Foods to boost your mood
Eat up your greens

LEAFY greens are nature’s antidepressants. They’re an excellent source of folic acid, a lack of which has been linked to depressed mood. While depression caused by folate deficiency is rare, upping your intake could help to alleviate unhappy feelings, according to a study published in the Nursing Standard.

Pomegranates for power

Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice helps to balance out the rise in glucose levels that follow a high-fat or high-calorie meal. In simple terms, that means you reduce the risk of an energy slump after eating. “Feeling lethargic dampens your mood,” says psychotherapist Vicki Ford. “If you can ramp up your energy, your mood will improve.”

Seeds of change

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression and aid sleep. “A seed contains all that’s necessary to start growing a new plant,” says Farah Cleret, a nutritional clinician with a practice in Brighton, “so it’s little wonder they’re tightly packed with essential nutrients.”

Say cheese

The British Cheese Board recently carried out a study on the effects of eating different cheeses before bedtime and found that, far from causing nightmares, cheese gave 72 per cent of the 200 volunteers a very good night’s sleep. “The ‘Cheese & Dreams’ study suggests that eating cheese before you go to bed may actually aid a good night’s sleep,” says Neil Stan ley, director of research at Surrey University’s Sleep Disorders Unit. Cheese products contain both tryptophan - a mood-enhancer - and calcium, which is necessary to manufacture melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

Go bananas

Bananas contain tryptophan, which the body uses to make the happiness hormone serotonin. They’re also packed with potassium, levels of which can be depleted by stress. The vitamin B6 they contain will help to regulate blood sugar and thereby stabilise mood.

Eat oily fish

“Oily fish, including mackerel and salmon, is one of the few foods that contains vitamin D, which we usually produce by being exposed to sunlight,” says Kleiner. “It boosts serotonin levels, and is one reason why most people feel happier on sunny days.” Oily fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids.

Game on

Your eyelashes, head hair and nails are made up of protein, so a lack of it results in broken nails and hair loss, as well as dull, flaky skin.

“Venison is one of the healthiest ways that you can increase the amount of protein in your diet,” says Dr Frankie Phillips, a dietician for the British Dietetic Association. “It’s extremely low in fat, and provides about 50 per cent of your recommended intake of zinc, a mineral that’s important for keeping your immune system up to scratch and for maintaining healthy skin.”

The power of pasta

“Carbohydrates lift your spirits by prompting secretion of serotonin,” says Kleiner. “Research has shown that high-carb meals are more effective than high-protein meals for elevating mood, and that protein-only meals make people more sluggish.”

Cold comfort

Vanilla ice cream could help boost a flagging sex life. “It gives you a blast of libido-lifting phosphorus,” explains Kleiner. “And it also provides calcium, used to fire up ejaculator muscles.” Sex itself reduces stress and makes your body produce endorphins.

Doctor pepper

“Capsicin, the chemical that causes the hot sensation of chillies, stimulates the nerves in the mouth and causes the brain to release endorphins in response to the mild, pain-like feelings you experience,” says Dr Phillips. “But be aware that, as with any sudden highs, it’s likely to be followed by a mood crash.”

Pate it better

Chicken liver pate is a good source of iron, which helps to supply the brain with oxygen and also fights fatigue. The recommended intake of iron is 8.7mg a day for men and 14.8mg a day for women. Pâté contains 9.19mg per 100g.

Jump to it: more ways to get happy

l Get moving. “Exercise does more than just make you look good, it also helps you feel good,” says Ray Klerck, a fitness writer for Men’s Health magazine. A study undertaken at the University of Queensland, Australia, revealed that exercise increases levels of a chemical called serotonin in your brain — the same substance that helps fight off depression and bolsters well-being. And don’t underestimate the sense of satisfaction you’ll get from these small daily changes too:

• Jump in the shower to increase your circulation. Turn it to cold for 10 seconds, then back to warm, then cold, and back again.
• Do squats - bending your knees as though you’re about to sit on a chair — while you brush your teeth. In four weeks you’ll see the difference in your thighs and buttocks.
• Just let go. Stand on the bus or train without holding on to the railing. This makes you use your core stabilising muscles.
• Do 10 minutes of skipping to get your heart-rate pumping. It’s one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can get.
• Vacuum the stairs with the smallest tube attachment. Do it with vigour and it becomes genuine exercise, burning between 250 and 300 calories per hour.
• Dance your cares away. One of the most underrated ways to get your heart rate really pumping, an hour of hip-shaking movement is the equivalent of 30 minutes’ playing football.

—The Independent

Ayurveda & you
Garlic: a unique healing agent
Dr R. Vatsyayan

GARLIC has been used as a culinary item since times immemorial. Apart from India, its earliest medicinal usage has been recorded in many civilisations, including the ancient Egypt, Greece, China and Rome. Called rasona, lashun and ugragandha in Sanskrit , the old Indian literature relates many stories about its divine origin.

Botanically known as allium sativam and originally believed to be a native of the Central Asia, garlic is at the same time endowed with five different tastes —pungent, sweet, bitter, astringent and salty. Pandit Bhava Mishra, the famous ayurvedic scholar of the fourteenth century, has described it to be hot, unctuous, heavy and sharp in effect. It has also been portrayed as a digestive, carminative, cardiac stimulant, aphrodisiac, expectorant, analgesic, diuretic, anti-oxidant and an anti-kapha and anti-vata agent.

Garlic contains more than 100 biologically useful secondary metabolites and sulphur containing compounds which are responsible for its peculiar odour and numerous healing properties. In addition, garlic is an excellent source of manganese, selenium and B vitamins. Its use has been indicated in a wide range of acute or chronic health problems like indigestion, anorexia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, paralysis, headache, sciatica and respiratory disorders like bronchitis, coughs and phlegmatic conditions.

Clinical experiments in recent times have not only confirmed several ancient beliefs about the extraordinary healing value of this herb but also brought into light many of its lesser known benefits.

Garlic and cholesterol reduction are frequently mentioned together. Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular consumption of garlic lowers serum triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, and decreases platelet aggregation. It has also been found to increase the HDL-cholesterol (the protective form) and fibrinolysis (the process through which our body breaks up blood clots) and stimulate the production of nitric oxide in the lining of the blood vessel walls and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Researchers have found that regular use of garlic helps increase the production of vitally important antioxidant enzymes that hold back the activity of many cancer and tumour-producing substances. Garlic is able to protect against certain degenerative effects of rheumatoid arthritis — all of which are caused by an imbalance of free radicals and the body’s protective defences. It has also been found to be having anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity and is effective against many drug resistant strains. Ayurvedic physicians think it to be of immense value in the weight control regime offered to persons of “kapha” trait.

Due to its sharp, hot and pungent properties, it is not always that garlic suits everybody. Many times its unsavoury effects are reported which are more common in persons of “pitta prakriti”. Though acute toxicity of garlic is rare in humans, its unbridled and excessive use can cause esophageal and abdominal pain, acidity, urticaria, skin blisters, episodes of respiratory spasms and bleeding disorders in some persons.

Garlic provides all its benefits when used in the day-to-day kitchen preparations, but it is greatly useful if cooked with lentils, mustard “saag”, non-vegetarian food and other heavy or wind-producing eatables. To make it more body-friendly, a few of its peeled-off cloves should be put into a little buttermilk or diluted curd. If used next day it will lose much of its sharpness, pungency and offensive odour. The average daily dose of raw and cooked garlic should not exceed two-three and five-seven cloves respectively, but the individual adaptability should always be kept in mind. To counter any of its unpleasant effect, the powder of coriander seeds should be used.

The writer is a Ludhiana-based senior ayurvedic physician.

EYESIGHT
Do you have difficulty in night vision?
Dr Mahipal S. Sachdev

ARE you or is anyone around you having difficulty in night vision? Or do you bump into chairs and other objects often due to the inability to see these objects?

Beware! You may be suffering from what is known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) !

RP is a group of inherited diseases that damage the retina (which is the innermost part of the eye and acts like the film of a camera).

Signs and symptoms

Patients with RP may present with varying symptoms. The onset is often gradual and insidious, and many patients fail to recognise the manifestations of this condition until it has progressed significantly. When patients do report symptoms, they commonly include difficulty with night vision (nyctalopia) as well as loss of peripheral vision. Most common symptoms include difficulty in vision in dim light, tendency to trip easily or bump into objects when in poor lighting, progressive, gradual loss of peripheral vision, glare and loss of contrast sensitivity.

The course of disease varies. It may range from mild visual loss to blindness. Central visual acuity is generally not affected until the very late stages of RP, although variants have been encountered that cause extensive visual loss in early stages. Fortunately, most cases of retinitis pigmentosa take a long time to develop and visual loss is gradual.

The cause

Retinitis pigmentosa is believed to be a genetic disorder. There are many forms of RP, and while most present with similar findings and outcome, some presentations are atypical.

Diagnosis and detection

RP is usually diagnosed before adulthood. It is often discovered when a patient complains of difficulty in night vision. The ophthalmologist diagnoses RP by examining the retina with an ophthalmoscope.

Management

Since there is no known treatment for RP, management calls for prompt diagnosis and subsequent counselling to maintain the quality of life. Occupational guidance is very important for these patients. If diagnosed early they should select a job according to their visual capacity and avoid night jobs.

As this is a hereditary disorder, it is essential to carry out a pedigree analysis of these patients. This is critical to determine the exact inheritance pattern of the patient’s condition. Individuals should know the risk for their progeny or other family members developing the disease. If any member of a family is diagnosed having retinitis pigmentosa, it is imperative that a thorough ophthalmic examination of all the family members, especially siblings and children, be carried out.

Genetic counselling is recommended to help these patients deal with these issues.

Also, there are many new low vision aids, including telescopic and magnifying lenses, which may help the patients maximise their remaining vision. Field-expansion devices, infrared blocking sun lenses and contrast enhancing filters may be helpful.

Pearls

Most patients with RP are diagnosed in the second or third generation of life. Because of the insidious nature of the disorder, the earliest indicators are often objective findings rather than subjective complaints. Some presentations are extremely subtle, particularly in the early stages. A critical evaluation on all patients presenting with complaints of nyctalopia or peripheral field loss is recommended.

Understandably, the untreatable progressive nature of retinitis pigmentosa is extremely unsettling for the patient and their loved ones; it is often beneficial to recommend psychological or family counselling early in the disease.

Although these patients cannot be cured, they still require periodic examination to assess their status as well as manage their ongoing refractive needs. Visual enhancement through low-vision devices can be tried.

Last but not the least, a thorough examination of all the family members is strongly recommended.

These days certain claims are being made about the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa with Acupuncture/ Ayurveda/Russian treatment, etc. Because of no other available treatment patients can easily fall prey to such claims. However, a scientific basis for such claims are yet to be proved.

The writer is Chairman and Medical Director, Centre for Sight, New Delhi. E-mail: msachdev@bol.net.in.