Kings XI Punjab a balanced squad

THOUGH they have failed to last the distance in the first two editions of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab can be taken lightly only at your own peril.

The 2008 season started on a disastrous note for Kings XI as it lost its opening two matches, but then it recovered lost ground and went on to play the semi-finals against Chennai Super Kings.

Finishing as semifinalists last year, Kings XI Punjab started with an eye on the trophy. They started badly, losing to the Delhi Daredevils and the Knight Riders.

However, they got back to form by beating the Royal Challengers, Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians.

Then, the team witnessed a roller-coaster ride in their next eight matches with 4 wins and 4 losses.

The team's semi-final hopes were crushed after losing to the Chennai Super Kings in their last match.

Who knows, the handing over of captaincy to someone as seasoned as Kumara Sangakkara could prove to be the spur the otherwise talented side needs to go all the way.

Among the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in the business, Sangakkara, within no time, has established himself as a wily tactician.

With Punjab having enough firepower in batting as well bowling, Kings XI Punjab is a well-balanced side.

Apart from Sangakkara, the presence of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Shaun Marsh, Simon Katich and Mahela Jayawardene makes the Kings XI batting line-up formidable.

In James Hopes, Ravi Bopara and Reetinder Sodhi, they have all-rounders capaple of giving a fine balance to the side.

With a fit-again Brett Lee set to spearhead the bowling attack along with S. Sreesanth, and Jerome Taylor and V. R. V Singh as the back-up support, Kings XI Punjab will be expecting better luck this time in the 45-day extravaganza.

THE PINK OF HEALTH

Breast cancer is the second most common type found in Indian women, writes S.M. Bose

Sixtytwo years post-Independence, India has seen tremendous progress. The longevity of life has doubled, common ailments have been controlled and, as a matter of fact, a few of them have even vanished. But many other health problems have crept in, one of the important ones being the rapid increase in the incidence of cancer in our country. Cancer does not differentiate between the sexes and its incidence is seen both in men and women though the pattern of the diseases is different because of the variation in the anatomy of the two sexes.

A majority of cancer diseases in women, almost 50 per cent, are seen in the sex organs – the cervix, breast, ovaries, uterus, vagina, and vulva, the first two being the common sites.

Cervix is the lowest end of the uterus opening into the vagina and its cancer is the commonest in India. It commonly affects women in the age group of 50 to 55, but all sexually active women are at a risk of contracting it. HPV (human papilloma virus infection) is the virus mainly responsible for this cancer.

The cancer of the cervix is commonly associated with poor socio-economic conditions; improper hygiene; and poor sanitation of the private parts of both the partners are responsible for the transmission of the HPV.

Recently, a vaccine has become available, that is recommended forn the age group of 12 to 15, so that younger women may already develop immunity before the onset of sexual activities. The long-term results of this vaccine in India are yet not available.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer seen in Indian females, accounting for about 20 per cent of the cases. Its incidence is rapidly increasing, especially in metropolitan cities, and this is attributed to the increased westernisation of our habits, longevity of life, better diagnostic facilities etc. It should be remembered that the male breast can also develop cancer.

The presence of a swelling in the breast or armpit (completely painless to start with), bleeding from the nipple, thickening or ulceration of the skin over the breast, and drawing in of the nipple are the common signs of breast cancer, Anyone having this problem should get herself examined from a surgical specialist at the earliest.

Surgery for breast cancer in a majority of cases leads to the removal of a breast, a physical disfigurement hated by womenfolk.

It has been well established that the best results are obtained by a multimodality regime, consisting of an operation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy for both cancers — of the breast as well as cervix. The stage of the disease and details of biopsy results determine the treatment options and their sequencing.

It has been proved that a large percentage of patients of cancer can be completely cured in the early stages but for this, early detection and initiation of proper treatment are required. Contrary to earlier practice, it is not necessary to remove the entire breast in the early stages of the disease. But breast preservation surgery is practised only by a few surgeons in India and what is more important is to remember that the patient must report to a surgeon at an early stage.

It is also mandatory that the treated patient of cancer should get herself examined from her surgeon periodically for the rest of her life as the possibility of recurrence remains. The incidence of reappearance of the disease is related to the stage of the disease and the earlier the recurrence is diagnosed better is the control and outcome.

It is said that God helps those who help themselves and surely it is true for cancer detection also. A women has to remain vigilant from the age of 35; learn to suspect warning signals of cancer, get herself screened periodically by a cancer specialist, and get the relevant investigations as and when advised by the doctor. It is not difficult to learn self -examination of the breasts to detect the abnormality, to take a PAP smear test to rule out cancer of the cervix, to get bilateral mammography every two years / every year for women with a family history of breast cancer.

Cancer is a nasty disease, as a matter of fact, there is nothing good about any disease. The only solution is awareness and early detection, which can equip you to fight the disease and you will surely be a winner.

Fitness mantra
Go nuts
Mridula Wattas

THINK about nuts and you think of celebration and prosperity. The kid in you associates nuts with those tasty things which were locked in grandma’s cupboard and one was always figuring out ways to get to them. While one constantly dreamt of eating bagfuls, all we got was a handful. How wise were our elders!

Most people would agree that nuts are tasty but did you know that they are full of goodness. Nuts are nutritional powerhouses. These filling little snack foods may be loaded with fat but the type of fat found in nuts – mono and polyunsaturated fats are good fats. When eaten instead of junk food, nuts lower (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol)--- a perfect formula for preventing heart diseases. Nuts contain important phytonutrients and antioxidants and are high in plant sterols and omega-3 fats. Eating healthy, especially vegetarian diets has challenges in finding adequate, balanced sources of proteins. Incorporating a variety of nuts into your diet provides a great source of protein, which is relatively lower in fat than non-vegetarian sources. Most nuts contain potassium,and magnesium which helps in lowering blood pressure. Nuts contain the amino acid arginine, which can boost immunity and reduce blood pressure. Some nuts contain tryptophan, which stimulates production of serotonin in the brain. Tryptophan can help to alleviate depression and boosts relaxation.

But the catch is that one should eat only a certain amount of nuts and it should fit in the diet plan recommended, according to age, height and weight.

The most common nuts in our diet are almonds, cashewnuts, walnuts, pistachios and peanuts.

There is a lot of magic enclosed in a nutshell.

Want to lose weight? Eat nuts!

As long as you control total calories, eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fibre in nuts help you feel full longer, so you may eat less during the day. By helping induce a feeling of satiety, nuts may help people feel less deprived and not like they're "dieting".

Want to gain weight? Go for nuts!

Making nuts a part of your diet may lower the risk of developing dementia, gallstones, strokes, and Type 2 diabetes.

Whenever you feel the need for some nourishment during the day, instead of going in for samosas, tikkis, burgers or pav bhaji, just have a handful of nuts. If you take almonds, walnuts, cashews, a handful i.e.30g would cost around Rs14, which is the same or less than these high-calorie junk foods. A handful of nuts provide approximately 160 K cal and 5-6g proteins along with a whole lot of health-enhancing nutrients.

In a nutshell, eat a balanced diet and make a handful of nuts a part of it. And if you believe in the old adage ‘Health is wealth’, this will certainly bring prosperity in your life.

— The writer is a dietitian with the Department of Dietetics, PGI