May the occasion of #VasantPanchami, Bring the wealth of knowledge to U, May U be blessed by Goddess #Saraswati & All Ur Wishes Come True. More
Friday, February 12, 2016
NEW
May the occasion of #VasantPanchami, Bring the wealth of knowledge to U, May U be blessed by Goddess #Saraswati & All Ur Wishes Come True. More
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Chennai cardiologists are nudging their patients to good heart health the yogic way.
With 9-year American study revealing that 20 minutes of meditation performed twice daily can lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients with cardiovascular disease, doctors here offer complementary meditation and yoga packages, along with routine heart and BP drugs.
The study, authored by College of Maharishi Consciousness Based Health Care dean Robert Schneider, investigated for nine years subjects diagnosed with early stage cardiovascular disease.
Half the group was taught ‘transcendal meditation’ that involves repeating a word or phrase over and over again (usually ‘Om’), while performing soothing breathing exercises.
At the end of the study period, those who regularly meditated had reduced their chances of dying or having a heart attack or stroke by 47 per cent compared with those who received traditional care.
The study, funded by the National Institute of Health, is expected to be printed soon in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Cardiologists in the city, however, did not need to wait until they had solid evidence backing transcendal medication as a powerful panacea for preventing heart attacks.
“We routinely recommend that patients with heart disease and high blood pressure perform meditation, and we see good results in those who follow our advice with enthusiasm,” says G. Sengottuvelu, senior consultant and interventional cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals.
As part of a master health check-up, those diagnosed with hypertension and heart problems are referred to the hospital’s wellness therapy centre that employs yoga and naturopathy to complement the physician’s allopathic treatment.
“Meditation plays a major role in tackling people with high anxiety. There are many studies that show that transcendal meditation acts on several areas of the brain to bring down the levels of harmful hormones and also put an end to abnormal heartbeats,” Sengottuvelu explains.
Mani Shankar, a 45-year-old patient who suffered from narrowing of the arteries in his heart, says he feels like a changed person after his physician suggested meditation.
“I am now able to meditate anywhere, even during lunch hour at office. I simply need to close my eyes and zone out, and it keeps me stress-free the whole day. My doctor earlier said I may need bypass surgery, but now he is not so sure,” says an elated Mani Shankar.
Young Indian diabetes sufferers exercise in a gymnasium at a clinic in Mumbai.
Diabetologists have now found solid proof that adopting a healthy lifestyle reverses one’s chances of developing diabetes.
In a study that involved 1,253 Chennaiites diagnosed with ‘pre diabetes’, the group that was enrolled into weekly classes for ‘Lifestyle Improvement’ seems to have gotten rid of the diabetes danger that was lurking above their heads.
With a minimum of 150 minutes of walking or jogging in a week, and a healthy low fat diet for four months, doctors found that people lost between 2.5 to 6 kg of weight, and their blood glucose levels became normal.
Researchers from Emory University and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation are also trying to hit on a formula of an exercise-diet combination that can prevent diabetes in the Indian population.
“Even though Indians are genetically predisposed to diabetes, this study proves that we can fight this genetic possibility with lifestyle modification,” said K.M. Venkat Narayan from the Emory university, one of the authors of the year-long D-CLIP study that has now reached its halfway mark.
The specialists screened around 20,000 people from across Chennai — from slums to corporate offices, and picked out people with pre-diabetes symptoms like obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal glucose mechanism. Around 620 of them were picked randomly for the study, and divided into two groups.
“The control group was advised to lose weight, and given a diet chart to follow. They were not monitored after that. The other group, which we call the ‘intervention group’ was invited to attend our classes,” said V. Mohan, president of MDRF.
MDRF vice-president R.M. Anjana explained that the subjects of the study, aged between 20 and 65 years of age, visited the hospital for weekly classes, where volunteers gave them a diet regime, and also started them out on 30 minutes walking, five days a week.
A new study has revealed why some people continue to drink heavily despite experiencing negative effects such as hangovers, fights and regrettable sexual situations.
According to the study by the University of Washington psychologists, it is because people perceive only the positive effects that boozing has.
According to participants in the study, boosts of courage, chattiness and other social benefits of drinking outweigh its harms, which they generally did not consider as strong deterrents.
The findings offer a new direction for programs targeting binge drinking, which tend to limit their focus to avoiding alcohol’s ill effects rather than considering its rewards.
“This study suggest why some people can experience a lot of bad consequences of drinking but not change their behaviour,” said Kevin King, co-author and UW assistant professor of psychology.
“People think, ‘It’s not going to happen to me’ or ‘I’ll never drink that much again.’ They do not seem to associate their own heavy drinking with negative consequences,” he said.
Nearly 500 college students completed an online survey measuring their drinking habits during the previous year.
Participants rated the upsides to drinking as more positive and likely to happen in the future, a finding the researchers call ‘rose-colored beer goggles.’
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Prabha Govind, 27, a software engineer from Kochi who works in Bengaluru, has all the trappings of modernity. An MP3 player and iPhone are his constant companions while he is dressed stylishly in jeans and black Adidas T-shirt, sneakers and sunglasses. But mention the word puja and Prabha will discard his jeans and wrap around the traditional mundu.
He haunts the malls of the city on weekends but at the first sign of trouble, Prabha rushes to the nearby temple to offer a Ganesh puja. “That is for relatively smaller troubles. When it gets bigger I go for a Shayana Pradashinam (rolling around the sanctum sanctorum) in the Guruvayur Krishna temple. It is believed that any desire of yours — no matter how unjust it may seem — will be fulfilled if you go to Guruvayur.”
Prabha belongs to a new class of fun-loving and hep youth who have no qualms about seeking spiritual solutions to their problems. They don’t find anything contradictory in their beliefs, which border on the superstitious and their modern way of life. Prabha’s friend Harilal Krishnan did the Shayana Pradashinam three times last year. “I go to Sabarimala, Guruvayur and Mookambika once a year,” says the IT engineer. He also makes it a point to visit an Ayyappa temple every Saturday and offer Neeranjanam (sesame seeds wrapped in a towel, dipped in oil and then lit in a broken half of a coconut).
Anu George, who is an assistant professor in the Idukki Engineering College, is a member of a prayer group that meets her at residence at least twice a month. “Sometimes, these fellowship meetings are held at someone else’s place. Different people pray for different things and we have seen many people getting cured of ailments. About two years ago, I was being troubled by spondylitis and got relieved of the pain during such session,” says Anu. She, however, adds that it is not as though the prayers are only to get things done. “If God doesn’t want to grant a wish, we accept it.”
Rose Mary, a bank employee, and her husband Ajith Joseph, the director of a Norwegian Research Institute, also attend prayer sessions where ailments are “cured” with faith. “I had this dizziness which even came in the way of my work. In one such session, the person who was leading the session announced that someone has been cured of dizziness. It was only later that I realised it was me because I never had that problem again. But the main purpose of our attending these sessions is to get peace of mind,” she says.
Aishwarya B., a chartered accountancy student, is often made fun of by her friends for being superstitious. That doesn’t stop her from avoiding the Rahukalam (inauspicious period) like the plague and consulting her horoscope before doing anything. She is in fact preparing for a trip to the Srikalahasthi temple to get rid of any doshas that she may have. Is she looking for a solution to any particular problem that is haunting her? “Not really. Astrologers there would identify my dosha,” says Aishwarya.
The attitude of these youngsters seems to be, “why take a chance when it comes to something you can’t possibly explain”. Techie Anju Nair never fails to observe thinkalazhcha vratham (fasting on Monday) for her husband. “I also fast on Tuesdays or Fridays and monthly offer Shastha Vratham for my children.”
“Superstitions are stupid, and stupidity can be tolerated as long as it does not become counterproductive,” says Dr R.K. Rudhran, a consultant psychiatrist.
Make Light of the darkness
Astrologers prescribe remedial measures to negate the adverse effects of the Longest and darkest lunar eclipse in 40 years.
* Though a treat for sky-gazers, astrologists say that the June 15 lunar eclipse will far-reaching effects and will affect the houses of Scorpio and Sagittarius the most.
* Says experienced astrologer Ramesh R., “As Rahu is controlled by the Goddess Durga, individuals should offer prayers to the deity, especially at temples near a water body. You can go to Vijayawada to worship the Goddess Krishnaveni on the shores of River Krishna.”
* Dr Mukesh Jain says, “Scorpios should donate red items like red dal, while Sagittarians need to donate yellow objects.”
* Charity work is important, says Rajini Kukreja, “Donating any white object, such as milk or rice, will help everyone. A visit to a holy place and prayers will also be beneficial.” Kukreja adds that in general “those struggling for a long time will have a nice break, while those in comfort may face problems.”
* Dr C. V. B. Subramanyam says, “The time of the eclipse is an auspicious time for donation. The person whose moon sign is being affected by the eclipse should donate the following items: sun and snake made of gold, moon made of silver, bell metal plate filled with ghee, sesame, clothes and cash. If it’s not possible to donate during the eclipse period, the same can be kept in one’s puja mandir and donated later.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Pomegranate to beat office stress - AP
A study has found that pomegranate juice, which lowers heart rates, can help beat office stress, and also make one feel more positive towards one's work.
Scientists studied a group of volunteers who drank 500ml of the juice every day for two weeks.
At the beginning and end of the study their pulse rate was measured and they filled in a questionnaire describing their mood and feelings about their job.
The research, funded by the Pomegranate juice company, showed almost all of the workers reported being more enthusiastic, inspired, proud and active.
They were less likely to describe their feelings as distressed, nervous, guilty and ashamed compared with the beginning of the fortnight and most had lower pulse rates.
"On the basis of these findings there is a justified argument for busy workers to drink pomegranate juice to help alleviate chronic stress and maintain good health," the Daily Mail quoted lead researcher Dr Emad Al-Dujaili, of Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, as saying.
"There is growing evidence that pomegranate juice delivers wide-ranging health benefits that merit further research.
"It is very rare indeed for an all-natural juice to offer the range of health benefits that we are seeing in pomegranate juice," the researcher added.
