Naturopathy

The bones of people long dead could be the key to healing chronic back pain, says a new research. It is combining the latest computer modelling techniques with archaeology and anthropology.Researchers there are analysing spines from up to 40 skeletons kept in museums and anatomy collections, according to a Leeds and Bristol statement.


The data will help develop innovative computer models and open up new ways of treating back pain and evaluating new implants. Ultimately, it will also be possible to use the models to pinpoint the type of treatment best suited to an individual patient.

"The idea is that a company will be able to come in with a design for a new product and we will simulate how it would work on different spines," says Ruth Wilcox of the University of Leeds, who is leading the project.
"The wider the pool of spinal data at our disposal, the more effective the computer models will be in terms of demonstrating the impact of treatments on different back conditions and back types

A new study has shown that compared to people in employment, men and women who are unemployed suffer more often and longer from both physical and emotional complaints.


The study was carried out in 2008-2009 by the Institute. The results showed that unemployed people between the ages of 30 and 59 years are especially often affected by physical, emotional, and functional impairments such as sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance addictions. As a result, the unemployed make more use of the health care system.

The health consequences of unemployment result from loss of income, loss of so-cial contacts in the workplace, or loss of social reputation. Unemployed men and women who are supported by their partners, family members, or friends are less frequently affected by these complaints.

A new review of studies has found that reducing the amount of salt in diabetics' daily diet is key to warding off serious threats to their health. In the Cochrane review, the authors evaluated 13 studies with 254 adults who had either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. For an average duration of one week, participants were restricted to large reduction in their daily salt intake to see how the change would affect their blood pressure.

"We were surprised to find so few studies of modest, practical salt reduction in diabetes where patients are at high cardiovascular risk and stand much to gain from interventions that reduce blood pressure," said lead reviewer Rebecca Suckling. "However, despite this, there was a consistent reduction in blood pressure when salt intake was reduced."

High salt intake is a major cause for increased blood pressure and, in those with diabetes, elevated blood pressure can lead to more serious health problems, including stroke, heart attack and diabetic kidney disease. In the Cochrane review, the participants' average salt intake was restricted by 11.9 grams a day for those with type 1 diabetes and by 7.3 grams a day for those with type 2. The reviewers wrote that reducing salt intake by 8.5 grams a day could lower patients' blood pressure by 7/3 mmHg. This was true for patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The reviewers noted that this reduction in blood pressure is similar to that found from taking blood pressure medication. Suckling acknowledged that studies in the review only lasted for a week and that the type of salt restriction probably would not be manageable for longer periods. However, Suckling said, the review also found that in studies greater than two weeks, where salt was reduced by a more achievable and sustainable amount of 4.5 grams a day, blood pressure was reduced by 6/4 mmHg.

Acidity occurs when there is excess secretion of acids in the gastric glands of the stomach. When the secretion is more than usual, we feel, what is commonly known as heartburn, which is normally triggered off by consumption of spicy foods.
Here are some home remedies to cure acidity...

Skip the aerated drinks as well as the caffeine. Opt for herbal tea instead.

Have a glass of lukewarm water everyday.

Include banana, watermelon and cucumber in your daily diet. Watermelon juice is great for curing acidity.

Nariyal paani is known to soothe the system if you suffer from acidity.

 Drink a glass of milk - everyday.

 Have your last meal at least two to three hours before you hit the sack.

 Keeping long intervals between meals is another cause for acidity. Have small but regular meals.

Try to avoid pickles, spicy chutneys, vinegar, etc.

Boil some mint leaves in water and have a glass of this after meals.

Sucking on a piece of clove is another effective remedy.

Jaggery, lemon, banana, almonds and yogurt are all known to give you instant relief from acidity.

Excessive smoking and drinking will increase acidity, so cut down.

Try chewing gum. The saliva generated helps move food through the esophagus, easing symptoms of heartburn.
Ginger aids in digestion. Either buy powdered ginger in capsule forms or add the herb to your recipes.

A simple preparation of lemon water with sugar can be sipped on an hour before lunch to reduce uneasiness.

Have vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

Panic attacks are one of the symptoms of anxiety disorders. A sudden wave of oversweeping panic, rapid heart-rate, dizziness, sweating, difficulty in breathing, a feeling of loss of control are among the chief indicators.

Panic attacks can affect people irrespective of gender and age. Here are some remedies for the same:
When you are facing a panic attack, the first and most important thing is to calm down. Take slow, deep breaths as this will not only help you calm down but also slow down heart-rate.

During a panic attack, there's an increase in adrenaline levels in the body. Drink ice water, this will also help cooling down one's body from within. Gently massaging the neck and throat is recommended as these areas of the body tend to get quite tense during a panic attack.

Learning to divert one's attention from the current situation, might not be that easy but is quite an effective way of treating a panic attack. Sniffing aromatic oils or listening to soothing music is another way to deal with a panic attack.

A single sneeze infests a room with deadly bugs and the contamination can last for hours.
Microscopic droplets sneezed or coughed out float around the air in large enough concentrations to spread disease.

A sneeze typically contain as many as 40,000 droplets, some of which leave the body at more than 160 kmph. Breathing in airborne specks of virus found in a typical office, plane or train could infect a person after just one hour, the Journal of the Royal Society Interface reports. It also highlights why so many holidaymakers pick up coughs, colds and sniffles at the start of their trip, following a flight.

Flu passes from person to person through direct physical contact, or when someone sneezes or coughs.
 collected samples of air from the waiting room of a healthcare clinic, three rooms in a nursery and three cross-country flights. Half the samples contained small droplets containing the flu virus.


A typical cubic metre of air contained an average of 16,000 particles of flu virus. Most were less than 2.5 thousandths of a millimetre across, which remain suspended in the air for hours on end. Given these concentrations, the amount of viruses a person would inhale over one hour would be ­adequate to induce infection.

Figs , she says, are loaded with manganese, magnesium, vitamin E and zinc, which are essential for sexual health.



Watermelons contain citrulline, which signals the body to release arginine, which relaxes blood vessels – an effect similar to Viagra.
Champagne is another one on the top. It enters the bloodstream more quickly than wine, so you drink less of it. And with pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes has as many antioxidants as red wine, reports Fox News.
About Rosemary, she said: "If you're preparing a meal of seduction, you want something that will be easier to digest. You don't want blood flow diverted to your stomach."

Chilli Peppers - they replicate symptoms of arousal: flushed cheeks, a tingle on your tongue and plumper, more kissable lips. And they raise body temperature too.

Cheese – releases ten times more endorphins than chocolate, and puts you in the mood.

Reiley adds that the multi-sensory experience of eating, when combined with the right ingredients, nutrients and intentions, makes food positively sexual. And given the frequency with which we eat, that makes food the ultimate aphrodisiac.

An Overview of Chickenpox After Vaccine  -:
It is possible to develop chickenpox after getting the chickenpox vaccine. There are two situations where this could occur. The more common of the two is a breakthrough infection. Very rarely, chickenpox can occur from the chickenpox vaccine itself.

Breakthrough Infection in Chickenpox After Vaccine

No vaccine is 100 percent effective in preventing disease. After vaccination, some people (about 1 person in 10) do not develop enough protection to completely prevent them from developing chickenpox. For the chickenpox vaccine, about 8 to 9 out of every 10 people who are vaccinated are completely protected from chickenpox. The vaccine almost always prevents against severe disease.

If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it is called a breakthrough infection. This infection is believed to be caused by a wild-type varicella virus. A breakthrough infection is usually very mild with fewer skin lesions (usually less than 50) lasting only a few days, with no fever or a low fever, and few other chickenpox symptoms. Breakthrough infection is estimated to occur in approximately 2 percent of vaccinations per year. The rate does not appear to increase with length of time since vaccination.Vaccinated people who get this milder form of chickenpox may still spread the disease to others who are not protected. Therefore, these individuals should stay at home until the blisters have formed scabs; if there are no blisters present, they should stay home until no new spots or bumps are forming.

The Suburbs

The virus Varicella zoster causes Chicken pox. One of the after effects of getting Chicken pox in childhood, is the condition called Ocular Shingles which can occur in Adulthood. It is an infection caused in the skin surrounding the eyes. The virus can remain inactive for several months or years in the cells of people who had chicken pox in childhood. Later, at some point of time in life, the virus can become active again causing this infection. Nearly 300,000 cases of shingles occur in the United States, every year. It was found out that nearly 20% of people who had chickenpox in their childhood developed shingles later in their lives. Though this infection can occur to people of all ages, Ocular Shingles increases with age. According to a research report published in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, Ocular Shingles can cause Stroke. This article tries to gain further insight into this finding.

Knowledge Gained From Research:

•The research included 658 people found with ocular shingles and 1974 people without this infection, as volunteers in Taiwan, where the research took place.

•In the beginning of the one year study, none of the volunteers had the history of getting stroke.

•8.1 percent volunteers with shingles developed stroke, whereas only 1.7 percent of them without this infection had stroke.

•The statistics meant that people with shingles infection are four and a half times more likely to get stroke when compared to the people without this infection.

•The result applied on people irrespective of other health factors and complications like age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and medications.

•Ischemic stroke was found to occur more commonly in shingle-infected patients than hemorrhagic stroke.
 
•Though anti-viral drugs are available to treat Shingles infection, the study found out that people who take these drugs and those who don’t, are equally at risks of getting stroke
 
•However, this research didn’t take into consideration important factors like smoking and variation of stroke risks in different countries.

RecoveryAs a woman, you might think that the scariest thing that might happen to you is breast cancer or cervical cancer. But “in reality, heart disease kills women more than any other disease,” says leading cardiologist Dr Ramakant Panda. It comes as a surprise to most as it is thought to be more a man’s disease. But women are as much at risk of heart disease as men.“Women are protected by hormones till they reach menopause,” Dr Panda goes on to say. Estrogen makes our arteries stronger. However, lifestyle changes might overpower the protection it offers. Risk factors include smoking, erratic working hours and obesity. Statistics say that in the next ten years, one out every three women will get a heart disease.

“Women are at a higher risk of dying within the first year of having an attack than men,” he adds. The possible reason for this according to him is that since women tend to get heart disease later in life, they may have other co-existing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or cholesterol. Here are some facts about women and heart disease:

* Women who smoke are at a risk of having a heart attack 19 years earlier than non-smokers.

* Women with diabetes are at a higher risk of heart attacks.

* Women are almost twice as likely as men to die after by-pass surgery.

* Women often do not have the typical symptoms of angina (chest pain radiating to the arms) or other symptoms associated with a heart attack. That’s why they are often not diagnosed correctly and in time.

The good news is that it can be prevented simply by following a healthier lifestyle, since women’s hearts respond better to them. Here are a few pointers from Dr Panda:

* Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.

* Cut out the extra salt in your food in the form of junk and processed foods. Cut down on sugar too.

* Substitute all high-fat foods with low fat ones.

* Don’t follow fad diets. Instead, eat sensibly.

* If you must drink, limit yourself to one a day and quit smoking.

* Walk for your heart or take the stairs. Get 30 minutes of any form of cardio everyday.

* Get yourself regularly checked for blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. It will tell you if you are at risk.

A healthy lifestyle is very important. It goes a long way in protecting you from not just heat disease but lot of other lifestyle conditions like diabetes and osteoporosis. So start taking care today!

If you ask anyone who has been on a diet, they’ll tell you truthfully that diets just don’t work. The diet mentality is that you’ll take to a certain way of eating temporarily and all of the weight you need to lose will fall off and you will live happily ever after with your new little fit self. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. So if dieting doesn’t work, what can you do?Step one is to get real. You may not be honest with your friends or your family, but you must be honest with yourself. For one week, write on paper everything you eat and all of the physical activities you engage in. Write down everything including those hidden candy bars in your desk at work or that second piece of cake you ate before putting it away for the night. You may also want to write down the day’s occurrences. This will be enlightening. For example, if you ate a candy bar right after getting yelled at by your boss, you’ll realize why you were eating.

After getting a realistic look at yourself, you are going to play the role of teacher and mark red corrections on your own paper. For example, with the candy bar you ate after getting yelled at by your boss, you might begin to brainstorm ideas of what you could have done instead that would be healthier; (e.g. go for a walk with a friend and vent, go to the gym and punch a punching bag, play a favorite active game on the Wii, get a massage), or anything that leaves you feeling ‘truly’ satisfied.

The HeirNext, mark corrective ideas to the foods you ate. For example, if you see that you ate pizza for dinner, insert with the red marker a salad with low fat dressing before hand. If you see a piece of cake after dinner, correct that piece of cake into half a piece of cake and some delicious fresh fruit on top of the cake. Instead of a sandwich (white bread, ham and cheese), make it fiber filled bread, lettuce, tomato, ham and a half slice of cheese. With beverages, add more water or even flavored water to replace a few of your other calorie-laden beverages. Make some of these small changes and it will add up to big rewards both in your self esteem and your waistline.

Recovery
Weight loss is becoming the growing desire of every women of today irrespective of age. This is the various reasons most of them are getting involved into various weight loss programs, taking part in active exercise sessions.In this regards, it should be remembered that following a proper diet is more important than exercise.
Yoga exercises, work outs form a part of the weight loss itinerary but keeping a tab on the diet is the most important factor to keep yourself in shape. Here are some valuable diet tips which will help you in pursuit of both good health and a good figure at the same time.These diet tips are simple to follow and are very effective in achieving your goal of having the perfect statistics.
Types of Diet that you can follow:

1. Atkins Diet
Sample Atkins Diet Menu
Breakfast:
Italian sausage frittat
One Cup of herbal tea

Lunch:
Tuna salad with assorted leafy greens garnished with bacon bits
Dinner:
Bacon cheeseburger with broccoli and cauliflower
Fresh fruit kebobs
Snacks:
High-protein, low-sugar snack bar

Advantages of Atkins Diet
•These types of foods are generally restrained in many conventional diets and its inclusion suggests that many people like to consume as much protein and fat as they desire.

•This diet plan is for people who have tried and tested low-fat, high-carbohydrate weight loss diet without achieving successful results. Including more protein in diet often lead to reduced food cravings and speedy weight loss.

•The diet is comparatively easy to pursue as there are no intricate meal plans

2. Low Fat Diet
Breakfast:
Oatmeal formed with skim milk and garnished with blueberries
One Cup of herbal tea
Lunch:
Ginger carrot soup with whole-wheat bread
Pear, apple and cranberry fruit salad
Dinner:

Mediterranean chicken over whole-wheat spaghetti
Roasted vegetables
Small glass of red wine
Sliced melon with cherries
Snacks:
Celery sticks or broccoli and low-fat ranch dressing
Low-fat cottage cheese/ fat-free yogurt with fresh fruit

Advantages of Low-Fat Diet
•Vegetables, whole grains are foods which are not only low in fat but also healthy.

•Fatty foods are rich in sugar, which is not good for your health and can result in weight gain. Reducing on cookies and ice cream is a best option.

•A low-fat diet has been successful in lessening the chances of many health conditions, such as high cholesterol, obesity and heart ailments.

3.Slim Fast Diet
Breakfast:
Slim-Fast shake or bar
Lunch:
Shake or bar
Half a turkey sandwich or citrus spinach salad
Dinner:
Grilled or steamed asparagus, eggplant and squash
Baked fish, skinless chicken or lean beef
Salad with dressing
Small serving of potato, pasta, rice or corn
Fruit
Snacks:
Apple, half a cup of grapes, half a banana or small fruit salad
Ounce of pretzels or mini-bag of popcorn
Snack bar
Advantages of Slim Fast Diet
•Slim Fast Diet has flexible plan that can suit individual requirements

•Shakes and bars can offer a balanced diet.

•Once you decide to follow Slim Fast diet you can get sufficient online assistance from health communities, consultants and dietitians.

•You will also get information regarding lifestyle alterations, exercise regimes, healthy food, snack tips and weight maintenance.

4. Weight Watchers Diet
Breakfast:
Vegetables scrambled with egg whites, or cup of bran flakes with skim milk Cup of berries
Fat-free yogurt
Tea
Lunch:
Cup of vegetable soup
Black-bean burger or turkey on whole-grain bread with lettuce and tomato
Slice of melon
Water
Dinner:
Big green salad
Four slices of pork tenderloin
Steamed zucchini and summer squash
Half a cup of brown rice
Cup of fruit smoothie
Snacks:
Most vegetables and fruits
Lean protein such as a slice of chicken or turkey
Cup or two of air-popped or light popcorn

Advantages of Weight Watchers Diet:
•Weight Watchers Diet program concentrates on novel eating routines and eradicates food that lead to overeating.

•There is no counting of calories neither measuring of size in this diet plan.

•This program does not ban foods, but can educate how to restrict temptations and find interest in eating healthy food.

Fitness Tips:
•Check your Body Mass Index (BMI). You can access BMI calculator from the Internet. Input your weight and height and if it asserts that your weight is in the average range of people of your heights or not. By calculating your BMI you will know whether you need weight loss program or not.

•Keep a tab on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which indicates the amount of calories you consume regularly. If you consume the sufficient amount of calorie then it will help you perform regular activities better. It is vital because it would advise you when to put a halt to your eating habits and how much you need to restrict yourself. Through this, you can gorge on anything you want to; provided it is within the range of calories you should intake in a day.

•Another aspect of fitness training depends on the physical health which can be improved through exercise. You can begin with small work-outs and in due course exercise your way up, elevating the strength and intricacy of the exercise routine. It vital to do cardio and aerobic exercises, such as walking, running or jogging etc. You can graduate to some rigorous training work-outs and weight lifting if you want to reduce fats. Do this exercise for around three to five times a day for maximum outputs.

•Last but not the least take good care of your body and do not stress too much. Permit yourself to take some rest for a while, whenever you are tired.

•Remember, do not starve or deprive yourself from sumptuous meals otherwise you might end up consuming them in large quantity.

•Avoid the habit of taking diet pills, as it might seem to be an easy way to undergo diet but proves to be harmful in the long run.

•Be regimented and accountable for your body because then you would be happy on the hard work you did and your body will start loving you.

DYSENTERY AND CATARRH OF THE INTESTINES

Are you fighting weighty issues? Do gym sessions seem nearly impossible to balance with your tight scheduleAre crash diets leaving you and Fight fat with aroma therapy (Getty Images)tarved? Don't fret! Aromatherapy is of great help to shed that extra flab, sans strenuous workouts and fad diets.

Well, all you need to do to knock out approximately 3-4 kilograms in a month is to get a soothing massage twice a week with right essential oils, in addition to 45 minutes of brisk walk for 5 days in a week along with a well balanced diet (which is neither too bland nor intended at making you starve)! Essential oils used in aromatherapy work towards detoxifying three major systems in our body - the circulatory, gastric and excretory system.

Such an exhaustive and all natural detoxification stimulates the adipose tissues which get accumulated in the fat areas of our body (tummy, thighs, love handles). Thus, increasing our Body Metabolism Rate (BMR) finally melts the fat content and cellulite," explains aroma therapist.Heat generated during essential oil massages continue their decomposing effects on fat tissues for as long as 12-24 hours. As a result, even while your body is in an inactive state, calories will keep burning out.

These oils not only detoxify and cleanse the body of toxins, but also take care of resulting hunger pangs. If this much information is enough to heighten your curiosity about the wonder essential oils, read on to achieve a ten-on-ten figure you've always dreamt of:

1. Juniper oil Characterised by its earthy, fruity fragrance, Juniper oil is useful for the digestive system, especially in cases of obesity and fighting cellulite. Caution: Pregnant women and people with kidney problem should avoid using this oil.

2. Orange oil This oil with its citrusy aroma works wonders to cure constipation and slow digestion. It boosts the lymphatic system, which ensures fast decomposition of fat cells. Orange oil is also recognised as a great body toner. Caution: Might show phototoxic effect, so avoid using orange oil before exposing yourself to the sun for prolonged periods.

3. Cinnamon oil Cinnamon oil works wonders for treating constipation and indigestion, which ultimately adds to the complete detoxification process. Caution: Do not use during pregnancy.

4. Fennel oil Slightly spicy in its odour, fennel is a great detoxifier. It works wonders to suppress hunger pangs common to 'comfort eaters' as it promotes a 'full feeling' and possess a diuretic effect as well, which helps in dispersing cellulite. Apart from that, even this oil has a toning effect on one's skin, which is helpful to avoid sagging skin after weight loss. Caution: Do not use during pregnancy.

5. Lemon oil Again citrusy smelling, lemon oil helps to do away with cellulite deposited under the skin.

6. Grapefruit oil This refreshing oil bears diuretic properties, which help remove excess water from the body. Hence, it is a good option if treating cellulite is on your agenda. It also stimulates the lymphatic system. Caution: It can irritate the skin if exposed to strong sunlight after treatment.

Causes and Symptoms:

Hernia means the protrusion of any organ, or part of an organ, into or through the well of the cavity which contains it. The most common form of hernia is the hernia of bowel, popularly known as rupture.Hernia may be caused due to a defect of injury of the abdominal wall or increase of pressure within the cavity. It may be caused by sudden exertion as during the lifting of a weight, but generally it develops gradually.

Pain may be experienced while coughing or straining at stool, but really acute pain is suffered when a hernia becomes strangulated as the result of stoppage of its circulation by the pressure of the opening through which it protrudes. It may become inflamed, turn acutely painful and may even produce peritonitis - inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity - and finally prove fatal. Stoppage of the bowels, onset of acute pain and vomiting are the ominous symptoms which herald strangulated hernia.

Treatment :

The best treatment according to naturopathy is exercise. The torn muscles, the site of the hernia could be helped regain their tone and strength by application of could compresses or application of bandages covered with soft clay. Compresses should be continued for half an hour at a time and should be applied twice or thrice in a day. Diet plays an important part in dealing with a hernia as it does in other diseases.

The patient should take light, bland food, comprising boiled vegetables and fruits in order to reduce the pressure on the intestine. Too much of weight of waste matter would merely burden in increasing the risk of worsening of the hernia.The truss can help during the treatment of the hernia. It comprises a pad which fits over the opening a spring to run round the pelvis and a strap to pass between the legs and prevent the truss from sliding upwards.

Special trusses can be made by firms manufacturing medical and surgical supplies according to the needs of individual patients. The patient must find the truss which suits her hernia. It should be worn constantly so that the hernia does not recur. The regimen suggested needs to be followed strictly to get relief.

Some Exercises:

The following exercises are suggested for hernia patients:

(i) Lie on a hard bed and ask somebody to hold your feet firmly or bind them with a strap passed round the end of the bed. Put your hands on your waste and raise your head about six inches. Turn left and then right and resume your former position.

(ii) Lie in the position indicated above and take your arms behind your neck. Now try to rise with your feet in the former position. See that you do not overstrain yourself.

(iii) Lie straight and fold your knees to touch your abdomen. Then straighten them slowly without touching the bed.

(iv) Hold the bed with your hands and raise your legs and try to touch your head with your feet.Raise your feet perpendicularly and then twist your legs, first to the right and then to the left. Turn more towards the direction opposite to the site of the hernia.