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

Hypnosis for Coping with Fear of Death

Hypnosis is a scientifically acknowledged psychological and therapeutic discipline and is the most expedient way to access the Subconscious Mind. It is a method by which any person may be guided into an altered state of conscious awareness in which psychological and physical changes beyond normal conscious capability can be achieved.

 "Our Mind controls absolutely everything about us." It creates every disease that manifests in the physical body as everything starts with a THOUGHT. According to the conventional medical world wisdom, a number of diseases are what are called psychosomatic, which means mainly in the mind.

How the mind works
The mind is divided into two parts – the Conscious Mind and the Subconscious Mind. The Conscious Mind is our logical, reasoning, thinking mind that we use all the time when we are awake.

The Subconscious Mind is a repository of all our experiences and memories. It permanently stores everything that we ever see – hear – smell – feel – every thought – every emotion.

Who we are - how we respond – and what we believe - are functions of the subconscious mind. The Subconscious Mind has all the information about us - knows everything about us, and looks after and protects us all the time. We however, do not have direct access to the information in the Subconscious Mind.

The Conscious Mind has access to the Subconscious Mind and uses this information to reach its own decisions, and many times, manipulates the information it obtains from this base. Our behavior is a combined response of our conscious and our subconscious mind. Our conscious mind has set up the 'rules' for our behavior, based on our belief system, which originates from our subconscious mind which has the memories of all our prior experiences, thereby telling us what feels good and what does not.

Source: Apollo Life

Skin Wounds - Diagnosis and Treatment

A wound is an injury to the skin. The skin may be torn, cut, punctured or bruised. In pathology, it refers to any injury that damages the dermis of the skin. It is a common injury and nearly everyone has experienced one type of wound or another. Minor wounds are especially common in childhood.

Types of Wounds:
Based on duration

• Acute Wound: Acute is a new wound resulting from an acute injury or trauma.
• Chronic wound: It is typically a long-standing wound which takes a long time to heal, usually existing for six weeks or more.

Based on appearance

• Open Wounds
• Closed Wound

Open Wounds:-
These are wounds that present as raw open areas and are of various types:

• Cut wounds or incision wounds are a result of cuts by a clean, sharp-edged object such as a knife or a glass cutting into the skin.
• Lacerations are irregular tear-like wounds caused by blunt trauma.
• Abrasions are superficial wounds in which the topmost layer of the skin is scraped off. They are often caused by sliding or falling on a rough surface.
• Puncture wounds are caused by an object puncturing the skin, such as a nail or needle. t Penetration wounds are caused by an object, such as a knife, entering and coming out from the skin.
• Missile wounds, also called velocity wounds, are caused by an object entering the body at a high speed, typically a bullet.
• Avulsions occur when an entire structure or part of it is forcibly pulled away; such as the loss of a permanent tooth or an ear lobe.

From a purely clinical point of view, abortion is a safe procedure when performed under the supervision of a qualified medical professional and under appropriate sanitary conditions. There is no scientific evidence to show that a woman going in for an abortion risks infertility. An improperly done abortion can, however, lead to infection and result in sub-fertility.

Closed Wounds:-
Closed wounds are wounds beneath the skin where the skin surface remains intact despite the injury. They are of few types but are just as dangerous as open wounds. The types of closed wounds are:

• Contusions, more commonly known as bruises, are caused by blunt force trauma that damages tissues under the skin.
• Hematoma, also called a blood tumor, is caused by damage to a blood vessel that causes blood to collect under the skin. t Crush injury or crush wounds occur when a heavy object falls on a person, splitting the skin and shattering or tearing underlying structures.

 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.