Each person is identified with their unique body smell. Most of the time it is the perfume or the body lotion decides the smell of the individual. But some people smell very unpleasant. Body odour or bromhidrosis is  caused due to a natural process involving sweat that occurs on the surface of the skin. Sweat doesn’t have a smell naturally but it becomes unpleasant when bacterial decomposition takes place.

What causes the body odour?

Some body areas like the armpits and genitals are more likely to produce the odour as these glands produce proteins and oils that the bacteria feed on. The feet odour is different from the rest of the body parts since the humid climate, sweat and closed footwear allow the fungi and bacteria to flourish. There are many reasons causing body odour like:

• Lack of hygiene
• Certain food like cheese, garlic, onion, etc
• Obesity
• Use of Synthetic dresses
• Problem of liver and kidney
• Alcohol
• Deficiency in Zinc
• Caffeine
• Strong Medications

What can we do control the body odour?

• The basic requirement to prevent the body odour problem is keep our skin clean and healthy. To do this, we need to
• Wear light colored loose cotton dresses
• Drink plenty of water, which dilutes the urine and sweat
• Avoid processed food and eat healthy food which contains lot of fibre, wheat, whole grain, etc.
• Wash clothes after every single use
• Have frequent showers and use antibacterial soap
• Avoid spicy food and caffeine
• Use antifungal powder
• Use antiperspirant deodorant
• Remove excess hair

By systematic care and attention, we can keep our body odour at bay.

Until recently I had a problem of itchiness, redness and irritation in my eyes. Normally i confronted with this problem whenever i went my home since i spend most of my time in front the television to watch my favorite movies and at the other times when i tried to read continuously or while using computer. Then I consulted an ophthalmologist for an eye examination and she said it is nothing but Dry eye syndrome. I really got stuck with these heavy wordings and by seeing my situation doctor said it causes due to excessive strain on eyes. When i start reading or using computer, it stretches sometimes more than 4 hrs. While concentrating on a screen or a book, the eye tends to blink less and this results in drying up of the tears which are the natural lubricant lining the eye’s surface. This may lead to the non production of tears in the eyes. Dry eye syndrome is also called Computer vision syndrome.

What are the symptoms of Dry eye syndrome?

• The major symptoms related with dry eye syndrome are:
• Redness and irritation
• Itchiness and pain in the eyes
• Discharge and watery eyes
• Feeling of tiredness in the eyes and strain on the vision
• Blurring of vision

How can we get rid off the problem of dry eyes?

Prevention is better than cure. So we can take few steps to prevent the situation like:

• After working or reading for 20-30 minutes at a stretch, we should look away from the screen or page and consciously blink which will  lubricates the eye surface by allowing the resurfacing of the tear film.
• We can read in good light and choose correct font size and colors with good contrast and visibility to minimize the eye strain
• Avoid exposure to dust
• Avoid direct blast from AC or fan
• Place the laptop screen at a comfortable level
• Avoid excessive exposure to dust and pollution
• Washing eyes with tender coconut water (my natural home remedy for dry eye syndrome)

What is the treatment available for Dry eye syndrome or Computer vision Syndrome?

• Better to consult an ophthalmologist rather than doing self treatment for an eye examination.
• Sometimes there may be refractive error, due to incorrect spectacle number which could be adding to the eye strain, can be sorted out by wearing a correction glasses especially while working on the computer.
• We can use lubricating eye drops.
• The best treatment is to keep on blinking to get rid off dry eyes.

Wishing you all the best!!!!!!!!

I am very lazy in cooking and when I cook, I cook a larger quality which I can use the next day. I use Microwave oven to heat up my food as its very easy, less time consuming, energy efficient and works great for me. Recently I was talking to one Doctor and she told me that she has stopped using Microwave as she read some articles which says that its not good for health to have food cooked in Microwave.

I did some search on Microwave Oven health hazard and found some information on this topic. 90% of American homes use Microwave oven to cook their food.

In commercial models, the oven has a power input of about 1000 watts of alternating current. As these microwaves generated from the magnetron bombard the food, they cause the polar molecules to rotate at the same frequency millions of times a second.

All this agitation creates molecular "friction", which heats up the food. This unusual type of heating also causes substantial damage to the surrounding molecules, often tearing them apart or forcefully deforming them.

By comparison, microwaves from the sun are based on principles of pulsed direct current (DC) that don’t create frictional heat; microwave ovens use alternating current (AC) creating frictional heat.

I am not going into the science of Microwave cooking, but to understand, the food heated or cooked using Microwave oven has biological effects of exposure.

Exposure to microwave emissions also had an unpredictably negative effect upon the general biological welfare of humans.

This was not discovered until the Russians experimented with highly sophisticated equipment and discovered that a human did not even need to ingest the material substance of the microwaved food substances: that even exposure to the energy-field itself was sufficient to cause such adverse side effects that the use of any such microwave apparatus was forbidden in 1976 by Soviet state law

Microwave oven manufacturers insist that microwaved and irradiated foods do not have any significantly higher radiolytic compounds than do broiled, baked or other conventionally cooked foods. The scientific clinical evidence presented here has shown that this is simply a lie.

Its not safe to cook or heat your food using Microwave oven, there are some health hazards, could damage brain, cancer, etc. Atleast we should avoid using Microwave cooked food for babies / kids. Anyway, I am not planning to stop using Microwave Oven, millions are using it, so do I do.

One more day to go for the releasing of My Name Is Khan in India, i.e., on 12th February, 2010. The reviews show that it will  be a perfect watch for the Valentines’ Day weekend. The title and tagline of movie is “My Name Is Khan and I am not a terrorist”. It is a Karan Johar movie and Kajol is back to pair with Shah Rukh Khan after a period of 12 years. Hope the movie will be a block buster.

My name is Khan is a love story between Rizwan Khan, played by Shah Rukh Khan and Single Mother, Mandira, played by Kajol. In the story, Rizwan is suffering from birth disorder, Asperger’s syndrome. It is one of the forms of autism spectrum disorders.

What is Asperger’s syndrome?

Asperger’s syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder, and people with it therefore show significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical (atypical means not usual) use of language are frequently reported.

Asperger’s Syndrome is a form of autism in which speech development and IQ are normal, but in which social disability can be compounded by depression and mental health problems.

These days Bollywood movie directors are after different kinds of disorders and we public are getting good information on a particular area within 2.30 hrs time. What will be the next disorder from Bollywood? Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Medical Tourism in India is on a rise and India is emerging as the preferred medical tourism destination. To facilitate the  most preferred services to their customers, Indian medical market has came up with the concept of super specialty hospitals across the country.

  What is Medical Tourism?

It is the term used to describe the situation of patients travelling across international borders to obtain health care. Medical tourism is also called health tourism or medical travel or global health care.

Why people are travelling as medical tourists?

There are many reasons for patients to travel across the globe to get medical treatment like Americans travel due to  high medical cost in their homeland, while Canadians travel to get rid off their long medical waiting time, since their average medical waiting time is 9.4 weeks to get their treatment done. The English  patients travel to other places because they  can’t wait for treatment by the National Health Service or can’t afford to see a physician in private practice, for others either they want to combine their vocation and treatment together or non availability of healthcare service in their home country like in Maldives or Bangladesh.

Many countries like India, Singapore, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc., are actively promoting medical tourism.

Medical Tourism in India

India is considered the leading country promoting medical tourism and India’s National Health Policy declares that treatment of foreign patients is legally an "export" and deemed "eligible for all fiscal incentives extended to export earnings.” Super specialty hospitals played a pivotal role in the success of Medical tourism in India.

Almost every hospital in India has NRI (non resident Indian) patients and even patients of foreign countries. High cost of treatment in the developed countries like USA and UK, has been forcing patient from such countries to look for alternative and cost-effective destinations to get their treatments done. Virtually every type of treatment is available in India for lower cost  and shorter rehabilitation period.

According to the research done by the University of Delaware, the cost of surgery done in India can be one-tenth or sometimes even less than that of what is it in the USA or western Europe. For example, a heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in US, goes for $10,000 in India.

Super Specialty Hospitals

Super specialty hospitals, mostly owned and operated by doctors with an expertise in a particular stream of medicine extend the opportunity to put together the perfect environment for optimal health care delivery. These super specialty hospitals look more like a star hotel equipped with most modern technology. These hospitals provide one-stop shopping for healthcare services. A super specialty hospital is not a play of few words but it would have  a team of expert doctors, nurses, a mature system of patient care from counseling to post operation care. Hospitals are providing medical tour packages to their Western patients usually  includes flights, transfers, hotels, treatment and often a post-operative vacation.

Super specialty hospitals became a great success in India. The concept of less institutional, more customer friendly, extending more value for money kind of medical care delivery service is well suited for the Indian atmosphere perfectly. Globe-trotting Indian consumers who are exposed to International health care standards expect similar services back home.

B. M. Birla Heart Research Centre in Calcutta, India, is a super specialty hospital dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis, treatment and research related to cardio-vascular diseases. It has established itself as India’s most advanced heart centre. In addition to Indians, it has treated patients from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Kenya and other neighboring countries. The centre has a special interest in the advanced field of cardiac surgery, especially reconstructive operations on infants.

Criticism on Super specialty hospitals

Some argue that super specialty hospitals prefer simpler cases, recommend superfluous tests, advocate expensive procedures and are the privilege of the well-heeled.

Against all the criticisms, the concept is becoming more popular since the average Indian increases his spending on health care. Medical experts agree that India represents the most potential medical tourism market in the world. The most attractive features of Indian medical tourism from other medical tourism destinations are low cost, scale and range of treatments provided. Over the last decade the healthcare sector in India turned into a growth industry and so is the super specialty hospitals.

My daughter doesn’t like carrot or egg dishes. Basically she doesn’t like any of the vegetarian dish or egg dishes. But I have a feeling that if she doesn’t eat these things she doesn’t grow properly. I know it is so foolish to think like that but i became like this. Somehow she liked the dish and enjoyed her lunch. Carrots are fat free, saturated fat free, low-sodium, cholesterol-free, a good source of fibre and high in vitamin A and rich in mineral salts and vitamins (B,C,D,E). No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A.

Ingredients:

• Carrot – 1 medium sized, chopped into small pieces
• Egg – 2 no’s, medium
• Coconut scraped – 1/4 cup
• Small onion – handful, finely chopped
• Green chilly – 3 no’s, chopped
• Garlic – 4-5 flakes, crushed
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilly powder – 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – 2 sprigs, chopped
• Coconut oil/ cooking oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Dried red chilly – 2 no’s, halved
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation:

• Beat egg well with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste
• Rub coconut with remaining turmeric powder, chilly powder, crushed garlic,  cumin seeds and a pinch of salt
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan, fry mustard seeds, add onion when mustard seeds stop crackling
• Add halved red chilly and chopped  curry leaves
• Add egg and scramble, add coconut mix and stir in well
• Add chopped carrot and stir in well for 1-2 mins for 2 mins
• Cover and cook for 2 mins over simmer
• Remove the lid and keep of stirring for 1 mins
• Remove from stove and serve it hot with roti or naan or rice of your choice

Today’s lunch is kappa, fish curry (seer fish in coconut milk) and sardine fry. Sardine is very healthy to eat but i don’t think whether it is safe to eat fried fish.

Sardine in Malayalam is called “Maththi” or Neyy Maththi. It is a not a favorite to many people due to its fishy smell but it is a power house of many nutrients like CoQ10 ( a Coenzyme Q10 which is found in body’s cell), Omega-3 fatty acids (which reduces the triglyceride levels and play a role in preventing dangerous heart rhythm abnormalities), vitamin B12, selenium, protein, phosphorus and vitamin D. It is safe to eat since sardines makes them less likely to have accumulated toxins such as mercury due to its small size.

Here in Bangalore, we get fresh sardines for Rs. 40-50 per Kg. In Kerala, normally sardine is not consumed on a regular basis in my home because of its smell but my husband likes it very much and now, I also love to eat.

How to prepare Sardine fry?

Ingredients:

• Sardine – 5 no’s (300 gms)
• Ginger-Garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Peppercorns – 10-12 no’s (freshly crushed)
• Red chilly powder – 1-2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil/ cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves – 3-4 sprigs

Method of Preparation:

• Remove scales and clean the fish, make gashes (long deep cut in the flesh) and wash and drain
• Make a smooth paste of ginger-garlic paste, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
• Mix it with freshly crushed peppercorns and marinate the fish for 1 hour
• Heat a non-stick pan, arrange curry leaves, pour oil on it
• Arrange fish in the oil when it heated, fry both the sides until it is done well
• Drain the excess oil and serve it with rice, kappa, roti or anything of your choice

Indian gooseberry or Amla is having very good medicinal value. Amla helps to gain weight in a healthier way.  It is seasonal and not available throughout the year. So we can preserve it in different forms. Some are keeping it the form of Amla powder or honeyed amla or pickled form. In the south, amla is normally used everyone as pickle.

Honeyed amla

How to preserve amla in honey?

Clean required number of gooseberries in running water and pat dry using a towel or kitchen napkin. Prick the gooseberries using a sharp knife edge at various spots. Now immerse these pierced gooseberries in a jar full of pure honey. Cover the mouth of the jar using fine white cloth and place the jar in sunlight for an hour for 15 days. Now the gooseberries are ready for consumption throughout the year. Every day morning, after brushing the teeth, take one fruit soaked in honey to improve your effectiveness.

Pickled amla (white)

How to prepare white amla pickle?

• Boil 11/2 liter water with enough salt and bring it to 1 liter, let it cool to room temperature
• Wash and dry up amla using a towel or kitchen napkin
• Put amla into the glass bottle with a handful of freshly picked green chilly (small size) and 2 tbsp of vinegar
• Cover and keep in sunlight for 1 hr a day for 15 days
• It is ready to use now

Instant Noodles is a popular cheap food item that keeps coming up to the market to attract the fast paced community of youngsters. Even though it is convenient to the user by saving  a lot of their cooking time of  but it is very unhealthy to consume because of its low nutritional value, rich in preservatives, deep fry causes cancer, etc.

What is instant noodles?

Instant noodles are dried or precooked noodles fused with oil, and often sold with a packet of flavoring. Dried noodles are usually eaten after being cooked or soaked in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes, while precooked noodles can be reheated, or eaten straight from the packet

How are you aware of the good and bad effects of the instant noodles?

Instant noodles are often criticized as junk food since it is high in carbohydrates and low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. It has high level of saturated fat and trans fat. It is bad for the health due the high calorie and the flavoring (MSG) used inside.

What is MSG and its after effects?

MSG stands for Monosodium Glutamate is a chemical additive used as a flavor enhancer with no substitute. MSG causes neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well as seizures, brain cell and damage, allergies, rashes, asthma attacks, headaches, and brain tumors.

MSG is not only found in noodles but is used around the globe in soups and broths, sauces, gravies, and flavoring and spice blends. MSG is also present in a variety of processed foods such as canned and frozen meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, and ready-to-eat food plates, dressings, ketchup, mayonnaise, soy sauce, sausages, snacks, some processed cheeses, soup powders for instant noodles, etc.

Is it safe to eat instant noodles on daily basis?

Absolutely not. Once you have consumed instant noodles, it will take 4 to 5 days to excrete the wax, which is coated on the noodles, from the body. But we can get rid off the wax if the noodles are cooked in the right way.

What is the right way of cooking instant noodles?

• Boil the noodles in a pot with water.
• Once the noodles is cooked, drain the water (Repeat the procedure 3 to 4 times)
• Boil another pot of water till boiling and put the noodles into the hot boiling water and then shut the fire.
• Only at this stage when the fire is off, and while the water is very hot, put the ingredient with the powder into the water, to make noodle soup.
• However, if you need dry noodles, take out the noodles and add the ingredient with the powder and toss it to get dry noodles.

Even though the basic ingredient of the instant noodle is wheat flour, it is not advisable to eat on a regular basis due to its MSG content and wax coating but can have it for a change in the regular menu, if it is cooked in the right way. Remember, it is not healthy to eat noodles.

Wishing you all a good health!!!!!!!!

Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation is first performed by Hindu worshippers to the Sun deity. Now it is practised universally irrespective of the religion. It consists of a set of asana devised to tone up all the systems of the body. It is dynamic, slimming and highly invigorating.Like most forms of exercise, Surya Namaskar provides mental benefits to regular practitioners. You will feel wonderful after performing the Sun Salutation. It is relaxing and rejuvenating, and tension, stress and anxiety melt away as you perform Surya Namaskar

How much are you concerned of your weight and health in your busy day schedule? But the present generation is very cautious about their health even though they freak out while eating and they are finding their own time for exercises, like Going Gym, aerobics, fitness club, jogging, using treadmill, crash weight loss program and of course practicing yoga.

Whether you practice yoga regularly or not, you can enjoy the health benefit of Surya Namaskar. You don’t need to be doing yoga regularly to practice the Surya Namaskar. Surya Namaskar is a complete technique suiting most busy people of today.

I started practicing Surya Namaskar as a device to reduce my weight. It is a combination of stretches and breath control. There are 12 different poses to do in Surya Namaskar

Pose 1:

Stand with feet joined and hands folded in front of the chest (normal breathing)

Pose 2:

Raise hands and bend backward ( inhale)

Pose 3:

Bend forward and place the hands flat on the floor. You may bend knees in the beginning (exhale)

Pose 4:

Stretch the right leg back while bending the left knee & lowering the torso. Stretch the neck backwards (inhale)

Pose 5:

Lifting the hips take the left foot back to join the right foot. Lower your head. The body takes a triangular position (exhale)

Pose 6:

Lower the body to the floor. Let the chin, chest and knees rest on the floor but not the stomach. It will be very difficult until you get a body balance on your arms (hold breathing)

Pose 7:

Drop the stomach. Lift your head and raise the upper body. The abdomen should remain on the floor. Now it is the Bhujangasana Position (inhale)

Pose 8:

Lift the hips up to the triangular position of Pose 5 (exhale)

Pose 9:

Bring the left foot forward and assume pose 4 (inhale)

Pose 10:

Straighten your legs and raise hips in the Pose 3 (exhale)

Pose 11:

Raise hands above your head and bend backwards and assume pose 2 (inhale)

Pose 12:

Fold hands and bring them down to the chest, like in the starting position (exhale)

To complete one round of Surya Namaskar, one such cycle has to be done with the right foot in front and left leg stretched back.

Health benefits of Surya Namaskar:

Surya Namaskar can be done in the morning, noon and evening. But preferably in the morning time since traditionally yoga is practised early in the morning as the atmosphere is charged with Prana and it should be practised on an empty stomach

• If it is done in the morning, it relieves stiffness, revitalizes your body and refreshes the mind. Do it during the day and it will instantly boost you up. Practice it after sunset, it helps you unwind.
• it stimulates cardiovascular system, digestive system and nervous system
• It makes endocrinal glands like thyroid, parathyroid and pituitary glands function normally
• It gives you a great stretch and keep you fit physically, mentally and emotionally
• It helps you to overcome the problem of insomnia (sleeplessness in the night)

Regular practice of Surya Namaskar with proper diet will definitely reduces the body weight and makes the body very flexible. It may not be easy in the beginning but gradually you will be surprised to see the result in your body.