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The winter brings relief from the sweltering summer days, but can wreak havoc on your skin. One of the common skin problems in the winter are fungal infections. This is obvious as the humidity will be more and fungal activity will be at its peak! To prevent it, avoid wearing damp clothing and socks as this can predispose you to fungal infections.Those who are prone to fungal infections should keep clean and dry, use an anti fungal soap, and use a prophylactic anti fungal dusting powder in the groin areas and feet. Carry an extra set of clothing or keep a spare change at your workplace to avoid staying in damp clothing for prolonged periods of time as this can lead to fungal infections.

Basic Skin Care

Your skin tends to be oily in this humid season and basic skin care products may need to be modified to suit the season.
Use a medicated face wash suited for oily skin as it is beneficial to prevent acne break-outs

1. Use oil-free moisturizers as your skin still needs hydration, but avoid heavy, oily creams in this humid season
2. Use oil-free sunscreens
3. If your skin tends to be too oily, use an astringent or toner
4. A mild exfoliating scrub may be done gently once or twice a week

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There are several common beliefs associated with the right diet plan for a diabetic person. Trouble is, not all are true. There are some who believe that all vegetables and fruits are ideal to keep blood sugar levels under control which even help in weight loss, while others maintain that maida (all purpose flour) and rava, being derivatives of wheat, are safe food items. Some even avoid rice, but eat rice flakes instead.
Eating right is essential for any person with diabetes melitus, because certain choices of food can significantly reduce sugar levels.

Any food item high on fibre content is the best choice. For example, wholewheat, broken wheat and atta are better choices than maida, rava, sevia, noodles, pasta, etc. Since the skin of wholewheat is difficult to digest, the body has to work harder to digest it, bringing the blood sugar levels down. Similarly, wholewheat or atta chappati, wholewheat bread and wheat puttu are better than rice, idli, rice puttu and rice flakes (aval), which are made of fibee-less polished rice. Ragi puttu, ragi dosa, ragi porridge, oats porridge and cornflakes are better food options for a diabetic than rice items.

As for a vegetarian diet - vegetables and fruits, diabetics should pick those that are high on fiber and low on starch. For instance, all greens, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, beans, brinjal, Read the rest of this entry »

It’s said we spend half of our lives sleeping. But if improper postures and other wrong sleeping habits are impairing this cycle it could be messing up with your health, and that of your partner.

Remember, you are a healthy, sound sleeper only if:

• You have a good sleep cycle
• You sleep on your back for most part of the night
• You do not wake up often in the night
• You wake up feeling fresh

QUANTITY

Many workaholics believe that sleep is a waste of time. But the signs of fatigue will be too obvious to ignore. Problems also occur when you Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of youngsters and teenagers are now using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar on a regular basis. Sweeteners are also consumed in large amounts in the form of ‘diet drinks’. Sugar-free chewing gum, chocolates, ice creams and jams also find many takers. Some believe consuming sugar-free products will help them reduce weight. Some just get into it out of peer pressure. On top of that, many nutritionists and fitness centers recommend it as well.

It has been scientifically proven that sugar substitutes have many harmful side-effects. Some of the compounds used to produce these sweeteners are also used to prepare various medical drugs. So it is like popping those medicines daily in large amounts. Imagine the impact on your body if you do this continuously for months or years. Also, many of the compounds in sweeteners have been found to stimulate the formation of cancerous tumors in certain organs. Some chemicals used in these substitutes have been proven to cause damage to the kidneys.

Using sugar substitutes is not the solution to obesity. The best way by which one can  lose weight is by finding a way to get rid of excess fat in the body. Brisk walking and regular outdoor activity will help you lose weight and stay fit. Practicing a safe and healthy diet goes a long way towards shedding those extra kilos. It’s also important to cut out Read the rest of this entry »

The primary thing to do for treating diarrhoea is consult a doctor. There are different types of organisms which cause diarrhoea and it isn’t possible to destroy them by just drinking light coconut water or lemon tea. They have to be treated with proper medication. Otherwise they will grow rapidly in the stomach and lead to bigger problem which will require prolonged medication.

Here are some dos and don’ts which needs to be followed during diarrhoea:

Milk should be avoided as far as possible for at least 48 hours. If only milk needs to be fed to the child, make sure to dilute it with boiled water. Light tea may also be good. Best is to consume milk only in the form of curd or buttermilk for two days. For breakfast, toasted bread or idli dipped in curd can be given. Salt and sugar may be added to the curd.

The reason for avoiding milk is that it is an ideal medium for bacteria and other organisms to grow and the infection inside the body will increase instead of being controlled and destroyed. On the other hand, curd has bacteria which can fight the organisms causing the infection. Non-veg food should be avoided completely for atleast 48-72 hours. Non-veg food again is the ideal medium for organisms to grow. Read the rest of this entry »