Dr. Karnikar

Our freedom fighters fought for the country with dedication and passion, to get us our independence. They are the ones responsible for freeing Indian and shaping our country's future.
Freedom Fighters kept themselves physically fit and mentally stable by discipline, so they could arise to any emergency situation all day long, throughout the year. Their physical fitness and stamina played a very important role during war like crisis.

In today's fast paced world, people suffer from lot of stress and strain at every step of life. The concept of 'good health and healthy living' is not possible without any workout. The sense of health consciousness arises only after a sickness. This must be avoided, and the notion 'Prevention is better than cure' be adopted. So, to keep yourself healthy and going, why not follow a freedom fighter's workout regime.

First of all, the notion that one needs to go to the gym or workout on machines needs to be shoved. People in the olden times kept themselves fit without any fancy equipment or machines. They followed rigorous exercise regime and kept themselves healthy and strong. So, to become fit, one should seriously follow different formats of exercising with a routine. Running, swimming, jogging, push-ups, squat are some of the exercises that can be taken up to stay fit.

Doing these aerobic exercises regularly helps in toning almost every muscle in the body. Jogging has been proven to be good for the heart as it reduces the risk of heart diseases. They deliver oxygen to the heart and muscles. This list of exercise is good for people of all generations and sex. To be fit, you can do workouts like Push-ups, Pull-ups, Sit-up and Squat.

1. Push-ups: This exercise helps to improve the muscles of the arms, chest and shoulders. This exercise helps to build abs; it is an exercise for the manly youth.
2. Pull-ups: In this posture of exercising the upper half of the body is pulled. It is simply hanging from a firm rod and pulling your upwards. This exercise is extremely good for your shoulders and arms.
3. Sit-ups: It is the best exercise to build strong abdominal muscles. It also helps the hip muscles. This is a very good exercise pro-pregnancy because most women tend to put on weight.
4. Squat exercise: This is a great exercise which targets quadriceps, hamstrings and rest of the body. It also trains the muscle of the thighs. This is a welcoming exercise for the youth as well as athletes.

Lastly we must workout with the same zeal as our freedom fighters, to keep our body fit as a fiddle. We should follow our exercise schedule religiously and be dedicated to keeping our bodies fit!

The term short stature describes the height of the person that is significantly below the average height for a person's age, sex, racial group, or family. Growth failure is often confused with short stature. Growth failure that occurs over time eventually results in short stature. By definition, growth failure is a medical condition. However, short stature is often a normal variant.

Short stature may or may not be a sign or symptom caused by a medical condition. Your child's growth must be assessed over a period of time and not just at a single point.  Any departure from a prior growth pattern, appropriate for the child's genetic background may signal the appearance of a disease.

Symptoms

Short parents tend to have short children. Children with a family backgroud of short stature does not have any symptoms related to diseases that affect growth.  Children with constitutional growth delay do not have any diseases. These children enter puberty later than their peers. However, because they continue to grow for a longer period of time, they catch up to their peers as they reach their adult height, which is normal and comparable to their parents.

Some symptoms may signal a medical condition causing short stature. The following symptoms should be further investigated by your doctor:

1. Child has stopped growing or is growing slower than expected (less than 4 cm, or 2 in, each year in the pre-pubertal child of elementary school age)
2. Weight loss or gain (more than 5 lbs in a month)
3. Poor nutrition/loss of appetite
4. Delayed puberty (absent breast development by age 14 or absent menstrual spotting by age 15 for a girl or absent enlargement of the testes by age 14 for a boy); note that the presence or absence of pubic hair is not a reliable sign of pubertal development

What Causes Short Stature?

The three major reasons for short stature are constitutional growth delay, genetics and disease.

Constitutional Growth Delay: Some children simply develop later than others. These children are often referred to as 'late bloomers'. These kids are small for their age and often enter puberty later. However, they'll continue to grow after their friends have stopped. They usually catch up by adulthood.

Genetics: If one or both parents are short, there's a strong possibility that their child will also be short. If there are no underlying medical reasons why either parent is short, their child's short stature may be perfectly healthy.

Disease: A number of diseases may cause unusually short stature. These diseases fall into several categories:

1. Endocrine diseases affect hormone production and often height. These include growth hormone deficiency (GHD), hypothyroidism, or low thyroid hormone levels, and Cushing's disease.
2. Chronic diseases can also decrease height through their effects on overall health. Examples of chronic disease are heart disease, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, kidney problems, sickle cell anemia, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Genetic conditions that affect height include Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, and Williams syndrome.
4. Bone and skeletal diseases, such as rickets or achondroplasia, may change stature through their effects on bone growth.

Problems during pregnancy can affect the height of a child. Malnutrition can also lead to short stature.

Healing benefits of saffron

The benefits and medicinal properties of this highly priced spice, make it a valuable culinary ingredient worldwide. Modern research suggests that saffron can be used as an aphrodisiac, diaphoretic [to cause sweating], carminative [ to prevent gas] and to bring on mensuration. Some other benefits are mentioned hereunder:

1. Protects against cancer: saffron contains a dark orange, water soluble carotene called crocin, which is responsible for much of saffron's golden color. Crocin has been found to trigger apoptosis [ programmed cell death] in a number of different types of human cancer cells, leukemia, ovarian carcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, and soft tissue sarcoma. Researchers in mexico who have been studying saffron extract have discovered that saffron and its active components display an ability to inhibit human malignant cells. Not only does the spice inhibit cells that have become cancerous, but it has no such effect on normal cells and actually stimulates their formation and that of lymphocytes [immune cells that help destroy cancer cells].
 
2. Promotes learning and memory retention: recent studies have also demonstrated that saffron extract, specifically its crocin, is useful in the treatment of age related mental impairment. In japan, saffron is encapsulated and used in the treatment of parkinson’s disease, memory loss and inflammation.

3. In delayed puberty: in under developed girls, saffron has an overall stimulant effect. A pinch of saffron crushed in a table spoon of milk is useful to stimulate hormones and bring about desired effect.

4. To increase vitality: in low libido saffron aids as a sexual stimulant and can be consumed in a dose of a pinch in a glass of milk at bed time.

5. In patchy baldness: saffron mixed in liquorice and milk makes an effective topical application to induce hair growth in alopecia.

6. Protection against cold: saffron is a stimulant tonic and very effective to treat cold and fever; saffron mixed in milk and applied over the forehead quickly relieves cold.

7. Food additives: saffron is an excellent replacement for synthetic food additives- for eg: instead of fd and c yellow no 5: a synthetic food coloring agent that is a very common allergy trigger, saffron’s glorious yellow could be an acceptable hypoallergenic choice.

With these benefits known to us, this culinary treasure has to be used and especially in the winter months. Here are some serving ideas:

1. For a wonderful marinade for fish, add saffron threads, garlic and thyme to vinegar.

2. Use saffron to give cakes, pastries and cookies a buttery golden hue and a rich aroma.

3. Cook biryanis with saffron combined with cloves, cinnamon, indian bay leaves and nutmeg for a memorable treat.
 
4. Crush a tiny piece of saffron into a glass of champagne or sparkling apple cider and turn the drink into a golden elixir.

5. Coffee spiced with saffron and cardamom is a soothing and heart healthy drink.

6. Add saffron and cinnamon to whole milk or yogurt and honey for a simple version of the famous indian yogurt drink, lassi.

Saffron as a spice, is generally regarded as safe, however it is not recommended during pregnancy and nursing. It also must also be pointed that large doses i. E. More than 1 or 2 table spoons can be toxic, although saffron poisoning is very rare.

Surprising benefits of garlic
 
Grow beautiful hair with garlic.

Garlic could end your hair loss problems because of its high levels of allicin, a sulfur compound similar to that found in onions, which were found to effectively treat hair loss. Rub sliced cloves of garlic on your scalp, squeezing as you go for the most benefit. You can also infuse oil with garlic and massage it into your scalp.

Garlic clears acne.

It might not be the main ingredient in your drugstore acne medication, but garlic makes a great natural remedy to banish unsightly blemishes. Its antioxidants kill bacteria, so rub a sliced clove of garlic on the pimple for an effective topical treatment.

Garlic prevents and treats colds.

Packed with antioxidants, a daily dose of garlic in your recipes could benefit your immune system. If a cold does sneak by, try sipping garlic tea: steep chopped or minced garlic in hot water for several minutes, then strain and drink. You can add a bit of honey or ginger to improve the taste.

Soothe psoriasis with garlic.

Since garlic has proven anti-inflammatory properties, it could be useful in relieving uncomfortable psoriasis outbreaks. Try rubbing a little garlic oil on the affected area for smooth, rash-free skin.

Control your weight with garlic.

Garlic could help you control your weight, according to nutritionist Cynthia sass, who cites a study that showed mice eating a garlic-rich diet reduced their weight and fat stores. To take advantage of this benefit, try to cook with garlic daily.

Treat athlete's foot with garlic

With its anti-fungal properties, some people swear that a benefit of garlic is its ability to relieve itchy athlete's foot. Soak your feet in a bath of warm water and crushed garlic.

Keep away mosquitoes with garlic.

Mosquitoes don't seem to like garlic. One study in India found that people who rubbed a garlicky concoction on their arms and legs weren't bothered by the pesky buggers. Make a solution of garlic oil, petroleum jelly, and beeswax for a natural repellant or place cloves of garlic nearby

Garlic conquers cold sores.

A popular cold sore home remedy involves holding a bit of crushed garlic directly on the cold sore; its natural anti-inflammatory properties could help reduce pain and swelling.