OSTEOPOROSIS

Osteoporosis

Loss of bone mass due to ageing, prolonged inactivity, hormone changes, drugs (excess oral steroids as in Cushing's syndrome, and also drugs given for Asthma and Rheumatoid arthritis or due to calcium deficiency; bones remain same size and shape, but their honeycomb structure becomes less dense because bone is broken down faster than it is replaced; lighter bones fracture easily and heal slowly. Condition is more common in women than men because after the menopause the parathyroid glands produce less calcitonin, the hormone which stimulates bones to absorb calcium; in three-quarters of women bone loss is fairly slow, but by the age of 80 most women have lost between half and a quarter of their bone mass. Scientists returning from prolonged periods of weightlessness in Space lab were found to have lost bone mass. Predisposing factors for osteoporosis include hysterectomy, removal of the ovaries before the age of 45, early menopause, family history, long-term illness, solitary occupation, drinking more than 40 units of alcohol a week, low body weight, poor calcium, magnesium and boron intake, Thyrotoxicosis a history of anorexia, smoking, caffeine, bran and laxatives, or being a vegetarian.

Diet for positive health

Understanding disease and what we can do to preserve health.
Disease is a survival mechanism. It is the body’s way of informing us that something is wrong, something needs to be changed. One way of getting rid of the disease is to say, “shut up” to your body rather than listen. This is easily done by taking pain-killers or other symptom suppressing medications. A backache may be a warning that a certain movement will obstruct healing. By taking a painkiller and ignoring that warning, one may end up with a chronic complaint.
The best results are obtained when we follow nature rather than oppose it. When we consider the meaning of disease it transforms from being a hindrance, to being a path to personal growth. To follow the path we may have to change something radically.
One of the reasons human beings are prone to so many diseases is that we are far removed from our natural state. Often the solution is to revert to this natural state. The most common causes of disease are -
1. Wrong eating habits
2. Stress
3. Environmental conditions (Bacteria, virus and parasites can only infect a weak host and are therefore not the cause but the results of disease).
Of all these the easiest to change is our eating habits.
A look at our anatomy makes it obvious that we are predominantly herbivorous. Our dentition, our long intestinal tract and our absence of claws are evidence. All carnivores drink by lapping, and herbivores by gulping. We drink by gulping. We are descendents of apes that are predominantly herbivorous but can also eat insects and small animals. During evolution the mind is much quicker to adapt than the body. We have developed new and varied eating habits by means of our mind but our bodies lag behind in adapting to this new diet.
The best way to regain health is to revert to our natural diet. One of the most unnatural, foods in our diet is milk and milk products. Humans are the only animals that drink milk after infancy and that take another animals milk. Cow’s milk contains 2 times the protein and 3 times the fat of human milk since cows grow to full size much faster than we do. Protein is a growth food. By logic, at no time in our lives should we need more protein as a percentage of our diet than in infancy. Calcium and protein are basic components of each and every living cell in the universe. Its no wonder the cow is able to make protein and calcium rich milk from her diet of grass.

Reverting to a 100 % natural diet alone is a cure for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and many forms of allergies including asthma, constipation, indigestion, arthritis and gout, and other diseases. Just as the herbivorous cow succumbs to BSE (mad cow disease) when fed slaughterhouse by-products, so we too suffer from diseases through eating foods not meant for our species.

Alzheimer's disease (AD)and its homeopathic treatment

Alzheimer's disease (AD)

Mother Nature has blessed mankind amongst all the entities on the earth with an extraordinary quality of logical and rational thinking. The storehouse of immense knowledge, 'BRAIN' is the source of this exceptional attribute. Unfortunately, the entire system of an individual becomes handicapped as the same brain starts deteriorating. The major culprit who is involved in the deterioration of brain is Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease of brain that robs the afflicted individual of intelligence, memory and eventually life.

As many as 2-4 % of all people of 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's. As many as 20 % (or more) of population over 85 years age have the AD. Alzheimer's disease (pronounced AHLZ-hi-merz) is one of several disorders that cause the gradual loss of brain cells. The disease was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer. However, Alzheimer's disease did exist long before the birth of Dr. Alzheimer. The research has shown that Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia; in fact 70% of dementias are due to Alzheimer's disease.

Dementia is an umbrella term for several symptoms related to a decline in thinking skills and progressive deterioration of brain performance. Common symptoms include a gradual loss of memory, problems with reasoning or judgment, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, etc. People with dementia also experience changes in their personalities and behavioral problems. The cumulative effect of all these changes becomes distressing both to the individual and their families. It should be stressed that Alzheimer's disease knows no social, economic, ethnic or geographical boundaries; eventually those affected are unable to care for themselves and need help with all aspects of daily life. The magnitude of this disease is huge, there are estimated to be 17-25 million people worldwide with Alzheimer's disease.

What happens to brain in Alzheimer' disease?
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive death of brain cells. This results from two abnormal structures in the brain: Amyloid plaques (pronounced AM i loyd, which are clumps of protein fragments that accumulate outside of cells and Neurofibrillary tangles (pronounced NUR o FI bri lair ee), which are clumps of altered proteins inside cells.

Why these changes develop in the brain?
Research about these structures has provided clues about why nerve cells die, but scientists have not determined exactly why these changes develop. In short, no one yet knows exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease. Most researchers agree that the cause may be a complex set of factors. Though Alzheimer's disease affects individuals in 40s and 50s, studies have shown that the greatest known risk for developing Alzheimer's is increasing age. As many as 2-4 % of all people of 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's. As many as 20 % (or more) of population over 85 years age have the AD. A family history of the disease is another known risk. Having a parent or sibling with the disease increases an individual's chances of developing Alzheimer's. Many mysterious diseases have provided interesting clues through genetic studies. Scientists have identified certain genes, which are very strongly related to Alzheimer's.

Other factors:
Many diverse medical theories, including the biochemistry of acetylcholine and neurotransmitters, inflammation, oxidative stress and free radicals, and homocysteine, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, as probable causes of Alzheimer's disease has been put forth. A wide array of risk factors for Alzheimer's include, disorders of blood circulation, hormonal imbalance, head trauma, emotional stress, alcohol abuse, metabolic defects, nutritional deficiencies, and even some infections.

How Alzheimer's presents:
Declining memory is the most common early symptom of Alzheimer's. Some change in memory is normal as we grow older, but the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are more than simple lapses in memory. People with Alzheimer's experience difficulties communicating, learning, thinking, and reasoning - problems severe enough to have an impact on an individual's work, social activities, and family life.

While it's normal to forget appointments, names, or telephone numbers, once in a while, those with Alzheimer's will forget such things more often and not remember them later. In addition, People with ordinary forgetfulness can still remember other facts associated with the thing they have forgotten. For example they may briefly forget their next-door neighbor's name but they still know the person they are talking to is their next-door neighbor. A person with dementia will not only forget their neighbor's name but also the context.

Individuals with AD begin to misplace everyday items, such as the car keys or eyeglasses, and become disoriented and get lost in familiar surroundings (such as when driving on well-known streets). With Alzheimer individual find difficult to perform even familiar tasks and may forget the steps for preparing a meal, using a household appliance, or in what order to put clothes on.

A person with Alzheimer's disease often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making his or her speech or writing hard to understand. Individuals with Alzheimer's often show poor judgment about money, and mathematics.

People's personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer's disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member. An Alzheimer's may become unusually emotional and experience rapid mood swings for no apparent reason. Alternatively a person with Alzheimer's may show less emotion than was usual previously. In addition, they may experience delusions (believing in a reality that does not exist), and hallucinations (seeing things that do not exist).

In the terminal phase, Alzheimer patient enters in a world where he can recognize nothing… neither family members and friends, nor himself.

How the disease progresses: Alzheimer's disease advances at widely different rates. The duration of the illness may often vary from 3 to 20 years. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer's will need complete care. If the individual has no other serious illness, the loss of brain function itself may cause death.

How the condition is diagnosed:
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is an important step in getting appropriate treatment, care, and support services. There is no one diagnostic test that can detect if a person has Alzheimer's disease, but the process involves several kinds of tests and may take more than one day to complete the evaluation. Evaluations may include the following steps:
§ A medical history, which collects information about current mental or physical conditions, prescription and nonprescription drug use, and family health history
§ A mental status evaluation to assess sense of time and place; ability to remember, understand, and communicate; and ability to do simple math problems
§ A physical examination, which includes the evaluation of the person's nutritional status, blood pressure, sensations, balance, and other functions of nervous system
§ Investigations like a brain scan like CT and MRI to detect other causes of dementia such as stroke and laboratory tests, such as blood and urine tests, for checking various components of blood, hormones, enzymes, infections, etc.

Treatment:
Alzheimer's disease is difficult disoder. Homeopathy system offers reasonably positive treatment if not cure.

When we discuss the role of medicine for certain diseases, we probably do not talk of the 'cure' in real sense, but more of 'control' and 'relief'. AD is one such condition, where homeopathy has following role to play:

§ To control the disease process whereby further deterioration of the brain damage is helped to certain extent
§ To improve to an extent some of the symptoms: communication, failing memory, anxiety, restlessness, etc.
Many of the problems associated with dementia such as restlessness, depression, and agitation can be treated effectively and gently with homeopathy. It may also be possible, especially in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, to improve someone's memory with homeopathic medication. Timely administered homeopathy medicines can prevent further progress of disease.

Homeopathy is over 207 years old medicine originated in Germany. Homeopathy is the revolutionary, natural medical science and a system of medicine, which is gentle, effective, and devoid of any side effects.

The homeopathic remedies are prepared from natural substances to precise standards and work by stimulating the body's own healing power.

Homeopathy is one such branch of therapeutics, which believes in treating the patient who is diseased and not merely diseased parts of the patients. This holistic approach goes in a long way in the management of various chronic and deep-seated diseases, including Alzheimer's.

It goes without saying that every person is unique and dementia affects people differently - no two people will follow exactly the same course. Hence, an approach to dementia care, which recognizes the personal history, character and individuality of the person with Alzheimer's, has been shown to have a positive impact on the progress of the disease.

Homeopathy undertakes study of each Alzheimer's as separate entity and does in-depth evaluation of the disease as well as patient as person. It means, the physician has to understand the patient and his/her problems more deeply, with regards to its symptoms, its diagnosis as well as its probable genetic background. The study also involves deep evaluation of the mind and emotions. After appreciating the patients in his totality, a suitable medicine called as 'constitutional medicine' is selected for the patient. The medication based on such foundation brings deeper level healing process for the sufferers of chronic diseases.

It should be noted that there is no single specific remedy for all the cases of Alzheimer's. The exact treatment is determined only on in-depth evaluation of individual case.

RENAL FAILURE AND HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT

Early stage renal failure is a final common path way for a number of disease processes and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In modern medicine approach kidney treatment like dialysis and kidney transplant is not rational approach but its temporary phase, not complete cure end stage renal failure or CRF (Chronic renal failure is the progressive loss of kidney function. The kidneys attempt to compensate for renal damage by excessive straining of the blood within the remaining functional filtering units that consist of a glomerulus and corresponding tubule over time, hyper filtration causes further loss of function)
In homeopathy medicine developed immunizations in damage nephrons in kidney, so kidney function is not damaged further and become strong, after homeopathy treatment decreased s.creatinin and BUN level day by day.
End stage of renal failure due to diabetes mellitus or Hypertension patient his S.creatinin level should 6 to 7. In this stage we can cure or re-establish kidney or renal functions. Patient under going heamodialysis and after kidney transplantation, homeopathy medicine work very well.
Patient had no blood pressure and no diabetes then his S.creatinie level is more then 6 in early stage homeopathy medicine reestablished Kidney functions very well.
There are not curative procedures for CRF but instead they keep a person alive by performing the crucial functions of the kidneys. Homeopathy stimulates one’s immune system to perform normal functions in this way so that damaged kidneys start functioning normally.
TYPE OF RENAL FAILURE
PRE-RENALDecreased blood flow is one cause of damage to the kidney. Acute renal failure may occur when there is extremely low blood pressure; the patient may suffer from trauma, septic shock, haemorrhage, severe vomiting, diarrhea, burns and associated dehydration or other severe or complicated illness.
 INTRA-RENAL
Renal failure usually occurs as the internal structures of the kidney and is suddenly or slowly destroyed. It is a complex chronic failure commonly noticed with hypertension and diabetes damage the vascular walls. Smoking causes atherosclerotic changes of the arterial walls. Nephrotoxic drugs and metals.
 POST-RENAL

A simple mechanical or functional obstruction to the free flow of urine precludes, its excretion and renal failure occurs. It commonly happens with kidney stones, urethral stricture and prost. The symptoms are sudden in acute renal failure and gradual in chronic.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Increased Blood pressure, Weight Loss, Proteins pass in urine, General weakness, swelling around the eyes, Persistent fague and shortness of breath. Loss of appetite and weightloss. Pale, dry and itchy skin. Muscular cramps and twitching. Headache, nausea, vomit and hiccups.
HOMEOPATHY TREATMENT BENEFIT FOR KIDNEY PATIENTS:
1. Early stage renal failure due to Diabetes and Hypertension patients who are suffering from Kidney disease they must take homeopathic treatment.
2. Healthy persons who have strong family history of renal failure should take classical homeopathic treatment to avoid the risk of renal failure.
3. Persons who are having symptoms of early renal failure of unknown etiology, then homeopathy medicine work very well.
4. Kidney patients of any stage should start homeopathic treatment earliest possible for avoiding passing into the complete renal.
5. Patients who are waiting for renal transplantation should start homeopathic treatment which can stop the urgent need of kidney donor.
6. Patients who are on dialysis can get rid of the frequent dialysis by taking classical homeopathic treatment.
Let us say it is never too late to start homeopathic treatment; all patients should start it as soon as they come to know about benefits of homeopathy.
ALLOPATHIC V/S HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT:
1) In comparison to life long treatment in Allopath or conversional therapy. Homeopathic medicines can be stopped in 2 to 5 years depending on the severity and underlying causes of the disease.
2) Allopathic cannot repair damaged Kidney. Modern medicines try to facilitate the body’s waste products to pass out by the process of dialysis through artificial means or by a kidney , transplanted from a Donor .Though Homeopathy does not provide any substitute for any organ (Kidney) but it can revive the damaged organ as it has been proven many times in my treatment of TB cases where I always found normal tissue in place of fibrocavitory lesions
3) Allopathic process of dialysis cannot be stopped once a patient starts on it. As the time passes this procedure has to be done more frequently. Patient’s kidney starts improving as soon as he starts taking homeopathic treatment. It helps the patient to withdraw from dialysis.
4) In modern medicine there is no curative procedure for CRF in. Kidney transplantation and Dialysis do not cure renal failure, but instead keep a person alive by performing the crucial functions of the kidneys. But homeopathy stimulates one’s immune system to perform normal functions, in this way damaged kidneys start functioning normally.
5) There is very high percentage of rejection of new kidney received from a Donor but if such patient starts taking homeopathic treatment that would minimize the rejection percentage.
6) Allopathic treatment Patient has to spend Rs.10000 to 20000/- per month exclusively on medicines. Expenses of hospital’s fee and investigations are superfluous. Homeopathic treatment cost depends upon the severity of the disease and knowledge and experience of the doctor even the costliest doctor’s treatment remains quite economical as compared to allopathic expenses.
7) In case of patients who receive transplanted Kidneys diseases associated with Kidneys like Diabetes mellitus and Hypertension may become uncontrolled in spite of taking full medical care. But Classical Homeopathic treatment not only repairs the damaged kidneys but also it helps in maintaining the blood sugar level and blood pressure to a normal level.
END STAGE RENAL FAILURE AND HOMEOPATHY MANAGEMENT.
The state of patient with end stage renal failure or progressive reversible chronic renal disease is very pathetic not only for the patient itself but also for the family and society as a whole.
In homeopathic treatment case individualization, modality & mental symptoms are the necessary part to select find out exact similimum homeopathic medicine. Homoeopathy does wonder here and has prevented a large number of cases progressing to Hemodialysis and Renal Transplant.
THE ROLE OF HOMEOPATHY IN CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE
Homoeopathy has already done a significant service to the society here as hemodialysis and renal transplant are not within easy reach of majority of population in under- developed countries. In developing country hemodialysis and kidney transplant are very costly treatment service for CRF patients that everybody can’t afford it while homeopathy is cheaper & easy treatment.
•1. Homeopathic treatment in CRF patients’ medical history:
•2. Patients with end-stage chronic renal failure pending Hemodialysis & Renal Transplant:
•3. Homeopathic treatment under long-term hemodialysis pending renal transplant
•4. Homeopathic treatment in dialysis complications
•5. Homeopathic treatment for Post Renal Transplant Patients:
1. Homeopathic treatment in CRF patients’ medical history:
Homeopathy medical science is a great for renal failure patient but unfortunately we are not received number of cases.
Patients mostly complaining of nausea, anorexia and progressive weakness. The laboratory renal parameters are disturbed. The evolution of individualized, totality, modality, mentality, past and family history require lots of patience and labor but the results are marvelous.
2. Patients with end-stage chronic renal failure pending Hemodialysis & Renal Transplant:
This is the group of cases with maximum presentations in the clinics. Majority of these cases come to homoeopathic rescue as a last resort as they can’t afford long-term dialysis and transplant.
The other small group of patients want to know the benefits of Homoeopathic treatment over dialysis and if Homoeopathic treatment be carried along with Hemodialysis? The clinical judgment is individualized and varies for every patient. Remember the correlation of uremic symptoms with renal functions varies front patient to patient.
3. Homeopathic treatment under long-term hemodialysis pending renal transplant:
Homeopathy has a great role to play here. Research experiments in various hospitals reveals the following facts :
(a) Indicated homoeopathic remedies reduced the number of dialysis needed over a period of time.
(b) Indicated homoeopathic remedies reduce and overcome the complications associated with chronic dialysis therapy.
4.Homeopathic treatment in dialysis complications
Remember a chronic dialysis patient depends on a machine for his life. These patients develop a variety of psychiatric, neurologic and somatic disorders. A neurologic disorder ‘Dialysis dementia’ is a characteristic example.
In the mental sphere, these patients become very depressive, their reduced physical abilities make them sad and depressive
they become very irritable like
they know that they have to depend on others, they tolerate and do not express the frustration like
In the physical sphere infections, thrombosis and aneurysm formation occur in the Arterio-venous fistula. There is a high incidence of septic embolisation in these cases. The homoeopathic remedies Arnica chelendula Q have immensely helped these cases.
Heparin necessary during the hemodialysis procedures to prevent clotting leads to complications such as subdural hematoma and intracerebral hemorrhage. Arnica and different well-proved snake poisons in our Materia Medica are of great help here. .
5. Homeopathic treatment for Post Renal Transplant Patients:
The group of patients coming for homoeopathic advice after Renal Transplant is very limited. Homeopaths have very little experience with these patients and the results are not very encouraging. Most of the symptoms here are marked and distorted by immune-suppressive therapy. Immune-suppressive therapy suppresses all immune responses and hence Homoeopathic treatment has not much role to play in organ rejection of transplant cases.

The treatment of Kidney disease can be quite successful with Homeopathy, often in conjunction with allopathic medicine in advanced cases. In early stages, particularly with chronic renal disease, nephritic syndrome, stone formations in Kidney, Bladder, UTI infections, the success rate is close to 40% to 70 % with compliance by the patient .

How Useful Homeopathy Is For Allergies??

Common cold is too common for people who have it once in a while due to climatic changes. But if it becomes the rule of life like in cases of allergic conditions, it’s hell! There are people who get up every morning with the dread that the sneezing will start like a demon to end never at least for a few hours. Suppressing these attacks with anti-allergic drugs obviously benefits prima facie, but it is just temporary, as witnessed by thousands of allergy sufferers.

There are many home remedies too that are tried by these victims of allergy like using ginger in tea etc. But again this gives just temporary relief, as the root cause is never dealt with.

What is the root cause for these allergies?

Do you think that allergens are responsible for this? Well, it is true that the allergens lead to these allergies. But what causes these allergens to be so dreadful as to attack people so violently? There must be something deep within. Yes, this “Something deep within” is the root cause! We can call them tendencies to catch allergies, infections, etc. Unless this tendency is dealt with efficaciously, we cannot expect radical cure from allergies.

One more interesting story is that, if you suppress these allergies with counter-acting drugs and for time being, if they really vanish, don’t be overly elated! The reason behind is that, you haven’t kicked them away but have suppressed within the body. Either it is lying in dormant condition inside or is busy preparing to attack some other vital organ to trouble you later. There are many cases of respiratory allergies being suppressed by drugs and developed into some skin allergy later on (without even known by the sufferer the reason behind this new-found skin allergy).

Does homeopathy help?

Yes, it does! The principle of homeopathy is “like cures like”. When judiciously this principle is applied in practice, we enforce the similarly acting drug to stimulate the vital force inside to expel the symptoms of the disease (allergy) and establish harmony.

Well, sounds like just a theory?

Do homeopathic medicines never suppress?

It is not true. Homeopathic medicines if applied wrongly, without considering the totality of symptoms, i.e., the person’s physical and mental make up, his attitude towards life, dominant miasm in him, and things alike. Also if the potency chosen is not correct or excessively high or cruder, it may lead to suppression, only to be revealed again later on.

Choose right homeopathic remedy to cure allergies!

However, it is also true that rightly chosen remedy, potency, and its application in the right way do help to annihilate the symptoms of the disease in the mildest yet powerful manner within no time. In that sense, homeopathy is a true healer. Go for expert homeopathic consultation and your struggle to overcome an allergy will come to a good end.

Allergies are of different kind. In homeopathy, they usually fall under categories (miasms) Psora and Tubercular. However, if it is badly expressed allergy or a more destructive kind of allergy leading to some drastic end organ damage, it also can fall under Sycosis or Syphilis miasms. This understanding and differentiation can be done only by an expert homeopath. But once rightly recognized and attacked the root cause of allergy, the person frees himself of the recurrent spells of sneezing, cough, colds, and other bodily complaints due to it and leads on the path of complete cure!

SECRETS TO LONGEVITY THROUGH A GOOD DIET

The quest for youthfulness and longevity is as long as the history of civilization.  SOME OF THE LONGEST-LIVED CULTURES INCLUDE 1. Abkhasia (ancients of Caucasus, ancient USSR), 2. Vilcabambans (Andes, South America) 3. Hunza (Pakistan) 4. Centenarians of Okinawa (Japan): Okinawa is home to the world’s healthiest elders with longest recorded life expectancies. 5. Crete (Greece)

Low calorie healthy diets and high physical activity of these extraordinarily healthy societies are the secrets for their extended lifespans with virtually no reported incidence of diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other degenerative diseases such as rheumatism, osteoporosis, alzheimer's and vision problems.  WHAT ARE THE SECRETS TO LONGEVITY THROUGH A GOOD DIET? High intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, soy, fish and eating less fat along with healthy lifestyle seems to explain protection from diseases and increased lifespan. Okinawan Cenetarian study reported that elder Okinawan's who have attained the most phenomenal health and longevity daily eat an average of: 1. 7 servings of vegetables 2. 7 servings of whole grains 3. 2 servings of soy products 4. Fish twice or thrice a week and 5. Very little sugar and added fats. Their diets include little meat and no margarines, hydrogenated fats or trans fat. THE DIETS OF THE WORLD'S SUPER-CENTENARIANS HAD A LOT IN COMMON:  1. Low in calories-ate less 2. High on nutrients-ate well 3. Particularly rich in phyto-chemicals (antioxidants), vitamin B6, B12, folic acid, zinc, calcium, iron, chromium, vitamin D & E and omega-3 fats. 4. Ate good carbohydrates, good fat, high quality proteins and fiber. 5. Whole Food diets: They included plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. 6. Largely depended on fresh, seasonal and locally grown organic foods. 7. Protein sources included fish, soy, legumes- peas and beans, seeds, nuts, fermented milk products, buttermilk & fermented foods. 8. High on natural sources of fats like seeds, nuts, olives, fish and cold pressed oils. 9. Included functional foods like barley, oats, soy, garlic, onion, mushrooms, berries, yogurt, olives, flax, nuts, herbs and spices. 10.Included some form of probiotic foods (good bacteria) like kefir (fermented milk), yogurt. 11.Included prebiotic foods (which promote growth of good bacteria) like whole grains, soy, vegetables, fruits and seeds,. 12.They had little, (if any) processed or refined foods, sugars, hydrogenated fats, preservatives, chemicals etc. THESE PEOPLE ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE SIMPLE LIFESTYLES. Some common features: 1. Ensured good sleep 2. Ate in the company of others 3. Occasionally indulged in celebration food- confectionary, desserts, sweets and candies. 4. Ate regular meals, did not skip breakfast and ate dinners early 5. Ate smaller frequent meals 6. Did not smoke and indulge in substance abuse 7. Maintained physical activity throughout life. Clearly, living long is not a coincidence. It is a result of many factors and when it comes to health & longevity, the sum of the dietary components is greater than its individual elements.

20 WORDS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE