3 warning signs you should not ignore

Frequently, we ignore the subtle warning signals that our body sends us. This can prove fatal in some cases. Learn to read these signs and take heed when our body starts to warn us. As the saying goes "A stitch in time saves nine."

1. The most common warning signals of a heart attack are:

-Pain radiating to the shoulders, neck or arms.
-Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.

-Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea etc. But it is important to know that typical anginal pain described above may not occur in many.

2. Warning signals of a Stroke are: Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, sudden loss or dimness of vision, dizziness, loss of balance, severe headache without a known cause.

3. Hypoglycemia or very low blood sugar can occur in diabetics dependent on insulin. The symptoms include weakness,tremors, strange behavior, sweating, headache, and hunger. Conversely, a patient with extremely high sugar levels display a "fruity" odor in the breath, flushed face with dry skin and mouth, nausea or vomiting, and deep, rapid breathing.

Of course, there are numerous other medical emergencies, which cannot be covered entirely but knowing the features of some of the common emergencies can probably save your life or that of a loved one.

The run-down on Atkins diet

The Atkins diet is based on the theory that your body can lose weight better by reducing carbohydrates than by reducing fat.

A typical Atkins diet is rich in meat, chicken, sausages, bacon, turkey, oils, seafood, cheese, eggs, etc, etc. In short, unlimited quantities of food that your doctor told you to go easy on! Already smacking your lips? Well, just hold on. The bad news is you have to cut down on high carbohydrate foods like potatoes, pasta, bread etc.

The Atkins diet has got some real flak in the past. There does not seem to be a single major medical or science institution in the world that supports or recommends the Atkins diet.

Plainly, many see it as dangerous to health. But there are others who swear by it. So, the final verdict? You decide. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though! I would not go anywhere near it!

READ ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY

Omega-3 and depression

Omega-3 found in fish, has been shown to have a protective effect against depression. A diet deficient in Omega-3 may alter the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine levels, leading to depression. In addition to the cardioprotective effects, omega-3 may also prevent development of Alzheimer's disease.

However, the exact mechanism of how it may be useful in depression is not clear, and it's use in conditions like in major depression and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) is being evaluated.

3 foods you should consider in your diet

I know many of you may wrinkle your noses on reading this list but although the following are generally avoided by many due to their strong taste or odor, they have great health benefits.

1. Garlic-the active ingredient includes sulfur compounds and they have strong antioxidant, lipid reducing and cardioprotective effects. If the strong odor is a put off, you can consider garlic supplements in a capsule form.
2. Bitter gourd-also known as 'plant insulin' because it has a compound resembling natural insulin, and therefore, benefits diabetics.
3. Indian Gooseberry-also known as 'amla,'this is a rich source of Vitamin C.

Music Therapy

Music therapy has long been known to reduce stress and benefit even chronic disorders like Alzheimer's disease and even cancer. Music may help by releasing powerful mood enhancing chemicals in the brain, including those like melatonin.

Of course, not any music will help. Ideally, it should be soothing and relaxing. Classic music works great.

Simple ways to turbo charge your metabolism!

Even at rest, our body burns some calories for cellular activities. Even when you breathe, digest or sleep, some amount of calories are expended; this is the basal metabolic rate (BMR). As we age, our metabolic rate declines, and we tend to put on excess fat. Here are some tips, which I practice, to get your metabolism revved up!

1. Obviously, a weight training or cardio is a must.
2. At office:Use the free time behind the desk at office or home to burn calories with some simple workouts:
*Just walking around your office is a great cal burner (most of my assistants and colleagues are surprised to see me pacing around the room at times!)
*Push-ups against the table.
*Triceps dips-lean back against your table with both palms on the table. Dip down with your body in a slight inclination (just make sure you don't slip and fall!)and come up to original position. Repeat.
*Toe raise-in a seated position, and legs close together, use your toes to lift your feet off the ground. Feel your calves contract. Repeat.
*Do you have a lot of heavy, dust covered, rarely used books lying around? Great! Just dust them and do a biceps curl!
*Take the stairs and avoid the elevator.
*Instead of lazily dashing off an email/IM to your colleague in the next cubicle, actually walk up to them!
3.At home: Try to be around with your children a lot! The energy they have, will rub off on you! Sometimes, I just lie back and do some bench press holding my 3-year old daughter aloft!. She loves it, and I get my "mini-workout" and cal burner!

See, there are innumerable ways that you can burn off all of those calories. Remember, it is the tiny drops that make up an ocean. With all these "mini work outs" coupled with your regular work out and healthy diet, you are bound to see some results!

Optical illusion

Can you see something else than the face?

How to build six-pack Abs!

Who would not want what is commonly known as a "six-pack" ab? Well, it's easier said than done. While most of us 'mere mortals' can only dream of it, you can at least come closer to it. The abdomen has many large and smaller muscle groups. I will describe a few important groups. The rectus abdominis, which extends along the whole length of the front of the abdomen, transversus abdominis and the obliques along the sides of the abdomen. The abdominal muscles mainly function to flex your torso forward and bend your body sideways. In men, the pattern of fat distribution mainly occurs in the abdomen, leading to an 'apple shape.' This kind of 'central obesity' is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Since it's not possible to describe all exercises in detail (any decent gym with an instructor can help you with it), I'll just outline some measures to get rid of tummy fat and get your abs into shape.

1. Most importantly, as I have pointed in my previous blogs, get a good cardio workout and follow a healthy diet. Unless you burn all that layer of fat overlying your abs, no amount of sessions in the gym can help you.
2. Some recommended exercises are;
* Ab curls or crunches.
* Side curls.
* Cable rope crunches.
* Low-pulley weighted crunch.
* Leg raises.

Remember, just like other muscles, your abs also need to be trained with increasing resistance. Even doing 200 crunches without resistance will get you nowhere. That is why weighted crunches (hold a weight over your chest) and cable rope/low-pulley crunches help.

Also, I've seen many just neglecting the obliques or just not knowing how these muscles work. Here's something, which I do that can get rid of your 'love handles.'

*Barbell side-bend-hold a barbell behind your shoulders and bend side ways. Repeat on either side.
*Dumbbell side-bend-The same can be done with a dumbbell held up with both your hands and bending sideways and also with the dumbbells hanging by your side.

Remember that if you are really centrally obese, it would take sometime to get into shape. More importantly, you have to continue with the workouts or else you might revert back into an 'apple'!

Related links:Good source of medical articles-visit-
Squidoo

New Year Resolution-Burn that fat!

So, have you made your New Year resolution to burn all that excess fat you've been carrying around? If the answer is "no" then please do.

If you've not read my earlier blog: 6 tips for fat loss, do so, this is a take off on that. Now lets get to your diet. Our diet mainly includes carbs (carbohydrates), fats and protein. Each of these are vital to you. The trick is to eat the healthy variety and leave out the unhealthy, junk food.

1. Carbs-These are needed for fueling your body. The best carbs to start of your day are those rich in fiber. These include; oats, brown rice, brown bread, beans, sprouts, asparagus etc to name a few. Cut down on white rice, white bread and refined sugar. Include plenty of fruits in your diet. Remember, more the fiber in your diet, the better.

2. Proteins-this is vital, especially if you are working out with weights. Without the right kind of protein, you just can't build muscle.

3.Fats-not all fat is bad. In fact, they are vital for many cellular processes and hormone production. Even cholesterol and LDL(low-density lipoprotein) are not all that bad as they are made out to be. It is important to get an adequate intake of "essential fats" like Omega 3, abundant in fish oil and flax oil. Avoid saturated or trans fats. So, in addition to fish oil, you can get essential fat from almonds, walnuts, peanut butter etc.

4.Others- It is necessary to get adequate vitamins and supplements like chromium picolinate, a trace mineral, which may work along with a weight training regimen.

Motivation-As long as you are heating healthy and working out to the optimum, you should see the desired results. But it is as important to stay motivated and try out some fat loss program.

Related links: Bariatric Surgery

Book review: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You

I just finished reading this book by Dr. Ray Strand. It basically deals with nutritional supplements and how antioxidants are important in preventing various chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and even conditions like cardiomyopathy, cataract and macular degeneration, to name a few. The emphasis is on preventive medicine.

Nutritional supplements include vitamins, minerals and other supplements like 0Q10, which are vital to prevent oxidative stress and free radical damage to the body.

However, it does not mean you should bombard yourself with high doses of vitamins and minerals. In fact, a high dose of vitamins can lead to hypervitaminosis.

The book is written in a simple language, and explains even complex physiologic process in a simple way. There are some interesting revelations also on how raised cholesterol levels may not be the only cause of heart attacks and how recommended daily allowances (RDA) of key nutrients may not be enough to protect against disease.

But I would like to say that it is not true that doctors are ignorant about nutritional supplementation. In fact, vitamins may be the most frequently prescribed by a doctor! Also, there is too much emphasis in the book on nutritional supplementation. Adequate exercise and the right kind of diet is also vital. This could have received some more attention in the book.

But as Dr.Strand says, it would be wise to take supplements and be safe than spend an exorbitant amount on treatments like a coronary bypass surgery later on in life.

I would like to emphasize:

* Get adequate exercise.
* Eat healthy, fiber-rich food.
* Take adequate nutritional supplements (especially if your diet lacks fruits, vegetables).

All in all, I would recommend this book highly for everyone, irrespective of whether you are healthy or suffer from any disease.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation (TM), created by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a very simple but effective technique to achieve complete mental and physical relaxation. It basically involves mental repetition of a 'mantra' for about 15-20 minutes daily. With this, the mind 'transcends' any kind of mental activity to attain a state of complete relaxation and awareness.

The best part about TM is that it does not require any special effort. Anyone can practice it. The full course has many stages. Although I've not gone through an actual full course, I've been exposed to the elements of this system, and found it really relaxing and invigorating.

You can try this out whenever you feel stressed or when you have the spare time. Adopt a comfortable position, close your eyes and chant the 'mantra.' This could be anything, any phrase, not necessarily religious. It could be 'om', 'ing' 'inga', just about anything. When any stray thoughts come into your mind, don't try to resist the thought. Just let it come and go, but keep your mind focussed on the particular word. Do this for 15-20 mins, and then open your eyes. You will really feel relaxed and fresh. You can extend the session to even 30 mins or more. There! really simple isn't it?

Is it really effective?

Well, I've tried it and it works for me! Actually, I did some research in Pubmed and other journals, and many randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and other studies indicate that TM is effective and can "even slow or reverse the progression of pathophysiological changes underlying cardiovascular disease" (Walton et al.,2002.)

The skeptics

Of course, there are skeptics about the effectiveness and there are accusations about TM being a 'cult phenomenon.'

My take on this
TM is simple, safe, and well, at least 'relaxing' enough for me. Try it out!

Exposing faith healers

There are a number of faith healers who supposedly 'heal' even terminal cancer. It is really sickening how these people can fool sick people into believing that they are 'cured.' This prevents many people from undergoing further treatment. Watch how James Randi, a magician turned exposer of paranormal acts, debunks a popular TV evangelist, Peter Popoff and his "Miracle Crusades."




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Exposing psychic surgery

Psychic surgery is practiced by self proclaimed 'surgeons' mainly in Philippines and Brazil. The psychic surgeon extracts 'tumors' and other diseased parts from the body with bare hands, without any surgical instruments. It is actually nothing but quackery and any accomplished magician can perform it! All it requires is some animal blood and other parts to simulate a surgery.

James Randi, debunks the mystery of psychic surgery.




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Lingam Materialization