Tips To Keep Cool In Summer...

Home Remedies for Cool Summer

How to Keep Cool in Summer? This is a million dollar question but there are certain very easy home remedies for summer that will keep you cool from within. Cool Summer Drinks- Natural cool summer drinks help pacify Pitta. However don't go for artificial carbonated cold drinks that aggravate indigestion. Also avoid hot beverages like tea and coffee. Here are some home made cool summer drinks that you can have to keep you cool in summer. • Drink enough water during daytime in summer, preferably a glass of water every hour. • Boil milk with a pinch of cardamom or some rose petals. Cool it and enjoy this excellent summer drink! • Have fruit juices like those made from watermelon, orange, pineapple etc. You can add some leaves of mint in them as it has excellent cooling effect. • Make 'lassi' from curd (yogurt). Mix curd and water in ratio of 3:1 and add sugar and/or rose petal to beat the heat. • Have herbal tea made from mint leaves to keep cool in summer. • Make 'aam panna' or the 'raw mango juice' by first roasting or boiling raw mangoes and then mixing the pulp in cool water with a pinch of salt, some sugar and half tsp roasted cumin powder. • Have 'chanch' or buttermilk in the morning with your breakfast. This keeps cool from within and save you from the heat waves outside. • Make 'Thandai' ( it means 'one that cools') with milk and some cool spices. Take one liter milk, 2-3 cups of water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tbsp aniseed, 1 tbsp almonds, 10-12 peppercorns, a few saffron strands, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, 1 tbsp dried watermelon seeds, 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds, and 1/4 cup fresh rose petals. Soak aniseed, almonds, watermelon seeds, poppy seeds and rose petals in two cups of water. Boil the milk and let it cool. Make a smooth paste of the soaked ingredients by grinding them with some water. Pour remaining water into this paste and strain through muslin strainer. Add sugar, peppercorns, powdered cardamom, saffron in the extracted liquid and mix well. Now mix it with cold milk. Chill and drink it. Cool Summer Food- Foods with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes are best to keep cool in summer. Foods with sour, salty and pungent tastes should be avoided. Have more of fruits that have high water content like melons, pears and grapes and vegetables like broccoli, cucumber, bitter gourd, and zucchini. Avoid sour foods such as sour cream, vinegar and ketchup. Also avoid much spicy dishes. Use more of cool natured spices like mint, fennel, anise and cardamom while cooking. Dry the mint leaves and store them after crushing. Use this powder mixed in curd with meals. You can also store roasted and powdered cumin seeds to be used in curd which is a very cooling food. Skin Care Tips in SummerIt is very important to keep your skin hydrated in summer season. Here are some natural skin care tips for this summer. • When out in sun, keep your self covered with the help of umbrella or soft cloth like a scarf. Specially, keep your head covered to avoid heat stroke. • Use rose water to keep your skin refreshing. You can mix some rose water in plain water and wash your face and other exposed body parts with it. You can even mix rose water in your bathing water to have a real cool shower in summer. • Massage your body with cooling herbal oils like grapefruit, sweet orange and lavender oil in a coconut oil base. • Use sandalwood paste (by mixing water with sandalwood powder) as face mask. Sandal wood has a calming, cooling effect on body and mind and helps in restricting excessive sweating. • Boil Margosa (Neem) leaves in water. Cool it and use it to wash the face and hands. It has antibacterial effect on skin and keeps you away from getting prickly heat boils. • For clearing skin blemishes, apply watermelon juice on face and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Wash it off with cool or slightly warm water.

Health tips

எந்தச் சுவையை முதலில் உண்ண வேண்டும்?

உணவு என்று சொன்னால், உணவின் சுவைதான் நினைவுக்கு வரும். சுவையில்லாத உணவு உணவாகாது. ஆறு சுவையுடன் கூடிய உணவே முறையான உணவாகும். நாக்கு அறியக் கூடிய சுவைகள் ஆறுவகை எனப் பழந்தமிழ் மருத்துவம் கூறுகிறது.

உடலில் இயங்குகின்ற முக்கியமான தாதுக்களுடன் ஆறு சுவைகளும் ஒன்றுகூடி உடலை வளர்க்கப் பயன்படுகின்றன. உடலானது ரத்தம், தசை, கொழுப்பு, எலும்பு, நரம்பு, உமிழ்நீர், மூளை ஆகிய ஏழு தாதுக்களால் ஆனது. இவற்றுள் ஏழாவது தாதுவாகிய மூளை சரியாக இயங்க வேண்டுமானால், பிற தாதுக்கள் ஆறும் தகுந்த அளவில் உடலில் இருக்க வேண்டும். இந்த ஆறு தாதுக்களை வளர்ப்பவை ஆறு சுவைகளாகும்.

துவர்ப்பு ரத்தம் பெருகச் செய்கிறது. இனிப்பு தசை வளர்க்கிறது. புளிப்பு கொழுப்பை உற்பத்தி செய்கிறது. கார்ப்பு எலும்பை வளர்த்து உறுதியாக்குகிறது. கசப்பு நரம்பை பலப்படுத்துகிறது. உவர்ப்பு உமிழ் நீரைச் சுரக்கச் செய்கிறது. உடல் தாதுக்கள் பெருக்கவும் அவற்றை உடலுக்கு ஏற்றவாறு சமன் செய்வதும் ஆறு சுவைகள் கொண்ட உணவுகளாகும்.

துவர்ப்பு:

உடல் நலத்துக்கு மிகவும் உகந்தது. விருப்பு வெறுப்பில்லாதது. வியர்வை, ரத்தப்போக்கு, வயிற்றுப் போக்கை சரி செய்யும். வாழைக்காய், மாதுளை, மாவடு, மஞ்சள், அத்திக்காய் போன்றவை துவர்ப்பு சுவையுடையவை.

இனிப்பு:

மனத்துக்கும் உடலுக்கும் உற்சாகத்தைத் தரக்கூடியது. இது அதிகமானால் எடை கூடும். உடல் தளரும். சோர்வும் தூக்கமும் உண்டாகும். பழங்கள், உருளை, காரட், அரிசி, கோதுமை, கரும்பு போன்ற பொருள்களில் இனிப்புச் சுவை இருக்கிறது.

புளிப்பு:

உணவின் சுவையை அதிகரிக்கும் சுவையிது. பசியைத் தூண்டும். நரம்புகளை வலுவடையச் செய்யும். இது அளவுக்கு அதிகமானால், பற்களைப் பாதிக்கும். நெஞ்செரிச்சல், ரத்தக் கொதிப்பு, அரிப்பு போன்றவற்றை உண்டாக்கும். உடல் தளரும். எலுமிச்சை, புளிச்ச கீரை, இட்லி, தோசை, தக்காளி, புளி, மாங்காய், தயிர், மோர், நார்த்தங்காய் போன்றவை புளிப்புச் சுவை கொண்டவை.

காரம்:

பசியைத் தூண்டும். செரிமானத்தைத் தூண்டும். உடல் இளைக்கும். உடலில் சேர்ந்துள்ள நீர்ப்பொருளை வெளியேற்றும். ரத்தத்தைத் தூய்மையாக்கும். வெங்காயம், மிளகாய், இஞ்சி, பூண்டு, மிளகு, கடுகு போன்றவை காரச்சுவை கொண்டவை.

கசப்பு:

பெரும்பாலும் வெறுக்கக் கூடிய சுவை. ஆனாலும் உடலுக்கு மிகுந்த நன்மையைத் தரக்கூடிய சுவை இதுவே. இது, நோய் எதிர்ப்புச் சக்தியாகச் செயல்படும். தாகம், உடல் எரிச்சல், அரிப்பு, காய்ச்சல் ஆகிய இவற்றைத் தணிக்கும். ரத்தத்தைச் சுத்திகரிக்கும் பாகற்காய், சுண்டை, கத்தரி, வெங்காயம், வெந்தயம், பூண்டு, எள், வேப்பம் பூ, ஓமம் போன்றவற்றிலிருந்து கசப்புச் சுவையைப் பெறலாம்.

உவர்ப்பு:

அனைவரும் விரும்புகின்ற சுவை. தவிர்க்க இயலாதது. உமிழ் நீரைச் சுரக்கச் செய்யும். மற்ற சுவைகளைச் சமன் செய்யும். உண்ட உணவைச் செரிக்க வைக்கும். கீரைத்தண்டு, வாழைத் தண்டு, முள்ளங்கி, பூசணி, சுரைக்காய், பீர்க்கங்காய் போன்றவற்றில் உவர்ப்புச் சுவை மிகுதியாக உள்ளது.

உணவு வகைகளை சுவைக்கு ஒன்றாகச் சமைத்து உண்பதாக வைத்துக்கொள்வோம். இலையில் உணவு பரிமாறப்பட்டுள்ளது. எந்தச் சுவையை முதலில் உண்ண வேண்டும். எந்தச் சுவையை இறுதியில் உண்ண வேண்டும் என்பது தெரிந்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

சிலர், இலையில் உணவு பரிமாறப்படும் போதே ஒவ்வொன்றாக உண்டு கொண்டேயிருப்பார்கள். அது தவறு. உணவு முழுமையாகப் பரிமாறப்பட்ட பின்பும், முதலில் உண்ண வேண்டியது, இனிப்பு. அடுத்து அடுத்ததாகப் புளிப்பு, உப்பு, காரம், கசப்பு ஆகிய சுவைகளை உண்ட பின்பு இறுதியாகத் துவர்ப்புச் சுவையை உண்ண வேண்டும்.

இவ்வாறாக உணவை உண்பதனால், உடம்பில் ஆட்கொண்டிருக்கும் பஞ்ச பூதங்கள் சமநிலை பெறும். இவ்வாறு உண்ட பின்பு முடிவாக தயிரும் உப்பும் கலந்து உண்டால், உணவில் கலந்துள்ள வாத பித்த ரசயங்கள் என்னும் முக்குற்றங்கள் நீங்கிவிடும். உடம்பில் நோய் தோன்றுவதற்கான கூறுகள் அனைத்தும் அகற்றப்பட்டுவிடும்.

ஆறு சுவை உணவை மட்டும் உண்டுவிட்டால் போதாது. அதற்கு உரிய காலத்தில் உணவு உண்ண வேண்டும். ஞாயிறு எழும்போதும், மறையும் போதும் எந்த உணவையும் உண்ணக் கூடாது. கோபமோ கவலையோ துக்கமோ ஏற்படும் போதில் உணவு உண்பதைத் தவிர்த்திட வேண்டும். அதே போல், நின்று கொண்டும் கைகளை ஊன்றிக் கொண்டும் உணவு உண்ணக் கூடாது.

எப்போதும் உணவு உண்ணும்போது, கிழக்கு நோக்கி அமர்ந்துண்டால், அது ஆயுளை வளர்க்கும். தெற்கு நோக்கி அமர்ந்துண்டால் அது புகழை வளர்க்கும். மேற்கு நோக்கி அமர்ந்துண்டால் அது செல்வத்தை வளர்க்கும். வடக்கு நோக்கி அமர்ந்துண்டால், அது அழிவுக்கு வழி வகுக்கும்.

எவ்வகை உணவாயினும் அதை உண்பதற்கு வாழை இலையைப் பயன்படுத்தினால், உணவினால் உண்டாகக் கூடிய தீமைகள் முற்றிலும் நீங்கிவிடும். உணவு உண்டு முடிந்த பின்பு குறைந்த அளவு நூறு அடி தூரமாவது நடந்து வர வேண்டும் என்பது மிகவும் முக்கியமானது. படுக்கையில் அமர்ந்து கொண்டு உணவுண்ட பின்பு அப்படியே படுத்துக்கொள்கின்றவர்களுக்காகப் பரிதாப்படலாமே ஒழிய வேறு ஒன்றும் செய்ய இயலாது.

உணவின் சுவைக்கும் உடல் நலத்துக்கும் உள்ள தொடர்பை அறிந்து கொண்டால், உடல் நோய்களைத் தீர்க்கலாம். உடலில் நோய்கள் வராமல் தடுக்கலாம். உடல் உறுப்புகள் நன்கு வளரச் செய்யலாம். உடல் உறுப்புகள் பழுதில்லாமல் செழிப்பாகச் செம்மையாக அமைந்துவிட்டால் உடல் இன்பமாக இருக்கும். அதன்பின் வாழ்க்கை இன்பமாக இருக்கும். உடலில் ஏற்படும் குறைபாடுகளுக்கு ஏற்ப மனம் இருக்கும்.

நோயுடைய உடலைக் கொண்ட மனம், மகிழ்ச்சியை இன்பத்தை எண்ணாமல் துன்பப்படும். நாக்கின் விருப்பத்துக்கு ஏற்ப உணவை உண்ணும் நாகரிகம் வளர்ந்து வருகிறது. எதை எப்போது சாப்பிடுவது என்றில்லாமல் எப்போதும் வேண்டுமானாலும் எதை வேண்டுமானாலும் எவ்வளவு வேண்டுமானாலும் சாப்பிடலாம் என்னும் பழக்கத்தினால், நோய்களுக்கு இடமளிப்பவர்கள் இருக்கின்றார்கள். உயிர் வாழ்வதற்கு உணவு வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக நேரம் கிடைக்கும் போதெல்லாம் உண்டு கொண்டிருந்தால் தம்மைத்தாமே வருத்தத்தில் ஆழ்த்திக் கொள்வதாகும்.

'உண்பது நாழி' என்று, உணவின் அளவு குறிக்கப்படுகிறது. அதுவும் ஒரு நாளைக்கு எத்தனை முறை என்பதும் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. வாழ்க்கையை வாழும் முறையை அறிந்தவர்கள் சொல்லும் சொல்லை இகழ்ந்தால் வாழ்க்கையை இகழ்ந்தது போலாகும். ஆறு சுவையுடைய உணவுகளை உண்டு வந்தால், இல்லற வாழ்க்கை இனிமையாக இருக்கும்.

சில சமயத்தில் ஆறு சுவை உணவை உண்ண இயலாமல் போகலாம். இயலும் சமயத்தில் உண்டு வந்தால் அவை சமநிலைக்கு வந்து உடல் நிலையைப் பாதுகாக்கும்.

Benifits of Excersising

Benifits of Excersising

1.Reduces the risk of heart disease by improving blood circulation throughout the body
2.Causes the development of new blood vessels in the heart and other muscles
3.Enlarges the arteries (blood vessels) that supply blood to the heart
4.Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels.
5.This is important because small clots travelling in the blood are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
6.Improves blood cholesterol levels
7.Increases haemoglobin concentration in your blood. Haemoglobin is part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body
8.Keeps weight under control by elevating your metabolism so that you burn more calories everyday.
9.Prevents and manages high blood pressure
10.Prevents bone loss and helps them remain healthier for a longer period of time
11.Increases muscle strength, giving greater capacity for other physical activities. Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle.
12.Boosts up energy level
13.Improves sleep patterns
14.Helps manage stress and releases tension. Counters anxiety and depression and increases enthusiasm and optimism
15.Improves self-image
16.In older people, helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases, associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer.
17.Reduces the risk of premature death
18.Enhances work, recreation, and sport performance
19.Increases your aerobic capacity (fitness level). This enables a "fit" person to have more energy at the end of the day and to get more accomplished during the day with less fatigue.
20.Increases the efficiency of the digestive system, which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.
21.Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look and feel healthier.
Exercise, in addition to all the physiological and anatomical benefits, just makes you feel GREAT!

Useful Information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: CANCER

Useful Information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: CANCER

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and

10. complications.

11. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

12. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts)and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

f. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

g. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

h. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

i. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

j. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular

6 tips to kick start weight loss in the New Year

Here are 6 tips to kick start weight loss in the New Year
Washington, Dec 26 (ANI): Now experts from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center can help you stick to that New Year's resolution of losing weight if you just follow these six tips.




1. Keep moving each day: all it takes to see a weight-loss benefit is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily.
"You don't need to be athletic. Just brisk walking or dancing to your favorite music or using an aerobic exercise machine like a stationary bike or treadmill is all you need to do - just try to do it each day," said Anne McTiernan.
"You can break it into 10- or 15-minute sessions throughout the day to get the weight-loss benefit," she said.
2. Keep a food journal: "By spending a little extra time to write down everything you eat and drink, you'll be able to see where extra calories sneak in," said Caitlin Mason, an exercise and health researcher in the Public Health Sciences Division of the Hutchinson Center.
"There are lots of good online tools that can help estimate the calorie content of common foods and track your weight loss progress over time," she said.
3. Set realistic goals: "For long-term success, aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. No one wants to lose weight only to gain it all back - and often more - a few months later," said Mason.
4. Set specific goals: set several smaller but more specific goals, such as eating five servings of vegetables per day, taking a 15-minute walk at lunch each day or drinking six glasses of water per day.
"Adding healthy behaviors to your routine is often easier than telling yourself 'don't do this' or 'don't eat that,'" Mason said.
5. Don't let one slip-up derail your efforts: "Don't throw your entire routine out the window after one bad day. Instead, try to identify the specific barriers that got in your way and think through strategies to avoid such challenges in the future," said Mason.
6. Practice yoga: regular yoga practice and weight maintenance and weight loss are related, according to several studies.
Researcher Alan Kristal found that regular yoga practice is associated with the prevention of middle-age spread in normal-weight people and the promotion of weight loss in those who are overweight.
A follow-up study published in 2009 found that regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese.

Things You Didn't Know About Coconuts

Things You Didn't Know About Coconuts

Did You Know...



That coconuts are one of the wonder foods on earth that amply provides for all human needs? They can even save your life!
Few people (even fewer doctors) understand how important the coconut is to stabilizing blood sugar; lowering cholesterol; healing; hydration; and even replacing blood plasma in an emergency.
Infotainment" target="_blank" href="http://keralites.net">


Referred to as kalpa vriksha (Sanskrit for "the tree that supplies all that is needed to live") in ancient India, the coconut palm has been recognized as a top immune booster, antifungal,antibiotic, antiviral and antibacterial remedy for thousands of years all over the world. Yet, it has only been recently that modern researchers have begun to fully discover the massive health benefits this amazing fruit seed offers.
To give just one example of coconuts' live-saving properties, they were used extensively in the Pacific during World War II. Since blood plasma supplies were scarce, it was very common for medics to siphon pure coconut water from young coconuts to be used as emergency plasma transfusions for soldiers who were injured. Since coconut water is nearly identical to human blood, it was suitable for people of all blood types.(Jackie chan does it in Who am i movie)
Because of its strong antioxidant properties, the coconut can be used to:==> Lower cholesterol==> Improve digestion==> Ward off wrinkles==> Stabilize glucose levels==> Fight off viruses==> Build cells==> Regulate hormones==> Increase thyroid production==> Lose weight==> Increase metabolism==> Fight infections==> Stave off memory loss==> Kill bacteria==> And more!
Considered one of the most treasured foods of all time, coconut products -- including coconut flesh, coconut water, coconut oil, and coconut cream -- each deliver superb health benefits.
Coconut oil, for instance, is considered the best and safest oil to use for cooking -- even superior to extra virgin olive oil when it comes to giving the body what it needs for optimum health. Unlike other fats and oils that we typically use for cooking and baking, coconut oil does not form polymerized oils or dangerous Trans fatty acids in our bodies, which can raise our cholesterol levels; clog our arteries and even make our skin sag and wrinkle. Plus, this ultra-safe oil can give your body important antioxidants that can help build stronger cells and improve your overall health and well being.
Here are a few ways that you can use coconut products to stave off disease and to recapture the look and feeling of youth:

Coconut Water - The coconut is a natural water filter. It takes almost 9 months for a coconut to filter every quart of water stored within its shell. This makes the resulting coconut water completely pure and sterile, which is one reason why it can be used for blood transfusions.
Another benefit of coconut water is the fact that it has the highest concentration of electrolytes than anything else found in nature. This makes it an excellent source of hydration.

Coconut Oil - In addition to being superior for cooking and baking, coconut oil also makes a superb topical oil that can help to naturally rid the skin of dangerous toxins. It also gives the skin the perfect mix of hydration and antioxidants that it needs to stay healthy, smooth and younger-looking longer.
Another great benefit of coconut oil is in protecting your teeth from the bacteria that can cause cavities and disease. Simply rubbing a little fresh coconut oil on your gums and teeth can keep them stronger and healthier than virtually any other dental treatment.
Most people don't realize that coconut oil can actually help you lose weight! Yes, simply changing your cooking oil from the unsaturated fat variety to coconut oil can help you lose those extra pounds. Here's why: Unsaturated fats found in canola, corn and other vegetables oils, as well as margarine suppress the metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight -- and easier to gain it. Over time, this metabolism suppression may result in 20-30 pounds of excess weight that your body cannot get rid of. Coconut oil, on the other hand, helps to increase thyroid function and boost your metabolism -- 2 important components to shedding unwanted pounds.
Coconut Cream - The best skin treatment product one can use to achieve flawless skin may quite possibly be coconut cream. Unlike traditional skin creams which can actually introduce fats and oils to the skin that will break it down over time, making it look older, creams derived from the coconut can actually replenish the skin, giving it a more youthful and healthy glow than most other skin care products on the market.
When it comes to buying coconut products, coconuts are not all created equal. Wild coconuts are always best, but can be hard to obtain if you don't live in a tropical country. Whether you are using this wonder food to boost your immune system; increase your metabolism or fight wrinkles, using products from young coconuts will help you reap the most benefit.

Young coconuts contain the purest unsaturated fat, compared to the fat found in the more mature varieties. This is why they offer the most rejuvenation properties for the body's tissues. But how can you tell how old a coconut is? Young coconuts are usually green in color and oddly shaped. The brown hairy ones are mature coconuts, and while they offer a lot of healthy benefits, they aren't nearly as good for you as younger varieties.
The best place to find young fresh coconuts is, in the local markets and ofcourse at roadside vendors, so be sure to seek them out if you travel to those areas. be sure to make it a habbit to crack a coconut and drain it.

mobile usage

There have been many articles on the use of mobile phones and its hazards
It is suggested that the uasge be restricted to less than 50 minutes a day
Using a ear chord which acts as an antenna does not reduce the risk of exposure
I am attaching a research paper on the subject for your information
MRI images which show significant changes could not be attached
Cell Phone Use Affects Brain Glucose Metabolism


February 23, 2011 — Use of a cell phone for as little as 50 minutes at a time appears to affect brain glucose metabolism in the region closest to the phone's antenna, a new study shows.

Investigators used positron emission tomography (PET) during cell phone use in the on and then off positions and found that although whole-brain metabolism was not affected, metabolism was increased in the orbitofrontal cortex and the temporal pole areas of the brain while the cell phone was on, areas that are close to where phone's antenna meets the head.



Dr. Nora Volkow



"We do not know what the clinical significance of this finding is, both with respect to potential therapeutic effect of this type of technology but also potential negative consequences from cell phone exposure," said lead study author Nora D. Volkow, MD, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Bethesda, Maryland, during a teleconference.

In the interim though, she recommends using hands-free devices or speaker-phone mode to avoid direct contact of the telephone with the head. Previous work suggests that if the phone is a foot or more away it is very unlikely to have any effects, she said. "So there are some very easy solutions that don't cost anything for those who want to play it safe."

Caution may be particularly necessary for children and adolescents whose neural tissue is still developing, Dr. Volkow noted. This is also a population who started their lives with cell phones and can expect to be exposed for years to come, she added.

Their report appears in the February 23 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Effect of Imaging Tools?

The proliferation of cell phone use has raised the question of the effects of radiofrequency-modulated electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs), particularly carcinogenic effects. Epidemiologic studies looking at the relationship between cell phones and brain tumors have been inconsistent with some, but not all, studies finding increased risk, "and the issue remains unresolved," the study authors write.



Dr. Volkow is well known for her work in the area of addictions, not generally adverse effects of cell phone use, but this new study nevertheless stemmed from that research, she said. They have been studying whether imaging technologies, including PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), that are used to study the brain can directly affect brain function. "For the past 15 years, we've done a series of studies to try to actually assess whether magnetic fields affect brain glucose metabolism," Dr. Volkow explained.

They found, for example, that the static magnetic field of a 4-T MRI does not affect brain metabolism, she said. However, when the magnetic fields were changed rapidly, which produces electrical currents, there was a significant increase in glucose metabolism in the brain. They wondered whether the RF-EMFs produced by cell phones might do the same thing.

The current study was a randomized, crossover study that enrolled 47 healthy, community-dwelling subjects. All underwent PET with (18F)fluorodeoxyglucose injection twice for 50 minutes at a time, once with a cell phone at each ear but only the right phone on, although it was muted, and once with both cell phones off.

They found that whole brain metabolism was not significantly different with the phone on vs off. However, metabolism in the regions closest to the antenna, the orbitofrontal cortex and temporal pole, was significantly higher when the cell phone was on.Table. Brain Metabolism in Area Closest to Antenna With Cell Phone On vs Off

Endpoint
On Mode
Off Mode
Mean Difference (95% CI)
P

Metabolism in area closest to antenna, μmol/100 g per minute
35.7
33.3
2.4 (0.67 – 4.2)
.004



CI = confidence interval

The difference between off and on modes was about a 7% increase in glucose metabolism, within the range of physiologic activation during speaking, for example, she said.

The increases in activation also correlated significantly with the estimated electromagnetic field amplitudes for both absolute metabolism (R = 0.95) and for normalized metabolism (R = 0.89, P < .001 for both).

It's possible that the activation would be even higher in subjects who are actually talking on the phone, but in this study they did not want the subjects to talk during imaging, which might have activated other brain areas and confounded the cell phone's effects, she said.



Unfortunately, Dr. Volkow noted, these findings don't shed any light on the controversy of whether cell phone exposure produces or does not produce cancer. "What it does say to us is that the human brain is sensitive to this electromagnetic radiation," she said. Whether this has any negative consequences needs to be evaluated.

They powered the study to detect even small effects, Dr. Volkow added. If they had not seen any effect after 50 minutes of exposure, "it would have been much easier to dismiss any concern about potential negatives of cell phones," she said. "But the fact that we are observing changes really highlights the need to do the studies to be properly able to answer the question of whether cell phone exposure can have harmful effects or not."

It's also possible that if there may be beneficial effects, she speculated. "Could one use, for example, this type of technology to activate areas of the brain that may not be properly activated and explore potential therapeutic applications of this type of technology? But that would require that one show there are no untoward effects."Add to the Concern

In an editorial accompanying the publication, Henry Lai, PhD, from the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, and Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD, from the Department of Oncology at University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden, point out that this is the first investigation in humans of glucose metabolism in the brain after cell phone use.

"The results by Volkow et al add to the concern about possible acute and long-term health effects of radiofrequency emissions from wireless phones, including both mobile and cordless desktop phones," they write.

"Although the biological significance, if any, of increased glucose metabolism from acute cell phone exposure is unknown, the results warrant further investigation."

The effects are unlikely to be mediated by the substantial increase in temperature seen with cell phones given the activation was "quite distant" from where the cell phone made contact, they speculate. Further, since the subjects were only listening rather than talking on the phone, "the effect observed could thus potentially be more pronounced in normal-use situations."

The study was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health and by infrastructure support from the US Department of Energy. The researchers and editorialists have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

JAMA. 2011;305:808-814, 828-829.