How to relieve stress?

One can achieve a balanced existence with a calm mind, high concentration, an energized body, mind and spirit, all round success and well being, by arming oneself with spiritual techniques and philosophies, to face the battle of life. Unlike previous generations, the present generation, does not wait for the problems to overpower them before seeking spiritual solace for health, relationships and career. The path of spirituality is not only about self realization or realization of God but it leads down to success in all spheres of life and finally enlightenment.



Younger generation cheerfully accepts and warms up to the religious teachings. Present day Gurus and organizations offer spiritual cure by teachings/techniques which have been modified to suit the needs of the present day devotes. The techniques are not restricted to any particular culture, sect or religion but are open to all and these work like a magnet for the younger generation.


Spiritual wellness necessarily is not about searching for God, it is answer to all the problems and tensions of life. GenX, mostly, joins these organizations out of curiosity or peer pressure or their desire to do something new. Most join with a fixed purpose or aim in mind and are not afraid to try out new approach to life.



In present day fast life stress is the major problem. Youngsters are more vulnerable to stress. Stress may be due to peer pressure, pressure to perform well academically, adolescent body changes, emotional and social adjustments. Stress increases temptations of drug abuse and tendency to suicide. Spirituality can help to relieve stress.


Spirituality not only relives stress but also leads on to the path of positivity and clarity by deep concentration. Concentration helps to increase energy level, Negativity, confusion, fear, shyness hypersensitivity and anger. Spiritual wellness lets you experience “Dynamism from outside and calmness from inside”.


As physical body requires nourishment so the mind and spirit requires energy. This energy is provided by ‘Dhyana’ and ‘Parnayama’ which keeps the spiritual battery charged. Dhayana and pranayama require regularity and needs to be performed morning and evening.

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Infertility in Women

Endometriosis is a wide spread present day common medical condition that plagues some 85 million women across the globe. Endometriosis is characterized by chronic abdominal pain, painful menstruation, painful intercourse, painful urination, vomiting and nausea. In India, Endometriosis affects one in every ten women. It is the main cause of infertility in women, denying them the privelage and joys of motherhood.

Endometriosis is a condition in which cells similar to one’s inside the uterus start multiplying, out side the uterus. These cells interfere with the working of the ovaries, ovulation and implantation of the embryo, rendering women infertile. Endometriosis is a life long disease and the incidence is high in the women, who use contraceptive pills for a long period. Though the exact cause is not known but delayed preference for motherhood is one of the main reasons.

The disease is seldom diagnosed in the early stages as the symptoms appear to be yhe normal mensturational problems. It gets ignored and women popup over the counter pain killers to ease out the pain. Painful periods, bowl movement, low back pain and fatigue, are other symptoms which shoul not be ignored.

Urban women are more prone to Endometriosis, as they delay the pregnancy due to late marriage or life style. Endometriosis is known as antipregnancy disease because it has a negative effect on ovulation and implantation of the egg.


Leproscopy is the most popular treatment to treat Endometriosis in young women. They are required to undergo surgery and invitro fertilization(test tube baby). In the older women a total hysterectomy is the only solution.

The best way to avoid endometriosis is to follow the nature’s way and not to delay pregnancy. The rigours of pregnancy, absence of menstruation during pregnancy, breast feeding and other hormonal changes, all prevent Endometriosis. Late pregnancies result in prolonged flow of estrogen, uninterrupted by pregnancy, provide a fertile ground for the abnormal growth of endometrial lining. A healthy and stress free life style alongwith early pregnancy is the best way to prevent Endometriosis.

Why Flax is a Super food?

Flax seeds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids – a key force against inflammations causing many chronic ailments like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, some kinds of cancers and even heart disease. Most of the oil in flax seed is alpha linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is an Omega 3 fatty acid which is a precursor to fatty acids, found in cold water fish, called EPA and DHA. ALA along with Omega 6 fatty acids, found in corn and soya oils, can help to maintain the ratio of both Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids, in vegetarians or persons who do not consume fish. Consuming more of Omega 3 fatty acids helps to lower the risk of heart attack, lowers BP and Cholesterol. Flax oil has 50% more Omega 3 fatty acids compared to 10% in Walnut and canola.

The Flax seed carries one of the best nutrient content compared to its size. Flax seeds contain a good amount of minerals, vitamins, quite large amounts of fiber, antioxidants and Omega 3 fatty acids. It is low in carbohydrates and its combination of healthy fats and high fiber content make it an ideal food for weight loss and maintenance

Flax seeds are commonly known as Alsi seeds. It belongs to Lineacae family. It is a native of Mediterranean and India. It is an annual herb with pale blue flowers. It was extensibly cultivated in ancient Ethiopia and Egypt. Dyed flax fibers have been found from the caves in the Republic of Georgia, dating back to 30,000 BC.

Flax is an annual herb. It is grown for its seeds and fibers, Flax seeds are of two varieties- Brown and Yellow or Golden.
Most varieties have similar nutritional characteristics and equal amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids (short chained fatty acids). The yellow variety is, called solin (traded as Linola), low in Omega 3 fatty acids. The oil of the yellow variety has a different profile. It is better known as an ingredient in paints, fibers and cattle feed. Flax seeds produce a commercial vegetable oil called ‘Linseed Oil’. It has been used for centuries as a drying oil in paints and varnishes.

Flax seeds are edible. They are roasted and grounded and then used as food supplement. Roasted and grounded flax seeds known as ‘Tisi’ in Bihar region, are eaten along with rice, a little of water and salt. Flax seeds are chemically stable and can be stored for a year at room temperature. However grounded flax seeds need to be refrigerated to prevent from going rancid.

Fax seeds contain a high level of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. The dietary fiber helps to lower cholesterol, especially in women. Flax seeds can be used as laxative due to its dietary fiber content though excessive consumption without adequate liquid can cause bowl obstruction. Consumption of large amounts of flax seeds may interfere with certain oral medication. Flax fibers are also obtained from the stem. The flax fiber obtained from the stem is soft, lustrous and flexible. It is stronger than cotton but less flexible. Best grade fibers are used for making linen fabrics, coarser grades for twines and ropes. It is also the raw material for high quality paper, used for printing currency notes and also for making tea bags and rolling paper for cigarettes. 1/4th cup of flax seeds provides 6 gms of soluble fiber. Studies have shown that when flax seed powder is added to diet, harmful LDL cholesterol level drops significantly.

Flax seeds are rich in chemicals including many antioxidants. It is the best source of lignan which are potent antioxidants that help to eliminate harmful free radicals. Lignans are converted in the intestine to hormone like substances called enterolactone and enterodiol. Evidence suggests that lignans may promote fertility, reduce premensturational symptoms and possibly help to prevent breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. Vegetarian diet is one of the reasons, of lower incidence of breast cancer in the vegetarians.

Flax seeds are good source of most of the B vitamins, magnesium and manganese. Vitamin B helps to keep the nervous system healthy whereas magnesium and manganese help to reduce the severity of asthma and to lower blood pressure reducing risk of heart attack and stroke.



Big fiber load, resistance to rancidity (oxidation) of flax oil and hormonal effects of lignans has invoked a renewed interest in the nutritional value of flax seeds.

However care should be taken

• Not to eat whole flax seeds as they are extremely hard to digest. The need to be roasted and grounded before use.
• Only 2 to 4 tablespoons should be consumed as they contain very small amounts of cyanide compounds. Heat, especially on dry seeds, breaks these compounds.
• Avoid eating raw seeds.

Flax seed powder can be mixed with a wide range of foods – like curds, can be used as salad dressing, mixed with wheat flour to bake bread, muffins or other products. It can also be added to porridge or milk.

Vaccines and therapies of the Future

Researchers are, all the time, toiling to find new drugs and vaccines for incurable or hard to cure diseases like Influenza and HIV. With advances in the fields of medicine, genetics and chemistry, efforts are afoot to find new futuristic drugs, vaccines and therapies with the help of state of the art technology.


The body always responds to a pathogen by way of immune system. The immune response is expressed in the form of antigens and antibodies. The cell membranes have specific receptors for different kinds of molecules. The pathogen triggers immune response by forcing the body to secret specific proteins called antibodies against the pathogen (called antibody).It is this antigen-antibody reaction threat neutralizes the effect of pathogen on the body or pathogen itself. Phagocytes (special type of white blood corpuscles) destroy the pathogen by feeding on them (Phagocytosis).


In order to produce antibodies against a specific pathogen naturally, pathogen has to be present in the body. To protect the body against pathogens, we employ vaccination to boost the immunity. The vaccination stimulates the immune system to secret a large no. of specific antibodies which protect against the diseases. The immunity imparted by vaccination can be of two types – active and passive. In active immunity the body produces antibodies in response to dead or inactive or weakened pathogen. Such immunity is long lasting. On the other hand in passive immunity ready made antibodies are used as vaccine to provide immunity. Such immunity is short lived.


The future vaccines are trying to balance between both active and passive types of vaccines. Researchers are testing two new types of vaccines. One vaccine consists of DNA rings called plasmids the other vaccine uses a virus called adenovirus as a carrier. Both types of vaccines employ genes that encode for proteins in the pathogenic organism so that immune cells catch the attention and start responding. But the two types of vaccines plasmid vaccines and adenovirus vaccines employ different methods of delivery. Earlier results have indicated that adenovirus vaccine have scored above plasmid vaccines in providing immunity. The difference in the response lies in the mode of drug delivery.


The plasmids are rings of extrachromsomal DNA in the bacterial cells. The genes for the one or more proteins of the pathogen against which immunity is required are added to the plasmid DNA ring with the hope that they would provoke immune reaction from the immune system. The adenoviruses are the naked icosahedral (nearly spherical) viruses having nucleocapsid and a double stranded linear DNA molecule. A nonpathogenic adenovirus is used as carrier for encoding pathogenic protein.


The DNA vaccines have many advantages over the traditional vaccination. They can be manufactured more rapidly than traditional vaccines as these do not require handling and cultivating potentially dangerous live virus. More over DNA is stable at room temperature where as conventional vaccines need to be refrigerated, which is cause for concern during handling, storage and transportation. The immune system does not perceive the DNA of the plasmid as foreign material as all cells of the body have DNA. Technically speaking the vaccines itself as such does not invokes any immune response. It is only the protein encoded by the plasmid that would cause immune cells to respond. This also paves way for repeated use of plasmids to deliver a variety of genes without the fear of body cells developing resistance.


However new methods of vaccines delivery had to be developed to ensure entry of plasmids in to a large no of cells. New vaccine delivery methods use transdermal patches, gene guns and biojets using pressurized air to deliver plasmids into the skin cells.
Another method is electroportation, which uses electrical impulses to temporarily open up the cell membrane, to allow entry of plasmids into the cell. Electroportation increases the plasmid uptake by thousand folds. The plasmids carrying DNA sequences of genes have been improved by codon optimization. The DNA carries genetic information in the form of codons, each codon consists of three nucleotide bases. An amino acid is coded by a specific codon of three nucleotide bases in a specific sequence, but certain amino acids have more than one codon that codes for a specific amino acid. It has been found that cells favor certain codons more over the other codons. Thus the production of a specific protein in the cell can be optimized by choosing optimal codons.


Each protein molecule is preceded by a leader sequence which makes protein molecule more stable. Certain leader sequences initiate the secretion of a specific protein only. The final improvement has come by way of substances called adjutants. Adjutants are chemical compounds that increase antibody response to DNA vaccines, Instead of adding chemicals to the vaccine, which will create problems regarding handling, emulsification or stability, we can incorporate DNA sequence into the vaccine plasmid itself to synthesize the adjutant along with the vaccine proteins, causing a further five fold increase in the immune response.


The ability to inject genes into cells and to get these cells manufacture encoded proteins opens up new methods of treatment. Classical drugs consist of chemical molecules which have to enter the blood stream to effect core. Most of these chemical materials are excreted or neutralized before they can affect a cure. Thus they need to be administered in large doses which are most often toxic and cause unwanted toxic effects. On the other hand the beauty of the DNA drugs lies in the fact that they will be synthesized in the body in the required amount and that too at the required site, providing a side effect free more effective treatment. Another plus point is that only one injection is required to effect the treatment. Another category of treatment called DNA biological immunotherapy combines the best aspect of DNA therapy and vaccines.


Earlier trials using DNA encoded viral proteins to induce immune cells to attack tumors have shown encouraging results. IT seems that the day is not far off, when we will be able to provide faster immunity to HIV, tuberculosis, cancer and a host of other diseases including flu. However, these vaccines and therapeutics have to undergo extensive clinical testing before human use.