Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Truth About Hangover Cures

Myths About Your Hangover


Myths about hangovers are as varied and as fanciful as the cocktails that cause the dreaded syndrome. From eating pasta at bedtime to popping prickly pear pills, the list of supposed hangover cures warrants a closer look. Learn what works – and what hurts – as WebMD sorts through 12 common hangover myths.

MYTH: Hangovers Are No Big Deal


FACT: A hangover is the body’s reaction to being poisoned with too much alcohol. Heavy drinking rocks the central nervous system. It tinkers with brain chemicals -- leading to headache, dizziness, and nausea -- and sends you running to the bathroom so often you become dehydrated. The morning-after price of this imbalance can include a pounding headache, fatigue, cotton mouth, queasy stomach – and a weakened immune system

MYTH: Hangovers Are Gender-Blind


FACT: Use caution when enjoying those free drinks on Ladies’ Night. Given the same drinks, women are more likely to be slammed with the effects of alcohol than men. Scientists say there’s good reason for this. Men have a higher percentage of water in their bodies, which helps dilute the alcohol they consume. When women drink the same amount, more alcohol builds up in the bloodstream.

MYTH: Only Bingers Get Hangovers


FACT: While it’s true that binge drinking could speed your way to a hangover, you don’t have to get wasted to pay a price the next morning. Depending on your body composition, just a couple of drinks can trigger a headache and other hangover symptoms. Having water or a nonalcoholic drink between each beer or hard drink can help keep you hydrated and reduce the overall amount of alcohol you consume.

MYTH: Wine is the Gentlest Choice


FACT: Red wine contains tannins, compounds that are known to trigger headaches in some people. Malt liquors, like whisky, also tend to produce more severe hangovers. If you’re worried about how you’ll feel in the morning, the gentlest choices are beer and clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.

MYTH: Diet Cocktails Are a Safe Bet


FACT: Diet drinks may help if you’re counting calories, but not if you’re trying to avoid a hangover. Research suggests that consumption of fruits, fruit juices, or other sugar-containing liquids can decrease hangover intensity.

MYTH: Liquor Before Beer, Never Fear


FACT: It’s the amount of alcohol you consume – not the order of your drinks – that matters. That said, the order of your drinks may affect how much you consume. If you have a cosmopolitan, and then switch to beer for the rest of the night, you slow down your intake of alcohol. If you switch from beer to shots, you accelerate your path to drunkenness. Of course, too much liquor can spell “sicker”

MYTH: Eat Pasta Before Bed



FACT: This one is wrong on two counts. First, eating at bedtime (after you’re already drunk) is no help. Food has to be in your stomach before Happy Hour to have any impact. Second, while any food can slow the body’s absorption of alcohol, fat does it best. So go for steak or pizza before your first martini, and you might escape a hangover. One bedtime tip that does help – drink water to fight dehydration.

MYTH: Pop Pain Pills Before Bed


FACT: Over-the-counter painkillers peak in about four hours, so the effect of a bedtime dose will be gone by morning. A better plan is to take the pills when you first wake up. Avoid taking acetaminophen after a night of drinking. Alcohol disrupts how the liver processes acetaminophen, possibly leading to liver inflammation and permanent damage.

MYTH: Alcohol Helps You Sleep Well


FACT: Alcohol disrupts sleep. While a nightcap may help you doze off more quickly, it undermines the quality of your sleep. You don’t spend as much time in all-important REM cycles and you tend to wake up too soon. If you’ve been drinking heavily, a hangover might strike in the last part of the night, leaving you too uncomfortable to get back to sleep.

MYTH: A Wake-Up Cocktail is the Cure


FACT: More alcohol in the morning does nothing but postpone a hangover. The worst symptoms hit when blood-alcohol levels drop to zero. If you have a screwdriver at breakfast, this moment will just come later in the day. And if you find you can’t function without a wake-up cocktail, you should discuss the possibility of addiction with your doctor.

MYTH: Coffee is the Cure


FACT: Coffee leads to more dehydration and could make your hangover worse. After a night of drunkenness, it’s best to avoid anything with caffeine. Instead, sip water and sports drinks to counter dehydration and replace lost electrolytes. This is especially important if you experienced any vomiting.

MYTH: Herbal Remedies Can Help


FACT: British researchers reviewed the available studies on hangover pills, such as yeast and artichoke extract.They concluded that there is no compelling evidence of any effective treatment. Another British team found a supplement made from prickly pear cactus may reduce the nausea and dry mouth associated with hangovers, but not the dreaded headache. The only proven cure is time.

NO MYTH: Alcohol Poisoning



FACT: Alcohol poisoning is a potentially deadly medical emergency. If you see someone vomit multiple times or pass out after drinking heavily, a visit to the nearest emergency room is in order. It’s easy to blow off these symptoms as the price of partying hard, but there’s a danger of shock or, in the case of vomiting, becoming severely dehydrated.

As reported by: http://www.webmd.com/balance/slideshow-hangover-myths

Saturday, October 9, 2010

10 tips for a healthy heart

A strong heart is a result of healthy lifestyle choices. Be active and stress-free 

Today's fast-paced life and workplace pressures escalate stress levels, taking a toll on one's heart. We must realise that the healing power of the body decreases when under stress, leading to many complications like hypertension and poor immunity. Today, even youngsters are prone to heart ailments. So, it's very important to stay healthy and manage your stress levels by understanding the risk factors — high cholesterol levels, stressful lifestyle, smoking, and lack of exercise — following simple changes in lifestyle. 

Avoid smoking
Smoking reduces life expectancy by 15-25 years. If you are a smoker, you are twice more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. The moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to reduce. 

Cut down on salt
Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. 

Watch your diet
Try to have a balanced diet. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, starch foods such as wholegrain bread and rice. 

Monitor your alcohol
Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Avoid intake of alcohol or at least limit it to one to two units a day, gradually decreasing the consumption. 

Get active 
At least aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Keeping yourself fit not only benefits the heart but also improves mental health and well-being. 

Monitor your BP, blood sugar and cholesterol levels 
Routine medical check-ups will ring an alarm, if you need medical help. 

Manage your waist 
Cholesterol deposition in blood vessels begins in the first decade of life. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health. Make small but healthy changes in your diet. 

Manage your stress level 
If you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much. This may increase your risk of a heart attack. Practice yoga/meditation. Take a vacation. 

Check your family history 
If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease from smoking, high BP, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too. 

Laughter is the best therapy 
Laughter anytime will work wonders for you. It is an instant way to unleash the pressure and it makes you feel light. 

(Inputs by Dr Kushagra Katariya, chief cardiothoracic surgeon, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon) 


Read more: 10 tips for a healthy heart - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/10-tips-for-a-healthy-heart/articleshow/6629830.cms#ixzz11qLgSngQ

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

9 Foods You Should Be Eating

As compiled by forbes.com
To put together our list of foods folks should be eating, but aren't, we checked in with Jonny Bowden, a California-based nutritionist and author of seven books, including The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. Bowden says Americans should avoid taking their cues from the USDA's food pyramid, which he dismisses as the product of interest-group politics. Instead he favors a Mediterranean-style diet rich with fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and olive and nut oils, focusing on the following 10 foods in particular.

9 Foods You Should Be Eating.........With Pictures

Cherries

Nutritionist Jonny Bowden notes that cherries are packed with anti-inflammatory properties. They contain antioxidants, thought to help the body protect against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process.

Blueberries

Like cherries, blueberries contain antioxidants found to promote heart health. A 2009 study showed that rats fed blueberries lost belly fat, the kind of fat linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Kiwifruit

This tart little green fruit, with its soft, hairy skin and seeds you can swallow, is chock full of vitamin C--a whopping 115% of what you need to eat in a day. It's also low in calories--just 45 per fruit sans skin.

Grass-Fed Beef


Unlike mass-produced cows raised in feedlots, free-range cows nibble grass and avoid the ravages of hormones, steroids and antibiotics. Grass-fed beef is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Bowden says beef's bad rap comes from highly processed varieties like McDonald's hamburgers and ballpark franks. "Grass-fed beef is a whole different animal," notes Bowden

Wild Salmon


Even more so than grass-fed beef, wild salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, associated with heart and brain health, and with bringing down blood pressure and triglycerides, a risk factor for heart disease. Omega-3s have also been found to improve mood and reduce inflammation.

Flax Seed

Also a tremendous source of omega-3 fatty acids, flax seed has been shown to contain powerful anti-cancer compounds called lignans. Flax is also a great source of fiber, which enhances digestion. Try throwing it into your next smoothie or sprinkling on a salad.

Whey Protein Powder

Little Miss Muffett knew what she was doing when she ate her curds and whey. A run-off of the cheese-making process, whey in powder form can be a great source of protein. It's also been shown to stimulate the immune system. So get off your tuffett and try sprinkling some in your next smoothie.

Kale

A member of the cabbage family, which Bowden dubs "vegetable royalty," kale contains indoles, a compound found to fight cancer. Kale is also full of sulforaphane, another cancer-prevention agent. Plus, Kale contains calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and K, and two nutrients that are great for the eyes, including zeaxanthin.

Dark Chocolate

Rich with a phytochemical called flavanol, found by a 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology to improve cardiovascular health. Look for chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Exercise 'makes you feel full'

 Image Courtesy
                                                                                

Washington, Aug 25 (ANI): Brazilian researchers have discovered that exercise not only helps you shed kilos by burning calories but also makes you feel full by triggering neurons in the brain.Researchers at the University of Campinas Exercise say that exercise restores the sensitivity of neurons involved in the control of satiety (feeling full), which in turn contributes to reduced food intake and consequently weight loss.
The increase in obesity has become one of the most important clinical-epidemiological phenomena. Factors such as changing eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle both have a role in the pathogenesis of this disease.
It is postulated that excessive consumption of fat creates failures in the signal transmitted by neurons controlling satiety in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus. These failures can lead to uncontrollable food intake and, consequently, obesity.The group led by Jose Barreto C. Carvalheira demonstrated that exercising obese rodents showed signals of restored satiety in hypothalamic neurons and decreased food intake."In obese animals, exercise increased IL-6 and IL-10 protein levels in the hypothalamus, and these molecules were crucial for increasing the sensitivity of the most important hormones, insulin and leptin, which control appetite," Carvalheira said.Physical activity contributes to the prevention and treatment of obesity, not only by increasing energy expenditure but also by modulating the signals of satiety and reducing food intake.
Physical activity has always been considered a cornerstone in the treatment of obesity, however, only now have the effects of exercise on the control of body weight been understood.Thus, these findings, besides reinforcing the necessity for regular exercise also change the current paradigm established between physical activity and weight loss.The study will be published next week in the online, open access journal PLoS Biology. (ANI)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

What's the difference between WHISKY & WHISKEY?

Alcohol, malted or not, made from grain which is produced in Scotland is called WHISKY, while it is called WHISKEY if it is produced in USA or Ireland. American whiskey is called Bourbon and is made from grain.

Bourbon is at least 51 per cent corn or maize. Scotch whisky is generally double distilled, while Irish whiskey is generally distilled three times.

It is is whisky that has been distilled and matured in Scotland for at least three hours in oak casks. Wheat whisky is the rarest whisky. Rye whiskies are mostly popular within the US.

What goes better with Whisky - Water or Soda?

Whisky is preferred with water more than soda as soda is carbonated water and it kills the taste of whisky. But real connoisseurs of whisky like to have it neat or with water on side or with two cubes of ice.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Vodka



What is Vodka ?

Vodka is distilled from one of the following: corn, wheat, rye or potatoes . It is usually clear, perhaps tinted (by fruit or herbal additives etc), but always clear, never cloudy. Vodka is very rarely aged in barrels . Usually it goes from distillery to bottle to store and bar shelves.

The exact history of vodka is unknown, though it most likely originated somewhere in the region of Poland or Russia between the 14th and 16th centuries. The word is thought to derive from Russian, meaning roughly “little water” .

Although vodka is traditionally drunk neat in the vodka belt — Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries — its popularity, elsewhere, derives from its neutral spirit usefulness in cocktails and mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the White Russian, the vodka tonic, and the vodka martini.

Stolichnaya, Smirnoff, Grey goose and Absolut are the more well-known brands.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Blended Whisky


What is Blended Whisky?


Blended whisky is a mixture of single malt whiskys and ethanol derived from grains. Developed for those who could not stomach the strong taste of whisky, it is a combination of malt and grain whiskys.

First distilled and bottled by Andrew Usher in Edinburgh in the early 1860s, it turned out to be softer, lighter and more palatable. The character of the whisky is determined not only by the proportions of malt and grain whisky, but also by the ages of the individual whiskies and the manner in which they are combined to bring out the finest qualities in each other.

Most whisky drunk across the world is blended whisky. Famous Grouse, Bells, Teacher's , Whyte & Mackay and Johnnie Walker are a few that are well-known .

Thursday, March 25, 2010

what is Cognac ?

The wines of Poitou, La Rochelle and Angoumois, produced from high quality vineyards , were shipped to Northern Europe where they were enjoyed by the English, Dutch and Scandinavians as early as the 13th century. In the 16th century, they were transformed into eaude-vie , then matured in oak casks to become Cognac.

That was the start of the adventure for a town, which was to become the capital of a world famous trade. Cognac is a living thing. During its time in the oak casks it is in permanent contact with the air. This allows it to extract the substances from the wood that give both its colour and its final bouquet.

Ageing is indispensable if an eau-de-vie is to become Cognac. It takes place in casks or barrels that hold between 270 and 450 litres. The natural humidity of the cellars, in which the casks are stored is one of the determining factors in the maturing process.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What is Gin ?



Gin is a hard alcohol flavoured with the seeds of the juniper bush. Gin is a rather dry alcohol and is rarely drunk on its own, but used instead as a base for many different types of drinks.

Good gin is very smooth, with a strong juniper flavour exciting the senses. Gin made its way to England with the ascension of William of Orange to the British throne. And a new style of gin evolved. Dutch gin is distilled from barley and is somewhat nearer whiskey than the London Dry style, which evolved in the 19th century.

One difference today is that the London style, since it uses column stills, rather than the pot stills preferred by the Dutch, tends to have a higher alcohol concentration. The famous brands include Beefeater London Dry gin, Bombay Sapphire, Plymouth and Tanqueray.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Single Malt Whisky



Single malt is so-called because the malt comes from a single distillery. It is a whisky refined by a single distillery, using malted barley as the only grain ingredient.

Each distillery has its own distinct taste, flavour and style and single malts bear that. Some world-renowned single malts are Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Glenkinchie and if you move into the rare varieties, PortEllen, Dalmore , Glenfarclas, IsleofJura, Knocdhu, Lagavulin, Laphroig, Macallan, Oban,Taliskar, Cragganmore. Enjoying a single malt is a connoissseur’s job and you have to learn to be one.

A single grain, as distinct from a single malt, is a grain whisky made at one distillery, while the single malt is made with barley.