Yoga & Health

Yoga is a mind-body type of complementary & alternative medicinal practice. It combines stretching exercises, controlled breathing & relaxation techniques. Thus it helps bring together physical & mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body & mind, helping you relax & manage stress & anxiety. Yoga can also help lower blood pressure & improve heart function.

Many Faces of Yoga

Yoga has many styles, forms & intensities. Yoga postures are a series of movements designed to increase strength & flexibility. These poses or postures range from lying on the floor while completely relaxed to difficult postures that may have you stretching your physical limits. Everyone's body is different & yoga postures should therefore be modified based on individual abilities. Selecting an instructor who is experienced & attentive to your needs is an important first step to a safe & effective yoga practice.

Controlling your breathing is an important part of yoga. In yoga, breath signifies your vital energy. Yoga teaches that controlling your breathing can help you control your body & quiet your mind in the process.

Health Benefits of yoga

Stress Reduction

A large number of studies have significantly shown that yoga can help reduce stress & anxiety. It can also enhance your mood & overall sense of well-being.

Improved Fitness

Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion, strength & stamina. This means you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities. Yoga also helps boost immunity by improving overall health of the individual.

Proper Breathing

A part of Yoga involves paying attention to your breathing. Focusing on your breathing can also calm your nerves & help relax. It may on occasions also call for specific breathing techniques.

Managing Chronic Conditions

Yoga can help reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga might also help alleviate chronic conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia.

Some Precautions

Yoga is generally considered safe for most healthy people when practiced under guidance of a trained instructor. But there are some situations in which yoga might pose a risk. You may be able to practice yoga even in these situations if you take certain precautions such as avoiding certain poses or stretches. If you develop symptoms or concerns, see your doctor to make sure you benefit & not harm yourself performing Yoga.

Some of these medical conditions are listed below -

Herniated Disk

Risk of Blood Clots

Eye Conditions, Including Glaucoma

Pregnancy

Severe Balance Problems

Severe Osteoporosis

Uncontrolled Blood Pressure

Read More

Outsmarting Depression

Normal peaks & valleys in life mean that everyone feels sad or has "blues" from time to time. But if emptiness and despair have taken hold of your life & won't budge, you may be having depression. But the question arises - How do you break through this phase without eve consulting a psychiatrist? Being depressed can in fact make you feel helpless.

Gets a Little Closer with Every Step

• Get in a routine. If you’re depressed, you need a routine.
• Start small. Make your goal something that you can succeed at, like doing the dishes every  other day.
• Set goals. When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish anything. But  trust me, set a goal to get diverted.
• Exercise regularly. It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins.

Depression Affects Almost Everyone

Depression affects nearly 16 million Americans annually, & a large portion of those people take antidepressant drugs. While antidepressants have been shown to help those with moderate to severe depression, they are usually less effective for those with mild depression. If you don't respond to antidepressants (or even if you do), you may want to explore nondrug remedies to lift your depression.

Depression is Curable With Naturopathy

A science-based tradition, Naturopathy promotes wellness by identifying unique aspects of each patient & then employing non-toxic natural therapies to restore his or her physiological, psychological, & structural balance. Two of the cardinal rules of naturopathy medicine – 1) treat the whole person, & 2) therapeutic order are sensible approaches.

Bio Therapeutic Drainage via UNDA Numbers 

This system of medicine from Germany, Holland, & France has been around since about the 1920’s. UNDA numbers have combinations of herbs & minerals that are system & organ specific; e.g., central nervous system, endocrine (hormones), cardiovascular, etc. The ingredients in combo essentially optimize & correct a particular system’s function. It becomes easy to correct physiology than pathology.

Thank Homeopathy

Deriving experience from several cases, doctors consider this to be the most corrective & permanent solution to mood disorder spectrum. Literally seen Homeopathy works as “miracle”, one important aspect of this treatment is that through extensive research it has been recorded what each remedy does to the mind of an individual. Besides drainage is essentially “Green Allopathy" which uses a natural substance in lieu of medication. This format of treatment can be helpful & effective as relief, but rarely permanent.

Life-Saving Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Usually recommended when symptoms are severe or other forms of treatment are ineffective. It is a great therapy for patients who do not respond even to the high stimulation actions of antidepressants. A carefully-controlled electrical current is passed through brain, affecting the brain’s electrical activity & producing an improvement in depressive & psychotic symptoms.

With ECT, an electric current is briefly applied through the scalp to the brain, inducing a seizure. ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or patients with suicidal tendencies. It's also very effective for patients who suffer from mania or other similar mental illnesses.

Summing Up Depression

• Depression is a readily treatable illness.
• There are many treatments available.
• Even people with most severe & difficult to treat depressive illnesses can normally be helped.

Read More

Taking Care of Eye Sight

Eyes are an important part of our health. We rely on our sight more than any other senses to enjoy life to the fullest. Our vision changes naturally as we age & with new needs & challenges, it is very important how we can still maintain our eye health. With age, our eyes need more light to see. It becomes difficult to focus on things close by. Distinguishing between colors becomes harder & adjusting to glare & darkness proves extremely troublesome. Decline in visual abilities can hamper complex tasks like driving, thus restraining your independence. Hence we have to take great care to preserve our precious sense of sight. By following a few simple steps we can maintain a healthy eye sight well into the golden years.

Regular Comprehensive Eye Check-Up

Visiting your eye care professional for comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to ensure the health status of eyes. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease & age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in early stages.

Good Diet for Good Vision

Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, & vitamins C & E might help ward off age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration & cataracts. Regularly eating foods like green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, & collards salmon, tuna & other oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans & other non-meat protein sources & oranges & other citrus fruits or juices  can help lead to good eye health.

Healthy Weight for Healthy Vision

Eating a well-balanced diet also helps maintain healthy weight, which makes you less likely to get obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes which is the leading cause of blindness in adults.

Wearing Sunglasses

The right kind of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun's UV degeneration. Choose sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA & UVB rays. Polarized lenses reduce glare when driving. Some contact lenses offer UV protection but it is still better to wear sunglasses for more protection.

Eye Safety Wear

Prevent injuries by wearing safety goggles or glasses when playing sports, or performing any other task that could potentially cause injury to eyes.

Rest Your Eyes

If you sit for long hours in front of computer, sometimes you forget to blink & your eyes may become tired. Some people may need glasses to help with contrast, glare, & eye strain when using a computer. Position your computer so that your eyes are level with the top of the monitor. This allows you to look slightly down at screen. Try to avoid glare on your computer from windows & lights. Use anti-glare screen if needed. Try to use the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is bad for your eyes & for the rest of the body. Studies have linked smoking to an increased risk of developing macular degeneration associated with age, cataract & damage to the optic nerve. All these can invariably cause blindness.

Read More

Breast Cancer Awareness

A woman's breast is made up of milk glands & milk ducts. These are surrounded by fatty tissue & connective supports. Uncontrolled growth of cells in any of these breast tissues can cause breast cancer. Like all cancers, breast cancer occurs when cells begin to divide at an unusually high rate. No single trigger or cause has been identified for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women.

A woman’s age also affects the probability of developing breast cancer. Chances of developing breast cancer rise dramatically as women age. 13 out of 1,000 women in their 40s; 23 out of 1,000 women in their 50s; 29 out of 1,000 women in their 60s; 31 out of 1,000 women in their 70s. Thus age can be looked upon as an important risk factor for breast cancer in women.

Breast Examination Is Crucial

A regular breast examination can be crucial to early diagnosis of breast cancer & this increases chances of successful treatment. Adult women of all ages should perform breasts self-examination at least once a month. Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who discover a lump during such self-examination. Everyone’s breasts are different; altering with age & at different times of the month. Look out for peculiar changes in breasts. The goal is to find cancer even before onset of symptoms.

Stay Breast Aware

Observe your breasts carefully & feel them. Also observe arm pits & upper chest. Look out for any lumps or thickening of breast tissue or under the arm pits. The lump might be the size of a pea initially.

Observe the size & appearance of the breast – whether the size of one breast is increasing or it is lower than the other breast. Is there any dimpling of the skin? The nipples become inverted or change shape or position. The nipples develop a rash, crusting or produce discharge.

Observe for pain in breasts or armpits or swelling under armpits & around the collar-bone.

If you are over 50, attend breast screening regularly.

Consult Your Doctor In Time

Promptly report any changes to your doctor without delay. Not all masses or lumps are cancerous. They might be benign cysts or overgrowth of tissues, but reporting your doctor & staying vigilant goes a long way in keeping conditions at bay. Your doctor is the best person to advice you & guide further diagnostic measures.

Read More

Heart Health Tips

Your heart is an incredibly hard-working muscle. The heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood as it contracts and expands about 100,000 times per day — which is why keeping it healthy is so important. Find out how to keep your heart in top shape.

Top 5  heart healing food

Incorporate five heart healing foods in diet:

1. Fiber 
You need 30 grams a day from fruits, veggies, beans & nuts.

2. Healthy Fats
Substitute saturated & trans-fats with olive & almond oils, avocados, omega-3 eggs. Eat small-mouth fish 3 times a week (or take a fish oil supplement).

3. Lean Protein
Eat free-range grass fed meats & poultry, low mercury seafood, beans, protein powder, tofu, plain nonfat yogurt.

4. Beneficial Beverages
Drink green tea, hot cocoa, red wine!

5. Fabulous Flavors
Use herbs & spices, garlic, dark chocolate.

Aerobic & weight-training exercise strengthens your heart & arteries. Exercise not only burns fat, it also improves blood sugar control, lowers inflammation, improves cholesterol profile, reduces stress & builds stamina.

Manage stress. Stress-induced spasms in coronary arteries can lead to heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. Reduce stress by -

·         Getting plenty of good quality sleep

·         Engaging in moments of peace & meditation

·         Enjoying loving relationships including sex, if possible

·         Exercising

Expert tips for preventing heart attack:-   

1. Calculate Risk: There is enough evidence from multiple heart disease risk studies that it is now possible to put a number on your risk of having heart disease within 10 years. The higher your risk, the more aggressive you should be in your efforts to prevent heart attack.

2. Lower “Bad” Cholesterol: If you have high LDL “bad” cholesterol, this is a high priority for controlling heart attack risk over long-term. Even if you have borderline high cholesterol but you also have some other heart disease risk factors, you must take steps to bring cholesterol levels into desirable range.

3. Improve “Good” Cholesterol: While you work on lowering bad cholesterol you should work on increasing “good” HDL cholesterol levels as well.

4. Stop Smoking: Smoking is a significant risk factor for heart disease. Even if you don’t have any other risks, smoking is bad for heart.

5. Control High Blood Pressure: You can’t feel it happening, but high blood pressure causes irreparable damage to your blood vessels over time.

6. Control Diabetes: Although the jury is out on whether controlling diabetes can significantly reduce heart disease risk, this is still an important risk factor within your control, say doctors. Remember, you can prevent or significantly reduce risk of having heart attack within the next decade by focusing on these risk factors. 

We at Travcure Medical Tourism provide low cost heart treatments in India. We are associaed with top heart surgeons in India performing advanced cardiac surgery procedures.

Enquire us at : info@travcure.com
Call Us at : +91-8600044116

Read More

High-Fat Diet May Lead to Depression

New studies have linked depression & other mental problems to high-fat diets. This type of diet can also lead to brain inflammation & affect human behavior as well. As it is, a diet high in fat was tied to physical health problems including increased risk of heart attacks & strokes. Gut micro-biome, comprising a complete mix of bacteria in the human digestive system eventually get altered by consuming diet rich in fat. A typical human body contains almost trillions of such microorganisms.

High-Fat Diet Research on Mice

Mice fed on a normal diet were implanted with bacteria from rodents fed with large doses of high-fat foods. Monitored over time, the behavior & cognition of these animals were measured against a control group who had received microbes from mice on a normal diet. Louisiana State University researchers were trying to find out whether gut bacteria can alter behavioral patterns even among animal who do not exhibit obesity concerns.

High-Fat Diet Study

It was found that mice who had received implanted bacteria from rodents on high-fat diet exhibited anxiety, repetitive behavior & memory impairment. Signs of increased permeability & inflammation were also recorded in their intestines. Brain inflammation was also observed in mice with implanted bacteria which might have been responsible for behavioral changes seen in them.

High-Fat Diet Suggestions

This report suggests that high-fat diet impair brain health in part, by disrupting the symbiotic relationship existing between humans & microorganisms, occupying our gastrointestinal tracts. This study goes on to suggest that such behavioral changes also occur in animals who are not obese. Detailed mechanism caused by high-fat diet is still unknown & future research can establish how bacteria in gut are able to alter behavior.

Backed by Previous Research

Prior research had established a correlation between gut bacteria & some psychological conditions. This new study enjoins supportive evidence to earlier findings. Microbiome alterations are also previously tied to body-ability in fighting illness & heal injuries. Depression & obesity are known to be largely influenced by genetics. People in depression often tend to eat high-fat diets in order to feel better, while attached social stigmas invariably increase feelings of depression.

Relation Between High-Fat Diet & Depression

Another recent study found obese individuals to have a 20% elevated risk of getting into depression. Moreover, college-educated obese subjects risk of depression rises to almost as high as 44 percent. This study establishes an additional tie-up between these two conditions. This analysis of role of gut bacteria & high-fat diet on mental health is profiled in Biological Psychiatry journal.

Read More

Diabetes & Healthy Diet Plan

Diabetes - This disease is also known as the “silent killer” because it does not exhibit any symptoms at the onset & if left untreated it can cause many complications. Diabetes can also be described as a metabolism disorder. Metabolism refers to the way our bodies use digested food for energy & growth. The food we eat is broken down into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar in the blood - it is the principal source of fuel for our bodies. When our food is digested, the glucose makes its way into our bloodstream. Our cells use glucose for energy & growth & insulin makes it possible for our cells to take in glucose. Insulin is produced by pancreas & it lowers blood glucose by helping the body cells absorb glucose. Diabetes is caused either because of the absence or insufficient production of insulin. Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases in which the blood glucose levels are very high over a prolonged period of time.

Types of Diabetes

Broadly, there are three types of diabetes: type 1, type 2 & gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes resulting from the body’s failure to produce insulin & the symptoms may develop very rapidly. This type has to be managed with insulin injections.

In type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, the symptoms develop slowly, may be subtle or totally absent. This type can be managed with medications & with or without insulin injections.

The third type is gestational diabetes in which pregnant women without previous history of diabetes develop high blood glucose levels. This type usually resolves after the termination of pregnancy or child birth.  Symptoms of high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst & increased hunger.  Prevention & treatment involve a healthy diet, physical exercise & maintaining a normal body weight.

Foods Help Control Blood Sugar

Coffee & Cinnamon have long made headlines as foods that can help cut the risk of diabetes by improving blood sugar levels. Oatmeal is also good for diabetics, but make sure that you don’t get the sweetened variety. Besides oats, barley & most whole grains are also a great choice for diabetic patients. Add plenty of non-starchy vegetables into your meals. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli & green beans are ideal as they are high in fiber & low in carbohydrates. Do not shy away from strawberries just because they are sweet. A cup of strawberries is great for a healthy diabetes snack. Fish, skinless chicken breast & lean cuts of meat are also great choices for diabetic diets.

Living with Diabetes

Do not feel deprived if you have to live with diabetes. Learn to balance meals & make healthy food choices. Once you get the hang of a healthy diabetic diet, you can perhaps relax & dig into a large variety of delicious meals & snacks.

Read More

Vitamin D for Women

Normally produced by human bodies through exposure to sunlight, vitamin D is essential not just for general bone health, but overall immunity as well. Researchers have also pointed out vitamin D benefits in managing several lifestyle ailments & avoiding acute illnesses. This ‘Sunshine Vitamin’ enjoyed a high degree focus in the last few years & found place in numerous articles & research publications.

Why Women

Especially because women are at greater risk to developing bone health related issues, which can effectively be countered by ensuring healthy levels of vitamin D, sunlight matters. Even a mother’s healthy dose of vitamin D during & post pregnancy is quite important as it ensures the child gets a healthy start in life. Other vitamin D benefits in managing women’s health include boosting the immunity system by fighting-off invading bacteria & viruses. Moreover, women with healthy levels of vitamin D are twice likely to combat the menace of depression, while adequate levels enable loose excess weight faster & maintain easily. Found in cells throughout the body, vitamin D in fact activates them to function better & optimally. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are also found to stabilize fertility, prevent cancer, combat stress related diseases like hypertension, diabetes & heart ailments. 

Exposure to Sunlight

Although regular exposure to sunlight is enough to take care of normal vitamin D requirement, studies point out that high percentage of populations in many countries are deficient in vitamin D levels irrespective of geographical locations & climatic conditions. About 7% to 10% of Indian women, though they have ample amount of sunlight, are found to be vitamin D deficient. This pandemic deficiency is one of the most under-diagnosed & under-treated nutritional ailment. Some countries however, have been wise enough to develop national policies fortifying entire milk manufacture within the country with vitamin D.

Expert Advice

Most experts advice that people must take out some time to step-out into sunshine for regular intake of vitamin D. Alongside maintaining healthy eating habits, make it a point to vouch as few foods contain natural levels of vitamin D. Two servings of fishes like salmon & mackerel if consumed every day can provide adequate levels of vitamin D through diet alone. As vegetarianism limits rich vitamin D dietary options, vegans need to take extra care. One can also look for other options like Nutraceutical supplements available nowadays. Lastly, it is wise to regularly consult your doctor & get your vitamin D levels checked, & follow a prescribed course if needed. Contact Us - 

Travcure Medical Tourism Consultants

Email - info@travcure.com

Ph no : +91-8600044116 

Read More