Avoid red meat, dairy products in winter

NEW DELHI: Dry fruits, nuts, tulsi, ginger, leafy vegetables in your meals in winter is good, but avoid red meat and control the intake of milk products, suggest experts.

Bhavishya Wadhwan, Founder at 98FIT and Neha Ranglani Nutritionist and lifestyle educator, have listed food habits not advisable for the cold season:

* Dairy products: Although milk is known as a complete food, but in winter it is better to reduce its intake. Milk causes phlegm and can thicken the phlegm already present. This makes you more uncomfortable and increases the irritation in the throat.

* Hot or cold drinks: Everybody loves hot coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate in winters. But we need to keep in mind the amount of fat and caffeine they contain. These drinks dehydrate your body, which leads to much thicker mucus. So, it is best to avoid caffeine and opt for water or herbal fusions instead.

* Red meat: Meat and eggs are known to be the best source of protein. High protein can cause a build-up of mucus in your throat. Processed meat and high fat meat can cause problem, while fish and poultry are relatively safer. But you must choose organic meat instead of processed.

* Fried food: Deep fried food is a source of trans-fat and adds up to your total calorie consumption without giving you any actual food value. Fried food also run the risk of making your stomach upset.

* Non seasonal fruits: Whenever a particular fruit is available on off-season, don't consume them as they are not fresh. This is because it may lead to illness and health issues. Intake of more citrus fruits during winter season will boost up our body metabolism.

* Sugar: Cold weather and hot chocolate go hand in hand, but many doctors believe that too much sugar can weaken your immune system. One study found subjects who had just consumed a lot of sugar weren't able to fight off bacteria as compared to those who had mostly water.

* Alcohol: During winter, we naturally tend to drink less water and due to the dry weather, the chance of being dehydrated is high. Alcohol can be a good option to warm up your body but alcohol dehydrates the body extensively which can be most damaging during winter.

Moreover, alcohol increases your body temperature quickly which adds to the chance of getting cold during winter.

Common myths about sex

Masturbation is a way of releasing pent up sexual energy. Most people start masturbating at the time of puberty. Myths surrounding the act are that it reduces virility by making the semen less thick thereby reducing the chances of a man to bear children. This is totally untrue. Masturbation does not cause any loss of strength or virility in a person. So, masturbation does not lead to impotence, blindness, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, insanity or any other health hazards.

Men as well as women both are capable of enjoying sex equally. This myth exists because there is a basic difference between male and female sexuality. Male sexuality is body oriented. A man gets attracted to a woman's body. If he finds her body attractive, he gets interested in sex, irrespective of whether he loves her or not. Female sexuality is more heart oriented. She can be interested in having sex with a man mostly if she is in love with the person. This is the basic difference. 

Moreover, there is another difference wherein a man's sexuality is very intercourse oriented. He is very eager to have intercourse and unless intercourse happens he doesn't get satisfied. Against this, a woman does enjoy intercourse but her sexuality is very much foreplay oriented. Good foreplay is very much required for a woman to enjoy sex and ultimately to enjoy intercourse. If there is not adequate foreplay, she may not enjoy intercourse that much or she may not be able to achieve orgasm. This is the difference between male sexuality and female sexuality.

Most important fact to understand is that penile size has no correlation with your partners sexual satisfaction. The size of the penis can be very variable. The vaginal canal is about 9 cm long and only the outer one third of it has sensations. Therefore, a female partner can easily be satisfied if the penile length is 3 cm after erection.

There is no difference between the sexual pleasure experienced between men who are circumcised and those who are not, because during intercourse anyway the foreskin gets retracted and the glans penis gets exposed, which is sensitive to sexual stimulus. So, even a person without circumcision can enjoy sex as much as a person who is circumcised.

First of all the hymen may not be present since birth in some women. Moreover, even if it is present during childhood, during many athletic activities and sports activities the hymen may get ruptured. So, the absence of the hymen does not mean that a girl has lost her virginity. It is not true that during the first intercourse if a woman does not bleed or her hymen does not get ruptured, that means she was not a virgin.

Females masturbate as much as males do. However, they tend to report it less than males due to the social stigma attached to it. Also it has been observed that females tend to reduce or discontinue masturbation once they get into meaningful sexual relationships.

Abstinence has nothing to do with physical strength. On the contrary if a person has had sex he enjoys it, he get de-stressed, he becomes more capable of doing any work. The kind of exhaustion that people experience after intercourse or after ejaculation is not a loss of power. It is like at the end of any exercise you feel tired, which is perfectly physiological and normal. I absolutely do not believe that sex makes a person weaker in any manner.

Sex during pregnancy is totally safe if not otherwise advised by the doctor. Most women can have sex right until the last month of their pregnancy if they do not feel uncomfortable. It is safe to have intercourse since the baby is protected by a thick mucous plug that seals the cervix and guards against infection.

The only aphrodisiac that has a potent effect is the ‘human thought'. There are many myths about chemicals but none of them has proven to be an aphrodisiac.

Alcohol actually decreases interest and arousal. It causes more problems than it helps. It is a depressant drug and not an exciting drug.

If it is dry kissing, HIV cannot be transmitted. But if it is a deep wet kiss where body fluids or saliva get exchanged and if there are any ulcers or wounds in the mouth, there is a possibility of HIV getting transmitted.

Lifting heavy weights does not cause any problems related to sexual pleasure.

A glass of red wine can make you feel relaxed

New Delhi: If you want to feel relaxed after a hard day, drink a glass of red wine

, says a study. 

Researchers conducted an analysis included the responses of nearly 30,000 

adults aged between 18 and 34. 

Around 59 percent of the respondent's associated spirits, like vodka, gin, 

whiskey and other hard alcohols, with feelings of energy and confidence. 

And more than four out of 10 associated them with feeling sexy, showed the 

study published in the journal BMJ Open.

Spirits were, however, the least likely to be associated with feeling relaxed. 

Just 20 percent felt so. 

Red wine was the most likely to elicit this feeling (just under 53 per cent) 

followed by beer (around 50 per cent).

Drinking spirits was also more likely to draw out negative feelings than all the 

other types of alcohol. 

Nearly a third (30 per cent) of spirit drinkers associated this tipple with feelings 

of aggression compared with around 2.5 per cent of red wine drinkers.

"Understanding emotions associated with alcohol consumption is imperative to 

addressing alcohol misuse, providing insight into what emotions influence drink

 choice between different groups in the population," the researchers said.

The responses differed by gender and category of alcohol dependency.

Cigars as harmful as cigarettes, says study.

Washington DC: Some people believe cigars pose fewer health risks than 

cigarettes, but a new research suggests it isn't so.

Cigars may be just as harmful and addictive, according to Penn State 

researchers, who add that small cigars have just as much if not more nicotine 

than cigarettes.

The researchers analyzed the nicotine in smoke from popular brands of "small"

or "filtered" cigars -- cigars that are almost identical to cigarettes except they're

wrapped in leaf tobacco instead of paper. The researchers found that the level

of nicotine found in small cigar smoke is similar to or greater than cigarette 

smoke.

Researcher Reema Goel said that the study shows that nicotine is pretty high 

in this class of cigars, and future regulation that affects cigarettes should also 

affect these cigars.

John Richie said that the confusion surrounding the safety of cigars may stem 

from tobacco companies using clever tricks to get around current regulations.

"There are many misconceptions about cigars. The truth is, cigar smoke is 

inhaled and is just as harmful to the lungs," Richie said. "Tobacco companies 

use loopholes in the way these products are taxed to allow these small cigars 

to be substantially cheaper than cigarettes. They can also get around the 

regulation that says cigarettes can't be flavored, to avoid making them 

appealing to children. These small cigars come in all kinds of flavors."

The researchers compared the nicotine delivery in eight common brands of 

small cigars with two types of cigarettes commonly used in research. Nicotine 

was measured by first collecting the smoke from each cigar with a smoking 

machine in the laboratory, which "smoked" the product using two different 

methods to account for the different ways people smoke.

Using the International Organization of Standardization method (ISO), the 

machine took two-second puffs every 60 seconds, with no filter vents blocked. 

With the Canada Intense (CI) method, the machine also took two-second puffs,

but they were only 30 seconds apart, and the vents were blocked with tape. 

Nicotine was then extracted and analyzed from both groups.

The researchers found that when the ISO method was used, the mean average

nicotine delivered by the small cigars sampled was 1.24 milligrams per cigar, 

compared to 0.87 in cigarettes. Using the CI method, the mean average of 

nicotine delivered by the small cigars was 3.49 milligrams per cigar, compared 

to 2.13 in cigarettes.

The study appears in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

Dry skin in winters? Here's how you can avoid it.

New Delhi: It`s everyone`s dream to have dewy skin that tolerates the effects 

of chilly temperature and also bears all the desert like heat.

Winter weather is for sure not fun for skin. If not taken care, the winter dry skin 

can lead to cracking and bleeding. Indoor heat further adds to robbing the 

moisture from the skin and so do the calming hot showers.

With all these harsh attacks on skin, it is extremely important to indulge in the 

right skin care routine and also choose the products wisely. In order to 

efficiently do that, it is equally important to understand your skin first.

One needs to know the texture of his or her skin, whether it`s oily, dry or a 

combination skin. Once when you have understood the texture of your skin, 

you can now choose the products according to the need of your skin.

We often go by the fragrances or the texture of the products while purchasing 

them, but the content in it is what actually matters.

Dr. Rohit Batra Dermatologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, "I

f someone has an oily skin, gel based moisturisers are best to be used; 

wherein a cream based moisturiser or a cream based lotion should be used by 

the ones having dry skin.

"When asked for suggestions for choosing the correct formula for skin, 

Dr. Batra added, "People with dry skin need to select products having liquid 

paraffin, sheer butter and coco butter and for someone who has an allergy 

prone skin should opt for moisturiser containing ceramides.

People with combination skin should go for oil based rather than water based 

solution, as it is more likely to help your skin retain moisturiser in winter.

"Skin care is not only restricted to superficial applications, but what one 

consumes also decides the health of your skin. Especially in winters one must 

take utmost care while selecting the right food options.

Dietitian Deepti G Dua, Mutation Diet Clinic suggests everyone to `eat like a 

King!' She said, "Winter foods have some good calories and great nutrition. 

One must consume a nutritionally rich diet or foods rich in omega 3 like fish, 

etc. One must avoid starchy and sugary foods as they not only bloat your 

stomach but also cause acne, eczema and causes wrinkles. Your winter diet 

should also contain omega 6 fatty acids and essential oils."

"It is always better to keep your body warm the natural way, so one can 

consume ample nuts, almonds and peanuts as they are warm and contain 

vitamin D and iron. You can also add seasonal leafy vegetables, citrus foods 

having vitamin C as they have anti ageing properties.

"With beautiful skin and a healthy body, you can enjoy winter love. The 

combination of a balanced and required diet, and a glowing skin will surely 

make your winters less stressful and happy.

Are eggs vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Scientists finally put an end to the debate

New Delhi: Scientists have finally given an answer to the long-standing 

question of whether eggs are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, which might put 

an end to the debate once and for all.

Well, the answer according to scientists is that eggs are very much vegetarian.

Many people have reasoned that eggs are non-vegetarian since they come 

from a hen – a living thing.

However, scientists explain that there are three parts of the egg – eggshell, 

egg yolk, and egg white. The eggwhites (albumen) only contains protein and 

the egg yolk is mostly made up of proteins, cholesterol, and fat.

The eggs that we consume on almost a daily basis do not have embryos. 

This means that the eggs probably have not developed enough to be at the 

stage where one would be eating an actual animal/bird.

Once a hen is 6-months-old, it lays eggs every one to one and a half days. 

However, it isn't necessary for the hen to mate before laying her eggs. These 

eggs are known as unfertilised eggs. The eggs that we buy from the local 

markets are also mostly unfertilised.

Baldness, premature greying may up heart disease risk in men

While diabetes mellitus, hypertension, family history of premature coronary artery disease, central obesity, higher body mass index, dyslipidaemia and smoking were predictors of coronary artery disease it was to a lesser extent than male-pattern baldness, premature greying, and obesity. 

New Delhi: A study says that men under 40 years of age who are greying 

prematurely and going bald may be at five-fold risk of developing heart disease.

The findings show that both male-pattern baldness and premature greying 

were stronger risk factors than obesity, which was associated with a four-fold 

risk of early heart disease.

While diabetes mellitus, hypertension, family history of premature coronary 

artery disease, central obesity, higher body mass index, dyslipidaemia and 

smoking were predictors of coronary artery disease it was to a lesser extent 

than male-pattern baldness, premature greying, and obesity, the researchers 

said.

The young men with coronary artery disease were found with a higher 

prevalence of premature greying (50 per cent versus 30 per cent) and 

male-pattern baldness (49 per cent versus 27 per cent) compared to people 

without the condition. 

"Premature greying and androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) correlate

well with vascular age irrespective of chronological age and are plausible risk 

factors for coronary artery disease," said Sachin Patil, from the UN Mehta 

Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Gujarat.

For the study, presented at the 69th Annual Conference of the Cardiological 

Society of India (CSI) in Kolkata, the team included 790 men aged less than 40

years with coronary artery disease and 1,270 age-matched healthy men who 

acted as a control group.

After adjusting for age and other cardiovascular risk factors, male-pattern 

baldness was associated with a 5.6 times greater risk of coronary artery 

disease and premature greying was associated with a 5.3 times greater risk.

Male-pattern baldness and premature greying were the strongest predictors of

coronary artery disease in men followed by obesity, which was associated with

a 4.1 times greater risk.