The surprising health benefits of potatoes

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Regular white potatoes are one of the most controversial vegetables from a health perspective. Like many nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants and peppers, potatoes are often associated with adverse reactions and can be difficult to find in high-quality form. That they’re the main ingredient in countless junk food products, such as French fries, doesn’t exactly bolster their public reputation either.

In reality, however, organic potatoes grown in good soil and prepared properly (i.e. boiled or baked, not microwaved or fried) contain a surprising number of health benefits. The fact that certain populations throughout history, notably the rural populations of Ireland in the 19th century, could almost single-handedly survive on them is a testament to this fact. This article takes a closer look at those benefits.

Rich in disease-fighting vitamin C

Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C. In fact, the Spanish explorers who brought them to Europe from South America in the early 16th century kept potatoes aboard their vessels to prevent scurvy. A large boiled potato contains approximately 37 percent of our recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin C, while a large baked potato contains 48 percent of our RDI. Vitamin C is, of course, an essential antioxidant with anti-aging and disease-fighting properties. Long-term consumption of vitamin C-rich foods has been shown to prevent cancer, improve skin and hair quality, and tackle most known viruses.

High concentrations of phytochemicals

Most people tend to associate phytochemicals with colorful or leafy green vegetables, and potatoes, being a rather bland shade of yellow, really don’t look like they could contain much of them. According to the American plant geneticist Roy Navarre, however, nothing could be further from the truth. After scrutinizing over 100 types of commercially-available potato, his team managed to discover over 60 different kinds of health-boosting phytochemicals and vitamins within them including chlorogenic acid, numerous phenolics (such as flavonoids) and kukoamines. Kukoamines were a particularly shocking find since these natural chemicals, which are known to reduce blood pressure, were believed to be unique to the Chinese superfruit, goji berries.

Great natural sources of iodine

Baked potatoes are the best land-based sources of iodine. In fact, just one medium-sized baked potato consumed with skin (which is where most of the iodine is concentrated) contains 40 percent of our RDI of this essential trace mineral. Iodine is most commonly found in sea-based foods (such as seaweed and fish) and is responsible for regulating the thyroid gland, which in turn regulates the metabolism. Sadly, iodine deficiencies are rampant in today’s society due to the mineral-depleting effects of ongoing soil erosion, making easily-available sources of it, like potatoes, something to treasure.

Dense in nutrients

Potatoes also supply us with high amounts of vitamin B6 (an important cell builder), potassium (helps to regulate water balance), soluble and insoluble fiber (flushes toxins from the colon and promotes regularity) and the essential macromineral magnesium, which is one of the most commonly-reported mineral deficiencies in the United States. Magnesium is known as the “relaxation” mineral because a deficiency in it invokes stress-related symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, restless leg syndrome and irritability.

Note: Despite their benefits, potatoes are still starchy carbohydrates and have a high glycemic index load for a vegetable. For those worried about blood sugar spikes but still want to eat potatoes, adding some high-quality oil or butter to the meal can help mitigate this. The fats in these foods prevent the potatoes from being metabolized too quickly. In fact, potatoes with extra virgin olive oil is a staple meal in several Mediterranean countries, and one is unlikely to find a healthier people.
Source: natural news

7 healthful reasons to add peas to your diet

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There are three major types of peas – garden peas, snow peas and snap peas. When Gregor Johann Mendel, an Austrian monk and botanist, cross-bred two different types of peas, he found that the “child” had the characteristics of both “parents”. The discovery that physical traits are passed from generation to generation laid the foundation for modern genetics. Today, close to 80 percent of the world’s pea crop is used dried as supposed to fresh; in the US, however, 90 percent of the peas are actually consumed as fresh green peas. Here is a brief rundown of some of the health benefits of peas.

Lowers cancer risk

Peas contain the green pigment chlorophyllin, a substance related to chlorophyll whose molecular shape enables it to combine with cancer-causing chemicals in the body. According to Mary Ellen Camire, PhD, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine in Orono, “when you eat peas, the chlorophyllin attaches to carcinogens and helps prevent them from being absorbed.”

Other green vegetables also contain chlorophyllin. The greener, the better.

Fiber

Peas are good sources of fiber, containing over 4g in every half-cup serving. And sufficient fiber intake is not only crucial for good digestive and intestinal health, it also helps lower one’s risk of many chronic diseases.

The soluble dietary fiber contained in peas also helps to keep one’s blood sugar levels steady.

Cardiovascular health

In addition, the fiber in peas helps to reduce cholesterol levels in the body, which in turn lowers one’s risk of heart disease.

Furthermore, research has found that consuming peas can lower triglyceride levels too, again offering protective benefits against heart disease. For example, a Danish study found that people who added small amounts of pea fiber to their regular diets experienced an almost 13 percent drop in total triglyceride levels within a fortnight.

Peas also contain good amounts of folate and vitamin B6. These nutrients help the body to keep homocysteine levels in check, which is useful for cardiovascular health because high homocysteine levels are linked to high risks of heart disease and stroke.

Vitamin C

Half a cup of green peas has more than 11mg of vitamin C, a vitamin which contributes to human health in many ways, including fighting colds, lowering cancer risk and boosting immunity.

Vitamin K

Another vitamin which peas provide an abundance of is vitamin K. This vitamin plays a role in blood clotting as well as having strong bones.

Protein

Peas are a good source of protein. According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, a half-cup of peas has as much protein as one tablespoon of peanut butter, without the fat the latter also contains.

Minerals

Peas contain numerous essential minerals as well, including manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorous and potassium.

Eating peas

One point to note is that while green (fresh) peas are a good source of vitamins C and K as well as carotenes, dried peas actually contain very little of them. Furthermore, due to their lower water content, dried peas contain a higher proportion of calories than fresh green peas.

Thus, broadly speaking, fresh peas would provide better nutrition than dried ones. Go for the greenest peas, and avoid darkened pods as well as those which look pale or are dotted with mildew specks. Water-soaked peas would not taste very good.

Dr. Camire also suggested that a half-cup of shelled peas would provide better nutritional value than an equal amount of podded peas, as the peas themselves actually contain most of the fiber, niacin, phosphorus, thiamin, vitamin A, riboflavin and folate found in the food.

Source: natural news

Why Goat Milk is Best for your Health?

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Goat milk as a natural remedy
Goat’s milk is one of the healthiest foods especially when it comes to dairy products. Its chemical structure is incredibly similar to mother milk.

For ages across the globe goat’s milk is used not only for food but also as an aid in the treatment of many diseases such as bronchitis, combating allergies, for strengthening the immune system, treatment and strengthen the lungs …

Throughout the history of mankind goat milk is recommended for strengthening the immune system, treatment and strengthening lung tuberculosis . Goat milk can be a good ally in the fight against stress .

It contains vitamins B1 , B2 , B6 and B12, and therefore strengthens the nervous system. Because of all this , medicinal properties of goat’s milk should entice those people who really do not like the scent.

Goat’s milk has a distinctive taste and scent due to free fatty acids.

Benefits of goat milk
Goat’s milk is rich in calcium and phosphorus, which are important for bone strength, zinc and selenium, powerful antioxidants that maintain immunity of our body.

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Spanish scientists recommend goat milk to people who suffer from anemia caused by lack of iron in the blood. Just goat milk, they say, encourage better utilization of iron in the body and the restoration of hemoglobin, the blood pigment who contains iron.

This milk is a rich source of biodegradable calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium and contains them in higher concentrations compared to cow’s milk.

Goat’s milk is extremely beneficial to consume, because it has very specific and effective therapeutic value:

  •  Against Bronchitis
  •  Eliminates Allergies
  •  Boosts the immune system
  •  Reduces the risk of lung cancer
  •  It is good for diabetics

Another specificity of goat’s milk is the presence of conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat. More and more studies showing the anti – carcinogenic effect of linoleic acid, which is why numerous studies have confirmed that goat’s milk is very important in the prevention of cancers .

Due to the fact that goats eat the bark of plants, their milk is rich in silicon which is a mineral that promotes the healthy skin, hair, nails and nervous system .

It contains a multitude of protein rich in essential amino acids , a wide array of vitamins and and doesen’t contain hard digestible fats. Not only is it easier for digestion like cow’s milk, but goat’s milk contains less lactose, so it may be easier for people sensitive to lactose.

Lactose
Goat’s milk contains a lower proportion of lactose compared to cow’s milk, which is an advantage for people who are lactose intolerant.

Some researchers have found that goat milk contains oligosaccharides who are acting anti-inflammatory and contribute for easier digestion, especially in the case of impaired intestinal function

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Studies conducted in Sweden confirmed that the cow’s milk was the main cause of colic in 12-30 % of children aged up to third months, and nearly the same percentage at infants whose mothers drank cow’s milk.

At older children it was found intolerance to cow’s milk proteins in about 20 % of cases . Approximately 40 % of patients sensitive to cow’s milk protein are tolerating goat milk proteins.

Cow’s milk is not recommended in the diet of infants before one year of age. It is believed that children allergic to milk after the age of three can take goat without any consequences.

Because of that doctors in this period of life of children and also for adults, as replacement recommend consumption of goat milk.

This milk can be consumed by people who are allergic to cow’s milk. These people are sensitive to lactalbumin, which is specific to cow’s milk.

According to studies, only one of hundreds of children, who are allergic to cow’s milk, can’t tolerate goat’s milk. In folk medicine goat’s milk is recommended for persons with a sensitive stomach.

Vitamins and minerals
Milk contains all known vitamins. The fact that the lack of certain vitamins causes a range of diseases, says that proper nutrition of people (especially children and patients) can not be imagined without milk.

Although the content of mineral substances in goat’s and cow’s milk is quite similar, goat’s milk contains 13 % more calcium, 25 % more vitamin B6, 47 % more vitamin A, 134% more potassium, niacin three times and four times more copper.

For bone mineralization important role in that plays calcium and phosphorus. One glass of goat’s milk provides 32.6% of the daily value for calcium and 27 % for phosphorus, compared with 29.7 % cow’s milk (for calcium) and 23.2 % (for phosphorus).

For adults, goat milk can also help prevent high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. Goat’s milk is a good source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.

A glass of goat’s milk contains 498.7 mg of potassium, and thus provides 14.2 % of the daily value. Goat’s milk also contains 27 % more selenium than cow’s milk.

Compared to cow’s , goat’s milk contains less folic acid important in the synthesis of hemoglobin.

In the end, not to forget that the whey, goat cheese and yoghurt are also a powerful natural resources, because of its medicinal properties which raise immunity in children.

It is important for the renovation and construction of bones, improve growth of the digestive tract, and are recommended for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and blood pressure, inflammation, improves kidney function, and patron of many other diseases.

Source: secretly healthy

What is a Spring Onion? is it a superfood?

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Spring onion is a real vitamin bomb that protects you from various diseases and strengthens your health.

Whether you eat it fresh or as a seasoning, onion will enrich your body in addition to vitamins, many minerals, and phytochemicals, which makes it one of the healthiest foods.

Therefore, make the most of the season!

Bone Health
Only one stalk of spring onion contains about 20 micrograms of vitamin K, and 1.6 mg of vitamin C.

When it comes to women’s needs for these vitamins, one stalk of spring onion contains 22 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 2.1 percent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C.

Tn men, it is 16 percent of the recommended dose of vitamin K and almost 2 percent of vitamin C.

Both vitamins are essential for growth, development and maintenance of bone health and strength. If your diet does not contain sufficient amount of these vitamins, increases the likelihood of developing osteoporosis, and a higher percentage of bone fragility.

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Eye Health
For our body vitamin A is essential for the production of rhodopsin, protein in the eyes that allows receptors of the retina that to absorb the light.

People whose diet does not contain sufficient amounts of vitamin A may develop night blindness and other vision problems, including corneal ulcers.

The stalk of spring onion contains 24 micrograms of vitamin A in the form of vitamin A that the body converts into retinol, an active form of the vitamin.

This amount of vitamin A meet 3.4 percent of the daily requirement for women and 2.6 percent among men.

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Heart Health
Vitamins A and C, which can be found in foods such as onions, have a strong anti-oxidant properties.

This means that the mentioned vitamins can prevent damage to the cell tissue caused by action of free radicals.

A diet rich in foods with high levels of antioxidants, especially fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Vitamin C may also help in lowering high blood pressure which, in turn, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

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Boost your Immune System

Research shows that onions are rich source of phytochemicals, especially compounds of flavonoids, such as quercetin and anthocyanins.

These particular phytochemical compounds are actually natural chemicals in plants, that can improve the immunity.

Additionally, studies show that flavonoids may also helps at prevention of cancer by elimination of xanthine oxidase, an enzyme which produces the free radicals.

Source: secretly healthy

 

Texila American University Admissions open for 4 Year Doctor of Medicine

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The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a four-year full-time course designed for students who have completed their undergraduate studies with Science background. The curriculum is structured after the best US and Caribbean medical schools

About TAU:

Texila American University (TAU) , one of the best Caribbean Medical Schools is located in Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America. TAU offers several Health Science programs with a high level of professionalism, exactness and problem solving skills. The University is committed to providing the best-in-class programs that facilitate further education and knowledge throughout their life.

The curriculum at the TAU is structured after the best US and Caribbean Medical Schools. The academic program is both accelerated and rigorous, with a focus on preparing students for licensure in the United States, Caribbean and India. The Program curriculum is designed to reinforce the enduring tenets of the practice of medicine and to ensure the ability of understanding and handling the changing demands of heath service in various fields of society.

To know more details please register here: http://www.tauedu.org/fb/signup.html

Watch TAU medicine Program: Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TWGYi9VPerk

Blueberry Orange Smoothie

blueberry

Blueberries and orange juice are wonderful and refreshing flavor duo. Surprise your family with a berry-yogurt smoothie breakfast! Serve smoothies with yummy toasted bagels topped with non-fat cream cheese for a change from cereal and juice.

Ingredients:

  • 200ml blueberry and cranberry juice
  • 1 fresh orange, juiced
  • 100 g fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
  • 3 tbsp low fat natural yogurt
  • Honey
  • 8 blueberries, to decorate

Preparations:
Place all the ingredients, except the honey, into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add honey to taste and serve over ice. Spear 4 blueberries into a cocktail stick and place on top of each smoothie.

Preparation time is about 10 minutes; Servings for two.
* Use calcium-fortified orange juice for an additional boost of calcium and energy.

Source: women daily magazine

8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life

8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,

Hamburger smells more tempting than dish of cooked vegetables, right? But a healthy diet can become fun if you’re in the mood for innovations. These super foods can really change your life and maintain healthy life.

We present 8 new fighters against cancer, aging, fatigue. All you need to is to add to the plate immediately.

1) Quinoa
While it is one of the oldest grains for us, it seems to be relatively new, because just few are informed of the nutritional benefits that are gained with its consumption. Good to know that only half a cup of quinoa meets the daily needs for protein. Besides containing calcium (one cup cooked quinoa has 30 milligrams) and iron (1 cup cooked quinoa contains 15 % of the recommended daily intake of iron), phosphorus, vitamin E and almost all vitamins of the B group. Quinoa is rare food where you can find the whole 8 essential amino acids needed for the development of human tissue.

2) Licorice root Why should you consume it? It is proved good medicine in the prevention of prostate cancer. In addition, he is a proven remedy against lung diseases, ulcer of the stomach and liver problems.

8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,7

3) Oil from apricot seeds Vitamin B17 is the main component for which you need to consume this oil. Why? Because of its anticancer properties. The oil from the seeds of apricot is a good choice of beta – carotene, and helps with infections and skin problems. Lycopene, which is found in apricot, is very effective in the fight against free radicals. From vitamins, apricot contains carotenoids (1500 mg), folic acid, vitamins E and C. From the mineral it contains enough potassium (320 mg .), calcium (17 mg .), phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper.

8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,6

4) Arame Arame algae are a great ally in the fight against cancer because of the presence of lignan. They are recommended for women who go to chemotherapy because it accelerate hair growth, strengthen nails, and skin becomes shiny. They are a rich source of protein and vitamins A, B1, B2, K, and from minerals it contains calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine and most (50 grams meet the daily requirements for iodine). If you consume it regularly you can treate intestines, it improves the function of the lymphatic system, establishes hormonal balance, stabilize blood sugar and discharged heavy metals and other toxins from the body.8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,5

5) Wild rice In fact it is a grass that is rich in protein, minerals, fiber, B vitamins, folic acid. Does not contain gluten, while they are recommended for people with high cholesterol or those on a diet, because of the low calorific value and low fat percentage. Half cup wild rice contains 95 mg. folic acid or 53 % of your daily needs. Half cup of wild rice also has a 1.1 mg. zinc, and contains magnesium, calcium and iron. 8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,4

6) Chia Chia contains essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. These fatty acids can not be synthesized by our bodies, and we need them to maintain a sufficient amount of immune, cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive system. Apart from the essential fatty acids, chia seeds provide dietary fiber, calcium, niacin, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus (2 teaspoons chia = 7 d. of dietary fiber, 2 g. of protein, 205 mg. of calcium and 5 g. of omega8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,3

7) Kelp This brown algae proven to reduce the chances of breast cancer, contains vitamin C, calcium and other essential ingredients. The fiber from the kelp blocks the creation of fat. Because of the high concentration of iodine, you should be careful with consumption. 8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,2

8) Chickpeas Although looks like the chick peas, chickpeas has its own unique smell and taste nice. It is beneficial for diabetics because it prevents a sudden increase in blood sugar, and recent studies say that it lower the risk of heart disease by 80 %. In its nutritional composition, chickpeas contains much folic acid (great for anemic), manganese, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc and fiber that reduce elevated cholesterol.8 Super Food That Can Save Your Life,1

Source: evident weight loss

Natural Remedy for Elevated Blood Sugar

horseradish root

Blood Sugar
When the findings are disappointing, and your doctor will ask whether you want to start insulin therapy or try a diet to reduce blood sugar. Many succeeded to heal and to maintain normal blood sugar levels, using this natural remedy.

Ingredients

  •  A horseradish root, medium size (about 20 cm long, 2 cm wide)
  •  One clove garlic
  •  2 beers

Preparation
Wash the horseradish root nice several times. Leave to stand for 15-20 minutes in water in which you have added a cup of malic acid. Don’t peel it, chop finely or grind it. Along with finely chopped garlic place them into a larger jar and pour the beer. Close the jar and store it for 10 days in a dark place. Then strain and use as follows:

  • The first two days, one teaspoon three times a day.
  • Further use one tablespoon three times a day.
  • Treatment is for one month.

In addition, you should drink 150 ml oatmeal water, 4 times a day, properly arranged.
(50 g oatmeal boil over on low heat for 15 minutes, then let it stand for 1 hour. Grains are squeezed, then strained through gauze).

Source: healthy tavern

An innovative technology to improve Hand Hygiene in Hospitals

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Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) are the leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease. Over 103,000 people in the US die every year due to HAIs. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that over 5 million people lose their lives every year due to some form of HAI.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 70 per cent of these lives could be saved if the Health Care Workers (HCWs) across the globe followed the prescribed hand hygiene guidelines. In spite of the established advantages of proper hand hygiene in healthcare settings, the compliance to prescribed guidelines is dismally low. Hand Hygiene Compliance (HHC) is barely 30 per cent in the US and around 35 per cent in Europe. The situation is much worse in the developing countries.

Hand hygiene is considered the primary measure to reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. Non-compliance with hand hygiene, however, remains a major problem in hospitals. Within the hospital environment, preventing the spread of antibiotic resistant germs through good hand hygiene is critical.

To serve this purpose and make hand hygiene an easy and reliable process, a multidisciplinary team of an engineer, a product designer and a clinician has come up with a novel technology that could reduce possible chances of spread of infection via hand and could help reduce HAIs from the healthcare settings.

The new technology named ‘Hansure’ by Observe Design is a joint innovation of Aanan Khurma, an electronics engineer; Saurabh Bag, a product designer; and Agyeya Dwivedi, an occupational therapist.

Hansure is a wearable compact technology, composed of a hand disinfectant ensuring all time access to disinfection. The device carries a smart sensing technology that intimates HCWs at precise instants when they are required to sanitize their hands.

The device aims to empower healthcare workers to adhere to the WHO prescribed hand hygiene guidelines. These guidelines are difficult to follow in the existing scenario where multiple factors like lack of time, high inconvenience, forgetfulness and some negligence at play prevent HCWs from being 100 per cent compliant to hand hygiene guidelines.

Aanan Khurma, a part of the team and a consultant with the Stanford India Biodesign programme, told India Medical Times, “Our team has worked for several months at the ground level with HCWs in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to identify the fundamental causes of poor hand hygiene in healthcare settings. Our team found out that although WHO guidelines are flawless in preventing spread of infections, they are impossible to adhere to in the existing infrastructure.”

“Our novel solution, Hansure, will ensure that no infections are ever spread through the hands of healthcare workers. We are working to empower healthcare workers rather than penalizing them. Apart from making hand hygiene convenient, our device also protects HCWs from posture related ailments, which affect 50 per cent of entire HCWs at some point or the other. Hansure tackles all these issues simultaneously ensuring that no opportunity for hand hygiene is ever missed by any healthcare worker. All this is done in accordance with the WHO guidelines,” he added.

Most healthcare providers are taught to wash their hands before and after patient contact, however, measuring this accurately on a large scale is extremely difficult, if not impossible. The technology could save time of healthcare workers by as much as 65 per cent, which in turn increases productivity. It makes hand hygiene a convenient process for them and protects them from contracting infections besides preventing posture related problems. Moreover, it does not rely on monitoring, forcing, judging or penalizing.

In order to contain healthcare costs, preventative actions in patient safety are clear ways to decrease expenses. In the past, no one had quantified the value of preventative actions, such as hand hygiene, in decreasing healthcare costs. For administrators, the technology could decrease average hospital stay per patient and reduce expenditure on patient care. Low cases of negligence would further help in reduced legal hassles and brand building. Reduced financial burden on healthcare system would ultimately help in saving taxpayers’ money. In a proper hand hygiene set up in hospitals, patients also feel relieved from the fear of contracting secondary infection when they visit a healthcare facility.

The traditional approach to increase compliance towards hand hygiene among HCWs has been to manually monitor them and penalize them for their non-compliance. Currently, methods to determine hand hygiene adherence include direct observation, product utilization, and reporting of hand hygiene activities, but these are subjective and unreliable.

Not only this technique is inherently flawed, it consumes numerous amounts of man-hours and does not significantly improve the compliance towards hand hygiene. Moreover, such monitoring creates a tense work environment in the healthcare setting where a management person monitors trained healthcare workers and then criticizes them for their behaviour.

Lately, there have been some new technologies in the area of hand hygiene like Mobile/Tablet based apps ZigBEE and RFID (radio-frequency identification) based monitoring solutions that aim to promote hand hygiene among healthcare workers.

Khurma said, “All these upcoming technologies are just trying to mimic the manual monitoring process. The only difference being that these new technologies are automating the process of monitoring, logging data and penalizing the healthcare workers. These systems require huge infrastructure changes, backend server installation, and manpower for backend data management and with so many components maintenance is frequently required. Our solution works to simplify the entire hand hygiene process rather than complicating it.”

The innovators are the product of Stanford India Biodesign Programme, under which the fellows are trained to identify unmet medical needs and design new and cost effective devices to serve India’s specific healthcare needs.

Source: India medical times

10 Nervous Habits That Hurt Your Health

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Nix these tics
Nervous habits are often more annoying to the people around you than to yourself, but some types of fidgeting and fussing can do real harm. Here, experts reveal the reasons why nail-biting, hair-twirling, and other seemingly harmless habits can be hazardous to your health.

You bite your nails
It’s one thing if you nervously bite your nails only during scary movies, but when it becomes a regular habit, it can damage both your nails and the skin around them, says Michael Shapiro, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. Germs from the mouth get transferred to the skin, and vice versa. “Bacteria under the nails may also be transferred to mouth, causing infections of the gums and throat,” Dr. Shapiro says. Painting your nails may discourage you from chewing. No dice? Try tape to break the habit.

You twirl and pull your hair
Twisting and twirling a piece of hair around your finger can lead to damage to the root over time, says Ariel Ostad, MD, a dermatologist based in New York City. “This can result in temporary or permanent areas of hair loss as well as infection,” Dr. Ostad says. Obsessive hair pulling may be a sign of a psychiatric impulse control condition called trichotillomania, which requires psychotherapy and medication.

You crack your neck
Twisting your head forcibly to one side releases gases built up in the the joints between vertebrae and creates a popping sound. Although this may feel good, repeatedly cracking your neck can make the surrounding ligaments hypermobile and more susceptible to injury, says Michael Gleiber, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and affiliate assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton. In addition, this excessive motion on the facet joints themselves can cause wear within the joints and may result in arthritis over time. In rare cases neck cracking may trigger a stroke, says Dr. Gleiber.

You touch your face
Repeatedly touching your face or picking at acne can damage the top very thin microscopic layers of the skin, says Jessica Krant, MD, board certified dermatologist and founder of Art of Dermatology and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City. “If you bleed, you may have just created a permanent scar,” she says. “Do not pick at pimples or itchy areas. Treat them gently with topical creams and plenty of moisturizer.

You grind your teeth
Clenching and grinding your teeth (bruxism) when you’re under stress can wreak havoc with your oral health. Grinding can cause teeth to crack or break, which may require repair with crowns or root canals. It can also result in damage to the jaw joint in the form of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), says Justin Philipp, who has a dental practice in Chandler, Ariz. “People clench or grind their teeth as a response to stress. However, most cases are a result of pathology such as misaligned or missing teeth and a ‘bad bite.'” Treatments include orthodontics to improve the bite and even Botox injections in the muscles, which can reduce the amount of force and, therefore, the potential damage.

You suck on hard candies
Sucking on hard candies bathes your teeth in sugar, which can lead to cavities, says Philipp. Bacteria feed off the sugar, which creates a perfect environment for tooth decay. Chomping down on hard candy can also risk damaging teeth or dental restorations, says Jack Ringer, president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. “Sucking on candies in moderation is fine provided the candies are sugarless and low in acidity,” Dr. Ringer says

You lick or bite your lip
Nervously licking your lips exposes them to your mouth’s digestive enzymes, says Whitney Bowe, MD, a New York board-certified dermatologist. “These enzymes chew away at the skin and can lead to dermatitis and cheilitis (inflammation), which make lips appear dry and cracked,” she says. Biting your lips when under stress can cause the development of fibromas, firm flesh colored growths, that may require surgical removal, says Coyle S. Connolly, MD, dermatologist and president of Connolly Dermatology in New Jersey.

You gnaw on the inside of your cheek
Like biting your nails, cheek-chewing can also become a nervous habit. “Often the inside of the cheek gets swollen and it then becomes easier to continue biting the same spot,” says Ringer. “Even after it heals the habit continues.” Over time this can result in chronic inflammation, possible bleeding, and scarring of the area.

You chew gum
All that snapping and popping does more than annoy your coworkers. It may also put you at risk for TMJ from overuse of jaw muscles, says Philipp. Sugarless gum presents a different set of problems, mainly digestive ailments. Sorbitol, an artificial sweetener, produces an unpleasant laxative effect when eaten in excess (18 to 20 sticks a day). Swallowing excess air while chewing also increases risk of a gassy stomach, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). “It is usually easier to try to replace the habit with another one than it is to quit, so try something a healthier switch such as drinking water,” says Philipp.

You nibble the ends of pencils and pens
Germs can lurk on the ends of pens so this habit can expose you to nasty pathogens including cold viruses, says Ted Myatt, director of research compliance at the University of Rhode Island. “An infected person likely has the virus on his or her fingers and spreads it through pens as well as computer keyboards and telephones.” And aside from the embarrassment of ink on your mouth from an exploding pen, chewing on writing instruments can damage teeth and dental work as well as injure the soft tissue and gums inside the mouth, says Ringer.

Source: the health