Categories
Health Problems & Solutions

Some Health Quaries & Answers

I want to shed weight fast :
Q: I am getting married in a month’s time and want to lose weight fast. I have to shed six kilos. How do I do that?

A: Crash diets work for short lengths of time, but they aren’t healthy and shouldn’t be continued indefinitely. If you follow a balanced diet of 1,200 calories (60 per cent from carbohydrates, 30 per cent from proteins and 10 per cent from fat), you will have a daily deficit of 800 calories. Once you lose 3,500 calories, you would have lost around half a kilogram of body weight. This means you will lose 3.5kg in a month. Try to combine this with 40 minutes of aerobic activity. That’s a deficit of another 200 calories. The exercise will help develop muscle tone so you don’t have a sagging, aged and unhealthy appearance after the hard gained weight loss.

[amazon_link asins=’B00EKT70DC,B007K2KAXS’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’acbfac9d-263e-11e7-93b7-336c9be8bab6′]

Hip surgery:

Q: I have severe pain in my right hip, so much so that I can’t bend. This makes it difficult for me to sit, squat or even walk. I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who advised hip replacement surgery. At 78, I am nervous.

A: Generally, non-surgical treatment with pain relieving medication and physiotherapy is first recommended to reduce hip joint pain, improve joint function and increase the range of movement. Replacement is performed when these have failed. Senior citizens with osteoarthritis who undergo total hip replacement are able to care for themselves, thereby improving the quality of life. Studies have shown that though it is an expensive and invasive process, it is safe. There’s no age limit for hip replacement surgery.

[amazon_link asins=’B00QFXCMB6,B017ME375Q’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’e7ce157f-263e-11e7-9be4-35db069f334d’]

No rice

Q: I don’t like rice, but am told it’s necessary and without it my health will suffer. Please advise.

A: Basically, 60 per cent of your calorific requirement needs to come from carbohydrates. Rice and other grains aren’t the only source of carbohydrates — they are also found in nuts, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. If you dislike rice, you can switch to wheat or oats. In Western countries, people hardly eat rice yet are healthy.

[amazon_link asins=’B000JTDIBU,0983490708′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’37df5e0a-263f-11e7-9e58-a3729134cbb1′]

Self medication:
Q: I had high fever. I went to a pharmacy and purchased some tablets recommended by the man behind the counter. I now have redness in the groin and armpit, itching and redness in the corners of my mouth. Could this be an allergy?

A: It could be an allergy. Maybe some of the tablets you took were antibiotics. They may have changed your normal bacterial flora so that there is now an overgrowth of a fungus called Candida. You may also have precipitated a vitamin B deficiency. See a doctor to find out what exactly it is. You can then receive appropriate treatment.

[amazon_link asins=’B00WDYH9KU,B00GOADKA2′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’5d63674b-263f-11e7-83d4-d75dbb08151b’]

Stretch marks:
Q: I was suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome for the last two years. I consulted an endocrinologist who suggested regular exercise with medication. Now I have recovered. But I still have reddish marks on my lower abdomen. The doctor had said they would disappear with recovery.

A: The reddish marks on your abdomen are called stretch marks. They develop because of damage to the underlying layers of skin with rapid weight gain. They can be prevented to some extent with regular oiling. Coconut oil, olive oil, baby oils, vitamin E and aloe vera have all been used with some degree of success. Once the marks have developed, oils and creams work slowly over a prolonged period of time.

[amazon_link asins=’B00DS842HS,B01MCQNKFJ’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a369bb31-263f-11e7-ba32-518d2c5576fc’]

[amazon_link asins=’B004ZK3L8Y,B00BOTZTDO’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’bb7b14c3-263f-11e7-80cf-6f3abd9b892c’]

Surgical removal can be done with laser treatment, dermal ablation or tummy tucks. This is faster and more successful.

Immunity against tetanus

Q: I want to know about the tetanus vaccine and treatment for the disease. If I take a tetanus toxoid vaccine, how many weeks of immunity would it give? I’ve heard there’s a schedule of three doses (for adults) that gives immunity for three years. Please give me the timetable. If one is afflicted with tetanus, is there any life saving treatment?

A: Tetanus immunisation is provided free by the government to all children. It is given as a combined vaccine with those for diphtheria, pertussis and polio. Three doses are given in the first year and boosters at one, one and a half, five, 10 and 16 years. Pregnant women who have been immunised in childhood are given two doses in their first pregnancy. After the immunisation is complete — that is, up to 16 years — a booster needs to be taken once in 10 years.

[amazon_link asins=’B00486UTDA,B006H5UNCW’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’df9af8f5-263f-11e7-93a7-aff3909c3de2′]

Tetanus is caused by a bacterium called Clostridium tetani, which is found in the human intestine and soil. Once it causes an infection, it releases a poison that binds to the nervous tissue. Spasms of the muscles occur, making it difficult for the patient to swallow or breathe. This can eventually result in death. Individuals have survived with aggressive treatment with artificial muscle paralysis and ventilators for breathing.

Source: The Telegraph ( Kolkata, India)

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Health Alert

Avoid Swimming After Exercise to Drop Weight Gain

A study conducted by Australian researchers concluded that cooling off with a dip in the pool after a good work-out may make exercisers more likely to eat than those who don’t go for a swim after exercising.  …..click  & see

According to the Chicago Tribune:

“Test subjects ate more after (two different types of) water immersions than they did after sitting in a chair.

Average calorie intake per person after the cold water immersion was about 489, and about 517 after the tepid water immersion. After resting in a chair, average calorie intake was about 409.

Researchers found lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin after both water immersion experiments. Following water immersion more carbs and protein were eaten as well.”

Since the study included only 10 participants, researchers suggested that further studies be done with larger sample sizes. The study was published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.


Resources:

Chicago Tribune September 25, 2010

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise October 2010; 42(10)

Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Healthy Tips

Drinking Water Proven to Help Weight Loss

[amazon_link asins=’B000R4EMWG,B000VXWJR8,B00LLKWVL4,B0195LVDGY,B004CQWWKY,B01G6LJO3K’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’finmeacur-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’35f3bd1c-d267-11e7-bdc3-8b5a2133d41f’]

A study says that  obese dieters  can reduce their weight by 5 pounds in three months  if they drink two cups of water before every meal. And also one year later they will  loose more weight .
CLICK & SEE
This technique of dieting is welknown, but this study may be the first hard evidence that increasing your water intake is a useful weight-loss strategy.

According to Discovery News:
“The reason could be physical. According to some research, water consumption might spark the body to produce more heat, boosting metabolism and burning more calories. Or, drinking more water might simply make people less likely to drink a lot of high-calorie sugar-filled beverages.”

Source:
Discovery News August 23, 2010

Related articles by Zemanta
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
Healthy Tips

Does More Frequent Meals Really Rev Up Your Metabolism?

You’ve probably heard that eating smaller meals, several times a day will stimulate your metabolism, and keep it revved to burn more calories throughout your day.
…………….CLICK & SEE
The New York Times points out that although some studies have found modest health benefits to eating smaller meals, the research usually involved extremes.

Many weight-loss books and fad diets claim six meals a day is a more realistic approach.

But will it really make a difference?

The New York Times states:

“As long as total caloric and nutrient intake stays the same, then metabolism, at the end of the day, should stay the same as well. One study that carefully demonstrated this, published in 2009 in The British Journal of Nutrition, involved groups of overweight men and women who were randomly assigned to very strict low-calorie diets and followed for eight weeks. Each subject consumed the same number of calories per day, but one group took in three meals a day and the other six.

Both groups lost significant and equivalent amounts of weight. There was no difference between them in fat loss, appetite control or measurements of hormones that signal hunger and satiety. Other studies have had similar results.”

Exercise, on the other hand, seems to effectively increase metabolism according to studies.


Reources:

New York Times March 21, 2010
The British Journal of Nutrition November 30, 2009; 1-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Categories
Health Alert

Eat Slow and Cut Your Calories

For ages, mothers have admonished children to slow down and chew their food. It turns out they’re onto something.

………………….

Researchers have found evidence that when people wolf their food, they end up consuming more calories than they would at a slower pace. One reason is the effect of quicker ingestion on hormones.

In one recent study, scientists found that when a group of subjects were given an identical serving of ice cream on different occasions, they released more hormones that made them feel full when they ate it in 30 minutes instead of 5.

In other words, it can’t hurt to slow down and savor your meals.

Sources: New York Times February 22, 2010

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
css.php