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How to increase Emotional and Cognitive Intelligence?
10 Steps to enhance your Emotional Intelligence/EQ:
1.Knowing yourself well, make use of assessment tools to understand your strengths and weaknesses
2.Working with a mentor/personal coach to improve your EQ
3.Identifying the causes of feelings, become aware of split-second, preconscious thoughts and their possible distortions
4.Be aware of your emotional style, things you do to avoid discomfort
5.Learning to differentiate between emotion and the subsequent need to take action to promote action in response to avoidance, withdrawal, and sadness, to inhibit action in response to anger and hostility
6.Increasing your optimism
7.Turning mistakes into energy
8.Developing listening skills by asking open-ended questions
9.Give more positive feedback to yourself, and to others, avoid thinking negatives to increase your appreciation of yourself and others
10.Engage yourself to leadership trainings
Different Ways on how to enhance your Cognitive Intelligence:
Food to eat
Nuts - some nuts that have minerals and amino acids that are beneficial to the brain include almonds and walnuts
Olive oil - high in mono-unsaturated fat, olive oil has been shown to improve memory a cheaper alternative is canola oil, but this hasn't been studied much yet
Vitamin supplements - choose those that are good for memory and brain
Fiber - people report clearer thinking as one of the benefits of curing their constipation
Avoid suspect foods - artificial food colorings, artificial sweeteners, colas, corn syrup, frostings, high-sugar drinks, hydrogenated fats, sugars, white bread, and any white-flour products
Eat foods high in antioxidants - antioxidants protect all your cells, including brain cells
Some of the foods highest in antioxidants include: prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, kale, cranberries, strawberries, spinach, and raspberries
Folic acid - alleviates depression and reverses memory loss
Potential brain foods - avocados, bananas, lean beef, brewer's yeast. broccoli, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, cheese, chicken, collard greens, eggs, flax seed oil, legumes, oatmeal, oranges, peanut butter, peas, potatoes, romaine lettuce, salmon, soybeans, spinach, tuna, turkey, wheat germ, and yogurt
Gingko Biloba - leaves of this tree have been proven to increase blood flow to the brain
Saint John's Wort - is a common weed that may be growing in your yard
Rosemary - a common herb may have an effect on the brain when the scent is inhaled
Caffeine - research shows higher test scores for students who drink coffee before major exams
Avoid too much fat - you may want to stick to using olive oil and other non-saturated fats
Avoid sugar - any simple carbohydrates can give you "brain fog" avoid pasta, sugars, white bread and potato chips before any important mental tasks
Creatine - a compound found in meat, used by athletes to help build muscle
Eat fish - actually speeds up brain waves, and improves concentration
Sniff basil - another of the herbs that may be good for your brain
Vitamin E - an antioxidant, and reduces the clogging of blood vessels, including those going in the brain
Vitamin C - gives resistance and helps body and brain function well
Selenium - Brazil nuts and garlic
Alpha-lipoic acid - improves memory and protects nerve cells
Inositol - a safe and natural substance that is often grouped with the B-vitamins, reduces stress
Huperzine A - a compound extracted from the Chinese club moss
Drink wine in moderation - red wine can be good for the brain. It is rich in antioxidants, which protect brain cells
Things to do
>Inhale & Exhale - more air in means more oxygen in the blood and also in the brain
Meditate- a simple meditation by closing your eyes and paying attention to your breath
Eat less - overeating has the immediate effect of redirecting more blood to the digestive process
Eat breakfast - it's hard to think when stomach is empty
Self awareness - when you know yourself better, you can avoid the usual effects of ego and emotion in your seemingly "rational" thinking
Motivate yourself - motivation is as important to mental tasks as it is to any other
Avoid too much stress - learn a few stress reduction techniques if you get stressed out often
Use alcohol in moderation - it is known that alcohol can kill brain cells
Get educated - education in any area seems to make the brain stronger
Sit up straight - posture affects our thinking process
Good thinking habits - use a problem solving technique for several weeks and it will become a habit
Make notes - it is a way to tell your memory what is important to recall things more easily
Avoid foods that cause subtle allergies - wheat, corn, peanuts and dairy products
Enough sleep - minimum of 8 hrs
Exercise - can boost-up brainpower
Talk - try to explain something you don't understand very well to a friend, and you'll notice that the process of explaining will help you clarify your understanding
Do something you enjoy - this is a way to both lower stress boost-up your brain
Adjust your beliefs - believe that you are smarter, then you'll become smarter
Brain exercises - do math in on your free time
Learn new things - important additional information
Avoid unnecessary arguments - when you defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, you invest your ego into it
Laugh - release of endorphins caused by laughter lowers stress levels, which is good for long term brain health
Play - intellectual play, as well as any playing that involves hand-eye coordination stimulates the brain
Do puzzles - crossword puzzles, lateral thinking puzzles, and even good riddles are a great way to get brain exercise
Ask questions - to things that are unclear to you
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CDC study can't explain mysterious crawling-skin disease
A half-million-dollar study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found no obvious medical explanation for a mysterious and controversial skin disease whose sufferers report a crawling sensation on or under their skin and fibers emerging from it.
Although the findings may not mollify those who say they have Morgellons, as the condition has been dubbed by some, CDC's Mark Eberhard says the findings are useful in that they tell both patients and doctors that the condition is rare and neither contagious nor environmentally based.
The research came about because of intense public interest in the topic beginning around 2002 because of both media attention and sufferers connecting online. Similar conditions have gone by other names, including Ekbom's syndrome or delusional infestation.
The CDC "was receiving inquiries from a variety of sources, including the public, about this condition," says Eberhard, who directs CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases. "It was clear that these people were suffering from something; the question was what might it be."
The study was conducted among 3.2 million people whose health care was with Kaiser Permanente in 13 Northern California counties from 2006 to 2008. Researchers identified 115 patients who reported fibers or other solid material coming through their skin as well as skin lesions or the feeling that "something is crawling on top of or under the skin," according to the paper, which is published in this week's edition of the journal PLoS ONE.
Doctors found that the condition was rare, with only 3.65% of the Kaiser patients reporting it. Sufferers tended to be white (77%) and female (77%), with a median age of 52. Seventy percent of sufferers reported the material emerging from their skin as fibers, the rest described "specks, granules, dots, worms, sand, eggs, fuzz balls and larvae."
However, the researchers could not find any evidence of these. Instead, dermatologists found fibers on the edges or under scabs and none in unbroken skin. When examined they proved to be cotton or polyester fibers, or in a few cases the likely remains of fingernail polish.
"We were able to answer conclusively that they were not living entities," Eberhard says.
Jason Reichenberg, director of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern-Austin, said the paper "confirms what anybody who has ever seen a patient with this knows, which is that these patients are suffering greatly and their suffering is real; they shouldn't be dismissed.
"This is something that needs to be treated," says Reichenberg, who will lead a session on the topic at an upcoming dermatology organization meeting in San Diego. "It's really important to discuss that there might be other ways to approach the disease. Until we can find an exact cause or a cure, it's important that we try to improve their suffering."
The skin lesions didn't appear to be caused by external forces, but primarily by scratching or rubbing. They also appeared only in areas where the sufferer could reach. For example, when lesions appeared on the back, they were in a typical dumbbell pattern made by how far the arm can reach around.
A large number of the sufferers had other health problems as well: 70% reported chronic fatigue and 54% reported their overall health as fair or poor. Many also had high levels of "somatic concerns," meaning they had preoccupations with their http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhealth. The researchers found evidence of illicit drug use in 50% of patients, based on hair sample testing. For comparison, a national survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 8.9% of the population are current illicit drug users. Eberhard cautioned that the high levels could be related to attempts by sufferers to alleviate their symptoms.
There is no doubt that the patients "had something that was impacting their quality of life," Eberhard says. He says he hopes that their research will allow doctors and patients together to find the most appropriate care for those afflicted.
Source of this news - yourlife.usatoday
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Statins May Stave Off Liver Cancer in People With Hepatitis B
Study found lower risk of developing disease for people taking these cholesterol-cutting drugs.
By Denise Mann
Popular cholesterol-lowering statins may also lower risk for liver cancer among people with hepatitis B, a new study shows. Hepatitis B, an inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus, is one of the main causes of liver cancer.
This is not the first time that statins have shown promise in reducing risk for cancer. Other studies have hinted that these drugs may play a role in preventing certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.
In the new study of more than 33,000 individuals with hepatitis B followed from 1997 to 2008, those who took a statin were less likely to develop liver cancer, when compared to participants who were not prescribed statins. What's more, the longer a person took statins, the greater the liver-cancer risk reduction. Study participants were prescribed the statins to treat high cholesterol levels. Overall, 1,021 people developed liver cancer during the study period.
More research is needed to see how statins may lower liver cancer risk among people with hepatitis B, the researchers said.
"Statins have potential protective effects against cancers [and] carriers of hepatitis B virus infection have a substantial risk of [liver] carcinoma," said Dr. Pau-Chung Chen, a professor of environmental medicine and epidemiology at National Taiwan University, in Taipei. "Statin use is not only a benefit to preventing cardiovascular diseases, but also an additional, convenient and acceptable strategy for preventing hepatocellular carcinoma," or liver cancer, Chen said.
However, statins can cause a potentially dangerous rise in liver enzymes and liver damage. Regular liver function tests are required for all people who take statins.
The study appeared online Jan. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
"This is exciting and unequivocally solid research," said Dr. Eugene Schiff, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Liver Diseases at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
"One of the issues is that statins are relatively contraindicated in people with liver disease," Schiff said. But "the take-home message for people with hepatitis B or anybody with liver disease is that statins are safe. This re-emphasizes the point that if someone has chronic hepatitis B and there is an indication for statins, they should get them and they may be beneficial far beyond lowering cholesterol: They may also reduce their risk for liver cancer."
Dr. David Bernstein, chief of hepatology at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Manhasset, N.Y., is more cautious. "In almost all other liver conditions, cirrhosis must be present before [liver cancer] develops," he said. During cirrhosis, scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. "Statins must be used with caution in patients with cirrhosis, which can limit their use in patients with liver disease at risk of developing liver cancer," he said. "Further studies are needed in this patient population to confirm these findings."
source: doctorslounge
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Rev-up with colors to boost energy
Make a Colour Shift
When you energy sags and you need a quick up-me-up, think red. Deep saturated red, to be precise. Although the colour symbolizes different things in different cultures, studies have consistently shown that it has a stimulating effect.
How’s that, you ask? Let me explain.
Colour is energy. It actually has temperature, measured in what’s called degrees Kelvin. (Examples: The temperature of direct sunlight is 5,000K, the temperature of a match flame 1,700K). This all started in the late 1800s, when a British physicist named William Kelvin discovered that if you heated a block of carbon it would glow in the heat, producing a range of different colours at different temperatures.
But I digress.
REV UP WITH RED (OR ORANGE OR YELLOW)
Our experience of color basically happens because light waves of various frequencies are processed through photoreceptors in the retina, then sent as nerve impulses to the cortex, where, voila, they’re translated by the brain into our experience of color. Truth be told, we can only detect three of them: red, blue, and green. Our fabulous in-house computer called the brain ten does the color mixing to create the exact hue.
Because it affects our brain, colour can be much more than a visual treat. It can be an experience, one that evokes emotion. Colour can excite or calm, it can convey a sense of coolness or warmth, it can symbolize strength or purity or romance. The famous psychoanalyst and child psychiatrist Bruno Bettelheim used to insist on having his clinics painted yellow, precisely because of the effect that colour had on the energy of his young subjects.
For thousand of years color has been used as a healing therapy. Today, most colour therapists believe it’s the different energy frequencies of color that affect us physically and emotionally. Those frequencies stimulate the pituitary and pineal glands ,triggering certain hormonal responses. Modern conventional medicine employs some version of colour therapy. For instance, infants who are jaundiced are treated with blue light.
Some research indicates that a person’s mood and personality are reflected in the colours they choose. Several studies, for instance, found that people who wear dark colours to the exclusion of any other colored clothes tend to be depressed (which, if it’s true, would mean there are an awful lot of depressed people living in Manhattan, where black is the new black). You don’t have to be a scientist to figure out that spending your days in a drab-colored room will sour your mood.
Generally, colors with loner wavelengths – reds oranges, and yellows – are thought to be more stimulating than those at the other end of the spectrum, where the greens, blues, and purples reside. (That’s why guests on television shows wait in “the green room” – it’s calming!)
One commonly held explanation is that we associate warm colors with the energy of the sun and daylight. But thee are many variables as to how we perceive and respond to color, including its hue and saturation, the material used, what other colors surround it, and how it’s used (a yellow dress may evoke a very different feeling than a room of the same shade). Deeply saturated colors – whether warm or cool – have been shown to be stimulating in some studies. Our reaction to any color may also be its association with memories, and the emotion those memories provoke.
COLOR YOUR WORLD
If you want to give you energy a real boost, experiment with color. If you closet is filled with a sea of black, go wild and try some red. Our maybe a brilliant turquoise will get you going. If you have to ease into color, start with a brightly colored shirt or scarf and see how that makes you feel.
We all have colors that seem to brighten our faces and bring out the color of our eyes (the color your mother always said you looked good in). The mere act of making an effort to brighten your wardrobe is energizing.
Adding some color to your life will boost your energy, but don’t overlook the effect a color change can have on others around you. Even if you’re not feeling it at first (which I’m sure you will), those brighter, warmer, more energetic colors may make others respond to you in a warmer, more energetic way. If energy is anything, it’s contagious!
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How to develop positive and healthy habits
Right from ditching smoking to following a regular exercise routine, developing a new positive and healthy habit is a tough task.
An acquired positive habit or action requires more than wishful thinking; it requires a disciplinary attitude coupled with practicality and goal-setting. Today, with expert inputs from Dr. Pulkit Sharma, Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalytical Therapist at VIMHANS, let's take a look at the top 10 ways of developing positive and healthy habits.
Step 1 to developing positive and healthy habits: Improve your self confidence. The key to making and consolidating new positive habits is self-confidence. People who feel that they are active agents can make a difference to their lives while those who feel that their life is determined by fate, environment and other people feel miserable.
Step 2 Goal setting. While making new positive steps it is important to set goals which are moderately challenging, neither too easy nor too taxing to accomplish. If you set very difficult goals you are likely to give up soon while if your goals are too modest there are chances that you would not take things seriously.
Step 3 Review progress. One must review progress at timely intervals to see whether the goals are being achieved in the stipulated time. If you feel that you are going too slowly then you need to introspect whether it is because of lack of effort or if your goals are too difficult. Based on self-analysis you need to either increase your pace or tame down your goals.
Step 4 Follow your instincts. There is no dearth of people who are self-proclaimed guides on how to make new positive habits. While you may benefit from looking at motivational literature or hearing motivational speakers, please do not over do it. Understand your instincts and follow them. No two people are same, what works for one may not work for the other person.
Step 5 Relax yourself. It becomes extremely difficult to make a change when you are experiencing a burn-out. It is crucial to keep yourself de-stressed and relaxed. Think of developing a new positive habit when you have ample time and space for it.
Step 6 Like-minded friendships. If you have a friend or acquaintance who already has that habit or wants to inculcate it then there are better chances that by associating with them you will also develop it. Through such a friendship you will derive support, encouragement and a role-model.
Step 7 Reward yourself. It is extremely important to acknowledge progress even if you walk in baby steps and reward yourself. This will enhance your motivation and self-confidence and enhance your performance.
Step 8 Deal with failure. Whenever we are trying anything new, failure is natural and human. Understand why you have failed and use this understanding to tweak your goals or enhance your efforts. Never allow the failure to damage your self-esteem.
Step 9 Handle feedback. As you are trying to change, people around you would give you either positive feedback or negative feedback or a mixture of both. Positive feedback can be motivating while negative feedback can be extra insightful and depressing. Never let the negative feedback get to your head. Tell yourself that the fact that you are trying is a big thing in itself.
Step 10 Take one habit at a time. All of us wish to change several things about ourselves and once we make our mind, we wish to start everything at once. This is a bad approach as change is often slow and taxing. Therefore, target one habit at a time.
source: TOI
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Fast-food meal that will make YOU a whacker!
Now here's a fast-food meal that will make YOU a whopper! Burger King blasted by health critics over 966-CALORIE 'horrendous' burger
* Burger is 'graphic illustration of where the government's obesity strategy has gone wrong'
Healthy-food campaigners have criticised Burger King's newest snack which packs in an astonishing 966 calories.
The new Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Double Angus burger is the biggest and most fattening on the high street and has twice as many calories as a Big Mac from McDonald's.
The monster sandwich - which costs £5.29 and has a fat content of 58g - has left healthy eating crusaders furious.
The enormous snack is made up of two burgers (6.4oz beef) squeezed into a bun with bacon and cheddar, finished off with a steakhouse sauce.
It also contains lettuce, onion, tomato and mayonnaise.
Burger King said the flame-grilled burger was 'for you more peckish types.' Listing all the ingredients they add: 'Gosh, we're worn out.'
About half of the fat content is saturated fat meaning that a woman eating one will consume almost her entire recommended daily allowance of 25g.
Tam Fry, spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum, told Mail Online: 'This horrendous burger is a graphic illustration of where the government's obesity strategy has gone wrong.
'The strategy is supposed to be a Deal between the Department of Health and the food industry whereby industry pledges to be responsible in marketing its food.
'This burger is the height of irresponsibility and, if left unfettered, the food industry will do nothing to help stem the current obesity epidemic.
'The pledges are not worth the paper they are written on and Whitehall doesn't have the stomach to require that they add up to something.'
A women who ate the whopping burger would consume almost half of her recommended daily calorie intake of 1,900. Meanwhile a man would have 39 per cent of his daily allowance.
Someone weighing 12st would need to jog 5mph for at least 90 minutes to burn off the burger's calories.
Sue Baic, from the British Dietetic Association said: 'Of course foods like burgers can play a role in a balanced diet but this sort of massive portion size in a high fat and energy dense food is really making it far too easy for us to overeat.
'The values given here don't even include the chips and shake or fizzy drink which many people will order with it. If you add a large fries and large coke to that you get almost 1600 calories in the one meal.'
It comes as the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley hands over £2bn to local cancels to tackle public health issues like obesity. Currently a quarter of adults are considered obese in the UK as are one in six children.
Obesity can cause a number of health problems including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. An obese person aged over 40 can expect to cut their life expectancy by seven years.
A spokesman for Burger King said they provided calorie information on their main menu boards and it was up to customers to make 'informed choices.'
They pointed out that McDonald's also sells a Big Tasty with Bacon, which has 890calories and 55g of fat.
They added: 'We also have lower calorie options on our menu including the sweet chili chicken wrap at 296 calories and our hamburger at 260 calories and 4g of fat.'
source: dailymail
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Radioactive seeds could be more effective for prostate cancer
A PROSTATE cancer treatment used far less frequently than surgery could be the more effective response, a review of studies that included more than 50,000 patients has found.
Men who had their low- to medium-risk cancer treated with brachytherapy - where tiny seeds of radioactive material are placed inside the prostate - were less likely to show signs it had returned than those treated with radical prostatectomy or external radiation, the international research team found.
Men with high-risk cancer benefited most from a combination of hormone deprivation therapy, external radiation and brachytherapy, according to the review, published in the journal BJU International.
Brachytherapy is less likely to cause some of the side-effects of prostate cancer treatments.
In 2010 there were about 740 instances of brachytherapy seed implantation paid for by Medicare, according to Medicare figures
In the same period there were more than 3230 claims for radical prostatectomy.
The chairman of the Australasian Brachytherapy Group, Joseph Bucci, said it could be difficult for patients to access brachytherapy, and it was only publicly funded in low-risk cancers.
"But I think this paper really starts to refute surgery as being the gold standard," he said.
Dr Bucci said if a man decided to go ahead with brachytherapy - men are often advised to instead monitor the cancer to see if it develops - the implantation of about 80 to 100 radioactive seeds was minimally invasive compared with other treatments. However, side-effects included making urination difficult.
"The outcomes of prostate cancer are measured over the course of a decade, so quality of life becomes a big issue for these men," he said.
But the president of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, Dr Stephen Ruthven, cautioned that the studies included had a minimum median follow-up of patients of only five years.
"[The research] does create as many questions as it answers in terms of the poor patient trying to make up his mind," he said.
It also measured cancer survival based on measurements of levels of a protein in the blood - prostate specific antigen (PSA) - that indicated the likely presence of cancer rather than why they actually died.
source: smh
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Nutritional plan for good health
Variety is key
Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include wholegrain products, (wholegrain cereals, brown rice, wholemeal bread, etc), fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.
Balance your plate
Nutritionists used to suggest meals should be one-third each of carbs, protein and veg, but the most recent advice is that your plate should be half full of vegetables, a quarter carbs and a quarter protein. Make sure you balance every meal to ensure a healthy intake.
Bulk upon protein
Meals containing higher levels of protein and a lower amount of carbohydrate keep your fuller for longer than those that are low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Try altering the balance of foods on your plate to help maintain fullness, particularly at lunchtime.
Age-related alternations
Remember that as you grow older, your calorie requirements will change even if you maintain the same levels of activity. Make time to think about your life-eating balance a few times a year to see if you need to alter your intake.
Growing-up diets
Teenagers and older children who are growing fast often have higher requirements for nutrients. For example 15 to 18-year-old boys need more thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorous and iron than adult mean. Similarly, 15 to 18-year-old girls need more niacin, calcium, phosphorous and magnesium than adult women.
Calorie count
For an adult man who is moderately active the daily guidelines are around 2500 a day. For women, who usually have less muscle bulk sand therefore a lower metabolism, it’s 200 a day. Dropping 500 calories a day is a calorie-controlled diet.
Spot the difference
The main point of difference between US and EU/UK nutritional labels is that the EU/UK requires nutrients to be shown per 100 g or 100 ml. The nutrient amounts may, in addition, be given per quantified serving or portion (if the number of portions in a pack is stated on the packaging).
Boost their brains
For children aged between four and six, growth has showed down but general development is ongoing and rapid, so getting enough calories is really important. Studies have shown that children with healthy diets perform better in school, so aim to give boys of this age 1700 and girls 1500 calories a day.
Golden Oldies
Scientists have found that consuming a diet rich in wholegrain foods may lower the risk for cardiovascular disease and reduce the onset of metabolic syndrome, especially in older people so it’s even more important to eat them as you age.
Allow for differences
Remember that US Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) differ from UK RDAs, therefore figures and statements of percentage contribution of nutrients could be misleading on imported products. Check where you products originated to be sure.
Count kids’ calories
Aged between seven and ten, children need around 2000 calories (for boy) or 1800 calories (for a girl) to keep their bodies functioning optimally. Eleven to 14-years-old boys need an average of 2200 calories a day and girls a slightly lower 1900, but bear in mind that these amounts are calculated for average activity, so if your child is sporty, he or she will probably need more.
Thumbs upto cheese
Did you know that a portion size of cheese is just the size of a thumb? Our that one muffin or bagel portion is the size of a ping-pong ball? This means you’re more than likely getting more than one portion with each serving, so take this into account when planning menus.
Toddlers don’t run on empty
If you have children aged one to three, try to make sure they get around 1200 calories a day from all the major food groups to meet their growth and energy needs. Try to keep down the amount of “empty” calories – in processed foods – and to include as many different foods as possible.
Teen spirit
The recommended daily amount of calories for a teenager over 14 years old is actually around 300 calories a day higher than that for an adult because their body is using up lots of calories in growth and development. Aim for around 2800 calories for boys and 2200 for girls and avoid skipping meals.
Climb the food pyramid
Many organizations use the food pyramid to help you understand how to eat better. At the base of the plan are plenty of breads, cereals, rice and pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add 2-3 servings a day from dairy and 2-3 servings from meat, and go easy on fats, oils and sweets, which are at the top of the pyramid.
Day-to-day needs
Per day, the average 40-years-old women should be eating 175 g (6 oz) of wholegrains, three handfuls of vegetables and two of fruit, 500 ml (18 fl oz) of milk or dairy products, and around 175 g (6 oz) of protein from meat, fish or beans.
Eat less empties
As a general rule, try and keep your intake of “empty” calories (from sugary snacks, processed foods, alcohol, biscuits and cakes) to around 200-250 a day. These high-energy/low nutritional value foods should make up less than 10% of your total daily intake.
Food planning
Weigh up the week
It’s important to get a good balance of food every day, but it can be confusing and easy to lose track. To check, think about what you eat and drink over the course of a week – jot it down if it helps. If it balances out overall, even if you have the odd bad day, you’re on the right track.
Three of your five a day
Most people known they should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but did you know that three of these, ideally, should be vegetables because they are lower in sugar and higher in fibre?
Put in what you give out
Start thinking about your balance of calories in and calories out. So, if you’ve had a really active day you might need a larger dose of carbohydrates to refuel your body’s lost energy, but if you’ve been relatively inactive, you could probably make do with a smaller portion.
Eat one carb per meal
The best way to moderate your carbohydrate input is to limit it to one portion per meal. This would be equivalent to 1-2 slices of wholemeal bread, a cup of cereal, rice or oats, or a baked sweet or regular potato.
Go light on the carbs
Watch the amount of starchy carbohydrates you’re serving at each meal. Carb-heavy meals tend to be calorie-heavy meals. Don’t be tempted to base an entire meal around noodles. Rice or bread even thought it’s sometimes easier. Replace with more vegetables or a salad instead.
Be an early riser
Get up five minutes earlier in the morning and use the time to sit down and plan your daily intake of food and drink. Knowing ahead of time what you’re going to eat will make you less likely to binge and more likely to eat in moderation. If you’re eating to weekly plans, use this morning time to revise your day’s diet.
Bake a cake
Instead of buying cakes or biscuits in the supermarket, make your own at home and substitute wholemeal flour for the usual white variety – it will make your homemade cakes nutritious as well as tasty.
Fruit in the fridge
Try fresh fruit salad for dessert instead of calorie-packed puddings. To make it easier, make a large bowl at the beginning of the week and keep it in your fridge so it’s easy to dip into every night.
Stick to a serving
It’s difficult to know what’s meant by “one serving”, especially if you’re trying to count calories. Generally, the recommended serving of cooked meat is 85 g (3 oz), which is roughly the size of a pack of cards.
Just say no
Did you know that 500 ml (18 fl oz) of ice cream is the equivalent of four portions of your daily dairy and fat intake? Think about that next time you’re offered an extra scoop.
Take a handful
How do you know what a serving of fruit or vegetables is? In general, it’s about a handful of most types, or a medium apple, pear or orange. Bear in mind that for vegetables the amounts are measured cooked rather than raw. This is especially important for “shrinking” foods like spinach.
Sensibly does it
Always remember that effective weight-loss programmes should include healthy-eating plans that reduce calories but do not rule out specific foods or food groups, together with physical activity. This should give a slow and steady weight loss of 0.5-1.5 kg (1-3 lb) per week.
Serve yourself well
According to advice from the USDA (mypyramid.gov), for a balanced daily diet, you should aim for 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group (around 100 g or 4 oz), 3 of which should be whole grains. Then add 2-4 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of vegetables and 1-2 protein.
Grow your own
If you’re tired of not being able to find cheap organic vegetables, why not grow your own? Vegetable patches and allotments are becoming increasingly popular and they’re a great way to ensure good quality produce. If you’re short of space, tomatoes, lettuce and fresh herbs also grow well on windowsills and in window boxes.
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XDR TB: Key facts signs, symptoms and prevention
XDR TB has hit Mumbai hard.
Mumbai continues to paint a gory picture of extremely resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) TB with Bai Jerbai (BJ) Wadia hospital alone having identified at least 11 children infected with XDR-TB after testing 500 children infected with TB in the last three years.
The death of a 31-year-old tuberculosis patient from Dharavi a couple of weeks ago rang alarm bells at P D Hinduja Hospital in Mahim, where she was referred to following a surgery to remove an infected lung. Doctors found that the woman was killed by an extreme form of tuberculosis, resistant to all medicines.
This form of tuberculosis is known as Totally Drug Resistant (TDR) TB, far dangerous that Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR) forms that doctors were aware of all these years.
12 cases identified
Since the highly-contagious infection spreads through air, doctors are worried about Mumbai’s vulnerability against TDR TB. They have already identified 12 patients suffering from TDR TB. A lung surgery may help,the doctors say, but the situation could turn dangerous if not brought under control soon enough.
James Natchway's TED wish: XDRTB org is an extraordinary effort to tell the story of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and TB through powerful photographs taken by James Nachtwey. XDR-TB, or extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis, is a new and deadly mutation of tuberculosis. Similar in creation to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) but more extreme in its manifestation, it arises when common tuberculosis goes untreated or standard TB drugs are misused. James photographs represent these varying strains. Learn more about TB, MDR-TB and XDR-TB, and learn how you can take action to stop this deadly disease.
What is XDR TB?
Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) is a relatively rare type of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB). It is resistant to almost all drugs used to treat TB, including the two best first-line drugs: isoniazid and rifampin. XDR TB is also resistant to the best second-line medications: fluoroquinolones and at least one of three injectable drugs (i.e., amikacin, kanamycin, or capreomycin).
How is XDR TB spread?
Drug-susceptible (regular) TB and XDR TB are spread the same way. TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can float in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected.
TB is not spread by
shaking someone's hand
sharing food or drink touching bed linens or toilet seats
sharing toothbrushes
kissing smoking or sharing cigarettes
Why is XDR TB so serious?
Because XDR TB is resistant to the most powerful first-line and second-line drugs, patients are left with treatment options that are much less effective and often have worse treatment outcomes. XDR TB is of special concern for persons with HIV infection or other conditions that can weaken the immune system. These persons are more likely to develop TB disease once they are infected, and also have a higher risk of death once they develop TB disease.
Who is at risk for getting XDR TB?
Drug-resistant TB (MDR or XDR) is more common in people who:
Do not take their TB medicine regularly
Do not take all of their TB medicines as told by their doctor or nurse
Develop active TB disease again, after having taken TB medicine in the past
Come from areas of the world where drug-resistant TB is common
Have spent time with someone known to have drug-resistant TB disease
How can I prevent myself from getting TB?
Avoid close contact or prolonged time with known TB patients in crowded, enclosed environments like clinics, hospitals, prisons, or homeless shelters.
Can the TB vaccine (BCG) help prevent XDR TB?
There is a vaccine for TB disease called Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG). It is used in some countries to prevent severe forms of TB in children. However, BCG is not generally recommended in the United States because it has limited effectiveness for preventing TB in adults. The effect of BCG against XDR TB would likely be similar to the effect on drug-susceptible TB.
If I have regular (drug-susceptible) TB, how can I prevent getting drug-resistant TB?
The most important thing is for you to continue taking all your TB medicines exactly as prescribed. No doses should be missed and treatment should not be stopped early. You should tell your health care provider if you are having trouble taking the medications. If you plan to travel, make sure you have enough medicine to last while away.
Can XDR TB be treated and cured?
Yes, in some cases. Some TB control programs have shown that cure is possible for an estimated 30% of affected people. Successful outcomes depend greatly on the extent of the drug resistance, the severity of the disease, and whether the patient's immune system is weakened.
What are the symptoms of XDR TB?
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs may also include coughing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected. If you have these symptoms, you should contact your doctor or local health department.
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Running may counteract risks of Alzheimer’s gene
Here’s one more reason to go for a walk or go jogging today: Doing so might help fight Alzheimer’s, especially if you’re predisposed to the disease, according to a new study published in Archives of Neurology.
Previous studies have examined the effect exercise has on the disease, with mixed results. Some found exercise to be very beneficial whereas others found its impact on the disease to be marginal at best. In an attempt to better understand the effects, researchers at Washington University decided to study people with a particular gene variant called APOE e4. Everyone carries the APOE gene, but those with this particular variant are 15 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who do not carry it.
The scientists looked at 201 adults aged 45 to 88. Some had a family history of Alzheimer’s, but at the time of the study all of them were cognitively normal – even the 56 volunteers who were found to carry the APOE e4 gene variant, according to Denise Head, an associate professor of psychology who led the study.
Brain scans were used to discover the level of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, on the volunteers’ brains. Those volunteers also provided detailed questionnaires regarding their exercise habits during the past decade.
Taken as a whole, exercise did little to mitigate the accumulation of plaque for the entire group. However, when researchers looked only at those who carried the e4 variant, the results were remarkable.
People who carried the gene variant and who reported walking or jogging for at least 30 minutes five times a week were found to have the same level of plaque buildup as people who were not carriers of e4. In other words, exercise seemed to counteract the increased risks posed by the e4 variant.
“It could be particularly beneficial for you to exercise if you have the at-risk gene,” Prof.. Head said. (The only way to know if you have the gene variant is to get tested for it.)
Prof. Head said the study provides reason to be “cautiously optimistic” regarding the link between exercise and Alzheimer’s. “We have a small sample, we didn’t follow these people over time. There are a lot of limitations to this story,” she said.
But it’s still a good idea to lead an active lifestyle.
“There’s a lot of reasons to be aerobically active,” said Prof. Head. “This study suggests this may be one more.”
Why exercise is good for the brain:
The effect of exercise on the brain has become a hot topic in research circles. Many recent studies have revealed a link between active living and improved memory.
How can exercise improve memory? Irish scientists may have come up with the answer in a study published last fall in the journal Physiology & Behavior. Male college students took a memory test and then one half of the volunteers rode an exercise bike until they were exhausted, while the other half sat idle. Both groups took the test again. The bike riders did much better, while those who rested showed no improvement. Those who exercised were found to have increased levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which promotes the health of nerve cells.
In a 2010 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Cambridge and the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Md., found that mice that had access to a running wheel performed nearly twice as well on memory tests than mice with no access. Moreover, the running mice were found to have grown an average of 6,000 new brain cells per cubic millimetre in the hippocampus, which researchers hypothesized was due to the fact exercise increases blood flow to the brain.
In another study of running mice, researchers at the University of South Carolina discovered that mice that had run on a treadmill every day for eight weeks developed new mitochondria in their brain cells. Mitochondria, which help power cellular activity, may help prevent against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, researchers said shortly after the study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in August 2011.
SOURCE: theglobeandmail
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Sex OK for Most Heart Disease Patients
Patients with stable cardiovascular disease can have sex as long as they can handle other mild or moderate physical activities without symptoms, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
Still, it is reasonable for patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease to receive a comprehensive evaluation from their healthcare provider before resuming sexual activity, the authors stated.
Patients with unstable disease or severe symptoms should be stabilized before attempting sexual activity, according to the writing group, which was chaired by Glenn Levine, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
The guidance was endorsed by several other professional societies, including the American College of Cardiology and American Urological Association, and published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
The authors set out to summarize data on sexual activity and heart disease "in order to provide recommendations and foster physician and other healthcare professional communication with patients about sexual activity," the authors wrote.
In studies conducted primarily among young married men, sexual activity with a person's usual partner was roughly equal to mild to moderate physical activity, such as climbing two flights of stairs or walking briskly.
Levine and colleagues noted that that comparison might not apply to older individuals, people who are less physically fit, and patients with cardiovascular disease, who might have to exert themselves more than their healthier counterparts.
The authors provided several general recommendations for sexual activity among patients with cardiovascular disease:
Women with cardiovascular disease should receive counseling about the safety and advisability of pregnancy and various types of contraception when appropriate.
It is reasonable for patients with cardiovascular disease to undergo a physical examination and provide a thorough medical history before starting or resuming sexual activity.
Sexual activity is reasonable for patients with cardiovascular disease who have a low risk of complications following clinical evaluation.
For those who are not at low risk of cardiovascular complications or who have an unknown cardiovascular risk, exercise stress testing is reasonable to assess exercise capacity and the development of symptoms, ischemia, or arrhythmias.
Sexual activity is reasonable for patients who can exercise with mild to moderate intensity without angina, excessive dyspnea, ischemic ST-segment changes, cyanosis, hypotension, or arrhythmia.
Cardiac rehabilitation and regular exercise can be useful to reduce the risk of sexual activity-related cardiovascular complications for patients with cardiovascular disease.
Patients who develop cardiovascular symptoms while having sex and those with unstable, decompensated, or severe symptomatic cardiovascular disease should not have sex until their condition is stabilized and optimally managed.
In addition to those general recommendations, the authors provided specific guidance for various conditions and advice for dealing with sexual dysfunction -- particularly erectile dysfunction -- in the setting of cardiovascular disease.
Although cardiovascular medications are rarely the cause of sexual dysfunction, numerous classes of medications, particularly diuretics and beta-blockers, have been associated with erectile dysfunction.
The authors recommended that drugs needed for cardiovascular disease not be withheld because of concerns about sexual function.
Widely available erectile dysfunction drugs -- such as the phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), and tadalafil (Cialis) -- are useful for treating that condition in male patients with stable cardiovascular disease, according to the guidelines. Safety is unknown, however, in patients with severe aortic stenosis or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
There is also an absolute contraindication to PDE5 inhibitor use in patients receiving nitrate therapy. Nitrate therapy should not be administered within 24 hours of the patient using sildenafil or vardenafil, and within 48 hours for tadalafil.
For postmenopausal women with cardiovascular disease, the authors said that it is reasonable to use local or topical estrogen to treat painful intercourse.
Levine and colleagues noted the need for further research on sexual activity for specific cardiovascular conditions.
"When possible, pharmacotherapy, device and surgical intervention, registries, and longitudinal studies of patients with cardiovascular disease should specifically include data on sexual activity and function," they wrote.
"Future studies of interventions to improve sexual activity in the context of cardiovascular disease, including sexual counseling, should address sexual concerns and activity of both men and women, young and old, and both patients and partners."
source: medpagetoday
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There is life after cancer
Cancer has been a dreadful word for everyone. However health experts argue that apart from lack of awareness about the disease, one of the major reasons for terrifying people is the sheer number of deaths reported on the media.
Health experts say that majority of the people believe that the end result of cancer is death. But what people do not know is that 80 per cent of cancers are now curable if timely diagnosed and treated. They say the only way to clear this misconception is to spread awareness about cancer, adding that it is a duty that the media and civic society organisations need to take hands on.
They suggested that in urban areas, the media and non-government organisations can play a significant role in spreading awareness about cancer, its symptoms and prevention, and more importantly of success stories of people who have recovered from cancer. They said that rural or remote areas can be similarly targeted through lady health workers and volunteers. Also, by including a chapter about the different types of cancers in the school’s curriculum can go a long way in making the youth aware of the disease and the importance of timely treatment, the added.
But for some people knowing that cancer is curable is not enough. The substantial cost of treatment, the side-effects of the treatment and the stigmas attached to the disease keep a lot of people at bay.
Among such people was Shazia*, a 34-year-old woman who was diagnosed with blood cancer two months ago but she kept refraining from visiting an oncologist. Thinking her family was already financially burdened after the death of her father from a similar medical condition around eight years ago, she burnt all her test reports to keep her disease a secret. Moreover, without any professional consultation she administered a low-cost vaccine that she came to know from some random sources that would stop her cancer from spreading.
Now, her mother curses herself for not being able to judge that her symptoms were of cancer. She recalls that she would give her daughter soft diet thinking she only had an upset stomach.
Another saddening story is of Shahida*, a 38-year-old mother of three who recently died of cervical cancer in Sindh. Her mother, Zahida, believed that her condition was “a punishment from god of our bad deeds” and she took her to a pir (spiritual healer) in her village for treatment. “The healer did all he could,” she said, adding that she even tried “home remedies” for he condition that she did not understand. But Shahida did not survive.
Ironically, Zahida works as a helper at a private medical clinic and could have easily gotten her daughter checked by a medical practitioner.
Health Awareness Society Director Dr Samia Babar says cervical cancer is the only type of cancer that is spread through a virus and is preventable through a vaccine. Other types of cancers are non-communicable and are not treatable through vaccination, she explained.
“Parents invest a lot of money in preparing dowry for their daughters with the aim of securing her married life. However, if a small portion of it is spent on vaccinating against cervical cancer they will actually be securing her life,” she said.
She also urged women to regularly self-examine their breast to help early diagnosis of breast cancer.
Shifa International Hospital Islamabad’s Consultant Oncologist Dr Mohammad Ali Afridi said if cancer is diagnosed in its early stages and treatment is initiated, the patient has around 70 to 95 per cent chance of being cured. Although he added that chances of survival vary depending on factors such as age and the patient’s response to treatment. He added that the sooner the patient is diagnosed of cancer and initiates treatment, the lesser is the cost incurred in managing the disease.
Dr Afridi said that symptoms are different for each type of cancer; however, patients undergoing weight loss is common among all cancer types. He said that though the seven symptoms identified by the American Cancer Society are good determinants in cancer diagnosis, these signs can also be of diseases other than cancer. He still strongly advised everyone to consult their doctor if they experience any of these symptoms.
He said many patients fear that during the treatment for cancer, referring to chemotherapy in particular, people fear they will permanently loose the hair on their scalp and their eyebrows. He assured patients that the hairs they lose through chemotherapy are recovered within a few months.
Signs of cancer
The American Cancer Society has identified 7 symptoms which could be a sign of cancer.
A change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge from any place
A lump in the breast or other parts of the body
Chronic indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
Obvious changes in a wart or mole
Persistent coughing or hoarseness
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2012.
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Health benefits of shifting to Tea of any Color
The Chinese have used green tea as a medicine for more than 4,000 years Putting aside the fact that it’s been shown to reduce the risk of at least one kind of cancer, improve immune function, and fight rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, infection, and high cholesterol, it’s also possibly the greatest energy drink around.
And although green tea gets a lot of attention in the media, truth be told, almost any high-quality tea is great for energy and health. All (except yerba mate, see page 49) are made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, and differ only in the amount of processing and fermentation that the leaves get. So although green, white, black, and oolong tea may differ a little bit in their health profiles, all are superb when it comes to giving you an energy boost, especially mid-afternoon!
So what’s so great about tea? Well, for me it has a terrific “brightening” effect without any of the jitters. Tea contains a substance called the-anine, an amino acid that is a natural relaxer with significant antianxiety properties. I believe that’s why tea drinkers rarely get the jitters even though they enjoy the increased mental acuity and sharpness that the caffeine delivers.
In addition to the many benefits tea has for your health, it boosts your metabolism, which can be great for both energy and weight loss. In one study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, one group of men was given some caffeine, and the other group the same amount of caffeine plus green tea. And guess what happened? The men who received green tea burned more calories than the men who were given the caffeine alone. So there’s something specific to green tea (besides caffeine) that helps boost metabolism.
My friend, nutritionist Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., C.N.S.., points out that studies in humans have shown that green tea increases the rate at which you burn calories and fat over a 24-hour period! Lieberman calls it one of her favorite supplements for weight loss.
And by the way, if you’re still worried about the caffeine, green tea has only on-third as much as coffee, and none of the toxins and acids that make cheap coffee a problem for many people. From a caffeine point of view, you could drink five cups of green tea a day for less than the caffeine load of one medium Starbucks! And that’s really not a problem for most people.
Studies show great benefits from drinking between three and five (or more) cups a day. You can make a big pitcher of the stuff and just drink it like water, all day long. Or even start by substituting one cup of green tea for your regular coffee. It’s soothing and calming, yet at the same time a fantastic energy booster. How great is that?
WORTH KNOWING
Herbal teas are’t really teas at all. They’re actually herbal infusions made from fresh or dried flowers, seeds, or roots-anything but the Camellia sinesis plant. Althought they’re perfectly lovely and may have other benefits, you won’t get th energy boost I’m talking about from using them.
My Favorite Teas
A personal note: Although I love the buzz of my daily Starbucks, around midday I nearly always switch to tea.
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Babies with three parents possible within three years
Babies with three biological parents could be a reality within three years using an IVF technique which eradicates hereditary disease by using the undamaged DNA of a third party.
Researchers have secured £6m in funding to develop the groundbreaking treatment which could prevent genetic conditions affecting the heart, muscle or brain being passed on to children and future generations.
But the method is controversial because it involves transferring the parents' DNA into a donor egg, meaning the resulting child would inherit a tiny fraction of their genetic coding from a third party.
Regulations currently forbid scientists from implanting such eggs into patients.
It came as the Department of Health ordered a public consultation on whether the technology should be moved from the lab to patients, which will be followed by a Commons debate on the ethics of the issue.
The Health Secretary has the power to lift the regulations and if both the scientific and political criteria are satisfied, the therapy could be trialled in humans within two to three years.
The research is aimed at tackling diseases passed down through families via mutated mitochondria, structures which supply power to cells.
Although 99.8 per cent of our DNA, including all our visible characteristics, is inherited evenly from our father and mother and stored in the nucleus of cells, a tiny fraction resides in the mitochondria and is passed down only by the mother.
Faults in the mitochondria affect about one in 200 children in Britain each year, causing severe and incurable diseases such as muscular dystrophy or ataxia in about one in 6,500 people.
Researchers at Newcastle believe they have developed a method which could prevent this particular group of diseases being transmitted, and potentially wipe them out within a generation.
Prof Doug Turnbull, who is leading the research, said: “The important thing is that this has the possibility of stopping the disease completely.
“If this technique proves to be as safe as IVF and as effective as the preliminary studies, I think we could totally prevent the transmission of these diseases.”
The technique involves taking one egg from the mother and another from a donor, before removing the nucleus from the donor’s egg and replacing it with the nucleus from the mother, either before or after fertilisation.
The child would inherit their identity from their mother and father but would take their mitochondrial DNA from the donor, meaning they would have genetic material from three people.
Sir Mark Walport, head of the Wellcome Trust, said the genetic impact of inheriting a third person’s mitochondrial DNA would be as minimal as changing the batteries in a camera.
He said: “We welcome the opportunity to discuss with the public why we believe this technique is essential if we are to give families affected by these diseases the chance to have healthy children, something most of us take for granted.”
Similar studies conducted on monkeys by US researchers resulted in healthy offspring, and trials on mice showed that the genetic conditions were not inherited by future generations either.
The Newcastle team has so far only tested their technique with abnormal, discarded IVF eggs, meaning the embryos have little chance of developing normally, but the new funding will enable trials with healthy, surplus IVF or donor eggs.
Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts praised the “important and potentially life-saving discovery but added: “It is vital that we to listen to the public’s views before we consider any change in the law allowing it to be used.”
If it is approved in patients the treatment could be made available on the NHS to women using either spare IVF eggs or donated cells from friends or family members.
But it is strongly opposed by groups who oppose embryo research and claim genetic engineering can result in serious defects.
Josephine Quintavalle, from the group Comment on Reproductive Ethics (Core), said: "IVF is meant to mimic nature but this is very, very far removed from nature. Even psychologically it's going to do harm because a child is going to realise what was done to create it. The greatest wisdom is sometimes just to say 'no'."
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children described the experiments as "macabre and unethical".
John Smeaton, SPUC director, said: "As with IVF and cloning, this mitochondrial technique may well lead to the developmental abnormalities. Creating embryonic children in the laboratory abuses them, by subjecting them to unnatural processes."
source: telegraph
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Great tips to keep things fresh
Buying fresh produce and foods from the grocery store is one challenge, but keeping it fresh is a whole other issue. We have all had unpleasant experiences in the past with expired foods or fruits and veggies simply gone bad, so how can we stop wasting food?
Pillow talk
Don’t throw away an old pillowcase – it makes an excellent lettuce bag to keep leafy greens fresh and crisp in the fridge. Wash and dry them thoroughly, then hang the pillowcase in your fridge.
Leftover flesh
As a guideline, cover and refrigerate leaftover fish and meat within two hours of serving. Fish should be eaten within two days, and meat within three, after being taken off the bone.
A bunch of broccoli
Broccoli will keep for a couple of weeks if you store it like a bouquet of flowers in the fridge – cut about an inch off the stem and submerge the stem in a bowl or tub of water. Change the water every couple of days and if the base of the stem seems a little slimy, snip the ends off. Broccoli can also be kept in a plastic bag.
Tofu Tips
Once you have opened a package of tofu, you should store the unused portion in a container of water, with a tight-fitting lid. Tofu should be used within three days from when you first open the package and the water should be changed daily.
The yolk’s on me
If you have a recipe that uses egg whites, you can refrigerate the yolks for later use by storing them, unbroken, in a small bowl, covered with cold water for up to two days.
The other half
If you’ve used half an aubergine (eggplant) and want to keep the other half fresh, put it in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge and rube the cut side with lemon juice to stop it going brown. Make sure it’s kept airtight and it should stay fresh for a couple of days.
Keep milk cool
Full milk will stay fresh for 24 days if kept cold but it is very sensitive to temperature and goes off quickly. You will reduce its shelf life drastically by leaving it out for just two hours, so get into the habit of putting your milk back in the fridge as soon as you’ve finished with it.
Enhance tomato flavour
To bring out the most flavour in tomatoes, store them in a basket on your work surface as chilling them below 550C (1300F) can harm the flavour. They don’t keep as long out of the fridge, so if you’re going to do this it’s best to buy them no more than one or two days before use.
Mellow yellow
For unripe fruit you want to soften up in a hurry, leave at room temperature in a bowl with a couple of ripen quicker. Conversely, if you want fruit to ripen slowly keep you bananas in a separate bowl.
Pay attention, honey
If honey become scrystalized in the jar, it doesn’t mean it’s gone off – it just needs a little attention. Just warm the jar up gently in a microwave (be careful of metallic labels and lids) or put in a pan of hot water for a few minutes. A quick stir and it will be as good as new.
Keep flavour in paper
To get the most out of your mushrooms and aubergines, store them in paper bags in the fridge and only wash or wipe them just before us, which will keep them drier for longer and help them retain more flavour.
Foil your celery
To keep your celery fresh and crisp in the fridge for weeks, wrap it completely in aluminium foil to keep the moisture in.
Bag a ripe one
To speed up the process of ripening tomatoes, keep them in a brown paper bag or closed container to trap the ethylene gas that helps them ripen. Adding an ethylene-emitting apple or pear can also help.
Upside down it
Sour cream will keep longer in your fridge if you store the container upside down, which reduces the amount of oxidizing air that can find its way into the package. Be careful when you open it, though !
Not too ripe
Apples are one of the few fruits which are best eaten slightly underripe, when they are still crunchy. If you keep your apples in the fridge, the cold air will slow down the ripening process but not stop it completely. It’s best to buy just a few at a time to maximize your eating pleasure!
Pick paper
Try to avoid food packaged in plastic as much as possible if the food is absorbent, such as meats and cheeses, which could take up toxins from the plastic. Choose paper packages instead, or buy fresh and remove packaging when you get home.
Grape full
Store your grapes in the coldest part of the fridge in a plastic bag. Make sure you wash them well before you serve them to avoid pesticide residues and other toxins, but don’t wash them before you refrigerate as this can cause them to rot.
Remove mould
While not a major health threat, mould can make food unappetizing. Don’t eat the mould or food that has come into contact with it. Hard cheeses, salami and firm fruits and vegetables can be saved form mould if you cut out them mould and also a large area around it, where there might be growth beneath the surface of the food.
Wash and serve
Don’t prepare your strawberries and raspberries too early if you want them to stay fresh – you can hull or slice them earlier, but only wash them just before you serve, then pat dry with kitchen towel to help them keep their fresh texture.
Paper mushrooms
When you bring fresh mushrooms home from shopping, remove them from any plastic wrapping and put them into a paper bag. Fold the top closed and the mushrooms will last a week.
Avoid the plastic fantastic
Don’t keep meat in plastic in your fridge unless you’re going to eat it the same day. Instead, put it on a plate covered with kitchen roll or a tea towel so the meat can breathe but is protected.
Bleach with lemons
Lemon juice is a great way to stop pre-sliced fruit turning brown and unappetizing, and it will give it a fruitier, more intense taste too. Use it on apples, pears and bananas.
Don’t cover strawberries
The moisture content of fresh strawberries is high, so store uncovered or loosely covered – covering the berries up can cause them to rot, even when refrigerated.
Leave seeds attached
When using only part of a red, green or yellow (bell) pepper, cut it from the bottom or the sides, leaving the seeds attached, and it will remain moist for longer. You can put the rest in a resealable plastic bag and use it 3-4 days later.
Fish for safety
Seafood is responsible for a lot of food poisoning, but it’s perfectly safe and very healthy if treated correctly. If you can’t use it immediately, remove it from its original wrapping and rinse in cold water. Wrap loosely in plastic wrap, store in the coldest part of the refrigerator, and use within 2 days. Store ready-to-eat fish such as smoked mackerel separately from raw fish.
Food poisoning
Although you might be tempted to keep food in your fridge and cupboards for a long time, there are certain foods which you should never keep more than a few days – most importantly fresh or thawed meat and fish, and cooked rice.
A quick refresh
If you lettuce is looking a little droopy, try a restaurant trick by refreshing it before you serve it. Fill a bowl with ice cubes and water and plunge the lettuce into it to give it back a bit of its lost crispness.
Keep lettuce dry
To keep lettuce fresher longer wrap a dry paper towel around the root end of the lettuce head ad store in a freezer bag or in a sealed plastic container in your fridge. The paper towel will absorb the excess water.
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