Have you heard about a fruit that is yellowish in colour with a hard shell outside and with sweet musky tangy pulp inside? The fruit that is mentioned here is bael fruit or wood apple in English or vilampazham in Tamil. It is worthy to note that bael apple or wood apple is seen growing in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka etc. There are many health benefits of eating this fruit. The benefits are this bael fruit improves digestion, prevents dehydration, boosts skin health, manages asthma etc. Bael juice is consumed by many is known fact. There are certain persons with health conditions who must avoid drinking bael juice Those with health conditions or health issues mentioned below must not drink bael juice. Persons with diabetes: Those with diabetes must not drink this juice as it would increase their sugar content. It must be noted that those taking insulin or diabetes medicines must not drink bael juice.  Persons with poor digestion: In some persons, intake of bael juice could lead to constipation, gas, acidity etc. Truth is that those with weak digestion must avoid this juice as it would worsen their issues. Persons with ulcer: When some persons drink this juice it would irritate their stomach linings and this can be due to some elements present in this juice. Those with gastric ulcers must avoid drinking bael juice as it could aggravate the ulcer. Pregnant mothers: It is noteworthy that pregnant mothers must not drink bael juice as it could lead to uterine contractions and miscarriage etc. There are also chances of hormonal imbalances in women if they drink bael juice. Persons with low BP: By drinking bael juice, blood pressure would get reduced. If the person already has low BP, then he or she must not drink bael juice as it could lead to dizziness, fainting etc. Persons with kidney issues: Those with kidney disorders must not drink bael juice. It must be noted that potassium rich bael juice would interfere with Kidney functions. This could worsen the kidney conditions of the person.

ஆடி மாத பவுர்ணமி கிரிவலம், 08ம் தேதி (வெள்ளி) பிற்பகல் 02:12 மணிக்கு தொடங்கி, 09ம் தேதி (சனிக்கிழமை) பிற்பகல் 01:24 மணிக்கு முடிவடைகிறது. இந்த நேரத்தில் பக்தர்கள் திருவண்ணாமலை அருணாசலேஸ்வரர் மலை சுற்றி கிரிவலம் செய்யலாம்.

How many of us know the fact that our nervous system would set the tone for the entire day? Yes, it`s true!! Nervous system refers to the brain, spinal cord and complex network of nerves. Point is that the main roles of the nervous system are receiving sensory information, processing the information or integration and responding with motor output. By beginning the day in a wrong way, our nervous system would change for that particular day or it could make us feel rushed. It is necessary that there are certain daily rituals or habits that we must follow without fail for our nervous system to function well. Truth is that the first hour after we wake up is crucial. The reason is that this first hour is essential for our cortisol rhythm, circadian clock alignment and stress resilience building etc. The daily rituals are Exposure to sunlight: Our health is linked to the sunlight. The vitamin D from sunlight is very powerful as it would improve our mood and boost our physical as well as our mental state. It is highly necessary that we must get exposed to sunlight for atleast 15 to 20 minutes every day. By this, our circadian rhythm as well as sleep would get better. Body movements: Our nervous system would get boosted by daily stretching for atleast 5 minutes after waking up in the morning. The stretching would straighten out the spine plus set the organs in position. At Least 5 to 10minutes of yoga daily in the morning would have a huge impact on our nervous system. This would boost our memory and learning etc. Hydration: Nothing could boost our nervous system more than the water we drink after waking up in the morning. By drinking water, our morning fatigue would go away. Our system would be prepared for the day. Delaying caffeine intake: Our anxiety could become more and we could get afternoon crashes when we consume caffeine early. It is worthy to note that excess intake of caffeine after waking up in the morning can interfere with the body`s natural cortisol rhythm and affect our digestive system. Doing Humming or Bhramari pranayama: It is good to do humming after waking up in the morning. This would activate our vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system would get enhanced. The sympathetic activation would be slowed down.

In those days, when so many electronic gadgets etc were not available, the kids used to go out and play games with their friends. Kids also play some indoor games like ludo, carom, chess etc. Now, in this digital generation, kids don`t go outside to play but stay at home and play games on their electronic gadgets.  As a result of this, the kids get exposed to the blue light etc from the digital screen. Bitter fact is that screen time has become an integral part of the lives of the kids now. It is really shocking to note that by constantly watching the digital screens the kids would not only get eye issues but back issues and oral issues also. That leads to an important question: Is there any link between screen addiction and tooth decay etc? The answer is yes. It was explained by a famous doctor belonging to Avana Healthcare in Delhi that excess screen time would have a huge impact on dental health. The two important reasons for this are dietary habits and poor oral practices. It must be taken into account that the kids while being absorbed into the digital screen would eat more junk and sugary items etc. By this, the kids are prone to issues like plaque formation and tooth decay etc. More screen time also is associated with a more sedentary lifestyle where the kids do not drink enough water resulting in oral infections etc. It is known that dry mouth would provide an ideal environment for the bacteria to thrive. What is the impact of screen time on teeth health? It is worthy to note that while being busy on the smart phones etc many kids would not brush their teeth also. Moreover, there is huge stress now in this modern digital world. The kids try their best to keep up with the latest trends in the social media, increase the number of followers etc and these would lead to mental issues for the kids. Point is that it would lead to conditions like teeth grinding, gum disease, clenching etc in them. Continuous exposure to the screen time would lead to jaw pain, TMJ disorders also. The kids might keep their mouths open while watching the screen and this could result in mouth breathing etc. Prioritising oral hygiene: The kids and adults can enjoy the technology benefits while protecting their dental health by giving importance to their oral hygiene and by making mindful choices regarding their screen time. Balancing screen time with healthy eating habits, regular dental checkups etc must be guided by the parents to their kids.

Mostly we don`t think about breathing until it becomes difficult isn`t it. Lungs are vital organs present in us similar to heart, kidney and liver etc. It is essential to keep our lungs in good shape for our lives to be normal. During inhalation, lungs take in oxygen from the air and transfer it to the bloodstream through air sacs or alveoli. In the same way, carbon dioxide moves from blood into alveoli and gets removed. This is termed as respiration. Pollution, smoking and lung cancer etc have made it compulsory for us to take care of lung health. Importance of lung tests: By means of lung tests, we would be able to diagnose and treat respiratory issues like asthma, COPD etc. Various lung tests are Spirometry: The amount of air we can breathe in and out and the speed with which we do this is measured by a spirometry test. This is a basic test for lung function. By taking a deep breath and blowing hard into the machine, asthma, COPD etc can be detected in us. Peak flow test: It must be noted that the peak flow test is a quick breathing check. This test determines the peak rate at which air would be blown out from the lungs. Here a handheld device is used and when we blow into this device then how much air gets pushed out of our lungs could be found out. Asthma patients use this test to keep a check on their lung function at home. Lung volume test: Known as pulmonary function test, measures the amount of air the lungs could hold. Various lung conditions could be diagnosed by this superb test. By means of lung volume test, lung diseases can be identified plus severity of breathing issues can be identified. It must be noted that this test can be used to evaluate lung functions before surgery. Arterial blood gas test or ABG test: This test would determine the effectiveness of the lungs in gas exchanging and regulating oxygen and carbon dioxide levels etc. For those patients with severe lung issues, ABG test is used. Diffusion capacity test or DLCO: It is noteworthy that DLCO or diffusing capacity of lungs for carbon monoxide would measure how effificiently oxygen would move from lungs to the bloodstream. This test would help in identifying hidden damage in the lung tissues etc. Six minute walk test: The strength of our lungs while doing physical activity can be measured by this test. Here, we must walk for 6 minutes and heart rate and oxygen levels are determined. Imaging test like X-Ray, CT Scan etc: With the help of the pictures taken by X-Ray and CT Scan etc, it would be possible to identify infections, tumours, scarring etc in the lungs.