உடல் எடையை குறைக்கும் வெந்தயம்

உடல் எடையை குறைக்கும் வெந்தயம்

கோடைகாலம் ஆரம்பித்த நிலையில் உடல் வெப்பமும் அதிகரித்து விட்டது. அப்போது வெந்தயத்தை அதிகம் சாப்பிடுவோம். ஏனென்றால் வெந்தயம் உடலுக்கு குளிர்ச்சியைத் தரும் என்பதால். இதற்கு இன்னொரு குணமும் இருக்கிறது. அது எப்படியென்றால் வெந்தயம் உடல் எடையையும் குறைக்கும் என்பதாகும். இதனை சாப்பிடுவதால் ஜிம் செல்லாமல், உடலை வருத்தி உடற்பயிற்சியை செய்யாமல் எளிதாக எடையை குறைக்கலாம். வெந்தயத்தில் நார்ச்சத்து அதிகமாகவும், கலொரி குறைவாகவும் உள்ளது. இதில் நார்ச்சத்து அதிகமாக இருப்பதால் இரத்த கொதிப்பு மற்றும் உடலில் சர்க்கரையின் அளவைக் கட்டுப்படுத்துகிறது. மேலும் வெந்தயத்தில் கார்போஹைட்ரேட் குறைவாக உள்ளதால், எடை அதிகரிக்க வழி இல்லை மற்றும் உடலில் கலொரி குறைவாக இருந்தாலும் எடை அதிகரிக்காது. இரவில் ஒரு ஸ்பூன் வெந்தய விதையை நீரில் ஊற வைத்து, காலையில் சுடு தண்ணீரில் வெறும் வயிற்றில் சாப்பிட்டால், உடலில் உள்ள நச்சுப்பொருளை வெளியேற்றுவதோடு, உடல் எடையையும் குறைக்கும். வெந்தய விதையை சாதாரண தண்ணீரில் வெறும் வயிற்றில் சாப்பிட்டால், உடலில் உள்ள கொழுப்புகளைக் கரைப்பதோடு, ஜீரண சக்தியும் கூடும். வெந்தய விதையை பொன்னிறமாக வறுத்து அதை பொடியாக்கி, காற்று புகாத ஒரு டப்பாவில் வைத்து, உண்ணும் உணவில் கலந்து சாப்பிடலாம். வெறும் வயிற்றில் டீ யுடன் வெந்தயப் பொடியைக் கலந்து சாப்பிடலாம். இதனால் அடிக்கடி பசி ஏற்படுவதைக் கட்டுப்படுத்தும்.

Nails and Health

Nails and Health: Read the Signs

Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails. Keep reading to learn what secrets your nails might reveal.

Pale Nails

Very pale nails can sometimes be a sign of serious illness, such as:

• Anemia
• Congestive heart failure
• Liver disease
• Malnutrition

• White Nails

  
  If the nails are mostly white with darker rims, this can indicate liver problems, such as hepatitis. In this image, you can see the fingers are also jaundiced, another sign of liver trouble.

  Yellow Nails

  One of the most common causes of yellow nails is a fungal infection. As the infection worsens, the nail bed may retract, and nails may thicken and crumble. In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious condition such as severe thyroid disease, lung disease, diabetes or psoriasis.

  Bluish Nails

  Nails with a bluish tint can mean the body isn't getting enough oxygen. This could indicate an infection in the lungs, such as pneumonia. Some heart problems can be associated with bluish nails.

  Rippled Nails

  If the nail surface is rippled or pitted, this may be an early sign of psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis. Discoloration of the nail is common; the skin under the nail can seem reddish-brown. 

  Cracked or Split Nails

  Dry, brittle nails that frequently crack or split have been linked to thyroid disease. Cracking or splitting combined with a yellowish hue is more likely due to a fungal infection.

  Puffy Nail Fold

  If the skin around the nail appears red and puffy, this is known as inflammation of the nail fold. It may be the result of lupus or another connective tissue disorder. Infection can also cause redness and inflammation of the nail fold.
  

  Dark Lines Beneath the Nail

  Dark lines beneath the nail should be investigated as soon as possible. They are sometimes caused by melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

  Gnawed Nails

  

  Biting your nails may be nothing more than an old habit, but in some cases it's a sign of persistent anxiety that could benefit from treatment. Nail biting or picking has also been linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you can't stop, it's worth discussing with your doctor.

  Nails Are Only Part of the Puzzle

  Though nail changes accompany many conditions, these changes are rarely the first sign. And many nail abnormalities are harmless -- not everyone with white nails has hepatitis. If you're concerned about the appearance of your nails, see a dermatologist.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Cold Feet, Many Culprits

Cold Feet, Many Culprits

If your toes are always cold, one reason could be poor blood flow -- a circulatory problem sometimes linked to smoking, high blood pressure, or heart disease. The nerve damage of uncontrolled diabetes can also make your feet feel cold to you. Other possible causes include hypothyroidism and anemia. A doctor can look for any underlying problems -- or let you know that you simply have cold feet.

Blood Clots

What are blood clots?

Blood is a liquid that flows within blood vessels. It is constantly in motion as the heart pumps blood through arteries to the different organs and cells of the body. The blood is returned back to the heart by the veins. Veins are squeezed when muscles in the body contract and push the blood back to the heart.

Blood clotting is an important mechanism to help the body repair injured blood vessels. Blood consists of:

• red blood cells containing hemoglobin that carry oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide (the waste product of metabolism),
  
• white blood cells that fight infection,
  
• platelets that are part of the clotting process of the body, and
  
• blood plasma, which contains fluid, chemicals and proteins that are important for bodily functions.

Complex mechanisms exist in the bloodstream to form clots where they are needed. If the lining of the blood vessels becomes damaged, platelets are recruited to the injured area to form an initial plug. These activated platelets release chemicals that start the clotting cascade, using a series of clotting factors produced by the body. Ultimately, fibrin is formed, the protein that crosslinks with itself to form a mesh that makes up the final blood clot.

The medical term for a blood clot is a thrombus (plural= thrombi). When a thrombus is formed as part of a normal repair process of the body, there is little consequence. Unfortunately, there are times when a thrombus (blood clot) will form when it is not needed, and this can have potentially significant consequences.

What is a stroke?

Brain cell function requires a constant delivery of oxygen and glucose from the bloodstream. A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die. Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms.
Blockage of an artery

Narrowing of the small arteries within the brain can cause a lacunar stroke, (lacune means "empty space"). Blockage of a single arteriole can affect a tiny area of brain causing that tissue to die (infarct).

• Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) leading to the brain. There are four major blood vessels that supply the brain with blood.The anterior circulation of the brain that 
• controls most motor  activity, sensation, thought, speech, and emotion is supplied by the 
• carotid arteries. The posterior circulation, which supplies the brainstem and the cerebellum, controlling the automatic parts of brain function and coordination, is supplied by the
•  vertebrobasilar arteries.

If these arteries become narrow as a result of atherosclerosis, plaque or cholesterol, debris can break off and float downstream, clogging the blood supply to a part of the brain. As opposed to lacunar strokes, larger parts of the brain can lose blood supply, and this may produce more symptoms than a lacunar stroke.

• Cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain substance). The most common reason to have bleeding within the brain is uncontrolled high blood pressure. Other situations includeaneurysms that leak or rupture or arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in which there is an abnormal collection of blood vessels that are fragile and can bleed.

• What causes a stroke?

  Blockage of an artery
  The blockage of an artery in the brain by a clot (thrombosis) is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is then deprived of blood and oxygen. As a result of the deprived blood and oxygen, the cells of that part of the brain die and the part of the body that it controls stops working. Typically, a cholesterol plaque in a small blood vessel within the brain that has gradually caused blood vessel narrowing ruptures and starts the process of forming a small blood clot.
  Risk factors for narrowed blood vessels in the brain are the same as those that cause narrowing blood vessels in the heart and heart attack(myocardial infarction). These risk factors include:
  high blood pressure (hypertension),

Understanding Heart Disease (Heart Basics #1)