Ayurveda

What is ayurveda?

Ayurveda, or ayurvedic medicine, is a healthy-lifestyle system that people in India have used for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda emphasizes good health and prevention of illness through lifestyle practices (such as massage, meditation, yoga, and dietary changes) and the use of herbal remedies.

Ayurvedic medicine is holistic, which means viewing the body and mind as a whole. Ayurveda not only treats a person's physical complaints, but it also changes lifestyle practices to help maintain or improve health.

According to ayurveda, the five elements of nature (space, air, fire, water, earth) combine in the body as three components (doshas) known as Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas relate closely to the basic elements of nature and to specific functions of the body. A balance of these doshas is thought to be required for optimal health.

• Air and space represent Vatta. Vatta controls muscle and joint movement, breathing, and heartbeat. Also, Vatta controls anxiety, fear, pain, and other functions of the nervous system.
• Fire and water represent Pitta, which is thought to control such bodily functions as digestion, metabolism, intelligence, and skin color. Pitta governs the emotions of anger, hate, and jealousy.
• Earth and water represent Kapha. The physical structure of the body and the immune system are governed by Kapha. Emotional responses thought to be controlled by Kapha include calmness, forgiveness, love, and greed.

The doshas, which are determined at the time of conception, also relate to an individual's physical makeup and personality. A person with a Vatta makeup tends to have a small, thin build. The Pitta body style is more of a medium, muscular build. The Kapha appearance is usually bigger and well-developed. Most people are considered to have a combination of doshas, with one type usually being predominant.

In ayurvedic medicine, it is thought that if an imbalance occurs in any of the three doshas, illness results. Ayurvedic medicine treats illness through a variety of means, including dietary changes, herbal remedies, and exercise. According to the ayurvedic philosophy, you can also use yoga, meditation, or counseling to treat disease.

What is ayurveda used for?

People use ayurvedic practices to maintain health, reduce stress, and improve flexibility, strength, and stamina. Researchers have found that yoga and meditation can be effective ways to treat diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, and arthritis.

Ayurveda stresses proper diet for maintaining good health and treating disease. Herbal medicines are prescribed based on the person's dosha type.

Researchers are studying the effects of ayurvedic herbal medicines on various long-term (chronic) illnesses.

Is ayurveda safe?

Ayurvedic practices such as yoga and meditation can be safe ways to promote health. If you have a long-term illness, you may be able to combine ayurveda with conventional medical treatment.

Ayurvedic herbal medications, like conventional medications, may cause side effects, trigger allergic reactions, or interact with other medications or herbs you are taking. Some ayurvedic medications may contain high levels of heavy metals. A study found that about 1 in 5 ayurvedic medicine products available in grocery stores in the Boston area contained potentially harmful levels of lead and other heavy metals. Be sure to tell your doctor about all herbs and natural supplements that you are taking. If you have taken ayurvedic medicine products, ask your doctor about screening for heavy metals.

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Source: WebMD

Smoking parents stub out sons

COUPLES who smoke around the time they conceive their child are almost twice as likely to have a girl, according to new research, which suggests tobacco "kills" male fetuses.

The startling results could encourage would-be parents to start smoking to increase their chances of a daughter, an Australian fertility expert fears.

Researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in Britain found rates of female offspring were dramatically higher among smokers.

An analysis of 9000 pregnancies at the hospital between 1998 and 2003 found smokers were one-third less likely to have a boy than non-smokers.

When the father also smoked the chance of having a boy was cut almost in half.

Researchers believe chemicals such as nicotine, inhibit sperm carrying male chromosomes from fertilising eggs.

The Fertility Society of Australia's Dr Anne Clark warned parents against smoking to "get them what they want".

"If a father smokes to get a girl, that girl is four times more likely to get cancer than if he didn't," Dr Clark said.

"And the mother is going to be three times more likely to have a fertility problem, and twice as likely to have a miscarriage, if she takes up the habit around the time of conception. So the message is: don't smoke at all if you want a child."

Fitness in a Time of Mold and Pollen

Some asthmatics react to swimming, for instance: Mold or water-borne pollen brushes the nose, which is being cooled by the water, and boom.

When the person is allergic to pollen, we call that seasonal allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever. When the allergen is dust, mold.

Okay, so you're buying tissues in bulk these days. You're coughing and sneezing, cursing the pollen count and -- maybe worst of all, if you're a committed jogger -- having your usual hour's run come to a wheezing halt after 20 minutes.

Ah, spring in Washington. (Our motto: "Even if you never had allergies before, you'll have 'em here." Comes in a close second to "it's the humidity" in local folklore.)

Many adults grew up when only those really dire cases of choking were recognized as asthma, and our symptoms were brushed off as "sensitivities" or "sinus problems." But asthma is the most commonly undiagnosed condition in the country, according to Washington immunologist Henry Fishman, and it kills 3,500 to 5,000 Americans every year. In fact, you may have both allergies and asthma: Fishman says that 80 percent of asthmatics have allergies, and 20 percent of those diagnosed with allergies have asthma as well. And since asthma can be progressive, the season of the AQI (air quality index, for the uninitiated) should signal that it's time to consult an expert.

But we should encourage asthmatics and allergy sufferers to exercise, once the doctor gives the okay. "It's good for the brain, good for the heart, it's good for the bones and good for the soul."

For springtime exercisers, it's particularly important to know your enemy. Fishman, who has consulted on numerous radio, TV and Web site programs, says an asthma attack begins when the trigger allergen is breathed in or when the nasal passages are cooled or dried out. So while it seems a no-brainer to shift to indoor exercise during allergy season, it's not that simple. Some asthmatics react to swimming, for instance: Mold or water-borne pollen brushes the nose, which is being cooled by the water, and boom, asthma has you spluttering.(Parents, you'll want to pay double attention: Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children, but many teens become asymptomatic. Their asthma has not disappeared; it has just gone underground and may reappear later. So talk to your child's coach about any coughing or sluggishness; better yet, take the kids to a doctor before signing them up.)

Regardless, listen to your body when you exercise. If the pollen is only an annoyance, that's one thing. If you feel faint or have trouble working out, cease and desist. "It is possible to run through an asthma episode," Fishman says, "but it's a terrible idea. Macho and asthma don't mix." Six-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee would agree; she ignored her diagnosis for 10 years until a near-fatal attack in 1993.

Take medication 30 minutes before a workout, to give it time to get into your system. Wear a mask or bandanna. Head out early -- around 5 or 6 a.m. (before sunlight activates tree and flower pollen) -- or late (after it has closed down). Run after rain, which washes pollen out of the air, or even through it.

Sourece: Medical Health Care Information

Heart disease: It's not just for men

Heart disease may kill more women than cancer.Women may experience shortness of breath, exhaustion, or nausea of a heart attack.A healthy diet and lifestyle has proved effective to prevent heart diseas.

For years, doctors have been fighting the perception that heart disease is a mainly male affliction, but in fact more than three-quarters of American women will get heart disease in their lifetime. Heart disease may kill more women than cancer.

Most women aren't aware of the risk they face and even their doctors are only just beginning to realize there are critical differences between men's and women's heart health.

According to an American Heart Association study, initially done in 1997, that found tnly 30 percent of women were aware that heart disease and stroke were their greatest health threats.

Part of the reason heart disease is so widespread among women is a notable lack of research and understanding among doctors of how the disease shows up in women, and how it should be treated.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. But warning signs also include pain or discomfort elsewhere in the upper body, including the arms, back, neck or stomach. Women in particular may experience shortness of breath, exhaustion, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

In February, the American Heart Association released updated guidelines for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease in women. In the guidelines, women are encouraged to ask their doctors about daily aspirin use and aggressively make lifestyle changes that could ease the long-term risk for heart disease and stroke, such as losing weight, exercising regularly and quitting smoking.

Some people are smart enough to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle to prevent heart disease and such an approach has proved effective. For instance, a restrictive diet such as Ornish diet can help stop or even reverse progression of heart disease in 99 percent of men and women.

Whether you choose drugs or a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease, you need to know that you should not wait for heart disease to develop and then deal with it.

Article Source: Medical Health Care Information

Multivitamins Improve Birth Outcomes

Taking daily multivitamins during pregnancy significantly reduces the likelihood that HIV-negative women in poor countries will have low birth weight babies, says a U.S. researchers.

The finding adds to the results of a previous study that found that multivitamins reduced the risk of birth problems (including preterm birth, low birth weight and fetal death) among HIV-positive women.

The new study included 8,468 HIV-negative pregnant women in Tanzania who started taking either daily multivitamins (including vitamins B-complex, vitamin C and vitamin E) or placebo supplements beginning at 12 to 27 weeks of pregnancy and continuing until six weeks after delivery. All the women received iron and folate supplements.

Women who took the multivitamins were 18 percent less likely to have low birth weight babies and 23 percent less likely to have a babies who were small-for-gestational age than women who took the placebo.

The use of multivitamins had no significant effect on premature birth or fetal death, the research said.

"In light of these (latest) findings, we recommend that multivitamins be considered for all pregnant women in developing countries, regardless of their HIV status," principal investigator Wafaie Fawzi, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, said in a prepared statement.

Source: Medical Health Care Information

Reduce your stress with Qigong

At the end of a hectic day do you have a twinge in your back, knot in your stomach, or pounding in your head? The Chinese believe that aches and pains are the result of a blockage in vital energy, or qi (pronounced "chee"). That's why they developed qigong ("energy work"), a series of simple postures and fluid exercises that work to open up muscles, joints, and tendons so that energy can flow unimpeded throughout the body.

Qigong was created thousands of years ago--some historians say as long ago as 17th century B.C.--by Chinese peasants who imitated the movements of wild animals to counteract the physical effects of their damp mountain climate. Although the practice has ancient roots, its slow, meditative movements are increasingly relevant to our modern lifestyle because of their ability to counteract the damaging effects of stress.

"Qigong is an extraordinary tool for reducing the harmful effects of stress," explains Kenneth Cohen, renowned qigong master. The three pillars of qigong practice are body, breath, and mind. If your body is relaxed your breathing will slow down. When your breath is slow, you feel more centered, more calm, and more in touch with yourself.

To experience the restorative effects of qigong for yourself, try this 10-minute routine. You don't have to have any equipment and you don't need to change clothes.

NOTE: All exercises are done standing with the knees soft and feet shoulder-width apart.

Neck circles
Bring your palms together behind your back with your fingers pointing down. Begin slowly rotating your head in a circle to the right: Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder, bring your chin toward your chest, then bring your left ear toward your left shoulder. Move the head back through the vertical position to start again. "Don't let your head fall too far backward during the transition, as this can compress the joints in the spine," Holden cautions. Repeat 5-10 times in each direction.

Low back stretch
Place your thumbs or index finger knuckles on your lower back an inch away from either side of the spine. As you inhale, press in with your thumbs and bring your hips forward. As you exhale, bring the hips back to vertical. Move your thumbs or knuckles half an inch down and repeat until you've worked your way through the whole lower back (5-10 times).

Shaking exercise
Begin shaking your wrists and hands. Next, shake your shoulders and elbows. Then bring movement into the entire body by bouncing up and down on your heels, as if you were trying to shake the spine loose. Keep the head, neck, and shoulders relaxed as you allow the vibration from the shaking to move throughout your body.

As you bounce, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, visualizing tension leaving the body. After 1-2 minutes, stand still and notice if your body feels looser and more vibrant. Shaking promotes circulation, clears stress that's stored in the body, and opens all the joints.

Wave breathing
Place one hand on your lower abdomen and one hand on your chest. On each inhale, breathe deep into the lower abdomen first, then into ribs, and then all the way up into the chest. Exhale from top to bottom, releasing the air from your chest, then the ribs, and finally the abdomen. At the bottom of the exhale, actively squeeze all of the air out. Continue breathing this way for 1-2 minutes.

Holding up the Earth
Bring your hands in front of your abdomen, palms facing up. As you inhale deeply, move your hands all the way over your head, keeping the elbows soft and the palms facing the ceiling. On the exhale, float your hands back down to the starting position. Continue for 1-2 minutes. This exercise increases your lung capacity, which becomes hindered by stress.

Article Source : Medical Health Care Information

Are you addicted to food?

It seems that everywhere you turn--dinner parties, your best friend's kitchen, bookstores, even talk shows--someone is confessing to having a food addiction. For years, experts scoffed at the notion that you could be hooked on chocolate or chips. Some still do. But recently, high-tech medical scans have revealed surprising similarities in the brain chemistry of drug addicts and chronic overeaters--resemblances that have caught the attention of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The behavior of compulsive eaters also lends credence to the idea of addiction--the cravings and preoccupation with food, the guilt, the way these overeaters use food to relieve bad feelings, and the fact that binges are frequently conducted at night or in secret. Now some addiction and obesity experts have started to use the "A" word in connection with food and even to speculate that it may be partly responsible for America's rising obesity rate.

It's possible that drug use or compulsive overeating actually lowers the number of dopamine receptors. But it's also possible that some people are born with fewer--and if that's the case, say researchers, it could explain a lot. If overeaters or drug addicts are short on receptors for the aah chemical, they might not respond as readily to social interaction, art, sex, and other pleasures that ought to make them feel good. And that could be the reason they're driven to consume things that prompt dopamine's release--like illicit drugs (the most potent activator) or foods high in fat, sugar, and possibly salt.

What the Compulsion Feels Like

It doesn't take a brain scan to see the similarities between someone addicted to drugs or drink and a compulsive overeater. Addiction and obesity both run in families, and experts believe that genetic components account for at least some of a person's vulnerability. But animal research also suggests that the environment--mainly, how often you're exposed to an addictive substance--can shift brain neurochemistry, increasing the likelihood of addiction.

Whether you look outside or inside yourself for the determination to stop your destructive behavior, researchers agree that it's important to recognize that you can change. High-fat, high-sugar foods may trigger some of the same brain effects as drugs like cocaine or heroin, but their impact isn't as powerful, say researchers, who point out that addicted rats, for instance, will choose cocaine over food.

1. Don't go cold turkey
Although treatment for life-threatening drugs or alcohol addiction generally requires abstinence, an all-or-nothing approach is impossible for food addicts--everyone has to eat. Besides, some weight loss experts believe that such rigid thinking can make you crave the offending food more than ever.

2. Control your home environment
Just as someone with an alcohol problem shouldn't buy a magnum of champagne, you shouldn't overstock your kitchen. You have to assume that every food or drink you buy will end up in your mouth. Exercise purchase and portion control.

3. Temper temptation
Sometimes it's not just a food that sets you off but also the place in which you eat it--and that's why putting yourself in a situation where you used to eat excessively can be a recipe for trouble. Ex-drug addicts face this problem all the time. Similarly, the sight of the bakery where you used to buy brownies might melt your resolve. So shake up your routine. If you always have ice cream while watching TV, read a book instead (or knit to keep your hands busy as you watch TV.

4. Retrain your brain
In order to be satisfied with two cookies instead of an entire bag, you need to change the way your brain sees food on the plate. First, switch to smaller plates and bowls to automatically reduce portion sizes. Next, leave more space on the plate by again reducing the amount of food you serve yourself. Each step may take several weeks to feel comfortable, but stick with it and consuming smaller portions will become second nature.

5. Adjust your tastebuds
One of the best ways to gain control over your eating is to restore your sensitivity to flavors. You can do it without depriving yourself: If sugar is your downfall, keep sugar cookies in your diet, but when picking prepared foods that aren't supposed to be sweet--such as pasta sauce, bread, and chips--look for ones without added sweeteners. By removing all that superfluous sugar from your diet, you'll soon reset the sensitivity of your taste buds. Be forewarned: You'll have to maintain vigilance, taste buds are very adaptive.

6. Exercise regularly
Milky Ways and Big Macs aren't the only things that satisfy the pleasure centers of your brain--so does exercise. Making a commitment to work out helped Littleton kick her chocolate habit. As a result of a vigorous exercise routine and a more sensible diet, she's gotten down to 134--a loss of 114 pounds in the past 3 years.

7. Learn to eat only when you're hungry
One classic tool that weight loss experts use to teach people how to better manage their appetite is the hunger scale. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being ravenously hungry and 10 being overstuffed. A food addict's goal is to stay away from either of these extremes. Eat when you begin to feel hungry (2 or 3 on the scale) and stop when you feel comfortably satisfied (5 or 6). If you wait until you're at 0, you may eat all the way up to 10.

8. Deal with your emotions
Even if a brain scan at Wang's lab were to show that you have a physiological basis for food addiction, it's likely that there would be an emotional element, too. It's important to stop using food to cope with your feelings. This can mean getting better at tolerating sensations of sadness, anger, or boredom, rather than rushing to soothe them with food.

How strong are your food cravings? If you continue to overeat even though you know it's harming your health and possibly your family and social life; you hide out and eat alone; you feel compelled to finish all the food in your line of sight (or house); you eat to the point of pain or discomfort. You might be a food addict if any of these descriptions describe you.

Source: Medical Health Care Information