foods that don’t even taste all that sweet, like breads, condiments and sauces. And it adds up: although the American Heart Association recommends women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day (or about 100 calories), most of us take in double that. (One note: we’re talking about added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugars found in dairy and fruit.) A high-sugar diet boosts your odds of tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes, not to mention weight gain.

Slash your sugar intake now with these 10 expert tips.

Read food labels

You’ll quickly realize just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients lists.

“Even things that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad dressings can be packed with sugar,” said Diane Sanfilippo, certified nutrition consultant and author of “The 21 Day Sugar Detox.” Ingredients are listed in order of how much exists in the product, so if sugar’s near the top, that’s a red flag.

Learn sugar’s aliases
When you read food labels, you’ll need to look for more than just the word “sugar.” Sugar hides under several sneaky names, including high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose (or any word ending in “-ose”), brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup.

These can be listed separately on ingredients lists, so many foods, even seemingly healthy ones like yogurt and cereal, may contain three or four different types of sweetener. If several sugars appear on the label, it’s an indication that the food is less healthy than you may think.

Buy unsweetened

Once you know where sugar hides, you can start making changes. One strategy: buy foods labeled “no added sugar” or “unsweetened.” You’ll find unsweetened versions of these common foods in most grocery stories: non-dairy milk like almond and soy, nut butters (look for those made with only nuts and salt), applesauce, oatmeal, and canned fruit (they should be packed in juice—not syrup).

Don’t go cold turkey
Going cold turkey on sugar isn’t realistic for most people. Thomsen suggested cutting back slowly. If you normally put two packets of sugar in your coffee, for instance, try one for a week, then half, and finally add only a splash of milk. For your yogurt, mix half a serving of sweetened yogurt with half a serving of plain, and eventually move on to adding natural sweetness with fresh fruit.

Think protein and fat
Unhealthy carbs loaded with sugar can cause blood sugar to rise rapidly (and dive just as quickly, leaving you hungry again). To minimize this rapid rise and fall, pair protein, healthy fats, and fiber with your meal, all of which can slow down the release of blood sugar in your body and keep you full for longer. (At breakfast, that means adding almonds to your usual oatmeal or pairing eggs with your morning toast, and for your midday snack, a slice of turkey breast or cheese along with your apple, suggests Thomsen.) Fats are a key player because they help keep you fuller for longer, thus helping to decrease your desire for sugar, added Sanfilippo. Focus on fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and heart-healthy oils like olive oil, walnut oil, and coconut oil.

Never go fake
When you’re reducing your sugar intake, you may be tempted to switch to artificial sugars for your sweet fix. But resist reaching for the diet soda, sugar-free candy, and packets of fake sugar in your latte.

“These can mess up your taste for sweet,” Sanfilippo said. “When you eat something sweet, your body expects calories and nutrition, but artificial sugars don’t give your body those things.” That may be why fake sugars are associated with weight gain—not loss, according to a 2010 review in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.

Add more flavor
Sanfilippo loves using vanilla bean and vanilla extract, spices, and citrus zests to add sweetness to foods without having to use sugar—and for zero calories. Order an unsweetened latte and add flavor with cocoa or vanilla powder. Skip the flavored oatmeal and add a sweet kick with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. One bonus for sprinkling on the cinnamon: according to a meta-analysis in the Journal of Medicinal Food, the spice has been shown to naturally regulate blood sugar, which helps control your appetite.

Don’t drink it
Avoiding soda is a good idea, but that’s not the only sugar-packed drink out there. Even drinks that are considered healthy can contain more of the sweet stuff than you’re supposed to have in an entire day. Case in point: “enhanced” waters (eight teaspoons per bottle), bottled iced teas (more than nine teaspoons per bottle), energy drinks (almost seven teaspoons per can), bottled coffee drinks (eight teaspoons per bottle), and store-bought smoothies (more than a dozen teaspoons—for a small).

Enjoy dessert
You can still indulge in an occasional sweet treat after you resolve to slash sugar. The idea is to avoid wasting your daily sugar quota on non-dessert foods like cereals, ketchup, and bread. To avoid overdoing it, set specific rules about when you may enjoy dessert: only after dinner on the weekends or at restaurants as a special treat, Thomsen suggested.

Stick with it!
At first, cutting down on sugar can feel like an impossible task. Eventually, though, your taste buds will adjust. Super-sweet foods like ice cream and candy will start to taste too sweet. When you could have a whole slice of cake before, now a couple bites will be enough. You’ll notice the natural sweetness in fruits and vegetables—and yep, they’ll taste better, too.

Source: fox news

Super-hot curries could help you live longer

chicken

A new study suggests that super-hot curries could help you live longer.

The hot tip comes after scientists in the US ran tests on mice.

They found stopping pain signals reaching the brain increased the chance of them living longer, the Daily Star reported.

University of California’s Andrew Dillon said that blocking the pain pathway could be very useful, not only for improving lifespan but for treating diabetes and obesity .

Boffins also believed that it could halt the ageing process.

Source: Zee news

E-cigarettes may have unknown health risks: Study

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Despite our growing knowledge that smoking tobacco is bad for us more than 40 million Americans are cigarette smokers. Smoking cigarettes is known to cause damage to every organ in your body, and smoking-related illnesses are responsible for one out of every five deaths in the U.S. But nearly 70 percent of smokers report they want to quit, and a little more than 42 percent say they’ve tried to quit during the past year

In 2009 there was a 10 percent decrease in cigarette sales in the U.S., and while that directly followed an increase in the federal cigarette tax, it’s not only price that’s changing the habits of American smokers. Electronic cigarettes (known also as e-cigarettes) have also contributed.

Global sales of smokeless tobacco products, including smokeless inhalers, has grown to nearly $3 billion — and continues to grow. In an attempt to quit the tobacco habit as many as one-fifth of smokers have tried e-cigarettes [source: Ross].

E-cigarettes were first developed in China and were introduced to the U.S. market in 2007. Many are similar enough in appearance to be mistaken for regular tobacco cigarettes. But one look inside and you’ll see the main difference: This is a tobacco-free product. E-cigs are actually vaporizers; instead of burning tobacco, the mechanism heats up a liquid.

The liquid turns into vapor, which is then inhaled, or “vaped.” While some argue that vapor offers health advantages over traditional cigarette smoke, regulatory agencies and some health experts aren’t so sure that’s true. Before you consider taking up the e-cigarette habit, read on to get the facts.

Source: how stuff works

Having ice cream may not lift your mood

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Do you often rush for comfort foods such as chocolate or ice cream in order to boost your mood?

Scientists have found the idea that eating certain foods makes us feel better when we are in a bad mood may be a myth.

On the other hand, people may simply feel better after some time has passed, regardless of what they eat, according to a new study.
Researchers asked study participants to pick foods that they thought would make them feel better if they were in a bad mood, such as chocolate, cookies or ice cream.

They were also asked to choose foods that they liked, but that they did not think would boost their mood, ‘Live Science’ reported.
Participants then watched a 20-minute video intended to elicit feelings of sadness, anger and fear. They rated their mood immediately after the video, and three minutes later.

In those three minutes, they were served either their comfort food, a food they liked, a granola bar, or no food at all.
As expected, participants were in a bad mood immediately after watching the video. Three minutes later, their mood improved, regardless of whether they had their comfort food, another food, or no food at all.
“We were incredibility surprised by those results,” said researcher Heather Scherschel Wagner, a doctorate candidate at the University of Minnesota.

Before the study was conducted, the researchers believed that there was something to eating comfort food, said Wagner.
“Whether it’s your comfort food, or it’s a granola bar, or if you eat nothing at all, you will eventually feel better. Basically, comfort food can’t speed up that healing process,” Wagner said.

Source: Indian Express

70 per cent metro kids have below-median growth

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Raising an alarm on the need for nutritional intake for urban kids, a new survey today said 70 per cent children in Indian metro cities have below-median growth.

The Abbott SureMoms survey shows 70 per cent children in the 2-10 year age group in all four Indian metros have below-median growth parameters of height and weight.

Around 54 per cent of the below-median children fail on both height and weight parameters, while as many as 45 per cent of these children are nutritionally at-risk, the survey report said.

Around 61 per cent of below-median children were found to be fussy eaters.

Dr Bhaskar Raju, paediatrician at Mehta’s Hospitals in Chennai, said, “These findings highlight the need to track growth in children regularly to ensure they do not progressively fall below the median, which will put them at risk nutritionally”.

“Growth in children can be impacted by different factors, nutrition being one of them. Nutrition is important and is linked to eating behaviour,” he said.

In the survey, Mumbai was observed to have a high percentage of below-median children with 78 per cent failing on either height or weight or both, while Kolkata had the lowest percentage of children with below-median growth.

SureMoms, a nutrition education platform for parents by Abbott, commissioned TNS, a leading market research agency, to find out how children in Indian metros were actually faring on growth parameters.

Trained dietitians measured children’s height and weight and interviewed mothers on their child’s eating behaviour, across a sample size of 1,181 respondents.

Source: business standard

People in desk jobs gain weight for sure

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If you have gained extra waistline, do not get enough sunlight for your bones and strain your eyes in front of a computer screen, you have all reasons to complain about your desk job.

Over 50 per cent of employees who are deskbound said in a latest survey that they do not get enough physical activity.

Also, staring at a computer screen for most of the day and being stuck inside are the biggest disadvantages of having a desk job. Nearly half of employees surveyed gained weight in their current position compared to 30 per cent of workers in non-desk jobs.

“Overall, 58 per cent of workers in desk jobs categorise themselves as overweight compared to 51 per cent of their peers in non-desk jobs,” said the survey from a leading job portal CareerBuilder.

The study was based on a survey of 2,095 employees who typically work behind a desk and 1,102 people who do not work behind a desk. Additionally, 24 per cent said they do not like working at a desk because there is not enough variety in their work.

While 23 percent said there are too many distractions like disruptions from co-workers. There are some positive sides too.

Employees who work in desk jobs reported earning higher salaries. Desk employees also have access to technology and opportunity to communicate with bosses easily, the survey added.

For someone in non-desk job, not being informed about new company developments, having less chance for upward mobility and fewer face-to-face interactions with company leaders and peers are the disadvantages.

Source: Times of India

Mood swings: 5 quick ways to brighten up your day

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There are many times when you just lose your temper, or feel depressed, or just feel a sudden burst of different emotions rushing through you simultaneously. Well, no need to feel embarrassed or awkward about your sudden mood swings. No matter what the reason is, there are ways to bring your mood swings under control. Take a look at some of them.

A balanced diet

Proper food intake is a great solution for mood swings. Take a healthy diet that will not only keep you fit, but also allow you to balance your mood. Choose green vegetables, salads, and fruits as part of your diet. It covers all the necessary minerals, vitamins (A, C, E) and nutrients which are essential for a body. Stay away from complex carbohydrates and processed foods, and also limit your caffeine intake. Have green tea or herbal tea to rejuvenate yourself, instead of consuming the regular tea and coffee.

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Work out
A great workout not only keeps you fit, but also helps in triggering the “happy hormones” in your body. If you are not able to do any heavy exercises, then join yoga camps or simply dance! Choose an exercise routine that is comfortable, and save at least 30 minutes daily, for fitness. A simple walk in the garden, accompanied with some deep breathing exercises, can work wonders too.

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Sound sleep
A woman has a lot of responsibilities to handle, and to fulfill them efficiently, it is important to get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep causes irritation and headaches. At least, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is essential, so plan your daily routine accordingly.

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Drink Water
Water cleanses your body, and gives you energy. At times, when you feel completely exhausted, two glasses of water with some glucose can be really refreshing. Caffeine and alcohol intake can cause mood swings, and so, should be avoided completely. These can be replaced with some juice or healthy soups. Also, water is your best friend if you wish to enjoy gorgeous skin and a healthy body.

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Help from sun gods!
The sun might be an enemy for your skin at times, but it is certainly a great doctor for your mood swings. Some amount of exposure to the sun is good to get rid of depression and other negative feelings. Enjoy 15 minutes of walk in sun light to lighten up your mood. Always wear your sunscreen before you go out. Enjoy your walk in the early morning hours when the sun is not too harsh.

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These simple ways can definitely help you get your mood swings under control, especially during the time of your menstrual cycle.

Source: yahoo lifestyle

Drinking Water on Empty Stomach

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It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value.

We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT 

  1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
  2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute
  3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
  4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
  5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
  6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

  1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)
  2. Gastric (10 days)
  3. Diabetes (30 days)
  4. Constipation (10 days)
  5. Cancer (180 days)
  6. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in  the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times. It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain…

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the
intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Source: Why dont you try this

Old and Wise: Why Do Smarter People Live Long

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Intelligent people live longer—the correlation is as strong as that between smoking and premature death. But the reason is not fully understood. Beyond simply making wiser choices in life, these people also may have biology working in their favor. Now research in honeybees offers evidence that learning ability is indeed linked with a general capacity to withstand one of the rigors of aging—namely, oxidative stress.

Ian Deary, a psychologist at the University of Edinburgh, has proposed the term “system integrity” for the possible biological link between intelligence and long life: in his conception, a well-wired system not only performs better on mental tests but is less susceptible to environmental onslaughts. Gro Amdam of Arizona State University and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences was intrigued by the idea and last year devised a way to test it in bees.

Honeybees are frequently used as a neurobiological model for learning—they can be trained, using positive or negative reinforcement, to retain information. In Amdam’s experiment, individual bees were strapped into a straw, where they learned to associate an odor with a food reward in a classic Pavlovian conditioning scenario. After only one or two trials, many bees learned to stick out their tonguelike proboscis in anticipation of a sugary droplet. Some bees took a little longer—as in humans, there are quick learners and slower ones.

To simulate aging, the same bees were then placed in plastic tubes and exposed to a high-oxygen environment, a metabolic stress test. All animals need oxygen to breathe, but an overload drives cells to churn out damaging free radicals that break down cell membranes and cause cells to commit suicide, triggering premature aging. The better learners tended to live longer during this ordeal—an average of 58.8 hours, as opposed to the poor learners’ average of 54.6—suggesting they have a more robust antioxidant system, which mops up destructive free radicals.

Amdam suspects that general stress resilience may explain why the quick learners lived longer. In the learning trials, the bees that could stand the stress of being in the straw were able to learn faster that the odor signaled a treat, and the same resilience allowed these bees to better with­stand the stress of being in a high-oxygen environment.

For people, too, Amdam hypothesizes that the ability to handle stress could be a component of system integrity; better overall stress resilience may contribute to both higher IQ scores and longer life. And if scientists can unravel what underlies these biological differences, they might be able to alleviate inborn disparities. “There is an opportunity to help everyone live longer,” Amdam says.

Source: medical webtimes