Mint and Fresh Lime Juice with Ginger

 Find the recipe for Summer Special Drink 

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 4 tsps sugar
• 3-4 mint leaves
• A small piece of ginger
• Pinch of rock salt
• 1 glass of water
  

 Method:

• Soak the sugar in some water for 5
  minutes (helps dissolve the sugar fast).
• Squeeze out the juice of the whole lemon (remove the seeds)
• Blend sugar, lemon juice, pinch of rock
  salt, mint leaves and water.
• While serving, float a thin ¼ inch of ginger for flavour and 1 mint leaf.
• Serve with lots of ice. (It works wonders
  against dehydration.)

What to Eat And Drink in order to Stay Hydrated

     Think of the health travails of a summer day and sweat and dehydration will be the first things to pop up in your thoughts. Dehydration is the loss of water and salts from the body. It occurs when more liquids and salts are lost than consumed. Young children and older people are at greater risk of suffering dehydration than the age groups in between.

Preserving Food In Summer

• Keep raw and cooked food separate: Meat, poultry and seafood should be wrapped separately and kept away from cooked foods or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits and vegetables.
• Throw away perishable leftovers that have been kept out for over two hours.
• Pre-cooked food should always be refrigerated and consumed preferably on the same day.
• Always wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water.

  

Get Summer Fit!

• Quench your thirst with water.
• Adults need to drink at least 1½ to 2 litres of water every day.
• Drink lemon juice, coconut water and buttermilk to replenish the fluids that are lost with perspiration.
• Avoid high protein diets. If on a highprotein diet, you need to drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water every day.
• Avoid alcohol including beer and wine.
• Drink water before you go out to play or exercise. Drink in between intervals of every 15 to 20 minutes.
•  Source: ApolloLife

Pranic Healing: Heart of the Matter

Have you ever gotten irritated with your spouse, while your spouse may not even know that you were angry until you exploded? This shows lack of sensitivity. When a woman says that a man is sensitive, it does not mean that the man is a cry baby.

It means that the man is aware of the woman's needs and feelings, so he tries to behave and act in a certain way to make the woman happy.

These conditions apply to both men and women. Some can be insensitive to the feelings and needs of their partners. Sensitivity is connected with the heart chakra.

The body has many energy centres called chakras which have various psychological and spiritual functions. One of the important centres is the heart center, also known as the anahata chakra in Sanskrit. In the Hebrew Kabbalah, chesed (meaning mercy and loving-kindness) corresponds to the heart chakra. In acupuncture, a hysterical person can be calmed down by stimulating certain acupuncture points, which activate the heart chakra.

The heart chakra is the 'emotional heart'. When we love our parents, partner, children or relatives, it is the heart chakra manifesting. By activating the heart, the lower emotional energies like anger, hate, irritation, resentment, worry, anxiety, tension, stress, fear, selfishness, aggressiveness, abrasiveness, addiction etc can be transmuted into higher forms of emotional energies. The heart chakra is the center of higher emotions like love, compassion, devotion, peace, serenity, joy, compassion, kindness, gentleness, tenderness, caring, considerateness, patience, sensitivity etc.

For most people, the other chakras are quite activated. The basic, sex and solar plexus chakras are activated in practically all persons. Their instincts for self survival, sex drive and tendency to react with their lower emotions are very active. With the pervasiveness of modern education and work that require the use of the mental faculty (development of the concrete and abstract mind) the ajna and throat chakras are developed in a lot of people. The heart and the crown chakras, however, are not developed in most people.

As a result, we often encounter persons who are quite intelligent but very abrasive. They have not matured emotionally or, have quite underdeveloped heart chakras. Although they may be intelligent and quite successful, their human relationships may be very poor, hardly having any friends and may have no family. The activation of the heart chakra ensures that the enhanced intellectual faculty and the increased will power will be used properly and harmlessly.

Source: ApolloLife

Rice Milk And Its Pros And Cons

A lot of people are lactose intolerant or vegan and are constantly looking for dairy-free options of food and beverages. Thus, almond milk, soy milk, tofu etc. have become extremely popular choices. One other such alternative option that has recently taken the health world by storm is rice milk.

It is prepared by processing the rice grains and can be bought from stores or even made at home. But before adding something new to your diet, it’s essential to know everything about it. So here is a list of pros and cons of rice milk to make your decision easier.

Pro: It is a very safe alternative to milk
Rice milk is hypoallergenic. Since it is not made using nuts or any other allergy inducing ingredients, it is very safe to drink for those who are lactose intolerant as well as those who have nuts allergies. It also has sufficient nutrients to be consumed as a healthy alternative.

Con: It is not suitable for diabetics
Like rice, rice milk is high in starch and a single cupful has more carbohydrates than regular or soy milk. In case of diabetes, rice milk may cause a sudden sugar spike which can cause problems. Hence, it is best to avoid rice milk if you are a diabetic.

Pro: It does not contain saturated fats or unhealthy cholesterol
When compared to other milk based products or alternatives, rice milk has the least amount of fats and is considered the healthiest option. It contains minimal fats which are unsaturated and hence it is an excellent option for those who have to follow dietary restrictions due to cholesterol problems.

Con: It is low in protein
Dieticians recommend that we need to consume milk daily to get the essential intake of protein. Rice milk only has two grams of protein per cup, as compared to regular or soy milk which has seven to eight grams. Protein helps with the taste and also leads to a feeling of fullness. However, due to its low protein content, rice milk may not lead to a feeling of satiety and appetite control.

Source: Bpositive Magazine

Curry Leaves : Freshness In Every Splutter

Curry leaves are loaded with potential for use in food and medicine. The next time you see it floating in your dal, just chew it and enjoy the benefits.

I am one of those who always recommend a garden patch or a green balcony spot around the house. The cook that I am, I may even say make it only beds or pots of tulsi and kadipatta! Cleaner air, lesser insects and a mild appealing fragrance are all yours to enjoy. The kadipatta or meetha neem or curry leaves plant, for that matter, is easy to maintain; just water it daily and enjoy fresh leaves whenever you need them.

Our cook of many years is a grand old lady from Andhra, who is still emphatic about using only tender fresh kadipatta in dal and sambhar. No stale leaves will do – that for her are not kadipatta but kadva patta (bitter leaf)! Thanks to her stand, a few stalks of fresh kadipatta, as compliments from the vendor, have for long been a part of every batch of fresh vegetables delivered to our house. If at all they are stored in the refrigerator the whole stalk goes into a ziplock bag (shelf life two days).

I confess that kadipatta does not play a big role in a North Indian household. We are used to fresh coriander in everything! But in South Indian cuisine kadipatta is a vital ingredient. In recipes for chicken, mutton, fish, chutneys, vegetables, dals, rice dishes, rasams, poha, wadas, aloo wadas, sambhars – you name them and all the other great dishes – and the kadipatta is there. Dried kadipatta is also an essential ingredient in certain spice mixtures.

Source: Apollo Life

Ways to Manage High Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure is usually between 110/70 up to 120/80. Anything above that and up to 140/90 is often referred to as borderline or mild hypertension, numbers above that may be referred to as high blood pressure.

What is Blood Pressure?

The pressure exerted by the flow of blood inside the blood vessels is known as blood pressure. When this pressure is abnormally high, it is referred to as high blood pressure or hypertension. The pressure inside the artery rises and falls with every beat of the heart. Maximum pressure is exerted when the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries. This pressure is referred to a Systolic pressure. When the heart relaxes between contractions and is not pumping blood into the arteries, the blood pressure within the arteries falls, this is known as Diastolic pressure and is the lower of the two numbers.

Is It Harmful?

If ignored, yes it is. Hypertension puts a considerable strain on the heart and blood vessels and is often referred to as a silent killer because it displays no clear symptoms. Untreated hypertension is the leading cause of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and severe eye damage. About 20 percent of our population is affected by High Blood Pressure which is categorized either an Essential Hypertension or Secondary Hypertension.

Tips to Manage High Blood Pressure:

1. Medical Check up: Since High Blood Pressure is a silent killer and has no discernable symptoms, the first thing to do is to have a medical check-up every year to monitor your blood pressure.
2. Medication: Is often prescribed by the physician to reduce fluid retention, relax the artery muscles etc.Make sure you don’t miss even a single dose of medication and have it on time, to avoid further complication or even serious situations.
3. Lose Weight: In case you are overweight, you must shed your excess weight. You can do this by containing your dietary intake to not more than 1200 calories per day. Include sufficient fruits, vegetables and dietary fiber in your meals to lose 2 to 3 kilograms per month.
4. Avoid Saturated Fats:   These include butter, ghee, whole cream milk, meat fats, eggs, coconut oil, margarine and other hydrogenated fats. Instead, use moderate quantities of unsaturated oils including mustard oil, olive oil, rice bran oil, groundnut oil, sunflower oil etc.
5. Reduce Salt Intake: All foods contain natural sodium and potassium salts. Avoid salted snacks like chips, nuts, salted popcorn and other fast foods, all of which contain large amounts of salt, sugar, fat and other chemicals and preservatives.
6. Exercise Regularly: For at least one hour a day, 5 to 6 days a week. The easiest exercise is brisk walking, yoga is excellent so is swimming. Avoid weight lifting and active competitive sports.
7. Quit Smoking: This includes all types of cigarettes including cigars, pipes, hookahs.
8. Control Alcohol: Never exceed one or two units of alcohol per day. A unit is a 60ml peg of spirits, 200ml of wine, or 400 ml of beer. Do not drink more than once or twice a week and never drink on two consecutive days.
9. Manage Stress: Stress and mental tension are caused by over ambition, at work, problems at work, difficult relationships, home problems, financial problems, health problems etc. These daily tensions are the prime cause for hypertension. Daily exercise, support from family and friends, helps to manage and reduce the effects of stress.
10. Rest and Relaxation: Sleep for at least 8 hours every night. Spend the weekends with family and friends. Cultivate a hobby and take a 10 to 15-day break from work and give yourself a well-deserved holiday at least once or twice a year.

Yoga and Naturopathy for Hypertension

Hypertension or increased blood pressure is a staggering health problem today. It has become very common and about 20 percent of adults all over the world suffer with hypertension without even knowing, as it remains asymptomatic until late in its course. Hence it is called a silent killer.

 Its effects when unattended are devastating, affecting every system of the body, and could be fatal. 50 years ago, hypertension or high blood pressure was a relatively uncommon condition.Today, it has become more than just a chronic complaint. It has become a disease of the affluent and middle class population. It still poses a challenge for the medical world for its dependency on continuous medication, and is the most common risk factor for heart attacks."

Blood Pressure and Hypertension
The force with which the heart pumps blood through arteries to reach various parts of body is called blood pressure. The pressure is greatest when the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure. The pressure is lower during the relaxation phase of heart and is known as diastolic pressure.

Blood pressure in an adult male (20 – 50 years) during systole when a left ventricle contracts is around 100 - 140 mm of Hg, and during diastole when left ventricle relaxes is around 60 - 90 mm of Hg. Without this pressure, blood will not be able to supply the body oxygen, food and essential nutrients. The pressure varies with physical and mental activity and from person to person with an average of 120 / 80mm of Hg. When the blood pressure is constantly recorded above 140/90 mm of Hg in successive intervals, then it is called hypertension.

Source: Apollo Life

Spine Health and Signs of an Ageing Spine

Curves are a normal part of the spine’s structure. A side view of the spine resembles a soft ‘S’ shape. The normal curves are termed lordosis and kyphosis. However, the natural curves should not be mistaken for spinal disorders also called Lordosis and Kyphosis.

Good posture is about all parts of the spine being in correct alignment so that the body weight is evenly distributed. This means that if someone is not in correct posture it can put strain on certain parts of the spine (usually the lumbar or lower back).

The spine is not straight and it was never meant to be straight. Each part of the spine has a soft curve to it. The curve directions alternate down the spine. These form a kind of spring that enables shock absorption by the spine. It would actually be very bad if the spine were to be straight!

During our lifetime, our spines are required to withstand considerable physical weight bearing stresses resulting from activities of daily living. As a result of these stresses, ‘wear and tear’ or degeneration occurs in all parts of the vertebral column. Degeneration which occurs in the spine as a consequence of daily living is considered part of the normal ageing process.

Signs Of An Ageing Spine:

Most people are concerned with changes in their body shape as they age. Although some changes inevitably occur with ageing, your lifestyle choices can slow down or speed up these changes. With age a person may become shorter. After the age of 40, people typically lose 1cm every 10 years and the height loss increases after the age of 70.

Some people live to old age without experiencing any of the symptoms typically associated with an ageing spine. Others may experience the following:

• Loss of bone density
• Spinal fracture, even from minor trauma
• Stiffness
• Decreased range of motion in the joints: difficulty in bending, twisting, or walking
• Discomfort or pain after long periods of sitting or standing
• Difficulty in getting up from a sitting position
• Difficulty in lifting heavy objects
• Loss of flexibility
• Increased susceptibility to back problems in colder weather

 Check out Apollo Life website to know what are the Conditions Associated With An Ageing Spine

A Brief Note On Water Related Diseases and Its Prevention

Water-borne diseases are illnesses caused and transmitted by the use and consumption of contaminated water. Irrespective of the Old Issues & New Risks In Clean Water Dr Suneetha Narreddy cause and point of water contamination, infections are picked up in the course of basic everyday activities like drinking water, preparation and consumption of food, bathing and washing.

The long list of water related diseases and conditions include Anaemia, Ascariasis, Botulism, Diarrhoea, Dracunculiasis, Fluorosis, Hookworm infection, Japanese encephalitis, Lymphatic filariasis, Malaria, Malnutrition, Polio, Ring Worm, Tinea, Scabies, Schistomiasis. But prevalently, the most common and the most troublesome of water-related diseases, in terms of public health or health of a community are:

• Typhoid fever
• Cholera
• Leptospirosis
• Hepatitis A

There is also the increased risk of infection or water-borne diseases contracted through direct contact with polluted waters.
Among them are:

• Wound infections
• Dermatitis
• Conjunctivitis
• Ear, nose and throat infections

 Go to our online portal Apollo Life to know the prevention process of the same.

Effectiveness of Liquid Diets

In today’s context and lifestyle, liquid diets not only help a lot by detoxifying your system, but are almost imperative to maintaining good health.

 Naturopathists are of the opinion that if you follow a liquid diet once a week, not only will this help the digestive system to rest but also allow it to get rid of toxins accumulated over time. In all, it energizes you, helps in rectifying water retention problems as well as it contributes to weight loss leading to a general overall feeling of well being.

A sample of a liquid diet that I have seen working with people I know is as follows:

You can kick start your day at, lets say, 7 a.m. by taking a glass of water and then every one hour, you can consume some form of a liquid diet alternating it with a glass of water, the next hour. The options are in plenty ranging from tea, coffee, juice (fruit/vegetable), buttermilk, soup and finally a cup of milk at 10 p.m. if you are hungry.

A Reiki master once told me about several juices that enhance a person’s well being. For example carrot and celery juice, chaal kurunda/white pumpkin juice, pomegranate juice and sweet-lime juice. All these juices should be combined with 6—8 glasses of water taken at various intervals.

Source: Apollo Life

Know Health Benefits and Nutritional Facts of Dates

Whether you are looking for a sweet treat with natural goodness or a nutritionally packed snack to fight fatigue, dates easily qualify as the perfect choice for most health enthusiasts. High in carbohydrates and fibre, and rich in exotic taste and essential minerals, dates can be a healthy addition to any diet.

 Originally dates came from the Middle East and South Asia. It was prominently so around the Persian Gulf and River Nile. Today they are grown extensively in the warm climate zones across Africa, Europe and Asia. The date fruit belongs to the ‘drupe’ category having a fleshy outer layer and an inner hardened pit with a seed.

Date variants are available either as the soft ‘Medjool’ and ‘Khadrawy’, the semi dry ‘Deglet Noor’ or the dry form ‘Thoory’. The popular and revered cultivars include ‘Medjool’, ‘Khadrawy’, ‘Amer Haji’, ‘Khalasah’, ‘Kenta’ and ‘Khajoor’.

Weighty Affair!

Dates are cholesterol free and loaded with dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These energy-dense delicious fruits are rich in potassium (which helps to check hypertension), calcium (which is useful for skeletal and dental health), selenium (the immunity booster), magnesium and copper.

If the antioxidants in dates are chiefly the powerful carotenoids, the vitamins comprise the entire range of the B complex – B6, niacin, and folic acid. It is also rich in amino acids. About 100 g of fresh dates provide 400 kcal approximately. So, the flip side is you must be careful about nibbling on too many dates! It is especially so if you are trying to watch your weight.

Browse our online health magazine Apollo Life to know more benefits of Dates.

Little Note on Wedding Hairstyles

                                            A wedding is not karaoke. You don’t just wake up and perform while people egg you on even though you sound disastrously pathetic. A wedding has to be perfect in every way. Everyone wants to look their best on the occasion and the best of all should be and must be the bride. Every pleat should fall in place, the blush and colour should match your grace and no hair should be out of place.

 So, if you’re the bride, you can’t let the others get ahead of you. Check out some choicest wedding hairstyles and be a stunner on your Wedding Day!

Classic Bun

• Neat and elegant, the classic bun is perfectly suited to a bride who needs to create beautiful lines and keep hair off her face.
• Once in place, you can accessorize with hairgrips and hair slides; choose a colour that compliments your hair tone and outfit.
• Completely chic and classy, you can wear the classic bun sleek and groomed, or looser and accessorized for a more contemporary feel. You’ll always look pulled together and timeless in all of your wedding pictures.

Fresh Flowers For Your Hair

• A single bold flower or a cluster of delicate blooms, add a romantic flourish to your wedding-day hairstyle.
• In general, use larger blossoms with simple styles, smaller ones for more intricate looks.
• Opt for flowers that are in season and are resilient.
• Some flowers shouldn’t be used near your skin; for safety reasons, have your florist guide you to sensible choices.
• Highly fashionable flower pieces tucked within the braided bun `look splendid.
• Place a flower at the base of the bun for a simple, effective detail.
• Having the flower to one side or slightly below the top of the bun is more elegant than placing it above the bun.
• Source: ApolloLife

Colour Therapy - Healing with Colours

Colours do affect our thought process in subtle ways. That’s why people feel blue when they’re sad, go green with envy, grow pink with embarrassment, and see red when they are angry. Apart for the mood altering qualities, colours are also known to have healing properties.

The History:
Though the term ‘colour therapy’ has come recently, the idea existed from ancient times. Warriors painted themselves in reds, blacks and browns as they believed these colours made them look fierce. Tribal women dressed themselves in bright colours to look attractive. The ancient Egyptians too understood the importance of colour - and they used colour to heal. They built temples for healing, where the rooms were coloured in different colours. The Chinese practised colour healing too, called the nei ching, nearly 2000 years ago.

India too has credited colours with incredible healing power from ancient times. Sages understood the healing vibrations of different colours and how they helped cure aliments, this is reported in Atharva Veda; where they connect the seven colours of the rainbow (violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red) to the seven energy centres, also known as the chakras, of our body for healing purposes. Each chakra is further related to a certain gland, so they believed that the proper use of a specific colour helps cure that body ailment concerned.

Another aspect of colour therapy is the close relation the five elements of the body: fire, air, water, ether and earth, have with colours. Fire is associated with red, air with green, water with deep blue, ether with light blue and earth with yellow. Thus colour therapy draws the vibrations and energy from the five elements and colours. Together combines them to better our body’s ailments. These ancient beliefs and practices are what we still carry forward and have proved to be beneficial in today’s practice of colour therapy.

SOURCE:  ApolloLife

Some Ayurvedic Principles in Diet

Whilst the basic elements of a healthy balanced diet regime comprising fibre-dense grains, fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts remain the same, an ayurvedic diet also outlines the specific foods which must be included or avoided as per the existing doshas in an individual. Such a personalised diet with a holistic approach ensures optimum health and vitality.

Ayurvedic Diet Principles

As per ayurvedic classification, our body’s metabolism is governed by three doshas or characteristic body humours which determine our physiology, temperament and risk to diseases. It is believed that the Panch Tatva i.e. jal, vayu, agni, aakash and prithvi make up our body and the way they work in our body is described as doshas, namely Vaata, Pitta and Kapha . Each dosha constitutes a combination of any two Tatva or elements and the two most predominant dosha decide the ‘Prakruti’ of an individual. This unique doshic thumbprint must be maintained and any imbalance or ‘vikriti’ in the dosha levels results in ailments. An ayurvedic practitioner analyses the individual’s prakruti, dosha tendencies, degree of ama (or toxins) and the strength of digestive fire before designing a customised ayurvedic diet.

Certain basic principles of an ayurvedic diet regime are:

A meal must include the six rasas or flavours like sweet (madhur), salty( lavana), sour (amla), pungent (tikha), bitter ( katu) and astringent (kasahaya). Each flavour or taste enjoys a unique impact on different doshas.  Vaata is pacified by sweet, sour and salty foods; kapha by bitter, pungent and astringent foods and pitta by sweet, pungent and astringent foods. But it is not as simple as a formula! For instance, eating more of vaata pacifying foods by a vaata person may aggravate his kapha dosha and again create imbalance. So moderation is the key.

Apollo Life will guide you more on types of different diet types.

Things to know about Asthma

No one really knows what causes asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs. The consensus is that a mix of hereditary and environmental factors cause it, but the scientific community is still to crack the ‘how exactly’.

 What every asthma patient knows too well though, is that it causes recurring attacks of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing.

Tightening Airways:

Asthma makes the airways become extra-sensitive, when the inflammation lasts a while. Various triggers like allergens, viruses, dust, smoke, stress, etc. can then cause faster and impacting damage, by:

• Swelling up the airways, making them narrower, limiting the airflow.
• Tightening the muscles that surround the airways, making them even narrower
• Producing too much mucus, which blocks the airways
• Making the airways extra-sensitive to irritants

Sitting Ducks:

• Blame it on the genes, but you are more likely to get asthma if it’s been already running in your family.
• Children with eczema or food allergy are more likely than other children to develop asthma.
• If you have an existing allergy to pollen, house dust mites or pets, your chances for developing this illness go up.
• Exposure to tobacco smoke, air pollution or other inhaled irritants can also cause asthma symptoms.

 Browse Apollo Life to know more details on Asthma and its treatment.

Facts about Endometriosis

As the lining of the uterus is also in the intestines and stomach region they have other problems like constipation, flatulence and painful bowel movements? Hence how can it to cured? 

Yes if the disease is sometimes spread to other organs surgical treatment can cure, but many times these women require some kind of medication lifelong.

Feeling of bloating or altered bowel habits is one of the nonspecific symptoms often ignored by women. In fact the gold standard method of diagnosis of endometriosis is laparoscopy. 

It is also one of the reasons for three types of ovarian cancer, which are they and how many such cases are found in India? 

Yes studies have shown that women who have endometriosis can have 2-3 times higher chances of developing certain types of ovarian cancer namely endometroid or clear cell ovarian carcinoma. 

At which stage does the cancer develop in these women? 

This is s a difficult to answer this question. We do not know if all women with endometriosis will develop cancer and if so when. It is important for women with endometriosis to be in follow up of a doctor and take appropriate treatment as and when required.

Author: Dr.Rooma Sinha