Month: July 2009

Categories
News on Health & Science

‘Good Bacteria’ in Food Can Help Lose Fat

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Use of probiotics after a gastric bypass can help obese patients lose weight at a faster pace and avoid vitamin-B deficiency, according  to the latest study.

Probiotics are live microorganisms (bacteria) that keep the activity, vital capacity and effect our health well when getting into the gut in sufficient proportions. Scientists consider that natural bacteria reduce the risk of some of the cancer sorts, heart diseases and digestive disorders and help to lose weight.

Probiotics are the so-called ‘good’ bacteria found in yoghurt as well as in over-the-counter dietary supplements that help in digestion of food.

“Good bacteria” help the gut to absorb calcium diminishing the risk of osteoporosis. It’s so easy to destroy the bacterial balance of the gastrointestinal tract microflora (it may happen if you take antibiotics), letting the harmful germs occupy different sections of the digestive tract and cause stomachaches, flatulence, vomit and bad mouth.

Probiotics are available in foods and dietary supplements (for example, capsules, tablets, and powders) and in some other forms as well.
probiotics2

The easiest way to replenish supplies of good bacteria in the belly is to drink a little bottle of live yogurt every day. It contains the bacteria of two groups, Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium. High temperature kills these wholesome elements. That’s why you should take them just right up from the fridge or of room temperature. Don’t warm it up!

In addition to yogurt your can try some other probiotic containing products: artichokes, goat’s-beard, rolled oats, onion, leek, rye bread, oats.
John Morton, associate professor of surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine (SUSM), found that patients who take probiotics after the gastric-bypass, tend to shed more pounds than those who don’t take them.

The researchers followed 44 patients on whom Morton had performed the surgery from 2006 to 2007. Patients were categorised into either a probiotic or a control group.

“Surprisingly, the probiotic group attained a significantly greater per cent of excess weight loss than that of the control group,” said Morton.

Both groups received the same medical care and nutritional counselling, as well as the support of weight-loss study groups.

Both groups were also allowed to consume yoghurt, a natural source of probiotics. In addition, the probiotic group consumed one pill a day of a probiotic supplement available in stores.

The study showed that after three months, the probiotic group registered a 47.6 per cent weight loss, compared to only 38.5 per cent of the control group, said an SUSM release.

The study also found that levels of vitamin B-12 were higher in the patients taking probiotics – a significant finding, since patients often show deficiency of vitamin B-12 after having gone through gastric-bypass surgery.

Source: These findings were published in the July issue of the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.

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Herbs & Plants

Celandine Poppy

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Botanical Name:Stylophorum diphyllum
Family:Papaveraceae – Poppy family
Common Name:wood poppy, celandine poppy, mock poppy, yellow poppy
Synonyms : Chelidonium diphyllum

Kingdom:Plantae – Plants
Division:Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class:Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Genus:Stylophorum Nutt. – stylophorum
Species: Stylophorum diphyllum (Michx.) Nutt. – celandine poppy

Habitat:Shade to part sun.  Native to eastern North America. Celandine Poppy is a very attractive woodland wildflower for the shade garden and can be grown over most of the United States

Description: It is a herbaceous perennial plant.Bloom Between April to June. Color of flower is yellow.Height of the plant is 12 to 16 inches.It is a very showy flower for the spring and early summer shade garden.  Plant Celandine Poppy in average to rich soil in part sun to shade in a formal flower garden, wildflower garden or along a shady walk.  This showy wildflower adapts easily to the flower garden.
click to see the pictures……(01)......(1)..…...(2)..….…(3)..…..…(4)..……………..

Medicinal Uses: It contains glaucine . Preparations are used in the treatment of insomnia, upper respiratory infections, and to reduce fever as well as in ointments for the treatment of burns and superficial abrasions. In veterinary medicine, ointments are used in the treatment of mastitis.

A member of the poppy plant family, celandine has been known to treat colon cancer as well. It also boosts the immune system so that cancer and other disease never have a chance to develop. Further, the herb treats diseases like asthma and atherosclerosis.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://www.prairiemoon.com/store/template/product_detail.php?IID=1358&=c5374f038f1bce09738f6afcef6dfac6
http://www.easywildflowers.com/quality/sty.dip.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Celandine_Poppy_Stylophorum_diphyllum_Flower_2290px.jpg
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=STDI3&photoID=stdi3_004_ahp.tif&format=print
http://www.piam.com/mms_garden/plants.html
http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/flowers/perennials/celandinepoppy.asp

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Categories
News on Health & Science

Cold Air Blast May Cure Isomnia

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The cap pumps a liquid coolant round the front of the scalp and the forehead.
This chills the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain thought to play a role in prompting deep sleep.
Tests show insomniacs have higher levels of activity in this part of the brain at night than those who have no trouble nodding off.
But cooling the brain seems to dampen this activity and allows it to switch off properly for a good night’s sleep.
Eight volunteers wore the cap for an hour before bedtime and the first hour of sleep, after which researchers removed it.
Scans taken during the night showed wearing the cap caused a marked decline in brain metabolism, the rate at which cells in the frontal cortex process sugars and chemicals in the blood.
Six of the volunteers reported more refreshing sleep, fewer distracting thoughts at bedtime and waking up less in the night.
One in four people is affected by insomnia – most have ‘primary’ insomnia, an inability to fall asleep because of worries or stress.
Secondary insomnia, which is due to existing illness or a side-effect of prescription drugs, is less common.
Lots of money are being spent every year towards sleeping pills. Many sufferers rely on drugs such as benzodiazepines, which act as tranquillisers, to help them.

In England alone, there are ten million prescriptions for sleeping pills every year.
Yet the drugs can have side effects, such as memory and concentration problems, and make you more likely to have an accident.
In the search for drug-free alternatives, scientists at the University of Pittsburgh have spent the past few years studying the brain’s metabolism at night.

They found insomnia patients have increased activity, especially in the frontal cortex. Essentially, their brain cells continue to work at full capacity at night when they should be resting.
Professor Eric Nofzinger, who led the research, said they then searched for ways to slow the brain’s metabolic rate. ‘That’s when we came across cerebral hypothermia or brain cooling,’ he says.
This technique is already used in medicine. Researchers first discovered its benefits ten years ago, when they found babies starved of oxygen at birth had a better chance of survival if their brains were quickly cooled from the normal temperature of 37c to 32c.

This stops brain cells from committing suicide when deprived of oxygen.
Scalp cooling is also used as a way to minimise hair loss in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Professor Nofzinger and his team recruited eight patients with primary insomnia and scanned their brains to measure activity levels in the frontal cortex at night.
They then used the cooling cap to see if it made a difference.
The results, presented at a recent conference in Seattle, showed a significant drop in activity levels once the brain was chilled.
‘There was an increase in deeper, restorative sleep, feelings of relaxation and a reduction in distracting thoughts before sleep,’ says Professor Nofzinger.
But British sleep specialists say there are simpler ways to cool the body to aid sleep.
Professor Jim Horne, from Loughborough University, says that a bedside fan that blows cool air over the face can help.
As cooled blood from the cheeks flows back to the heart, it runs alongside an artery transporting warmer blood in the other direction to the brain.
‘It’s like having a hot water pipe next to the cold pipe,’ Professor Horne says.
‘Cooler blood enters the brain and leads to better sleep. A gentle breeze over the face is all that’s needed.’

Source: Mail Online. 14th. July.2009

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Herbs & Plants

Houseleek

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Botanical Name:Sempervivum tectorum
Family:Crassulaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Saxifragales
Genus: Sempervivum

Synonyms: Jupiter’s Eye. Thor’s Beard. Jupiter’s Beard. Bullock’s Eye. Sengreen. Ayron. Ayegreen.
(French) Joubarbe des toits.
(German) Donnersbart.

Common Name:    Houseleek, Common houseleek, Hen and Chickens
Part Used: Fresh leaves.

Habitat : Original habitat is not known but the plant is naturalized in Britain  &    occur from Morocco to Iran, through the mountains of Iberia, the Alps, Carpathians, Balkan mountains, Turkey, the Armenian mountains, in the northeastern part of the Sahara Desert, and the Caucasus.  Their ability to store water in their thick leaves allows them to live on sunny rocks and stony places in the montane, subalpine and alpine belts.
.

Description:
Houseleeks grow as tufts of perennial but monocarpic rosettes. Each rosette propagates Asexually by lateral rosettes (offsets, “hen and chicks“), by splitting of the rosette (only Jovibarba heuffelii) or sexually by tiny seeds.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES.
This plant has a fibrous root, with several tufts of oblong, acute, extremely succulent leaves. The stem from the centre of these tufts is about a foot high, erect, round, and downy; flowers large, pale rose-colored, and scentless. Offsets spreading.

Sempervivum arachnoideum.Typically, each plant grows for several years before flowering. Their hermaphrodite flowers have first a male stage. Then the stamens curve themselves and spread away from the carpels at the center of the flower, so Self-pollination is rather difficult. The colour of the flowers is reddish, yellowish, pinkish, or – seldom – whitish. In Sempervivum, the flowers are actinomorphic (like a star) and have more than six petals, while in Jovibarba, the flowers are campanulate (bell-shaped) and are pale green-yellow with six petals. After flowering, the plant dies, usually leaving many offsets it has produced during its life.

Cultivation:
Although their subtropical cousins are very frost-sensitive, Sempervivums are among the most frost-resistant succulents, making them popular garden plants. They require only moderate water and some protection from extreme exposure to the sun.

Sempervivums grow very well in dry conditions. Despite this if Sempervivums are grown in normal flower beds among other cultivated plants there can be a problem. If the flower beds are not particularly dry other plants may grow more strongly than the Sempervivums and overshadow them. Other plants may need to be removed, cut back or tied out of the way.

“Semp-lovers” are numerous and often have many different cultivars in their collections. Sempervivums are very variable plants and hence hundreds, maybe thousands of cultivars were created, but a lot of them are not much different from each other. The main interest of these cultivars are not their flowers, but form and colour of the rosette-leaves. The most colourful time is generally from March till June.


Culinary Use
A variety of this plant is commonly used in vegetarian cuisine in Taiwan. (Chinese name:  shi2 lian2 hua1, lit. stone lotus leaf.) They are eaten raw, one leaf at a time, much like celery.

Medicinal Uses:
It is also purported to have medicinal benefits. The fresh leaves are useful as a refrigerant when bruised, and applied as a poultice in erysipelatous affections, burns, stings of insects, and other inflammatory conditions of the skin. The leaves, sliced in two, and the inner surface applied to warts is a positive cure for them. It can be used for many skin diseases. The leaves also possess an astringent property, serviceable in many cases

Hens and Chicks can be used like a weaker version of Aloe Vera. The bruised or torn leaves can be applied to burns or skin inflammations for relief. Folklore also says this herb will remove warts and corns.

While some sources do list this plant as a “green herb,” or one cabable of being ingested, be cautioned that in large doses the juice of the leaves can be emetic and purgative.

The Latin botanical name has an historical reference. Charlemagne (742-814 A.D.) recommended that his subjects plant these hardy prolific plants on the roof of their houses to ward off lightening and fire. The leaves contain tannins and mucilage that are soothing to skin. It is used in the treatment of burns, skin wounds and infections.

Disclaimer:The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sempervivum
http://www.piam.com/mms_garden/plants.html
http://chestofbooks.com/health/herbs/O-Phelps-Brown/The-Complete-Herbalist/House-Leek-Sempervivum-Tectorum.html
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/herbalism/91501

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sempervivum+tectorum

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Categories
Positive thinking

Permanently Parents

The Changing Nest
Once individuals become parents, they are parents forevermore. Their identities change perceptively the moment Mother Nature inaugurates them mom or dad. Yet the role they undertake when they welcome children into their lives is not a fixed one. As children move from one phase of their lives to the next, parental roles change. When these transitions involve a child gaining independence, many parents experience an empty nest feeling. Instead of feeling proud that their children have achieved so much—whether the flight from the nest refers to the first day of kindergarten or the start of college—parents feel they are losing a part of themselves. However, when approached thoughtfully, this new stage of parental life can be an exciting time in which mothers and fathers rediscover themselves and relate to their children in a new way.

As children earn greater levels of independence, their parents often gain unanticipated freedom. Used to being depended upon by and subject to the demands of their children, parents sometimes forget that they are not only mom or dad but also individuals. As the nest empties, parents can alleviate the anxiety and sadness they feel by rediscovering themselves and honoring the immense strides their children have made in life. The simplest way to honor a child undergoing a transition is to allow that child to make decisions and mistakes appropriate to their level of maturity. Freed from the role of disciplinarian, parents of college-age children can befriend their offspring and undertake an advisory position. Those with younger children beginning school or teenagers taking a first job can plan a special day in which they express their pride and explain that they will always be there to offer love and support.

An empty nest can touch other members of the family unit as well. Young people may feel isolated or abandoned when their siblings leave the nest. As this is normal, extra attention can help them feel more secure in their newly less populated home. Spouses with more leisure time on their hands may need to relearn how to be best friends and lovers. Other family members will likely grieve less when they understand the significance of the child’s new phase of life. The more parents both celebrate and honor their children’s life transitions, the less apprehension the children will feel. Parents who embrace their changing nest while still cherishing their offspring can look forward to developing deeper, more mature relationships with them in the future.

Source: Daily Om

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