Water may act as a weapon against ageing, and help keep wrinkles at bay, according to a study

Researchers are looking at the human genome to discover what genes cause wrinkles and therefore help them develop more effective lotions and creams to help stop the aging process in the future.

Using data from the human genome project, a team of scientists led by Procter & Gamble have found approximately 1,500 genes that govern wrinkles. The team also believe that they have pinpointed either major causes of aging skin.

The best anti-aging products currently on the market tend to do little to actually stop or reverse the anti-aging process. Instead, they tend to plump up the skin or help smooth the appearance of wrinkles. However with the discovery of the genes that help control how soon people will get wrinkles it is hoped that aging itself will soon be tackled head on.

It appears that some of the ‘well known’ beauty secrets hold true: Wrinkles and aging is partly down to environment and partly down to genes. The key factors that the team have identified are:

Hydration: The research team believe that the way that the skin collects and holds on to water is one of the key aging processes. As the skin ages, the genes that control this process may become less active. The skin will then retain less moisture and this leads to wrinkles.

Collagen: As we get older, the genes that degrade collagen may become more active and this may cause more wrinkles in the skin. There are currently thought to be about 40 genes involved in the lessening of collagen over time.

Inflammation: There are around 400 genes that have been identified with inflammation in the skin. These tend to become more active with age, thus creating more wrinkles.

Antioxidants: Around 200 genes are thought to help control the skin’s defense against free radicals. Age weakens these defenses and this can help cause wrinkles.

Photo-Aging: Sunlight speeds up the natural aging process. Sunlight may also damage the genes involved in keeping the skin healthy and this may help cause wrinkles.

By identifying some of the genes that cause aging – more specifically wrinkles – researchers hope that they will be able to create drugs that will be able to stimulate helpful genes are suppress others to help stop the aging process or even help restore more youthful skin.

Certain Pains You Shouldn't Ignore May Be Fatal For You

Whoever coined the term "necessary evil" might have been thinking of pain. No one wants it, yet it's the body's way of getting your attention when something is wrong. You're probably sufficiently in tune with your body to know when the pain is just a bother, perhaps the result of moving furniture a day or two before or eating that third enchilada. It's when pain might signal something more serious that the internal dialogue begins:

"OK, this isn't something to fool around with."
"But I can't miss my meeting."
"And how many meetings will you miss if you land in the hospital?"
"I'll give it one more day."
Etc.

Worst Headache of Your Life

Get medical attention immediately. "If you have a cold, it could be a sinus headache," says Sandra Fryhofer, MD, MACP, spokeswoman for the American College of Physicians. "But you could have a brain hemorrhage or brain tumor. With any pain, unless you're sure of what caused it, get it checked out."

Sharon Brangman, MD, FACP, spokeswoman for the American Geriatrics Society, tells WebMD that when someone says they have the worst headache of their life, "what we learned in medical training was that was a classic sign of a brain aneurysm. Go immediately to the ER."

Pain or Discomfort in the Chest, Throat, Jaw, Shoulder, Arm, or Abdomen

Chest pain could be pneumoniaor a heart attack. But be aware that heart conditions typically appear as discomfort, not pain. "Don't wait for pain," says cardiologist Jerome Cohen, MD. "Heart patients talk about pressure. They'll clench their fist and put it over their chest or say it's like an elephant sitting on their chest."

The discomfort associated with heart diseasecould also be in the upper chest, throat, jaw, left shoulder or arm, or abdomen and might be accompanied by nausea. "I'm not too much worried about the 18-year-old, but if a person has unexplained, persistent discomfort and knows they're high risk, they shouldn't wait," says Cohen. "Too often people delay because they misinterpret it as [ heartburn] or GI distress. Call 911 or get to an emergency room or physician's office. If it turns out to be something else, that's great."

He tells WebMD that intermittent discomfort should be taken seriously as well. "There might be a pattern, such as discomfort related to excitement, emotional upset, or exertion. For example, if you experience it when you're gardening, but it goes away when you sit down, that's angina. It's usually worse in cold or hot weather."

"A woman's discomfort signs can be more subtle," says Cohen, who is director of preventive cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. " Heart disease can masquerade as GI symptoms, such as bloating, GI distress, or discomfort in the abdomen. It's also associated with feeling tired. Risk for heart disease increases dramatically after menopause. It kills more women than men even though men are at higher risk at any age. Women and their physicians need to be on their toes."

Pain in Lower Back or Between Shoulder Blades

"Most often it's arthritis," says Brangman, who is professor and chief of geriatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y. Other possibilities include a heart attack or abdominal problems. "One danger is aortic dissection, which can appear as either a nagging or sudden pain. People who are at risk have conditions that can change the integrity of the vessel wall. These would include high blood pressure, a history of circulation problems, smoking, and diabetes."

Severe Abdominal Pain

Still have your appendix? Don't flirt with the possibility of a rupture. Gallbladder and pancreas problems, stomach ulcers, and intestinal blockages are some other possible causes of abdominal pain that need attention.

Calf Pain

One of the lesser known dangers is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can occur in the leg's deep veins. It affects 2 million Americans a year, and it can be life-threatening. "The danger is that a piece of the clot could break loose and cause pulmonary embolism[a clot in the lungs], which could be fatal," says Fryhofer. Cancer, obesity, immobility due to prolonged bed rest or long-distance travel, pregnancy, and advanced age are among the risk factors.

"Sometimes there's just swelling without pain," says Brangman. "If you have swelling and pain in your calf muscles, see a doctor immediately."

Burning Feet or Legs

Nearly one-quarter of the 24 million Americans who have diabetes are undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. "In some people who don't know they have diabetes, peripheral neuropathycould be one of the first signs," says Brangman. "It's a burning or pins-and-needles sensation in the feet or legs that can indicate nerve damage."

Vague, Combined, or Medically Unexplained Pains

"Various painful, physical symptoms are common in depression," says psychiatrist Thomas Wise, MD. "Patients will have vague complaints of headaches, abdominal pain, or limb pain, sometimes in combination."

Because the pain might be chronic and not terribly debilitating, depressed people, their families, and health care professionals might dismiss the symptoms. "Furthermore, the more depressed you are, the more difficulty you have describing your feelings," says Wise, who is the psychiatry department chairman at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va. "All of this can lead the clinician astray."

Other symptoms must be present before a diagnosis of depression can be made. "Get help when you've lost interest in activities, you're unable to work or think effectively, and you can't get along with people," he says. "And don't suffer silently when you're hurting."

He adds there's more to depression than deterioration of the quality of life. "It has to be treated aggressively before it causes structural changes in the brain."

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Sex Mistakes Women Make in Common

For Ladies: when your sex life becomes a little humdrum, out comes the mental catalogue of all the ways your partner isn’t quite measuring up.

Guys tend to get a bad rap when it comes to understanding women’s bodies and what turns us on, making them easy targets in the blame game when sexual satisfaction starts to wane.

And sure, they make their fair share of bedroom errors. But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. As it turns out, top sex and relationship experts say that women make plenty of sex mistakes of their own.

Here’s what they have to say about the six most common mistakes women make in the bedroom and what you can do to get the satisfaction you so rightly deserve.

Not Initiating Sex With Your Partner

It’s 2009 and still, many of us worry about ladylike behavior. We don’t want to appear pushy or come on too strong for fear of being labeled aggressive. According to Les Parrot, professor of psychology at Seattle Pacific University and author of a new book called Crazy Good Sex, failing to initiate sex is one of the biggest mistakes women make.

“Most guys feel like they are always the initiator and that sets up disequilibrium on the passion scale in the relationship,” he says. Generally, men want to be pursued by their partners just as much as women do.

Holding onto outdated ideas about sex roles also inhibits satisfaction with our sexual relationships, says "Dr. Ruth," aka Ruth Westheimer, PhD, a psychosexual therapist, professor at New York University, and lecturer at Yale and Princeton universities. “They used to think that women are less interested in sexual activity and I don’t want to say that anymore. I think there are women who are as interested in sex [as men].”

Show your interest by taking the first step from time to time. Your partner will likely appreciate it, and you may find a new level of satisfaction in taking responsibility for your sexual experience, something Westheimer feels strongly women must do.

Worrying About What You Look Like

Thinking about how you look during sex stops you from enjoying yourself and ruins your chances of achieving an orgasm.

“Don’t think about the fat on your belly or the makeup on your face,” advises Westheimer. “Concentrate on the pleasure of the act. You must give yourself permission to have an orgasm.”

“Men want their wives to abandon themselves in sex play, and that’s not likely if she is anxious about her physical concerns,” Parrott says.

Helen Fisher, PhD, a cultural anthropologist at Rutgers University and author of a new book called Why Him, Why Her, says men don’t notice half the things women obsess about anyway.

“It’s amazing what men don’t notice if you’re enthusiastic, energetic, interested in them, and flexible minded.”

According to Fisher, there is an evolutionary explanation for the selective blindness men show to our physical flaws. For Darwinian reasons, says Fisher, men are (unconsciously, of course) looking for women who are able to bear healthy babies. Starting millions of years ago, men who attracted fertile women and had a lot of children lived on. Those who couldn’t died out. Although maybe not as necessary today, Fisher says that primal survival mechanism lives on.

“Men are much more attracted to women who show signs of health and youth and fertility. Rather than worry about the shape of your waist and hips, worry about your energy level and enthusiasm and interest in him,” Fisher advises.

Assuming Sex Is Casual for a Man

Westheimer believes we should all let go of old-fashioned notions, such as women are not sexual or that sex is just sex to men. “For some men, sex is a very important act. Don’t minimize it.”

The research, says Parrott, supports the idea that both men and women find sexual intimacy in the context of a committed relationship to be more satisfying.

“Numerous research studies make it very clear that the people who have the best quality and most frequent sex are married couples. That says a lot about the inadequacies of ‘casual sex,” Parrot says.

In a study being conducted by Fisher and her colleagues of university students engaging in one-night stands, the numbers show that men are just as serious about sex and relationships as women. In fact, more than 50% of women and 52% of men who went into a one-night stand, according to Fisher, reported that they did so hoping to create a longer relationship. One-third of them actually did so. What’s the lesson?

“Never assume that a man is not romantic,” Fisher says. “Two huge mistakes in this culture are that women are not sexual and that men are not as romantic [as women].”

Believing He’s Always Up for Sex

Sure, most teenage boys are ready and willing just about any time you ask, but not true for men. The pressures of everyday life -- family, work, bills -- can zap a man’s libido. This comes as a big surprise to many women, and often his lack of interest in sex is something we take personally.

“It comes as such a shock [to women] that they just don’t believe it,” Fisher says about the reaction many women have when their partner says they aren’t in the mood for sex. “They know themselves that they are not always interested in sex but they still love the man.

But when they discover he doesn’t want to have sex, they think, ‘he doesn’t love me.’ Not true. He just doesn’t want to have sex.”

Not Giving Him Guidance

Talking very directly about sex, what we like and don’t like can make us feel uncomfortable, even with a partner we’ve been with for a long time and otherwise feel close to, says Parrott. But it’s the only way to achieve a satisfying sexual relationship.

“A woman must take responsibility for her sexual encounter,” says Westheimer. “No man can bring a woman to orgasm if she doesn’t take responsibility for her sexual experience. Even the best lover can’t know what she needs without her letting him know.”

The good news, according to Fisher, is that men very much want to please women.

“If you can tell them in a way that doesn’t kill their ego, they will appreciate it,” says Fisher. She advises women to sandwich what they don’t like in between five things they do, because he’s listening. “You won’t find out until the next time you’re in bed with him. But men do listen, particularly if you’re quite clear about it.”

Getting Upset When He Suggests Something New

After a couple has been together for a while, it’s natural to want to spice things up with a little variety. Just because your man wants to try something new doesn’t mean he’s unhappy with you or your sex life. In short: Don’t take it personally.

Still, it’s important that you tune into your comfort zone says Parrott.

“Nobody should ever feel obligated to do something they don’t want to do in the personal and intimate area of sexuality,” Parrott says. “If your man asks you about trying something that’s outside of your morals, make it clear that it’s off limits for you and explain why. Of course, do this in a loving way as best you can.

If it is something that is not really a moral issue for you but you still don’t want to, again explain why. If it is a simply a startling request and you’re initially uneasy about it, try not to overreact. Instead, let him know you need some time to think about it.”

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How can children stay healthy and fresh-health tips for children

Start your day with breakfast.
Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza! See also: Breakfast on the Fly

Get Moving!
It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack Smart
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups -- a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are okay for occasional snacking.

Work up a Sweat
Vigorous work-outs -- when you're breathing hard and sweating -- help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.


Don't Eat Too Much of One Thing
You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get Fit With Friends and Family
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. (See: Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit). Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.

Foods aren't good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don't eat a third.

Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activities Fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous -- try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals -- don't try changing too much at once.

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Tips for kids for taking care of their skin-healthy skin for kids

It keeps your insides from falling out. It helps you warm up when you're cold and can cool you off when you're hot. It lets you feel things by touch. It protects you.

What is this wondrous stuff? Your skin, of course! And what does your skin ask for in return for all the wonderful things it does? Just a little care and consideration. So let's learn how to take good care of the skin you're in.

Why Be Nice to Your Skin?

Like the heart, stomach, and brain, your skin is an organ. In fact, it's the largest organ in your body, but it's still easy to take skin for granted. Unless there's a problem, you may not think about your skin very much. But skin has an important job to do.

Your skin is constantly protecting you. Your skin keeps infections out of your body and keeps you from getting sick. When you take care of your skin, you're helping your skin do its job. And taking care of your skin today will help prevent future problems, like wrinkles and even skin cancer.

Clean Skin Is Happy Skin

One simple way to take care of your skin is to keep it clean. Keeping your hands clean is especially important because your hands can spread germs to the skin on other parts of your body.

When washing your hands, use water that's comfortably warm. Wet your hands, then lather up with a mild soap. You should lather and rub everywhere, including the palms, the wrists, between the fingers, and under the nails. Rinse well, dry thoroughly with a clean towel, and you're done!

You'll also want to use water that's warm, not too hot, when you take a shower or bath. Use a gentle soap to clean your body. Don't forget under your arms and behind your ears! Your face needs attention, especially as you enter puberty and the skin on your face gets more oily. It's a good idea to wash your face once or twice daily with warm water and a mild cleanser.

If you look in the drugstore, you'll see shelf after shelf of skin care products, but kids don't usually need anything more than a gentle soap. Talk to a parent or your doctor if you have questions about what to use on your skin.

If you have dry, flaky, or itchy skin, you might use a moisturizing lotion or cream. When choosing a moisturizer, pick one without a lot of colors and perfumes. Petroleum jelly can work for some kids. If you are worried about pimples, look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (won't cause pimples).

With pimples, you might think that scrubbing your face is the way to get rid of them. But actually, your skin will be less likely to break out if you clean it gently, using your fingertips, not a rough washcloth. If you have trouble with pimples, talk with your doctor about which cleansers are best to use.

Allergies to Skin Care Products
Sometimes when you use a new kind of soap or other skin product, your skin may get irritated or you may get an allergic reaction. If you get a rash or if your skin feels itchy, hot, dry, or like it's burning, tell an adult. Stop using the product and don't forget that it caused a reaction. You don't want to use it again or buy a product with the same active ingredient.

To test a new product, place a tiny bit of it on the inside of your wrist or arm. Watch for any redness or irritation over the next 24 hours. If your skin becomes red or irritated, don't use the product. Sometimes, your skin is fine with a new product the first time, or few times, you use it, but then your skin gets red or irritated later on. You'll want to stop using the product whenever redness or irritation occurs.


Screening Your Skin From Damage
There is one product that everyone needs: sunscreen. Even if your skin is naturally dark, you still need to use a sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun prevents sunburn, which hurts and is a kind of skin damage. Sunscreen also can help prevent wrinkles when you get older and can decrease the risk of skin cancer, which is caused by exposure to the sun's harmful rays.

Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or 45, and apply it evenly. Try not to miss any spots, such as your neck or the middle of your back. Have a friend or your parent help you with the hard-to-reach spots. Follow the directions on the sunscreen, which often recommend reapplying it, especially after swimming or sweating.

Because sunscreen cannot protect your skin completely from the sun, it's also a good idea to wear a brimmed hat and use a lip balm containing sunscreen. If you need more protection from the sun, wear long sleeves and pants. Also, avoid the sun between 10 AM and 2 PM.


Soothing Skin That's Sore
Everybody gets little scrapes and cuts on their skin. When this happens to you, be sure to wash the area with warm water and a mild soap. Talk to one of your parents about whether to use an antibiotic (say: an-tie-bye-ah-tik) cream or ointment. This can kill germs at the site of the cut and prevent an infection. Covering a cut with a bandage helps keep it clean.

When you have a more serious cut, you may need to go to the doctor or the emergency department. A deep cut might need stitches to heal properly. Instead of stitching a cut together with special thread, in some cases, doctors can use a special kind of glue.
Hot Stuff

Burns are another serious problem for your skin. Prevent them by staying away from fire (such as matches, candles, and fireplaces) and steering clear of stoves, irons, and other sources of heat. If you accidentally get burned, tell a grown-up so he or she can get you the care you need.

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Healthy skin tips for women - keep glowing

Everyone wants healthy skin; if not for cosmetic purposes, then for general health purposes. It's thought about all year long, but seems to be more prevalent in the thoughts when the more skin bearing weather rolls around. Besides the usual grooming routine, there are plenty of other ways to get that fresh glow, and easy to accomplish on a budget.

Foods for Healthy Skin

It's always a good idea to eat healthy, even when not trying to look devilishly attractive in a bikini or speedo. While some foods, such as sugary treats, or even dairy products, won't do anyone any favors, there are lots of foods that can help the skin as well as the rest of the body.

Here are five to get started:

1. Water. Technically a drink instead of food, but certainly very important. It helps keep the skin hydrated, and helps clear out the system, which will not only mean beautiful skin, but feeling better all around.

2. Blueberries. They're a high source of antioxidants - one of the foods with the highest capacity out there - and are a good source of fiber.

3. Walnuts. Loaded with essential fatty acids, they're just what the skin needs to protect itself. Additionally, it also helps the skin look younger by giving it the nourishment it needs to keep it supple.

4. Green Tea. Yet another liquid, but an incredibly beneficial one. Green tea has anti inflammatory properties and is rich in polyphenols. And, for an added benefit, helps the metabolism.

5. Whole Wheat Bread. This item, while some might say has a less appealing flavor than, say, white bread, is healthy because it contains selenium. Selenium is a mineral that is helpful when it comes to skin cells, and, studies show, might even help skin damaged by the sun.

Other Tips and Tricks

Sometimes changing the diet can be challenging; either by being a picky eater, or by forgetting what it is that is good to eat and why it's needed. So, for those that don't much like the idea of changing their diet, here are five other ideas.

1. Sunscreen. Use it, use it, use it. Besides the fact that at times, there seems to be nothing worse than suffering from sunburn, the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are extremely harmful.

2. Moisturize. Dry skin doesn't heal as easily as soft skin, and therefore is more susceptible to other forms of damage. So after each cleansing, a light moisturizer is the best bet.

3. Indoor Tanning is a No-No. If it's been established that UV rays cause damage to the skin (essentially because it burns it), so purposely introducing the skin to it just seems silly.

"Radiation use has been declared a carcinogen by the National Institutes of Health. And the World Health Organization recognizes that no person under 18 should use a sun bed," says Jody A. Levine MD on WebMD.

4. Take Vitamins. Some vitamins are especially geared towards enhancing the health of the skin. For women, Evening Primrose Oil is used for promoting skin health and helping reduce acne, and anyone can take Vitamin E. A new study shows that it can counter the affects of sun exposure.

5. Exercise. Exercise is good anytime and for multiple reasons, but it helps the skin keep elasticity, which will, in turn, help reduce wrinkles.

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10 Innovative Lunge Variations - part 1

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Diet For Children between 6 to 18

School children will have a good appetite but their food should be selected nutritiously. During 6 to 12 years the rate of growth in children slows down and body changes occur gradually.

School children will have a good appetite but their food should be selected nutritiously. During 6 to 12 years the rate of growth in children slows down and body changes occur gradually. This period of life in general is known as the latent period of growth. This is applicable mainly for boys. In girls prepubertal acceleration of growth take place during later half of this period. During this stage girls usually outgrow boys. The body requirements of calories and protein are increased steadily. Requirements of the nutrients of children are increased from 7 - 12 years, as there is gradual increase in need because reserves are being laid down for the demands of the approaching adolescent period. The increased requirements of protein would meet demands of the growth. Girls require more protein between 10 - 12 than boys do, since they are approaching menarche early. During 10 - 12 years, children do require more calcium than adults to meet demand for skeletal growth. Since blood volume is increased iron requirements are also increased.

Breakfast is particularly important for a school child. This age group has a tendency to skip breakfast, which is bad. This will make them weak, tried, lethargic and develop lack of concentration. A cereal, milk, and fruit will make a good and quick breakfast. Packed lunches should be nutritiously adequate. Dinner is a good time to balance calories at the end of the day. Ideally break fast and lunch should provide major portion of calories and the balance should be from dinner and in between snacks.

During puberty nutritional needs are increased due to physical growth, hormonal changes and emotional strain. Calories, protein, calcium and iron requirements are particularly increased during this period. Iron is needed for haemoglobin synthesis necessitated by the considerable expansion of blood volume and for myoglobin needed for muscle growth.

Points to note

* Food should contain high calories, protein, minerals and trace elements.
* Since the calories requirement is more in the daytime more calories must be provided during the day.
* Preferable food items are cereals, milk and milk products, pulses, vegetables including green leafy vegetables and fruits for vegetarians and in addition egg, chicken and fish for non vegetarians.
* In packed lunches variety must be provided.
* Dishes should be quick to eat and nutritious.
* New dishes should be introduced at regular intervals.
* Involve children in food shopping and preparing meals.

Adolescents

Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adult hood. During this period there are accelerated physical, biochemical and emotional developments. Adolescents are physically more active and have a greater metabolic rate. The final growth spurt occurs during this period. Many changes take place in the body like physical and sexual growth due to the influence of different hormones.

At this adolescent age they start eating out and take snacks in between meals. This may be due to increase requirement or may be the way of socialising. The snacks they eat are full of fats, carbohydrates and sugar. Some of them try to use food as a way to establish their identity, perhaps by over eating or going on a crash diet. Their faulty eating habits can lead to different nutritional deficiency, under or over nourishment, dental caries or eating disorders.

Eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia are common problems in adolescent girls. This is due to the girls of this age group become very conscious about their bodies and it influence the way they eat. These types of problems are on a rise now days. Obesity is the another important problem seen in both sexes of this age group. They must be encouraged to have a healthy nutritional habit and to have proper physical activity.

Adolescent girls need an increased iron requirement because of the onset of menstruation. The girls need to ensure adequate intake of iron as they lose 0.5 mg/day during menstruation. They require 30 - 35 mg per day. To ensure sufficient quantity of iron, include whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, liver, raisins and dried dates in the diet. Bone growth demands calcium. A good calcium intake is also important during this period for strong and healthy bones and teeth and to prevent osteoporosis during later life. Diet must provide at least 2 glasses of milk / day or any other dairy product. Calcium is also present in good quantity in fish, green leafy vegetable and ragi. The need for thiamine, riboflavin and niacin increases directly with increased caloric intake. B12 is essential for DNA and RNA synthesis and needed in higher amounts when tissue synthesis is occurring rapidly. Food sources that include these vitamins are bran, peanuts, peas, beans, liver, milk, green leafy vegetables, egg white, fish and wheat germ.

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Weight and height chart of Indian children

AGE YEARS	WEIGHT (KG) MALE IP*/ WHO+	WEIGHT (KG) FEMALE IP*/WHO+	HEIGHT(CMS) MALE IP*/WHO+	HEIGHT(CMS) FEMALE IP * / WHO+
6	19 / 20.7	17.8 / 19.5	114.2 / 116.1	112.5 / 114.6
7	21 / 22.9	19 / 21.8	119.7 / 121.7	117.4 / 120.6
8	22.6 / 24	20.8 / 24.8	123.6 / 127	123.2 / 126.4
9	24.4 / 28.1	23.5 / 28.5	128.2 / 132.2	129.2 / 132.2
10	27 / 31.4	26.9 / 32.5	133.6 / 137.5	135.2 / 138.3
11	30.6 / 35.3	30.9 / 37	139.6 / 143.3	140.9 / 144.8
12	34.8 / 39.8	35 / 41.5	145.8 / 149.7	146 / 151.5
13	39.4 / 45	39.1 / 46.1	152 / 156.5	150.4 / 157 .1
14	44.1 / 50.8	42.7 / 50.3	157.6 / 163.1	153.8 /160.4
15	48.5 / 56.7	45.7 / 53.7	162.5 / 169	156 / 161.8
16	52.4 / 62.1	47.7 / 55.9	166.3 / 173.5	156.8 / 162.4
17	55.5 / 66.3	48.4	168.7 / 176.2	157 / 163.1
18	58.6 / 68.9	NA / 56.6	169.8 / 176.8	NA / 163.7

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The right foods protect child's body and mind, Eat well during exams

Exam season is on and every parent will want to help their children stay physically and mentally healthy through out this time. There is no doubt about it - exams really are exhausting. The best way to get over the final hurdle is to keep revising according to a timetable, take plenty of breaks and get out into the fresh air for a break.

The diet plays an important role in their well being. The right foods protect child's body and mind. They also improve marks by boosting academic performance on the exam day. Of course, parents should feed children well throughout life, but there are times when foods can make the difference between success and failure. A healthy balanced diet should consist of whole grain cereals, legumes, sprouted pulses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Non vegetarians can include eggs and fish.

The best diet food during exams is lots of fresh foods as close to their natural state as possible, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouted pulses, fish and egg. They help to activate memory by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters, brain chemicals involved in receiving, processing, storing, and accessing information optimally when needed most during exams. The worst foods are all the processed, soft drinks, cookies, cakes and junk food are best to be avoided. They inhibit brain function.

Breakfast is the most important food of the day. It is important children should never skip breakfast since it has proved that it causes lack of concentration in studies, weak memory, and stunted physical growth. This meal is very important since it meet the needs of the nourishment after the 10 -12 hours of gap. An ideal breakfast must provide at least 30 to 40% of total calorie requirement of a person. Skipping breakfast is very harmful to the body. Eat a sustaining breakfast such as whole meal toast, whole grain cereal porridge like oats, wheat flakes, broken wheat, milk or yoghurt or eat stuffed vegetable or panner chapattis with curd or sandwiches with egg or sprouts or idli, sambhar for a very healthy and whole some diet. Including some fresh fruits or fruit juices are also very healthy.

Protein activates neurotransmitters and stimulates memory. And the brain has to have fat, because it is 70% fat. It needs fat from the diet, especially the "good fats" - essential fatty acids because our body does not make them so we have to supply from out side. Fish contain the essential fatty acids especially the salmon, mackerel and sardines. Eggs are also good for protein and fats. But too much of fatty food will make the child drowsy and sleepy. Because of this high quality essential fatty acids is to be taken in moderation and should avoid butter, ghee, cheese, and other oily foods.

It would be good to have health drinks like bournvita, hot chocolate, horlicks or complan or soy vita instead of tea and coffee since tea and coffee are stimulants and cause sleep disturbance, muscular tension, anxiety etc. But if a person is used to take coffee or tea regularly should not avoid fully because sudden fall of caffeine level in blood will interfere with the brain function. A good liquid boost before an exam is good. A few almonds crushed to a paste and blended milk or Fresh fruit juices like orange or grape or fresh pineapple are good. Pineapple contains an enzyme, bromelain that activates neurotransmitters involved in memory.

The best liquid to drink before and during an exam is water. Water is essential as a body lubricant for various organs. Mucus that lubricates the digestive tract and the respiratory tract saliva, which makes it possible for us to, swallow the food, all contain water as an important component. So don't forget the elixir of life water during these exam days. Often fatigue and mild headaches is a sign that you are becoming dehydrated. If you don't consume enough water, your output of energy will drop. Carry a water bottle with you, and drink periodically throughout the day. Water speeds up brain function. Too little water slows it down and dehydrates the brain. When the brain dehydrates, it releases cortisol, a hormone that shrinks dendrites, the tree-like branches in the brain that store information and create memory. Cortisol also triggers the release of adrenalin, responsible for the body's fight-or-flight syndrome.

If you plan to stay awake through out the night. Eat a light meal at night. Avoid oily or fried snacks as these will only make you sleepy. If you are taking coffee through out the night then eat something light along with it for eg a biscuit or rusk.

Non strenuous exercise is another essential during exam time. Gentle walking, swimming, jogging, cycling and jumping support memory function and help to de-stress students. Be sure to take out time for some fun everyday. Having a good laugh is a great way to de-stress and have fun. Have a set hour of leisure time everyday to have fun. Do not use this time to watch TV or read other books/magazines. Avoid any activity which strains the eyes - as your eyes too need rest. Go out and play, take a walk, go meet a friend in the neighborhood, do some yoga, meditation or anything you like is best.

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Baba Ramdev -Yoga for Obesity (English)

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How to keep fit for natural sex performance ?

There is always research going on making the sexual potency strong enough as an average person. Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna found in their study that regular bouts of gentle weeding, digging and mowing can revitalise a man's flagging sex drive. But India’s formula is different and found more effective.

Just 30 minutes of gardening a week is enough to reduce the risk of impotence by around 38 per cent, they found.

The above study showed other forms of moderate exercise, such as dancing and cycling, could have similar benefits. The researchers found that men who spend even more time in the vegetable patch can more than halve their risk of impotence.

In the study, the researchers found that gardening for 30 to 45 minutes, dancing for half an hour, cycling four miles in 15 minutes or jogging 1.5 miles reduced impotence by around 38 per cent.

Men who burned off up to 4,000 kilocalories a week saw their impotence risk drop almost 52 per cent.

Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist from India, said, the researches on this subject have been going on since long and shall continue going on for ever. It is a health problem and not improper subject as some people think. The increase of counts in male and normal sex vitality do not depend what this research is recommending.

I am not against exercise or what the researchers say, in my opinion, as I have observed in my long life and as I have guided the previous generation, the Indian formula is different and has proved to be the best.

The main fault for lack of vigor and vitality in young men is that they do not keep standard thoughts; they are engaged in sexy thoughts that make them weaken.

Moreover they do something unnatural that make them further weak. If a young man keeps away from the young girls for a good period of about 6 months and maintain himself as a real bachelor, he can regain his lost strength without any exercise or anything that takes time and tension.

If the young people want to keep fit and normal health, they should not excessively and repeatedly see the exploiting pictures in the magazines.

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