Which is better? Hoodia Extract vs Hoodia Pill

Hoodia gordonii, a cactus like plant from the Apcynacae family is found extensively in the South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. It is extensively used traditionally by the San people of Southern Africa not only as an appetite suppressing agent, but as a thirst reducer also besides as a therapy for the abdominal pain, hemorrhoids and indigestion. Researchers have shown that without the supporting elements in the natural Hoodia gordonii, much of the effectiveness of the suppressant and other herbal benefits are lost.
Till now, the aptitude of Hoodia gordonii as appetite suppressor by virtue of its active molecule – p57 are talked much. But you may not find a good discussion about the different forms like pills, extracts, tablets, powder - by which you can use it. It is also not mentioned that which form is the best one to take Hoodia gondii to get the benefit of the preparation in its best.
Hoodia tablets or pills can offer maximum 2-20% of absorption from the GI system when taken orally. The reason behind the fewer amounts is that it has to be present in the tablet as binders. All these are non-active components and do not cause any good to human. It is used to keep all the ingredients in a tablet to remain together. Only then, we get the completed product as tablet. We have no choice but to accept this. Actually this property remains same to all the tablets (regardless of herbal or medicinal). Once inside our body, the reverse process gets started and the ingredients get unbind once again. For some people, it is not so easy to break down the ingredients comprehensively.
Then again, Hoodia gordonii ingested in a liquid form is absorbed almost instantaneously and completely. The greater part of the people may experience its effects within a couple of minutes after gulping it.
Another key benefit of Hoodia extract is - it provides you the same or better outcome than the pill, at a much lower dose. You need not take 2-3 tablets daily. It is due to the fact that Hoodia in extract form is absorbed much faster and in the fullest of amount in compared to the pill form.
The extract is much easier to swallow, while some people feel it difficult to swallow the larger pills and capsules. Extracts are the easiest way to administer the product to children and the aged persons (although Hoodia is not recommended to children yet).
As the liquid form takes less time for absorption, it goes immediately into the blood flow, which helps you to feel its result almost immediately, while pills can take hours to reach you to the same effect.
The biological availability of the extract is almost 95-98% whereas, in case of pills, it is only 2-20% as its best. So the action is quicker and more effective.
The extract form is not changed to powder unlike pill. So the chemical structure remains same although from the point of extraction to the digestion and metabolism. It has no binders. So you can expect Hoodia gondii in its purest of forms.
If you are thinking of buying Hoodia gondii, think again and go for the Hoodia extact variety.

Stop Smoking Help

Are you a smoker? In some part of your life, you must have tried to quit this bad habit, but somehow you became unsuccessful. Then you might be unaware of the factors that need to be kept in mind. Well, let me guide you.
First let us discuss some of the harmful effects of smoking in brief.
Smoking can cause you heavily. Most of the lung cancer patients are chronic smokers. And the variety of this cancerous condition is extremely obnoxious. It spreads quickly throughout your body before the doctors can help you.
Smoking increases the risk of stroke and heart attack by increasing the cholesterol level in the blood. There is more chance of thrombus formation.
Tobacco smoke has the power of increasing the blood sugar level by inducing glycogenolysis and neutralizing the body’s response to insulin.
There are many other detrimental effects. But the detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this small chitchat.
Now, let us talk about the tidbit of the process of quitting.
There are six basic rules that you should keep in mind. You should exercise them jointly for better result.
The first thing is to find the reasons to quit. If you don’t think the above mentioned reasons are sufficient, you may never be able to quit.
The second thing is getting ready. To start with, you need to fix a target date. Then make the ambience friendlier by throwing all the cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your home, workplace and the transport you use. If you need to change the carpool you take, do not hesitate a bit. Do not permit anybody else smoke around you at your place. Be rigid. Avoid cocktail parties for a while. Rethink about your past experiences to quit smoking. Think about what worked well and which did not. Try the positive approaches. And lastly, after the target date, do not smoke, not even a puff.
The third thing is to ask for support. There are study reports that suggest you will have a better chance of quitting if you are covered up with some kind of help from your near and dear ones. The simple ways to ask for help are from your family members, friends and colleagues. Inform them that you are going to quit the habit and need their support. Request them not to smoke around you. You may seek help from your doctors, counselors. Sometimes a medication may be needed. Get the benefit of group counseling. The more you attend the program, the better chance for quitting. Get information from your local public health care institutions for their roster of quit smoking program.
Fourth thing is to discover the new skills and behaviors. Try to divert your mind from the urges to smoke. Just try out new things that you like; go for a ride, go to the places you like most, talk to your friends over phone. The main thing is to distract your mind at the time of urges. Drink water at least 3 liters a day.
The fifth thing is getting some professional help. You may need some medications. Consult your doctor and use it wisely. Everyone wants to quit smoking may be benefitted from medication.
And last but not the least; be mentally prepared to fight against the relapse or ‘withdrawal symptoms’. It is the time, when utmost care is needed.
It is seen that with strong determination, 6 out of 10 smokers can quit smoking.

Acid reflux bacteria

Acid reflux disease or GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) can be described as reflux of gastric acid into the lumen of our esophagus. It happens when there is increased acid secretion from the gastric mucosa. The muscular tone of the gastro-esophageal valve is also reduced in this situation. Stomach acid irritates the esophageal mucous membrane which is not capable to withstand the extreme pH of gastric acid. So we feel irritation and pain over the lower aspect of our throat.

Incidence of GERD –

GERD is very common throughout the world. It is estimated that one tenth of the American population will suffer from peptic ulcer disease at some point of their lifetime. More than 2 billion dollars are spent for treatment of this disease annually.

Symptoms –

There is extremely painful burning sensation over the lower end of throat and upper central part of stomach. Moreover, this pain is related to eating. Intake of food increases the intensity of pain. There is regurgitation of food as the tone of the gastro-esophageal valve is reduced.

Causes –

GERD is multifactorial in origin. The most common causes are –

· Excessive smoking

· Intake of spicy food, junk food

· Irregular food habits

· Class I personality

· Executive lifestyle

· Long standing use of pain killer drugs (NSAIDs)

· Helicobacter pylori – recently invented bacteria, normally present in the stomach. But in some patients, there is overproduction in the bacterial colony and increase production of gastric acid.

Diagnosis of H. pylori –

There are three methods of diagnosing H. pylori (acid reflux bacteria). The simplest test is directed to detect presence of antibody in the blood against the organism. A breath test is available that works by determining labeled carbon dioxide in the breath symptomatic of an H. pylori infection. Lastly the most invasive test is endoscopic assessment of H. pylori presence.

Why Hoodia is Extremely Popular

In this jet set life, weight loss program has become extremely essential. You can not afford to put on some extra weight; otherwise your ability to work to the best of your ability will be hampered.

Hoodia gordonii, the herbal preparation for suppressing the appetite is becoming popular gradually. It is a succulent cactus like plant found in the partly deserted area of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. The San Bushmen were using the plant to kill their appetite while long hours of hunting or while they had to cross the great ‘Kalahari’ desert. Hoodia not only suppresses the appetite, but it crunches the thirst also. The native medical practitioners also were using this plant as to treat abdominal cramps, vomiting and to guard against small infections.

In 1937, a Dutch anthropologist while studying the Bushmen noticed that they were chewing some kind of plant to wane off their appetite. In 1963, South African Nationalized laboratory – Center for Scientific and Industrial Research, started studying the plant. In 1995, they have patented the active ingredient obtained from Hoodia gordonii – p57, and subsequently sold it to the British Pharmaceutical Company – Phytopharm. At present, Phytopharm is marketing the Hoodia gordonii worldwide in association with another pharmaceutical giant – Unilever.

Scientists have separated out the Hoodia’s active ingredient and the companies are selling it in the form of pills or simply Hoodia extract. They have injected the extract to the hypothalamus of laboratory animal after purification. The observation was outstanding. The food intake of the animals was reduced to 60%.

Hoodia is exceptionally active, especially in the extract form. After taking the dose, the subject will start feeling reduction in their appetite within minutes. The pills may take hours to do so. Anyway, the effect is same. The good thing about Hoodia gordonii extract is that the bioavailability is about 90-95%. Little amount has to be taken and it can be easily administered to older persons. The use in the pregnant and lactating mothers has not been established. Its use in the diabetic patients is also controversial.

There is virtually no side effect. Phytopharm had conducted the lone study involving 18 human volunteer. They did not complain any kind of bitterness in the mouth (although the plant is very much bitter in taste), no altered sensation, no abdominal cramps, palpitation or even slight headache. The studied volunteers were taking 1000 calories less than the placebo group. Within a week, the reduction in weight was visible.

No weight control pill can reduce your weight on his own. You have to include some amount of exercises besides lowering the intake of calorie. The good thing with Hoodia is you do not have to go for extensive workout program.

Hoodia gordonii has become extensively popular in recent times. So much Hoodia have been uprooted during the last couple of years that Namibian and some other government have stamped the plant as protected species.

The Hoodia gordonii product is freely available in the internet. Only you have to place an order, by any method you like, and you will get the medicine at your doorstep.

How Hoodia Works

Hoodia gordonii, a novel approach to lose weight is getting momentum in recent days. It is a cactus like succulent plant found extensively in semi desert area of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. It is being used an appetite suppressor by the San speaking tribesmen for centuries. During 1937, a Dutch anthropologist, while studying the Bushmen found that they were eating a specific type of shrub to kill their appetite. In 1963, South African nationalized laboratory – Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) started studying the plant. In 1995, they patented an active ingredient – p57, for the appetite suppressing property of Hoodia gordonii. The patent was then sold to the British pharmaceutical company Phytopharm, who is at present marketing the product in association with Unilever.

It takes about 4-5 years to bloom for the plant Hoodia gordonii, when the light purple flowers come out. This is the time for the plant to farm again.

Few researchers consider that they have identified the active ingredient that is responsible for Hoodia’s feat as an appetite suppressing agent, with not much experiments into the Hoodia’s other possible mechanisms of biological action. Nevertheless, the active ingredient of Hoodia has been partially discovered. CSIR have pointed the active ingredient – p57, a sterol glycoside. It is a part of a cluster of naturally occurring substances called ‘Cardenolides’. Glycosides are well known to the scientists for its powerful action in cardiac functions, especially heart rate, for years. However, noticeable effects over the enzyme Sodium, Potassium ATPase (NA, K ATPase), the target of action for the cardiac glycosides, are not the basis of action in case of Hoodia administration.

The available hypothesis tells us that Glycoside sterols act straightway to the Hypothalamus (positioned in the Central nervous system and controller of secretion of various hormones) – releasing a message that the blood sugar level is high enough. This happens to a Glucostatic mechanism of weight reduction. In vitro studies involving laboratory animals suggests that intracerebroventricular injection of purified Hoodia derivative – p57AS3, resulted in higher concentration of ATP in the hypothalamus, that may be a cause of sensing of satiety. No such specific receptors for the p57 has been discovered in rat brain, but CSIR scientists have found that injection of this product in the brain has decreased the amount of food intake of these animals by 60% besides amplifying the numbers of ATP hypothalamic neurons by up to 150%. The tracking of calorie input by the hypothalamus may be triggered by rise in the intracellular neuronal energy – in the shape of ATP.

In spite of the fact that Hoodia has become immensely popular drug to combat obesity, there is no documented randomized controlled study organized in human subjects to show that Hoodia is safe in any of its form such as pill, extract or tea form.

The sole proprietor ‘Phytopharm’ conducted a stage III clinical trial involving 18 human volunteers. They concluded that after taking Hoodia, the intake of food of the subjects reduced by 1000calories a day in comparison to a placebo group. But this report was never published. So the quality of the trial can not be assessed.

Hoodia review

Hoodia gordonii is a leafless cactus like plant that has the power to hold water (it is a succulent plant). The natural habitat of this plant is partly desert areas of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola. It is a small plant like most other desert shrubs. The leaves are spiny and the flowers have the smell of rotten flesh. The migration of pollens occurs through flies. It takes almost four to five years for Hoodia gordonii to bloom to its pale purple flowers and the plant can be harvested again.

The use of Hoodia was known to native African Bushmen for a long time. The traditional native medical practitioners were using this plant as to treat indigestion and minor infections. The use of Hoodia to suppress the hunger while travelling through treacherous ‘Kalahari’ desert was the main reason for its publicity. They were known to cut the stem out and chew the bitter tasting plant.

For the last decade, Hoodia gordonii has been extensively marketed as appetite killer to be used in weight loss program and gained immense popularity.

There are more than 13 subspecies of Hoodia. The sole active ingredient ‘p57’ has been discovered from Hoodia till date. As per recent assertion, only Hoodia gordonii contains the active ingredient.

An anthropologist from Holland started studying the South African Bushmen in 1937. He noticed that they were using Hoodia gordoni to suppress their appetite.

Researchers at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa started studying Hoodia in 1963. During their study, it was observed that the test animals were losing weight after administration of Hoodia gordonii. Eventually CSIR isolated the active ingredient – p57 from the plant. In 1995, CSIR got the patent of Hoodia and sold it to the British Pharmaceutical Company Phytopharm who is at present marketing this product with Unilever.

There is no documented scientific evidence available regarding the use of Hoodia gordonii as appetite suppressant in humans. So, the safety profile and efficacy of Hoodia as a dietary supplement have got to be considered as uncorroborated.

Except for the study by the CSIR, one more animal research on Hoodia is available, which involved direct in injection of purified p57 agent to the brain of mice. The reason given by the researcher that p57 is easily broken down by the liver enzyme while given orally. Although it worked convincingly, the researcher’s view was somewhat unclear about the dose of Hoodia should take to work properly.

At present, there are hundreds of ‘Authentic Hoodia gordonii’ products available in the market. Most of them are fake and do not contain Hoodia or its active ingredient. During the past couple of years, so much Hoodia have been rooted out that country like Namibia and others have given the plant ‘protected status’.

Alkemists Pharmaceutical Company conducted a review of some of the Hoodia products available in the market. It showed that almost half of the products do not contain Hoodia at all.

There is much hype about Hoodia gordonii and the clear picture is yet to come. Till then buy Hoodia from a website that you can trust.

Does Hoodia Have Side Effects?

Hoodia gordonii, the much hyped drug against obesity often claimed as not having any side effect. Due to lack of documented evidence to prove this, it can not be said rightaway.

Hoodia producers usually declare that it has no side effect as the San Bushmen in the South Africa are using as a food supplement and appetite killer for centuries. Their priests are using Hoodia to treat some medical conditions as well. While crossing deceitful ‘Kalahari’ desert, they are using the plant as appetite lowering agent.

Hoodia gordonii is not there in the Western market for such time, that scientists can experiment on it to unearth some important ingredients, which may be much more helpful than it is doing at present. Due to same lack of time, Hoodia gordonii has not undergone for safety testing to enlighten us about its probable side effects and drug interactions. Mere claim from the manufacturers are not sufficient.

During his study of South African Bushmen, a Dutch anthropologist discovered that the Bushmen were eating some kind of plant to keep their appetite away. They were eating Hoodia as food surrogate, not as medicine. The CSIR concluded that Hoodia befits the criterion of being a natural suppressant of appetite, but not cure of it.

The researchers who volunteered by tasting Hoodia gordonii during the study, states that even pure Hoodia gordonii or its extracts does not leave any detrimental after effects for physical conditions. No bad taste in mouth, no abdominal cramp, no palpitation, no sweating and no vertigo either. There was no hunger and thirst as well.

But it must be remembered that Hoodia gordonii has not been studied in detail. The only active ingredient having some medicinal value has been separated, that is p57.

By taking Hoodia gordonii extract as appetite suppressant, you fix your hunger, lace the urge eating different high calorie meal; in turn lose your weight. But simultaneously, you are taking the risk of not having all the required nutrients and vitamins. That is the reason Hoodia gordonii products are not recommended to the children, pregnant and nursing mothers and the underweight people.

Diabetic patients should be cautious while using Hoodia. It is seen that the appetite killing medications often increase the blood sugar level, thus creating a false impression of taking enough food. Although there is not enough data to prove the fact, it is better to remain on the safer side. It may also occur that after taking Hoodis, the blood sugar level dropped rapidly below critical level. It may crate an emergency called ‘Hypoglycemic shock’. And with the regular hunger – satiety mechanism turned off, the usual warning sign of hypoglycemia may become suppressed.

Hoodia claims to reduce the thirst level too. It is seen that some of the Bushmen died because of dehydration while crossing the desert as they had taken Hoodia before starting out. Their sense of thirst had been deranged extensively. Dehydration was the cause of death.

Hoodia gordonii is a novel herbal preparation. The much of it are yet to be discovered. But before the extensive research, the safety level will always be under close supervision.

Nicocure® review

Smoking is a habit that everybody wishes to quit. But somehow finds it difficult to do so even with the strongest bit of determination. They need the aid of ‘stop smoking pills’.

Among all the ‘stop smoking pills’ available in the market, low dose nicotine remains the key ingredient. It means you have to take the same harmful agent to get rid of it. Doesn’t it sound ridiculous? But is there is any product that claims to help to quit smoking in thirty days without injecting a milligram of nicotine?

Well, Nicocure® is the answer. The first time all herbal preparation that makes sense.

You might be thinking whether Nicocure® really as effective as it declares? Does it truly facilitate you to quit smoking within 30 days? The single word answer is yes. It is an exceptional ‘stop smoking pill’, which makes possible quitting your smoking habit in a natural way without using the nicotine patch or chewing gum. Nicocure® helps your body’s natural defense system to work against nicotine desire and take away your nicotine addiction rapidly.

In a study conducted to test Nicocure®’s effectiveness, experts have opined that it is the best of the medicines available in the market.

The Nicocure® stop smoking pill is an absolutely safe and rapid approach to quit smoking without the risk to face the ‘Withdrawal symptoms’. It works in the way to quit your smoking practice permanently by altering the taste towards tobacco and get rid of your nicotine urges. Nicocure® usually takes about 30 days to work completely and it is definite to work.

One thing you must be thinking, is Nicocure® safe for you? Well, yes; as I mentioned earlier that Nicocure® is made from trusted herbal components that naturally remove your body’s requirement of nicotine.

Diabetic persons can use Nicocure® without any hesitation as it does not contain any sugar.

Nicocure® also helps the patients carrying the habit of chewing tobacco or tobacco powder inhalation. It is effective in any kind if nicotine preparation.

The only drawback was noticed for Nicocure® that it is not safe to use during the time of pregnancy and in case of nursing mothers. But this is applicable for most of the herbal preparations as well.

Although the company claims that the habit will wane off after a period of 30 days, the changes in a Nicocure® user can be noticed within the first 10 days of regular intake. But it is better to continue the preparation for 2 months to remain on the safer side.

There is no side effect of Nicocure®. The only thing worth mentioning is, if you deceive and take a puff of tobacco smoke, you will feel dizziness and mild nausea. This is the indicator that Nicocure® is working. After the total period is finished, you will not feel any craving towards smoking.

Nicocure® is offering bonus to its buyer. If you purchase the sixty days course, you will be getting their Award-Winning e-book on ‘How to Quit Smoking for Life’ and an mp3 CD containing stop smoking hypnosis audio. Besides these two offers, ‘Money back guarantee offer’ is also in force. If you are not happy with the result, you may return the used pack and get the money back.

Why Stop Smoking Pills Work Best

It seems like everything has a pill. In this modern ‘pills for all’ age, one should not be surprised finding some ‘stop smoking pills’ as well. But that is not the main thing.

The first and foremost requirement to quit smoking is a strong determination. Find some reasons why you want to quit smoking get some help from your family and friends and fix a date. After that no more puffs. That should be the right approach.

In some cases, that does not work simply. Somebody may need medical help to successfully achieve his desired result.

At present, market is full of herbal and medicinal preparations that offer hassle free quitting from smoking. Most of the promises are correct. You need to choose which the best one is.

Quitting smoking is tough, even sometimes it is impossible to restrain from nicotine desires so hard without support of a ‘stop smoking pill’. It is of no harm using natural medication that helps us effectively give up tobacco addiction. There is an array of stop smoking pills available in the market to help out smokers to get rid of their smoking habits.

How do the ‘stop smoking pills’ work? It helps to release the ‘feel good’ hormones from the different organs. They are basically neurotransmitters working over the central nervous system. Among them, Dopamine should be worth mentioning. Dopamine is used to treat depression, anxiety, mania and nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

Virtually, there is no such pill invented till date that will force you to stop smoking. Even while taking the ‘stop smoking pills’, if you think to smoke anyway, you can do easily. In fact there is no medication or means that will make you to quit smoking. The discretion is all yours.

The FDA approved medicinal quit smoking preparations comprise of Nicotine in low dose. The preparations available in the market are Nicotine chewing gum, Nicotine inhaler, Nicotine spray and Nicotine patch. Of all these products, only Nicotine patch is available in the market over the counter. Rests are available only after a prescription of a qualified medical practitioner.

All of them contain nicotine. Even in the lowest possible dose of nicotine can cause harm to the subject. There is a chance of dependency formation and all the ill effects of nicotine if somebody takes it for a long period. There is difficulty to get the right medication as well.

Researchers have found that ‘stop smoking pill’ works in an excellent manner. It stops the craving for nicotine, there is soothing and coating of GI and urinary tract. The pill also helps to reduce anxiety and stress, regularizes the sleep rhythm. Without the aid of the ‘stop smoking pills’, a large population in the world were fated to continue on smoking and further jeopardizing their health condition and strength.

The all herbal preparation (Nicocure®) helps to quit smoking in a natural way. The ingredients are well known and trusted for over the centuries. People have started depending upon the ‘stop smoking pills’ rather than asking for one more cigarettes.

Why You can Quit Smoking

Smoking is detrimental to health. It is causing harm when you are feeling euphoric, when you are getting excited after a quick puffs or even when you are in the state of alertness. It is a silent killer.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemical mostly of which are injurious to health. Smoking is rapidly habit forming, and it is very hard to quit. The main reason behind this is nicotine. It creates a state of craving. There is a joke – ‘It is very easy to quit smoking, I have quitted it for so many times’.

Smoking increases the blood sugar level by potentiating the process of glycogenolysis. Glycogen is broken down to increase the level of free glucose in the blood. It also trims down the response of the body tissues to the action of Insulin – the hormone responsible for controlling the blood sugar. The ultimate result can be overt diabetes.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 40 carcinogens (factors that can cause cancer). If the critical level is reached, it may produce carcinoma of the lung and gastrointestinal tissues (lip, tongue, esophagus and stomach). The lung cancer caused by the carcinogen present in the tobacco smoke is highly metastatic. It rapidly spreads into the surrounding tissues and then to the whole body. The 5 year survival rate is poor.

Smoking also alters the peaceful state of mind. For the chronic smokers, it is more obvious. Persons become irritable, highly prone to stress and anxiety. The duration and depth of sleep are also reduced. This is again a potent cause of stress. Actually a vicious cycle forms.

Smoking increases the secretion of gastric acid from the stomach. Peptic ulcer disease is very common in the heavy smokers.

The pregnant mothers also are benefitted. The placental (organ that connects maternal blood vessel to that of growing fetus – it supplies the essential nutrition to the fetus and extracts out the products of metabolism) blood vessels get narrowed by the action of tobacco smoke. Thus the fetus is devoid of the basic nutrition. It is highly recommended to quit smoking when somebody is pregnant.

Usually people needs 2-3 tries before he is really gain the confidence finally to do it. Each time somebody is trying to quit, he learns the pros and cons of the quitting process.

Let us recapitulate the benefits of quit smoking –

The longevity of your life is increased. The quality is improved too.

It will reduce the chance of being a lung or oral cancer patient besides lowering the risk of coronary thrombosis (heart attack) or cerebral thrombosis (stroke).

For the pregnant mother, quitting smoking will improve the condition if the fetus. The chance of having a healthy baby is increased. The possibility of premature delivery is also reduced.

The other family members especially children are also benefitted as they are not exposed to the risk of ‘passive smoking’.

The money you save from quitting the bad habit can be spent to go for a beautiful vacation or some good home appliances can be purchased.

To quit smoking, all you need is a strong determination and some aid from others.

Smoking facts

People smoke to get some gratification, for social or ritualistic needs or when the dependence on Nicotine hampers his way of life. In a study, it was seen that smoking is the single largest primary or secondary cause of illness and premature death in the United Kingdom. More than 450,000 deaths due to smoking related diseases occur in the United States per year. Tobacco smoking is an addiction as it contains nicotine, a molecule that is addictive in nature. When the dependency occurs, it becomes very tough to quit smoking. Tobacco also contains Harmane (a Mono Amino Oxidase inhibitor). The cumulative effect of nicotine and Harmane is the reason behind the sense of euphoria and its addictive properties.

For the first time and infrequent smokers, nicotine creates a state of alertness and increase in the memory function besides creating a euphoric state. Nicotine also depresses some metabolic processes and it is known appetite killer by increasing blood sugar level.

As the nicotine level in the blood increases, dependency to nicotine becomes obvious. And if somebody is restricted to smoke, the ‘withdrawal symptoms’ occurs such as anxiety, craving for smoking, restlessness, irritability, headaches, difficulty to concentrate and sense of doom. The entire symptoms will vanish with the next puff of cigarette. Because of that, most of the smokers take puffs regularly to feel normal or to avoid ‘withdrawal symptoms’.

Another detrimental component of cigarette smoke is ‘tar’. It gets deposited in the tiny blood vessels of lungs and later carried out to other parts of body. It is the prime cause of ‘Burger’s disease of the foot’.

Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 different types of chemical components. Of these, 50 elements are highly carcinogenic.

Some other smoking facts are –

About 106,000 people die due to the disease directly or indirectly related to smoking in the UK. Smoking related deaths are mainly due to lung and oral cancers, membrane lung diseases (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary/Lung Disease – also named COPD/COLD) and cardiac thrombosis.

About half of all the smokers die due to smoking related diseases.

For the chronic smokers (who are continuing for 10-12 years), even after 30 years of age, life expectancy decreases. It is about 8-12 years less than the non-smokers. Take it this way – roughly 8 persons out of 10 non-smokers live more than 70 years whereas 50% of chronic smokers survive till 70 years.

If the starting age is less, the person is more likely to continue smoking in the adult life and there is more chance of dying earlier.

Smoking related diseases grinds the sufferer. There are no quick deaths like accidents and cardiac arrest. You have to suffer for years in distressed and debilitated conditions if you develop COPD and cancerous conditions.

Smoking is the predisposing factor for many diseases. Some of them are not fatal. But they can offer bad times for years.

A couple of cigarettes in continuation increase the level of fat by 200-400% in blood. The average smoker (30 cigarettes a day) has about 5 times more risk to develop heat disease if he is in the age group of 45-54 years.

Overall, the conclusion is ‘quit smoking for better living’.

Care for your eyes and hair

Every people love to be attractive and want to be presentable to their associates. Your eyes catch attention of the friends instantly if you wear a pair of colored contact lenses. Actually it is one of most recent craze among the next generation people. To wear a colored contact lens is stylish, but there are some payback times also. Continuous wearing of contact lenses can harm your eyes. So, before you buy a pair of highly priced contact lens, please go through the following guidelines –

· You must pay visit to a reputed eye care professional for a complete eye check up. The periodicity must be once in a year.

· Swapping contact lenses with your friends can create various diseases among yourselves. The infectious disease of your friend can easily pass on to you with the infected contact lens. So, never exchange contact lens with anybody. And if you do so, make sure to clean it properly before wearing it. Your ophthalmologist may guide you how to disinfect the lens.

· Never wear the contact lens beyond the recommended period. It may jeopardize the eye tissues. Never go to sleep wearing a contact lens unless prescribed otherwise.

· The first time you notice any kind of redness or you feel irritation in the eyes, remove the lenses and consult your doctor immediately. You may have been infected by any kind of organism.

· Preferably, you must wear the contact lens that are medically approved and after prescription by a qualified licensed ophthalmologist. Do not go for the over the counter lenses. Your eyes may not permit to wear contact lens. Your doctor is the best judge.

There are basically four types of contact lenses. You must enquire before your doctor which one is better for you. The types of lenses are –

Regular wear soft contact lens – these are made of soft, flexible synthetic plastic material that allows oxygen to pass through. It is necessary to maintain the hygiene of the eyes.

Regular wear disposable contact lens – this are single time usable lens intended to be worn for a lone day. You must dispose it in the night after coming back home and replace with a fresh pair for the next day.

Extended wear soft lens – this lens is designed for overnight wear. These are made of flexible soft plastic. Doctors often prescribe this type of lens for use up to one week without discarding.

Rigid, permeable glass lens – it is made of slightly flexible glass. It usually offer sharper vision than soft contact lenses.

Now let us discuss something about unwanted hair.

Our one of the most gruesome dreams is unwanted growth of hair other than that our scalp. And if this growth occurs in the region covering our umbilicus (belly button) up to the back side, we feel extremely ashamed and avoid going to any socialization.

A short-term answer to get rid of this fuzzy growth is to use a good quality depilatory cream, which of course abundantly available in the market. Otherwise using a high-quality razor is a good option. It is to be remembered to use warm water during shaving and to make a lot of lather. You must apply an antibacterial cream after shaving. Except this, waxing is familiar method to remove unwanted hairs. Rarely, it can irritate your skin. The permanent procedure to get rid of the hairs is laser ablation of the hair bulbs. You may need 4-6 sittings to be completely cured.

Oral Contraceptive Pills

Contraception is the method of not to get pregnant. There are numerous ways of contraception like oral contraceptive pills, condoms, female diaphragm, contraceptive foam and jelly, intrauterine devices, emergency contraception, injectable contraceptive medications, abstinence and permanent contraception.

Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP) or simply ‘pills’ are mostly used all over the world. This is an easy and safe way to prevent unwanted pregnancy. All you need to have is motivation and timely intake of the medicine.

There are different OCPs available in the market. Generally it is composed of two hormones – estrogen and progesterone. The ways OCPs prevent pregnancy are –

It prevents the formation of a viable ovum inside the ovary.

It prevents the development of an ovum.

It prevents the sperm to fertilize an ovum.

And lastly, it prevents the ‘nidation’ (deposition of a fertilized ovum inside the uterus).

OCP is very much safe. After regular use of OCP, three among 1000 users will get pregnant. The negative aspect of OCP is that it can not prevent transmission of any Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The concurrent use of condoms is recommended.

Commercially available OCPs have 28 hormonal tablets and another 7 iron tablets. You have to take the 1^st hormonal tablet from the very first day of menstruation. After consuming 28^th hormonal tablets, continue the iron medication. When the pack is finished, start using a fresh pack. Generally all these are mentioned in the medicine pack.

Do not start using OCPs without consulting a doctor. OCPs are notorious for some its side effects. For the high risk patients, OCP can cause high blood pressure, deep venous thrombosis and weight gain. These are some rare and serious complications. Mild nausea, vomiting, headache, and abdominal cramps are common. But, generally OCPs are well tolerated.

The advantages of OCPS are –

Pills are safe and convenient to use.

OCPs decrease the risk of developing ovarian and uterine carcinomas. There are reports on reducing the chance of breast cancer also.

Menstrual cramps are significantly reduced. Endometriosis is also suppressed by OCPs.

Post menopausal women are having lower of estrogen and progesterone in the blood. They are prescribed OCPs to treat this problem (Hormonal Replacement Therapy).

As OCP packs contain 7 iron tablets, it helps to prevent anemia among women.

Women enjoy sex more while on OCPs as they are certain that she would not get pregnant.

Now let us know about the disadvantages of OCPs –

It does not offer any protection from getting a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) including AIDS. The male partner will have to use a condom.

You have to remember to take pills everyday, at the same time.

There are some cases of spotting (bleeding through vagina) among the first time users.

Women may miss her periods. Sometimes menstrual bleeding occurs for a single day only. One has to get the knowledge of it that she may not experience menstrual bleeding at all for initial couple of months.

Headaches, depressions weight gain are some common side effects of OCPs. But these are mild and transitional.

There are some reports of increased chance of having cervical carcinoma. But the rate is very low.

Pill users can not smoke. The combined use will have three to fold increased risk of having high blood pressure and stroke.

To conclude, OCPs are one of the best contraceptives available at the market at present. Careful use of Oral Contraceptive pills will avert unwanted pregnancies.

The food pyramid

The food pyramid is designed to inform people how to eat healthy. A colored detailed food chart has been developed to represent five groups of foods and fats. The colors stand for –

Green – vegetables, orange – grains, red – fruits, yellow – fats and oils, purple – meat, fish, beans and nuts and lastly – blue for milk and dairy products.

The pyramid tells us about to eat a variety of food items, some foods are to be taken as much as you can, and some foods are with a caution.

A balanced diet includes foods from all the groups; it means we have to take food from each of the color category each day. The purple and yellow colored food groups are to be taken with an eye to check the total calorie intake whereas the green and orange colored groups give us good nutrition.

The amount is to be taken to remain healthy is variable. But surely we can estimate how much food is needed from each category.

Grains –

Foods of this group are measured in ounce equivalents. Actually this is a serving size measurement. The ounce equivalents of most common grains are –

1 slice of bread, ½ cup of pasta or rice, ½ cup coked cereal like oatmeal and 1 cup of cold dry cereal. The adolescents (up to 12 years of age) need 5 ounce equivalents a day and the adults need 6-7 equivalents a day depending upon the total body weight. It is better to take whole grain foods like brown bread, brown rice than bleached rice and oatmeal. Try to take at least half of your grain food from the whole grain source.

Vegetables –

Fresh green leafy vegetables are beneficial to everybody. This contains essential vitamins and minerals. Different colored vegetables are rich in different vitamins such as yellow colored vegetables like carrots and pumpkins are rich source of beta carotene and Vitamin A. Green colored vegetables contain Vitamin E and Niacin in good quantity etc. Vegetable servings are measured in cups. Adolescents require 2 cups of food from this category and the adults require 2 ½ cups of veggies daily.

Fruits –

Seasonal fruits can be taken daily. Fruits may be sweet or sour and it determines the vitamin content of that particular fruit. Adolescent require 1- 1 ½ cups of fruit each day and adults need 1 ½ - 2 cups of fruits each day.

Dairy and milk products –

Foods of this group are rich in calcium. Calcium is responsible for building strong bones and teeth. So, one must include some amount of food from this category. Adolescents need 2 cups of milk daily and adults must take 3 cups of milk each day.

If somebody is having lactose intolerance disease, yogurt, whey, fruit juices fortified with calcium and cheese are other options.

Meat, fish, beans and nuts –

Foods of this group are the source of protein and iron. Like cereal grains, these foods are also measured in ounce equivalents and that would equate –

1 ounce of meat, fish or poultry products, 1 egg, ¼ cup of dry cooked beans, ½ ounce of seeds or nuts and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.

Fats and oils –

The products contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acid. It is better to lower the amount of calorie taken daily from this group. Fats and oils from the plant source is always better than that obtained from animal source as they contain more Poly and Mono unsaturated fatty acids which help to reduce the cholesterol level.

Tea: what is multiple tea infusions?

The Chinese people are drinking tea for more than 4000 years and discovered a considerable amount regarding benefits of high quality leaf tea during this time.

Tea has got numerous health benefits. Studies have reported that tea has got the power to reduce the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or the bad cholesterol. It also increases the good HDL cholesterol. By lowering the LDL, tea reduces the chance to form the plaques inside your blood vessel (this in turn reduces the risk of having heart attack or stroke); tea has the anti-cancer property also. Polyphenols present in the tea infusion lowers the chance of cancer in the breast, colon, ovary and urinary bladder. Tea helps to regenerate the pancreatic beta cells, thus it also helps to fight against diabetes. Scientists have also experienced that injection of catechins (one of the polyphenol present in the tea) to the laboratory animals reduced the chance of liver carcinoma. EpiGalloCatechin Gallate (EGCG), another ingredient present in tea is a powerful antioxidant. It significantly slows down the aging process in our body.

The Chinese perfected the processing of the tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) and the progress of different varieties of tea. Tea is prepared by infusion technique. They have also perfected the correct infusion methods that guarantee a perfect cup of tea.

At present, many Chinese and other tea drinking people throughout the world employ multiple infusions of whole tea leaves as a quality, cost effective means to enjoy tea. The concept of multiple tea infusion points to that high quality whole leaf tea is infused with clean water more than a single time but the ultimate tea drink will not lose any flavor or quality. In is in fact an economical way to relish a quality tea experience and multiple infusion reduce the cost of high quality loose leaf tea radically.

So, what is necessary to make a multiple tea infusions? It requires any kind of best quality whole leaf tea and uncontaminated water – that’s all.

Whole leaf tea that is cultivated in a premier tea garden and appropriately plucked at the most suitable time is the basin requirement for multiple infusions. After plucking, the leaves must be processed by the time honored and conventional method where the integrity of the leaf tea is preserved. Leaves processed by the commercial CTC (cut, tear, cut) technique is used to prepare most of the tea bags. It will surely not produce quality multiple tea infusions. It is virtually unattainable to make multiple infusions from the most tea bags available in the market or loose low quality leaf tea without causing ample degradation of taste and flavor.

Most of the today’s supplied water contains contaminations that not only wipe out the taste of quality loose leaf tea but are harmful also regarding our long term health. Many packaged drinking water are also not fit to produce a quality cup of tea. While selecting the water to brew tea, you can try purified water made by distillation/ozonisation method that produces purified water with a light and fresh taste.

If you enjoy a good quality cup of tea and want to get the best worth while purchasing tea, search for the tea leaves made from highest quality leaves, which are plucked and processed in the conventional way. This will make you ready to make multiple infusions of your desired tea and considerably reduce the overall cost. Add clean water while brewing and your tea drinking experience will be guaranteed. After all, 4000 years of Chinese tea drinkers can not be wrong.

How to combat child obesity?

Doctors and other health care providers have warned of a health catastrophe if the fast growing numbers of obese children is not brought down very quickly. In a recent study in India, involving 4300 children of middle and upper middle class families, have found that more than 26% are overweight and 3.9% of them are plain obese.

The situation is similar the world over. Aggravating the problem is the established fact that when children watch TV, they take snacks more than usual. These foods are high is salt and calories and very low in fiber. This means a double problem. With the increasing number of both the parents working, the already sedentary children are taking the kind of food that increases the fatty tissues in the body. Besides, if both the parents are obese, the child has more propensities to become obese.

It is not just junk food alone that adds to the fat. Even the traditional cooking style involving refined and bleached wheat and polished rice have dislodged whole grain as the staple cereals.

Syndrome X or dysmetabolic syndrome is spreading fast in these days. It is a defective gene action where the insulin action of the body is not adequate and the fatty tissues are not broken down. Obesity is not a separate thing but a metabolic element of Syndrome X comprising of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure.

But what is the harm of bearing a little extra fat for a child? Actually, experts say, obesity in children may give rise to arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in future for the child.

So, what you will do to keep your children fit and healthy? Let’s have a look –

Do not allow children much time in front of TV or computer playing video games. Besides putting on some extra weight, the habit will be changed to become a couch potato. Define the hours to be spent for TV, but allow them to watch their favorite TV shows.

Make a habit for healthy foods. Encourage them to take green salads and clear soups instead of taking meat salad or sweet corn chicken soup.

While eating at any fast food junction, order the better foods like a pizza is a better alternative to burger and milk shake is always better than cola. This has to be maintained at the parties also. Do not go for a-la-carte menus. Try the simpler and nutritious foods.

Your dinner time should be early in the night and preferably with home-cooked food. This will substantially reduce the time spent in front of TV. After dinner, all the family members should sit together and enjoy each other’s company.

Always choose baked food items over fried good as that will give you less calorie. Moreover, baked items have more fiber that in same amount of fried goods. Fried items contain more LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) which is regarded as ‘bad cholesterol’. If accumulated for a long time, LDL in turn gives rise to increased level of cholesterol.

Give your child more cereals, lentils and vegetables. Make different preparations everyday otherwise your child will get bored with the same menu.

You must cut the red meat as much as possible and supplement with sea food. The latter contains more omega 3 fatty acid which is a potent antioxidant.

Allow them playing for the whole evening after coming back from school.

Fix the timings of taking foods.

Encourage your child to take seasonal fruit and fruit juices.

Give your child plenty of quality time. Try to go for outing every weekend and let your child do the things what they like. Allow them a single day for their choice of food.

Never let your child to put on some weight.

Detoxification through food

Our body regularly produces numerous toxic materials through metabolism. You can detoxify your body by curtailing every food except fruits and vegetables besides taking a ‘detox’ drink daily, but the more rational way to detoxify your body is to combine all foods in the food pyramid judiciously. How to achieve this? Well, let’s have a look –

The diet should include fruits and fruits juices, vegetables and virtually all the probable healthy foods.

Fruits – any fresh fruits are safe. The frits you can take- apples, oranges, bananas, pears, grapes, raisins, pineapple, mango, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons, peaches etc.

Fruit juices – homemade juices are the best. But canned pure fruit juices are also a healthy option. Only thing you have to check the expiry date and ‘sweetened’ or ‘pure’ variety.

Vegetables – fresh green leafy vegetables are first choice food. Otherwise you can take canned ‘in brine’ or ‘in water’ variety. These include sprouts, spinach, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, spring onions, and cucumber.

Oatmeal – this is a good food to check the cholesterol level.

Beans and lentils – this contain fibers which help to prevent gastric ulceration.

Brown rice and noodles – brown rice is always better than bleached white rice.

Fish – fish contains Omega 3 fatty acid that is a potent antioxidant. You can take salmon, cod, mackerel, lobster, different types of carps, trout, tuna, haddock, red mullet, monkfish and swordfish.

Nuts and seeds – this are rich in vitamins that help to fight against infections. Brazil, almonds, walnut, hazel nut, peanut, pecans, macadamia, pistachio and pine nuts belong this group.

Popcorn are also offering good amount of antioxidants.

Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil contains substances that check the cholesterol level.

Garlic was used as a natural antioxidant in Indian traditional system of medicine (Ayurveda) since a long time. Ginger and other fresh herbs like turmeric are also advised.

Ground black pepper and honey have anti aging property.

Last but certainly not the least is water. A healthy young adult must take at least 2.5 liters of water daily.

Now let us have some knowledge about which foods are in ‘bad’ category so that we can avoid them as far as practicable.

Meat and meat products of any kind is avoided. White meat is marginally advised.

Milk and dairy items

Butter and margarine

Any kind of food that contain wheat and wheat flour like bread, cakes, pastries, biscuits, pizzas

Chocolates and sweets, jams and marmalade

Any kind of junk food

Processed foods, ready-to-eat food packets, sauces and fast foods

Alcohol, tea, coffee and all sorts of carbonated beverages including diet colas

Salt

All the foods in the second category are partially metabolized inside our body. The byproducts generated (excretory products) after metabolism are either excreted through kidneys or via stool. Now, during the process of excretion they pass through different organs of our body. If they get stored due to any reason (excess amounts generated that our system is incapable to excrete or they bind with some other material to get deposited into the tissues), the ill effect will be obvious. They may again slow down the process of excretion. Deposition in the liver, heart and brain can damage our system extensively. Aging process is hastened by these unwanted products. Our natural defense system get weaker leading to severe infection obtained from a trivial source.

It is better to take foods that are good to our body and do not cause any harm. Being a vegetarian can solve the problem. Think about it.

Natural cure for diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where the blood sugar level remains constantly high due to lack of controlling effect of insulin. Increased level of sugar caused many life threatening problems in our body. It damages the immune system and the minor infections can sometimes become life threatening. It damages the tiny blood vessels in our eyes and eventually blindness can occur. Diabetes can cause plaque formation inside the blood vessels and that may lead to heart attack and cerebral stroke. The skin becomes prone to infection. There is no permanent cure for diabetes but we can prevent the complications by keeping the blood sugar level under control. Let us discuss about some of the natural cure for diabetes -

Gymnema sylvestre - There are many naturally occurring herbal medicines available. It was used since a long time in India by the traditional Ayurvedic system of holistic medicine. Scientists have found that high doses of Gymnema extracts can help the pancreatic beta cell to regenerate. This is the gland from where insulin is secreted. After a lot of clinical trial, Gymnema is included into the natural cure for diabetes. In India, traditionally Gymnema is called ‘Gurmar’; the word ‘gur’ means sugar and ‘mar’ means ‘kill’. So, it was known for years as a treatment for diabetes.

Azadirachta indica (Neem) – neem leaves has the power to purify blood. It has been used as a traditional herb for treating and preventing diabetes for long. Moreover, neem leaves has natural antibacterial property. It helps to prevent the infection that might happen in various parts of our body.

Momordica charantia (Karela, Bitter gourd) – karela extract or fresh juice of karela has the blood sugar lowering action. It has been established in various clinical and experimental studies. Recently a British group of experts have named it is ‘plant insulin’ as they found the Karela has some hypoglycemic action like that of insulin. Doctors are now prescribing karela in the daily diet of diabetics.

Pterocarpus marsupium (Kino tree) – it is a plant found in the northern hills in India and is well known for it hypoglycemic action. The active ingredient in this plant – a potent flavonoid has shown the potentiality to help in the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells. A controlled study was conducted among 97 diabetic volunteers in India. The study report shows there is improvement in the state of the disease in 69% of them.

Curcura longa (Turmeric) – it is an essential herb in the Indian system of herbal medicine (Ayurveda). It helps to reduce blood sugar level, potentiates insulin activity in the muscles and accelerates glycogen synthesis. Turmeric has antiseptic activities also.

Syzygium cuminii (Black plum) – in India, the fruit of this plant is called ‘Jamun’. It is also widely used to treat diabetes according to Ayurveda. The aqueous extract of the seed is used and given orally. This preparation helps to lower down the blood glucose and elevates the hemoglobin level.

Zingiber officinale (Ginger) – the patients of type II diabetes will be benefitted by using the ginger root extract. Long standing diabetes helps to produce belching and gastric ulceration. Ginger and its root extract will help to prevent these problems. Although ginger directly does not reduce the blood glucose level, the complications will be averted by using this herb/spice.

Many naturally occurring herbs and plants have their beneficial effect up on human body. Ayurveda – the Indian system of traditional medicine is nurturing this knowledge for centuries.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a special type of diabetes that occurs exclusively during pregnancy. Like all other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes also gives rise to increased blood sugar and complications out of the increased level of it. This type of diabetes is short lived, the glucose level returns to normal soon after the delivery of the baby.

Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all the pregnant mothers, an estimated 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes reports each year in the United States. The exact cause of this disease is not known. But it is hypothecated that some placental hormones blocks the action of insulin in the mother’s body although it helps to grow the baby inside the womb. This problem of refractoriness of hormone action is called Insulin resistance. It becomes hard for the mother’s body to use the full benefit of insulin. There is three times increased demand of insulin in the mother’s body. Without the presence of enough effective insulin, glucose can not be converted to glycogen (its stored form) and it starts building up in the blood. The end result is hyperglycemia. Gestational diabetes generally develops after three months of pregnancy (second trimester). But it may occur as early as 20^th week and can start at the last trimester of pregnancy also. Primigravida (mothers having first pregnancy) of more than 25 years, those who have a positive family history of gestational diabetes in their close relation, obese mothers are prone to develop this disease. Hispanic, black and American Indian women are racially prone to develop gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs when the structure of the baby is formed inside the uterus but it is still in the preliminary stage. So it does not cause any kind of developmental abnormality as seen in the mothers who are suffering from diabetes before pregnancy. Nevertheless, poorly controlled or untreated gestational diabetes can harm the growing baby. The insulin level can not lower the blood glucose in mother. Although mother’s insulin does not cross placenta, glucose and other nutrients easily do and there is increased glucose level in the baby’s blood. This causes the baby’s pancreas to secrete extra insulin to get rid of this extra glucose. As the baby is getting more energy in terms of glucose, this extra energy is stored in the baby’s body as fat and the mother delivers a flabby child (Macrosomia) which of course is not healthy. Macrosomic child can injure themselves to their shoulder at the time of normal delivery besides low blood sugar level owing to high concentration of insulin. These babies are prone to breathing problem, jaundice and obesity. They may develop maturity onset diabetes (type II diabetes) in due time. Gestational diabetes may be a predisposing factor for pre-ecclampsia for the mother.

Screening of gestational diabetes is very important those who possess the risk factors. Glucose challenge test is to be done during 24^th and 28^th weeks of pregnancy. Blood glucose level below 130-140 mg/dl is considered normal in all occasions.

Regarding treatment of gestational diabetes, planned diet and regular exercise are the two most effective approaches. Diet should be rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and cereals. Plenty of water is to be taken. Pregnancy exercises can be undertaken after consulting your gynecologist. Exercise helps to reduce blood sugar level. Any kind of anxiety and stress must be avoided.

If these two methods fail to control the raised blood glucose level, subcutaneous insulin injection is the last option for management of gestational diabetes.

Diabetes problems

Diabetes is a condition when the level of glucose in our blood increases up to such an extent that it damages different parts of our body organ. Normally, the level of glucose is controlled by a hormone called Insulin, secreted by the beta cells of pancreas. Now, there are two types of diabetes – type I and type II. In the former, there is reduced secretion of insulin as the pancreas gland is damaged due to some reason. In the case of type II diabetes, the is normal or higher level of insulin, but the glucose level still remain increased as the body tissues becomes refractory to the hormone.

Excess amount of blood glucose can harm almost every part of our body. The notable are heart, kidney, eyes, skin and blood vessels. There is increase level of cholesterol also. The combined effect of increased blood glucose and cholesterol help in the formation of plaques (thrombus) inside the blood vessel – leading to heart attacks (when inside the vessels supplying blood to the heart muscle) and stroke (cerebral thromboembolism – when that of the brain). But there are certain things that will help us to prevent or at least slow down the problems caused by diabetes.

Diabetes is a silent killer. Everybody can be affected. Type I diabetes occurs in the younger age group. So, in this category, diabetes problems may not float for years. But the damage still goes on inside our body. Type II diabetes develops in the adult. By the time the disease is diagnosed, it may have been caused some overt manifestations. Either way, maintaining a normal blood glucose and cholesterol level can prevent diabetes problems.

Now the most important question comes. What is the normal blood glues level? According to ADA (American Diabetes Association), a patient will be stamped diabetic when the blood glucose level increases beyond to –

In empty stomach before meals -> 90mg/dl to 130mg/dl of blood

After 1-2 hours from starting a major meal -> less than 180mg/dl of blood

Any measurement above the given parameter is unacceptable. You can check the level by any good quality blood glucose meter or from a nearby laboratory.

High blood pressure and diabetes go hand in hand. So, periodically check your blood pressure from qualified personnel.

You can do a lot of things to prevent diabetes and its complications. This disease is familial. If there is somebody from your close relatives suffering from the disease, watch yourself and check your blood glucose level periodically after six months. Consult your doctor and ask for a low dose aspirin. This will prevent formation of any plaque inside the blood vessels.

You should have a complete eye check up every year. Diabetes is a notorious disease that affects the tiny blood vessels of the retina. And if these vessels are damaged, you are sure to have blindness. Let the ophthalmologist examine your eye by instillation of some medicine to dilate your pupil. You may have vision problem for a day, but do not bother. This examination is highly essential to see the inside of your eye.

Your diet should be optimum. Avoidance of excess carbohydrate and fat is needed. According to modern way of treatment, there is no need to stop taking carbohydrates. The only thing that has to be kept in mind is your daily total calorie intake. Include fresh green leafy vegetables in your diet. Regular exercise is a must.

Following the instructions will help you to prevent diabetic problems.

Diabetic food

Diabetes is a disease where the blood glucose level remains continuously elevated than the normal level. It results into damage in the various bodily organs. Modern concept of diabetes management does not advocate complete restriction of intake of alcohol. Patient is advised to take every foods, but with some precaution to the total daily calorie intake.

The diabetic foods can be divided into six categories. The three main food types are vegetables, fruits and grains, the next group contains milk, milk products and meat products; the last group is fat, oils and sweets.

Total amount of daily intake for a healthy young adult is 1600-2800 cal. Depending upon the built, the amount of calorie is to be determined. Again, women patients will be more benefitted while taking the low range calorie and men are meant to high end calorie group. The precise number of servings will depend on the diabetes goal, lifestyle, division in the calorie and nutrition needs and of course the type of food the patient likes most. The total number of calorie should be judiciously divided into major meals and snacks.

Let us have some idea about different group of foods that is acceptable for a diabetic patient.

Starches and grains –

The most acceptable group is cereal, bread, rice and pasta. The bulk of the diabetic diet should come from this group. These foods contain carbohydrates mostly. The acceptable grains are wheat, corn, oats and rye. Vegetables that contain starch like potatoes and peas also belong to this group besides dry beans like pinto beans and black eyed bens. These vegetables come into this group as the have the same amount of calorie as contained in equal serving of a slice of bread. So you can count them as same amount of serving carbohydrates into your meal plan. The following foods can be taken roughly 6-12 servings per day but keep an eye on it and try to take the as lower range as you can. This are – 1 slice of bread, ¾ cup of dry cereal (you can make any preparation – the total calorie should be counted), ¼ of a bagel, one 6” tortilla, ½ cup cooked cereal, 1 cup of winter squash, ½ cup either of yam, potato, peas, cooked beans or corn and 1/3 cup of pasta or rice .

Vegetables –

Vegetables are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals. You can take as much as green leafy vegetables like spinach, sorrel, chicory, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts and lettuce. One serving contains 1 cup raw or ½ cup of cooked amount.

Fruits –

Fresh fruits contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fiber. Fruits that you can take are oranges, blackberries, strawberries, apples, cantaloupe, bananas, grapes and apricots. You can take 2-4 servings a day.

Milk and milk products –

Milk is rich in calcium, vitamins and minerals. Low fat or skimmed milk is better. You can take 2-3 servings a day and a serving contains 1 cup of low fat milk or 1 cup of yogurt.

Meat and other non vegetarian items –

This group contains beef, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs and cheese. This group provides required amount of proteins and minerals. It is always better to take white meats. You can take 4-6 ounces per day divided into major meals.

Fats and sweets –

This is the group you would try to take as less as possible. Otherwise you can save consuming these items for a great treat for a single time once in a while. A single serving include 2 small cookies, ½ cup of ice-cream and 1 cupcake or muffin.

It is not so hard to follow this diet guideline. You can make a great deal of preparations by combining these items and you diabetic life more enjoyable.