0 Carbohydrate source of energy in the body

Definition

     Carbohydrates come from the Greek word "glukus" which means "sweet". Hydrogen, carbon and oxygen compounds which are also the name of carbohydrates. They are the primary source of energy in the body. They are the perfect fuel our efforts.
     One class diagram carbohydrates into two families:
- Simple sugars: they are directly absorbed by the body. There are hydrolyzed by the salivary and digestive enzymes. This is particularly the case of monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose but also disaccharides.
- Complex sugars (polysaccharides): They will undergo further hydrolysis. This is the case of starch and glycogen, which is manufactured by our body (gluconeogenesis) and stored in the liver and muscles. Its sugar reserve rights.

Carbohydrates

energy role

     Carbohydrates, essential for the functioning of the muscles and brain, is the source of energy quickly used by the body and are involved in protein anabolism. So carbohydrates are essentially energy role. Provided by the diet, they are broken down into glucose which will be distributed throughout the body. Part is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles that serve as reserve.

Plastic role

    Some carbohydrates have a role called "constitution". They go into the composition of human body tissues: cartilage, Nucleic acids, mucus, antigenic substances.

Where do you find carbs?
     Carbohydrates are the most abundant in living matter organic constituents. Their main source is the plant community. They are mostly found in dried fruits, fresh fruits, cereals, bread, honey, whole sugar, tubers, milk, etc. ...
     Foods in which we find most of carbohydrates are:
- Pasta: 75% (75 grams of carbohydrates per 100 g of pasta)
- Pulses: 59%
- Bread: 50%
- Banana: 30%
- Rice: 22%
- Potato: 20%

Energy intake

     Our daily requirement of carbohydrates is 4 grams per kg of body weight per day. 1 gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories or 17 kj.
     In a balanced diet, energy intake should include 50% carbohydrates. This represents an average of 220 to 250 grams of carbohydrates per day, two thirds of which serve the unique needs of the nervous system that is glucodépendant. The proportion of carbohydrates in the diet helps maintain carbohydrate reserves of the body (liver and muscle glycogen) to a stable level
500 g.

Special cases
  For athletes, carbohydrates should represent at least 55% of the total caloric intake. Sports performance are dependent on carbohydrate reserves of sports, and how they are managed. Any food strategy is put in place before, during and after sporting event.

     The premature infant, infants and children have higher than adult energy needs. Needs directly related ave growth. It is estimated that premature babies need 15 grams of carbohydrate per kg per day, we believe that 8-10 g per kg per day enough for children. At 4 years, its contribution must be rammené to 5 g per kg per day.

     The elderly retain an appetite for sweet foods but tend to reduce their intake of complex carbohydrates. We must therefore ensure that the daily intake of carbohydrate mostly come from complex carbohydrates.

Blood sugar
 The sugar is the amount of sugar in the blood. You should know that the concentration of sugar in the blood almost no changes, that is to say quon always between 0.8 g and 1 g of sugar in 1 liter of blood. Below this range, it is hypoglycemia, above, in hyperglycemia.

     When blood sugar rises, the pancreas into action by secreting its main hormone, insulin has the effect of lowering blood sugar levels to normal. The slowly absorbed carbohydrates cause a slow and gradual rise in blood sugar. In contrast, consumption of sugars often causes hyperglycemia with a relatively high insulin secretion that can trigger a reaction secondary hypoglycemia.

0 Barley Chappathi

As i prepared myself barley flour at home,i tried adding them while preparing our favourite chappathis two days back. They came out extremely soft, since i love to make chappathis quite often, i do experiment with many different types of flours. But somehow after oats flour,i loved this barley and wheat flour combo in chappathi. I went for equal cups of both barley and wheat flour for making these chappathis.

You can spice up this chappathi with your favourite spices and i spiced mine with some crushed ajwain aka omam seeds, they gives a wonderful flavour to this simple healthy chappathi.Enjoyed thoroughly our dinner with this chappathi served along with vegetable kurma. .You can even freeze these chappathis for later use and they will stay prefect for months.This will be definitely handy when you are in hurry.Sending to my own event CWS-Barley guest hosted by Roshni.

1cup Wheat flour
1cup Barley flour
1tsp Ajwain seeds (crushed)
Warm water
Salt
Oil for cooking
Flour for dusting

Take the wheat flour,barley flour,ajwain seeds with salt in a large bowl,gradually add the water and knead as smooth and soft dough.

Keep aside half an hour, make medium sized balls from the dough,dust with flour and roll them as rotis.

Meanwhile heat a tawa, drop gently the rolled roti,drizzle few drops of oil,cook on both sides until they gets well cooked.

Enjoy warm with any sort of chutneys.

0 7 Quick Tips for Vegetarian Health

Most of these tips really apply to everyone, not just vegetarians. They may seem trite, but they are tried and true and you will notice the difference in your health and energy levels. Need a little inspiration? Check out how more than 60 people lost weight and improved their health on a vegetarian diet.

• Eat a dark green vegetable (broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens) at least three times a week. These nutritional powerhouses are packed full of vitamins such as calcium and iron. On the run or hate spinach? Try drinking your greens. I recommend Naked Juices Green Machine-its made with fruit juice as well as greens, so it tastes better than others.
• Take a vitamin supplement that contains B12 or include nutritional yeast in your diet regularly, especially if youre vegan or mostly vegan.
• Water water water! Its been said over and over again for a reason-because its true! Most people dont drink nearly enough. Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go and invest in a simple filter for your home. Water is especially important when adjusting to a new way of eating, as it will help curb any cravings you may experience.
• Make it a goal to eat at least one piece of raw fruit or a handful of raw vegetables every dayI try to eat an apple first thing in the morning to get it out of the way.
• Reduce your refined sugar intake. Ive got as much of a sweet tooth as anybody, but I try to keep it under control by using such sugar replacers as brown rice syrup, stevia and agave nectar whenever possible (such as in coffee and tea) and indulging in the refined stuff only occasionally.
• Keep your favorite salad dressings on hand. I find that Im much more likely to eat my greens or some raw veggies when my favorite salad dressings are in the fridge. A little variety is great too--I try to keep at least two kinds, either store bought or homemade on hand at all times. Some of my favorites are homemade goddess dressing, Thai peanut sauce from my local Asian grocer and rasberry vinaigrette. A vegan ranch dressing was helpful as well when I was trying to wean myself off dairy.
• Eat the rainbow! Fruits and vegetables all contain different nutrients. A simple way to remember to eat a range of vitamins and minerals is to vary the colors of the vegetables you eat. Of course, greens are always good, but try eating a rainbow of tomatoes, yellow squash and purple cabbage! 

_http://vegetarian.about.com/od/healthnutrition/qt/HealthTips.htm

0 Race and Ethnicity as Risk factors for Diabetes called Into Question

The message that certain racial or ethnic groups may be more predisposed to type 2 diabetes has been in the diabetes literature for years.

Examples:

Type 2 diabetes risk factors include "Race/ethnicity (African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans all have high rates of diabetes)."
- MedlinePlus, Type 2 Diabetes (A service of the US National Institutes of Health)

"Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders."
- American Diabetes Association, Type 2 Diabetes

A study published in the journal Cultural Anthropology in February calls this into question.

“Our study challenges the presumption that Native American, Mexican American, African American, Australian Aborigine, or other indigenous groups are genetically prone to diabetes,” said anthropologist Michael Montoya. “The evidence demonstrates that higher rates of diabetes across population groups can be explained by non-genetic factors alone.”
- Ethnic Groups’ Genes Not to Blame For Diabetes

"Unfortunately, looking for genetic factors that influence diabetes in ethnic groups ignores the social factors like poverty and access to health care that have a much stronger correlation to the rates of diabetes among certain groups. And if we don’t understand that those groups are not biological, we will look for biological explanations for their disease rates when we should be looking for social ones."
- Study of Diabetes and Race Reveals the Imperfect Science of Defining Ethnic Groups, Diabetic Gourmet Magazine

If its true that social, economic, environmental, political, and historical factors have interfered with how researchers have defined race and ethnicity in studies, the diabetic literature may need editing.
________
For the study (abstract):
Bioethnic Conscription: Genes, Race, and Mexicana/o Ethnicity in Diabetes Research

0 Glycemic Variability

How much do your blood sugars vary in a day?

The answer to this question might have more of a bearing on your risk for complications than your HbA1c alone. Dr. Irl Hirsh (shown) reviewed data on fluctuations in blood glucose. In his 2005 paper he reported: ¹

"New data, however, show that glucose variability, independent of A1C, may also play a significant role in the risk for complications."

He cited an example from the landmark 1993 Diabetes Complications and Control Trial:

"For example, the risk of retinopathy in control patients with an A1C of 9% was approximately 2.5 times greater than the risk of experimental patients with a 9% A1C. The only significant difference between these groups is that 90% of the control group was on twice-daily NPH insulin to cover basal and prandial insulin needs, whereas subjects in the experimental group were on basal-bolus therapy using either NPH insulin twice daily and regular insulin at meals, multiple daily injections, or an insulin pump."

Dr. Hirsch suggested that blood sugars not deviate by more than a third of average blood sugar. If your average BG was 120 mg/dl, you would not want it to fluctuate by more than 40 mg/dl, e.g. you would not want it to go higher than 160 mg/dl.

A goal for therapy that addresses both chronic high blood sugars (hyperglycemia) and glycemic variability was discussed in a recent article in the journal Diabetes Care (February Supplement): ²

"It is strongly suggested that a global antidiabetic strategy should be aimed at reducing to a minimum the different components of dysglycemia (i.e., A1C, fasting and postprandial glucose, as well as glucose variability). All the therapeutic agents that act on postprandial glucose excursions seem of particular interest for reducing the latter parameter (i.e., the glucose instability)."

Managing glycemic variability cannot be adequately accomplished without knowledge of blood sugar variations - which makes regular blood sugar monitoring essential:

"In patients with type 2 diabetes, SMBG* should be performed with increased frequency to monitor glycemic variability, regardless of the effect on HbA1c."
- Glycemic Variability: A Hemoglobin A1c–Independent Risk Factor for Diabetic Complications, Brownlee M and Hirsch I, JAMA, 2006.

* Self-Monitored Blood Glucose

The above makes a good argument for increased use of continuous monitors.
________
¹ Glycemic Variability: Its Not Just About A1C Anymore! , Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics, 2005.
² Glycemic Variability, Should We And Can We Prevent It? , Diabetes Care, 2008.

0 Hot Chocolate Fudge SFC 1

Hot chocolate fudge, its been ages i had this fantastic dessert. But finally i could make some at home and thanks to Preeti of Simply Tadka for suggesting this incredible and easy breezy dessert for this months Sweet Fantasy Club. Few scoops of vanilla icecream and a simple hot chocolate sauce is enough to make this incredible dessert. My kids enjoyed thoroughly this incredible dessert and asked me again to make this chilled dessert.A quick hot chocolate sauce topped over few scoops of vanilla icecream makes this fantastic hot chocolate fudge.

Eventhough the weather is too cold, we seriously enjoyed thoroughly this dessert, my H have completely fallen in love with this dessert. Definitely this dessert is a real feast for both icecream and chocolate lovers. I went for vanilla icecream and homemade hot chocolate sauce which i simply prepared by melting chocolate chips in double boiler. If you want to change the flavor of the icecream just go with your favourite flavor.

3scoops of Vanilla icecream
1/2cup Chocolate chips
2tbsp Milk
Whipped cream (optional)
Few chopped nuts

Melt the chocolate chips and milk in double boiler..

Arrange the scoops of vanilla icecream in a plate.

Pour the hot chocolate sauce over the icecream.

Serve immediately topped with chopped nuts.

Notes:
You can add sugar pearls, chocolate sprinkles and else with cherries.

Also you can top the fudge with whipped cream but i skipped it.

0 Diabetes Increases Risk For Depression

Researchers reporting in the June 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine found:

"Among well-functioning older adults, DM [Diabetes Mellitus] is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms."

Those whose diabetes was poorly controlled (whose HbA1c was > 7%) were particularly at risk.

It was a prospective study with a mean follow-up of 5.9 years. The 2522 participants, aged 70 to 79, were community-dwelling and did not have depression at the beginning of the study. (Although it was not known if depression existed prior to study entry.)

The causal mechanisms of a diabetes-depression association have not been unraveled. That is, we still dont know if one is primarily at the root of the other. This study however demonstrated that having diabetes can almost double the risk for depression (even after, as in this case, adjustments are made for age, sex, race, education, smoking, alcohol intake, activity level, and baseline depression score).

Although this study observed that "depressive symptoms may be in part explained by the global burden of comorbidities and impairments associated with DM," they pointed out that other organic causes may be contributing, particularly those related to HbA1c levels.

This is one more data point in the diabetes-depression narrative.

________
For the abstract:
Diabetes Mellitus, Glycemic Control, and Incident Depressive Symptoms Among 70- to 79-Year-Old Persons

0 Eggless Peanut Chocolate Cookies

If you love peanuts and chocolate in cookies, this cookies are just for you.Beware, coz these cookies are quite addictive and definitely super buttery.If you dont care or mind about to take few pounds,coz you may gain on munching this cookies, well you can prepare them very much quickly and easily to enjoy them for an evening snacks.I just prepared them yesterday evening for my kids snacks, needless to say my two batches of these eggless cookies vanished very much quickly..These cookies turned out very much nutty,buttery,super addictive obviously satisfy your sweet tooth.

Just dip them in warm milk and enjoy these cookies, i can bet that these cookies will tastes absolutely divine.I had hard time to take a picture of these cookies, coz few hands were waiting impatiently to pick and have them..To be honest, i just got a cookie to taste, everyone at home just loved munching these scrumptious cookies.Sending to my event CWS-Peanuts hosted by me.

2cups All purpose flour
1cup Sugar
1cup Butter (room temperature)
3tbsp Cocoa powder
1tsp Baking powder
1/4cup Roasted peanuts
A pinch salt

Beat the butter until they turns soft, add the sugar to the butter,beat for few minutes.

Now add gradually the flour,baking powder,cocoa powder, roasted peanuts and turns a dough.

Preheat the oven to 350F, arrange a baking sheet over a baking tray.

Make a small balls from the dough, flat them in your palms and arrange over the baking sheet,press on th top of cookies with a fork.

Bake in middle rack for 15-20minutes or until the top turns firm.

Keep aside and let them cool.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

0 Product Recall Insulin Pump Adapter

On July 29, Disetronic Medical Systems recalled its D-Tron adapter - for use with the D-Tron and D-TronPlus insulin pumps, and the Accu-Chek D-TronPlus insulin pump.
(A DTronPlus insulin pump is shown. The clear plastic adapter can be seen attached to the right of the pump.)

According to Disetronic:

"Use of the recalled adapter may result in the over delivery of insulin of up to 1.8 units of insulin." This "may pose a potentially life-threatening situation to children using the pump."

Overdelivery of insulin can result in hypoglycemia or low blood glucose. Anyone who requires a small amount of daily insulin or who is insulin sensitive and uses this adapter may be at risk for this condition.

Disetronic has manufactured new adapters. In the meantime, they recommend you inspect your adapter package before use. The affected adapter is marked as Part # REF 3000803. Their website has posted the old, recalled package label (left) and their new package label (right):


________
For information regarding replacement of affected D-TRON adapters:
Contact the Disetronic Pump User Support Group at 1-800-688-4578.

For Disetronics recall notice:
URGENT PRODUCT RECALL: Potential Life-Threatening Situation to Children Using the Pump

For the FDAs press release on the recall:
Disetronic Medical Systems, Inc. Announces a Voluntary Recall of the D-TRON Adapters, Used With the D-TRONplus Insulin Pump

0 The 3 Legged Stool of Telemonitoring The Device A Non Physician Professional and the Patient

Just when the Disease Management Care Blog has barely learned to control itself when its in the company of clueless electronic health record (EHR) techno-weenies, enter the equally intolerable "telemonitoring" enthusiasts. Their jargon-laced claims of pan-medical and cost efficacy is enough to give the DMCB a migraine.

Their bombast is easy to spot.  According to this new class of leprechauns, small wearable telemonitoring devices for blood pressure, temperature, breathing, heart rate, weight, calories, blood sugar, cholesterol, brain waves, nail length, eye-blinks and minutes spent in the bathroom upload the data to the doctor who, thusly armed with critical insights of well-being, can do more of their... doctor stuff like... give out some prevention and stomp out disease.

For the best example of how that is simply not true, the DMCB is reminded of this negative December 2010 heart failure symptom telemonitoring study that alerted the patients physicians about "variances."  The DMCB readership already knows that physicians are already busy and just dont have the time to fit one more task into their busy days.  Thats doubly true if the data is unfiltered and without any context.

Yet, while the DMCB is unwilling to hop aboard the telemonitoring train, that doesnt mean that this has nothing to offer.  In the DMCBs estimation, itll increase quality and probably lower costs if it is combined with two other key ingredients:

1) a non-physician professional being in the loop, who can a) monitor the information and b) contact the patient with significant variances and c) use a combination of clinical judgement and standing orders/protocols to guide a patient response (which, by the way, doesnt have to include seeing the physician).  An example is here.  Theyre usually nurses and they can be part of the Patient Centered Medical Home or as part of a population health management program (or both).

2) an empowered, engaged, enabled and educated patient who understands the "output" of the device and can respond autonomously, confidently and collaboratively.  While some readers may pooh-pooh the DMCBs unrealistic idealism, the DMCB has found that most patients are smarter than they are given credit for.  As far as the DMCB is concerned, if a patient can manage a telemonitoring device, they can usually deal with the non-physician professional and also have some insight about what the device is "saying."
   
The DMCB thinks of it as a three legged stool.  Having telemonitoring patients be 1) passive and 2) unsupported bystanders while their data uploads scramble their overburdened physicians workflows isnt health reform, it isnt cost saving and it isnt quality. 

Image from Wikipedia

0 Wecome to the Family ACA

All big families go through this sooner or later. 

The upending of a familiar rhythm of behaviors, traditions, relationships and unspoken social rules by the unpleasant intrusion of one who is eumphemistically termed "a significant other." The disagreeable dolt who sleeps in.  The rude boyfriend who wont close his mouth when he chews. The unpleasant uncle who knows it all. In hushed whispers in the kitchen, the regulars wonder: just what in the world does she see in him?

Yet, even as families hope against hope that theyll break up, things settle into a new equilibrium. Loyalties evolve, the relatives adapt, newcomers behave and the traditions evolve. Yes, those were the good old days and he may be a horses ass, but now hes our horses ass.

Enter the Affordable Care Act. Whether we like it or not, the Supremes see something in this fat boy sitting in our living room and it looks like hes for keeps. The ACA may be unwieldly, expensive and prone to mischief, but it looks like he aint going anywhere. Absent an unlikely Republican trifecta involving the Presidency, House and Senate (and that has to be filibuster proof) in the November elections, it looks like hell be part of the family for years to come. 

Welcome to the family, ACA.

0 Should Patients in Population Health Management Programs Have Access to Lay Care Coaches

Based on prior posts like this, the Disease Management Care Blog thinks the answer is yes. 

That being said, this hot-off-the-presses research paper shows just much we need to learn about this emerging approach to the care of persons with chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic heart failure.

Lay Persons Educating Persons With Chronic Conditions in Primary Care Clinics

The paper was just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. It was a one year randomized study involving the patients at six Allina Health primary care clinics. 

Twelve lay "care guides" had at least 2 years of college education and "strong interpersonal skills." They received two weeks of education that included setting goals, identifying and overcoming care barriers, behavior change techniques, the limits of scope of practice and how to use the electronic records to message physicians.  It was up to the care guides and the patients to decide on how often they needed to meet in face or by telephone. The guides were supervised by two RNs.

Active (i.e. seen in the clinics within 6 months) patients who agreed to be in the study with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart failure were allocated in a 2:1 ratio to either a "care guide" or usual care. Goals were proscribed and were the usual HEDIS-style outcomes, such as achieving blood pressure control, reaching an A1c level, getting an echocardiogram, being on beta-blocker medications or getting a pneumovax immunization.
 
The study was not "blinded," in that they and their providers were aware of the assignment. Recruitment began in July of 2010 and the study was completed in April of 2012. 6168 patients were screened, 2135 patients agreed to participate and 1423 and 702 completed the study from the care guide and usual care study arms.

Results?

One year later, 82.6% of the care guide patients achieved their selected care goals vs. 79.1% of the usual care patients. That 3.5% increase was statistically significant.

Most of that improvement was accounted by a higher rates of tobacco cessation, pneumovax immunization, getting persons with diabetes to get an eye exam as well as urine protein testing, and getting persons with heart failure to go through an echocardiogram.  There were no statistically significant impacts on blood pressure control, diabetes control, cholesterol control or medication prescribing.

The care guides interacted with their patients on average 7 times (2 face-to-face and 5 by telephone).  They messaged physicians an average of 4 times.  There was no difference between the two groups in primary care office visits. Estimated cost was $286 per patient per year.

The Disease Management Care Blogs take:

There is increasing interest in incorporating lay-persons in the outpatient care of persons with chronic conditions.  That makes sense, because much of the educational "payload" may be deliverable using far cheaper and more engaging "peer" members of the community who - literally - speak the patients language.  This is a nicely done randomized clinical trial done in a real world setting that adds to our understanding of this care option. The bottom line is that this study showed that the care guides had a real impact.

When the DMCB looks at the actual numbers, it is also clear that the study had an uphill climb.  Many of the baseline measures of blood pressure, diabetes and heart failure quality relatively high to begin with. The impact of the care guides may have been much greater in a population with a lower baseline (such as in this study) with more "room" to move.

Problems to think about for the next study.....

Not all outcomes are created equally: Unfortunately, this study was something of a disappointment because the improvements were spotty, relatively small and limited to lightweight "testing" outcomes vs. more -hard-to-achieve disease control outcomes.  It may one thing for a peer patient to talk a patient into a urine test or a heart scan, its another getting a patient to take more pills.  That may take a professional educator, a pharmacist or nurse.

What do the patients want: In addition, the goals were based on a one-size-fits-all HEDIS approach.  They were not adaptable, negotiable or subject to shared decision-making.  If that had been in the mix, patient engagement may have been an additional ingredient that could have pushed other outcome measures toward statistical significance.

What do the docs think: The DMCB notes that provider office visits did not go down among the care guide patients compared to the usual care patients. This makes the DMCB wonder if there wasnt enough physician buy-in: if there had been higher trust in the care guides ability to manage these patients, it would have been reflected in less need to see the patients for a separate appointment.

Predictive modeling to the rescue: Finally, there is the problem of treating all chronic illness patients the same. Not all patients with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart failure are as susceptible to behavior change, and not all patients who engage in behavior change achieve better outcomes.  The trick is to use risk stratification to find the patients with the greatest chance at benefit.  This study may have benefited from a more focused approach.

0 5 Tips to sleep and wake up on a regular basis every day

5 Tips to sleep and wake up on a regular basis every day - Sleep and wake up at the same hour every day has many health benefits. Discipline in this bed unfortunately still rarely done by many people. So try to see tips for sleep and wake up regularly every day as reported by the Huffington Post following.

1. Do not be put off

When the body has felt tired and you yawn many times, it means your body is telling you that its time to rest. So do not ignore or postpone the break when the body has given the signal.

2. Eat and drink nutritious

Before and after sleep, make it a habit to always consume water. As for food, avoid eating two hours before bedtime for digestion. Consumption of nutritious foods and beverages is important to support the maximum break time.

3. Keep a journal

Not just people who are just in need of a diet journal, you should also keep a journal to sleep. Record the time in which you feel more sleepy, then discover why. That way, you can set the hours of sleep and wake up at the same time every day.

4. Turn off the phone

Before going to bed, turn off all cell phones and electronic devices that could interfere with rest. Phones can be used as an alarm so you can wake up the next morning at the same time every day.

5. Have recourse

If all else has been tried but not too irregular sleeping hours, try to contact your doctor. Consult with an expert will certainly help you in overcoming the problem of sleeping.

Make sure you sleep for seven to eight hours a day. Also, do not sleep in the middle hours of the night or waking up late.

0 Your New Weight Loss Lifestyle

(Article first published as Weight Loss is Just a Lifestyle Change Away on Technorati.)

Americans continue to struggle with weight loss, and yet the number of people who indicate they are actively trying to lose weight has steadily decreased. As a nation, we have become less concerned about the impact overweight and obesity will have on our quality and length of life, as well as the burden being placed on an already broken health care system.

The solution is well within our reach, and like every significant achievement, healthy weight loss requires time, planning and perseverance. The most important part of losing weight is to keep in mind that it’s not a diet, but a new lifestyle which must be followed every day. Virtually every diet is destined to fail when viewed as a temporary plan. Only a sustainable dietary modification program with proper exercise will result in permanent weight loss.

Keep an Electronic Food Journal

The best way to develop a weight loss plan is to keep an accurate food journal and record everything eaten in a day. Be honest with your quantities and weigh foods where appropriate. Using one of the many free online food calculators, input the journal results to receive the total calories consumed for each day. Most people are surprised to see the total number of calories, especially when eating out or frequenting fast food restaurants.

After a few days, begin to look at the types of food you eat regularly, especially the high sugar items and refined carbohydrates. While it may be true that each calorie has the same impact on weight regardless of the type, studies demonstrate that many people are metabolically sensitive to calories from high fructose corn syrup and highly processed wheat and corn based foods. From an evolutionary perspective, these are new food groups which create havoc in our body, as it leads to abnormal fat storage and weight gain.

Eat a Well Balanced Diet to Lose Weight

Many fad diets eliminate one or more of the major food groups, resulting in an unsustainable lifestyle and possibly even damaging your health. The only diet which can work is balanced and consists of reduced quantities of lean proteins, nuts, seeds, healthy monounsaturated fats and unlimited raw green vegetables. The key is to eat healthy quantities of green leafy vegetables such as spinach and spring mix so you become full. Resist the natural urge to eat processed and refined foods which are laden with calories and have been stripped of nutrients.

It’s important to slowly eliminate the most calorie dense food choices such as sweets, breads, fried foods, snacks and soft drinks. Most people can easily eliminate 500 calories per day simply by making a low calorie substitution. This is a good starting goal, as 3,500 calories dropped per week will result in 1 pound lost. Most women will want to target approximately 1,200 total calories per day, while men will need around 1,500 calories. Never go below 1,000 calories per day, as the body has certain energy requirements for normal metabolic function which may be jeopardized.

Compliment Diet with Exercise

No weight loss lifestyle plan would be complete without exercise. Physical activity is a great way to achieve an extended calorie burn, but more important are the health benefits from improved blood lipids and blood sugar control as well as lowered blood pressure. Exercise helps tone the different muscle groups in the body and modifies insulin resistance that can alter how fat is stored and burned. This has a direct effect on weight loss and will also lead to overall improved health as you age. A high intensity workout is not necessary, as just 20 minutes of moderate exercise on most days is enough to reap the rewards and fuel weight loss.

Americans continue to gain pounds at an alarming rate, and appear to have become complacent with their efforts to lose weight. Dedication is required to reach a proper weight, and can only be achieved by committing to a new lifestyle of healthy eating and physical activity. It’s difficult to make the changes necessary to reverse a lifetime of eating processed junk food, but the reward is a natural and healthy weight loss which can be maintained for life.

0 Saturday Throwback If I Had Known Then Food and Financial Advice for the College Bound Also a Story

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. This one is from August 2008.

As summer draws to a close, gazillions of monumentally stoked 18-year-olds are preparing to leave the warmly comfy, comfy warmth of their hometowns for four years in cinderblock lecture halls. Yet college isn’t all reading, studying, and sporadically penning 25-page papers on FCC v. Pacifica (1978). It’s also occasion to figure stuff out – like how to seriously manage your adult life for the first time.

Fortunately for this blog, that adjustment period has much to do with frugality, food, and health. High school grads everywhere will soon be budgeting and cooking for themselves, and the initial months won’t be easy. I know, because once upon a time (the year 45 BC) I was there.

Looking back, I think I did okay. Still, there are quite a few CHG-type things I wish I had known before I left home. Like…

How to feed myself competently and frugally. My parents were excellent providers and decent cooks who fed us rounded meals from birth through late adolescence. Yet somehow, after 17 years, I never picked up on simple concepts like, “eat a vegetable, doofus,” or “an all-mozzarella stick diet will bankrupt, then KILL YOU.” If I had paid attention or done any research, the road to good health might have been an easier and cheaper one.

How to cook. In my small college town, it was ritual for students to eventually move out of the dorms and into run-down off-campus housing (owned by a landlord who worked nights as the anti-Christ). Of the eight kids who shared a single kitchen my junior year, only one knew what she was doing. The rest of us bought overpriced convenience food from the local superstore and/or made do with whatever she (note: me) could glean from her night job at the donut shop. In retrospect, an elementary grasp of basic cooking skills could have saved both time, money, and lots of donut indigestion.

How to avoid buying worthless junk. Every semester, I subsisted entirely on a few hundred dollars earned over summer or winter breaks. It was barely enough for textbooks and food. Yet, I still bought 14 tons of useless crap for no other reason than I COULD. Once, it was pair of vintage jeans. Another time, a Phish album (which, ew). And another time? I blew $7 on a vial of colored dust from a local tchotchke shop. To repeat, I spent SEVEN DOLLARS ON YELLOW DIRT. I wish I had read a finance book at that point, or even had any clue about maintaining a budget. At the very least, I wouldn’t have bought any beaker soil.

How to read nutrition labels. Oh man. How many muffins did I think contained only 220 calories, when it was actually more like 660? Duh.

How to care about my body in the right way. This is a tricky subject, because on the whole, universities are sadly rife with eating disorders. Too much self-scrutiny can land one in Bulimiatown, and too little will make the Freshman 15 seem like a fond memory. So, I’ll say this: I wish I had spent less time worrying about my weight (which nobody cared about half as much as I did), and more time investing in my health (which … it wouldn’t have hurt to hit the gym once or twice). Negative body images are endemic to teen girls – in America especially, and applying my energies the correct way (to eating right and exercise vs. stressing out about my butt) would have helped me greatly down the road.

I might also add “how to enjoy inexpensive beer” to this list, but I actually learned that part kind of quickly. And it still wasn’t half as valuable as the single best lesson I gleaned from my parents during college: namely, there are no second chances with real world money.

Let me explain.

Back in the spring of (DATE REDACTED), I was accepted to the aforementioned semi-affordable public institution in upstate New York, where the seven-month winters were matched in intensity only by my need to GET THE CRAP AWAY FROM HOME. I adored my Long Islander parents (and still do), but the prospect of living 400 miles away from them excited this lifelong Girl Scout to no end. So, I sent the “yes” letter, got my roommate assignment, and spent the rest of the summer earning textbook funds at the local Wendy’s fryolator.

For the most part, Ma and Pa were incredibly supportive. Besides making the obligatory trips to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for girly-blue shower caddies, they also offered to pay my tuition until my little sister entered school, two years hence. Being good parents and savvy businesspeople, they had one condition: I had to maintain a 3.0 average.

“No problem,” I thought. “Bs are easy.” I’d breezed through high school (for the most part - damn you, Physics), and wasn’t intimidated by the prospect of a higher, harder education. Subsequently, when I entered school in the fall, I devoted most of my time to … um … not schoolwork.

It went fine for the first few weeks, until I received a string of fairly awful grades on papers and tests. Those Cs (and in one or two cases, Ds) were both tremendously humbling and a serious wake-up call for my stupid (drunk) ass. So, I cut back on the excess, buckled down, and soon, most of my class marks had morphed into semi-respectable Bs and B-minuses.

Except Basic Musicianship.

Though the class was taught by the sweetest man alive, I didn’t understand a damn thing. Nor did I make any effort to, whatsoever. I missed a bare minimum of one class per week, never read the material, and probably took a combined total of three pages of notes. In retrospect, I’m surprised the professor didn’t hurl me out a window, smug attitude first.

By the end of the semester, I somehow pulled a C-minus out of the air (note: my butt). It was better than I deserved, but still brought my overall GPA down to a grand ol’ 2.99. (Seriously! A 2.99! I didn’t even know that was possible!) When my parents saw, I expected them to gush, “2.99! But that’s SO CLOSE to a 3.0! We’ll pay your tuition FOREVER.” To my then-consternation and their never-ending credit, that didn’t happen.

“Kid,” they said, “we asked for a 3.0. Here’s the bill.”

My callowness (and let’s be honest - newfound love of cheap beer) cost me upwards of $4,000, which I finally finished paying off last year, after more than a decade of interest had accrued. (P.S. I never got below a 3.3 again.)

But you know what? I’m glad it happened. I’m glad Ma and Pa stuck to their guns, because it taught me the three of the most valuable things I’ve ever learned:

1) There are no second chances with real world money.
2) There are no second chances with real world expectations.
3) My parents don’t mess around, ever.

Thanks to that inglorious 2.99, I pay bills on time. I don’t miss deadlines. I try to exceed what people ask of me. Sure, most of it’s out of sheer terror of the consequences, but I like to think I learned a microscopic smattering of responsibility along the way. (Note: It’s mostly the terror.)

Readers, how about you? Whether you went to college, your own apartment, or a marriage, what food/health/economic things did you wish you knew before leaving home? Bring on dem stories (and I promise next week, there’ll be an article with real research and actual learny-type things).

~~~

If you like this article, you might also dig:

• Cheap, Healthy College Food: Tips for Frugal, Nutritious Dining in the Dorm and Beyond
• 20 Cheap, Healthy Dishes Made From Ten Pantry Staples
• Frugal Food Hacks: 10 Tips to Simplifying Online Recipe Searches

(Photos courtesy of generalsarmory and lizblog.)

0 HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation ASPE Report of 1 2 Billion in Savings Take the Governments Word For It Why Its Time for Third Party Peer Review of Obamacare Claims of Cost Reductions

Public servants enjoying a good spin

According to this U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Rate Review Annual Report September 2013 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the federal governments scrutiny of proposed health insurance rates "saved consumers approximately $1.2 billion" in 2012

In other words, U.S. citizens: 1.  Health insurers: 0.  Or rather, the score is 1.2 billion to zero.

Thats a lot of money.  When the DMCB reads the report, its a credible manuscript that resembles the peer-reviewed medical literature. 

The problem: it doesnt and it isnt.

The DMCB explains.

Disease Management Care Blog readers may recall how Wellpoints tone deafness turbocharged the inclusion of federal "rate reviews" in the Affordable Care Act.  In addition to hundreds of millions in state grants to bribe strengthen the states regulation of health insurers, the law also required that proposed increase of 10% or more must be submitted to HHS and "justified."
 
While the DMCB suspects that rate approvals ultimately belong to the state insurance regulators, HHS new power is the threat of public humiliation from posting the health insurers rate requests, their actuarial justification and a determination that the rate is "unreasonable."

It was presumably this threat that led to the initial requests being "reduced or denied" to the tune of $1.2 billion  When the requested amounts were compared to the implemented amounts, there was $311 million in savings in the individual insurance market and $866 million in savings in the small group market.

As the DMCB understands it, the data was from health insurers in 47 states that were submitted on a quarterly basis. Rate submissions had to be "cleaned" to correct "filings that were out of scope, or contained similar or duplicative entries, missing or incomplete filings, or incorrect data on requested and/or approved rate changes."  154 rates were reviewed and 43 were "modified or rejected" in the individual market, while 136 were reviewed and 38 "modified or rejected" in the small group insurance market.

The DMCBs take:

The style and layout of the online ASPE report appears to be taken from the peer reviewed medical literature, such as the New England Journal of Medicine or Health Affairs.  Unfortunately, the resemblance ends there, because everything published in the Journal or in Health Affairs is subjected to external third party review.

While peer review is certainly not perfect, its the best we got.  As this page shows, Journal editors take the threat of conflicts of interest quite seriously while they rely on external volunteer and expert reviewers as the "lifeblood" of journalistic integrity. As anyone who has submitted a paper for refereed publication knows, medical journal reviewers can be merciless nitpicking critics. While painful and certainly not perfect, the result is greater objectivity, transparency, clarity and trustworthiness.

As far as the DMCB can tell, the ASPE report has not been reviewed by external, unbiased third-party reviewers. While claims of $1.2 billion in savings is credible, the DMCB is worried that the data analysis was consciously or unconsciously configured or manipulated for maximum "spin." Since the folks who run HHS are understandably interested in the success of the Affordable Care Act, its possible that the unnamed authors of this study configured the numbers to present the most flattering aspect of the rate review process.

Case in point?  At the very end ASPE report at the very end of the Appendix, theres this disclaimer:

"A limitation to this method for estimating savings by state is that it assumes that each affected enrollee in these plans paid the statewide average premium, which may not be likely when small numbers of enrollees are affected.  Another limitation is that the savings are applied to a full year of premiums, even though many rate increases go into effect mid-year.

In other words, theres a possibility that there wasnt $1.2 billion in savings.  Had this report been submitted for peer review, that weakness would have certainly been caught up in peer review and its likely that another number would have been reported.

Bottom line: Because Obamacare continues to be implemented under ever-increasing levels of scrutiny (for example), its time for outfits like ASPE to submit reports like this to independent journals for peer reviewed publication.  Just because its the government doesnt mean we can take its word for it.

Image from Wikipedia

0 8 Sources of vitamin C in addition to citrus fruits

8 Sources of vitamin C, in addition to citrus fruits - Vitamin C is an essential nutrient needed by the body to strengthen the immune system and helps the absorption of iron. If you do not like the citrus fruit is a good source of vitamin C, delivers eight other foods rich in vitamin C, as reported by Mag for Women following.

Papaya

Either eaten directly or processed into another dish, papaya was rich in vitamin C. This fruit also contains vitamin A and B9 or folate are both consumed by pregnant women.

Strawberry

Family berries this one is not only rich in antioxidants, vitamin C but also high. Delicious taste can be a healthy snack choices and intake of vitamin C than citrus fruits.

Kiwi

Kiwi fruit has a unique taste. The shape and texture of the meat is also exotic. In addition, kiwi contains high vitamin C which strengthens the immune system.

Chili

Compared with citrus fruit, apparently chili pepper has vitamin C higher. However, excessive consumption is clearly not good for the stomach. At least eating spicy foods is playing a little intake of vitamin C to the body.

Guava

Guava fruit can be enjoyed directly or processed into juice if you want to get the nutrients vitamin C in it. Some people like a ripe guava, while others chose a rather crude.

Paprika

Paprika can be regarded as a cousin of cayenne pepper. Just like the little chili, peppers are also rich in vitamin C. Yellow bell peppers have more vitamin C was higher than others.

Cantaloupe

Like cantaloupe? Good news for you. Because cantaloupe is also a good source of vitamin C for the body. Cantaloupe can be enjoyed in various forms of processed foods.

Grapefruit

Actually, grapefruit was related to citrus fruit. Therefore, the fruit also contains vitamin C is high. Grapefruit would make a great breakfast menu because the fruit is also rich in fiber.

That is a source of vitamin C you can get aside from citrus fruit. Enjoy!

0 Saturday Throwback 10 Thrifty Healthy Ingredients to Improve the Quality of Your Meals

Every Saturday, we post a piece from the CHG archives. Todays article comes from November 2007.

For the first 25 years of my existence, my food stood alone. Meat went unseasoned, starches sought no accompaniment, and vegetables … hermits, all of them. Only recently have I discovered the wonders of spices, sauces, and assorted flavorings. I had heard they made edibles better, but discounted it as a blasphemous rumor. Y’know, like gravity.

In honor of these fine, zestful components, today’s article will expound on joy and wonder of my favorite ten. The following foods generally aren’t the main focus of a dish. Instead, they’re simple, easily attainable additives that will boost the quality of your spread immensely. Some cost a few cents more than generic or mass-produced items, but in most cases, a tiny little pinch goes a super-long way.

1) Freshly ground black pepper
Along with its sister salt, black pepper is one of the most widely-employed spices globally. Alas, according to sources, it starts losing its flavor immediately after grinding, meaning the five-year-old jar on your shelf is little more than grey dust. Investing in a solid mill and Costco-sized package of peppercorns will juice up almost every meal you make, at minimal cost over time.

2) Fresh herbs
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme aren’t just tremendously soothing Simon and Garfunkel lyrics – they’re also a grade-A way to turn a dish from crappy to credible. Though price is contingent on time of year, every spent cent is rewarded. Casual Kitchen makes every other good point there is to make about this, but I’ll add that some herbs last much longer than you might think. I’ve had thyme survive my fridge for more than three weeks.

3) Stock/Better than Bouillon
When heated in stock rather than water, many foods (pasta, rice, veggies, etc.) assume extra flavor. While homemade stock is always preferred, Better than Bouillon is a good alternative to cans and cubes. A dense paste, it makes 38 cups of broth per 8-oz jar. Priced at $5.95 on Amazon (and a rumored $2.99 at Trader Joe’s), it comes out to $0.16 per cup, or about half the cost of on-sale Swanson broth. (EDITED TO ADD: These are 2007 prices. 2010 prices may differ. - Kris) I used it in Thanksgiving prep at house, and the eaters were pleased. (Three cheers to Rachel, the Cheap Healthy Gourmet for the tip.)

4) Wine
Thanks to Trader Joe’s, the internet, and an expanding world of wine appreciation, a passable vino is becoming easier and easier to find. Five bucks will nab you a bottle suitable for braising and/or deglazing, which ups the flavor in meats, sauces, and vegetables.

5) Decent cheese
Whether you’re dusting penne with parmesan or grating sharp cheddar over potato soup, a smattering of frommage can invigorate a dish with mad flava. BUT, the quality of cheese matters, tons. Case in point: last night, I went to a generally reliable Irish bar for dinner and ordered a vegetable melt. Sure, the choice of produce was bizarre (broccoli, carrots, and zucchini) but the dish was totally sunk by the over-processed, barely-warm slices of Grade Z American cheese. Buying less expensive dairy is understandable, especially if it’s used in bulk (a la enchiladas), but if you can swing it, slightly better brands in small doses do wonders. (As god as my witness, this will never touch my pasta again.)

6) Real lemon juice
Frequently a main component of dessert or dinner, the lovely lemon (not to be confused with Liz Lemon) can also brighten the flavor of a sauce, salad, or slab of meat. Still, there is no substitute for having the actual, physical citrus fruit on hand. My Ma’s been a staunch ReaLemon supporter for most of her time on Earth, and I’ve always found it tastes like dishwater. At $0.25 to $0.50 a pop, go with the real thing.

7) Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
I am not a supporter of breadcrumbs on macaroni and cheese. I think they take away from the main event. That said, I ate the beloved dish topped once with panko, and completely flipped my wig. Crunchier, lighter, and only slightly pricier than American-style breadcrumbs, panko ups the ante on everything. Try it with pork chops, chicken, and fish.

8) Anchovies
Discovering a whole dead fish on pizza might be enough to make you swear off anchovies for the rest of your life (and the next one, if you’re into that kind of thing). Yet, the tiny, economical add-on will give dips and dressings a much-needed kick in the pants. This simple, healthy dip by Kathleen Daeleamans is a great example.

9) Garlic straight from the bulb
This one’s a tad personal. Ma and Pa, who are righteous in every other way, cook with pre-minced garlic stored in huge jars of olive oil. Pa believes it saves some time and maybe a dollar, but he always has to use twice the amount called for since the pungency is severely compromised. Fresh garlic is delicious, un-diluted, and according to a new New York Times article, good for you as all get out. Plus, there’s the vampire-repellant factor, and that can’t be overlooked. (BONUS: Special mincing instructions here. )

10) Condiments
Soy sauce, tabasco sauce, teriyaki sauce, mustard, honey, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce – every one of these guys can stand on their own, or be incorporated into a grander concoction. And when employed in moderation, they enhance rather than overwhelm the taste of a meal. You can purchase according to your own taste and/or buy in bulk for savings, but coughing up an extra buck will make a difference in the end product.

Also worth mentioning: capers, bulk nuts, olives, fresh seasonal veggies (as opposed to canned), flavored vinegars, various pastes, fresh hot peppers, chutneys, salsas.

Any other suggestions? I’d love to hear ‘em.

0 Abbotts Freestyle Connect™ FDA Approved

On August 15, Abbott received the nod from the FDA to market their newest blood glucose monitor, the Freestyle Connect™ *

As with other Freestyle meters, the Connect™ requires just a 0.3 micro liter blood sample, the smallest of any like product on the market. Their newest model claims speed (15-second results) and outstanding accuracy.

The meter will be available this month to hospitals and other medical settings.

________
For Abbotts press release:
Abbott Receives FDA Clearance to Market Freestyle Connect™ Blood Glucose Monitoring System

For Abbotts Freestyle product information:
Diabetes Health Connection: Freestyle Blood Glucose Monitoring System

* Abbott has discontinued the Freestyle Connect Data Management System.

0 8 Benefits of papaya juice consumption for health

8 Benefits of papaya juice consumption for health - Papaya fruit has long been known to provide many health benefits for the body. There are so many nutrients that are contained by fruits such as papaya is rich in antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K, and beta carotene. Besides digestive enzymes such as papain which is present in papaya helps to heal injuries and allergies that you suffer.

One of the best ways to eat papaya is to be made as juice. You can mencapur a few drops of lemon and 1 tablespoon of honey into the papaya juice.

Here are 8 key benefits of papaya juice for health as reported from magforwomen.com.

1. Help treat cancer

Papaya juice can help prevent cancer, especially colon cancer due to high fiber content. Besides cancer can also be prevented by existing substance lycopene in the fruit papaya.

2. Good for skin health

Substances that exist in the papain in papaya to dissolve dead skin cells so that your skin becomes more radiant. While the grains are present in papaya papaya juice can also be used as a natural remedy to prevent acne.

3. Healthy digestive tract

High fiber papaya juice will reduce the risk of constipation. In addition to the content of papain that can help reduce digestive problems, papaya seeds also contain one of the anthelmintic properties that can help get rid of the risk of intestinal worms.

4. Reduce menstrual cramps

A glass of papaya juice every morning can help expedite your menstruation. Papaya juice can also increase blood flow during menstruation.

5. Boost immunity

Papaya juice is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C which helps to boost immunity. If you want to prevent the body from colds, flu, and fever, do not forget to consume a glass of papaya juice every morning.

6. Reduce pain due to osteoporosis

Papaya contains anti-inflammatory enzymes that are effective in reducing pain for those who suffer from osteoporosis and arthritis.

7. Help treat dengue

The researchers found that the juice of papaya leaves effective in helping treat dengue. This juice can increase platelet count for dengue patients.

8. Reduce morning sickness

Pregnant women generally suffer from nausea and morning sickness. A glass of papaya juice can help get rid of it.

Papaya fruit is rich in nutrients that can be enjoyed in many ways. One of them is to be made juices. There is no harm if you try to enter the papaya juice as your healthy menu.

0 10 Ways to enjoy delicious fiber

10 Ways to enjoy delicious fiber - Bread and wheat pasta looked rich in fiber. But its not delicious as one might imagine a lot of people. In order to meet the needs of fiber, you can still enjoy a delicious way as quoted from Care2 following.

1. If used to enjoy white bread, slowly enjoy wheat bread bit by bit. Then leave entirely new consumption of white bread and replace it with wheat bread.
2. Like nuts? If so, good news for you. Because nuts are also a good source of fiber.
3. Eating apples and pears with the skin at the same time, the article a second skin of the fruit contains fiber which is quite a lot.
4. Make berries and raisins as a topping on top of cereal or toast. Besides being delicious, these foods are also rich in fiber clear.
5. Steamed or baked potato with skin is also a good source of fiber. Its also filled with delicious other nutrients.
6. Avocado fruit, not only rich in fiber but also potent lowering bad cholesterol. You can eat it directly or processed into juice.
7. Whole grains are high in fiber and other nutrients have. If you feel too heavy grain for consumption, enjoy piecemeal advance.
8. Arab beans or chickpeas are the next meal that can be enjoyed with delicious to increase fiber intake.
9. Almonds are not only suitable snack enjoyed while relaxing, but also one of the tasty way to get fiber intake.
10. Last delicious way to enjoy the fiber is oat and blueberry breakfast. Not only that, the food is also capable of digestion in the body.

So many delicious ways enjoy fibers. Make sure you meet the nutritional needs of the body on this one!

0 Home Remedies for Yeast Infection

Home Remedies for yeast infection

Most of the women suffer yeast infection atleast once in their lifetime like many other health problems yeast infection can also be treated with home remedies.

In ancient days home remedies used to be the primary aid for any health condition, tt was the time when in many countries allopathic treatments were not even introduced. The most popular treatment method was using home remedies. Asian countries had their indigenous system of traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Unani system of medicine.

Home remedies have got their own advantages and benefits. However one is always advised to take guidance from an expert practitioner before starting any type of treatment at home.

Yeast which is also known as candida fungus is already present in human body. The problem arises only when the count of the yeast exceeds a certain limit. It is widely believed that only women can have yeast infection, but the fact states that men too can have yeast infections.

In this article we are specifically discussing about yeast infection in women.

A small number of bacteria and yeast already live in the vagina. The bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus)  keeps the other organism under control. When this balance of  organisms is disturbed (due any ready) infections occur.

Causes of  Vaginal Yeast Infection:

Intake of antibiotics: Antibiotics kills the bacteria. This leads to the over growth of candida albicans

Pregnancy: A lot of hormonal changes take place during pregnancy which may result in imbalance in vaginal acidity.

Certain diseases like diabetes and HIV are also responsible for yeast infections

Yeast overgrowth Symptoms (vaginal infection)

Itching in the skin around vagina

Vaginal discharge

Pain during sexual intercourse

Burning sensation while passing the urine

Just as a woman realizes that she has yeast infection she rushes to the doctor or to the chemist. The over the counter creams do help ingetting rid of yeast infection but the use of home remedies for yeast infections gives long lasting results without side effects

Home Remedies for curing yeast infection naturally

 Garlic Home remedy for curing Yeast Infection: 

Garlic is well known to all for its healing properties as well as its capability of killing yeast. Yes garlic is a natural yeast killer thus an effective home remedy for yeast infection.. If a woman identifies the yeast infection in its starting stage ( if its recurring yeast infection you will  definitely figure it out at the onset itself ) she can very conveniently get rid of the infection using a clove of garlic.

To treat yeast infection at home with garlic, take a clove of garlic and peel its shell. You can use the garlic clove as it is, no need to crush as crushing it will cause severe burning sensation in the vagina. Place the garlic clove into the vagina at night (bedtime). If burning sensation is felt, wrap the garlic clove with a thin muslin cloth. If the infection is not very severe one day treatment will bring in the results. If the itching sustains then repeat the treatment the next day also.

Apple Cider vinegar is a very good home remedy for yeast infection

Apple cider vinegar has anti-fungal properties an so it can prove to be a great help for sufferers of yeast infections.
How to use apple cider vinegar for curing yeast infection at home ?

Fill your bath tub will water at least till the point it covers your groin area. Add half a cup of apple cider vinegar to the water. Now soak yourself in this water for half an hour and then you may proceed for your bath / shower.

Some people also suggest drinking the apple cider vinegar with water. But its really hard to drink it as its taste is just terrible (for me atleast).

Yogurt as a home remedy for curing yeast infection at home

Probiotics are the good bacteria that feed on yeast. If due to some medication or any other reason the good bacteria present in our body is killed the yeast starts multiplying as a result of which the yeast infection is caused.

Yogurt can be applied directly to the vagina. Another way is using a tampoon. Put the yogurt in the tampoon and insert the tampoon in the vagina. Leave it there overnight.

It is also suggested to consume 1 cup of yogurt every day as it can act as probiotic supplement when the bodys good bacteria is destroyed due to antibiotics, poor immune system etc. Thus yogurt make a good home remedy for yeast infections.

Certain Oils prove to be good home remedies for yeast infection

Tea Tree oil 

Coconut Oil

After you have used any of above home remedies to cure yeast infection you should now aim to restore the level of good Bacteria in your bod.

Use any of following douches 
yougurt
Garlic oil
Oregano Oil.

you can also insert probiotics to increase good bacteria.

Increase the intake of yogurt, garlic and fresh vegetables in our dail diet.

To get rid of yeast infection

Do not use starch based after bath powders as starch makes a perfect medium for the fungus to grow. If you still want to use dusting powder keep it outside your panties.

Women having recurring yeast infections may become allergic to food that has yeasts and molds. they should avoid food and beverages such as bread, beer, fermented food, cheese etc.

Sexual intercourse can irritate the inflammation caused by yeast infection. You are at a risk of communicating your infection to your partner, which is not something  you would like to do.

 Tips for getting rid of yeast infection at home

How to kill the yeast infection causing fungus

1. Scrub your panties a little more than you do when you are infection free. Scrub the crotch of your panties wih unscented detergents.
2. Soak your undergarments for about 24 hours in bleach, this will kill the candida albicans.
3. Iron your panties with hot iron,  heat is also a good candida killer.

These are just simple and easy home remedies for yeast infection. If you found this article helpful please share it with others too.

0 Beauty Treatment with Lemon

Not only for the health and recipes, lemon also been used for beauty treatments since long.

The fruit is very rich in vitamin C which nourish the skin and body. Not only that, lemon can also overcome the problem of hair beauty and nail. Any problem that can be solved with a lemon?

Oily skin

Lemon juice can overcome the problems of oily skin. With a smear of lemon, oil content will be reduced and more facial pores shrink. When done regularly, this treatment can also prevent the onset of acne which is common in oily skin.

- Clean your face with soap or cleansing milk.

- Apply lemon juice to the face using a cotton oily.

- Massage gently, let it soak, then wash your face with cold water.

Dry skin and blackened

Often the elbows, knees, and ankles dry, rough and blackened. With a little touch of lemon, that section will be back gently.

- Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with one egg, take the yellow only.

- Add one tablespoon of olive oil and honey.

- Apply on the body dry and dull.

- Leave for about 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water.

Brittle nails and dull

Less manicured nails will become dull and brittle. To overcome this problem, soak your nails in lemon juice that has been mixed with one tablespoon of honey and warm water. Soak nails for 10-15 minutes. Nail was again glowing.

Limp and damaged hair

Justin DePasquale, director of a spa in New Jersey said: lemon juice mixed with a little soda is useful for the care of hair limp and dull due to sun exposure.

"Citric acid from lemon juice when coupled with the carbonation of soda will clean the hair and scalp of dirt and excess oil. Lemon EIR effects also make the scalp more fresh, "he said.

Follow these tips from Desaquale.

Ingredients:

¼ cup soda water

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup of essential oils

1 tablespoon honey

Treatment:

- Combine soda water with lemon juice, olive oil, and essential oils.

- Apply evenly on hair that has been moistened and scalp.

- Massage-massage so that the blood circulation in the scalp smooth and the ingredients can be absorbed properly.

- Let stand for 10 minutes, then rinse with water.

- Wash as usual.

- For oily hair, apply the treatment once every two weeks. For dry hair, done every three weeks.

0 Fever in Pregnancy and Risk of Autism

Fever in Pregnancy and Risk of Autism | Do not assume trivial if you have a fever, especially if youre pregnant. A recent research indicates, pregnant women who have a fever during pregnancy, two times greater risk of having a child with autism or developmental delay.

But the researchers said, the use of medication to cope fever during pregnancy might be able to effectively reduce the risk of having a child with autism or an abnormal neurodevelopmental disorders.

"Our study provides compelling evidence that controlling fever during pregnancy might be effective in modifying the risk of having a child with autism or developmental delay," said Ousseny Zerbo, principal investigator of the University of California Davis.

"We recommend that pregnant women who have a fever should consume the body temperature lowering medication and seek medical attention if the fever continues,

" he said.

The findings are published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder. Researchers claim their findings as the first one, a look at the link between fever as factors causing autism and the importance of prenatal care to prevent developmental delays in children. Several previous studies have linked the risk of infection in pregnant women against several developmental diseases such as rubella, measles, mumps and influenza.

In the study, researchers involved data Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE), which involved 538 children with autism, 163 children with developmental delay but not autism, and 421 normal children. Then, every mother of the children were asked to complete a survey about whether they had a cold or flu during pregnancy and whether they were taking medication to treat their disease.

Study shows flu during pregnancy is not associated with the risk of the development of children with autism or other developmental delays. While fever during pregnancy increases the risk of autism 2.12 times and 2.5 times the delays in development, compared with mothers who did not have a fever during pregnancy.

However, the risk of autism in children of mothers who took the drug for fever not higher than children whose mothers did not have a fever. Previous studies also revealed that women who are obese or have diabetes are relatively higher risk to have children with autise.

Professor Irva Hertz-Picciotto, principal investigator of CHARGE, explaining that the fever was caused by acute inflammation in the short term to boost the immune system reacts to infection or injury. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy tissue. This condition generally occurs in the mother with metabolic abnormalities such as diabetes and obesity.