Health Benefits of Litchi (or Lychee) Fruit

* Litchi or Lychee fruit is a tropical fruit widely
   found in southern China, southern Taiwan, northern
   Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and
   The United States.
* Botanically, Litchi belongs to the family Sapindaceae
   or soapberry and named scientifically as Litchi
   chinensis.
* Lychee fruit has a pleasant smell and sweet taste
   resembling a combination of strawberries,
   watermelon, and grapes.

Health Benefits of Litchi:

* Litchi is low in calories and is rich in dietary fibre.
* Lychee fruit is a good source of Vitamin C.
* Litchi is rich in calcium, phosphorus, folate,
   copper and potassium.
* Lychees are high in riboflavin (or Vitamin B2)
   that regulates red blood cell growth and
   protect the body from free-radical damage.
* Niacin also found in litchi decreases blood levels
   of cholesterol and lipoprotein, which may reduce
   atherosclerosis.
* Litchi fruit is good for digestion. However, "please
   note that the seed of Litchi is  considered
   poisonous if eaten!"
* Best eaten when fresh, it is also popularly consumed
   in the juice form. It can be mixed with orange, peach
   or apple juice!
* Frozen lychees are wonderfully refreshing and taste
   like a sorbet.
* Lychee is used for a traditional full-bodied Chinese
   dessert wine made of 100% lychee fruit.

Top 10 Healthiest Fruits

Fruits provide lots of vitamins and carbohydrates to nourish
the body and also add variety to the diet.
 
* Apples are a great source of vitamin C, they prevent the
   growth of harmful bacteria and help fight cancer.

* Bananas are handy for problems like constipation and diarrhea.
 
* Blueberries have a number of health benefits including
  anti-cancerous, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
 
* Mangoes are other sources of vitamin C. Research has also
   indicated that these fruits are beneficial for arthritis
   and other anti-inflammatory conditions because they have a
   cooling affect on the body.

Here are top ten healthiest fruits to keep you fresh, healthy
and full of life:

* Strawberries have high levels of ellagic acid and anthocyanins,
   and are rich in vitamin C (95 mg per cup) and fiber
   (3.8 g per cup).

* An apple’s 3 g of fiber help you meet your fiber goal of 20 g
   to 30 g daily. High-fiber diets can lower heart disease risk

* Bananas are a great source of potassium, which plays a key role
   in heart health and muscle function. Plus each one has 2 g of fiber.

* Cherries: A good source of perillyl alcohol, which helps prevent cancer
  in animals. Heart-protective anthocyanins give cherries their color.

* Blueberries help prevent and treat bladder infections by making it
  hard for bacteria to stick to urinary tract walls.

* A single mango has enough beta-carotene to cover your RDA for
  vitamin A while racking up 57 mg of vitamin C.

* One orange provides an impressive 50 mg to 70 mg of vitamin C,
  40 mcg of folic acid and 52 mg of calcium.

* Purple grapes offer three heart-guarding compounds: flavonoids,
  anthocyanins and resveratrol (green grapes are not rich in them).
 
* Raspberries: Teeming with 8 g of fiber per cup, they also boost
  vitamin C, ellagic acid and anthocyanins.

Downton Abbey: A Mountain of Viewer Tears Leads to an Incredible Online Discussion about Maternal Health

Warning: if the January 27, 2013 episode of Downton is still on your DVR- this post contains spoilers!

From the looks of twitter this week, I am not the only person who was devastated by the loss of Lady Sybil on Downton Abbey.  She died of Eclampsia shortly after giving birth to her daughter.  In my house, there was complete silence while we watched Sybil convulsing and struggling to breathe.  After she died, our horror and sadness quickly turned to anger.  There were two doctors in the room (one of whom made the correct diagnosis)- how could this happen?

As I contemplated this question, I was fascinated to see how this story line impacted the public health messaging that started appearing on twitter.  I recognized a few trends:

Making the connection to current women's health issues and debates

There has been much concern about men making decisions about women's healthcare- for example, the comments in 2012 about the definition of rape and the ongoing abortion debate.  Since Sybil's death was largely the result of poor decisions about her health (made by her father and the fancy male doctor consulting on her case), I saw the following post on this topic over and over again:

 

Identifying a Teachable Moment:  Preeclampsia and Eclampsia Specifically

Like many organizations, the American Public Health Association (APHA) followed up on Monday with this message:

Identifying a Teachable Moment:  Maternal Mortality and Maternal Health Broadly  

I saw many links to organizations such as Every Mother Counts, which focuses on global maternal health advocacy:

In addition to the discussion on social media, many news outlets and foundations also took the opportunity to post information on their websites about the condition that killed Sybil.  For example, ABCNews wrote, "Eclampsia Death in 'Downton Abbey' Highlights Pregnancy's No. 1 Killer".

I would love to see some evaluation data to follow this teachable moment.  Some questions that I have:

• How many people searched for Preeclampsia and Eclampsia following the episode?  (As a side note, this episode aired months ago in the UK- was there a similar searching pattern?)
• How many physicians/midwives/clinicians received inquiries from patients following the episode?
• Beyond knowledge- did this episode change any clinician behaviors?  Did they go back and review a suspicious case after seeing a reminder of the severity of this condition?  Did they perform a more comprehensive screening?

What do you think?

What other evaluation questions should we be asking?

What other trends did you see in the discussion on social media (or in person) following this episode?

Falling of Hair - Causes and Treatment

Falling of Hair

* Loss of hair at a very tender age has become a common

   disorder these days. It causes a great deal of concern to
   persons affected by loss of hair.

* The average growth rate is about 1.2 cm per month, growing
   fastest on women between the ages of 15 and 30.

Causes

* The most important cause of loss of hair is inadequate nutrition.

* Persons lacking vitamin B6 lose their hair and those deficient in
   folic acid often become completely bald.

* Another important cause of falling of hair is stress such as worry,
   anxiety, and sudden shock.

* General debility, caused by severe or long standing illnesses like
   typhoid, syphilis, chronic cold, influenza and anemia, also gives
   rise to hair fall because it weakens the hair roots.

*  Unclean condition of the scalp can also cause loss of hair.

* Heredity is another predisposing factor which may cause
   hair to fall.

Treatment

* Intake of sufficient amounts of essential nutrients in the daily diet.

* Protein is necessary for luxuriant hair. Women require 60 grams,
   men 80 to 90, adolescent boys and girls 80 to 100 grams of protein.

* Lack of inositol causes loss of hair. Any person having trouble with
   his or her hair should eat foods rich in inositol such as yeast, liver,
   and molasses.

* Seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits provide adequate
   amounts of all the essential nutrients.  

Home Remedies For Hair

* Amla oil, prepared by boiling dry pieces of amla in coconut oil,
   is considered a valuable hair tonic for enriching hair growth.
   A mixture of equal quantity of fresh amla juice and lime juice
   used as a shampoo stimulates hair growth and prevents
   hair loss.

* Daily application of refined coconut oil mixed with limewater
  and lime juice on the hair prevents loss of hair and
  lengthens them.

* Application of green coriander (leaves) juice is beneficial
  on the hair.

* Mustard oil boiled with henna leaves is useful in healthy
   growth of hair.

* Another effective home remedy is application of coconut milk
   all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair roots nourishes
   the hair and promotes hair growth.

* A fine paste made from pigeon pea or red gram can also be
  applied regularly with beneficial results on bald patches.

* The seeds of lime and black pepper seeds, ground to get a
   fine paste, is one of the valuable remedies. This paste applied
   on the patches has mildly irritant action. This increases
   blood circulation in the affected area and stimulates hair growth.
   The paste should be applied twice a day for few weeks.

Make-Up Tips For Perfect Complexion

Foundation

This has several beauty benefits. It evens out skin tones,

smoothens the skin’s texture, provides a base for other

make-up, and keeps colors true.

Color Check

* Do not use the back of your hand to check the color
   because it is darker. Apply a little on your jaw-line
   and check.

* Check this in daylight.

Foundation Mixes

Foundation and powder in one handy ready-mixed compact
are the short-cut to a natural-looking complexion. They are
smoothed on with a sponge and suit most skin types, except
very dry skins.

FOUNDATION TIPS

* Keep in mind your skin type and needs when buying your
   foundation. It should not look uncomfortable.

* If you have dry skin, look for a creamy, moisturizing
   formula.   

* For oily and combination skin, an oil-free or water-based
   make-up is best.

* Water-based foundations give a matte finish.

EYESHADOW TIPS

* Pressed powder eyeshadows give excellent coverage and are
  useful for building up color intensity; the colors also keep true
  during wear.

* Loose eyeshadow powders tend to be pearly and slightly finer
   textures than pressed and are best used as highlights or for a
   soft sheen.

* Cream eyeshadowis by far the most difficult to use and it tends
   to sink into the crease of the socker-line after few hours.

Heart Attack - "Please Be Aware"

A serious note about heart attacks:

*  Women should know that not every heart attack symptom
    is going to be the left arm hurting.

*  Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

*  You may never have the first chest pain during the course
    of a heart attack.

*  Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.

*  60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep
    do not wake up.

*  Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep.

*  Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better
    chance we could survive.

Water - Importance and Treatment

Water Importance

* It is important to drink water immediately after waking up
   every morning.
* Water treatment has been successful in treatment of serious
   diseases as well as modern illnesses.

Diseases That Can Be Controlled By Water

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat,
epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis,
kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles,
diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb cancer,
menstrual disorders, and ear, nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

* As you wake up in the morning, before brushing teeth, drink four
   glasses of water.
* Brush and clean the mouth, but do not eat or drink anything
   for 45 minutes.
* After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or
   drink anything for two hours.
* Those who are sick can start with one glass of water and
  gradually increase to four glasses of water.

List below gives the number of days of treatment required to cure or
control diseases:

* High Blood Pressure (30 days).

* Gastric (10 days).

* Diabetes (30 days).

* Constipation (10 days).

* Cancer (180 days).

* TB (90 days).

* Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only
   for three days in the first week and from second week
   onwards “daily”.

NOTE:

Cold water after eating will solidify the oily stuff that you have
just consumed and will slow down the digestion.

Anemia - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Anemia

Lacking of blood is called anemia. It denotes a shortage of
rich red blood cells and coloring matter and usually results
from consumption of refined foods.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of anemia are tired looking eyes, wrinkles,
grayish skin, dizziness, fatigue, lack of energy, shortness of breath,
slow healing of wounds, headaches, pale fingernails,
mental depression, and poor memory.

Causes

* Reduced or low formation of red blood cells either due to defects
   in the bone marrow or an inadequate intake of iron, vitamins,
   and protein.

* Heavy loss of blood due to injury , bleeding piles, and heavy
   menstruation may also cause anemia.

* Anemia can also be caused by a variety of drugs which destroy
   vitamin E or by others which inactivate the nutrients needed
   in building blood cells.

* Other cause of anemia are intestinal parasites or worms.

How To Cure Anemia

* Diet is important in the treatment of anemia.

* Iron should always be taken in its natural organic form.

* Common foods rich in natural organic iron are wheat and wheat
   grain cereals, brown rice, cabbage, apples, tomatoes, eggs,
   dates, etc.

* A liberal intake of ascorbic acid is necessary to facilitate absorption
   of iron. At least, two citrus fruits should be taken daily.

* Beets are extremely important in curing anemia. Beet juice contains
   potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper,
   carbohydrates, protein, fat, etc.

Water Treatment

* A cold water bath is among the most valuable curative measures
   in anemia.

* You should take cold baths twice daily.

* Full sun baths are especially beneficial as sunlight stimulates the
   production of red cells.

* Deep breathing and light exercise like walking and simple yoga asanas
   should be undertaken to tone up the system.