HEALTH CENTER

Bodyline Spa, Beauty & Fitness Centre

First-of-its-kind in city

Bangaloreans can now look great and feel better with the launch of one of South India's biggest spa, beauty, slimming and fitness centers, the Bodyline at Bannerghatta Road. Sandalwood stars Shivraj Kumar and Pooja Gandhi graced the inaugural earlier this week.

Spread across a sumptuous 9,000 square feet, the Bodyline Spa, Beauty and Fitness Center offers a bouquet of the finest programs, facilities, and equipment in the country.

Bodyline understands that health is wealth in a society that is rushed off its feet.

Says Mr K Dushyantha Kumar, Bodyline's MD: "We offer a complete spa, beauty and fitness center under one roof. We have a gym and slimming center where you will be courteously served by our well-trained professional staff. We are quite excited about the launch of Bodyline, among the largest in South India and look forward to offering our clientele outstanding service that will make them want to visit regularly. After a hectic workday, people will look forward to visiting the Bodyline Spa Beauty And Fitness Center and reinventing themselves."

At the Bodyline beauty center, a large range of services from acne management, scar reduction, wrinkle management, Botox and cosmetic peeling, skin rejuvenation, lipo dissolve injections, melasma hyper-pigmentation, treatment for dark circles under the eyes, Medi facial, anti-aging treatment, smoker's peel, Hollywood peel, DNA repair peel and lots more - all under the same roof.

The center's employees are trained from the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai, Thailand and have undergone specialized training in different types of Thai Massages. The Unisex Hair Saloon uses the services of international award winning professionals.

Mr Dushyantha Kumar pointed out that the center is the first to use Klen-Inspiraz, a Singapore-based sanitizer, deodorizer, sterilizer, and anti HIV and anti fungus product.

The center uses slimming equipment imported from Spain with well-trained and experienced personnel to assist the guests, in addition to Life Fitness products in its gym, the world's best brand. Another first is that Bodyline is the first gym in India with Vibro Gym machines. The Gym has steam and FAR infrared sauna facilities, a first of its kind in Bangalore. Guests will enjoy burning their extra calories, while rejuvenating themselves and recouping their energies.

With Homeocare Intnl

B'lore gets a taste of world class homeopathy treatment

If you are a believer in Homeopathy, this is a hospital you cannot give a miss. Hoemocare International, part of a nation-wide chain of world class super specialty homeopathic clinics was inaugurated earlier this week in – by Health Minister Sriramulu. MLAs NS Nandish Reddy and BN Vijaykumar and actress Neetu presided.

In his inaugural speech, Sriramulu said he had directed all government hospitals to have an exclusive homeopathy unit. He also said the government had organised homeopathy camps for treating Chikungunya as it was found to be very effective.

Dr Srikant Morlawar, C&MD, Homeocare said the clinic would be specially useful for Bangaloreans suffering from asthma and wheezing, several cases of which were reported in the city because of its climate. After the success of its outlets in Mumbai and Hyderabad, the center had decided to branch out in Bangalore, he said, adding that another clinic would shortly be opened in Malleswaram.

Dr Murali Anki Reddy, Director, stated that their panel of doctors included gold medalists, award winners and MD lecturers who had trained many homeopathic doctors in India and abroad and were fully cognizant with the latest advances techniques and research in the field of homeopathy. The homeopathy chain of clinics had lakhs of satisfied clientele all over the country, he said.

The doctors have expertise in treating thyroid disorders, male and female infertility problems, joint pains like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, sero-negative polyarthirits, cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis (disc problems), allergies, skin-related problems like psoriasis vitiligo eczema dermatitis, all hair-related problems like hair fall, premature greying, dandruff, male and female pattern baldness, etc.

Other beauty and cosmetic problems like dry skin, dark black patches on face and below the eyes, acne wrinkles (freckles), are treated with the help of latest instruments like woods lamp fluorescence technique, skin and hair analyzer trichoscanner, video microscope which can magnify the skin and hair 500 times for better and accurate diagnosis.

The clinic also provides counseling and psychotherapy, professional advice regarding diet, life style changes, etc which helps for long time relief and permanent cure.

HCI Helpline: Jayanagar: 65838955, Malleswaram: 65834977, address; # 499, 32/4, near BSNL compound, 46th Cross, 5th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalroe-41, email help@homeocare.in

DIABETICS PAY A BIGGER PRICE FOR SWEET SMOKE!

By Dr Sanjeev Mehta MD, Chest Specialist Lilavati Hospital

Smoking increases the complications of diabetes manifold. India’s incidence of diabetes is bound to surpass all previously made predictions. India has two dubious distinctions - Firstly, it is the diabetes capital of the world, and secondly, India has the second largest number of smokers in the world.

Ramanthan Iyer, a chronic diabetic for many years, was a confused man. Ramanathan’s plague was his inability to control his blood sugar levels despite his best efforts. He had his diet under control, he was a teetotaler, and he was almost religious about his daily exercise regimen, and yet his diabetes would not get controlled. Most know that diabetes is a chronic disease, with no cure –one can keep the disease under control with lifestyle changes at best. What most don’t know is that there is one more lurking factor that impacts a diabetic’s blood sugar levels dramatically, and that factor is the highly addictive habit of smoking.

MYTH: Smoking makes you feel better – a chance to escape the bad things that diabetes makes you feel (e.g., injections, finger sticks, high and low blood sugars).

TRUTH: Smoking - like any drug - gives you that good feeling for a short time. Every time you smoke, you do more damage to your body. Find other ways to relieve stress (exercise, pets, etc.) and make a healthy change!

MYTH: Diabetes is already going to ‘get you’, so it doesn’t matter if you smoke.

TRUTH: Most people who control their diabetes can prevent or delay complications for many, many years. Smoking wipes out all of your hard work to keep complications away. It is smoking that will ‘get you’ in the end.

Diabetes is not caused by sweets, as most would tend to think; it is caused by the body’s inability to process the sugars. Not many may be aware that smoking can compound the diabetics’ problem manifold. Smoking alone can cause a significant reduction in insulin production, often leading to severe complications. There are more than 35 million diabetics in India, many of whom are smokers and these diabetic smokers are unwittingly complicating their dreaded disease putting their lives to extreme risk.

With the dubious distinction of being the diabetes capital of the world, India has yet another dubious distinction – that of having the second largest number of smokers in the world. A shocking statistic is that of the 1.3 billion addicted to smoking worldwide, 74 million are in India alone! The health burden of diabetes epidemic in India will become insurmountable if immediate action is not taken to help diabetics stop smoking.

Facts that a diabetic must know about smoking and diabetes

•People with diabetes are three times as likely to die of cardiovascular diseases. Smoking and diabetes together make you 11 times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke.

•Smoking raises your blood sugar levels AND cuts your body’s ability to use insulin, making it hard to control your diabetes.

•Smoking ONE cigarette reduces the body’s ability to use insulin by 15%.

•Smoking increases your cholesterol levels and the levels of other fats in your blood. This increases your risk of having a heart attack.

•People with diabetes who smoke are twice as likely to have circulation and wound healing problems. These can lead to leg and foot infections, which can sometimes lead to amputation.

•Smokers with diabetes are more likely to develop nerve damage (neuropathy) and kidney disease (nephropathy).

•Smokers with diabetes have more problems with dental disease, bleeding gums and ulcers.

•Smoking can lead to insulin resistance, the researchers said — meaning that it can interfere with how well the body uses insulin. Insulin resistance usually precedes type 2 diabetes.

Quit smoking now!

Considering the impact that smoking has on a diabetic’s health, it is essential that a smoking diabetic put cessation of smoking as the top-most priority in his/her agenda for a better life. However, quitting smoking is quite tough and research shows that less than 5% of the actual quitters stopping smoking permanently without any help. However all is not lost, for research shows that a holistic approach to smoking cessation can give upto a 45% success rate in quitting. Apart from a high motivation to quit, other support systems like counselling, regular visual reiteration, yoga, and other modern smoking cessation therapies have helped quitters get rid of their addictions permanently.

If you are a smoking diabetic, it is never too late to stop smoking. The starting step is will-power and knowledge – your understanding of the harmful effect of smoking on your diabetes and general health. Empower yourself by understanding the support that you will need. Talk to your family for their support, and talk to your endocrinologist/diabetologist to learn why and how to stop smoking. There are many things that will help in your journey to the smoke-free healthier world like yoga, exercise and read about effects of smoking, nicotine. In fact, discussions with other diabetic smokers who have quit can give the necessary motivation and momentum to quit immediately.

Of course, modern medicine never fails to marvel. As much as there are many medicines for the control of blood sugar, artificial insulin for the deficient, for smoking cessation too, humankind has graduated from mere Nicotine patches to modern & safe pills which work very effectively. In fact, to help the ailing diabetic smokers there is also a safe new molecule called Varenicline, which works directly on the physiology of Nicotine addiction process at the roots. In fact, this molecule (called Chantix in USA) is already being used in many western nations and already 5 million smokers have benefitted from the treatment.

Being a diabetic is not your choice, but being free of the disease certainly is. If you haven’t al ready regarded quitting smoking as the topmost resolution to kick start the New Year, it is high time you did yourself a favour. Quit Smoking! Smoking cessation should top the New Year’s resolution list for any smoking diabetic.
( Dr Sanjeev Mehta is MD, Chest Specialist Lilavati Hospital)

Famous homeopath reveals the secrets!

How to heal yourself

How food is cooked plays a very important role in determining your health – and we are not just talking about how much or how less oil you have to use, and the usual do’s and don’ts any health-conscious person would have heard of. Era Organic, the city’s organic store that supplies purest certified organic food products to its customers, is organizing a unique cookery workshop by Dr Nandita Shah, a well known homeopath who has conducted similar workshops all over the world.

Dr Nandita Shah has been practicing homeopathy for the past 25 years and has dedicated her life to spreading awareness on how people can take responsibility for their own health through understanding the functioning of the human body and by adopting simple lifestyle changes.

The one-day workshop will help you learn how you can prevent and cure most illnesses, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, cancer, digestive problems, menstrual and menopausal problems, joint pains, backaches, psychological problems and more.

Dr Nandita Shah will throw light on some of the following techniques to get you to take control of your health: understand what your body is trying to tell you and respond accordingly, understand what would be the healthy diet for a human being and learn how to prepare tasteful, healthy meals that heal, and understand your role in the design of the universe. “This workshop is about healing yourself and others through understanding the human anatomy and physiology and nature’s laws,” said Dr Shah.

The workshop will be on Sunday, Nov 18. It will include cooking demos, breakfast, lunch and a small snack. Advance booking is a must. Course fees is Rs 750 and includes course materials. To register call 9900543881 (Aparna/Mohan), 41606003-4 (Era Organic). Venue: Era Organic, RMV 2nd Stage, RMV Club Road, Dollars Colony, Bangalore.

Dr Nirmala, Clinical Director, Advanced Infertility Centre, answers a FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions) on infertility:

• Does stress cause infertility?
It’s like asking whether the chick came out of the egg or vice versa. While it is possible for stress to cause infertility it is far more common for infertility to cause stress. Stress can interfere with egg formation and release in women and can reduce sperm production in men. Also it can disrupt marital harmony in infertile couples greatly and keep them away from the intimacy and timing of intercourse.

• Does age matter?:
The chances of a woman conceiving after 40 is less than 10% without medical assistance. There is also an increase in the abortion rate as the age increases. There is no convincing data to suggest the production or quality of sperm is affected with advancing age in men.

• Will the child produced after following above prescribed procedures be normal?
There is no evidence suggesting any increase in the fetal abnormalities by any of these artificial procedures when compared to the normal population.

• Who are the patients requiring donor embryos?
The centre assists women with premature ovarian failure to conceive. These women either have absent or non-functioning ovaries earlier in their reproductive life and so are unable to produce eggs of their own. These patients have hope if donor embryos can be arranged. The donor for such women could either be own donor-sibling, friends, recruited by patient herself, cousin, married, sterilized, proven fertile and less than 35 years of age preferably.

(Advanced Fertility Centre: # 1313, 9th Cross, 27th Main, I Phase, JP Nagar, B’lore-78; Ph: 26347788, 26347789, website www.af cbangalo re.com)

Preventing nausea and vomiting during pregnancy
By Dr. J. B. Srinath

Nausea and vomiting, the early symptoms of pregnancy, makes people around delighted but only the women who suffer know the distress they go through. Nearly all women experience some degree of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester. It is believed to be caused by high serum levels of a hormone called HCG {Human Chorionic Gonadotropin} secreted by the fetus, and increased estrogen levels. Some theories say that miscarriages are more in whom these symptoms are rarely present.

Severe vomiting can interfere with the weight gain needed to sustain the pregnancy and cause dehydration, which may affect the health and well-being of both the pregnant woman and the fetus. Severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy may also indicate multiple pregnancy (twins or more) or false pregnancy {hydatidiform mole}.
It may start from the first month. he peak incidence is at 8-12 weeks of pregnancy, and the symptoms usually reduce during the 2nd trimester. Some women are extremely sensitive to any form of smell. In some the sight and smell of food brings on vomiting.

If vomiting is severe, it may lead to loss of pre-pregnancy body weight, dehydration, ketosis, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic imbalances.

Treatment includes anti-emetic medications and intravenous rehydration. If medication and IV hydration are insufficient nutritional support may be required. Home remedies like ginger may help to a certain extent but for better results, homoeopathy plays a major role.

Homoeopathy is safe, simple and fast in conditions like these. If homoeopathic medicine is taken in the initial stage of the symptoms, the patient can be 90% free from vomiting.

Some of the medicines which have proved to be very effective for these complaints are Sepia, Nux Vom, Colchicum, Ipecac, Ant Tart, Symporicarpus Racemosa, Amygdalus Amara, Amygdalus Persica. Any one of the indicated medicines can be taken after consulting the doctor. They can be administered frequently when the symptoms are acute. For more details contact any qualified homoeopathic doctor.

(By Dr. J. B. Srinath. M.D.{Hom}, Reviva, The Homeopathic Clinic, # 671, 17th D Cross, CMH Road, 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bangalore - 38. E-mail : askdoctorsrinath@yahoo.com Ph: +91-80-65731575, 94485 69986)

From Piles to Smiles!
By Dr M.R. Rajashekar

For a layman any thing that is abnormal at the other end is Piles! Bleeding from the anus is one of the most common problems faced by most of us, and yet everything under the sun is blamed as the cause, everybody has some or the other suggestion and Piles & Fistula clinics have mushroomed in every nook and corner of the city. Yet, people shy away from visiting a doctor until it is unavoidable. Painful surgical procedures, prolonged hospitalization, loss of work hours, recurrences are some of the factors driving away the patients from surgeons.

The good news is, advancement in the understanding of the pathology of piles and advent of newer techniques and technology has provided safe, simple and permanent procedures with almost immediate return to work. Here's a fact profile of all you want to know about Piles:

"Piles are small bunches of blood vessels arranged in 3 groups in the anal canal, which are known as' anal cushions'. When they get congested and enlarged, they are known as piles or hemorrhoids.

"Symptoms: a) Bleeding from anal canal (initial stage) b) Swelling in the anal region. C) Pain (later stage).
"Remember, all bleeding cannot be because of hemorroids/piles. Bleeding can also be due to fissure, polyp or cancer.

So you have to first undergo thorough evaluation, before starting any treatment, be it ayurvedic, homoeopathic, medical or surgical. Otherwise valuable time may be lost if the cause is seen to be due to polyp or cancer (especially in the elderly), or the piles progress to pro-lapsing stage where surgical procedures may be required.

"Causes: Constipation - leading to strain while passing stools; sedentary lifestyle; low fiber diet, intake of spicy food and alcohol; obesity; pregnancy.

"Treatment options: Medical treatment during the initial stage - Flavonoids (eg. Daflon), Calcium dobesilate, coagulants, stool softeners, etc; Local: Nitroglycerine local application ointments. Steroids with local anesthetics for pain relief.

Non-surgical method: Sclerotherapy, Cryotherapy, Dilatation, Infrared Coagulation, Banding etc. Infrared coagulation is a safe, simple and scientific cure for non pro-lapsing bleeding hemorrhoids with no complications or contraindications.

Surgical management:
a) Conventional surgery follows open/closed methods, is painful, takes longer time to heal.
b) Radio frequency ablation/excision - Less painful, ensures faster recovery.
c) Stapled haemorrhoidectomy (MIPH) - Less painful, ensures fast recovery but expensive.
*All piles do not require operation. Single, safe and effective non-operative procedures are available, at affordable cost.
"All piles are curable by scientific methods, AVOID QUACKS.

Dietary advice: Include more vegetables and fruits in your diet; Reduce intake of spicy food, drink lots of water. Also avoid alcohol, smoking, stress and sedentary lifestyle. For further information contact Dr. M.R. Rajashekar, CHIRAC HOSPITAL, 1635, 17 th Main, JP Nagar II Phase, Blore-78 Tel 26597027, 9880003953)