Life Style

Artist carves stunning portraits in Oreo frosting

We’ve all been taught not to play with our food, but for Massachusetts artist Judith Klausner playing with food is a craft.

Since 2010, Klausner has been creating works of art from items like Oreo cookies and Chex cereal for her “From Scratch” series on expertly altered food stuffs.

The series includes embroideries made on toast, portraits carved in Oreo frosting, wallpaper painted with condiments, cross-stitching in Chex cereal and stained glass made from gummies.

“This nostalgia for the culinary past—before packaged foods and high-fructose corn syrup—fails to take into consideration just how much time it takes to make three full meals a day from scratch,” Klausner writes on her blog. “Today, as we come to realize that something has been lost in the mechanization of everything around us, there is a return to the idea that making something from its most basic parts has great value.”

Source: Fox news

“Lifestyle changes makes city dwellers aloof”

With the city dwellers spending a greater time outside the home, either at work, or in traffic or in social networking sites, there is lesser interaction happening with one’s own relatives, said Dr Mahesh R Gowda, consultant physiatrist, Spandana health care.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the national seminar held on Thursday at Jyotinivas autonomous college on “Relationship management- An essential investment fro better living.”

Dr Vijay Nagaswamy, psychiatrist from Chennai who took part in the seminar observed the growth of phenomenal growth of the nation in the last thirty years, “We have seen changes in all spheres; an arranged marriage to the new trend of ‘hook up’ relationships. Increased mobility among the youth has given them greater opportunity to live away from home. There is greater focus on the individual than collective. There is a decrease in frustration tolerance among youth,” said Dr Vijay Nagaswamy.

“Improve interactive skills”

Speaking at the seminar Sr Elizabeth C S, Principal of Jyoti Nivas college said that what is needed for a job seeker is good communication, relationship management skills. “Thirty years ago, a person with excellent technical knowledge would have been hired by companies. But now what is being sought after is the communicative skills of a person and his/her ability to perform as a team player and maintain good relation with people around,” she said.

Source: Times of India

4 Great Car Features For Older Drivers

We live in interesting times.

Computers, smartphones, and other gadgets have made the world a smaller place, metaphorically speaking. Automobiles and airplanes allow us to travel in hours distances that would’ve taken days or weeks just a century ago. And advances in safety and medical technology have extended the human lifespan by decades: in the early 1900s, the global life expectancy for a newborn was around 40 years (PDF), but today, that figure is nearly 70.

There’s a downside to that last item, though: as we live longer, our cognitive abilities often degrade, diminishing our ability to drive safely. This creates stress for many families, as they have to ask parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to hand over the keys.

But long before mental abilities begin to fade, older motorists can face physical problems that make driving more difficult. As part of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (December 2 – 6), AAA has updated its list of car features that benefit senior drivers. Among those features:

Keyless entry and ignition
As anyone with arthritis knows, gripping keys of any size can sometimes be a challenge. Vehicles that permit drivers to open doors and start vehicles by carrying a fob in their pocket or purse help solve that problem.

Six-way adjustable seats
This common feature can be a lifesaver for adults with knee, hip, and leg impairments, allowing them to enter and exit a vehicle with greater ease.

Thick steering wheels
As with keys, many seniors have trouble gripping ordinary steering wheels. Thicker wheels make it easier for drivers to control vehicles, boosting safety.

High-contrast displays
It’s no secret that vision often deteriorates with age. In the days of analog gauges, that often presented problems for older drivers, but now that so many dashboards consist of digital screens, drivers have greater control over the way that information is displayed. Increasing the contrast gives drivers access to the information they need at just a glance.

According to AAA’s Jake Nelson, “A 2012 survey revealed that only one in 10 senior drivers with health issues are driving a vehicle with features like keyless entry or larger dashboard controls that can assist with such conditions.” Now, as many shoppers look for bargains on 2013 models — or check out new 2014 vehicles — it’s a great time to keep options like these in mind.
Source: the car connection

Lifestyle changes for heart disease prevention

One can conquer heart diseases through lifestyle changes, which will help maintain artery health and prevent further progression of heart diseases.

Smoking, lack of physical activity, drinking and stress are major risk factors for heart diseases. But, adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent heart diseases.

Sweat it out

About 30 minutes of moderate activity like brisk walking at least five days a week is essential for adults. Children and young adults can exercise for at least 60 minutes every day. Also, 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise every week burns around 600-1200 calories per week. You don’t have to sweat it out in a gym to achieve your exercise goals, rather, slowly increase the duration and intensity of your exercise to achieve bigger goals. Regular exercise also decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by almost 40 per cent.

Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight can put you at risk of developing heart diseases, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. Did you know that after 18 years, every one kilogram of weight gain increases your risk of heart diseases by three per cent. So the best way to calculate your weight is by checking your body mass index (BMI), which takes into account your weight and height to identify whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. A BMI of 23 or a higher BMI is linked to blood fats, high BP, risk of stroke and heart diseases.

According to a study, it was estimated that, if every person maintained his or her optimal weight, this would lessen cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent and lower strokes or episodes of cardiac failure by 35 per cent. Reducing your weight by just 10 per cent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of diabetes.

Stop Smoking

According to a large study done on Tobacco Control, ‘Smoking just one to four cigarettes a day almost triples a smoker’s risk of heart disease and lung cancer.’ Smoking and tobacco are one of the major risk factors for all heart diseases and smoking narrows your arteries leading to Atherosclerosis, which can cause a heart attack. Low nicotine cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and low-tar cigarettes might be promoted as healthy and safe but they are also risky.

Get regular health screenings

If you are suffering from diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and high cholesterol than you are at a higher risk for other heart diseases. So it is advised to test your blood sugar levels regularly to understand your heart health. One can reduce the risk of heart disease by 60 per cent if he/she can control their blood sugar levels.

Dont worry too much

Make time for de-stressing activities like exercise and meditataion to live a long, healthy disease free life.

Source: Times of India

 

Sip red wine for healthy heart, brain

Drinking red wine can help protect the heart, and it may boost brain power too.

According to beauty magnate Liz Earle, creator of Liz Earle Beauty Company, drinking red wine in moderation may prevent blood clots and strokes, and hence keep the heart healthy.

The drink can even help in warding off certain cancers including colon and prostate, reports contactmusic.com.

A glass of red wine contains high amounts of antioxidants which not only help our cells fight against free radical damage, but also increase cholesterol levels in a positive way. It also contains procyanidins which help reduce blood pressure and protect against hardening of the arteries.

Earle also said that red wine may boost brain power, especially for older women.

But keep your intake to a glass or two, not a whole bottle!

Source: The new Indian Express

Lifestyle factors linked to healthy pregnancy

Researchers have identified certain lifestyle factors that make it more likely for a woman to have a normal pregnancy.

They include increasing fruit intake before pregnancy, being a healthy weight, reducing blood pressure, stopping drug and alcohol misuse, and being in paid employment during pregnancy.

Although further work is needed to determine whether these associations have causal importance, this study implies that targeted interventions that encourage women to make healthy choices before and during pregnancy “may increase the likelihood of normal pregnancy outcomes,” the researchers said.

Researchers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand carried out a study to identify factors at 15-20 weeks’ gestation associated with a subsequent uncomplicated pregnancy. Their aim was to highlight those factors amenable to change before pregnancy, thereby informing decisions about interventions that could increase the likelihood of a normal outcome.

A total of 5,628 healthy women with singleton births (and no previous pregnancies) were recruited to the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints study between November 2004 and August 2008.

The primary outcome was uncomplicated pregnancy defined as a “normotensive pregnancy, delivered at more than 37 weeks resulting in a live born baby who was not small for gestational age and did not have any other significant pregnancy complications.”

Factors amenable to improvement that reduced the likelihood of an uncomplicated pregnancy (that is, were detrimental) were increasing body mass index and blood pressure and misuse of drugs (including binge drinking) in the first trimester.

Factors amenable to improvement that increased the likelihood of an uncomplicated pregnancy (that is, were beneficial) were high fruit intake in the month before pregnancy and being in paid employment 15 weeks into pregnancy.

Detrimental factors that could not be altered were being in a lower socio-economic group, high blood pressure before pregnancy while taking oral contraceptive pills, family history of high blood pressure in pregnancy and bleeding during pregnancy.

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Four tips to stay warm this winter

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

Dress smart

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

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

Eat right

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

Take hot drinks often to maintain your body temperature.

Move your body

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

Use hot water bottle

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

Source: inagist

 

Diabetes hits young women due to sedentary lifestyle: Study

Younger women in the age bracket of 30-35 years are prone to diabetes because of sedentary lifestyle and wrong eating habits, according to a study.

Population in Western India tends to eat fried food and no fruits, due to which several people are seen to be at higher risk of diabetes and obesity.

Diabetes risk levels have been observed to be high among men and women in the age bracket of 45-50 years, an Indus Health Plus report said on Wednesday.

As per the International Diabetes Federation, India is the diabetes capital of the world, with 40 million people living with diabetes. About 371 million people suffer from diabetes across the nation and half of the cases are undiagnosed.

The report released on the eve of World Diabetes Day which falls on November 14, revealed that in Maharashtra, sugar levels were found to be high, surprisingly among youth, especially in the age group of 25-35 years of age.

The study observed that consumption of oil, ghee, butter is high and cholesterol rich diet increases obesity and hypertension, fuelling chances of getting diabetes.

Amol Naikawadi, Joint Managing Director, Indus Health Plus said, “Our Abnormality Report validates the rapid growth of diabetes which is not only prevalent in adults but is beginning to affect the younger generation, especially women in India. Lifestyle characterized by unhealthy nutrition, reduced physical activity and tobacco consumption has increased the risk factor of diabetes.”

“If left untreated or uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to blindness, cardiovascular diseases and kidney failure. Timely and regular check-up can reduce the risk of diabetes”, Naikawadi said.

Source: The Indian Express

Switzerland may ban drivers from wearing high heels

This may give flat packing a new meaning for travelers to Switzerland.

The Alpine nation may soon ban drivers from wearing high heels and other types of shoes behind the wheel, The Sunday Times reports.

Police have been lobbying for the restrictions after a number of high-profile accidents tied to inappropriate footwear, including ski boots.

Drivers caught violating the new law could face a suspension of their license and up to three months in prison.

The specific kinds of footwear that will be affected have not yet been determined, but donate think you ll be able to just kick off your heels if you see a police car in your rear view mirror.

Barefoot driving is expected to be banned there as well.

Source: Bubble news

 

Mobile phones, towers do not cause cancer’

The Delhi Medical Association (DMA) Friday rubbished reports that radiation emitted from cell phones and their towers cause cancer.

“Radiation from mobiles and mobile towers pose no threat to the health or cause cancer as it is commonly believed,” DMA president Anil Agarwal said at a press conference here.

“The radiation waves are too weak too cause such a deadly disease and moreover there are no empirical findings to establish that mobile tower radiation causes cancer or any such disease,” he said, adding the medical experts from the DMA have come to this conclusion after reviewing the study done by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO conducted a research where they had consulted 4,50,000 cell phone users in the past 13 years, but had not been able to provide support for any relationship between the emission of radiation from mobile phones and cancer, said P. Ramakrishna, a consultant on electro-magnetic fields (EMF).

Even the study done by US’ National Cancer Institute shows no increased risk for brain tumors from cell phone use, he added.

Source: http://www.sify.com/news/