The seedless plant Azolla (fern from South America) has high nutrition value and increases immunity. Came across this article written by G Manjusainath of Deccan Herald. St. John's hospital has decided to recommend to the state government to allow usage of the fern, Azolla in food to boost people's immunity and nutrition levels. Dr Sunny Chunkapura says it has been researched across the globe. It is being grown extensively by the Community medicine department at St. John's hospital, Bengaluru.
You can make "chutney" of it or add it in any food to increase the nutrition level in your diet. It is quite good for diabetic patients cause it has no starch or fat but only the high nutrition elements. This fern is very helpful for HIV/AIDS patients.
This fern grows in water and needs very little space. Even a tub of water is enough and anyone can grow it at home.
October 28, 2009
April 28, 2009
Facts about Swine Flu
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm
What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans.
How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.
How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.
In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.
How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.
What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.
What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans.
How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.
How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.
In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.
How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.
What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.
April 18, 2009
Whom should I vote for?
The ideal person to vote is a person who is honest, who understands and works for the development of the society.
However it is hard to find such a person. There might be independent candidates who might be good, but it is not practical to vote for an independent candidate as today our nation needs political stability and not a coalition government; which all the time hankers for power and wastes everyone's time and tax payers' money.
In Karnataka, there has always been political instability and most of the governments have never done anything good for the common people.
But since we have to vote, I think it is better trying out our "luck" by voting for the ruling party in the state so that atleast we get some more visibility in the center. Yeah it is not the best decision, but a decision based on practicalities.
It is high time that we change our political system to a 3 party system similar to the US to provide greater stability and to make the politicians answerable to their actions.
We don't need to divide our votes based on religion, caste. We just need good people!
Few of parameters to think about before voting:
1. Does the party we vote for have a good leader? Manmohan Singh/Sonia vs L.K Advani/Modi
2. Does the party have a good track record in implementing their development agenda?
3. How will the country benefit by voting this person/party to power?
However it is hard to find such a person. There might be independent candidates who might be good, but it is not practical to vote for an independent candidate as today our nation needs political stability and not a coalition government; which all the time hankers for power and wastes everyone's time and tax payers' money.
In Karnataka, there has always been political instability and most of the governments have never done anything good for the common people.
But since we have to vote, I think it is better trying out our "luck" by voting for the ruling party in the state so that atleast we get some more visibility in the center. Yeah it is not the best decision, but a decision based on practicalities.
It is high time that we change our political system to a 3 party system similar to the US to provide greater stability and to make the politicians answerable to their actions.
We don't need to divide our votes based on religion, caste. We just need good people!
Few of parameters to think about before voting:
1. Does the party we vote for have a good leader? Manmohan Singh/Sonia vs L.K Advani/Modi
2. Does the party have a good track record in implementing their development agenda?
3. How will the country benefit by voting this person/party to power?
Will power
Do you have the will power? Can you do something once you have decided to do it... I mean something realistic...
What it needs is determination, dedication & discipline!
The problem again is life is uncertain... You could only plan on 60% of your activities as things are too fast to catch up in this fast paced world.
We decide on something and suddenly something else comes in the way and our focus is diverted.. Thus we might lose on the "dedication" that we had started with, however "discipline" can come to our rescue by re-allocating the "dedication"!! And Yes ofcourse "determination" is a mind game! But if you practice your mind to do the thing you have set forth to do, you can get used to it and no longer need the "determination" rather it becomes a habit!
So you start of with determination, then be (disciplined <-> dedicated) and make your determination a habit until you succeed!
Thats the secret of being successful! So finally nothing is impossible. All that it needs is "realistic planning" and the 3 D's
What it needs is determination, dedication & discipline!
The problem again is life is uncertain... You could only plan on 60% of your activities as things are too fast to catch up in this fast paced world.
We decide on something and suddenly something else comes in the way and our focus is diverted.. Thus we might lose on the "dedication" that we had started with, however "discipline" can come to our rescue by re-allocating the "dedication"!! And Yes ofcourse "determination" is a mind game! But if you practice your mind to do the thing you have set forth to do, you can get used to it and no longer need the "determination" rather it becomes a habit!
So you start of with determination, then be (disciplined <-> dedicated) and make your determination a habit until you succeed!
Thats the secret of being successful! So finally nothing is impossible. All that it needs is "realistic planning" and the 3 D's
April 5, 2009
January 27, 2009
Mumbai Marathon 2009
Its been so long... its been a year since i ran... the last that I had run was the 2008 marathon at Mumbai... This time it was gonna be tough... I was running for a cause and I had the marathon bug which pulls me every time to Mumbai to run the full-marathon (42.195 kms).
Had been doing some little push-ups, training my legs and doing some stretching, but it was not enough... Luckily my friend Subash had told me that there was this mid-night marathon in whitefield, b'lore on the 10th of jan 09. So without much preparation I went to run the half-marathon along with Subash.
Subash's parents had come along to cheer us up and the event had quite a lot of marathoners' for the odd-time that it was! We finished the tiring and tough track that it was with full of up-hill and down-hill to do... The weather though chilling wasn't good for people who were walking as the only way to keep ourselves warm was by running... while walking, the cold used to get in and make you stiff... Anyways after running 5 kms Subash got a bit tired and he started walking.. I guess he was alternating between long walks and short runs... I continued to run but at one place I made the mistake of taking glucose (powder) and that too without water. It made me very thirsty and kind of broke my run. So I started my walk and the pace of which is quite slow compared to others... I finished the 1st lap of the track in just an hour. But the 2nd track took quite a time and I think I finished the 22 kms in 2.5 hours. Finally got on to my bike and sped back home. It was 3 am and I was getting a head-ache. The body clock had started sending warning signs and so reached home in the chilling cold with my hands frozen as I hadn't got any gloves. Finally reached home near IIM-B in flat 25 mins and crashed into my bed!
Every year I do the half-marathon at b'lore as a practice for my full-marathon that I do at Mumbai. This one really helped as I burned some of the body fat accumilated over the year :) Anyways now it was time for the full-marathon and I was just recuperating from the body-ache that I had earned from the mid-night marathon. Luckily within a couple of days I was feeling better. I had booked a bus ticket for my journey to Mumbai and had booked a return flight back to b'lore.
I left b'luru on friday evening and reached mumbai the next day morning. Went to my aunt's place and had a nice nap! I refrained from the vada pavs' and all the tempting, mouth-watering oily food. Though I quenched my thirst with sugarcane juice that was present in each nook & corner and finally sunday morning arrived. My uncle who is a veteran marathoner, woke me up at 4:50 am and I got ready in a couple of mins.. He had trained himself in Talwarkars' and had a group of friends running the marathon. Uncle was running for the "end polio campaign" and he's my inspiration! I knew I would take around 6.5 hours to finish the marathon, while uncle was aiming at 4 hours.
So we caught the train to Azad Maidan. We were there at 6:15 am and there was a huge crowd and a queue. This time there was lot of security arrangement due to the Mumbai attacks and so it took us some time to enter the starting point of the run. Finally we started the run at 6:45 am along with the half-marathoners as the organizers wanted to give the slow runners extra time to finish the marathon.
I started the run quite slowly along with my uncle. Uncle was doing quite a lot to train for the marathon. He was doing a lot of running and then yoga, medidation and some gym...
Anyways my plan of just running with my uncle failed as my uncle kept a good steady pace even after 4 kms of continuous running. So I decided I would run at my own pace as I didn't want to hurt my legs and I need all my energy to finish the marathon!
So I was all alone but with the 30k runners! It was a very humid and hot weather that day. at around 8 am, came the International Professional runners, running like deers. I was lucky to get off them as unknowingly I came in the way of one of the runners, who pushed me gently to move me to the side. I was quite at the side of the road at chowpatty, but there were too many runners and they were almost taking the entire space of road... Anyways I just was angry with the guy who had pushed me, but then I thought it just happens and told myself to forget about it...
What excites me about Mumbai is the clean and wide roads and the crowds who support the marathoners all the way! The number of people who participate is overwhelming... Its absolutely amazing to run in the mumbai marathon... My heart beats like crazy everytime I approach the start line, I pray to God that things will be alright and he gives everyone the hope and courage to face the toughest of challenges. My eyes are filled with tears at the starting point... Some kind of emotional thoughts come and go and I get really motivated to do the marathon and then on hoping to do much more greater things for the greater good of everyone...
Anyways Haji Ali came up quickly and then I was done with 14 kms, the 1st of the 3 phases that I have divided the marathon into. Usually the first phase is the easiest and 2nd very tiring and the 3rd very painful :)
Mahalakshi temple and Haji Ali are 2 important places there. Then comes, Nehru centre, Worli Diary, Siddhi Vinayak temple and then Hinduja Hospital... Finally the toughest being Bandra Reclamation where the heat and odour is disgusting. This is the tiring part... And then I walked along to not hurt my legs... Then came the volunteers in the bus to pick up people who were finding it tough to finish the race... Then the police asked us (runners) to move to the side and use the foot path and the 4 hours time given for the marthon had ended. Many of us continued our journey to the finish. It was tough and agonizing. The mind tells you that it is enough. Don't trouble your limbs any more. The limbs I am alright, but I am not sure how far can I take you... After having a fight with my mind, I was at Haji Ali. Now it was an up-hill and very painful. The heat was unbearable. Very humid weather, it was taking a toll on all the marathoners. Thankfully finished Haji Ali by alternating my walks with some short runs... Finally I was at Chowpatty and the end was nearing. Slowly pulled myself and just a few kms before the finish I turned to a wrong road, which lead me right into Azad Maidan instead of the finish line. I had asked a pedestrian for the road to the marathon finish line and he directed me through another route. Anyways I reached Azad Maidan. That was the end of my 3rd Mumbai Marathon. Vowing to do it in less than 5 hours next year, I went back home to give my body a much needed break! I was not able to sleep as my body was kind of overheated though I was alright.
That evening spent some time with cousins and finally had a light dinner and went to sleep. Got up at 4:50 am for the second time to catch my flight back to b'lore. Unfortunately I hadn't thought about the goodies bag that I had been given by the organizers which had a lot of gel/oil tubes/bottles. The security didn't let me take one of the moisturiser inside the goodie bag :(
I don't understand the kind of security system we have these days... Anyways finally I was greeted by bengaluru international airport to a pleasant weather. It lasted for a few mins after which i was greeted by the bad b'luru traffic :)
I was limping for a couple of days of the run. But now I feel much stronger and ready to run! I ran with 2 things on my mind. Educating the poor kids and helping the wild life. Finishing off with the donations I am now looking to do some volunteering work.
Thats it from me. Hope to be back again with a bang!
Had been doing some little push-ups, training my legs and doing some stretching, but it was not enough... Luckily my friend Subash had told me that there was this mid-night marathon in whitefield, b'lore on the 10th of jan 09. So without much preparation I went to run the half-marathon along with Subash.
Subash's parents had come along to cheer us up and the event had quite a lot of marathoners' for the odd-time that it was! We finished the tiring and tough track that it was with full of up-hill and down-hill to do... The weather though chilling wasn't good for people who were walking as the only way to keep ourselves warm was by running... while walking, the cold used to get in and make you stiff... Anyways after running 5 kms Subash got a bit tired and he started walking.. I guess he was alternating between long walks and short runs... I continued to run but at one place I made the mistake of taking glucose (powder) and that too without water. It made me very thirsty and kind of broke my run. So I started my walk and the pace of which is quite slow compared to others... I finished the 1st lap of the track in just an hour. But the 2nd track took quite a time and I think I finished the 22 kms in 2.5 hours. Finally got on to my bike and sped back home. It was 3 am and I was getting a head-ache. The body clock had started sending warning signs and so reached home in the chilling cold with my hands frozen as I hadn't got any gloves. Finally reached home near IIM-B in flat 25 mins and crashed into my bed!
Every year I do the half-marathon at b'lore as a practice for my full-marathon that I do at Mumbai. This one really helped as I burned some of the body fat accumilated over the year :) Anyways now it was time for the full-marathon and I was just recuperating from the body-ache that I had earned from the mid-night marathon. Luckily within a couple of days I was feeling better. I had booked a bus ticket for my journey to Mumbai and had booked a return flight back to b'lore.
I left b'luru on friday evening and reached mumbai the next day morning. Went to my aunt's place and had a nice nap! I refrained from the vada pavs' and all the tempting, mouth-watering oily food. Though I quenched my thirst with sugarcane juice that was present in each nook & corner and finally sunday morning arrived. My uncle who is a veteran marathoner, woke me up at 4:50 am and I got ready in a couple of mins.. He had trained himself in Talwarkars' and had a group of friends running the marathon. Uncle was running for the "end polio campaign" and he's my inspiration! I knew I would take around 6.5 hours to finish the marathon, while uncle was aiming at 4 hours.
So we caught the train to Azad Maidan. We were there at 6:15 am and there was a huge crowd and a queue. This time there was lot of security arrangement due to the Mumbai attacks and so it took us some time to enter the starting point of the run. Finally we started the run at 6:45 am along with the half-marathoners as the organizers wanted to give the slow runners extra time to finish the marathon.
I started the run quite slowly along with my uncle. Uncle was doing quite a lot to train for the marathon. He was doing a lot of running and then yoga, medidation and some gym...
Anyways my plan of just running with my uncle failed as my uncle kept a good steady pace even after 4 kms of continuous running. So I decided I would run at my own pace as I didn't want to hurt my legs and I need all my energy to finish the marathon!
So I was all alone but with the 30k runners! It was a very humid and hot weather that day. at around 8 am, came the International Professional runners, running like deers. I was lucky to get off them as unknowingly I came in the way of one of the runners, who pushed me gently to move me to the side. I was quite at the side of the road at chowpatty, but there were too many runners and they were almost taking the entire space of road... Anyways I just was angry with the guy who had pushed me, but then I thought it just happens and told myself to forget about it...
What excites me about Mumbai is the clean and wide roads and the crowds who support the marathoners all the way! The number of people who participate is overwhelming... Its absolutely amazing to run in the mumbai marathon... My heart beats like crazy everytime I approach the start line, I pray to God that things will be alright and he gives everyone the hope and courage to face the toughest of challenges. My eyes are filled with tears at the starting point... Some kind of emotional thoughts come and go and I get really motivated to do the marathon and then on hoping to do much more greater things for the greater good of everyone...
Anyways Haji Ali came up quickly and then I was done with 14 kms, the 1st of the 3 phases that I have divided the marathon into. Usually the first phase is the easiest and 2nd very tiring and the 3rd very painful :)
Mahalakshi temple and Haji Ali are 2 important places there. Then comes, Nehru centre, Worli Diary, Siddhi Vinayak temple and then Hinduja Hospital... Finally the toughest being Bandra Reclamation where the heat and odour is disgusting. This is the tiring part... And then I walked along to not hurt my legs... Then came the volunteers in the bus to pick up people who were finding it tough to finish the race... Then the police asked us (runners) to move to the side and use the foot path and the 4 hours time given for the marthon had ended. Many of us continued our journey to the finish. It was tough and agonizing. The mind tells you that it is enough. Don't trouble your limbs any more. The limbs I am alright, but I am not sure how far can I take you... After having a fight with my mind, I was at Haji Ali. Now it was an up-hill and very painful. The heat was unbearable. Very humid weather, it was taking a toll on all the marathoners. Thankfully finished Haji Ali by alternating my walks with some short runs... Finally I was at Chowpatty and the end was nearing. Slowly pulled myself and just a few kms before the finish I turned to a wrong road, which lead me right into Azad Maidan instead of the finish line. I had asked a pedestrian for the road to the marathon finish line and he directed me through another route. Anyways I reached Azad Maidan. That was the end of my 3rd Mumbai Marathon. Vowing to do it in less than 5 hours next year, I went back home to give my body a much needed break! I was not able to sleep as my body was kind of overheated though I was alright.
That evening spent some time with cousins and finally had a light dinner and went to sleep. Got up at 4:50 am for the second time to catch my flight back to b'lore. Unfortunately I hadn't thought about the goodies bag that I had been given by the organizers which had a lot of gel/oil tubes/bottles. The security didn't let me take one of the moisturiser inside the goodie bag :(
I don't understand the kind of security system we have these days... Anyways finally I was greeted by bengaluru international airport to a pleasant weather. It lasted for a few mins after which i was greeted by the bad b'luru traffic :)
I was limping for a couple of days of the run. But now I feel much stronger and ready to run! I ran with 2 things on my mind. Educating the poor kids and helping the wild life. Finishing off with the donations I am now looking to do some volunteering work.
Thats it from me. Hope to be back again with a bang!
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