Health News-7: 'Age No Bar'

Researchers in Europe who studies 4,300 service men have found out that contrary to popular assumption, brain power grows with age.

Courtesy: 'Newscape', The Hindu, Madurai, January 8, 2008

Alternative Medicine-4: "Spiritual Healing"

SPIRITUAL HEALING
By Swami Paramananda
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai
Pages 86
Price: Rs.7.50 (in 1994, when I bought it, during my visit to the Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha, Belur Math)

It is a small pocket book, sold at a very nominal price. But it contains some great thoughts on Health, Disease and Cure and many more things. I would like everybody, whether he is healthy or sick, whether he is a physician or a patient, and whatever be his caste, creed, sex etc. to study this book and ruminate over what he or she has read. Then if the wonderful thoughts contained in this book could be put to practice, it is bound to totally transform one’s life.

I shall reproduce some gems from this great little book:

· The real seat of disease is more often in the mind than in the body.
· The only true healing is accomplished by contact with the spiritual essence.
· One may not believe in prayer, but prayer heals.
· Faith also has great healing power because it elevates us to a plane where we can be healed.
· All power is of the Spirit. Through whole-hearted prayer and unwavering faith we succeed in making ourselves receptive to this power. Unless we are open to its direct influence, it cannot penetrate our being and heal us.
· Absolute faith is the basis of all healing; even in medical science it is necessary.
· Faith brings from purity of heart, from direct perception.
· The Scriptures tell us that disease is the result of sin. Some define sin as wrong thinking, others as wrong doing; but whatever definition we accept, it is apparent that when we go against nature, we create certain results from which we cannot escape.
· Suffering is often a purifying agent.
· Even sickness sometimes proves a blessing. It all depends on the mental attitude with which we meet it. If we allow ourselves to be dragged down and made despondent and unhappy by it, then it becomes a misfortune; otherwise it may be the means of bringing to us a new spiritual awakening.
· The highest form of healing is when we do not think of the body at all.
· In Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga, where health comes first, we are told that we must have a proper physical vehicle with which to work out our perfection.
· By the understanding and application of the science of right breathing, we can keep this body in a healthy condition; because by our breathing we control the PRANA or the life-force. As long as this life-force continues to circulate evenly and steadily, perfect rhythm or balance will be maintained in our system and we shall enjoy good health.
· If we can control our breathing, we shall restore the equilibrium of our mind and thereby safeguard our health.
· When we acquire complete breath-control, we have such a store of PRANA at our command that we can send it to any part of our organism, where there may be pain or distress, and reinvigorate it. Also we can transmit it to others. This explains the sudden cures by laying on of hands and all forms of magnetic healing.
· If we do not think rightly and live rightly, we cannot have health; because we generate a poison in our system by our wrong thoughts and actions which must culminate in disease.
· Even medical science has come to recognize that any strong passion, such as vehement anger or bitter hatred, may lead to serious illness.
· Whenever man can rise above the little self and become united with that which is universal and cosmic, there is no limit to his strength.
· There are various methods by which we may accomplish self-healing, - rigid and continual denial of disease, constructive affirmations, and concentration of the mind on a counteracting influence.
· Meditation has wonderful healing power.
· Thought has a vital influence on our bodily health and especially on the breath. Whenever we are under any great mental excitement, we see how abnormal and erratic the breath becomes. Whenever, on the other hand, our mind is exalted and peaceful, our breath grows very quiet and rhythmic.
· This body is the instrument through which we have to work out our salvation. If it is out of order, it becomes a serious hindrance. When the body is disturbed, it is difficult to forget it; and if we are constantly thinking of the body, we have no time to think of higher things.
· A healthy person is one who is least conscious of his body. Therefore the object of all breath-control is to make ourselves as little conscious of our physical condition as possible.
· The majority of mankind is more or less in an unhealthy condition, either of body or mind. The greatest disease of the mind is doubt.
· We must reverse the order of our life; and instead of being so full of craving for material things, we must be filled with yearning for spiritual things.
· The more we think o the body, the less are we conscious of that which sustains the body.
· If we can separate ourselves from our body-consciousness, not through death, but through higher reflection, at once we are released from bodily pain.
· One who is always seeking material benefits rarely has his desires satisfied; but to one who does not seek them, they come easily and abundantly. How strange seems the law!
· We must learn to retire within ourselves when there is any trouble. Whatever overtakes us – whether it be physical illness, nervous excitement or mental disturbance – we must not reach out to the external world for help; we must try rather to make ourselves more fit for the manifestation of the divine Spirit. If we can draw close to the cosmic Source within ourselves, we shall be relieved from our aches and pains and darkness.
· Meditation is a vital factor in healing.
· If our sufferings are due to matter, then the remedy must be sought in the spiritual; and the more we learn to turn towards that, the more our life is balanced.
· Sometimes an illness brings a lesson of which we have need. People are awakened often to higher thought and ideals through bodily afflictions or through misfortune.
· A person who is full of aspiration learns both through good fortune and misfortune; he learns equally through physical disease and through health.
· A healthy body is an undeniable advantage in our spiritual pursuits; but we must not let ourselves become absorbed in the idea of health as an end in itself. The best form of health is where we are least conscious that we have a body. When we are really healthy, we do not think about the body at all, our feet scarcely touch the ground; but when we are thinking constantly of the body, that is not a healthy attitude of mind or a healthy state of body.
· Nothing contributes more towards good health than an orderly life of moderation.
· Meditation is invaluable even for our bodily welfare, because it gives us balance. It quiets our nerves and brings our muscles to a state of tranquility. Often this is done involuntarily.
· There is no permanent happiness in the finite, the changing, the fleeting. That which is infinite and everlasting, That alone is the Source of real happiness and blessing. We must bind our hearts to That. In That is the only permanent cure for all disease, because It carries us beyond ignorance, beyond selfishness, beyond the unreal.
· The kingdom of God is within and we are told to seek that first, then all else will follow.
· No man can become a channel of divine power so long as his ego is in the ascendancy.
· To become a true channel, he must attune himself with God through humility, through purity, through an utter lack of self-consciousness.
· All we need is purity of thought, an open heart and sincere childlike longing. When we have these, all darkness vanishes quickly and healing takes place. When we touch the reservoir of life, the storehouse of Prana or vital energy, all our weakness must disappear.
· There are many simple people who by mere faith and ardent devotion have performed what we call miracles.
· Let us tune ourselves in such a way that we shall never be a jarring note in the cosmic harmony.
· Man’s life is inter-related. His physical life is so absolutely dependent on his moral and his spiritual life that unless he pays proper heed to these, he can never hope to be healthy.
· Whenever we violate the spiritual law and try to find a short cut to happiness, the fibre of our moral being is injured and we begin to feel pains and aches in the physical body. When these conditions continue and we do not try to remove them, a mark is made on the mind. Doubt, despair and despondency arise and these react again on the body.
· A man can never be converted by violence or by mere persuasion. He can be transformed permanently only by a spiritual influx which is so redeeming, so life-giving, so healing, that when he comes in contact with it, he is re-made.
· We must acquire a well-ordered mind; because our thoughts and feelings and aspirations will produce either good health or ill health in our body.
· Suffering is not a curse; bodily illness is not necessarily a punishment. Sometimes it comes to purify and strengthen us. Therefore those who have deeper understanding strive to make the best use of illness.
· Bodily suffering becomes a blessing when it teaches us to transcend outer conditions and to turn to the soul within.
· We must have real love for an Ideal in our hearts; then not only do we elevate ourselves, but we are able to bring constant benefit to the world.

Health Tips-21: "Healing Honey!"

Honey, used for centuries to heal wounds such as burns, is finding favour once again as an effective healer, with researchers now advising surgeons to use the sweet and viscous fluid when treating patients. The new research is based on 18 studies by Dr.Fasal Rauf Khan from North West Wales NHS Trust in Bangor.

“Honey has a number of properties that make it effective against bacterial growth, including its high sugar content, low moisture content, gluconic acid, which creates an acidic environment, and hydrogen peroxide. It has also been shown to reduce inflammation and swelling,” Dr Khan said.

Dr.Khan’s team also reported that applying honey can be used to reduce amputation rates among diabetes patients. “It can be used to sterilize infected wounds, speed up healing and impede tumours, particularly in keyhole surgery,” Dr Khan said. Studies have suggested that honey should be applied at regular intervals, from hourly to twice daily and that wounds can become sterile in three to ten days.

“Research suggests that honey seems to be especially indicated when wounds become infected or fail to close or heal. It is probably even more useful for healing the wounds left by laparoscopic surgery to remove cancers......."

The study was published in the October 2007 issue of the International Journal of Clinical Practice. - ANI

Excerpted from The Hindu, Madurai (Sunday Magazine), December 30, 2007.

Health News-6: "3.3 Lakh Children die every year for want of Vitamin A"

India has the highest number of Vitamin A deficient children in the world, with 330,000 of them dying annually because of this malady.

Despite years of various supplementation approaches, deficiencies of these micronutrients are still largely prevalent, according to Sesikeran, Director, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

In a paper presented at a conference on “Role of Micronutrients in Child Development: Give Kids a Good Start,” organized by the International Life Sciences Institute at New Delhi on Friday, Dr.Sesikeran said studies carried out by various agencies showed that the prevalence of anaemia, Vitamin A deficiency and iodine deficiency disorders continue to be high, though there is a small decline in the prevalence of iodine deficiently disorders.

Inaugurating the conference, D.H.Pai Panandiker, Chairman of the Institute, said 75% of the children in the country were anaemic, 57% were deficient in Vitamin A and 26% did not have enough intake of zinc - Special Correspondent, The Hindu

Courtesy: The Hindu, Madurai, December 15, 2007

Health News-5: "Errors kill 98,000 patients annually!"

According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, USA, errors in American hospitals kill from 44,000 to 98,000 patients annually, while injuring perhaps a million.

Courtesy: The Reader's Digest, January 2003

Health Tips-20: "An Apple A Day"

Eating an apple a day during pregnancy will not only keep the doctor away, but it can also help lower the risk of their kids developing asthma and wheezing. The finding is based on a study published in the September 2007 issue of the journal, Thorax, in which researchers found that when women ate apples during pregnancy, their offspring tended to have a significantly lower risk of asthma and wheezing when they reached age five.

As a part of their study, the researchers followed 1253 mother-child pairs and studied their dietary intake. The study also backs up the findings of an early study published in the European Respiratory Journal in June that found a link between apple juice consumption and a reduction in wheezing among children. Among children who experienced what was characterized as “current wheeze” (where the child had wheezing or whistling in the chest in the last 12 months), there was a significant dose response association between consumption of apple juice and a reduced incidence of the wheezing.

Researchers found that drinking apple juice made from concentrate and consumption of bananas one or more times a day (compared to drinking apple juice or eating bananas less than once a month) was directly associated with improvement of wheezing occurrences. Authors of the Thorax appear suggest that apples help kids because they have a powerful phytochemical content, which includes flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and phenolic acids – ANI.

Courtesy: The Hindu, Sunday Magazine, Dec. 9, 2007.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.

Health News-4: "World Diabetes Day: November 14"

From International Diabetes Federation's Website:

Diabetes is a silent killer that kills one person every ten seconds.

Diabetes is a global problem with devastating human, social and economic impact. Today more than 245 million people worldwide are living with diabetes and by 2025, this total is expected to increase to over 380 million people. Each year another 7 million people develop diabetes.

Diabetes is a growing epidemic threatening to overwhelm global healthcare services, wipe out some indigenous populations and undermine economies worldwide, especially in developing countries.

Each year more than 3.8 million people die from diabetes-related causes, one death every 10 seconds.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is a worldwide alliance of over 200 diabetes associations in more than 160 countries, who have come together to enhance the lives of people with diabetes everywhere. For over 50 years, IDF has been at the vanguard of global diabetes advocacy. The Federation is committed to raising global awareness of diabetes, promoting appropriate diabetes care and prevention, and encouraging activities towards finding a cure for the different types of diabetes. It is the mission of IDF to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide.

From Wikipedia:

World Diabetes Day is a day of awareness for diabetes. It was developed by the International Diabetes Federation in 1991 as a way to increase people's knowledge about diabetes, and help prevent the disease. World Diabetes Day is held on November 14.

Grateful thanks to: International Diabetes Federation and Wikipedia.

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/info/idf/index.html

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/campaign/why/

http://www.unitefordiabetes.org/campaign/every10seconds.html

Health Tips-19: "Beware of Synthetic Milk"

Milk is a staple food for the children and the infirm. Of late, there are reports that a synthetic product is passed off as 'milk'. The 'synthetic milk' simulates the creamer or dairy whitener added to tea or coffee for persons to whom milk is contra-indicated for allergic or other reasons. Dairy whitener is composed of fat (commonly hydrogenated fat or derivative of palm oil) and emulsifier (synthetic or natural). Emulsified fat in water is milky. Soaps and detergents are capable of emulsifying oil or fat in water. The mixture becomes an oil-in-water emulsion. The synthetic emulsifier used in creamer is approved for food purposes. Soaps and synthetic detergents are not of food grade. Detergents are made up of petroleum jelly. The 'synthetic milk' sold is an emulsion of an oil in water with the aid of soaps or detergents, thickened by addition of urea. True milk contains protein (casein), sugars (lactose) and minerals (calcium). Urea, though a nitrogenous compound is not protein, neither it is edible. In fact, it could be toxic. Urea is a product of protein metabolism in animals and is excreted in urine. Synthetic milk can be easily detected. First of all, soap or detergent in water is alkaline due to hydrolysis. A litmus (red to blue) or pH paper (orange to green) test will indicate this behaviour when the strip is dipped in the liquid. Urea is detected by adding an ureas tablet into a sample of milk. Ureas is an enzyme, which decomposes into ammonium carbonate, which may be identified by its characteristic ammoniacal smell or alkaline nature by pH indicator. These qualitative tests are fairly simple and can be performed even by an untrained person.

- From a 'Letter to the Editor, from N.J.M.Yadav, Thanjavur (Name of Newspaper not given)

Health Tips-18: Burn Those Calories Away

The most optical fat-burning exercise is aerobics. Any exercise that utilizes oxygen for a sustained activity of 12 minutes or more qualifies as aerobic exercise. Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming etc are all activities which use the large muscles of the body, moving your limbs freely and continuously without resistance, and your breathing is then rapid, but comfortable. While doing this exercise, should be able to carry on a conversation, but in brief words only not in lengthy sentences. If you are too much out of breath and are gasping, you have gone beyond the aerobic zone. Bring down the intensity of the exercise so that you are in an optimal state of burning fat.

Excerpt from ISTE Newsletter (Other details not available).

Grateful thanks to ISTE Newsletter.

Health Tips-17: A/c Room and Respiratory Problems

People who work in air-conditioned offices suffer more than twice as many respiratory problems as those who work in naturally-ventilated buildings, according to a study by a French Medical Research agency. The study could help explain the 'sick-building syndrome', widely reported in air-conditioned offices in Europe. The researchers say that the recirculated air carries bacteria and fungi that spread the infections.

Courtesy: The Hindu, October 30, 1997.

Grateful thanks to The Hindu.