50 Life Secrets and Tips

1. Memorize something everyday. Not only will this leave your brain sharp and your memory functioning, you will also have a huge library of quotes to bust out at any moment. Poetry, sayings and philosophies are your best options.
2. Constantly try to reduce your attachment to possessions. Those who are heavy-set with material desires will have a lot of trouble when their things are taken away from them or lost. Possessions do end up owning you, not the other way around. Become a person of minimal needs and you will be much more content.
3. Develop an endless curiosity about this world. Become an explorer and view the world as your jungle. Stop and observe all of the little things as completely unique events. Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone and try to experience as many different environments and sensations as possible. This world has so much to offer, so why not take advantage of it?
4. Remember people’s names so that they feel appreciated and for your own future benefit when you want something from that person. To do this, say their name back to them when they introduce themselves. Then repeat the name in your head a number of times until you are sure you have it. Continue to use their name in conversation as much as possible to remove any chance of forgetting it. If you’re still having trouble, make up a rhyme about their name: “Dan the Man” or “Natalie flatters me.”
5. Get fit! It’s ridiculous to think that we have one body, one sole means of functioning, and people are too lazy to take care of themselves. Fit bodies lead to better health, confidence and more success with romantic endeavors. I’d say those are 3 very good reasons to get in shape.
6. Learn to focus only on the present. The past is unchangeable so it is futile to reflect on it unless you are making sure you do not repeat past mistakes. The future is but a result of your actions today. So learn from the past to do better in the present so that you can succeed in the future.
7. Even more specifically, live in THIS moment. Even 10 minutes ago is the past. If you live purely in this moment you will always be happy because there is nothing wrong in this split-second.
8. Smile more often. Whenever you get a grin on your face, your brain is releasing serotonin, the happy hormone. Smiling is the natural way to force yourself to be happy. Many people even smile for five minutes straight in the morning to get themselves in a great mood for the day. It is a very powerful tool that is utilized less and less as we grow older and need happiness more than ever. Just remember that while happiness leads to smiles, smiles also lead to happiness.
9. Drink water. Hydration is tremendously important for overall health. Soda has absolutely ZERO nutritional content; it’s like pouring a punch of sugar and syrup into your cup. Instead, fill it with life-replenishing water. It may taste plain at first if you’re coming off of a heavy soda-drinking streak, but you’ll soon find yourself addicted to it. 10 glasses per day is optimal, how many have you been getting lately?
10. Don’t take life so seriously! Learn to laugh at the little things and this whole “existence” thing will be a whole lot easier. Be amused by your mistakes and failures and be thankful that you learned your lesson and won’t mess up like that again. And most importantly do things that you enjoy! Life is not strictly business, it can be mixed with pleasure. 
    
     
11. Think positive thoughts. When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, stop it immediately by any means necessary. Slap yourself in the face, yell something positive at the top of your lungs or jump up and down. Do whatever it takes to get back to a positive mindset as such is essential for continual happiness and success.
12. Read books. No explanation needed.
13. Get in the sun. Superman was completely re-energized when he flew out to space and soaked in some rays and you can do the same right outside your front door (if you live in a constantly dreary place, my apologies). The sun feels amazing: your entire body will be coursing with warmth and life.
14. Help others. I’ll just give you a plethora of reasons why this is a MUST
    • Helping people has a ripple effect. If you help someone they will feel more obliged to help someone else, and so on. Pay it forward
    • You grow by giving and helping others. It can change you in ways you never expected
    • Your relationship with that person will become stronger
    • It’s the most fulfilling thing you can do on this planet. It not only feels amazing physically, you also feel like a good person
    • You might be able to call in a favor later when you need some help
    • Karma (if you believe in it)
    • Because there are more people in this world than just you
15. Set aside a specific time to worry each day. Ponder all of your problems and anxieties during that time so that they will not distract you during work or moments of pleasure. This way you can be extremely efficient with your time and avoid focusing on negative things as much as possible. If you get all of your worry out of the way and have the mental fortitude to keep from reverting back to them, you will be much happier on the daily.
16. Be honest at all times. Lies lead to nothing but trouble. Being known as trustworthy is an excellent trait to maintain and essential to having integrity.
17. Sleep less. Fully adjusting to a new sleep cycle can take up to 21 days so don’t give up if you feel tired after switching to 5-hour nights. The “required” 8 hour/night is for normal people. If you’re reading THIS article on THIS site, you are not normal. So figure out how much sleep YOU really need and adjust accordingly. As enjoyable as sleep is, waking existence is much more fulfilling and efficient. IF this really sparks your interest, check out alternate sleep cycles with which you can be fine off of 2 hours of sleep per day.
18. Read “Bringers of Light” and “Conversations with God” by Neale Donald Walsch. These books will help you decide what you want to do in this life and how to get to that point. They will also profoundly change the way you look at the purpose of existence. Read them!
19. Figure out what your goals and dreams are. So many people wander aimlessly through life simply go for whatever small thing they want moment by moment. Instead, decide what your perfect life consists of and begin to put the steps in motion to reach that place. The most satisfying thing in the world (yes, better than sex, much better) is overcoming a challenge and reaching a goal. We are the happiest when we are growing and working towards something better.
20. Start your day off right. Wake up and set aside an hour for personal development activities (meditation, self-introspection, observing nature, etc.) Do the things that make you feel blissful, optimistic and empowered so that you can set a positive tone for your day. I guarantee that once you start doing this, your days will be more enjoyable and fulfilling. Today is going to be the best day of your life. Duh.
21. Utilize ‘The Burning Method.’ Whenever a fear or worry or complaint comes to mind, close your eyes and imagine writing down the thought on a piece of paper. Then proceed to light the paper and fire and watch it disintegrate. Even better, actually write it down and burn it. You won’t have any problem ridding your mind of the thought after doing this.
22. Travel. Anyone who has ever gone anywhere will tell you that traveling is one of the most exciting and life-changing activities that you can do. Observing a different culture will expand your mind while making you further appreciate the life you already live. This goes back to becoming an explorer: this world is your jungle so go explore! Who knows, maybe you’ll find a place you love so much that you decide to move. Imagine the positive repercussions a new environment could have on your life.
23. The Rubber Band Method This is the third and final way to rid yourself of negative thoughts (hopefully by now you have figured out that this is very important!). Place a rubber band around your wrist and snap it against your skin anytime a negative thought finds its way into your head. This operant conditioning technique associates a slight pain with negative thoughts like Pavlov associated food/salivation with the sound of a bell. Sounds a bit cruel at first but it only stings for a second, I promise. Plus the outcome, having only positive thoughts, far outweighs a little slap on the wrist here and there.
24. Learn to be unaffected by the words of others. Most people get very upset when they are called negative names by others, but there is a simple trick to overcoming this. Here it is: If I went up to you and called you a fire hydrant, would you be upset? Of course not. Obviously you are not a fire hydrant, you are a human being. The same concept applies to when someone calls you something that you know you are not. They are foolish for saying such things, so why would you react with such anger? The only exception is when someone calls you something that is true! In this case, you should thank them for alerting you to a weakness, one that you can now work on changing.
25. Read “Zen and the Art of Happiness” by Chris Prentiss. This book will give you the knowledge and instruction to be happy at all times regardless of the circumstances. Yes, this sounds like an oversimplification of happiness, but I assure you that this book will change you in an amazing way.
26. Develop the ability to forgive. Forgiveness is something that most people fail miserably at even thought it’s so simple. Grudges only bring more misery to those who hold them and prevent good relations with the target. YOU makes mistakes all of the time so why not have mercy when other do? Remaining angry feels horrible while forgiving someone brings a refreshing sensation to the mind and healing to the relationship.
27. Be the person that makes others feel special. Be known for your kindness and sympathy.
28. Learn to lucid dream, or to realize when you are dreaming so that you can control your dreams. Sleep feels good, but it’s rather boring and unproductive. With lucid dreaming under your belt, night-time can be even more exciting than when you are awake. You can do anything: fly, travel to other planets, party with a celebrity, get intimate with your dream boy/girl, etc. Many lucid dreams have also reported being able to speak directly with the subconscious during dreams by demanding to be taken to it after becoming lucid. For those that know a thing or two about your subconscious, that is a BIG deal.
29. Visualize daily. It has been said and proven time and time again that what you focus on is what you get. If you complain all of the time, you will run into more of the things you complain about. The same goes for good things like health, wealth and happiness. So spend some time in the morning imagining yourself achieving whatever it is that you currently desire. Focus is key in this exercise, so choose a quiet environment where you won’t be disturbed. If you’re having trouble focusing and continually find that your mind has wandered to something else, read about meditation in the following life tip. There is a lot more to this concept, so check out the full article on visualization and the law of attraction here.
30. Meditate everyday for at least 20 minutes. In this modern world where everyone is so connected to everything else via cell phones, TV and internet, most people rarely enjoy the beauty of silence. The ability to quiet your mind and relax your body is an art and skill that everyone should develop. Simply sit somewhere, preferably in nature, and focus on your breathing or try to think about nothing. This is going to be extremely hard at first! You might find it boring or just plain impossible to think of nothing, but you will get better and you will learn to love it. Post-meditation, you will feel extremely clear-headed and.. well, just plain wonderful. The only way to really understand this sensation is to try it. 
    
     
31. Learn to control your mind. What kind of skilled human are you if you cannot even control your own thoughts? While the human mind is described as being a stream of consciousness, that does not mean you can’t decide where your stream flows. Techniques like meditation and the 3 ways to flush out negative thoughts will aid you immensely in learning to control your mind.
32. Learn to control your emotions. The only person that can make you unhappy is you! You are the one that decides to be affected by the words and actions of others. Realize this so that the next time you experience a negative emotion, you can find the strength within yourself to overcome it.
33. Take a class in speed reading. Books are full of information that can enhance your knowledge-base, vocabulary and yourself as a person. Speed reading is an easy way to get at this info faster so that you can have more time for other endeavors.
34. Relax! This one is for you workaholics out there (myself included). Yes, work is very important and productive but you need to take some time to chill out everyday or you are going to burn out faster than a candle with no oxygen. Additionally, you need to reward yourself for a job well done. What’s the use of doing all of that work if you can’t have a little fun from time to time anyways?
35. Work on making good first impressions. Practice a strong, firm handshake and the small talk that generally goes along with meeting someone for the first time. People won’t know what to think of you if you have nothing more to say beyond “My name is _______, nice to meet you.” Also make sure you remember names, as mentioned previously. Who knows, you may be going into business with or marrying this person you’re meeting for the first time if you make a good impression. Be sure and make an excellent one.
36. Learn to use your eyes to their full potential:
    • Make constant eye contact when in conversation. Looking away (especially down) is a sign of inferiority and uncertainty. Instead, look at your conversation partner dead in the eyes and keep them locked on
    • Master the piercing stare. You know when someone looks at you and it feels like they can see into your soul? Well that’s not a hereditary characteristic, it just takes practice. Work on sharpening your gaze in the mirror. You’ll know you have it when it’s intimidating to continue looking at yourself
    • Master the one-eyebrow raise. This one isn’t necessary by any means, but hey, why not? Pick a brow to learn with and go look in a mirror. Raise both of your eyebrows but use your hand to hold down the brow that you want to stay down. This will probably feel very stupid at first but if you keep trying, you will eventually pin down the muscle you need to flex to get that one brow up
37. Be mysterious. Don’t let off everything about you and definitely leave out some major details. There is something both alluring and mesmerizing about someone who no one knows fully about. I’m not saying to confide in no one or to alienate yourself. Just think James Bond.
38. Come up with a life mantra. You know, like “Carpe Diem” or “Live life to the fullest,” but not as cliché. Make it something that really hits home with you so that you will actually stick to it. Make sure it’ not so specific that it rarely applies but also not so general that it’s not personal.
39. Get good at something. Call it a hobby or a passion, whatever it is, just get damn good at it. Your occupation does not count! Make it something that you can practice often enough to excel at. Examples: Magic tricks, surfing, ping-pong, creating short films, and unicycling. It can be anything but I would recommend choosing something that: 1) You are passionate about 2) You can bust out at any moment to display your skills for any discerning crowd. My mind goes immediately to aerobatics and break dancing, but that’s just me.
40. Work out those abs. Above any other muscle group in the entire body, the abs are the most important. They constitute your core, the center point of your body. Your ability to balance comes almost completely from the strength of your abdominal muscles and balance is vital to performance in any physical activity. Summary: they’re very important. For more info on how to work out your abs, check out this video.
41. Keep your brain sharp. The majority of people are stuck in ruts. They go to the same job everyday, hang out with the same friends and eat at the same places. While that may feel safe, it’s not the most stimulating lifestyle for your brain. Those synapses have been built up enough, so try something that you do NOT know how to do! Buy a model car kit, master the art of sudoku or crosswords, or go pick up another major at your nearest college. The point is you need to be learning new things to keep your brain honest. Form new synapses by forcing your mind to work in ways it has not worked before. Just like physical workouts, doing too much of the same exercise will eventually give no results. Switch it up!
42. Read something inspirational right before bed and after waking. This will set get you in a great mood for sleep and for the day. Read anything from a famous speech to your favorite self-improvement book. Try to read something that get’s you really excited in the morning especially so that you’ll leave your house beaming with energy and wonder.
43. Do what you love. There is a huge difference between making a life and making a living; which one are you making right now? So many spend their entire lives trying to make as much money as possible so that they can afford to do what they really want later. It makes no sense to settle in life until you’re 65 so that you can retire and do what you want when you’re already WAY past your prime. We only live life once so why wouldn’t you want to spend it pursuing your bliss? To do anything else would be a tragic waste of the freedom you are allowed if you are reading this right now. Follow your bliss and you will be a thousand times more happy than your retirement date and 40+ years younger.
44. Choose your friends wisely. You are affected far more than you think by the people you spend your time with. Do your friends share your values? Do they encourage you when you speak of your goals and dreams or do they scoff? Make sure the people around you are conducive to the lifestyle you want to lead or you will find yourself being dragged again and again into behavior that distances you from your desires. Friends with a habit of producing negative thoughts will especially hinder you. This can be a hard task to follow through with if you realize you good friend is one of these saboteurs, but you must be firm! Don’t let anyone get in the way of you being all that you can be.
45. Don’t burn bridges. By that I mean maintain your relationships with people even if you think you are never going to see them again. For example, if you are quitting your job, don’t chew out your boss before leaving! You might run into him/her again later and life and wish you had never severed ties so harshly. You never know when you might need the help of someone you knew in the past. Plus there is already too much hatred in this world, why add more towards the people you interact with?
46. Keep a journal/diary. It sounds like a very monotonous habit at first, but when you get into it, that little book will become a great way to organize your thoughts and track your growth over the years. Most of us already stay awake in bed at night pondering the events of the day anyways so why not document those thoughts in an organized fashion? That will allow you to look back and observe how your way of thinking has changed over time.
47. Read “New Pyscho-Cybernetics” by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. This book will explain why the content of your thoughts has such a profound effect on your life through religious, philosophical and scientific arguments. A must read for completely understand who this life thing works.
48. Learn to use and trust your subconscious/intuition. When you spend time in silence everyday, listen not for words but for a feeling that tells you to do something. Do not mistake your own reasoning and thoughts for those of your subconscious. If you can track where the thought came from, (this thought led to that thought which led to this thought, etc.) then it was not from your subconscious. Learning to accurately discern between the two will allow you to tap into knowledge that you don’t consciously have.
    
49. Develop a charismatic personality. You know, the kind of personality that is surrounded by people constantly and is the life of the party. Start visualizing yourself as THAT person. Maybe take a short course on dynamic speaking and learn some jokes. Take the time to learn some party tricks and sleight of hand. Most importantly, believe that you already are charismatic even if you fail at being the center point of the next party. Lie to yourself constantly and tell yourself that you are more warm and gregarious than Ronald Regan. Belief is the first step! Reality will come soon after.
    
50. Love is all there is. If you truly want to be a master of life, let love be in your every action. Love your friends, family and enemies alike. This is the most difficult thing to do out of this entire list, which is why it is listed at #50. But if you accomplish this, you will be seen as a leader among everyone that allows hate, envy, disgust and all other negative emotions into their lives. Think Gandhi. Love is so rare in this world when compared to the massive presence of hate that by exuding love, you will immediately see yourself and the people around you change. Love. Love. Love 
    

11 Awesome Hangover Cures

Hangovers are the worst. That nasty combo of headache, nausea and gut-pain can cost you precious hours of your life. While there are certainly preventative measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of a hangover (headache medication, food, lots of water before bed, etc.), inevitably you’re going to get stuck with a dirty hangover that you need to crush before it kills your day. Here are 11 awesome hangover cures that you can turn to when you need to ease the pain.

11. Ginger

 

Ginger is an all-purpose digestive aid. You can eat it with sushi, drink some ginger tea or mix ginger juice with water for a nausea-reducing elixir that’ll balance your gastric fluids and calm your system. This powerful antioxidant and anticoagulant can work wonders, but don’t consume fresh ginger on an empty stomach. Mix it up with something else.

10. Honey

 

Honey is a great antioxidant that’s loaded with fructose and glucose. In Poland, people mix honey in with pickle juice for a hydrating, salty hangover-recovery treat. If the idea of honey pickle juice sounds foul to you, just take a couple table spoons of the magic bee sauce and enjoy the fresh coat of healing goodness.

9. Prickly Pear

 

For desert drunks, the prickly pear is a solid morning option that’ll help take the edge off the hurt. The extract from the prickly pear cactus can help reduce nausea, loss of appetite and dry mouth. You can find prickly pear extract in a bunch of different dietary supplements.

8. Eggs

 

Yep, eggs. Eggs have cysteine in ‘em. Cysteine is an awesome amino acid that breaks down acetaldehyde, a toxin that’s a byproduct of the oxidation of ethanol. Acetaldehyde causes hangovers and eggs break down the acetaldehyde. So get over the fact that you don’t want breakfast and scramble that hangover out of your system.

7. Coca Cola

 

Oh the sweet, sweet nectar of Coca Cola can do wonders for a messed up belly. Some say that Coca Cola was originally invented as a hangover cure. I don’t know about all that, but whether you’ve eaten a big meal or you need to turn down the volume down in your stomach, a cold Coke just feels good.

6. Greasy Diner Breakfast

 

Whether you’re pounding pancakes at IHOP, feasting on French toast at Norm’s or plowing through Moons Over My Hammy at Denny’s, greasy-ass diner food will help you booze-coated belly correct itself. Greasy food sticks to the stomach wall and help slow down the process of alcohol absorption. That’s not to say that you won’t feel like trash afterward, but it’ll be a different kind of trash – a much more manageable form of discomfort. If you have the chance to close the night out with some greasy food, that’s a solid hangover prevention method, but if you miss the prevention window, reach for some bacon in the morning.

5. Gatorade + Banana

 

Electrolytes. You need ‘em, man. When you’re recovering from a night of drunken excess, you’re bound to end up dehydrated. Drinking lots of water helps, yes, but a steady stream of electrolytes will hydrate you more quickly. Your hung-over body also needs an influx of Vitamin B and potassium. Drinking alcohol drains your levels of Vitamins B6 and B12. Bananas will calm your gut-hurt and expedite the metabolism of alcohol.

4. Bloody Mary

 

If you’re head is pounding and your stomach is sloshed with whatever god-awful combo of drinks you consumed last night, drinking more sounds like the last thing you wanna do. But more booze can actually help you right the ship. A nice breakfast cocktail like a Bloody Mary can serve the dual purpose of a breakfast and hangover remedy. This is a great option if food consumption is totally out of the question, and the tomato juice will help you metabolize alcohol more quickly.

3. Pho

 

Vietnamese rice noodles with broth and beef (or tripe or chicken) will hydrate you and fill your gut with a nice layer of nutrition, exfoliation and toxin-fighting spices. Don’t go too crazy with the hot sauce though. Under normal circumstances, unreasonable amounts of Sriracha in your Pho would be a great idea, but when you’re dealing with a tender tummy, you gotta keep it mellow. Add some lime, basil, sweet Hoison sauce, cilantro, onions and bean sprouts, and go to town with a soup spoon and chopsticks in hand.

2. Pad Thai

 

More rice noodle love here. Pad Thai will fill that void in your stomach with a tender helping of noodles, eggs, tamarind juice and some light protein like shrimp, chicken or tofu. I don’t know the science behind it, but it works like a charm.

1. Matzo Ball Soup

 

The medicinal healing powers of the matzo ball have been well documented throughout history. Known as Jewish penicillin, matzo ball soup can kill a hangover, eliminate pink eye and in some cases, even cure cancer. Embrace the power of the matzo. It’s the most comfortable comfort food ever invented.

Honorable Mention List:

• Borscht
• Tom Yum Soup
• Menudo
• Haejangguk

Source: ManJr.com Online Magazine


kumaran nadaraja

11 Prescription Foods To Cure Your Illnesses

Article from American Anti Aging Magazine by Helen Smith.

Why take pills if you can eat these 11 everyday foods that can help cure most common illnesses?

See what kind of foods you can eat to cure these illnesses: 

#1 MUSCLE ACHE 

The Solution: Tart cherries—one cup, or two glasses of juice, daily, before and during exercise

The Science: Contains the same anti-inflammatory enzymes as ibuprofen, without the potential kidney and stomach-related side effects.

#2 MEMORY LOSS

The Solution: Sunflower seeds—a quarter cup daily

The Science: These vitamin E-loaded seeds will protect the neurons in your brain from oxidative stress, which means you keep your memory longer.

#3 WEAR MUSCLES

The Solution: Apples—one daily

The Science: Leave the peel on—it’s full of ursolic acid, which fuels the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and insulin, two hormones important in building muscle.

#4 LACK OF FOCUS

The Solution: Eggs—one daily

The Science: Eggs are packed with choline, a nutrient that boosts the brain’s ability to relay commands to the rest of your body while also maintaining the structure of your brain’s cell membranes.

#5 AGING SKIN

The Solution: Oranges—one daily, or six ounces of juice

The Science: Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, the protein that keeps skin elastic.

#6 DEPRESSION

The Solution: Brown rice—one cup of cooked rice daily

The Science: Carbs help regulate the production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in controlling mood and suppressing anxiety. A complex carb like brown rice will give you the best high-carb-low-cal combo.

#7 INSOMNIA

The Solution: Chicken—four ounces daily

The Science: Tryptophan is often associated with turkey, but chicken contains more of the amino acid that helps the body produce the sleep-friendly hormone melatonin.

#8 PUFFY EYES

The Solution: Green tea—one cup daily, after a meal

The Science: The puffiness that creates dark circles under your eyes is often caused by fluid retention. Green tea is a diuretic that’ll reduce unwanted swelling all over your body.

#9 UPSET STOMACH

The Solution: Peppermints—one or two after dinner

The Science: Peppermint has long been associated with aiding digestion and has also been shown to soothe inflammatory pain in the gastrointestinal tract. Peppermint tea also works.

#10 LOW ENERGY

The Solution: Bananas—one daily

The Science: The potassium-packed fruit is also a great source of magnesium, a key element in producing and storing energy.

#11 ANXIETY

The Solution: Peanuts—a quarter cup daily

The Science: If you’re not producing enough gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), your brain is more prone to let anxiety run wild. Peanuts are one of the best (and tastiest) sources of glutamine, the amino acid needed to make GABA.

Source:  American Anti Aging Online Magazine

kumaran nadaraja

 

No Breakfast Hurts Girls' Focus Most

Article from Wall Street Journal, written by Ann Lukits.

Skipping breakfast before a day of school significantly reduced students' speed and accuracy on cognitive and memory tests compared with those who ate breakfast, according to a study recently published online in the journal Appetite.

Researchers compared the performance of 1,386 students from 32 schools throughout the U.K. on several Internet-based tests of attention, memory and reaction time. Subjects included 721 girls and 665 boys age 6 to 16 who logged onto a website between 7:42 a.m. and 12:33 p.m. On testing day, 1,202 students reported having breakfast and 184 didn't have breakfast. A higher percentage of girls didn't have breakfast, 7.6% compared with 5.6% of boys. 

Compared with those who ate breakfast, students who skipped the morning meal had 7% slower power of attention, a measure of their ability to focus and avoid distraction. They also detected 7% fewer targets on target-detection tasks and correctly identified 9% fewer pictures on a picture-recognition test at a 9% slower speed than students who ate breakfast. Variability in response time, an indication of focusing consistency, was 10% more erratic in those who missed breakfast. Girls without breakfast were significantly more disrupted in their ability to focus than boys who didn't have breakfast, results showed.

Test-score differences between the two groups were larger in those tested after 11 a.m. than those tested earlier in the morning.

Caveat: The study didn't analyze the effects of different breakfast foods or caffeine consumption.

Caring and curing: Diabetic individuals who switch from an unempathetic doctor to one with more patient understanding can reduce their risk of complications by 41%, according to a report in Academic Medicine. A physician's ability to understand a patient's perspective is key to an effective doctor-patient relationship, but few studies have measured the impact of physician empathy on patient health.

Using 2009 data, U.S. and Italian researchers compared the self-rated empathy of 242 family physicians from northern Italy and the rate of severe complications in 20,961 patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Empathy was measured with a validated 20-question scale that assessed physicians' ability to put themselves in a patient's situation and to communicate that understanding. Questions were scored from one to seven, with one indicating strong disagreement and seven indicating strong agreement.

Of the 242 doctors, 81 had high empathy scores, 84 were moderate scorers and 77 low scorers. Severe complications requiring hospital care, such as diabetic comas, developed in 123 of the 20,961 patients. Of these, 29 had high-empathy doctors, 52 had moderately empathetic doctors and 42 had low-empathy doctors. The difference between the outcomes of patients with high-empathy doctors and those with moderate- and low-empathy physicians was statistically significant, researchers said. Patients of empathetic doctors may be more compliant with treatment regimes, they said.

Caveat: The study didn't consider other factors that influence patient outcomes, such as disease severity, patient compliance, social supports, physician competence, and insurance coverage. Patient perception of physician empathy wasn't assessed.

Birth traumas: Newborns may be predisposed to specific types of injuries during labor and delivery depending on their sex, according to a study in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. Studies suggest newborn boys have higher rates of birth-related injuries than girls, but it isn't known if this is due to boys' generally higher birth weight and larger heads or is instead associated with their sex, researchers said.

The study analyzed birth-related injuries in 2,874 infants, including 1,663 boys and 1,211 girls, born in Israel from 1986 to 2009. Each was matched with two uninjured controls born at the same time. Injuries to the scalp were reported in 1,836 infants, including 67% of the boys and 60% of the girls. Fractures of the clavicle, or collarbone, occurred in 30% of the boys and 35% of the girls. Rates of other types of birth-related injuries, such as cerebral hemorrhage, spinal cord injuries and facial palsy, were low in both sexes.

The adjusted results, which considered birth weight and birth length, head circumference and other factors, indicated male sex was an independent risk factor for scalp injury and female sex for clavicle fracture. The study is the first to report a higher susceptibility of girls to clavicle fractures, researchers said, who recommended further studies to assess sex differences in bone density and strength.

Caveat: The findings may not apply to children born in other countries.

Kidney stones: One or more episodes of kidney stones significantly increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, especially in women, according to a study in BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal. Kidney stones are solid masses of crystals and proteins that can block the flow of urine out of the kidneys, but are rarely considered the primary cause of kidney failure. Stones are most common in men 20 to 30 years old.

A Canadian-U.S. research team used hospital records to track 3.1 million Alberta residents with normal kidney function from 1997 to 2009. Over the study period, 23,706 subjects, including 15,686 men and 8,020 women, developed kidney stones. Chronic kidney disease was subsequently diagnosed in 68,525 subjects and end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure, in 5,333. Creatinine levels, an indicator of kidney function, doubled in 6,581 subjects, blood tests showed.

After adjusting for age, sex, and other factors, the risk of kidney failure was twice as high in subjects with one or more episodes of kidney stones than those without stones, the study found. For women under age 50, the risk was more than three times greater than women without stones. The calcification process that underlies stone formation may cause permanent kidney damage, though anatomical differences may offer some protection to men, despite their greater susceptibility to stones, researchers said.

Caveat: The risk of different types of kidney stones wasn't assessed. Genetic information that might indicate a patient's predisposition to kidney stones wasn't available.

Drug compliance: More than half of patients prescribed medications for heart disease don't take the drugs regularly and may benefit from a simple memory jogger such as pharmacy-generated text messages, suggests a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Medicine. Previous studies of text messaging have found the reminders useful in getting people to increase use of sunscreen, supporting smoking cessation and increasing oral-contraceptive compliance.

U.K. researchers pooled pharmacy refill data on 376,162 patients from 20 studies conducted in seven countries from 1998 to 2010. Subjects were 64 years old on average. Eleven studies focused on heart-attack prevention and nine on preventing a recurrence. The study examined adherence to seven medications, including aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, thiazides, and statins. Patients were considered compliant if they took medications more than 75% of the time.

Patient compliance in the 20 studies combined was 57% over 24 months, results showed. Compliance in the prevention studies was 50%; it was 66% in the secondary-prevention trials. Compliance differences between drugs were small, suggesting side effects and dosing have little effect on compliance, researchers said. Factors such as gender, age and method of payment didn't affect adherence, the study found.

Caveat: The study assumes patients obtained their medications from a single provider, researchers said. Prescription refills don't mean the drug has been taken, they said.

Source: Wall Street Journal Online Magazine

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Heart Disease Is Number ONE KILLER Among WOMEN

This article came out in The Star newspaper, dated 21st September 2012.

KUALA LUMPUR: Heart disease is the number one killer among Malaysian women and is two and a half times as common than dying from all cancers combined, warned the National Heart Association of Malaysia.

Its president Datuk Dr Azhari Rosman dispelled the common perception that only older men were prone to heart diseases and strokes.

“Women must maintain a high index of suspicion,” he said here yesterday.

“Cancer does not take as many lives as cardiovascular diseases. Women also tend to dismiss pain more easily than men and generally have a higher pain threshold.”

Dr Azhari said the latest 2011 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS IV) had revealed some alarming statistics, including the fact that Malaysian women had the highest body mass index (BMI) in the South-East Asian region.

“Obesity is the harbinger of many conditions,” he said. “The NHMS IV study reports that out of 17,000 women surveyed, 29.4% were overweight while 15% were obese.”

Dr Azhari, a consultant cardiologist at the National Heart Institute, said that Malaysian women also had one of the highest prevalence of hypertension in South-East Asia, even more than men.

He said women also formed a 60% majority of Malaysians who had elevated total cholesterol levels, another factor that contributed to heart disease.

Dr Azhari said that data also showed that most Malaysians were admitted to the hospital for Acute Coronary Syndrome around the age of 59 years.

“This is seven years below the average in other countries which is around 66 years.

“We have also treated a 19-year-old for heart disease and done a heart bypass on a 21-year-old,” he revealed.

Dr Azhari stressed that creating awareness among the public was critical as heart disease was “completely preventable” if detected early.

To this end, he said the Women's Heart Health Organisation (WH2O) was created to educate the public and healthcare providers that women were susceptible to heart diseases and strokes too.

In line with National Heart Day on Sept 29, NHAM, in collaboration with the Malaysian Heart Foundation, has organised a “Walk A Mile” activity at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa on Sept 30.

They will also have other physical activities and health screenings.

For details on other activities planned in the next few weeks, visit www.malaysianheart.org.

Source: The Star, 21 September 2012

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How To Be A Better Leader In Just 5 Days

Article picked from Forbes Online Magazine, written by Mike Myatt, Contributor on leadership subjects.

What if you could improve your leadership effectiveness in only 5 days? No really – what if? What if there were no costs, no strings attached, no hidden agendas, no complex curriculum, but just a simple set of instructions for you to follow over the next 5 days that will change your world as a leader? Well, I have a 5 day leadership challenge for you which will do just exactly that – You in?

Here’s the deal – leadership has very little to do with what you can do for yourself, but it has almost everything to do with what you can do for others. If I do away with all the management speak and complex theory, leadership can actually be distilled down to one very tangible measurement; the quality of your relationships.

Let’s be honest, fractured relationships adversely impact culture, cause stress, infringe upon your thought life, waste time, and inhibit performance. Healthy relationships, on the other hand create synergy, establish good will, engender confidence, foster trust, encourage loyalty, and build healthy cultures. The bad news is unhealthy relationships are in fact a reflection of your leadership ability. The good news is there isn’t a single person reading today’s column incapable of improving their strained relationships. Therein lies the challenge…

We all suffer from living with relationship gaps that can be and should be narrowed, if not closed altogether. It doesn’t matter whether these gaps are positional or philosophical, whether they exist because of your pride or their ego, or whether you need to build a bridge or mend a fence due to a wrong committed by you or against you. The simple fact remains that troubled relationships impact your ability to lead. The question is not whether you have fractured relationships, but if you recognize them, and if so, what you will or won’t do about them. Smart leaders don’t allow fractured relationships to disrupt healthy behaviors and attitudes.

Here’s the 5 DAY challenge:

Day 1: Identify one relationship in need of improvement. Determine their needs, assess their positions, perceptions and opinions, and identify how you can help them. The goal isn’t to win, to prove how smart you are, to be vindicated, or to be right. The goal is to engage, to build trust and rapport, to reach an understanding, to move forward, and to become a better leader.

Day 2: Now comes the hard part…extend an invitation to meet in person - no phone calls, emails, DMs, or Facebook messages. Get face-to-face.

Day 3: Have the meeting, ask questions, process, and listen. Remember this is about them and not about you. Treat them like you’d want to be treated.

Day 4: Evaluate the meeting and the response of the person you met with. Follow-up and follow through. Do what you said you would do. Close the gap, improve the relationship – LEAD.

Day 5: Start the process over again with a different person. Want to bite-off more than one relationship? Be my guest, but remember you can still improve as a leader one relationship at a time.

This process will work for anyone in your value chain – peers, subordinates, customers, vendors, partners, etc. It only requires effort on your part and a sincere desire to better serve those within your span of awareness, or your sphere of influence. Do yourself a favor and start improving your relationships today…

Source: Forbes Online Magazine

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What’s the Right Age to Give Your Kid a Cell Phone?

Article from TIME Online Magazine, written by Bonnie Rochman.

The most popular age at which parents give their kids cell phones is 12. Are teens ready to handle the responsibility of their own digital link to the world?

My 9-year-old son doesn’t have a cell phone. I don’t think it’s occurred to him to ask, which puts me in the blissful company of other pre-tween parents whose kids have yet to hound them for what’s become a standard accoutrement of childhood.

Just because he doesn’t have his own phone doesn’t mean he’s not using one, of course. He and his younger sisters take turns clamoring for my iPhone or settling for the iPod Touch — now-indispensable devices with which earlier generations didn’t have to contend. (Walkman, anyone?) It’s that overwhelming availability and access to technology that’s the subject of TIME Magazine’s “Wireless Issue,” in which I wrote about when to give your kid a cell phone.

Partly, the question revolves around concerns about radiation. I always make my kids put a pillow between any wireless device and their laps; when they chat with their grandparents on a cell phone, I insist they turn on the speakerphone. I want grandchildren someday, and the effect of the non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones remains unclear.

Turns out I’m not crazy. Last month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission asking it to reassess its radiation standards for children. Kids “are not little adults and are disproportionately impacted by all environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation,” wrote AAP President Dr. Robert Block, noting that the average radio frequency energy deposition is two times higher in kids’ brains and 10 times higher in the bone marrow of their skulls, compared with adults.

Yikes. Nothing like talk of compromising baby brains to make you reach for the nearest hands-free device. It’s best to proceed with caution even as we continue to learn more about how cell phones affect us. There’s been some concern that the nighttime glow from digital screens devices may cause depression, for example. But as far as worries about eye strain go, pediatric ophthalmologist James Ruben, chair of the AAP’s section on ophthalmology, says it’s “probably much ado about nothing.” He’s seen no uptick in vision problems related to cell phone use in his practice in Roseville, Calif.

As for the impact of radiation, studies have been inconclusive, though the National Cancer Institute notes on its website that “in theory, children have the potential to be at greater risk than adults for developing brain cancer from cell phones.” Spanish researchers are currently evaluating that risk. The good news? One of the best things kids can do to avoid radiation zapping their developing brains is something they’re already embraced en masse: texting. Tapping out cell-phone missives keeps the phone away from their heads.

Alas, too much texting isn’t so great either, says Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and co-author of iBrain. “Our brains evolved to communicate face-to-face,” he says. “A lot of this is lost with texting.” Empathy and the ability to home in on social cues can also take a hit, says Sherry Turkle, an MIT professor and author of Alone Together, about the drawbacks of social media use. “There’s a difference between an apology and typing, I’m sorry, and ‘send,’” says Turkle. “Texting takes the messiness out of human relationships. It’s not our job as parents to tidy up the world and deliver it in little soundbites.”

Yet even before they can spell — somewhat of a must for texting — kids are becoming savvy with cell phones. More than 1 in 10 kids between the ages of 6 to 10 already have their very own cell, according to data collected during the first six months of 2012 by YouthBeat. The most popular age to bequeath a phone to a kid? Twelve.

Whereas older kids view their phones as their social lifelines, younger kids, like my 5-year-old daughter, use them to play games and watch video. Recently when I pried my iPhone from her hands, she huffed: “If you won’t give me your iPhone, I’m going to buy my own.”

According to Gwenn O’Keeffe, a pediatrician who authored an AAP report last year about the potential pitfalls of digital technology, my daughter’s got plenty of time to start saving. Most young kids don’t need a phone — the exception may be children with allergies or medical conditions — but that changes once kids leave elementary school. “Middle school is the clear-cut time in my mind,” says O’Keeffe, who bequeathed phones to her girls then. “There’s a huge developmental leap between fourth and eighth grades.”

Much before then, kids may not be sufficiently responsible to keep track of a device or handle the complexities that can arise from being constantly connected to a cell phone — cyberbullying, sexting and overtures from strangers, to name a few. But don’t sit tight until that point; it’s up to parents to start early teaching kids how to play nicely in the digital world. “Well before you give them a cell, you have to start laying the groundwork,” says O’Keeffe. “It will go very smoothly if you help them acclimate.”

Source: TIME Online Magazine

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