Dr. Spurthy

1. Eat heart-healthy foods

Even if you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt, making a few changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol and improve your heart health.

Choose healthier fats. Saturated fats, found primarily in red meat and dairy products, raise your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (ldl) cholesterol, the" bad" cholesterol. As a rule, you should get less than 7 percent of your daily calories from saturated fat. Choose leaner cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and monounsaturated fats — found in olive and canola oils — for healthier options.
Eliminate trans fats. Trans fats affect cholesterol levels by increasing the" bad" cholesterol and lowering the" good" cholesterol. This bad combination increases the risk of heart attacks. Trans fats can be found in fried foods and many commercial products, such as cookies, crackers and snack cakes. But don't rely on packages that are labeled" trans fat-free" in the united states, if a food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in a serving, it can be labeled" trans fat-free"

Even small amounts of trans fat can add up if you eat foods that contain small amounts of trans fat. Read the ingredient list, and avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils.

Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids don't affect ldl cholesterol. They have other heart benefits, such as helping to increase high-density lipoprotein (hdl, or" good") cholesterol, reducing your triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood, and reducing blood pressure. Some types of fish — such as salmon, mackerel and herring — are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseeds.

Increase soluble fiber. There are two types of fiber — soluble and insoluble. Both have heart-health benefits, but soluble fiber also helps lower your ldl levels. You can add soluble fiber to your diet by eating oats and oat bran, fruits, beans, lentils, and vegetables.
Add whey protein. Whey protein is one of two proteins in dairy products — the other is casein. Whey protein may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy. Studies have shown that whey protein given as a supplement lowers both ldl and total cholesterol.

You can find whey protein powders in health food stores and some grocery stores. Follow the package directions for how to use them.

2. Exercise on most days of the week and increase your physical activity

Exercise can improve cholesterol. Moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (hdl) cholesterol, the" good" cholesterol. 

Adding physical activity, even in 10-minute intervals several times a day, can help you begin to lose weight. Just be sure that you can keep up the changes you decide to make. Consider:

• Taking a brisk daily walk during your lunch hour
• Riding your bike to work
• Swimming laps
• Playing a favorite sport
• To stay motivated, find an exercise buddy or join an exercise group. And remember, any activity is helpful. Even taking the stairs instead of the elevator or doing a few situps while watching television can make a difference.

3. Quit smoking

If you smoke, stop. Quitting might improve your hdl cholesterol level. And the benefits don't end there.

Within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate decrease. Within one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker. Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is similar to someone who never smoked.

4. Lose weight

Carrying even a few extra pounds contributes to high cholesterol. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your weight can improve cholesterol levels.

Start by evaluating your eating habits and daily routine. If you eat when you're bored or frustrated, take a walk instead. If you pick up fast food for lunch every day, pack something healthier from home. For snacks, munch on carrot sticks or air-popped popcorn instead of potato chips. Don't eat mindlessly.

And look for ways to incorporate more activity into your daily routine, such as using the stairs instead of taking the elevator or parking farther from your office.

5. Drink alcohol only in moderation

Moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of hdl cholesterol — but the benefits aren't strong enough to recommend alcohol for anyone who doesn't already drink. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger.

Too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke.

On a pain scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most severe, labour pain is one of the most severe pain forms. Most women would agree that life after childbirth feels like a second lease of life. Life takes a complete turn after childbirth, with the added responsibility of having to care for the newborn. In addition, the mother herself has a lot to recuperate from, including the stress of pregnancy and the pain that was endured during delivery. The uterus, which expands to accommodate the growing baby shrinks back to its size which causes severe pain.

While there are chemical medications to the rescue, homoeopathy also offers an effective remedy to manage this phase of life. As with all conditions, homoeopathy believes in treating the individual as a whole and not just provide symptomatic relief. Your homoeopath will ask you a number of questions to arrive at a diagnosis and base treatment on that, which is highly customised.

While the following four products are commonly used, it is always advised to not self-medicate in homoeopathy.

1. Caulophyllum: Made of Blue Cohosh, this is commonly used during pregnancy and post labour. During labour, it is helpful if the labour is not progressing with the lack of cervical dilation and irregular contractions. Post labour, it is used if the patient has erratic, shooting, or wandering pains that are unbearable. These pains are also coupled with nausea and vomiting. The pain is, however, intermittent and sharp. The patient will be very hungry, chilly, thirsty, weak, exhausted. The woman will also be nervous and excitable.
2. Cimicifuga [Cimic]: This is useful in women who have postpartum pains that are intense in the groin area, thighs, hips and back. It helps in cervical dilation and reducing rigidity during examination postpartum. The woman is apprehensive, confused, and paranoid.
3. Pulsatilla: Made from the windflower, it is useful in women who are tearful, sensitive, shy, affection, and requires reassurance. When this reassurance is lacking, she might feel sad, alone, anxious, fearful, or abandoned. There is also an expectation of hugs, consolation, and self-pity. The pain worsens around dusk, the patient craves fatty foods and wishes to be out in the open. There could be other symptoms including varicose veins, nausea, chronic chest congestion, runny nose, and headaches.
4. Sepia: There is a severe, bearing down pain as if the uterus and everything along with it would just pop out. The patient would have severe depression, indifference to the baby, might have never wanted the baby in the first place. She would be sad, offended easily, and irritable. She might have had children with short intervals.

Talk to your homoeopath and there are definitely ways to relieve the postpartum pains completely. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Homeopath.

Infertility is a condition that refers to the inability to conceive, even after regularly having unprotected sex for a period of 6 months at least. In most cases, infertility may also refer to the biological inability of a person to contribute to the process of conception; or to a woman who is incapable of carrying a pregnancy to its full term.

There are several causes behind infertility; but taking the current lifestyle of the people into account, stress and a sedentary lifestyle are emerging as major factors behind this condition.

How do stress and sedentary lifestyle cause infertility?

1. Stress: Stress is turning into a major cause of infertility, esp. in women. A research carried out by Emory University observed 16 women between their mid 20s-30s, with normal weights for a period of 6 months to come to this conclusion. It found out that each of these women did not get their periods for the 6 months under observation due to high amounts of cortisol (stress hormone) in their body. Each of these women had really hectic work lifestyles, which indicated that women with stressful jobs are at a higher risk of experiencing infertility due to stress.

In fact, both the partners, when going through a period of stress, are unable to conceive. However, during periods when they felt good, their chances of having a baby increased dramatically.

2. A Sedentary Lifestyle: Again, more of a risk factor for women than men.
Amongst women, a sedentary lifestyle during teenage causes hormonal imbalance and anovulatory cycles more commonly seen in PCOD (polycystic ovarian disorder - the development of multiple small cysts in the ovary) patients, which is a major cause for infertility.

As for men, those with a sedentary lifestyle generally tend to be overweight or obese, which can lead to low sperm quality. This, in turn, can significantly reduce a couple’s chances of conceiving.

What can do you to prevent infertility?

1. Stay Active: Acupressure, regular exercising, daily brisk walking, practicing yoga and meditation are some of the ways by which you can alleviate the problem of infertility. Each of these activities help in improving the flow of blood to your reproductive organs, which helps in the release of toxins from the body. They also help in enhancing the movement of the pelvic region and in reducing any type of inflammation and pain in the area, thereby increasing your chances of conceiving. The added benefit of practicing these is a significant reduction in your stress levels.

2. Eat Right: Diet too plays a major role. Certain foods are known to boost your fertility, while maintaining proper hormonal balance and reducing the chances of miscarriage. Foods like cold water fish, raw dairy, eggs, tomatoes and dark leafy greens among others should be a part of your daily diet.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!