Month: February 2007

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Why do we fidget when nervous?

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Shabina Akhtar explains: All of us like to be approved and appreciated. But most often we are unsure of how others may perceive us. In the bottom of our heart, we are all afraid of rejection and it is this fear that makes us nervous. To compound the problem, the increasing nervousness makes it even more difficult to gain that approval, and this in turn intensifies the basis of our fears.

Fidgeting and nail biting are the physical manifestations of nervousness. Haven’t we all felt a sense of restlessness or an urge to just walk up and down across the floor while waiting to be interviewed ?

CLICK & SEE

Nervousness has to do with anxiety. The physical symptoms of nervousness vary from person to person. Some may stammer and stutter, others may fidget while there are a few who feel an urgent need to rush to the washroom. One might also suffer from severe palpitation and profuse sweating.

The feeling of nervousness does have a biological explanation.  When one is excited (here nervous), the adrenal gland   located above the kidneys  releases a hormone called noradrenaline, which is also a neurotransmitter (helps in transmission of signals in the nervous system), says Dr J.R. Ram, consultant psychiatrist, Apollo Gleneagles, Calcutta.

Noradrenaline is a stress hormone that affects parts of the human brain where attention and responding actions are controlled. Along with epinephrine (another hormone), it affects the fight-or-flight response, activating the sympathetic nervous system to directly increase heart rate, release energy from glucose and glycogen, and increase muscle readiness.

Source:The Telegraph (Kolkata,India)

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Health Alert

Being Fat Starts Early

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When you think of a 3-year-old, the words “obese” and “overweight” probably do not come to mind.
But this may be the age when many children’s problems with weight begin, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study by Rachel Kimbro and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in Madison looked at nearly 2,300 urban low-income families.
They found that 35 percent of the 3-year-olds studied were overweight or obese. In addition, Hispanic children were twice as likely as either black or white children to be overweight or obese, suggesting ethnic differences play a big part in childhood obesity.
“There are very few studies of obesity in children this young,” said Gary Foster, director of the obesity research center at Temple University School of Medicine. “This study is very important.”
Foster said the study addresses some of the factors that put children at risk for obesity at such a young age. “We have known for a long time that obesity is disproportionately related to income,” he said. “The poorer you are, the more likely that you are obese.”

Among the other child obesity risk factors suggested by the study are high birth weight, taking a bottle to bed and whether or not a child’s mother is obese.

But researchers were not able to fully explain all of the differences. For example, the differences in childhood obesity rates between racial groups could not be entirely blamed on economic status, overall health or parenting habits, the study said.

No Need for Alarm, Some Experts Say
Other experts argue that the study results are not new and just confirm previous data.
“The finding that we can identify different prevalence rate of obesity in different ethnic groups is not particularly surprising,” said Dr. Darwin Deen, professor of family and social medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “It correlates well with other data that have shown the same thing.
“The bigger question is whether 3-year-olds in certain ethnic groups are more likely to remain obese as they get older.”

While the idea of overweight and obese 3-year-olds is a concern, experts said a majority of children who are overweight at this age outgrow it.

“The 3 to 5 age group is not predictive of being obese as an adult,” said Deen. “It’s more the older group such as adolescents [that predicts adult obesity].”

But while parents should not necessarily be alarmed if their child is on the heavy side, they should realize the need to change the way they are feeding their child.

Many Parents Overfeed Their Children
“The bottom line is that you can’t become overweight without an energy imbalance,” said Foster. “And the easiest way is by an imbalance on the intake side.
“It’s much easier to increase intake by 500 calories than it is to increase your activity by that much.”
Foster said the study findings suggest parents should pay more attention to both the quantity and the quality of food they feed their kids.

And at the earliest ages, breast-feeding seems to be of utmost importance.
“Breast-feeding is extraordinarily important,” Deen said. “It’s one of the things that plays an important role in preventing obesity.
“This does not mean that most formula-fed babies will become obese or that formula shouldn’t be used, but breast-feeding is sort of tailor-made for the child.”
Monitoring the child’s calorie intake, whether from breast milk or formula, is also important to maintain a healthy weight.
Deen explained that while the study also raises some important concerns about racial differences, it does not change the overall approach to obesity.
“What we are talking about are moderate prevalence rate differences among different ethnic groups,” he said. “I don’t think it helps me much as a practitioner if I know that one group of my patients has more obesity than another group.
“When I have a patient in front of me, my advice about healthy choices remains the same, regardless of what their race is.”
Deen added that as rates of childhood obesity rise, changing kids’ behavior towards food will become more and more crucial.

“I think we need to worry because there clearly is an epidemic of childhood obesity in the country,” said Deen.
“The take-home message from this study should be that what we do with children, even in the early years of life, has an impact on their future.”

Source:ABC News

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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This chronic condition, which actually encompasses several related disorders, is marked by an often painful inflammation of the intestines. Symptoms may be eased with dietary changes, vitamin supplements, and soothing herbs….CLICK & SEE

Symptoms

Early symptoms may include constipation and the frequent urge to defecate, with passage of only small amounts of blood or mucus.
Later symptoms include chronic diarrhea with rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, low-grade fever, general malaise, arthritis, mouth sores, blurred vision, painful joints, poor appetite, low energy, and weight loss. After a decade, there’s increased risk for colorectal cancer.
Symptoms may come and go. A severe attack can cause nausea, vomiting, dehydration, heavy sweating, loss of appetite, high fever, and heart palpitations.

When to Call Your Doctor
If you have black or bloody stools, or painful, mucus-filled diarrhea.
If symptoms suddenly worsen.
If you have a swollen abdomen or severe pain (especially on the lower-right side) — it may be a sign of appendicitis.
If severe abdominal pain accompanies fever over 101 F.
Reminder: If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before taking supplements.

What It Is
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a general term for several related disorders (including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) that often first strike people in their 20s or 30s. Typically, all or part of the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed and develops small erosions, or ulcers. Bouts of inflammation are followed by periods of remission lasting weeks or years.

What Causes It
Experts are not entirely sure why people develop IBD, although heredity plays a part. More than a third of IBD sufferers know of a family member afflicted with the disease, and it’s four times more common in Caucasian and Jewish families. The disease may be triggered by a bacterium or a virus, or by a malfunctioning immune system. Factors such as stress and anxiety, or sensitivity to certain foods, can all contribute to flare-ups.

How Supplements Can Help
IBD usually causes a decreased ability to absorb nutrients from food, so a daily high-potency multivitamin is essential. Additional supplements, taken together, may also be beneficial, especially during flare-ups.

What Else You Can Do
Determine if certain foods trigger flare-ups and then eliminate them.
Apply a hot pack or hot water bottle to the abdomen to prevent cramps.
Minimize stress with yoga, meditation, and regular exercise.
In addition to chamomile, herbal teas made from flaxseed, slippery elm, or marshmallow aid digestion and soothe the intestines. To make the tea, use 1 or 2 teaspoons of herb per cup of hot water; steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain.
Ask your doctor about nicotine patches, which may help put active cases of ulcerative colitis into remission, according to a small Mayo Clinic study. Of 31 patients who used high-dose nicotine skin patches for four weeks, 12 were significantly better; only 3 of 33 who wore placebo patches showed some improvement. But side effects were common, including dizziness, nausea, and skin rashes. Additional research is needed.

Supplement Recommendations

Vitamin B Complex
PABA
Licorice (DGL)
Vitamin E
Vitamin A
Essential Fatty Acids
Acidophilus
Zinc/Copper
Chamomile

Vitamin B Complex
Dosage: 1 pill twice a day for flare-ups; then reduce to 1 pill each morning for maintenance; take with food.
Comments: Look for a B-100 complex with 100 mcg vitamin B12 and biotin; 400 mcg folic acid; and 100 mg all other B vitamins.

PABA
Dosage: 1,000 mg 3 times a day for flare-ups.
Comments: Take 1,000 mg twice a day for maintenance.

Licorice (DGL)
Dosage: Chew 2 wafers (380 mg) 3 times a day, between meals.
Comments: For flare-ups; use deglycyrrhizinated (DGL) form only.

Vitamin E
Dosage: 400 IU twice a day for flare-ups or maintenance.
Comments: Check with your doctor if taking anticoagulant drugs.

Vitamin A
Dosage: 50,000 IU a day for flare-ups; reduce to 10,000 IU a day for maintenance.
Comments: Take only 5,000 IU a day if you may become pregnant.

Essential Fatty Acids
Dosage: 1 tbsp. (14 grams) flaxseed oil or 5,000 mg fish oils a day.
Comments: Use enteric-coated form of fish oils as maintenance.

Acidophilus
Dosage: Take 1 pill twice a day between meals.
Comments: Get 1-2 billion live (viable) organisms per pill.

Zinc/Copper
Dosage: 30 mg zinc and 2 mg copper a day.
Comments: Add copper only when using zinc longer than 1 month.

Chamomile
Dosage: 1 cup of tea up to 3 times a day.
Comments: Use 2 tsp. dried herb per cup of hot water.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Source:Your Guide to Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs(Reader’s Digest)

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Healthy Tips

The Power of Antioxidants

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Although oxygen is essential for life, it can have adverse effects on your body. In the normal process of using oxygen, chemical changes occur that create reactive unstable oxygen molecules called free radicals, which can damage cells and structures within cells, including genetic material (DNA). Free radicals also may form in response to external factors such as cigarette smoke and alcohol, pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and ozone, and ultraviolet light and other forms of radiation, including X rays. If the genetic material in cells is affected by free radicals and not repaired, it can be replicated in new cells, contributing to cancer and other health problems. Free radicals may also weaken artery walls, allowing fatty deposits that can lead to heart disease to collect.

However, cells have special agents for combating free radicals and repairing molecular damage. These free-radical fighters are called antioxidants. A great deal of recent research suggests that antioxidants may play important roles in preventing or delaying heart disease, cancer, and other ills, and may even halt the damage to cells, thereby slowing the effects of aging. …….…click & see

Vitamins C and E are perhaps the best-known antioxidants. The mineral selenium is also an antioxidant, as are carotenoids such as beta-carotene and lycopene. Enzymes and certain other compounds (such as glutathione) manufactured by the cells themselves also function as antioxidants. Some experts now think that a number of other substances, including certain herbs, may act as antioxidants as well. For example, green tea, grape seed extract, and ginkgo biloba (among others) are all thought to have antioxidant properties.

Source:Your Guide to
Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs

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Positive thinking

The Past In Light Of The Present

Knowing Better Now :
When we look back at the past, knowing what we know now, we often find it difficult to understand how we made the mistakes we made. This is because once we learn new information, it is nearly impossible to reenter the headspace we were in before we learned that information. And so we look back at parents who spanked their kids, for example, and wonder how they could have thought that was a good idea. Similarly, our personal pasts are full of mistakes we can’t believe we made. We did things then that we would never do now, and this is precisely because we have information now that we didn’t have, or weren’t able to access, then.

From ideas about how to raise children to how to treat the environment, our collective human past sometimes reads like a document on what not to do. In many ways, this is exactly as it should be. We learn from living and having experiences. It is from these past actions that we garnered the information that guides us to live differently now. Just so, in our personal lives, we probably had to have a few unsuccessful relationships or jobs, learning about our negative tendencies through them, in order to gain the wisdom we have now.

In order to live more peacefully with the past, it helps to remember that once we know better, we tend to do better. Prior to knowing, we generally do our best, and while it’s true that from the perspective of the present, our best doesn’t always seem good enough, we can at least give our past selves the benefit of the doubt. We did our best with what knowledge we had. Beyond this, we serve the greater good most effectively by not dwelling on the past, instead reigning our energy and knowledge into our present actions. It is here, in this moment, that we create our reality and ourselves anew, with our current knowledge and information.

Source:Daily Om

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