Bitter truth: Lauki juice a lethal mix

Believed to have medicinal value that can cure many ailments such as diabetes, urinary disorders and aid weight loss and digestion, the good-old lauki (bottle gourd) may not be so good after all.
Scientists say a bitter lauki when consumed with any other juice can be lethal. The Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHWF) has issued an advisory based on recommendations of an expert committee warning people against consuming bitter lauki, or mixing it up with any other juice. The advisory has been issued following cases of serious health problems cropping up after consumption of lauki juice, popularised by Baba Ramdev.
According to Ramdev, lauki juice mixed with aloe vera, amla, karela, jamun, lemon is as an effective ayurvedic remedy for many ailments, including diabetes and blood pressure.
Following his call for this ayurvedic concoction, lauki juice became a household remedy for many ailments and many even believed it to be a tonic that aids digestion, prevents acidity, prevents urinary disorders and excessive sodium loss from the body, till a man died last year after consuming lauki juice.
His death led to suspicions about the efficacy and reliability of lauki juice. The matter was even raised in Parliament prompting the government to set up an expert committee to examine the issue. Now following an intensive study on the toxicity of the vegetable juices, the union health ministry has said lauki juice should not be mixed with any juice.
The ministry has warned people saying that lauki should always be tasted first even before being consumed as vegetable. If found bitter it should be discarded immediately as bitter lauki juice has the potential to be toxic. The same is the case with other fruits and vegetables from the cucumber family as they are believed to have harmful toxins that give bitter taste. And in case there is any discomfort following its consumption, it is best to rush to hospital.
The advisory is based on recommendations of an expert committee comprising doctors from the AIIMS and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The committee was set up to investigate the issue of safety of consumption of lauki juice after a member of Parliament raised the issue following the death of an official with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in June last year. The official had died shortly after consuming lauki juice mixed with karela (bitter gourd) juice to control diabetes. He drank the concoction despite it being bitter. Earlier this month, about 16 trainees of the Haryana police fell ill due to food poisoning after eating lauki during dinner.
To the doctors, the expert committee has recommended conducting tests including prothrombin time and platelet counts, serum amylase, blood sugar along with X-Ray chest, ECG, Ultrasound and Endoscopy. Since there is no specific antidote available, the general supportive care such IV fluids/ crystalloids / blood products/ fresh frozen plasma has to be given to maintain the hemodynamics and electrolyte balance.

Put your best look forward Here's how you can light up your face this festive season

Put your best look forward

Here's how you can light up your face this festive season



In the wake of all the festivity and celebrations, and several other indulgences like greeting, socialising, partying and of course binging, do not miss out on looking your best in the festival week.
FACE
l "Diwali is a good excuse to play up with colours," says celebrity make-up atist Reema Sablok. "You can experiment with blues, greens and yellows on your eyes. Or even do a dark green or maroon or purple for that smoky eye effect. The colour of course should be decided based on that of your outfit."
l Do not go heavy on the lips and eyes at the same time. "Like if you're wearing a red lipstick avoid any drama on your eyes," says Reema.

l After putting the base foundation, wait for 15 minutes before you apply the powder (use loose powder preferably) to avoid a caky look.
l You can also opt for liquid eye liners. "A shade of green can look fabulous," asserts Reema.
l Fake lashes can heighten your eyes. But, as Reema suggests, use it only if you know how to wear it right.
l Avoid too much blush.
l Try the non kajal look as it gives a more international feel and looks fresh.
HAIR
l Play around with your hair. You can do a French plait or simply part them from front to back. However "stay away from the buns," warns Reema.
l Sleep well. Lack of sleep can prove unhealthy for not just your skin but for your hair as well. So protect them from the harmful UV rays.
HOME THERAPY
l Cleanse your face regularly to get rid of the oil, filth and the toxins that could accumulate in your skin in all the celebrations. "Mix oats and milk or curd into a paste," recommends Dr Swati Srivastava, head of Dermatology, VLCC.
l Use a moong dal scrub to remove the dead skin on your face.
l Moisturise morning and night. Keep oiliness in control by applying strawberry mask.
l And if you've been doing much of leg work for the festive preparations, "make sure you catch up on your sleep to avoid dark circles and the tired look on your face," says cosmetologist Mohan Thomas.

Here are a few simple tips to help you stay healthy at work. Isn't it worth to save your health?

Simple steps to fitness

Here are a few simple tips to help you stay healthy at work. Isn't it worth to save your health?
When you work in front of a computer all day long, you start to lose track of the time. Before you know it, a few hours will have passed and you'll still be sitting in the exact same position. Pulling a marathon work session may get a lot done, but it's literally killing your health.
Among other things, you may gain weight, lose muscle mass, develop hypertension, and even get indigestion from the lack of activity.
If you're concerned about your health, here are 5 simple common-sense tips to help stay health at work and keep the pounds off as well.

Things don't get better by worrying about them
Action is better than worrying.
Worry is use less without being put into action, that is positive. Worry creates stress and stress does damage to the in the body. The mind needs to be at peace and if something is bothering you, you need to tackle it what ever it is and remove the thorn which bothers. Without removal, it will infect and cause more problems! Worry is dysfunctional on it's own, if you get into action to solve the worry, than it can be temporarily functional.

Diet
There are some tips to remember when losing weight. They are easy tips to remember and they always come down to common sense.
l You are what you eat. This is the most important fact to remember when you are in the grocery store. Check the ingredient labels for words you cannot pronounce. If there are many, don't buy.
l Fruits and vegetables. Mothers have been preaching this for years. This has not changed. Raw fruits and veggies are full of nutrients that are gifts to your system.
l Control food portions. By controlling the amount of food you eat at meals, you are able to eat what you want, just a little less.
l Take food classes. There are many classes available at grocery stores and community education outlets. They are inexpensive or free. Learning new ways to prepare meals gives us the edge in healthier menu planning.
l Any exercise will do. Regardless of your athletic ability, find exercises that get you out of the house. Walking for thirty to sixty minutes a day will get your blood flowing and metabolism rising.

Treatments for specific ailments Birla Kerala Vaidyashala

Treatments for specific ailments

Birla Kerala Vaidyashala

Discover ancient ayurveda techniques to deal with problems that inevitably come with the hectic city life. For dealing with stress related problems or problems that slowly creep in with age, Birla Kerala Vaidyashala (BKV) is the authentic ayurveda wellness and day care treatment centre. BKV has won the most preferred ayurvedic spa of the year at The Golden Star Awards 2010 - 2011. Dr. Prashanth C P, Head of Technical Division & Academy, shares that the blend of 'Kashaayams' (decoctions) and medicines from Kerala together with therapeutic massages is what make its day-care treatment centre authentic and unique.
For spondylisis and rheumatic diseases, lukewarm herbal oil is applied all over the body in a rhythmic manner daily for a week. For obesity, medicated herbal powder, medicated herbal oil massages and an exclusive ayurvedic diet are prescribed by an experienced ayurvedic doctor at the centre. Treatment for chronic headache, insomnia and stress comprises a continuous dripping of herbal oils, medicated or butter milk and decoctions on the forehead and the whole body. Body immunization and longevity treatment focuses on retarding the ageing process, arresting the degeneration of body cells and immunization of the system and comprehensive body care programmes. Birla Kerala Vaidyashala are located in Prabhadevi, Marinelines, Khar, Andheri, Kandivli, Powai, Nerul and Thane.

Ayushakti
Ayushakti has enabled thousands of yearning couples to live their dream of parenthood. Ayushakti begins its treatment by charting a special diet for the patient, then the Panchkarma treatment takes effect and both the male and female body are conditioned to promote conception. The female ovulation and male sperm count etc. improve and conception is almost immediate upon treatment. Be it Indian couples or those from countries across the globe, Ayushakti has a list of successes.
Imbalances may be caused by blockages including toxins such as undigested food, excessive mucus, smoking, alcohol, drugs, stress or exposure to chemicals or radiations. Smoking alcohol, stress and other facets of modern life create too much heat in the body which causes sperm disappear or cause them to live only a few hours. It's not just the fallopian tubes and the vas deferens in the testes that must be clear for reproductive fluids. The blood vessels, the lymphatic system, the digestive system even our cellular structures are all essential pipelines.
Each patient is given a specially formulated herbal, dietary and Panchkarma treatment module as per his/ her pulse. This special formulation relieves the body of all toxins, imbalances and also eliminates the blocks that cause infertility. Ayushakti has thrown light on the main underlying causes of infertility, a faulty diet and stressful lifestyle that places a strain on the digestive system.

Thalgo
Skin ageing is the most visible signs of ageing taking place in our bodies. The new anti-ageing range from Thalgo reactivates the regenerating power of the skin and corrects all the signs of ageing as they appear. The 'Dare to Defy Time' range offers a solution to every woman considering that every woman is different and so are her skin concerns when it comes to skin-ageing. Thalgo, a pioneer in marine scientific research, selects high performance marine active ingredients that are gentle on the skin, while respecting nature. Thalgo has chosen 3 Marine Technologies and got 5 anti-ageing patents for this range.
Thalgo's advanced technology tackles ageing concerns in an easy to use kit form. The kit contains products to perform 6 treatments. No wastage, no measuring and no spilling.
There is a Collagen Programme to smooth and erase fine lines and first wrinkles, Hyaluronic Programme to smooth and fills the wrinkles, Silicium Programme to smooth, lift and fill wrinkles. Products are also available to continue the treatment at home.
Nutritional supplements for the inner beauty are also available and appropriately named 'Drinkable Youth'. To combat the effects of time and boost cellular activity deep within the dermis, adopt a new beauty ritual in addition to your daily skincare products; give your skin a deep-down anti-ageing treatment.

Get set for the winter season From the food you eat to activity levels, every aspect needs to be focused on for the next few months

Get set for the winter season

From the food you eat to activity levels, every aspect needs to be focused on for the next few months


The cold nip of winter is in the air and that's the sign to start taking some extra care of your health. Your body's reaction to the change in weather, the considerably lower temperatures from 8.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m., the heavy winds that lash it while going to work and returning home, make it essential to take a few precautions. Add to this scenario a few aggravating factors like pollution, stress combined with lack of sleep and you have the perfect crisis in the making if one is careless.
Here is a simple formula, to safeguard your health during the winter season. Step one, cover up. A warm jacket or sweater with a muffler to cover the throat and ears if necessary are ideal.
Increase your intake of liquids, take hot soup for breakfast, stick to hot tea with ginger to ward off the air-conditioning during extended meetings and end the day with a mug of hot milk.
Avoid heavy meals, fried oily food and inherently cold items like curd, fruits like banana and watermelon, etc. Be sure to warm up before you exercise or even walk.
Keep in mind that winter is tough on skin. Dry, itchy, unhealthy skin can be a major nuisance and also affect your looks. Choose a thicker cold cream for the colder months. Don't neglect sunscreen either. It may be freezing cold but the sun is still present and there is still the potential to damage your skin by leaving it unprotected from the sun.
Cold wind can be particularly damaging to the delicate skin on lips, so be sure to protect them with a quality lip balm to keep them from drying out and potentially cracking and bleeding. Also be sure to take care of your nails and cuticles.
With winter coming there will be lots of cold days that simply make people want to stay inside and keep warm. However, all those days spent indoors is generally accompanied by the winter blues.
Taking a yoga or pilates class will help you get out and about, meet new people, and even tone up your muscles! This is great way to stay active and in shape over the winter.
A bike ride is fun any time of the year and can be especially enjoyable during the winter because the cool air is refreshing. Just remember to bundle up before heading out on your winter bike ride so you do not get too cold or risk overexposure to the cold weather.
Going for a walk is always a great way to get yourself in motion. It doesn't matter if it is a slow leisurely walk or a brisk one you will get benefits from walking and being active. Also, walking during the winter will help you burn some of those calories you might be eating more of.
If you like to be active in the garden in the summer then there is no reason why you should stop just because the temperature drops. A great idea to keeping active in winter is to plant a winter garden. There are plenty of things to plant, just do a little research.
Above all, keep yourself active, try and eat your dinner earlier and moisturize your skin adequately. That's the perfect recipe for getting through the winter season safely in good health.

Rhythmic breathing

There are two paths to healing our bodies and mind. In one, we rely on medicine and external aids. In the other, we awaken the body's capacity to heal from within. Self healing is not just a process of healing but becomes an inner journey of self transformation and expansion of consciousness, bringing clarity in perception and joy and happiness. The easiest and most effective subjective tool to self healing is our breath.
We have taken our breathing for granted and never stop to think that there is a direct relationship between breathing and health. Not just health but total health. Total health is physical, emotional and mental. We may be physically healthy but if we get upset and irritated all the time then we are emotionally unhealthy. Similarly, our brains chatter all the time, totally out of our control. Till we are able to calm this chatter we cannot claim that we are mentally healthy.
Most of the time we live in very negative emotional states that range from being upset, to fear, irritation, excitement, complaining, and holding onto a lot of stress. These states have a direct influence on our health. They increase our heart rate, blood pressure, decrease our digestive power, inhibit our capacity to relax and sleep, and even affect the sex function.
Just as our emotions affect our health they also influence our breathing. That is, every emotion has its own breath. In anger we breathe quick and shallow, in heavy stress we feel suffocated and in impatience, our breathing is chaotic. Now the opposite is also true. By breathing in rhythm, we can calm all our emotional outbursts and silence our chattering brains.
My teacher taught us a way of breathing in rhythm all twenty-four hours. Just by learning to breathe in this rhythm, the body starts restoring itself to total health. It turns on the natural relaxation response of the body which in turn activates a process of self healing. Each breath we take is healthful and works to harmonise our negative emotions, healing the repressions and wounds we hold in our subconscious minds. Slowly our brains stop their incessant chatter freeing us of stress. We enter into a comfort zone of deep relaxation which automatically brings health, peace and happiness.
Rajen Vakil teaches rhythmic breathing, alternative healing therapies, and spirituality. Visit www.3srb.org or www.3stepbreath.com

20 externed for milk adulteration Action against people supplying spurious milk products taken to make Diwali safer

The city police have externed at least 20 people involved in supplying spurious milk and milk products ahead of Diwali. The police will take similar action against a dozen others in the next couple of days. Earlier, such offenders were let off with minor punishments.
The action was taken on a priority basis as the supply of milk and milk products reach its zenith during the festive season, especially during Diwali. "Adulterated milk and its products are dangerous as it directly affects the health of its consumer. The externment of such people will send a strong signal to the others indulging in similar practices. They cannot go on playing with the health and life of innocent citizens," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Pratap Dighavkar.
According to health experts, consumption of spurious milk and its products causes food poisoning, vomiting, loose motions, and fever apart from other health problems. Infants and children who are heavily dependent on milk are vulnerable to it, experts claim.
According to the police, those externed from the city belong to a couple of gangs who operate from various slums in the city. They earn huge profits by breaking the seal of the milk bags and adding contaminated water into it, before sealing it again. Milk bags of Aarey, Mother Dairy, Mahanand, Gokul, Amul and Varna brands were recovered during earlier raids.
The raids were conducted at DN Nagar area of Andheri and Juhu. However, officials said instead of the police, it's the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, who should be playing an active role in controlling the crime. However, sources alleged that the FDA turns a blind eye to it.
According to senior police officials, the milk adulteration racket is operated in an organised manner and each gang has more than a dozen people involved in it.

Payal Gidwani Tiwari Interview - Yoga expert of bollywood celebrities

`WHEN I FEEL UNMOTIVATED I JUST go back to sleep. Everyone's body needs to be pampered'

Payal Gidwani Tiwari

What is your routine?

Diet: Early morning: A cup of tea, with almonds and a banana.

Breakfast: A heavy breakfast of poha or upma or egg whites, with brown bread and butter.

Mid-morning snack: A fruit.

Lunch: Two rotis, dal, sabzi, salad and a glass of chaas.

Evening: Tea with biscuits. Late evening (around 6 pm): A sandwich or bhel with sprouts. Dinner: Fish or chicken or just soup.

Exercise: Yoga and cardio. For my cardio workout, I go for brisk walks or walk up and down stairs.
Frequency: I try to exercise at least six times a week on my own, but also work out with my clients.

How do you stick to your routine on holiday?
I don't stick to any routine and enjoy myself. Since I work hard, it doesn't take me long to bounce back once the holiday's over.

How do you stick to your routine when you travel for work?
I'm fortunate to be in the fitness business, and don't have to worry about making time for my workout.
While training a client, I make it a point to work out with her or him.

What do you eat at parties? 
I eat a full healthy meal before going for parties. If I do eat, I make it a point to take just a serving of the healthier options.

What is the hardest thing for you to resist?
I've trained myself to eat everything in proportion and exercise daily. So I don't have to resist. IF I EAT at parties, I make it a point to take just a serving of the healthy options How often do you binge?
Never.

When's the last time you ate: Sweet food: I have to eat mithai every day since my baby's birth! Deep-fried food: The other day.
Junk food: Whenever I feel like it.

One restaurant you always turn to when you want a healthy meal?
Ming Yang at Taj Lands End.

Is fitness about looking good or feeling good?
Definitely about feeling good. You have to be comfortable with your body. If you look slightly overweight, that doesn't mean you aren't fit.

What are the most common complaints from clients? What do you advise, and is it based on your own experience?
The most common complaint is that clients want to lose weight and look good. I advise all my clients to eat healthy and do yoga.

How did you build up the fitness habit?
I have been brought up in a family that strongly believes in living healthy and being fit.
What do you do when you feel unmotivated? I just go back to sleep.
Everyone's body needs to be pampered. I give it a break whenever it needs one.

What is your concept of fitness?
Eating healthy, thinking positive and doing yoga religiously.

Interview of Leena Mogre - Pioneer of fitness education in India

EXERCISE IS A GOOD stress buster.It's a lifestyle, not a prescription to lose weight'

Leena Mogre

Leena Mogre

What is your routine?
Diet: Morning: Four glasses of warm water, 5 to 6 almonds.

Breakfast: Three egg whites and one yolk and pohe or upma or thalipith.

Mid-morning: Fruit.

Lunch: Bhakri of jowar, bajra or nachani, vegetable or usal, dahi, bhakri with one tsp of ghee.

Evening: Yoghurt with fruit. Late evening: Two egg whites.

Dinner: I reach home by 9.30 pm. have soup and salad.

Exercise: l like to vary my routine. I do power yoga early mornings or spinning. I do weight training at least twice a week. In weights, I also do functional training and try and include kickboxing for core strengthening and abdominal workouts.

I believe cross training is very good as your body doesn't get used to one form of workout and get into the comfort zone. I also give a lot of emphasis to stretching and hence do power yoga ­ it keeps my mind in control.
Once a week, I do 100 suryanamaskars.

How do you stick to your routine on holiday?
On holiday, I relax and let my body recuperate, so it's a lot of massages, long walks and swims.
When I'm on active holidays, it's generally treks or mountain climbing or rafting, depending on what kind of holiday we are taking.

How do you stick to your routine when you travel for work?
My work-related travel is to my various franchised gyms, so no complaints. I always use the different facilities. Lucky me, I've taken my hobby as my profession so I never feel I am working.

What do you eat at parties?
For parties I eat and go, as my last meal is soup and salads. If it's a party for someone I know very well, I eat dinner at the party.

What is the hardest thing for you to resist?
What I can't resist is chocolates, sweets ­ mainly mithai ­ and kheer made by my mom.

How do you resist it?
I believe in eating in moderation ­ if I can't resist I do eat a small piece or portion.

How often do you binge?
Bingeing happens when I feel like it on a particular day. It has to be sweets or a slice of pizza and wine.

What do you do the next day?
After bingeing, the next day I stick to my regular routine.

When's the last time you ate: Sweet food: Today.

Deep-fried food: I don't like it.

Junk food: Last week ­ one slice of thin crust pizza full of paneer and shredded cheese.

One restaurant / dish you always turn to for a healthy meal?
The Chinese restaurant at the Lands End. I'm vegetarian and only started eating eggs nine months ago. Also Little Italy for all the variety of salads they have.

Is fitness about looking good or feeling good?
Fitness is about looking good and sexy, and also feeling good.
Exercise is not only for losing weight, it's a good stress buster. It's a lifestyle, not a prescription to lose weight. You get up, brush your teeth, work out, have a bath and then breakfast ­ this should be a routine.

What are the most common complaints from clients? What do you advise, and is it based on your own experience?
There are a lot of complaints about lower back pain, blood pressure and cholesterol reduction and in fitness, for increasing muscle mass, but most commonly for losing weight, getting fit and toning up. I believe that fitness is a lifestyle and advise our members accordingly.

How did you build up the fitness habit?
I always loved cycling, Bharatnatyam and dancing. My grandfather, even though he was 80, always worked out. Also, my mom guided me to join food sciFITNESS IS ABOUT looking good and sexy, and also feeling good ence and nutrition at SVT College of Home Science. Hence, a hobby got translated into a career.

What do you do when you wake up feeling unmotivated?
I do an intense spinning class.

What is your concept of fitness?
For me, fitness is simple ­ get up with a smile, however tough your day is, and sleep with a smile, however physically or mentally exhausted you are, and without any aches and pains. This will always keep you mentally and physically fit and absent from diseases.

Interview of Micky Mehta - an acclaimed holistic health and fitness Guru.

`PEOPLE ARE OBSESSED WITH six-pack abs. Such obsession leads to disappointment, aggression and paranoia' IF I DO indulge myself, then I spend the next day drinking nariyal paani

Mickey Mehta

What is your routine?
Routines are boring. If you make a routine out of exercising, you are bound to get bored. Make exercising a pleasurable activity.

Diet: I start my day with green tea flavoured with ginger, jaggery, pepper and sometimes jeera. I drink hot water to cleanse my system. Breakfast is a mix of fruits, berries, nuts and dates.

Lunch: Jowar or bajra roti, some rice, vegetables and dal. Dinner: I eat everything except bread. I never snack in between, though I occasionally eat fried food.

Exercise: I have been exercising for 40 years now. I am a black belt in martial arts and practise yoga, pilates and a fusion workout which involves a bit of everything.
Frequency: I work out all the time.

How do you stick to your routine on holiday?
I do basic bending and stretching exercises.
Since I don't have a fixed pattern, I have created exercises that can be done in bed and while watching television.

How do you stick to your routine when you travel for work?
Apart from basic exercising like running and stretching, I pray and meditate for internal healing.

What do you eat at parties?
I rarely eat at parties. I either eat before or after. Occasionally, I eat salads, hummus and soups.

What is the hardest thing for you to resist?
I cannot resist Indian sweets.

How do you resist it?
I indulge in them almost every night, but I always balance it out by working hard the next day.

How often do you binge?
I don't believe in bingeing.

What do you do the next day?
If I do indulge, then I spend the next day drinking nariyal paani to cleanse my system and exercise.
When's the last time you ate: Sweet food: I eat it every day.
Deep-fried food: I avoid it as much as possible.
Junk food: I don't remember the last time I had junk food.
One restaurant / dish you always turn to for a healthy meal? I can gorge on salads. I love eating bhajiyas, but I won't eat more than two pieces. Similarly I love cutlets, but never more than two.
Is fitness about looking good or feeling good?
Fitness is all about feeling good.
Good looks are a byproduct.

What are the most common complaints from clients? What do you advise, and is it based on your own experience?
People are obsessed with six-pack abs. Such obsession leads to early disappointment, aggression and paranoia and I have seen some fit people destroying themselves in the craze of getting washboard abs.

How did you build up the fitness habit?
You have to believe that fitness is as important as breathing. Once you start believing that, you will naturally love working out and also create a lifestyle-specific workout for yourself.

What do you do when you feel unmotivated?
I am never unmotivated about fitness. I can't live without exercising.

What is your concept of fitness?
Fitness is of minuscule importance in front of wellness, overall health and well-being.

TV host Rajeev Khandelwal says, it's a change for the better

But, says actor and TV host Rajeev Khandelwal, it's a change for the better

But, says actor and TV host Rajeev Khandelwal, it's a change for the better by Veenu Singh
HE STRUCK the right chord with his debut on TV and then proved his acting abilities in critically acclaimed films like Aamir and Shaitan besides the recent Soundtrack. He also proved his ability to host TV shows when he helmed the eye-opening Sach Ka Saamna (and he'll be back with the second season soon). Now Rajeev Khandelwal has a new avatar ­ as the host of Nat Geo Super Cars for National Geographic.

Over tomato and mozzarella bruschetta and fish fingers at Aura, the Vodka Bar at the Claridges, New Delhi, the actor got into high gear about food, his wife, fitness and the cars he loves.
You don't seem much of a foodie...

I'm a very boring person as far as eating is concerned. I'm very happy to eat home cooked food. I even eat at home before I go to a party. And I love the food my cook Bhagat Singh makes.
Truthfully, I'd like to be vegetarian. Given a choice, I would eat stuff like lauki, tinda, kaddu and karela. If you wanted to win my heart, the best way to do it would be to gift me a basket of fresh, organic vegetables.

My wife Manjari, on the other hand, is a complete foodie. You got married rather suddenly.

What's it like, being married?
My marriage wasn't all that sudden.
I have known Manjari for the last three years and, in fact, I knew her older sister, Mamta, first. Mamta introduced us. She took me to a pub where Manjari was hanging out with her friends, and I liked her from the very first meeting.
We've been married for seven months now, and the going has been great. I must admit that things do change after marriage. You are not you anymore. Everything needs to be seen from a different perspective.
What you do on the work front doesn't make you a very intelligent person. Home also counts.
You seem to be very fitness conscious.

Is it because of the profession you are in?
I have always been very committed to good health and want to be absolutely fit to the last stage of my life. I have always led a very active and disciplined life. I ride horses, play tennis, climb mountains and indulge in various other adventure activities.
I don't stick to one regime but try out new things all the time. And I think that being fit also means things like getting to the sets on time and participating in various activities. You are now hosting a show on some of the best super cars in the world. Have you always been interested in cars?
I wouldn't say I have been crazy about cars, but like any other guy, I had posters of Ferraris and Rolls Royces in my room. But that was it.
I wasn't passionate about them. In fact, I prefer SUVs and often drive up to Leh where I camp out. I also drive to Corbett when I get the chance. Last year, I bought a Scorpio 4x4 and completely customised it for camping purposes!

As far as hosting this show is concerned, honestly, I'm doing it for my own ego. Not only have I got the chance to drive some of these beauties but also to learn so many interesting and unknown facets about these cars. Each of them has a story or history behind it. I hope I'm doing a good job as an anchor.
 
Have you ever gone on a driving holiday with Manjari?
Yes, we recently drove to Leh in the Scorpio and it turned out to be one of the craziest trips we ever had.
Our trip happened just seven days after the tragic cloudburst incident in Leh and for the first time I decided to go to Leh via Chandigarh. It took us two and a half days to get to Leh as the entire route from Rohtang was badly hit due to landslides and many vehicles were stuck in the mud and slush.
Fortunately, my Scorpio has a motorised winch in front that helped me pull other cars out of the mud.
Manjari was terrified and I must say that this was one trip that I am not going to forget in a hurry!  

What was it like to host a controversial show like Sach Ka Saamna?
It was a great experience. I don't know a single intelligent person who slammed the show. The show made me realise that we are all hypocrites and it takes a lot of courage to come out with the truth. I never found any of the confessions shocking. What was shocking was the courage shown by the people who came on the show. It was just amazing. In the end, the show helped make society better.
 
Would you ever participate in such a show yourself?
I would love to as long as I have Rajeev Khandelwal asking me questions!

Satyajit Chaurasia - Interview. Amir Khan and Hritik Roshan's gym specialist

Satyajit Chaurasia

`YOU NEED TO LOOK GOOD to feel confident and when you feel good, you work out more' What is your routine?

Diet: I have about six to eight meals a day. A cup of green tea early in the morning.
Breakfast: A banana, two egg whites and brown bread. Lunch: Four rotis, lots of vegetables and two bowls of dal. I do not eat too much non-veg food.

Afternoon snack: A peanut butter sandwich or four egg whites or a boiled egg or egg bhurji. Evening snack: Protein shake before training and four amino acid tablets. Post workout snack: Six egg whites with brown bread and four more tablets of amino acids. Dinner: Tandoori chicken or two rotis and dal.

Exercise: I warm up for about 30 minutes on the treadmill or cycle.
Then I work on two body parts for about 45 minutes, followed by stomach exercises for 20 minutes. Lastly, I take five minutes to cool down. Frequency: Four times a week for 90 minutes How do you stick to your routine on holiday?
I don't feel like I am sticking to it because I like working out. I go for a run if there is no gym and I may do some floor exercises. Also, I love to eat, so I eat what I want in moderate quantities.

How do you stick to your routine when you travel for work?
I find it very easy to exercise on assignments because I am with actors on their shoots. When they train, I train with them.

What do you eat at parties?
At a party, I may indulge a bit in fried food, like a samosa. I also eat butter chicken, mutton, biryani or other dishes with curry.

What is the hardest thing for you to resist?
Definitely eggs and parathas. But I'm lucky that eggs are a major part of my diet already! How do you resist it?
It's all about being in control. I eat a little bit to satisfy my craving. Also, instead of eating fried eggs too often, I eat boiled eggs.

How often do you binge?
I'll be frank ­ I overeat or binge about twice a week! I love Pringles chips and the bhujia sev namkeen.

What do you do the next day?
After bingeing, I drink green tea. It's supposed to dilute oils faster.
When's the last time you ate: Sweet food: I don't like sweet food too much except for kaju ki barfi. I ate that on five days of the Ganpati festival. After that, I made up for it by working out harder.
Deep-fried food: Two weeks ago I had these really yummy keema samosas at a friend's house.
Junk food: I don't like junk food.

One restaurant / dish you always turn to for a healthy meal?
I love to eat Chinese food outside because they have a lot of vegetables. I go to Mainland China or to Royal China in Bandra. I generally go for the Peking Duck. I wouldn't say it's healthy, but it has less oil.

Is fitness about looking good or feeling good?
Both. Looks are important these days. You need to look good to feel confident and when you feel good, you work out more.

What are the most common complaints from clients? What do you advise, and is it based on your own experience?
My clients are generally people who really want to build their bodies and are keen to work out. But there are some who complain that they have a tough time staying away from oily foods and sticking to a good diet regime.

How did you build up the fitness habit?
Exercising is my passion. I first started building my body when I was in school in Nagpur. I was very inspired by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
I loved the results I got and decided to set up my own gym one day.

What do you do when you wake up feeling unmotivated?
That never happens. I get irritable when I don't get to work out.

What is your concept of fitness?
Everybody needs to find time to work out no matter how busy they are.

Interview with Rutuja Divekar, dietion of Kareena Kapoor

Clients to stick to diets, and motivate them to stay on track. The five professionals we spoke to could certainly answer to that description, given that they work with a vast number of clients, including many celebrities, and between them, have an unrivalled hoard of experience, knowledge and information. But when we quizzed them about feeling unmotivated and what they do after a binge, they responded with rare candour, providing insights into how some of India's fittest individuals live and work.
We think we could all learn from that. Here's to living well.

Rutuja Divekar

FITNESS EXPERTS ARE PERCEIVED AS HARD TASKMASTERS who push their `LIFE IS NOT A DICTATORSHIP where if you eat a gulab jamun, it's an offence that can't be forgiven'


What is your routine?
Diet: I eat simple, homemade Maharashtrian food and fruits and veggies that are in season. I start and end my day early, so dinner is always before 7.30 pm. I don't own a TV ­ dining and TV don't mix. My energies are focused on counting nutrients, not calories.

Exercise: Even with exercise, I don't count calories and count the learning instead. I pursue exercise for the joy of it. I work towards learning something new, so be it yoga, weight training, etc., the idea is to challenge the body and mind beyond its perceived limits. I learn Bharatnatyam and classical singing so that there is an overall development of the body.

How do you stick to your routine on holiday?
I don't stick to `routine' on a holiday.

Isn't that the concept of a holiday?
How do you stick to your routine when you travel for work?

I mostly travel out of Mumbai for workshops and talks. We time them in a way that allows me to take flights after breakfast and choose hotels close to open spaces with restaurants serving local fresh food.

What do you eat at parties?
Everything that appeals to me if it's a breakfast, lunch or afternoon party. If it's at night, then I don't go. If it's important to be there, I leave home only after my dinner, and at the party, eat the most wholesome and freshly prepared dish.

What is the hardest thing to resist?
I don't live by laws; I work within a broad framework of leading a disciplined lifestyle. So there really is nothing that I can't do and therefore have to resist. It's not a dictatorship after all where if you eat a chocolate pastry or a gulab jamun, it's an offence that can't be forgiven.

How often do you binge?
Never. I nurture my appetite, eat on time and my stomach is well fed, so it's never in a mood for bingeing.
When's the last time you ate: a) Sweet food: The day before, I was at a wedding in Dhampur, UP. I ate a local mithai made from gur.
b) Deep-fried food: Yesterday. Was still in Dhampur, went to a local home for breakfast and had fresh pakodas with chai made from their cow's milk.
c) Junk food: Don't remember.

One restaurant / dish you always turn to when you want a healthy meal?
Khichdi, easily the easiest `comfort' food. Among restaurants, has to be Cafe Mangii in Khar for their fresh pastas.

Is fitness about looking good or feeling good?
Fitness is about keeping your body in good shape to pursue your work, commitments and your passion, hobbies, etc., without running out of energy ­ both physically and mentally.
The good looks are just a byproduct.

What are the common complaints from clients? What do you advise, and is it based on your own experience?
I am blessed with a cheerful lot of clients, so cribbing is pretty uncommon. Keeping fit means learning to sort your priorities and planning ahead to eat right and work out, given the limitations of work/ family/ time.

How did you build up the fitness habit?
I inherited it from my family. That's why I feel strongly that families have the maximum influence on the way of life that kids adopt.

What do you do when you wake up feeling unmotivated?
I shut the chatter in my mind, walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth.
Post that I am filled with motivation and enthusiasm for the day.

What is your concept of fitness?
It's a means of leading a fulfilling and wholesome life.

Get your child involved as well You will find kids being much more enthusiastic about handwashing if their opinions are sought and games used to make it fun

Have you ever wondered why, if a parent and child both neglect to wash hands with soap, the child falls ill more often than the parent? The reason is simple, small children have a lower level of immunity, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to infection. This is why it is vital for parents to ensure that handwashing becomes a crucial part of their children's lifestyle.
Do keep in mind, however, that kids hate anything that is enforced. If parents insist on handwashing using the same tone that they do for getting the homework done, their children are likely to avoid it as far as possible.
Instead, make handwashing a fun-filled activity for your children. For instance, have them sing the jingle from their favourite cartoon show with musical sound effects and get most family members to applaud (try to join in). That will ensure they do it enthusiastically and actually look forward to handwashing.
l Set an example for them. Inform them each time you wash your hands with soap and water, ask them to smell the fresh, clean fragrance.
l Get handwashes in different fragrances. Let your children choose the 'handwash of the week' and put them in charge of ensuring their favourite fragrance is stocked at home.
l Put stickers of their favourite cartoon characters on the soap dispensers. This will make them feel their 'friends' are joining them in the handwashing activity.
l Have a 'clean hands' competition. Put a tickmark each time a child washes hands with soap and have a small toy as the 'Cleanest Hands of the Month' prize.

Share the gateway to good health Washing your hands with soap before eating without fail is the magic mantra for keeping infections at bay

Share the gateway to good health

Washing your hands with soap before eating without fail is the magic mantra for keeping infections at bay

Healthy food, healthy family

The sight of parents queuing up at doctor's clinics with sick children suffering from stomach infections is a heart rending one. Just thinking about the pain these small children undergo makes one shudder and ask a basic question - how can we avoid this happening again? Believe it or not, the answer is equally simple - teaching them good hygiene habits. Washing hands with soap before eating without fail is the magic mantra for keeping infections at bay.
In fact, if parents make the effort to reinforce the message of regular hand washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet, they could save more children's lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhoea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter.
With an aim to increase awareness and facilitate the process, there is a mobilising action for everybody to make on Global Handwashing Day - to wash their hands with soap before they eat and stop the spread of disease-causing-germs in their tracks. The brand has established an ambitious goal to change the hand washing behaviour of 1 billion people by 2015.
The PPPHW is an innovative partnership among the world's foremost experts on hygiene and sanitation from both the public and private sector.
While it is important to explain the consequences of not washing hands with soap, the key to motivating behaviour change is to focus on a simple message (such as hand washing at a single occasion, before eating) and the positive benefits that follow - healthier lives, increased school attendance and reduced visits to the doctor. Global Handwashing Day activities therefore focus on positive messages and images as a way of stimulating sustained behaviour change.

Get clean hands faster Keeping liquid handwash at home simplifies the process and helps to ingrain the habit where children are concerned

Get clean hands faster

Keeping liquid handwash at home simplifies the process and helps to ingrain the habit where children are concerned

For once, look at the process of washing hands from a child's perspective. Picking up a sticky bar of soap already used by numerous people when their own hands probably are covered in dirt and grime isn't the most pleasant thing they look forward to.
Moreover, to avoid being repeatedly asked if they have washed hands 'properly' they feel compelled to scrub the soap that much harder, often resulting in the bar slipping off and falling down. The unfortunate result is that most kids avoid using soap while cleaning hands.
However, there is a solution to this. Keeping liquid handwash at home simplifies the process where children are concerned.
For once the concept is more hygienic than using bars. They too prefer the 'fresh supply' as every drop is a new soap for them to use.
In fact, Lifebuoy has made it easier for children to clean their hands even faster. Lifebuoy handwash makes the process happens so quickly and easily. Children too pick up the habit that much faster.
Moreover, they are also likely to stick with it and this helps to ingrain the habit in them forever. It's the perfect way to teach children about staying healthy without preaching to them.

81-yr-old woman stands tall after knee replacement

Sunderben Chheda was suffering from knee problems for last 15 years, was bed-ridden

Eightyone-year-old Sunderben Chheda, who was totally immobile, had lost all hopes that she would ever get back to normal. Sunderben had been suffering from knee problems since 15 years and was bed ridden for more than three months. She was not able to stand as her knees had become extremely weak. Her condition had reached a stage wherein a relative of hers brought her a wheelchair thinking that she would need to use it for the rest of her life. Her family members were seen running from pillar to post consulting doctors who could help her get some kind of relief from the tremendous pain which she was going through. "In the month of May, we happened to met Dr Siddharth Yadav from Fortis Hiranandani Hospital in Vashi who diagnosed my mother-in-law minutely and came to a conclusion that she needed a knee implant which could benefit her immensely. After being put on numerous medicines and tonics in order to help her recover from the muscle pain, the doctors finally decided that she would now be ready for the operation," says Sunderben's daughter-in-law Chhaya. After the operation, there was a major difference observed in the patient. Unlike earlier times where the patient would be seen facing regular swelling, it had all vanished now. A week after the operation, Sunderben could walk slightly and as off now, she is free from all the pain and is completely fit, in fact much better than what she was previously also. The doctor who performed this surgery on the patient said that considering the fact that the patient was immobile for such a long time, performing this surgery was definitely a major challenge for him and his team. "The patient was 81-year-old and bed ridden for 3 months, because of which her bone and muscles had become very weak. Her blood vessels (arteries) were calcified as well, so the challenge during the operation was to implant prosthesis without damaging tissue and circulation. The major challenge after the operation was to regain her leg strength, body balance and self confidence for which her will power and her children's support have played key role," says Yadav. The surgery was seen taking more than an hour's time. Yadav adds that earlier people were seen going to Mumbai for surgeries, but now with state-of-the-art hospitals and good results being obtained by doctors in the city itself, patients no longer feel the need to go to Mumbai. "A few things which people need to keep in mind while going in for such surgeries as such is that they should be done by well-trained surgeons in hospitals with special operation theaters, intensive care unit and strict infection control measures. The use of a good implant of an international brand is also important," concludes Yadav.

How about beetroot puri or dal burfi?

Kharghar resident Sudha Patki has been living in Navi Mumbai for the last 15-years. Sudha, a homemaker, is passionate about cooking. Besides cooking she also loves to decorate the entrance of her home with traditional decorative rangolis on a regular basis. Here she shares with Richa Pinto two of her favourite recipes.

Beetroot Puri Ingredients 1cup - wheat flour 1/4 cup - rava 1cup grated beetroot 1tsp - ginger and garlic paste Few cumin (jeera) seeds 1tsp -Coriander powder 1tsp- turmeric powder 1tsp - chili powder Few sesame seeds Salt to taste Oil as per required Method: Take a big bowl and put the all ingredients given above. After this put 2-3 teaspooons of hot oil in the mixture. Mix all of it properly. Make small puries and apply oil on the puries while making it. Deep fry these puries. The beetroot puri is ready to eat. Dal Barfi Ingredients 1cup- boiled turdal, moongdal and harbhara dal 3tsp - ghee 2cups - sugar 1/4 cup -mava 1/4 cups of cashews and almonds 1tsp-food yellow colour Method: Take a pan and put ghee in it. Boil all the dals in it and put two cups of sugar. Stir well and add mava and cups of cashews and almonds. Now add cardamom powder and yellow food colour in it. Lastly apply ghee on a plate and then put all mixture in it. Make this into a flat surface in the surface. Leave this for 10 minutes. Make this into a shape of burfi. Lastly add dry fruits to it.

Solar power and windmill are the need of the hour

The recent festival season saw misuse of power by the political outfits and MSEDCL is trying to save power by imposing power cuts in all the nodes of Navi Mumbai. There is no fixed time for the power cuts and the October heat is taking heavy toll of residents and offices in Navi Mumbai. Satellite city is finding it difficult to cater to the needs of power requirement by the residents and frequent power cuts in this node is a cause of worry. Even though the real estate price goes up in Vashi-Panvel node the people are looking for places where there is continuous power supply or move through greener pastures so that they can enjoy spacious flats at a cheaper price. Electrical power is the cause of worry, which can be solved by installing wind mill for the common area power and for the residential requirement as per individual consumption.
Considering current energy scenario, there is tremendous amount of crisis in urban as well as rural areas. The electricity produced from conventional sources does not reach many parts of our country and there is load-shedding being forced in areas in and around Navi Mumbai. The major reason for the vast difference in energy supply and demand is due to the fossil fuels depleting at very high rate and very high and luxurious living standards. The resources like solar (PV as well Thermal) wind, bio-gas etc are being used to convert it to electrical energy and other form of energy. Even though there are large winds farms placed in and around the world which are being used to provided electrical energy to wind turbines which will play a major role in conservation of energy.
Instead of just feeling the pinch of shortage of power we can think in terms of going for alternative Power supply and both solar energy and wind mill energy play a pivotal role in reducing the power tariff and help you to plan your power requirement.

15th century India comes alive

Have you had a hidden desire to travel back in time and understand the roots of this land? Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) — formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India — is showcasing 15th century India at an exhibition of Italian traveller and diarist Ludovico de Varthema's pictorial manuscripts on his exhaustive journey across the Orient.
Titled 'Voyage to India of Ludovico de Varthema (1470 — 1518?)', the exhibition chronicles Varthema's departure from Venice in 1502 and his tour across the entire western coast of India, after crossing Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula and Persia. According to information provided by education officer of the museum, Bilwa Kulkarni, Varthema went to places like Khambat, Chaul, Goa, Mangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Sri Lanka and Burma before finally reaching Java. He returned to Italy in 1508, after which he compiled his writings. The resulting book was published in Rome in 1510.
Kulkarni said, "The singularity of Varthema's work consists not only in its chronological account of coastal India, but also in the figure of the protagonist who, in his own words, travelled for pleasure without any commercial or military interests."

In his journey across India, Italian traveller and diarist Ludovico de Varthema visited places like Khambat, Chaul, Goa, Mangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Sri Lanka and Burma before finally reaching Java

She continued, "However exclusive and curious be the stories narrated in the book by Varthema, without the help of images, they would not have held the same fascination for viewers."
The CSMVS is presenting this exhibition produced by National Archives in Rome in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute, New Delhi.
The exhibition will be open to the public from October 8 to October 22, between 10. 15am and 6pm. There is no extra fee for the exhibition

Junk food comes to court notice Ensure concrete steps are taken to ban junk food in, around schools: Delhi HC to Centre

Junk food comes to court notice

Ensure concrete steps are taken to ban junk food in, around schools: Delhi HC to Centre



Worried at the health hazards posed by junk food in schools across the country, the Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Union government to prepare a roadmap to permanently ban it from canteens. The court made it very clear that it was not looking for "lip service" but "concrete steps" to ensure that kids were safe from this menace.
"We do not need lip service but we want the government to take effective steps to ensure that the sale and supply of junk food near schools and other educational institutes is banned," said a bench of justices AK Sikri and Siddharth Mridul after going through an affidavit filed by the Centre in July this year.
Parents can take heart from the high court's intervention since the Union health and family welfare ministry (MoHFW) has already sought guidelines to be framed to serve health food like dal, roti and sprouts in schools and colleges instead of greasy burgers and pizzas.
In fact the court also considered fizzy drinks like colas while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) and sought a detailed action-taken report from the Union government by November 2. Clearly, the court was unhappy with the vague details furnished by the Union government.
"We are not satisfied with the affidavit you have filed. You have merely written to various state governments informing them about the harmful effects of consumption of junk foods. But what are the effective steps you have taken to prevent the sale of junk food?" the bench asked.

Junk food is not defined under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act but the MoHFW said that any food that has poor nutritional value is considered unhealthy. "Any food item that has empty calories and is responsible for obesity, cavity, diabetes and heart diseases cannot be considered good for the consumption of children," the ministry stated in July.
However, besides this cursory statement, the MoHFW was not able to give major suggestions or recommendations to keep junk food out of school and college canteens. But its affidavit did underscore the fact that there were numerous studies which have indicated correlation between consumption of food with empty calories and chronic degenerative diseases with hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular problems and glucose intolerance.

Cancer that killed Apple’s Steve Jobs fast spreading in India

Death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs due to pancreatic cancer has brought into focus this rare and aggressive form of cancer, which is causing concern in India following a rise in incidences of the disease, especially in Mizoram.

Jobs, who led a mobile-computing revolution with wildly popular devices such as the iPhone, died Wednesday in California, US, after battling cancer for years.
According to medical experts, pancreatic cancer, with a negligible survival rate, is ranked fourth in cancer-related deaths in the US. The cancer form has seen a rise in India.
The global prevalence rate of pancreatic cancer is 1 per 100,000 people per year against the 80 per 100,000 people per year cases of breast cancer - one of the most prevalent cancers among women.
According to global figures, of the 232,000 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2002, 227,000 died by 2010.
Shyam Aggarwal, Chairman, Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Gangaram Hospital, says that pancreatic cancer is an aggressive, fast growing disease which kills its victims within five years after diagnosis.
“There are two known types of pancreatic cancer -- adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine tumour. Jobs was affected by the latter, an extremely rare form reported in just 5% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer,” Aggarwal told IANS.
The tumours are usually located on the head of the pancreas - an organ that helps break down food so it can be absorbed into the body - where they can block the bile duct and cause jaundice.
“Pancreatic cancer is less common in India compared to western countries but now incidences of pancreatic cancer are increasing, and since the last two-three years we get one-two cases every month,” PK Julka, clinical oncologist, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told IANS.
Julka says that most of the cases that come to them are in an advanced stage and chances of survival are nil. It is generally seen in old people.
Standard treatment for pancreatic cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and, most recently, targeted anticancer drugs that may slightly extend patients' lives.
“Pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at a later stage in 89-90 percent cases and in such cases we provide chemotherapy, targeted therapy and few other procedures. But patient can survive only 18-24 months,” said Julka.
Although there are no specific studies about causes of pancreatic cancer, doctors blame it on sedentary lifestyle, smoking and high alcohol intake. People suffering from diabetes and chronic pancreatic inflammation are also at risk.
There is also a lack of oncologists specialised in treating pancreatic cancer in India and the cost of treatment is very high.
According to Delhi Cancer registry, Mizoram in India has the highest prevalence of pancreatic cancer. “In Aizawl, Mizoram, prevalence rate is 2.3 per 100,000 people per year against the global rate of 1 per 100,000 people per year. Majority of cases in Mizoram are reported in women,” he said.
Aggarwal, who is also a member of Pancreatic Cancer India, a group working to spread awareness about the less-known disease, says that this year’s Nobel Prize winner in medicine Ralph Steinman died of pancreatic cancer in September this year.

Compound found in red wine can halt breast cancer

A compound found in red wine and grape skin, known to stave off heart attacks, also halts breast cancer in its tracks.
Lab tests have shown that resveratrol blocks the growth of the hormone oestrogen and aborts the growth of breast cancer.
Study leader Sebastiano Ando, from the University of Calabria in Italy, said: "Resveratrol is a potential pharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer become resistant to the hormonal therapy."
Resveratrol is also found in blueberries, peanuts and cranberries. It works by blocking the way oestrogen combines with DNA in a woman's body to spread tumour cells, according to the Daily Mail.
Ando and colleagues found that they could cut the growth of breast cancer cells dramatically with resveratrol, while it left normal cells unharmed.
Additional experiments revealed the effect was related to a drastic reduction of oestrogen receptor levels caused by resveratrol itself.