Working five days a week, and in the weekends planning to go out for a tour with your friends, hanging out in someones house, going shopping, parties.....bla bla bla... and if you find time for yourself planning to sleep ? try out this one.. Treat yourself with a SPECIAL SPA DAY. A whole day when your concentration is you and your body. Here is how to spend your very own Special Spa Day:
07 am: The first thing you have when you get up is honey and lime juice in warm water.
08 am: Time for yoga/exercise - put on some soothing music and enjoying doing it.
09 am: Make a cup of herbal tea. For breakfast have a plate of fruits like watermelon, papaya.
11 am: Have a glass of vegetable juice, put your feet up and sip slowly.
12 am: Lunch time - It must be packed with fresh raw salads, lowfat protein rotis made of soya, jowar and wheat. Salad must be full of sprouts and tomatoes. Have dal, two vegetable curries, if you are interested in non-veg make it one veg-curry and one non-veg curry (but be sure you dont eat much oil at least today on you spa day).
2 pm: Beauty time- Close the bathroom door, light a scented candle. Indulge your body with full-body mask and oil massage. Take half cup of milk, half cup of ground almonds, quater cup of fresh, grated coconut, 4 drops of your favourite oil, a bunch of crushed rose petals and egg white. Mix it all together and apply the paste to your body starting from your feet. After 20 min wash it off with luke warm water. You can make a home made bubble bath by combining 1 cup of soap flakes, 3 tbsp of glycerine and oils. Mix and store in a container.Watch your skin glow all week.
After your bath, apply another layer of the bath oil or lotion. Don't forget your elbows.These may look like an ostrich neck, but it is your job to make them look line a swan's. Rub half a lime with sugar granules on each elbow. After your shower, rub an elbow cream.
A pedicure and manicure come next. Put a herbal face pack, lie with thin cucumber slices on your eyelids before washing your face.
5 pm: Juice break- A glass of fresh orange or mousambi juice with a spring of fresh peppermint.
5.45 pm: Go for a long walk. Get into your track suit and take a brisk walk.
6.30 pm: Have a milk shake .
08 pm: Dinner time- Have a thai style with vegitable curry and rice.
09 pm: Have a sweet dish gajar-ka-halwa or curd , topped with almonds.
10 pm: Bed time- slip into your bed with your favourite book in your hands and slowly slip into a lovely sleep.
Make your spa day a monthly event and you will wonder what makes you so relaxed and your skin glow. So have a happy Spa Day.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Friday, November 2, 2007
DANGERS TO LEG AND LIFE DURING PREGNANCY
Women during pregnancy face two problems which are quite debilitating and sometimes pose a risk to their lives. The first problem is sudden swelling in legs. If a pregnant women complains of sudden appearance of leg swelling, the attending physician or gynaecologist must be alarmed and should take appropriate measures to control the situation.
The sudden appearance of swelling in the leg may harald the begnning of deposition of blood clot inside the deep veins of thighs and legs. This condition is called "deep vein thrombosis" or DVT. Due to lack of exercise and the thickening of blood with hormonal changes during pregnancy, blood flowing through the deep veins of the lower limbs tends to get clotted faster and earlier than normal. When the deep veins become full of clotted blood, the normal mechanism of the upward flow of impure deoxygenated blood gets distrupted, which results in accumulation of impure blood in the legs which causes swelling.
Blood clotting inside the leg veins must be taken seriously as there is always the likelihood of slipping towards heart and through heart, they may lodge inside the artery of the lung which is called Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and majority of these cases are fatal. A pregnant women who suddenly develops a swelling in one or both lesg must consult a vascular or a cardiovascular surgeon.
The second problem a pregnant faces is the prominent apearance of spider-like blue veins on her thighs or lesg. These veins are actually abnormal veins lying just beneath the skin of legs and thighs. These are called "early varicose veins". It looks as if a number of blue spiders or earthworms are lying under the skin.
Pressure is sometimes exerted by a pregnant uterus inside the abdomen on the main collecting veins from the lower limbs lying beneath the uterus. These veins sometimes get temporarily and partially or sometimes, completely compressed. Due to which the mechanism of carrying impure blood back to heart gets disturbed.
In general veins collect impure blood from your limbs and carry back to the heart and then on to lungs for purification. The job is difficult as it has to push blood from lesg against gravity towards the heart. This function is made possible by valves which open up and allow blood to flow only in one direction. But , when a person stands up, these valves get closed to prevent blood from going back again down the leg. Because of sustained back pressure on the venous valves, these become weak and cannot withstand the pressure of impure blood and thus are unable to close completely. This allows the blood to go down the legs again which relults in gradual accumulation of lot of impure blood in the deep as well as superficial system of veins. Which resuls the appearance of spider-like blue veins.
The use of graduated compressing stockings, regular walks and morning exercises are helpful in preventing these two problems.
The sudden appearance of swelling in the leg may harald the begnning of deposition of blood clot inside the deep veins of thighs and legs. This condition is called "deep vein thrombosis" or DVT. Due to lack of exercise and the thickening of blood with hormonal changes during pregnancy, blood flowing through the deep veins of the lower limbs tends to get clotted faster and earlier than normal. When the deep veins become full of clotted blood, the normal mechanism of the upward flow of impure deoxygenated blood gets distrupted, which results in accumulation of impure blood in the legs which causes swelling.
Blood clotting inside the leg veins must be taken seriously as there is always the likelihood of slipping towards heart and through heart, they may lodge inside the artery of the lung which is called Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and majority of these cases are fatal. A pregnant women who suddenly develops a swelling in one or both lesg must consult a vascular or a cardiovascular surgeon.
The second problem a pregnant faces is the prominent apearance of spider-like blue veins on her thighs or lesg. These veins are actually abnormal veins lying just beneath the skin of legs and thighs. These are called "early varicose veins". It looks as if a number of blue spiders or earthworms are lying under the skin.
Pressure is sometimes exerted by a pregnant uterus inside the abdomen on the main collecting veins from the lower limbs lying beneath the uterus. These veins sometimes get temporarily and partially or sometimes, completely compressed. Due to which the mechanism of carrying impure blood back to heart gets disturbed.
In general veins collect impure blood from your limbs and carry back to the heart and then on to lungs for purification. The job is difficult as it has to push blood from lesg against gravity towards the heart. This function is made possible by valves which open up and allow blood to flow only in one direction. But , when a person stands up, these valves get closed to prevent blood from going back again down the leg. Because of sustained back pressure on the venous valves, these become weak and cannot withstand the pressure of impure blood and thus are unable to close completely. This allows the blood to go down the legs again which relults in gradual accumulation of lot of impure blood in the deep as well as superficial system of veins. Which resuls the appearance of spider-like blue veins.
The use of graduated compressing stockings, regular walks and morning exercises are helpful in preventing these two problems.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Stem Cells a scientific break through
Stem cells are one of the most fascinating areas of biology today. But like many expanding fields of scientific inquiry, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries.
Stem cells are the reserve supply of replacement cells that multiply when needed for repair. They may offer a renewable source of replacement cells to treat diseases, conditions, and disabilities. Some, but not all, organs and tissues in the body have a supply of stem cells that respond to damage. Skin is an example. Skin wounds are repaired by skin stem cells, liver damage is repaired by liver stem cells. These cells can replace the dead cells that are taken from a reserve supply of cells that have maintained the potential to divide and multiply when called upon. They have also maintained the potential to mature into the specific type of cell that is needed. Such cells with the lasting ability to divide and mature into new functional cells when needed are termed stem cells.
The two broad categories of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts and adult stem cells, which are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells.
As stem cells can be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture, their use in medical therapies has been proposed. In particular, embryonic cell lines, autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning, and highly plastic adult stem cells from the umbilical cord blood or bone marrow are touted as promising candidates.
Stem cells differ from other kinds of cells in the body. All stem cells regardless of their source have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types.
Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells which do not normally replicate themselves stem cells may replicate many times. When cells replicate themselves many times over it is called proliferation. A starting population of stem cells that proliferates for many months in the laboratory can yield millions of cells. If the resulting cells continue to be unspecialized, like the parent stem cells, the cells are said to be capable of long-term self-renewal.
Stem cells are unspecialized: one of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures that allow it to perform specialized functions. As stem cannot work with its neighbours to pump blood through the body, it cannot carry molecules of Oxygen through the bloodstream and it cannot fire electrochemical signals to other cells that allow the body to move or speak. However unspecialized stem cells can give rise to specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells or nerve cells.
Stem cells can give rise to specialized cells. When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, the process is called differentiation. Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals inside and outside cells that trigger stem cell differentiation. The internal signals are controlled by a cell's genes, which are interspersed across long strands of DNA, and carry coded instructions for all the structures and functions of a cell. The external signals for cell differentiation include chemicals secreted by other cells, physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain molecules in the microenvironment.
Therefore, many questions about stem cell differentiation remain. For example, are the internal and external signals for cell differentiation similar for all kinds of stem cells? Can specific sets of signals be identified that promote differentiation into specific cell types? Addressing these questions is critical because the answers may lead scientists to find new ways of controlling stem cell differentiation in the laboratory, thereby growing cells or tissues that can be used for specific purposes including cell-based therapies.
Adult stem cells typically generate the cell types of the tissue in which they reside. A blood-forming adult stem cell in the bone marrow, for example, normally gives rise to the many types of blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Until recently, it had been thought that a blood-forming cell in the bone marrow—which is called a hematopoietic stem cell could not give rise to the cells of a very different tissue, such as nerve cells in the brain. However, a number of experiments over the last several years have raised the possibility that stem cells from one tissue may be able to give rise to cell types of a completely different tissue, a phenomenon known as plasticity. Examples of such plasticity include blood cells becoming neurons, liver cells that can be made to produce insulin, and hematopoietic stem cells that can develop into heart muscle. Therefore, exploring the possibility of using adult stem cells for cell-based therapies has become a very active area of investigation by researchers.
Stem cells are the reserve supply of replacement cells that multiply when needed for repair. They may offer a renewable source of replacement cells to treat diseases, conditions, and disabilities. Some, but not all, organs and tissues in the body have a supply of stem cells that respond to damage. Skin is an example. Skin wounds are repaired by skin stem cells, liver damage is repaired by liver stem cells. These cells can replace the dead cells that are taken from a reserve supply of cells that have maintained the potential to divide and multiply when called upon. They have also maintained the potential to mature into the specific type of cell that is needed. Such cells with the lasting ability to divide and mature into new functional cells when needed are termed stem cells.
The two broad categories of mammalian stem cells are: embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts and adult stem cells, which are found in adult tissues. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the specialized embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem cells and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells.
As stem cells can be grown and transformed into specialized cells with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves through cell culture, their use in medical therapies has been proposed. In particular, embryonic cell lines, autologous embryonic stem cells generated through therapeutic cloning, and highly plastic adult stem cells from the umbilical cord blood or bone marrow are touted as promising candidates.
Stem cells differ from other kinds of cells in the body. All stem cells regardless of their source have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types.
Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells which do not normally replicate themselves stem cells may replicate many times. When cells replicate themselves many times over it is called proliferation. A starting population of stem cells that proliferates for many months in the laboratory can yield millions of cells. If the resulting cells continue to be unspecialized, like the parent stem cells, the cells are said to be capable of long-term self-renewal.
Stem cells are unspecialized: one of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures that allow it to perform specialized functions. As stem cannot work with its neighbours to pump blood through the body, it cannot carry molecules of Oxygen through the bloodstream and it cannot fire electrochemical signals to other cells that allow the body to move or speak. However unspecialized stem cells can give rise to specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells or nerve cells.
Stem cells can give rise to specialized cells. When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, the process is called differentiation. Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals inside and outside cells that trigger stem cell differentiation. The internal signals are controlled by a cell's genes, which are interspersed across long strands of DNA, and carry coded instructions for all the structures and functions of a cell. The external signals for cell differentiation include chemicals secreted by other cells, physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain molecules in the microenvironment.
Therefore, many questions about stem cell differentiation remain. For example, are the internal and external signals for cell differentiation similar for all kinds of stem cells? Can specific sets of signals be identified that promote differentiation into specific cell types? Addressing these questions is critical because the answers may lead scientists to find new ways of controlling stem cell differentiation in the laboratory, thereby growing cells or tissues that can be used for specific purposes including cell-based therapies.
Adult stem cells typically generate the cell types of the tissue in which they reside. A blood-forming adult stem cell in the bone marrow, for example, normally gives rise to the many types of blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Until recently, it had been thought that a blood-forming cell in the bone marrow—which is called a hematopoietic stem cell could not give rise to the cells of a very different tissue, such as nerve cells in the brain. However, a number of experiments over the last several years have raised the possibility that stem cells from one tissue may be able to give rise to cell types of a completely different tissue, a phenomenon known as plasticity. Examples of such plasticity include blood cells becoming neurons, liver cells that can be made to produce insulin, and hematopoietic stem cells that can develop into heart muscle. Therefore, exploring the possibility of using adult stem cells for cell-based therapies has become a very active area of investigation by researchers.
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