Month: July 2014

Top health benefits of cocoa

Top health benefits of cocoa

Cocoa products are very popular throughout the world. Whether it is eating a high-quality chocolate for a decadent snack or chocolate sauce added to the dessert of the evening, cocoa often tops the list of favorite foods for people across the globe. Many people do not realize that cocoa offers significant health benefits that can help them rationalize those times when they indulge in their favorite food, even if they are not supposed to do so.

Amazing antioxidant properties

A great body of evidence suggests that cocoa beans contain a hefty amount of antioxidants. Some researchers have put that amount at about a 10 percent concentration. This concentration is said to be greater than many common foods that are prized for their antioxidant properties. For example, cocoa beans contain 621 antioxidants, while wild blueberries contain 61, and domestic blueberries contain 32. Cocoa beans also contain three times the antioxidants that green tea has and twice the amount found in red wine.

A natural antidepressant

Cocoa beans contain enzymes that are known to combat depression. Serotonin, dopamine and phenylethylamine (PEA) are used by the body to promote positive mental health and a sense of well-being. In addition, cocoa also contains other enzymes that are designed to help these feelings of happiness last longer.

Good for heart health

Cocoa beans contain significant amounts of polyphenols which are good for the cardiovascular system. Researchers have uncovered evidence that this element could reduce blood pressure, increasing the health of the heart. Magnesium is another element that is vital to good heart health, as it increases the strength of the heart and improves its health. Magnesium also helps reduce the risk of blood clots. Blood clots are one of the risk factors associated with strokes and heart attacks.

Boost energy

Having a cup of hot cocoa gives a person the same energy-boosting results as a comparably sized cup of coffee without the coffee crash that is often experienced after its consumption. This is because there are fewer stimulants in cocoa beans than there are in coffee beans. In addition, consuming cocoa helps relieve anxiety.

Lose weight

Though it can sound paradoxical, eating cocoa beans might help people lose weight. Currently, researchers are studying the effect that cocoa consumption has on improving sensitivity to insulin. Studies are currently underway that focus on studying the link between obesity and a sensitivity to insulin, with some scientists believing that this connection could help support a person’s efforts to lose weight.

When choosing cocoa beans to consume for health, it is best to choose a high-quality dark chocolate. It should contain at least 70% cocoa, no dairy products and should be made from cocoa butter. This type of chocolate is more easily consumed when compared to the bitter cocoa beans.

Source: natural news

Seven ways to keep kids hydrated

Seven ways to keep kids hydrated

Don’t wait for your kids to tell you they’re thirsty before offering them water, experts say. Instead, offer them water and other hydrating foods and beverages throughout the day, particularly in the summer when more liquids are needed to stay healthy.

By the time children are thirsty, they’re already at least 3 percent dehydrated, according to Dr. Holly Benjamin, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Orthopedic Surgery at University of Chicago.

And water does far more than slake thirst, said Marina Chaparro, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Water is a cooling mechanism, it transports fluids and nutrients, helps with digestion, helps with cognitive function and maintains a healthy weight,” she told Reuters Health by email.

The amount of water a child needs to stay hydrated and healthy may surprise you: teenagers need as much as adults (eight to 11 cups), while even toddlers aged 1 to 3 should have four cups of fluids a day.

“I use a rule of thumb of 2 to 3 ounces per day per pound of body weight, to a maximum of 8 to 10 cups per day,” said Dr. Karl W. Holtzer, a pediatrician with the Pediatric Alliance Fox Chapel Division in Pittsburgh. In email to Reuters Health, he noted that water is not needed for infants under 6 months of age, and babies under 1 year can stay hydrated with breast milk or formula.

It’s particularly important to make sure active kids are getting their fill of water.

“Make sure they drink 30 minutes or so before an activity, and then every 20 minutes during the activity, especially during the summer months,” Holtzer said. While doctors advise against sugary drinks, they do say that a sports beverage containing electrolytes is okay during prolonged, vigorous exercise.

Aside from complaints of thirst, it can be hard to tell when a child is dehydrated. Some signs could be decreased or dark urine, dizziness and lethargy,

Parents can ensure that their kids get their recommended intake of fluids with these seven tips:

1. It doesn’t have to be water – many fruits and vegetables have a very high water content. Offer watermelon, strawberries, broccoli, celery, cucumbers and other watery fruits and veggies for snacks. Chaparro recommends five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

2. Make sipping fun. Let your kids pick out their own drinking cups or travel bottles in their favorite colors or decorated with their favorite characters. Buy a set of crazy straws. Invest in ice cube trays that make ice in fun shapes.

3. If kids balk at drinking “boring” water, give it some flavor and color. Freeze berries or cranberries into ice cubes, or infuse water with fresh fruit, herbs or vegetables such as lemon, mint, watermelon or orange. Even adding unflavored soda to water makes it more of a treat – “bubbles without the calories,” says Chaparro. She also suggests using sugar-free drink mixes.

4. Make your own popsicles for a fluid-rich treat. Puree fruit or use no-sugar-added fruit juice and pour into freezer molds.

5. Make sure water is easily accessible for little ones. If they can’t reach the sink or the water tap in your refrigerator, set up an easy-to-use water dispenser and a few cups in a place where they can reach it.

6. Be prepared. Invest in an assortment of reusable travel bottles and keep them filled and in the fridge so you can grab them any time you head out for a walk, bike ride or car trip.

7. Create a reminder system for drinking water. This could be a chart on the refrigerator that kids can mark each time they have a serving of water, or, if you’re out and about, a timer set on your phone to remind the family that it’s time to take a drink.

Source: reuters

Extreme obesity cuts average life span extremely

Extreme obesity cuts average life span extremely

Those with a body mass index, or BMI, above 40 are robbed of at least 6 1/2 years, on average, of expected life span, a study has found. And the toll in years lost rises with the degree of obesity, reaching nearly 14 years for the most obese — those with a BMI above 55, researchers said.

The study found that the reduction in life expectancy associated with being extremely obese was similar to that seen in adults who smoke. And as a person’s obesity rises to higher levels, his or her expected life span falls below that of smokers.

The findings come from a project that aggregated the results of about 20 long-term studies on obesity conducted in the United States, Australia and Sweden. They were published Tuesday in the journal PLoS Medicine, in what is believed to be the largest study to date of the health consequences of severe obesity.

Compared with their normal-weight peers, the extremely obese are more likely to succumb early to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. For men with “class III obesity,” the rate of death attributable to heart disease and diabetes is especially elevated compared with normal-weight males. For women in the same obesity category, cancer deaths dramatically outstripped those among normal-weight women.

But premature deaths attributable to all causes, from injury to chronic lower respiratory infections, were consistently higher in those with severe obesity, the study found.

The extremely obese — those who generally would need to lose 100 lbs. or more to attain a “normal healthy weight” — are a fast-growing segment of the U.S. population, now representing about 6% of American adults.

The ranks of those with a BMI over 40 (for example, a 5-foot-6 person weighing 250 pounds or more) have grown fourfold since the 1980s. The population with a BMI over 50 (say, a 5-foot-10 person weighing more than 350 pounds) has grown by 10% in the same period.

The medical costs for such patients are outsized as well, accounting for 1 in 5 healthcare dollars spent per capita in the year 2000.

The latest findings suggest that extreme obesity may be even more dangerous for men than it is for women and for younger adults compared with older ones. They come as evidence mounts that weight-loss medications, as well as diet and lifestyle counseling, work only modestly in helping the obese lose weight and keep it off.

Increasing research has shown bariatric surgery to be highly effective not only at inducing weight loss but at forestalling and reversing the health consequences of obesity. But the substantial costs of such surgery are expected to limit its widespread use.

A 2010 Kaiser Permanente study conducted in California found obesity more prevalent among African African and Latino children, even as rates of such obesity have begun to level off and even drop among non-Latino white children across the country.

Among Latino teenage boys, the rate of extreme obesity was 11.2%, and among African American teenage boys, 12% fell in the extremely obese category. A study published this year in JAMA found that 16.5% of adult African American women and 7.4% of adult Latinas had BMIs above 40.

As the extremely obese age and their ranks continue to grow, the authors of the current study said, their medical problems may reverse progress made in driving down cardiovascular disease through smoking-cessation programs and more widespread treatment of risk factors, and in driving down cancer deaths with better prevention and treatment. Cancers more prevalent among the obese are those of the breast, colon, pancreas, ovaries, kidney, esophagus, thyroid and gall bladder.

“If current global trends in obesity continue, we must expect to see substantially increased rates of mortality due to these major causes of death, as well as increasing healthcare costs,” the authors concluded.

Source: latimes

Medical Council asked to expedite MBBS seat enhancement

MCI

Stung by the Medical Council of India (MCI)’s feet dragging over the MBBS seats cancellation-restoration issue, the union health ministry has urged the statutory body to urgently take a call on compliance reports filed by educational institutions all over the country.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said here on Wednesday that about 10,000 meritorious students face a bleak future because of the MCI’s obsession with minor details.

“Most of the deficiencies in the MCI’s reports are about problems with air-conditioning, or about partition walls in buildings and, of course, the shortage of faculty which is an old irritant. But even though most of the colleges have complied with the MCI’s demands, there has been no acknowledgement. This cannot be expected of MCI,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

The minister said senior officials of the ministry, including health secretary Lov Verma, and joint secretary Vishwas Mehta have been forwarding the recommendations of the hearing committee and compliance reports submitted by the various medical colleges. But MCI’s response is awaited, causing anxiety in all quarters, he added.

“The ministry has sent 150 cases, most of them government colleges, for review to MCI but there has been no response. I respect MCI’s autonomy but expect that it appreciates the agony of thousands of meritorious boys and girls whose future is jeopardised by procrastination,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said.

The minister disclosed that he has received numerous delegations of students, doctors, institution managements, members of parliament and other stakeholders complaining of MCI’s attitude.

“Reports are flooding the ministry of medical colleges, including reputed government-owned ones, cutting their intake of undergraduates for the current academic year. This is worrying for the government because the long-term effect would be a deeper crisis in the availability of qualified doctors. As it happens, India has just one doctor per 1,700 people compared to the global average of 1.5 per 1,000. The government has a policy of meeting the shortfall by opening more medical colleges over the next decade,” according to a statement by the union health ministry.

“MCI had undertaken to send its recommendations to the health ministry for issuance of letters of permission by June 15, 2014 as per a revised schedule made in May. In follow up, the government’s deadline for issuing letters of permission or denial was set for July 15, 2014. But with MCI reneging on its undertaking, the government is dismayed that it would not be in a position to mitigate the suffering of the students,” the statement said.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “It is disturbing that amidst all the reports of students’ agony over the delay, the non-seriousness of the MCI’s Executive Committee is appalling. Yesterday they had a meeting but we are yet to receive word on its outcome.”

In a letter to MCI president Dr Jayshreeben Mehta, health secretary Lov Verma has suggested that MCI should file an interlocutory application before the Supreme Court in the Priya Gupta case. The objective should be to get an extension to August 8, 2014 so that the passing of the present deadline does not have a destructive impact, the statement added.

Source: India Medical Times

Figs the Miracle Fruit

Figs the Miracle Fruit1

Figs are among the oldest of all the fruits, offering many healing attributes. The nutritional composition and medicinal properties of the Fig makes it one of the best fruits for an all natural approach to a healthier system.

This type of fiber helps control blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol by binding it in the digestive tract. It is also an excellent source of fiber.

Most theories linking high dietary fat intake and low fiber intake with colorectal cancer, and large consumptions of alcohol is associated with lung cancer, breast cancer, stomach cancer (digestive system) and liver cancer.

A number of studies show that eating fruits and vegetables may help slow down the cancer, and because of all the benefits of the Fig, it should be the fruit of choice.

Figs have a high content of potassium; which when combined with calcium assists in regulating blood pressure, and thus helps protect the breast cancer. Figs contain mineral magnesium, which are extremely important in three ways:

Figs the Miracle Fruit 2

Regulating the metabolism of muscle and nerve cells

  • Regulating the neuromuscular conductivity for normal heart function
  • Regulating the elasticity (tone) of the blood vessels, and thus better control of blood pressure.

Next comes the benefits of magnesium. It is the most important electrolyte of the cell area and is one of the three main elements of bones with calcium and phosphorus. Fig leaves are edible and medicinal. It has been shown to have anti-diabetic effects, lowering triglycerides, and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells.

As a solution it has a strong antiseptic, fungicide and disinfectant action. It also helps with other intestinal diseases, such as worms and problems with fungus, such as warts.

It can also help soften corns and calluses. The procedure for the treatment of warts is simple – the solution should be put on the wart or corn, and after a few days of the above procedure they will fall off.

Energy and nutritive value

Energy value of 100 g of fresh figs is 74 kcal / 310 kJ. thereof containing 19.2% carbohydrate, 0.75% protein and 0.3% fat. From fresh fig contains minerals potassium (232 mg), calcium (32 mg), magnesium (17 mg), phosphorus (14 mg), manganese (0.1 mg), iron (0.4 mg), selenium (0.2 mg), copper (0.07 mg) and zinc (0.15 mg). Since fresh figs contain vitamin B complex vitamins, vitamin E, and K, and a bit of vitamin C. In 100 g of fresh fig fruit is 3 g fiber, 31 mg of phytosterols, beta-carotene, 85 mg

Check this Customized Fat Loss by Consuming Fig!!!

1. High levels of magnesium – Magnesium protects the body from stress, its important for strong bones, immune system and brain, promotes health and vitality, cure numerous diseases and slow aging. Dried figs contain three times more magnesium than fresh figs.

2. Has an abundance of potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper, vitamins B6, C and beta – carotene. Fig is low fat and contains more fiber than any other fruit or vegetable. Pectin is a fiber that lowers cholesterol, while tryptophan combats problems with insomnia and circulation .

3. High levels of natural sugars – High levels of fructose allows the brain to work faster and perceive better. Diabetics should be careful with consumption of dried figs.

4.Dried figs are a source of many nutrients. The nuts combined with a healthy meal are great snacks, and something recreational and professionals athletes are taking advantage of now. Figs cure diseases of the liver, throat, respiratory system, and bladder.

5.Containing plantsterols – proven to have beneficial effects on cholesterol in blood and plant sterols as Stigmasterol and Lanosterol bind to molecules of cholesterol and prevent its absorption .

6. anti-diabetic effects – Due to the presence of benzaldehyde and coumarin, the Fig is advantageous in preventing prostate cancer and skin.

7. Fresh figs contain 80 % water and 20 % natural sugar -Sweet taste of figs can be combined with savory meals.

Source: secretly healthy

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Watermelon

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Watermelon

No other produce screams summer quite like watermelon. It could be its refreshing sweetness or even the burst of color that adds a bit of brightness to your plate.

Thing is, there’s more to watermelon than just its flavor: It boasts some powerful health benefits, too. At 46 calories per cup, watermelon offers 20% of your daily intake of vitamin C and 17% vitamin A, according to the USDA. That’s not all.

“Watermelon contains dietary fiber for digestive health as well as potassium, a mineral that helps keep blood pressure capped,” says Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, Health‘s contributing nutrition editor.

No wonder there’s a month-long holiday dedicated to it—July is National Watermelon Month. Here are some other fun facts to celebrate watermelon’s big month:

It has more lycopene than raw tomatoes
In just one cup, watermelon has 1.5 times the stuff than a large fresh tomato, 6 milligrams compared to 4 milligrams, according to the USDA. That matters because lycopene is thought to act as a super antioxidant, stopping free radicals from damaging your cells and messing with your immune system. Some research even suggests that lycopene, typically found in red fruits and vegetables, may help fight heart disease and several types of cancer. Pro tip: “To retain the most antioxidants in this delicious superfood, store your watermelon at room temperature before slicing,” Sass says.

The juice can relieve muscle soreness
A Spanish study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that drinking watermelon juice can actually be quite soothing after a grueling workout. Athletes who consumed a little more than 16 ounces an hour before exercise had less muscle soreness and a lower heart rate within a day.

That may be because watermelon contains a natural substance called citrulline that’s been tied to improved artery function and lower blood pressure. In fact, its ability to relax the blood vessels led Texas A&M University researchers to say watermelon has Viagra-like effects. But you’ll need to look beyond the pink flesh if you really want to load up on citrulline—it’s concentrated most in the rind. If that’s not your thing, you can always save it for pickling or preserving later, Sass says.

It’s a fruit AND a vegetable
Talk about an overachiever. Like most fruits, watermelon is the product of a seed-producing plant and has a signature sweet taste. But it can be traced back to the squash, pumpkin, and cucumber family known as Cucurbitaceae. Remember how you can eat the rind? The dual nature of watermelon makes it all edible, so there’s no excuse to leave any part behind.

It’s packed with, well, water
Now this is a food with some serious hydration power. Watermelon is 91.5% water, according to the USDA. That’s a big deal seeing as how being dehydrated is bad for your health. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that women with even mild dehydration experienced headaches, poor concentration, fatigue, and worse moods. More reason to whip up some watermelon recipes, stat.

There’s a yellow variety
It’s hard to believe there’s a watermelon that’s NOT pink on the inside, but there’s another variety, known as Yellow Crimson, has a sunny interior and the flesh has a sweeter, honey-like taste. Thing is, the two are nearly identical on the outside, so unless you’re reading the signs at your grocery store or farmers’ market, it can be hard to tell which is which. If you want the regular pink watermelon, ask for a Crimson Sweet.

Just keep in mind that no one really knows what, if any, nutritional value the yellow variety offers. Most research has been done on the pink kind, Sass says, so best to stick with that or round up a good mix of both

Source: health

5 Habits that Waste Your Time and Drain Your Energy

5 Habits that Waste Your Time and Drain Your Energy

But let me warn you, time-wasters are usually persistent habits that take discipline to change. So once you have identified your key time-suckers, pick just one to focus on changing first. Once you have let go of that habit, choose another. You are much more likely to persist as a result, and free your time for better things.

5 Habits that Waste Time and Drain Energy

1. Email worship

Yes you heard me – worship! Most of the people I coach have previously been spending way too much time on email. Why? Because it’s easy: the pretty little yellow envelopes? grab your attention ?and responding to them makes you feel a warm fuzziness inside as you tick yet another “done” of your action list. However, as I’m sure you’re aware; a large percentage of email focus is wasted focus. Instead, prioritise your email as you would prioritise any daily activity:

  •  Limit work email and personal email to set time frames each day
  •  Plan your day and allocate your tasks before you start your email so you don’t get dragged off to distraction
  • Unsubscribe to newsletters you don’t read or that don’t add value to your day
  • Spend less time perfecting emails: think 80% is good enough and hit that send button sooner!

2. Over-thinking

There is no doubt that our brain is one special, useful machine. Unfortunately though, most of us waste a lot of time and energy using our brain for unnecessary rumination. Worry and overanalysis do not solve problems, rather, overinflate problems.? Learn to nip overanalysis in the bud.

How? Each time you notice yourself slip into overanalysis and worry get busy doing other things; focus on a new task, do something physical, meditate, talk through the problem with another person to get a fresh perspective, or write your thoughts in a journal. Practice getting out of your head and into your heart; engage in exercises to connect with your intuition and creativity or attend a course that helps you reconnect with your true self. The more energy you put into getting out of your head, the more time you will spend in your life!

3.Vacuum fillers

Time fills the gaps provided. Much of our time is spend on tasks that do not deserve the time we give them, but because the space is there, we fill it. If you allocate 45minutes for a meeting with Jo in the corner office, it will take 45minutes. Alternatively, if you allocate an hour—guess what—the meeting will likely take the whole hour. Develop a new habit of setting specific time frames that tasks really deserve and do the best job you can in that time frame.

4. Indecision

Floundering in indecision is a frustrating space. Some people worry so much about choosing the “right” thing that they waste endless hours evaluating and considering. Become a confident decision maker. For the small decisions in your life, such as which toilet paper to buy or whether to start task ‘a’ or task ‘b’ first, commit to making a decision within 30 seconds. Refuse to analyse whether it is the right or wrong decision; just make it, reminding yourself that you are creating a new habit of effective decision making.

After a few weeks of practice with small decisions, start doing the same thing with slightly more important decisions. Give yourself a set time to consider your options and then decide to make a decision either way by that set date. Yes it will be uncomfortable, yes you might even make an occasional decision you later regret. However so what!! No amount of floundering and researching can guarantee you will make the “perfect” decision anyway. At least by making decisions more promptly, you can move on to discover whether or not it was a good decision, rather than rob yourself of great opportunities by not making any decision at all.

5. Disorganised living

“I’ll do it later” says the little voice in your head that keeps your life cluttered and disorganised. Rather than put something back in its place immediately after use, you leave it lying around, with the plan to get to it later. Rather than find a home for your wallet or keys, you throw them down without a second thought and jump on the couch to watch the television. Rather than spend time creating plans and systems you just dive in convincing yourself this will get the job done faster.

Come on, let’s be honest—this strategy does not work—instead it creates an endless search for lost items and big piles of mess. In turn, you feel too overwhelmed to tackle any of it because the list of “must organise” gets out of control. Create a new habit of doing things immediately. Start with a big spring clean once a month. Perhaps even hire an organisation expert to deal with old mountains of paperwork you’ve created. Once you have a clean slate, become someone who actions things immediately – as soon as the mail comes in, open it and action it. Just read that file, don’t put it aside on the desk planning to have another look later. Get more ruthless with what you keep and what you ditch. Adopt the reminder “later never comes”!

Source: Yahoo life style

3D-printed prosthetic arms rescue child victims of war

3D-printed prosthetic arms rescue child victims of warDaniel Omar was a 14-year-old tending his goats in war-torn Sudan when the dirty bomb landed, full of kerosene and nails. The explosion cost him more than just his arms. It took away his means of survival, his will to live.

But help would come from a most unlikely source. After reading a magazine article about Daniel’s plight, American Mick Ebeling helped pull together a “dream team” of innovators to create a low-cost prosthetic arm using 3D printing technology.

The prosthesis can be produced in a matter of hours using plastic, screws, cables and bolts — about $100 worth of parts in total. With his new arm, Daniel is able to feed himself again, essential in an area where daily survival is a struggle.

Virtually no one in the area had used a 3D printer before Ebeling’s team arrived in November 2013. Yet today, Daniel is printing arms for others, helping more of the region’s 50,000 amputees get new limbs.

‘Who is your Daniel’

Ebeling is the co-founder of the Not Impossible group. Its goal: to tell stories of health care innovation that will inspire people – maybe even you – to take action. “The question we ask is, ‘Who is your Daniel?'” Ebeling told CBC in an interview. “What is the story you read, who is the person you know in your life?”

For Ebeling, his “Daniel” was a legendary L.A. graffiti artist named Tempt One, who suffers from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). It was 2009, and without the use of his limbs and most motor functions, Tempt could no longer make his art.

Tempt’s brother pleaded for help. Ebeling decided he had to deliver, somehow, some way. He didn’t have the technical expertise, but he did know some brilliant minds he could bring together to focus on the problem. Two weeks of caffeine-powered hacking later, a solution was born: the Eyewriter.

Hooked up to a pair of glasses, this inexpensive device tracks a user’s eye movements using a webcam and translates them into objects on a screen. Tempt could draw again. And Ebeling had his a-ha moment. “After that, we’re like, ‘There’s something here,'” he explained. “There’s a nucleus of energy and we have to figure out how to channel this to do other things.”

Not Impossible co-founder Elliot Kotek elaborated on the philosophy at a recent North by Northeast presentation in Toronto. “We’re about technology for the sake of humanity,” Kotek said. “We love tech … but we like to look at it through a different lens: How is this innovation going to help people?”

Something just clicked

Then in July 2013, Ebeling learned about the work of Dr. Tom Catena. Catena runs the Mother of Mercy hospital in the Nuba Mountains. He is the only physician in the disputed area in Sudan and South Sudan, and Daniel is his patient. Something just clicked. Ebeling had an inkling of how he might help Daniel.

He had recently learned of the work of Richard Van As, a South African who had created a prosthetic hand using 3D printing technology. A tougher question, though, was how to get the necessary supplies and technology into the middle of a war zone. Ebeling didn’t have a clue. As with the Eyewriter, he set about pulling together a team that did.

“Like everything we tackle,” Ebeling said, “we jump[ed] in, with the belief that we’re going to make it not impossible.”

Literally, there were bugs

“Not impossible” does not equal easy. For starters, the team wasn’t sure where Daniel was or even if he was still alive. Luckily, Dr. Catena had relocated him among the 70,000 people at the Yida refugee camp.

Like baking a cake

The prosthetic the team designed was a remarkably low-tech device produced using 3D printing technology that, while not exactly new, has only become mainstream in the past few years.

Ebeling and Kotek say the process of printing the arms is as “easy as baking a cake.” First, the parts are printed and assembled. (See below for more on how a 3D printer works.)

Then a piece of special plastic is moulded to fit the person’s limb and the moving parts are attached to that. Cables are spooled through each digit. A motion of the elbow draws on the cables, which close and open the hand.

The design’s simplicity means that if a part breaks, a new one can be printed. It also means the arms are now printed locally, long after the Americans have gone home. And that, says Ebeling, is one of the project’s biggest successes.

Connecting inspired minds

Not Impossible wants to repeat the success of Project Daniel in other parts of the world – potentially launching 3D prosthetic labs in places like Sierra Leone, Nicaragua and Vietnam. They also want to inspire others to take up their own causes. One of the group’s mottos is “Help one, help many,” a virtuous cycle of innovation and inspiration.

To that end, they’ve created Not Impossible Now, a website that serves as a hub for people with a need and the sharp minds required to tackle the problem.

One project seeks to get an exoskeleton for a girl in Mexico to help her walk again. Another aims to help the deaf hear music. Not Impossible wants their legacy to be hundreds or thousands of innovations, all created by people who were connected by passion and inspired by stories like Daniel’s.

“That,” Ebeling said, “would be the true measure of success.”

Source: cbc news

Trichomoniasis – STD from hotel towels: kenya

Trichomoniasis - STD from hotel towel

Trichomoniasis, also called “trich,” is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that affects both men and women. Caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis, this relatively common STI is the cause of vaginal infections in women and urethral infections in men. Don’t worry, it’s easily curable.

Though STIs such as Trichomoniasis is mostly contracted through sexual contact, did you know the parasites can also survive on infected objects like bed sheets, towels and toilet seats from hotels?

Capital Lifestyle Magazine began looking into this when a male friend was diagnosed by his doctor that he had a yeast infection. As a faithful husband, you can imagine the confusion as to where he could have possibly contracted the STI. As a frequent traveler for work, it soon became apparent that the onset of his genital itching, painful unrination, unusual penile discharge and redness was a result of poorly cleaned hotel towels… .GROSS.

While not all viruses and bacteria are hardy enough to live for extended periods of time on contaminated surfaces such as glass, many of them – including those that can cause STIs – are. Chlamydia as well as all bacteria are pretty resilient when it comes to survival outside the human body, sharing a towel can transfer the bacteria.

Some housekeeping staff maybe cutting corners in their jobs resulting in a blatant disregard for hygienic practices. We all know that some of the principal routes for spread of infections include contact with infected persons or contact with articles of bedding or clothing that have been contaminated by an infected source. If the bedding and towels in your hotel room were contaminated and reused, you could be at risk of contracting a virus or infection.

Symptoms of Trichnomaniasis usually takes from 3 to 28 days to develop. Technically, you could travel to many places before even realizing that there was a problem in one of your hotel rooms.

Trichomoniasis can be treated with oral antibiotics, usually a single dose. It is especially important that both partners be treated – well, in this case only yourself since your partner was an unclean towel that probably looked invitingly white and pristine.

Understandably, hotel management sources condemn these practices and state that these behaviors violate standards and policy for their establishments. However, to minimize your risk of contracting viruses and infections during your travels, it’s advisable to bring your own towel and to avoid sleeping naked in an unfamiliar bed with suspicious bedding.

Source: all africa

Lack of exercise to blame for rising obesity, study says

Lack of exercise to blame for rising obesity, study says

A lack of exercise rather than diet is to blame for the obesity crisis, experts have warned.

A new study in the U.S. found activity levels have fallen dramatically in the last 20 years as average body mass index (BMI) increased and calorie intake remained the same.

Scientists said a drop in exercise and leisure time, especially among young women, may be responsible for rising obesity rates. It is recommended adults do 150 minutes of moderate exercise – brisk walking, cycling or gardening , for example – each week.

But studies have shown around two in three adults in the UK fail to achieve the guidelines. Fewer manual jobs, more cars and home entertainment technology mean most people get much less exercise now than their parents or grandparents did.

Two thirds of men and almost six in 10 women in the UK are overweight or obese. In Western Europe just Iceland and Malta have higher numbers of obese or overweight people.

By analysing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) researchers found the number of U.S. women who reported no physical activity jumped from 19.1 per cent in 1994 to 51.7 per cent in 2010.

For men, the number rose from 11.4 per cent to 43.5 per cent. During the period, average BMI has increased across the board, with the most dramatic rise found among young women between 18 and 39.

Professor Uri Ladabaum, of Stanford University, California, said: ‘These changes have occurred in the context of substantial increases in the proportion of adults reporting no leisure time physical activity, but in the absence of any significant population level changes in average daily caloric intake.

‘At the population level, we found a significant association between the level of leisure time physical activity, but not daily caloric intake, and the increases in both BMI and waist circumference.’

The study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, looked at the escalation of obesity in terms of both exercise and caloric intake. While the researchers did not examine what types of foods were consumed, they did observe total daily calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and protein consumption have not changed significantly over the period, yet the obesity rate among participants continued to rise.

Researchers also tracked the rise in abdominal obesity, which is an independent indicator of mortality even among people with normal BMIs. This is defined by a waist circumference of at least 34.65sin (88cm) for women and 40.16ins (102cm) for men.

The average increased by 0.37 per cent and 0.27 per cent respectively, per year. Just like the rise in average BMIs, the group most affected by increased rates of abdominal obesity was women.

Prof Ladabaum said: ‘The prevalence of abdominal obesity has increased among normal weight women and overweight women and men.

‘It remains controversial whether overweight alone increases mortality risk, but the trends in abdominal obesity among the overweight are concerning in light of the risks associated with increased waist circumference independent of BMI.’

While increased calorie intake is often blamed for rising rates of obesity, no association between the two factors was identified in the study.
In contrast, an association was found between the trends over time for lack of physical activity and high BMI numbers.

Prof Ladabaum said: ‘Our findings do not support the popular notion the increase of obesity in the United States can be attributed primarily to sustained increase over time in the average daily caloric intake of Americans.’

Identifying the link between the drop in physical activity and increased BMIs, as well as the groups particularly affected, can assist public health officials to develop targeted, effective interventions against the obesity epidemic.

Journal editor Pamela Powers Hannley said: ‘If we as a country truly want to take control of our health and our health care costs, the Ladabaum et al paper should be our clarion call.

‘From encouraging communities to provide safe places for physical activity to ensuring ample supply of healthy food to empowering Americans to take control of their health, we must launch a concerted comprehensive effort to control obesity.’

Source: daily mail