Coming Full Circle News Archive News

Here's to you! To all of you for being in touch, for writing, e-mailing and calling. I am completely overwhelmed by your response and overjo...

Written by Rashmi Uday Singh

December 1, 2002 12:00 AM IST

1 min read

Here8217;s to you! To all of you for being in touch, for writing, e-mailing and calling. I am completely overwhelmed by your response and overjoyed too. I love the interactivity, the caring and the sharing, which this column brings with it. So, today, I dedicate it to two very interesting and useful information bits shared by a reader from Pune and another from Rajasthan8230;

The computer and you

Most of us work on computers and the rest of us have loved ones who do. Here8217;s a quick guide to avoiding headaches and eye strain and other related problems. This has been sent in by Pune8217;s Ratna Khemnani, who runs the Academy of Natural Health and Beauty. Some of her tips and guidelines may seem obvious, but think about it, how many of us actually do what she suggests:

8226; When sitting in front of the computer, blink as often as possible.
8226; Look away from the screen frequently. Try to look at greenery. Green, blue are soo-thing colours.
8226; Make a cup out of your palm and cover your eyes, so that your eyes are dark and cool.
8226; Splash your eyes with cold water when you get up or feel the strain in your eyes. This will relieve irritation, allergies and redness.
8226; Since your shoulders and back may also get stiff, you may want to do a few simple movements devised from Yoga and Taichi:

8226; Lift your shoulders, keep them up for 10 seconds, bring them down for 10 seconds.
8226; Throw your head back for 10 seconds, bring it up for 10 seconds.
8226; Rotate your shoulders five times clockwise to the count of 5 and then anti-clockwise five times.
8226; Do this movement with your wrists, this encourages circulation.
8226; Periodically straighten your back for 10 secs and loosen for 10 secs.

Ratna Khemnani, Director of the Academy of Natural Health and Beauty, may be contacted on ratna8212;khemnanivsnl.com. Telefax 91-20-5886836 http://www.geocities.com

8226; All people working in air-conditioned offices need to consciously keep themselves hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water. Coffee and tea are no substitutes, they are dehydrating.

A special 25-minute yoga session

Eighty-two-year young Chittaranjan Gharekhan writes in to say he has developed a 25-minute yoga session and that he has been treating asthma, depression, tension, meno-pause, and even helping improve voices with the help of yoga for 38 years. He can be contacted on cagsonad1sancharnet.in; phone 079-6446310; fax 079-6564913

nbsp;

I am trying to get replies to your queries and print them as soon as possible. Please do bear with me for the delay.

nbsp;

8226; NUTRITION
Dr Hemraj B Chandalia, MD, FACP, Director, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition, Management and Research Centre, Mumbai, answers:

Story continues below this ad

Readers can call 022-2161313 or write to PO Box no 19946, Colaba, Mumbai-5 or e-mail at rashmiudaysinghhotmail.com with their queries.

Q. Ashok and R C Misra both have protuberant abdomens. Please advise.
This is a common problem in both men and women, resulting from excessive caloric intake and lack of exercise. It is important to correct both these problems. In case overall body weight is normal, one should concentrate on abdominal exercises. An expanding midriff predisposes one to diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Collectively, these disorders can curtail the life span.

8226; SKIN 038; HAIR
Leading dermatologist and consultant to Jaslok Hospital Dr Malvika Kohli answers:

Q Puneet, 19, has post-pimple marks that refuse to go away. He also has dark bags and wrinkles under the eyes. Please suggest some quick relievers.
Acne marks can be of various types, such as discolouration, superficial pits and deep pits. The therapy depends on the type of marks and can be used alone or in combination. Chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser application of Tretinoic acid may not be sufficient by themselves and need to be applied for a long time to show results.

Dark pouches and wrinkles under the eye are usually inherited. They become more prominent if the under-eye skin is very thin and dry. Rubbing the eyes repeatedly, eye fatigue, lack of sleep, all lead to aggravation of peri-orbital puffiness and darkening, and are therefore best avoided. Moisturise the under-eye area with something natural, such as aloe-vera gel, and drink lots of fluids.

Story continues below this ad

Q Over the past year, 26-year-old Hasib8217;s hair has been falling in large quantities, especially when he8217;s having a bath and oiling or combing the hair.
Hair goes through natural cycles of growth and fall, which are known as the anagen and telogen phases respectively. Sometimes, the telogen phase gets prolonged 8212; this is known technically as effluvium 8212; because of physical stress, after a pregnancy, illness such as typhoid and malaria, or intense emotional stress. Dietary deficiencies in proteins, iron and vitamins also affect the hair. Therefore, include sufficient quantities of protein available in dals, egg, fish, chicken, milk, paneer, salads, fruits and green vegetables etc. in your diet. Avoid excessive colouring and blow-drying, which can lead to dry, brittle hair. Hormonal imbalances and some medicines also cause hairfall.
Take a good supplement of iron, folic acid and multivitamins and apply 5 per cent minoxidil lotion 1 ml twice daily for at least three months.

Tags: