Weight loss and diet plan for a healthy lifestyle.

JOINTS AND DIABETES
Most people with diabetes do not realize that their joints may be affected. This condition is not often a nuisance, and most people do not even notice that they have it. What usually happens is that the tendons and ligaments of the hands get a bit tight and, for example, you cannot flatten all your fingers against the table with your hand palm down. This condition goes under the wonderful name of cheiroarthropathy. If your hands are getting a bit stiff, get into the habit of doing a few finger exercises every day, perhaps with your hands in warm water. Playing an imaginary piano, clenching and straightening your fist and stretching your fingers as straight as they will go are useful exercises.Very rarely, people with bad neuropathy get a severe form of joint trouble called Charcot’s joints. This is usually in the feet or ankles and may develop after a minor injury. If you have bad neuropathy and have a sprained ankle or foot injury which does not improve, insist on repeated x-rays.
*38/102/5*

CORONARY BLOCKAGES AND HEART ATTACK: CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE – SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE – HOW SERIOUS IS KAWASAKI SYNDROME? WHO IS AFFECTED BY KAWASAKI SYNDROME?How Serious Is Kawasaki Syndrome?Although the illness can be harrowing, and despite its effect on the coronary arteries, Kawasaki syndrome is usually a self-limited illness. The death rate in treated children is well below 1 percent. Even among those in whom coronary problems develop, most have substantial resolution or improvement with time.Treatment is designed to reduce inflammation and stave off damage to the heart and coronary arteries. This goal seems to be accomplished by relatively high doses of aspirin tablets and injections of immunoglobulin (purified human antibodies).Who Is Affected by Kawasaki Syndrome? Four of every five people who get Kawasaki syndrome are less than 4 years old. People of Asian descent, even if they have lived in the United States for generations, are more susceptible. Some reports suggest that children with the syndrome had been exposed to recently shampooed carpets, but this finding has been inconsistent.*169\252\8*

MOTHERS WITH THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF PBBMothers with the highest levels of PBB in their blood, who also breast-fed their daughters, produced girls with the earliest menstruation, the study says.”PBBs … do get concentrated in breast milk,” Marcus says, “because the chemical binds to fat cells and breast milk has a very high fat content.”Girls who received both in utero and breast milk exposure to the chemical started their periods at the average age of 11.6, which was a full year earlier than other girls who were not exposed.Little is known about exactly how PBBs might affect the onset of puberty, although experts say it is known that thechemical binds to estrogen receptors and that PBBs and poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) affect the thyroid gland.The reason that this is important from a public health point of view is that it demonstrates that this type of chemical may be causing early puberty, and there a lot of other chemicals in the environment that are more widely disseminated that may be acting similarly. So, while the cause of this incidence of accelerated sexual development can be traced back to chemical causes, no one really knows why the body is responding this way.It is becoming evident that environmental estrogen mimics are speeding up the sexual development of girls. In boys, however, it’s another story. Anti-androgenic chemicals seem to be slowing down sexual development of boys. There’s no doubt about it however, we are tampering with nature. Both little girls and little boys are being affected.*68/165/1*

MY FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT I GOTTA WEAR SHADES”. . . when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.”—Proverbs 13:12, tlbIt was an extra busy Monday, early in May 1986.1 had spent the prior weekend speaking at a three-day women’s conference sponsored by Campus Crusade in Arrowhead Springs, California. Now I was back home, hurriedly getting ready to leave again almost immediately for an extended trip to Minnesota, where I would speak at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association chapel, plus several Mother’s Day banquets in churches in the Minneapolis area.The trip meant being gone for Mother’s Day, but that didn’t seem to matter a great deal. Barney and his family were going to drop by before we left to wish me a happy Mother’s Day, and Larry . . . well, Larry hadn’t called for five Mother’s Days in a row. He had been gone without a word or trace since January 1980, so I was getting used to it—or so I thought.And then, as I was packing and going over notes of talks I would give to parents on how we all have to give our kids to God and leave the results up to Him because God never gives the score on a life until the game is over, the telephone rang!It was Larry! The voice I had longed to hear for so many years said, “I want to come over and give you a Mother’s Day present.”What a shock! I froze with apprehension! My first thought was, Why now? Why does he want to bring me a present? I bet he’s going to tell me he’s going to marry his lover … or that he has AIDS.I just didn’t know what to say, so I stammered, “Well, Larry, I don’t know, I’m so busy getting ready to leave for a big trip . . . lots of speaking engagements . . . not sure we’ve got time . . . just a minute, let me talk to Dad . . .”When I look back on this conversation, I can see the irony, but at that moment, I was confused, stalling for time. For six years I had been speaking to groups all over the country, telling parents to hang in there, that God would bring their wayward children back from the “far country,” and now my own son was finally on the line, and I was telling him I was TOO BUSY to see him, because I was leaving to go speak about having hope and joy when your kids disappoint you!I put my hand over the receiver and said to Bill, “It’s Larry! He wants to come over and give me a Mother’s Day present. I’m not sure I should let him come . . . what if he wants to tell us he’s marrying his lover … or something even worse?”Mr. Wumphee just looked at me and said unhesitatingly, “You have him come home!”I could see Bill wasn’t going to do anything to get me off the hook, so trying my best to sound light and happy, I told Larry, “Okay . . . you can come over.”The next hour seemed to drag by. Larry had said he was about fifty miles away, but I kept wondering if he would really come. And then I would wonder if it were all a bad dream. I could talk a good game to other parents, but now it was my turn to see if I could really cut the mustard! It was all too good (or maybe bad) to be true!When the doorbell rang, I almost jumped. How could he be here that SOON? I opened the door, and there was Larry, standing tall, with a clear-eyed look I hadn’t seen for eleven years. But he had no present in his hand, and my heart sank. He had come to give me some kind of news for a gift, and what would that news be? Would it leave me counting roses on the wallpaper again? I invited him in, cautiously, with only a perfunctory little hug—wondering if I should remark about the absent present. As we sat down in the living room, I could see big tears in his eyes, and then I heard his words:”I want you to forgive me for the eleven years of pain I have caused you. Last week I went to an advanced seminar for Basic Youth Conflicts, and I … I rededicated my life to the Lord. I took all the evidence of the old life, the pictures and everything else to do with the lifestyle—everything—I took it to a fireplace and, while the whole thing was burning, I felt this complete release for the first time in eleven years. I’m released from that bondage I was in, and God has really cleansed me. Now I can stand clean before the Lord.”What a glorious Mother’s Day present! A gift wrapped in LOVE!And then Larry gave us a little bonus with news about the young man he had been living with. The night after Larry got his life right with the Lord, his friend went forward at the Basic Youth seminar and received Christ as Savior.This young man was a brand new Christian and my son had rededicated his life to the Lord! We sat there for a long time and just hugged each other. He had asked for our forgiveness, and we needed his forgiveness as well for our failures to understand his hurts. We were overjoyed to have him back again, and that day a restoration began in our family that is continuing even now.*60\316\2*

HOW TO ASCERTAIN ASTHMA: THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS – BREATH TESTS OR LUNG FUNCTION TESTS – PEAK-FLOW MONITORING – INTERPRETING PEFR READINGKnowledge to read PEFR accurately can help predict the condition and provide valuable time and opportunity to take necessary steps to prevent an attack. More specifically, knowing PEFR helps in the following ways:A drop in PEFR indicates that there are allergenic substances in the environment. An effort should be made to localise the cause and prevent its recurrence.How to Ascertain Asthma  65In some cases, it also helps in the diagnosis of the disease. It has been seen that if within a day, there is variability of PEFR of up to 20 per cent, or an improvement of up to 20 per cent after giving a bronchodilator, it is quite likely that the condition is asthma.PEFR reading also helps in monitoring the progress of a particular mode of treatment.There are two very important reasons for taking peak flow reading at home. First, asthma does not behave the same way 24 hours a day. It tends to get worse at night and get better during the day. Taking a peak flow meter reading at home helps the physician to know the change in the condition. Second, having a peak flow meter at home gives sufficient time to consult the doctor and get proper instruction for its management. Nine out of ten times, a physician experienced with home Peak Flow Meter can help neutralize an attack quickly, and avoid the emergency room of a hospital.Who Should Use a Peak Flow Meter?• Children who experience severe attacks with little warning.• Children who need to travel long distance to receive medical attention.• Children who require high-dose inhaled corticosteroids or daily oral corticosteroids.• Children with wild variations in peak flow, i.e., greater than 20 per cent of their best peak flow.• Children whose medical history appears to provide an unsatisfactory guide to treatment.*56\260\8*

WOMEN WITH HIV/AIDS: SPECIAL CONCERNS Although contracting HIV is a serious problem for both males and females, women often have an even more difficult time protecting themselves from infection and taking care of themselves once they become ill. Irrefutable evidence indicates that HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects women, who are 4 to 10 times more likely than men to contract HIV through unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner. This discrepancy can be traced to two sets of factors: biological factors and social and economic factors.
Biological factors include the following:• HIV can enter through mucous membrane surfaces of the genital tract; the vagina has a greater exposed mucous membrane area than does the urethra of the penis.• The vaginal area is more likely to incur micro-tears during sexual intercourse, which facilitates entry of HIV. • During intercourse, a woman is exposed to more semen than is the male to vaginal fluids.• Semen is more likely to enter the vagina with force, whereas vaginal fluids do not enter the penis with force.• Women who have STIs are more likely to be asymptomatic and therefore unaware they have an STI; STIs increase the risk of HIV transmission.
Social and economic factors include the following:• Currently there are more HIV-infected men than HIV-infected women in the United States, which increases the likelihood that a woman would have an HIV-infected male partner.• Women have been underrepresented in clinical trials for HIV treatment and prevention. • Many cultural norms place women in subordination to men, especially in developing nations. This reduces women’s decision-making power and ability to negotiate safer sex.• Women are more vulnerable to sexual abuse from their male partners.• Women are more likely to be economically dependent on men.• Women may be less likely to seek medical treatment t cause of lack of money, care-giving burden, and transportation problems.• In the United States, HIV-positive women are more likely than are HIV-positive men to be younger and le: educated.Traditionally, women have played a relatively passive role in taking responsibility for protection during sexual intercourse and in general sexual decision making, particularly in third world countries. Efforts must be initiated to help women take more control of their sexual health and to participate actively in sexual decisions made with their sexual partners.In addition, women often carry the responsibility for caring for their children or caring for others who may be infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS. If the mother’s role as caretaker must be abandoned due to illness, family members often suffer. As more and more women become infected with HIV, national efforts aimed at prevention, intervention, and treatment will undoubtedly increase.*45/277/5*

WEIGHT LOSS: I’M FOLLOWING YOUR DIET PLAN CAREFULLY, BUT I STILL FIND MYSELF GETTING HUNGRY IN THE LATE AFTERNOON. WHY?Answer: There are usually three reasons people become hungry on this program.A. You may not be eating enough food. You may have calculated your protein requirements incorrectly arid simply need more food just to satisfy your daily calorie requirement. In that case, increase your protein, your carbohydrates, and your fat proportionately! Do not be tempted to throw in a high-carb snack between meals (like an apple or bag of popcorn, for example). You may find it particularly helpful to add a well-balanced snack midafternoon or before you go to bed. Check the recipe section in Appendix A for excellent snack suggestions. Your meals should be spaced about four to five hours apart, no longer. If you have to wait longer than that to eat because of your schedule, plan a snack to fill in the gap. There is absolutely no reason to feel hungry on this program. Hunger will not increase or speed up weight loss.B. The most common reason for hunger is that you are still consuming too many carbohydrates. Keep a food diary for a few days and analyze your meal history. Restrict your carbohydrates a little more and see if the hunger doesn’t abate. Give your body about two or three days to balance itself.C. Your body may need time to adjust. Sometimes your food allergies kick up a fuss by making you hungry when you eliminate them from your dinner plate. It’s a false hunger. Learn to listen to your body. Give yourself a few days to get past the allergy; the hunger and other unpleasant symptoms will disappear soon.*60\319\2*

TREAT WHAT AILS YOU: HYPERPIGMENTATIONPROBLEM: HYPERPIGMENTATIONIt’s sometimes cute (freckles) and sometimes not (spotting on chest and hands) but this much is true, hyperpigmentation is one of the most common complaints today.Most types of pigment changes in the skin can be attributed to two major factors: hormonal shifts (pregnancy and the use of oral contraceptives are likely culprits) and prolonged exposure to the sun. A skin injury, disease or cosmetic procedure might also contribute to this uneven accumulation of skin pigment in the form of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. When the cause is hormonal, the pigmentation is called melasma and it shows up as irregularly shaped blotches, usually on the cheeks, forehead and upper lip. It’s a very common condition but, unfortunately, one of the most difficult to get rid of. A few lucky patients might see it go away on its own.Solar lentigosare also known as sun spots and, despite what many believe, ageing is not the cause – our dear friend the sun is. Take a peek at an elderly person’s naked body and you’ll see that the vast spotting on herface and hands doesn’t exist on her sun-protected areas.*21\82\8*

ETHNOMEDICIIMAL PLANTS USED BY KAWAR TRIBE   OF GADCHIROLI DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA STATE, INDIA
Kawar tribe inhabiting the forest areas of the Gadchiroli, Kotgool, Armori, Wadsa and Bethkathi regions of Gadchiroli district of Chandrapur Forest Division in the Maharashtra State. It lies between 18° 41′ – 20° 50′ N latitude and 78° 48′ – 80° 55′ E longitude. The entire area extending over 15,433 sq.kms., covering 64 tribal villages is situated among the Satpuda hill ranges and traversed by rivers Indravati, Godavari, Pranhita, Wainganga and also streams and tributories. The vegetation is of dry mixed deciduous type, wherein teak and bamboo are the predominant elements. Ethnobotanical study of this tribe has been undertaken as there are no earlier reports. Anthropological work on this tribe was done by Russell and Hiralal.
METHODOLOGY
The present work was carried out during 1986 to 1989. The area under investigation is indicated in the Map. The herbarium specimens are prepared and identification has been confirmed from the herbarium of the Post Graduate Department of Botany, Nagpur University Campus, Nagpur and the voucher specimens are also deposited in the Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, U.S.A. Ethnic information about utility of plants has been collected from tribal themselves and the relevant information was also collected from Bhagats and Bhumkas (tribal medicine men).
A review of phytochemical and pharmacological literature on the collected plants was done in order to check validity and authenticity of medicinal uses and also to establish possible rationale between uses and available data on these plants.*24\218\2*

COPING WITH SEIZURES AND EPILEPSY: RECOVERING AND CHANGING When your child has had only one seizure and has recovered, it is hard to accept the truth that he is unchanged, that he’s no different from the child he was before the seizure. It will take time to accept the fact that the seizure is in the past, that the world has not collapsed, that your child is not retarded or brain-damaged. Indeed, he probably has forgotten anything ever happened. It will take time for you to accept the fact that your child can go out and play, can go to the neighbor’s house, can go on camping trips.When your child has had recurrent seizures, epilepsy, it is even more difficult to realize that often very little has changed. Since most seizures can be controlled, children can return to their normal lives and, in an important sense, nothing need change. Children, of whatever age, still require the same love, attention, limits, and goals.But in a different sense everything has changed. Your child has to take medicine, at least for a time, and is reminded, at least for a time, that a seizure could happen again. He feels different and may be treated differently by teachers and classmates. He may have some side effects from the medications that he is taking, or he may think that an ordinary upset stomach or school problem is caused by his epilepsy or medication. Both you and your child must find a way to accept the situation. Acceptance may come quickly if seizures are brought under control. Acceptance comes when you realize that you can’t change the past and that the future holds many options.*176\208\8*