Healthy Flying..Tips......

There was a time when jumping on a plane was a relatively easy thing to do (assuming you had the money). But today's flying experience is often more of an ordeal than a pleasure, aggravated by concerns about terrorism, long queues for safety and security checks, and other irritants such as checking the long lists of things you can and can't take with you.

As well as the stress that precedes departure, there are the physical health issues, ranging from aching limbs, swollen ankles, and sleep disruption, to what has been popularly described as "economy class syndrome" (the possibility of deep vein thrombosis, DVT), and of course, coping with jet lag.

Yet despite these drawbacks, more of us are boarding planes than ever before. World air travel has grown by around 5% a year over the past 30 years. In 2006, the world's 2,000-plus airlines flew 23,000 aircraft carrying more than 2 billion passengers on almost 28 million scheduled flights.

Perhaps our growing predilection for air travel is explained by Dr Roy L. DeHart, an expert in aerospace medicine, who in 2003 wrote: "although there are numerous health issues associated with air travel they pale in comparison to the enormous benefits to the traveler, to commerce, to international affairs, and to the public's health."

So given there are some things we can't change about air travel, what are the things we can do something about to protect our health and ensure our comfort while flying?

This article offers you some tips garnered from various sources, including official advice from medical and travel experts, as well as from frequent travellers' personal experiences, on how to minimize the effects of jet lag, increase your comfort and chances of getting some good sleep on board, and also tips on exercises and reducing the risk of DVT.

Jet Lag

Jet lag is the result of travelling across several times zones, causing symptoms like fatigue and sleep disruption. Our biological clock is attuned to the day-night cycle of the start of our journey, so when we travel to a different time zone quickly, as we do when flying, our body is still functioning as if we were in the time zone we have left behind. It can take anything between 2 days and 2 weeks for it to adjust completely to the new time zone, depending on how far you have travelled.

Here are some tips to minimize the effects of jet lag:

• Set your watch to the time zone of your destination before you depart.
• If you are flying WEST (eg Paris to Vancouver, Bangkok to London): stay awake as long as you can when you get there. It is easier to endure a longer day that it is to shorten your body's natural rhythm. Also, if you can, try going to bed and getting up later for a few days before you travel.
• If you are flying EAST (eg Mexico City to Frankfurt, Johannesburg to Sydney): try to sleep on the plane while it is night time at your destination. When you arrive, try not to sleep during the day, or it will take longer for your body clock to change to the new time zone. You can also prepare for the adjustment by getting up and going to bed earlier for a few days before you travel.
• When you arrive at your destination, get into the local routine as soon as possible.
• At your destination, try to stay outside during daylight as much as you can (while being sensible about sun exposure and sunburn risk), because natural light helps your body clock to adjust.
• If you have travelled west, go outdoors in the morning and stay indoors in the afternoon for the first few days: if you have travelled east, avoid morning light and try to get more outdoor light in the afternoon.
• If you are going on a short trip, for instance if you are a member of aircrew or a business person going to a meeting, then it doesn't make sense to try and adapt to the local time zone, you are probably best advised to keep to your home time zone.
• If your business meeting is very important, getting there a half or full day early will give you more time to adapt and be fully alert. Alternatively, try to schedule it to coincide with daytime in your home time zone.

Some research has found that taking Melatonin at bedtime in the new time zone is effective for about 50% of people, but clinical studies have not yet been done to prove it is safe and effective and at what dose. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) the UK's specialist aviation regulator, aircrew are not allowed to use it. Melatonin is a hormone that is stimulated by darkness and suppressed when it is light.

Some people swear by sleeping tablets, but healthcare provider BUPA warns you should first talk to your doctor before using them on flights and for jet lag. He or she may advise you take them just for a couple of days while your body clock adjusts. But you shouldn't take them in flight because this will encourage you to sit still for too long which increases the risk of DVT (more about this later). Also, you should not drink alcohol when taking sleeping tablets, as this can make you even sleepier and therefore less mobile.

Comfort and Sleep

Many people find it difficult to sleep on a plane, and no wonder, when you consider all the distractions, noises, children crying, light streaming in through the window (daylight is very bright at 35,000 feet!), and to cap it all, you don't have enough leg room, you feel cold, your shoes are too tight, and it's not easy to sleep upright!

Well, even with these disadvantages stacked against you, the following tips may ease in enough comfort to enable you grab a few hours of good sleep on your next long haul flight:

• Choose your seat wisely. This advice comes from the editor of independenttraveler.com, who suggests you pick a window seat so you can lean against it (it also gives you control over the sunshade!) and stay out of the way of people climbing over you or going up and down the aisle and leaning into or falling against you just as you are dropping off.


• Also, think twice about reserving exit row and bulkhead seats, sometimes the advantage of extra legroom is outweighed by armrests that don't raise and seats that don't recline (so they don't cause an obstruction in an emergency). This could also be a noisy section of the airplane as these seats are often reserved for families with young children.


• The same goes for the last row: the seats may not recline and if they are near the toilets, you could be troubled by noise and smell!


• Check out Seat Guru from tripadvisor: tap in the flight number and you can see the layout of the plane and review advice on the pros and cons of different seating areas.


• Take only one small bag as hand luggage, so you don't have to jam one under your feet and restrict your legroom. Keep all the things you are going to need on the flight at the top of the bag, and put a few in the pocket of the seat in front, but not too many or the flight attendant may ask you to remove them if they bulge out and potentially obstruct passenger evacuation.


• Bring a neck pillow, an eye mask for blocking out light, and warm socks (it can get chilly down near the feet during a long haul flight).


• Some people don't find neck pillows very comfortable: try out a few. Some of the ones you blow up have an annoying seam that sticks into your skin when your head flops over! Those velvety, already-blown-up ones seem better, but try them out first.


• Wear loose, comfortable clothing and go for layers that you can peel off easily when you get too warm or put on again if you get cold, for example a loose long sleeved T-shirt and a body warmer might be more practical than a jumper.


• Wear comfortable soft shoes that you can slip on and off easily: your feet will swell during the flight.


• Board early to make sure you get your pillow and blanket: if there isn't one for your seat, tell the flight attendant and get your claim in early!


• If you are someone who can't sleep after drinking caffeine, then stay off it for a few hours before and during the flight. Remember that some soft drinks and tea also have caffeine.

Fasting and your health.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan can be good for your health if it’s done correctly.

 

When the body is starved of food, it starts to burn fat so that it can make energy. This can lead to weight loss. However, if you fast for too long your body will eventually start breaking down muscle protein for energy, which is unhealthy.

Dr Razeen Mahroof, an anaesthetist from Oxford, says there's a strong relationship between diet and health.

“Ramadan isn’t always thought of as being an opportunity to lose weight because the spiritual aspect is emphasised more generally than the health aspect," he says. "However, it’s a great chance to get the physical benefits as well.”

Source of energy

The changes that happen in the body during a fast depend on the length of the continuous fast. The body enters into a fasting state eight hours or so after the last meal, when the gut finishes absorbing nutrients from the food.

In the normal state, body glucose, which is stored in the liver and muscles, is the body’s main source of energy. During a fast, this store of glucose is used up first to provide energy. Later in the fast, once the glucose runs out, fat becomes the next source of energy for the body.

With a prolonged fast of many days or weeks, the body starts using protein for energy.

This is the technical description of what is commonly known as ‘starvation’. It is clearly unhealthy. It involves protein being released by the breakdown of muscle, which is why people who starve look very thin and become very weak.

However, you are unlikely to reach the starvation stage during Ramadan because the fast is broken daily.

Gentle transition

As the Ramadan fast only lasts from dawn till dusk, the body's energy can be replaced in the pre-dawn and dusk meals.

This provides a gentle transition from using glucose as the main source of energy, to using fat, and prevents the breakdown of muscle for protein.

Dr Mahroof says the use of fat for energy helps weight loss. It preserves the muscles and eventually reduces your cholesterol level. In addition, weight loss results in better control of diabetes and reduces blood pressure.

“A detoxification process also occurs, because any toxins stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body,” says Dr Mahroof.

After a few days of the fast, higher levels of endorphins appear in the blood, making you more alert and giving an overall feeling of general mental wellbeing.

A balanced food and fluid intake is important between fasts. The kidneys are very efficient at maintaining the body’s water and salts, such as sodium and potassium. However, these can be lost through perspiration.

To prevent muscle breakdown, meals must contain enough energy food, such as carbohydrates and some fat.

“The way to approach your diet during fasting is similar to the way you should be eating outside Ramadan," says Dr Mahroof. "You should have a balanced diet with the right proportion of carbs, fat and protein.”

Ramadan Mubarak.........

Health care to all Americans...What's in, what's out in the nation's health plan

Six years ago, candidate Barack Obama stood before Iowa voters and unveiled a plan designed to extend health care to all Americans.

"We can do this," he said with confidence. "The time has come for universal, affordable health care in America."

Three years ago,
President Barack Obama signed into law a plan designed to extend coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people.

"This is what change looks like," he exulted.

Not so fast.

Obama's message now boils down to this: Be patient, not yet, adjust your expectations.

A look at how the scope of Obama's health-care plan has narrowed in recent years:

PUBLIC OPTION? Never mind.

Obama once trumpeted the idea of providing a public option in health care, in essence a government-run plan that would be one of many choices for people seeking affordable care. That idea, popular with liberals but opposed by conservatives and many moderates, never made it into the health-care law. In the quest for a workable compromise, Obama deemed it expendable.

LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE? Buh-bye.

When the president signed his health-care plan into law, it included a proposal to provide basic long-term care insurance at an affordable cost. Before the program ever got off the ground, though, the administration ditched it last spring for fear it would turn into a financial drain. It could take be years before lawmakers to tackle the issue again.

COVERAGE FOR THE NEEDIEST? Not in every state.

The law envisioned millions of the neediest Americans gaining health insurance by enrolling in Medicaid, with coverage starting in January. But the Supreme Court threw a wrench in that plan last year when it gave states the right to opt out of the Medicaid expansion plan. Because of Republican opposition in many states, it looks like nearly 2 in 3 of those who would qualify for new Medicaid coverage may be out of luck because their state lawmakers have not agreed to expand the program.

WHAT ABOUT WORKERS? A longer wait.

The law requires companies with 50 or more workers to offer affordable coverage to full-time employees or risk a series of escalating tax penalties. Originally, that requirement was supposed to take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. But now the administration is pushing that requirement back a year, citing the complexity of the undertaking. Most medium and large business already offer health insurance. Those most likely to be affected by the delay: low-wage workers at hotels, restaurants and stores.

WHAT'S LEFT? Plenty.

Starting next year individuals will be required to carry health insurance or face fines. People who are uninsured will be able to shop for affordable coverage through online marketplaces. Middle-class people who don't have coverage through their jobs will use the marketplace to apply for tax credits to help pay their premiums. Low-income people will be steered to the Medicaid expansion — if their state participates. Insurance companies will be required to accept people regardless of their medical problems. A number of other changes already have taken effect, including a provision that allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26 and a ban on lifetime limits on insurance coverage.

MORE...

Even though some firms won't have to offer insurance next year, workers can still get it.

The sudden delay of a major part of President Obama's historic health-care overhaul is raising questions about other potential problems lurking in the homestretch.

The requirement that many employers provide coverage is just one part of a complex law. But its one-year postponement has taken administration allies and adversaries alike by surprise.

White House officials said Wednesday that the delay was firm and would not be extended after a year - and that the overhaul will still be fully implemented by the time Obama leaves office. But the officials, who were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations on the record and spoke only on condition of anonymity, wouldn't rule out delays or tweaks to other provisions.

The White House action means that some companies that would have offered health insurance next year to avoid fines will not do so now. They're mainly firms with many low-wage workers, such as restaurants, hotels and temporary staffing companies.

The workers, however, will still be able to get coverage. Many may qualify for subsidized insurance through new marketplaces to debut Oct. 1, less than three months away.

The fact that new problems are popping up at this late stage could be a sign of additional troublesome issues ahead. It underscores a recent warning by the Government Accountability Office that the "timely and smooth" rollout of the new insurance markets can't be guaranteed, partly because much of the technology to run them hasn't been fully tested.

The timing of the announcement was also widely mentioned.

"It's understandable that when you announce a change in the law just before the Fourth of July holiday, it raises questions," said Drew Altman, president of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. "Critics will jump on it and use it as more ammunition against the law."

The foundation is a research group that has closely followed the evolution of the health law since it was signed in 2010.

The development was seen as noteworthy by both critics and allies of the new law.

"We are concerned that the delay further erodes the coverage that was envisioned," said Rich Umbdenstock, president of the American Hospital Association, which has supported the Affordable Care Act.

Just over a week ago, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius officially launched the 100-day countdown to the new insurance markets. Uninsured Americans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will be able to shop online for health plans, and most will get government subsidies to pay their premiums for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1.

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett wrote in her blog that the administration is "on target" to open the new health insurance markets and it's "full steam ahead."

What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin D?What Is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin, a group of fat-soluble prohormones, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calciumand phosphorous. People who are exposed to normal quantities of sunlight do not need vitamin D supplements because sunlight promotes sufficient vitamin D synthesis in the skin. 

Five forms of vitamin D have been discovered, vitamin D₁, D₂, D₃, D₄, D₅. The two forms that seem to matter to humans the most are vitamins D₂ (ergocalciferol) and D₃(cholecalciferol). 

Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, suggesting a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss.

Data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), USA found that 9% (7.6 million) of children across the USA were vitamin D deficient (defined as less than 15 ng/mL of blood), while another 61 percent, or 50.8 million, were vitamin D insufficient (15 to 29 ng/mL) (reference "We expected the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency would be high, but the magnitude of the problem nationwide was shocking," says lead author Juhi Kumar, M.D., M.P.H., a fellow in pediatrics at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, The University Hospital and Academic Medical Center for Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Vitamin D for humans is obtained from sun exposure, food and supplements. It is biologically inert and has to undergo two hydroxylation reactions to become active in the body. The active form of vitamin D in the body is called Calcitriol (1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol). 

Calcitriol promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food in the gut and reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys - this increases the flow of calcium in the bloodstream. This is essential for the normal mineralization of bone and preventing hypocalcemic tetany. Hypocalcemic tetany is a low calcium condition in which the patient has overactive neurological reflexes, spasms of the hands and feet, cramps and spasms of the voice box (larynx). Calcitriol also plays a key role in the maintenance of many organ systems.

Various forms of vitamin D

We know about 5 forms of vitamin D, of which vitamins D₂ and D₃ are the major forms as far as humans are concerned. They are known collectively as calciferol.

• Vitamin D₁, molecular compound of ergocalciferol with lumisterol.


• Vitamin D₂, ergocalciferol (made from ergosterol).
  
  It is produced by invertebrates (animals without a spine, vertebral column), fungus and plants in response to sunlight (UV irradiation). Humans and other vertebrates do not produce vitamin D₂. We don't know much about what vitamin D₂ does in invertebrates. We know that ergosterol is a good absorber of ultraviolet radiation which can damage DNA, RNA and protein; consequently many scientists believe it may serve as a sunscreen that protects organisms from sunlight damage.


• Vitamin D₃, cholecalciferol (made from 7-dehydrocholesterol).
  
  Vitamin D₃ is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light at 270-300 nm wavelengths - peak vitamin D₃ production occurs between 295-297 nm. It is only when the UV index is greater than 3 that these UVB wavelengths are present.
  
  A UV index of more than 3 occurs every day in the tropics, every day during some of spring, all of summer, and parts of autumn in temperate areas, and hardly ever at all in the arctic circles. Temperate regions are all regions outside the tropics and arctic circles. The number of days of the year when the UV index is greater than 3 become fewer the further you move away from the tropics.
  
  A human requires ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week on the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen with a greater than 3 UV index for adequate amounts of vitamin D₃. Longer exposure results in the extra vitamin supply being degraded as fast as it is generated.


• Vitamin D₄, 22-dihydroergocalciferol.


• Vitamin D₅, sitocalciferol (made from 7-dehydrositosterol).

Which is more important for humans, vitamins D₂ or D₃?

Both vitamins D₂ and D₃ are used in human nutritional supplements. Pharmaceutical forms include calcitriol (1alpha, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol), doxercalciferol and calcipotriene. The majority of scientists state that D₂ and D₃ are equally effective in our bloodstream. However, some say that D₃ is more effective. Animal experiments, specifically on rats, indicate that D₂ is more effective than D₃.

What do we need vitamin D for?

• It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones.


• It is an immune system regulator.


• It may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, say scientists from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston.


• It may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is much less common the nearer you get to the tropics, where there is much more sunlight, according to Dennis Bourdette, chairman of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University, USA.


• Vitamin D may have a key role in helping the brain to keep working well in later life, according to a study of 3000 European men between the ages of 40 and 79.


• Vitamin D is probably linked to maintaining a healthy body weight, according to research carried out at the Medical College of Georgia, USA.


• It can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, and also the likelihood of hospitalizations due to asthma, researchers from Harvard Medical School found after monitoring 616 children in Costa Rica.


• It has been shown to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.


• A form of vitamin D could be one of our body's main protections against damage from low levels of radiation, say radiological experts from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.


• Various studies have shown that people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, compared to people with lower levels. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status, in a study carried out by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.


• High vitamin D doses can help people recover from tuberculosis more rapidly, researchers reported in September 2012 in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).


• An additional study published in September 2012 suggested that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attack and early death.

A study published in JAMA in October 2012 found that vitamin C does not help reduce how often or how severely we catch colds.

Sunlight and vitamin D requirements

If you live in the tropics and can expose your unprotected skin to two sessions of 15 minutes of sunlight each week your body will naturally produce adequate amounts of vitamin D. The following factors may reduce your body's vitamin D synthesis:

• If you live far from the equator, your sunlight exposure will be less during many months of the year.
• Cloud cover
• Smog
• Sunscreens

If your body cannot produce enough vitamin D because of insufficient sunlight exposure you will need to obtain it from foods and perhaps supplements. Experts say that people with a high risk of vitamin D deficiency should consume 25 μg (1000 IU) of vitamin D each day so that there is a good level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the bloodstream. Elderly people, as well as people with dark skin should consume extra vitamin D for good health. 

Vitamin D levels in women in winter - women with arthritis, diabetes and some other chronic conditions are much more susceptible to drops in vitamin D levels during the winter months, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., reported at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Pathology Annual Meeting. They added that doctors should become aware of this and help these patients maintain adequate levels of vitamin D during the winter season.

How much vitamin D do I need?

The information below relates to people who do not have exposure to sunlight. 

According to the Food Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, which created the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), people should be intaking the following amounts of vitamin D if nothing is being synthesized (no sunlight exposure):

• Children up to 13 years - 5 mcg (200 IU)
• 14-18 years - 5 mcg (200 IU)
• 19-50 years - 5mcg (200 IU)
• 51-70 years - 10 mcg (400 IU)
• 71+ years - 15 mcg (600 IU)

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that exclusively or partially breastfed babies should receive supplements of 400 UI per day shortly after birth, and when they are weaned they should consume a minimum of 1,000 mL/day of vitamin D fortified formula or whole milk. Non-breastfed infants consuming less than 1,000 mL/day of vitamin D-fortified formula or milk should receive a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU per day. It also recommends that older children and adolescents who do not get 400 IU per day through vitamin D fortified milk and foods should take a 400 IU vitamin supplement each day.

Vitamin D and nutrition

Over the last few hundred years human lifestyles have changed. The industrial revolution resulted in more indoor work and less exposure to sunlight. Many societies around the world wore more clothing over the centuries, further reducing skin exposure to sunlight. These changes have brought with them a significant reduction in the natural production of vitamin D and subsequent diseases. 

Countries responded to these changes by fortifying some foods with vitamins D2 and D3, examples include breakfast cereals, bread, pastries, oil spreads, margarine, milk and other dairy products. Initially, some scientists complained that nutritional fortification and recommended supplementation doses were not making up for the shortfall. These people were ignored, and sometimes ridiculed - however, over the last few years studies indicate that they may have been right after all. 

Not that many foods contain vitamin D. Some fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, as well as fish liver oils are considered to be the best sources. Some vitamin D is also present in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. Most of these are Vitamin D3. Some mushrooms provide variable amounts of vitamin D2.

Most of the food sourced vitamin D in the western diet comes from fortified foods - where vitamin D is artificially added. Most US milk is fortified with 100 IU/cup of vitamin D. In the 1930s milk was fortified in many countries to combat rickets, which was a major health problem then.

Vitamin D levels in pregnancy protects mother but not baby from MS

Pregnant women, and women in general, have a lower risk of developing MS (multiple sclerosis) if their vitamin D levels are high. Researchers from Umeå University Hospital added that the developing fetus does not appear to receive the same protection if the mother's vitamin D levels are high. They reported their findings in the journal Neurology.

Study author, neurologist Jonatan Salzer, MD said:

Food and Nutrition

we all need adequate food and nourishment. Food, which is essential for survival and growth of human beings, can also lead us to many health risks if not chosen properly. But, before we discuss its beneficiaries and functions, let us define what is Food and Nutrition?

Food is made up of any substance, composed of carbohydrates, water, proteins, and fats either eaten or drunk by any animal, including humans to give energy or help build up the body for growth.

Nutrition is the process in which you consume food or nourishing liquids, digest and absorb them and use them for health and growth.
Also, Nutrition can be defined as a three-part process i.e. consumption, digestion and circulation of the food. The origin of the word ‘nutrition’ is linked to the Latin words ‘nutritionem and nutrire,’ meaning ‘’a nourishing’’ or ‘’to nourish, suckle.’’

As the saying goes, `we are what we eat, ` good nutrition plays a vital role in our wellbeing, helping to keep the mind and the body fit.