Step 1:

Begin by pinching from tips and bottoms of each finger and thumb of both your right hand and left hand. The pressure applied to your fingers should be firm, but not painful. A few seconds for each finger tip will do. Pinch them again, but this time squeezing from side to side.

Step 2:

Vigorously rub back and forth from the base to the tip of each linger & thumb.

Step 3:

Grasp each finger & thumb at its base and pull firmly. Allow your grip to loosen slightly, graduating it from the base to the finger tip until your finger slips out of your grasp completely.

Step 4:

Using your thumb and forefinger firmly grasp the webbed area between your thumb & forefinger of your other hand. Keeping a firm hold, pull at the skin gently until the fleshy web snaps away from your grasp. Repeat this process for the webbed-between areas on all your fingers.

Step 5:

Rest the palm of your hand inside the fingers of your free hand. Use your thumb to massage the back of your hand. Slowly work on the knuckles and in between knuckle area first. Continue thumb’ massaging each area on the back of the hand.

Step 6:

At the end of your session press your thumb deeply in the center of your palm. Take a few deep breaths. This would help to relax, clear your mind, and focus on your healing intentions.

A cancer patient credits his morning glass of broccoli juice with halting the disease. Ray Wiseman’s claim has prompted more research into the vegetable’s healing powers. Doctors told Mr Wiseman they did not expect him to survive, when they diagnosed him five years ago.

But scans show that his cancer has stopped spreading  -  vastly improving his chances of a recovery. The grandfather, 79, puts his health down to the tumbler of broccoli juice that his wife prepares for him each day.

Mr Wiseman, who lives in Braunstone, Leicestershire, said: ‘I take this juice every day. I know it’s done me good.  I suppose it would be the same for everybody.’

His wife Joan, 72, started giving him the juice after a friend told her about the healing benefits of green vegetables. For each half-tumbler dose she combines a head of broccoli with some apples and carrots to improve the taste.

She said: ‘We believe my husband’s incredible luck is down to broccoli. I hope our experience can help other cancer sufferers.  ‘The juice is a mess to make but it’s something we have been happy to clear up. He now just takes it as second nature.
‘If anybody else’s husband is suffering from cancer and they are not getting on too well, it could help them.’

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have asked her for the recipe, to further study the vegetable’s benefits.  Recent medical studies have highlighted the possible cancer-beating powers of broccoli.

British scientists at the Institute of Food Research found that men who ate one daily portion had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates, suggesting that the chemicals in the vegetable might be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

According to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2006, natural chemicals found in certain vegetables, such as broccoli-cauliflower and cabbage, can enhance DNA repair in cells, which could help stop them becoming cancerous.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: ‘There’s a lot of research that’s focused on broccoli and the healing properties that the vegetable contains.  ‘If taken, broccoli needs to be with a healthy diet that is high in all fruit and vegetables.  ‘This can also reduce the chances of developing cancer.’

Around 10,000 are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK . It is the fifth most common form of the disease and affects more men than women.

A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and has properties that boost the human immune systems that fight viruses, bacteria and cancer.  Studies have found that boiling broccoli can reduce its anti-cancer compounds, but steaming and microwaving do not.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry observe a ten-day vegetarian or vegan diet for spiritual cleansing and merit-making.

Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines, temples and aesthetic displays, such as walking barefoot over hot coals, ascending ladders with bladed rungs, and piercing the skin with swords are performed by entranced devotees. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who observe the rite.

One of the most picturesque festivals in Thailand, Loy Krathong takes place each November on the full moon. The country is illuminated under a night sky as thousands of candlelit “boats” or kratongs are gently launched into Thailand’s waterways. The idea is to put all your misfortunes in the boat and allow them to float away. In Phuket, major hotels usually host a special evening so that guests can take part.

Another spectacular event is Phuket‘s Gay Festival at the end of March. Patong Beach comes alive with sequined, feathered, glittery participants, dancing, parading, and partying in the streets and on the beach. The festival has become one of the biggest tourist happenings on the island and its international reputation grows yearly.

Celebrated on 13 April, the Songkran Festival is the traditional Thai New Year event, when families and friends gather together to visit temples, sprinkle water in reverence on Buddha images, and on each others’ hands for good luck.

In recent years, the tradition of sprinkling water has become an excuse for water fights, and it is not uncommon to have buckets of water thrown at you by merry­makers. II you’re in a tourist area like Patong on the day, leave behind anything you don’t want soaked when you go out.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture, and heal slowly, occurring especially in women following menopause and often leading to curvature of the spine from vertebral collapse.

Calcium supplements are a good way to maintain calcium stock in your bones. However, in some people, it may not be sufficient to ward off osteoporosis. In our teenage years to early adulthood, the body accumulates calcium to build strong bones.

Beyond the age of 30, the calcium stock is maintained, but cannot be increased. As we age beyond 50, the bones start to lose calcium. When the loss becomes excessive, as is often the case in post-menopausal women, this leads to osteoporosis. Genetics also plays a role. People who have direct relatives with osteoporosis are at greater risk of developing it. Other precipitating factors include a sedentary lifestyle, excessive caffeine and alcohol intake, certain drugs like steroids and certain chronic diseases like hyperthyroidism.

Calcium is only part of the solution. There has to be sufficient daily vitamin D intake. Without vitamin D, calcium cannot be absorbed in sufficient quantities by the body. In countries with prolonged winters, the elderly have been shown to be more prone to osteoporosis. This should not be a problem in sunny Asia, unless you stay indoors or use sunscreen liberally. If you do, a vitamin D supplement would help.

The daily requirement of calcium is about 800mg a day, and the required daily intake of vitamin D is 800 international units. Most of these can he obtained from a balanced diet. Foods that contain a high amount of calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, tofu and whitebait.

Like hypertension and diabetes, osteoporosis is a silent disease, and often manifests itself dramatically in a fracture after a minor trauma. In the elderly, a hip fracture can be a death sentence, not from the osteoporosis itself, but from the complications of prolonged immobility that the fracture causes. Hence, it is important to ensure not only an adequate daily intake of calcium and vitamin D, but to have an active lifestyle and get a medical check-up if you are at risk.

A global outbreak of bird flu is still a concern. A pandemic starts when three conditions are met: a new influenza virus subtype emerges; it infects humans, causing serious illness , and it spreads easily and sustainably among humans. Bird flu (the H5N1 virus) amply meets the first two conditions. It’s a new virus for humans and it has infected more than 100 people, killing over half of them. No one will have immunity should an H5N1-like pandemic virus emerge.

Fortunately, the virus has not yet shown efficient, sustained human-to-human transmission. The risk remains that it could acquire this ability as long as chances for human infections occur. These chances will persist as long as the virus circulates in birds, which could endure for years to come. The more human infections occur, the more opportunities the virus has to improve its ability to transmit among humans and develop into a pandemic strain.

Further concerns include: domestic ducks excrete highly pathogenic viruses without showing illness, which complicates control efforts; today’s virus is more lethal when tested on mice and ferrets; it appears to have expanded its host range, infecting and killing mammalian species that were once resistant; and the behavior of the virus in its natural reservoir, wild waterfowl, may be changing.

While there can be several causes, back pain is usually associated with weak abdominal muscles. The best way to repair the problem is to strengthen these core “powerhouse” muscles and elongating your back muscles. Your posture will be improved with stronger stabilizing muscles for the spine. Proper carriage is achieved, thus relieving undue stress and tension on your back.

Every Pilates exercise is an abdominal exercise because the abs are always engaged. At the same time, Pilates works to strengthen and lengthen the muscles supporting your spine evenly and uniformly. By re-balancing the muscles that support your spine, you can reverse the discomfort of an aching back.

Whatever the condition of your back, you would benefit from Pilates exercises as they restore strength and keep the spine flexible, while maintaining the natural curves of the neck and the middle and lower back. Please get a professional doctor advice if your encounter back pain.

Snoring occurs when something obstructs airflow during sleep. When air squeezes past the obstruction, it makes a whistling or rattling sound. Potential obstructions range from medical conditions such as rhinitis to anatomical obstructions, including polyps, enlarged tonsils or excessive fat in the neck.

Some snorers produce a noise during sleep, but their bodies are not medically affected by their snoring. In other cases, however, snorers could have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Where obstruction is so severe that air to the lungs is greatly reduced and the heart and lung muscles must work harder for an adequate oxygen supply. The lung muscles become so tired that they take a break and simply stop breathing. A non-breathing period that lasts more than 10 seconds is called an apnea.

OSA has many undesirable effects. Oxygen levels in the blood drop and there may be inadequate oxygen supply to the brain and other organs, which can lead to brain suffocation adversely affecting the body’s performance. To compensate for lowered oxygen levels, the heart increases its rate, cardiac output and blood pressure. Left uncorrected, OSA could increase the risk of hypertension, heart attack or stroke.

If your husband is a severe snorer, this probably indicates that there is a significant obstruction somewhere in his airway and he should have a detailed evaluation by an ENT specialist to determine the severity, cause of the problem and appropriate treatment.

Treatment depends entirely on the cause of the snoring or OSA. Just as there is a wide range of potential obstructions, there is almost as wide a range of treatments, including medical and surgical options. A machine-assisted breathing device called CPAP can also be used.

A sleep study called a polysomnogram should be done to determine the severity of snoring or OSA. This is a study where a person’s vital signs, oxygen saturation, and severity of apnea are recorded during a night’s sleep. This study can be done in a hospital or in the comfort of your own home.

Family observations are also invaluable for the ENT specialist’s diagnosis. Spouses of OSA sufferers often report that the snorer sometimes seems to stop breathing, then gasps or chokes before heaving in a breath. Video recordings are also very useful.

Moderate alcohol consumption can indeed provide certain health benefits, particularly regarding heart disease. It decreases the risk of heart attack, ischemic stroke (the most common kind), and arterial blockages in the leg. However, heavy alcohol use is associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, liver and pancreatic disease, osteoporosis, birth defects, and injuries.

The answer isn’t as simple as sticking to moderate drinking. For some people, even moderate (and sometimes minimal) alcohol intake has been shown to increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke, head and neck cancer, digestive tract cancers, and breast cancer. So, alcohol use has some benefits, but also some significant risks.

Women who are pregnant, women with a personal or strong family history of breast cancer, people with a previous haemorrhagic stroke, current liver or pancreatic disease, a precancerous condition of the digestive tract, and people with a history of alcoholism should avoid alcohol completely. Obviously, people who will be driving any vehicle or operating dangerous equipment should avoid alcohol, too.

Everyone else should use alcohol in moderation. Unfortunately, moderate intake is somewhat less than what most people think. One unit of alcohol is usually defined as a 150m1 glass of wine, 350m1 of beer or, 45m1 of 80-proof distilled spirits. The American Heart Association recommended in 2006 that “if alcoholic beverages are consumed, they should be limited to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.” Based on available data, the ideal intake of alcohol is likely to be even lower: half to one alcoholic drink daily.