When actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan delivered a baby on Wednesday, she made a powerful statement: One is never too posh to push or too old for a natural delivery. The 38-year-old former Miss World won accolades from various city’s doctors for her “feat” at a time when every fourth woman in Mumbai undergoes a Caesarean section delivery instead of a natural one. Among women who are over 35 years of age, this statistic gets more skewed: one survey said 60% of them opted for a surgical delivery.

Aishwarya Rai should be held up as a role model for all moms-to-be. “With adequate ante-natal preparation and motivation, most women irrespective of their age can deliver their babies naturally.”

“Sometimes, an older mother is not given a choice by the doctor on whether she would like to deliver normally. It is taken for granted that older women should have Caesarean deliveries,” said a famous Gynaecologist in Mumbai. But he felt this could change, thanks to Aishwarya. “Now mothers-to-be will be aware of what they can and should do,” he said.

Studies have shown that today’s woman with her low threshold for pain is more likely than her mother to opt for a C-section.

In this rash of C-section deliveries, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s natural delivery could be a trend-setter. As both the Bachchan family as well as Seven Hills Hospital have not given out specific details of the birth, it is not known whether the actor opted for an epidural (a spinal shot of painkillers) during delivery. In fact, a former supermodel who is scheduled to deliver in the next few months, too, has told her doctor that she wants a natural delivery.

Another point is that, many women who opt to have children later in life have problem conceiving. “They take fertility treatment or opt for assisted reproductive processes to get pregnant. Such pregnancies are precious both from the point of view of the doctor as well as the patient. It is hence possible that many doctors advise such patients to undergo a C-section,” she said. If everything is fine during the pregnancy, then there is no reason why a mother shouldn’t opt for a natural delivery-no matter what the age.

a decision to opt for a C-section can be taken only after considering the weight and maturity of the child and the mother’s blood pressure and vaginal dilation.

A natural delivery has benefits for the child as well. “A child who goes through the labour process has better immunity, his\her gut is better colonized with beneficial bacteria and his\her lung mature better. “

Every women loves to flaunt their bikini body in th esiwimming pool. How to get one? What are the recommended exercise for Bikini body? Here we have outlined a series of exercises which will help to achieve this.

1. Squats
Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for your hips, butt and thighs! Stand with feet hip-width apart and, for added intensity, hold weights at shoulder level or at your sides. Bend the knees, and lower into a squat, keeping the knees behind the toes. Imagine that you’re sticking your butt out behind you, but keep the torso upright and contracted. Press into the heels to stand up. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

2. One Legged Deadlifts
These are great for your hamstrings and butt. Take left leg back just a bit, lightly resting on the toe. With the weights in front of the thighs, tip from the hips and lower the weights as low as your flexibility allows. Keep your back flat or with a natural arch and make sure you keep the abs contracted to protect the back. Squeeze the glutes of the working leg to raise back up. Do 2-3 sets of 12-16 reps.

3. Reverse lunges
These are great for giving your glutes a lift. Stand with feet hip distance apart. Step back 3-4 feet with your right leg and land on the ball of your right foot. Lower your right knee towards the floor until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Drive through your left heel, carrying all of your weight on your left leg. Return to your standing position squeezing your left tush. Do 2-3 sets of 25 reps on alternating legs.

4. Supermans
While lying on the floor on your stomach with arms outstretched in front of you, raise one leg and alternate arm a few inches off the floor, holding the position for one count. Repeat on the opposite side. Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps each.

5. Chair Pose
Begin standing in a mountain pose: Arms at sides, sternum lifted. Bend your knees deeply. Squeeze your inner thighs together and straighten your arms, lifting them overhead and stretching your fingertips toward the ceiling. Lift in your arms and upper chest so your spine is in a slight backbend. Tuck your pelvis. And hold that position for as long as you can. Strive for 8 or 10 breaths. Feel the burn!

6. Half Moon Pose
Stand tall with feet together. Shift weight onto right foot. Bend forward from the waist to place your right palm on the floor. Simultaneously, lift your left leg toward the ceiling. Once your right palm is on the floor with your arm straight, rotate your torso to the left and extend your left arm toward the ceiling. Arms should be perpendicular to the floor and left leg should be parallel to the floor. Turn your left foot so your toes face forward and turn left palm to face forward. Look up at your left hand. Repeat on the other side.

To add an extra boost to this workout, take a hike or hop on a treadmill for an additional 30-60 minutes using a heart rate monitor. Stay within 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate–”the fat burning zone”–to get the best burn possible.

Shaply butt is desired by women of all ages. Most women will admit that one of things they’d most love to change about themselves would be a nicely shaped, sculpted butt.

Our backsides consists of three main muscles – the gluteus minimus, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius. These function in sync, which helps you move your legs in all directions. And since they’re connected to the hips, lower back, and legs, strengthening your seat muscles means strengthening your back. Experts say that with a proper diet and exercise, one can improve the strength and shape of their butt. Just don’t keep your expectations sky high! Some of the best butt workouts include climbing a slope or climbing stairs. Here are a few other exercises that will give you good results…

• Squats Not only is this exercise great for your hips and thighs, it also does wonders to your butt. Stand with your feet apart and gradually lower lower your hips. Just ensure that you don’t let your knees go out past your toes.
• Lunges : Keep your feet parallel to each other and take a big step forward or backward. Mext, lower your body slowly, bending both your knees. Keep your front knee aligned over your front ankle and then get it back to the original position. Repeat with your other leg.
• Step-ups : If you don’t have a weights bench at home, find a ledge which you can step on. Step one foot on the legde at a time and increase the speed gradually.
• Bridges : Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, slightly apart. Lift your spine off the floor from the bottom and tighten your butt and hamstrings. Come back down slowly.
• Leg extensions : Extend your leg behind your body and stand as straight as you can. Switch legs regularly.

Points to Remember for Success:

• Don’t set goals that seem too hard to achieve. Give yourself an appropriate time period to get what you want. Setting out unrealistic goals will only get you disheartened. Keep a diary to chart your progress.
• Read books that inspire you and surround yourself with people that motivate you. The way you think plays a big role achieving good results. Stay focussed and positive.
• Don’t lose hope if you don’t see results immediately. Give yourself time and stay consistent. Experts say that working out in front of a mirror will help you see yourself working out so that you can know if you’re going wrong somewhere.
• Never forget to stretch a bit before you start any exercise. This will warm up your muscles and give faster results.
• Just exercising is not enough. You need to eat right in order to get the look you want. Follow a diet that is not too strict but at the same time, is healthy. A diet comprising wholesome foods that are processed as little as possible, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates will help you build lean muscle.
• Sitting for long periods without much movement puts a lot of pressure on your lower back and hamstrings since your butt is not used. This leads to the muscles starting to shrivel. Solution? Don’t spend so much time on your ass!

Wish for a baby boy? Fine, then eat full breakfast and fatty diet during the first part of pregnancy, suggests a new study.

According to the University of Missouri study, what women consume while they are in the the first part of development of pregnancy influences the sex and wellbeing of their unborn little one, reports The Telegraph.
Women who consume a satisfied breakfast and a high fat diet at the time of conception are more probable to have a boy, scientists claim.

A low fat diet with periods of extended fasts favours girls, the researchers have found.
Dr Cheryl Rosenfeld, of the University of Missouri, and colleagues said: “High calorie diet programs generally favour birth of males over females, where low calorie diet programs tend to favour females over males.

In humans and mice, food restriction and a suboptimal diet during the period about conception and early pregnancy also guide to a surfeit of daughters, most probably due to selective loss of male foetuses, the most weak sex in the womb.”

Tod’s women are going through a different lifestyle. This changing lifestyle or lesser body resistance; women’s growing health issues are catching everyone’s eyes. And while there’s little that’s being done to avoid them, we look at five of the most common health problems that women today are dealing with:

• Breast Cancer
• Stroke
• Polycistic Ovarian Disease
• Female Sexual Arousal Disorder
• Weight gain

1. Breast Cancer: One of the most growing problems among women, which is responsible for 1 per cent of deaths worldwide, is breast cancer.
Says Dr Ashok Vaid, senior oncologist, Medanta Medicity, ” Breast cancer is definitely one of the most common problems with women today. While there’s no one cause that can be ascertained as to why it hits one, science does understand some issues related with it. The main reason is the paradigm shift in lifestyle. Things like late marriage, delay in having the first child, less breast feeding, problems of over-weight and genetic factors, all make for a variety of reasons that heighten the risk of breast cancer in women.”

“So while timely regular check-ups could help one detect it fast, to avoid it completely, a change in lifestyle is recommended. Like breast feeding should be promoted, regular exercise to keep weight under control, eat fruits that produce antioxidants – basically have a healthy lifestyle to avoid any health problem.”

2. : Women today are affected with strokes.

Dr YK Jalote, physician and cardiologist, explains, “Diabetes and hypertension are the two most common causes of stroke. Also junk food, lack of exercise, excessive work pressure and no-diet control are the other reasons. As to why women are getting affected with it, is because in households where women are not working, their health is usually ignored till an emergency comes up. While working women get so busy juggling home and careers that they give but li’l attention to their health leading to problems like hypertension.”

As for the cure, Dr Jalote, says, “While there’s nothing that one can do to avoid acquiring the problem of hypertension, proper medication, diet control and exercise definitely help one in controlling it. Also, regular check-ups can avoid any untoward health issue.”

3. : Polycystic ovary disease is yet another issue that has come up to be one of the most common female endocrine disorders affecting about 5 to 10 per cent of women of reproductive age, which is anything between 12-45 years. It is a condition in which there are many small cysts in the ovaries, which can affect a woman’s ability to conceive.

Says Dr Sushma Dhawan, gynaecologist, “I have so many women right from adolescents to women in their 40s coming with this problem. The foremost symptom of one acquiring this problem is irregular, light or no periods. Others could be acne, excess growth of hair on the body, hair loss, infertility, weight gain or obesity and high insulin. Timely check-ups can prevent this from increasing. Right medical treatment can treat this disease and women can conceive.”

4. Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD): Sex is an important part of one’s life. But often the common problem shared among women is the issue of no sexual arousal despite their wanting to have sex.

Explains Dr Rajan Bhonsle, Hon Prof and HOD of Sexual Medicines at KEM Hospital and GS Medical College, Mumbai, “It’s a common problem but reasons could lie in any of the four stages of sex. The four stages broadly are: desire at the brain level, erection or arousal at the body level, penetration and lastly, the orgasm. Problem at any of these stages may lead to what we call FSAD.

In the first stage , the problem could be woman suffering with very low or very high sexual desire, or perverted desire which could lead to a mismatch between the levels desired by the man and woman and hence the problem in arousal.

In the second stage , one could face the problem of body not responding to the sexual desire. There’s no lubrication, perhaps because the glands are infected or damaged. Or may be the man is not giving a proper foreplay to his woman. Direct penetration will never allow any lubrication. Also, painful penetration prevents lubrication too.

In the penetration stage , the probable issue is that of an intact hymen, very narrow vaginal canal, inborn penetration phobia, vagina going into high spasms as soon as penetration happens.

Lastly, in the orgasm stage , there are cases where all the above three stages are being fulfilled and yet the woman is unable to reach an orgasm. Here too, the problem lies all in the art of making out. More than often, the woman is not totally involved or she believes that the man is the active partner who will make her reach the orgasm stage, while she’s the passive. But that’s a myth. Sex is like a buffet and it’s meant for both the partners to take part in it equally. Besides this, other common reasons could be her man using shabby ways to make out, man’s body not being attractive, he perspires a lot, she dislikes him, or she believes sex is dirty. Not just these, any issue bothering a woman which could even be related to her work place or relatives, would mean a disturbed mind and hence lack of involvement in the act of sex. All of this amounts to no orgasm.

5. Weight gain : A woman is always fat by her standards. Leaving that aside, the tendency of most Indian women to put on weight easily, especially after marriage is something that needs a low down.

“Lack of exercise and heavy binging is all that one needs to check to stay in shape,” says Dr Rajan Bhonsle, on this. “Married or unmarried, a proper diet and exercise is the only key to good body. As for the most cited reason for women putting on weight after marriage – that is sex, it’s a complete myth. The reasons lie in the complacency that sets in women. Marriage is a new feeling, they are in a happy state, husband gives them too much attention and all this excitement leads to women secreting the ‘feel good’ hormones that lead to weight gain. It’s easier for working women to stay fit and shapely due to the running about that they need to do. Housewives, who’re mostly relaxing and enjoying at home, are bound to be complaining of the weight gain problem.”

Prepared by synthesized extracts of each of the components of the snail.

Rigorous scientific studies have demonstrated that the snail extract has curative Extraordinary properties since it is produced by the snail to cure its textiles and to Repair its shell when this one breaks. These regenerative properties have been Concentrated on a cream of snail extract that treats acne, eliminates wrinkles, Dispels scars and rejuvenates the skin. History and development: The properties of this product were simply discovered by accident. Thanks to the Observed effects when the human skin contacts the extracts that the wild snail Produces in an abundant way to facilitate its displacement; the same substance the Snail uses to regenerate its skin and even his calcareous conch when he suffers Some damage.

Investigations discovered that the snail secretion has: Allantoin, collagen, elastin and glycolic acid which are widely known in the cosmetic and dermatologic fields. Snails are grown in nurseries. They are fed only with herbs and free of chemicals.

Different types of Snail Extracts are available. The commercial Snail extract available are Allerbio, Varennes-en-Argonne, France and Romanzini, La Rivière-Drugeon, France. Also some commercial Dermatophagoides extract are Stallergènes, Fresnes, France. Extracts of the snail mite Riccardoella limacum were made by collecting mites in absolute ethanol and drying. Extracts were made in phosphate buffered saline and centrifuged at 8000 g for 15 minutes. Heated extracts were heated for 15 minutes at 100°C.

The Snail is boiled for 10 minutes, separated the body from the shell and homogenised the body in distilled water. The mixture was centrifuged at 10000 g for 10 minutes and the supernatant defatted with the same volume of ethyl ether at room temperature. The supernatant was then dialysed using an Amicon YM5 filter (5 kDa cut-off) and the protein concentration measured. 

There is another cream available in the market called Khará, word that in the Incaic Quechua language means Skin, is a natural cream that helps and prevents wrinkles, stretchmarks , spots and stains of the skin, acne and scars, moistening and nurturing the skin. All using a natural formula.

This astonishing effect is accomplished thanks to the combination of the regenerating snail extract additioned with natural substances of proven benefit for the skin, like “Rosa Mosqueta” and Melaslow.

Scientists have also found that Suncream is best anti-ageing cream. Visit Prevent-And-Clear-Acne to learn more about treatment of Acne.

Forcefully flashing your teeth at work is dangerous for health, scientists have warned.

According to German researchers, forcing staff to be happy and polite all the time is likely to make them sick.

They believe most at risk are flight attendants, salesmen, call centre operators, waiters and other workers in close contact with the public.

Professor Dieter Zapf, a researcher at Frankfurt University, Germany, said fake friendliness led to depression, stress and hit the immune system.

This can trigger more serious ailments such as high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

“Every time a person is forced to repress his true feelings there are negative consequences,” the Mirror quoted him, as saying.

In order to reach the conclusions, for over two years, 4,000 volunteers including shop workers and flight attendants, were put in an imaginary call centre and abused by clients.

Some could answer back, while others had to stay polite and friendly.

Those allowed to stand up to clients had a rapid heartbeat for a brief period, but those who had to remain friendly found their hearts were still racing long after the client had hung up.

Researchers decided “being friendly against one’s will causes nothing but stress”.

Prof Zapf said: “We are all able to rein in our emotions, but it becomes difficult to do this over a protracted period as cabin attendants are forced to on long-haul flights.

“These people need space away from the passengers where they can be on their own and let feelings run free.

“We have to get away from the ‘customer is king’ attitude and show more respect to those in service industries.” Rember Healthy-Mind-for-Healthy-Body is essential.

It is very embarrassing to have Acnes at any age. Many believe that it is caused by dirty skin, eating chocolate, or drinking lots of soda. In contrary, it is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin and an accumulation of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, which leads to inflammation in pores. Oil glands become stimulated when hormones become active during puberty, which is why people are likely to get acne in their common during adolescence, affecting more than 85% of teenagers, and frequently continues into adulthood.. Also the tendency to develop acne is partly genetic. Acne lesions are commonly referred to as pimples, spots, or zits.

Prevention of Ances

Complete prevention of Ances is not possible, however it is possible to reduce the number and severity of your breakouts.

• Washing your skin is essential (it helps remove excess surface oils and dead skin cells that can clog your pores), but washing too much can actually cause damage by overdrying your skin or irritating existing acne.
• Remember to wash after exercising because sweat can clog your pores and make your acne worse. If you work around greasy food or oil or if you’ve been sweating from heat or because you’ve been working hard, wash your face and other acne-prone areas as soon as possible.
• If you use skin products, such as lotions or makeup, look for ones that are noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which means that they don’t clog pores.
• If you can’t live without your hair spray or styling gel, be sure to keep them away from your face as much as possible. Many hair products contain oils that can make acne worse.
• If you get acne on areas such as your chest or back, avoid wearing tight clothes, which can rub and cause irritation.

Treatments for Acne

• For some, over-the-counter (OTC) products work to help clear up acne. It may take some time to find one that works best for you — some may not do the trick and others may cause irritation. OTC acne products come in different strengths. The most popular OTC acne-fighting ingredient is benzoyl peroxide. Another ingredient, salicylic acid, can help to dry up pimples.
• If you find over-the-counter products aren’t working for you, it’s best to seek a doctor’s advice. A doctor can prescribe special gels or creams, pills, or a combination of both. It may feel a bit awkward or embarrassing to talk about your acne with someone, especially a stranger, but your doctor is trained to help get your skin looking its best.
• What about pimples you already have? It’s tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple usually won’t get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push infected material and pus further into the skin, which can lead to more swelling and redness (not what you want before a big date!), and even scarring, which can be permanent.
• If you are taking a prescription acne medication, finish your entire prescription even if your skin clears up, unless your dermatologist says you can stop. If you stop too early, there’s a chance your skin could break out all over again.
• Eating nutritious foods can help keep you healthy of course, and your skin will benefit from getting enough vitamins and minerals. It is important to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, but if you do not get enough it is important to take a multi-vitamin supplement. Known Supplements for Acne Treatment are multi-vitamins rich in Vitamin A, Zinc, Vitamin E and Selenium. A nutritional supplement called Actimine can help clear skin and prevent future breakouts.
• Another proven treatment is using Snail Gell Extract. Snail Gell Extract is also being successfully used to treats acne, eliminates wrinkles, Dispels scars and rejuvenates the skin.

What is premature ejaculation?

Oofficialy, ejaculation in less than 60 seconds from start of intercourse is “premature ejaculation”.

A 20-member panel of the world’s leading sexual health experts, set up by the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM), has for the first time defined premature ejaculation (PE) — a sexual dysfunction affecting 30% of the world’s adult men.

Speaking to TOI from Orlando, eminent American urologist Ira D Sharlip, the study’s main author, said the medical definition of PE — the bane of millions of men worldwide — was reached after “studying hundreds of international studies published on PE.” The team’s study, that backs the definition, will be published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine on Saturday. It will also be officially announced on May 19 at the American Urological Association’s annual conference in Florida.

Dr Sharlip told TOI, “The definition of lifelong PE is now a form of sexual dysfunction in which ejaculation occurs within a minute of vaginal penetration, almost every time during intercourse. The previous definitions did not quantify the time limit and so many men who just reached a climax early, sometimes mistook themselves to be suffering from PE, causing them tremendous mental distress, depression, anxiety and marital discord.”

According to Dr Sharlip, the hope now is that more people reaching climax within a minute will understand PE as a medical condition and seek treatment without suffering in silence.

He says the definition would also help drug companies identify actual PE patients when conducting a drug trail in the future. In September 2006, ISSM reportedly felt the need for an objective evidence based definition of PE. They then set up a committee of 20 experts representing every continent. The panel of experts agreed that the constructs that were necessary to define PE were time to ejaculation, inability to delay ejaculation and negative consequences from PE.

“We reviewed hundreds of published papers on PE, specially 20 that specifically addressed objective measures to pinpoint PE. The committee met in Amsterdam in October to reach a conclusive definition. Those with PE should be immediately put on a combination of psychological and drug therapy,” Dr Sharlip said.

Reacting to the study, Dr Vikram Sharma, urologist at Max Hospital, told TOI that the standardization would now reduce incorrect diagnosis of PE cases across the world. Indian surveys have shown that 10% of all adult males in the country suffer from some sort of sexual dysfunction, a large chunk of which — nearly 7% — would be of PE.

According to Dr Sharma, PE most commonly affects Indian men aged 19-26 years and decreases by nearly 50% after they reach 30.

“Till now, whenever patients complained of PE or reaching climax before five minutes of intercourse, we first put them on counselling sessions. However, now we know that in patients who ejaculate within a minute, it is a pathological disorder that would need immediate medical intervention. In absense of any standardisation earlier, doctors failed to diagnose serious PE cases thereby prolonging mental and physical trauma for the patient,” Dr Sharma said.

Experts say PE is humiliating for adult men and so many don’t acknowledge and address it until it is too late.

In the not-so-distant past, women were urged to cut down on or even avoid exercise during pregnancy. But, if researchers are to be believed, fitness activities are a big plus for not only the mom-to-be but also for the baby in the womb. Olden age pregnant women were left to do household chores as usual and it was indeed helping them.

According to a study carried out by the researchers in the United States, doing daily workout during pregnancy has a positive impact on both the baby and the mother as the fitness program is the best way for the duo to stay in shape and obtain a feeling of wellness all throughout.

There are so many rumors out there, some started or perpetuated by popular pregnancy books, others the result of old wives’ tales or outdated advice, so that many women really are confused about what they can and can’t do.

“You need to be physically active during pregnancy. It has terrific benefits that are associated with a better pregnancy outcome and even shorter labors. It’s a win-win for baby and for mom,” the WebMD quoted researcher Laura Riley of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as saying here.

However, the researchers have advised that pregnant women should consult doctors before starting any exercise programme. The reason – some moms-to-be might have specific conditions or medical complications.

Moreover, according to the team, there’s no target heart rate during the pregnancy period.

“People are still stuck on this heart rate issue, and it was never based on anything concrete,” said Riley, stating that the “target heart rate” concept has been abandoned a long time ago.

Here is a little bit of advise from Brooke Burke, who has posed with preganant belly. She says “I oil my body twice a day – on my belly, hips and breasts, I use something called Mother’s Special Blend, it has shea butter and almond oil – but you can use just olive oil. I don’t think you need expensive beauty products, raw natural, oil is fine. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid stretch marks. Also wear a really good support bra, day and night – especially when you’re nursing.