Lifestyle

Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna has paid tribute to the ‘Paradise of India’ -- Kashmir by naming a dish after it in his menu for his upcoming restaurant Bungalow New York, which is all set to open its doors on March 23.

Vikas took to Instagram, where he shared that the dish christened “Kiss Of Kashmir” is made out of lotus stems infused with “zaika” and is inspired by a book by writer Monica Saigal.

He captioned it: “Most of the menu of @bungalowny has evolved during travels or research & diversity of Indian cuisine. We are proud of every dish, especially the dish we call, “Kiss Of Kashmir”. The name was inspired by our friend @monicasaigalbhide’s latest novel.”

“She is one of the foremost Indian food, who made it in the mainstream America.”

Khanna added: “Lotus stem with layers of zaika (flavour). Can’t wait to show you a glimpse of the dish next week. Our tribute to “Paradise of India – Kashmir.”

The restaurant opens on the day of Khanna’s sister Radhika, who would have celebrated 50th birthday.

According to reports, Bungalow New York also celebrates the famous street vendors of India and their iconic recipes passed on from generation and cookbook writers.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANSlife) A new study found that eating almond reduces feeling of muscle soreness during exercise recovery which translates to improved muscle performance during a vertical jump challenge. These results expand on prior research which looked at how almonds affect muscle recovery after exercise.

In the new research study, published in Frontiers in Nutrition and funded by the Almond Board of California, 25 mildly overweight middle-aged men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight weeks of consuming 57g (two ounces) of whole raw almonds daily. The control group ate a calorie-matched (86 g/three ounces) snack of unsalted pretzels. The treadmill test was designed to cause muscle damage to see how almonds affected muscle recovery.

Researchers measured participants’ muscle function; blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation; and perceived muscle soreness using a visual scale, before, during, and at three time points after the treadmill test. They also measured markers of cardiometabolic health, body composition, and psycho-social assessments of mood, appetite, and well-being at baseline and after eight weeks of almond snacking.

Participants who ate almonds experienced an almost 25 percent reduction in muscle soreness when performing an explosive power exercise (a vertical jump challenge) over the cumulative 72-hour exercise recovery period. The perceived reduction in soreness translated to better muscle performance during the vertical jump challenge in the almond group versus the control. No significant differences were observed in measures of cardiometabolic health, muscle damage/inflammation, mood state, or appetite for the almond group or the control group.

The study included non-smoking participants who were mildly overweight and occasionally physically active but were not trained athletes. A limitation of this study is that the results are not generalizable to populations with other demographic and health characteristics.

“Our study suggests that snacking on almonds can be recommended to occasional exercisers as a go-to food to help fitness recovery after strenuous exercise,” said Dr. Oliver C. Witard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at Kings College London. “Almonds are naturally nutritious with protein, good fats and the antioxidant vitamin E. They can be considered an ideal food for fitness.” One serving of almonds (28 g) has 4 g of plant protein, 13 g of good unsaturated fat and only 1 g of saturated fat.

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in

--IANS

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New York, Feb 26 (IANS) US researchers have found a drug that is commonly used to treat asthma patients and can also help children with food allergies.

According to a new study led by scientists at the Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University, regular use of omalizumab can protect people from severe allergic responses, such as difficulty breathing, if they accidentally eat a small amount of a food they are allergic to.

Omalizumab, which the US Food and Drug Administration originally approved to treat diseases such as allergic asthma and chronic hives, is an injected antibody that binds and deactivates all types of immunoglobulin E, or IgE, the allergy-causing molecule in the blood and on the body’s immune cells.

Based on the new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the FDA, last week, approved omalizumab for reducing risk of allergic reactions to foods.

“Patients impacted by food allergies face a daily threat of life-threatening reactions due to accidental exposures. The study showed that omalizumab can be a layer of protection against small, accidental exposures,” said lead author Robert Wood, Professor of paediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

For the study, the team included 177 children with at least three food allergies each, of whom 38 per cent were 1 to 5 years old, 37 per cent were 6 to 11 years old, and 24 per cent were 12 or older.

Two-thirds of the children were randomly assigned to receive omalizumab injections, and one-third received an injected placebo; the injections took place over 16 weeks.

Re-test between weeks 16 and 20 showed that 79 patients (66.9 per cent) who had taken omalizumab could tolerate at least 600 mg of peanut protein, the amount in two or three peanuts, compared with only four patients (6.8 per cent) who had the placebo.

Similar proportions of patients showed improvement in their reactions to the other foods in the study.

About 80 per cent of patients taking omalizumab were able to consume small amounts of at least one allergy-triggering food without inducing an allergenic reaction, 69 per cent of patients could consume small amounts of two allergenic foods and 47 per cent could eat small amounts of all three allergenic foods.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) Leading investment firm Peak XV on Monday announced the latest cohort of its Spark fellowship for female founders, with 14 companies and 16 female founders.

The Spark fellowship is a four-month long programme that includes a $100K equity-free grant. It is open to all female founders who are in the early stages of starting up.

"Out of the many applications we received for this cohort of Spark, these 16 founders really impressed us with their ambition, first principles thinking and rich operating experience. Many of them are second-time founders," Sakshi Chopra, Managing Director, Peak XV, said in a statement.

This cohort includes four companies building AI solutions in travel, fraud detection, wholesale trade and e-commerce. Another four are focused on Healthcare, and the remaining companies are building SaaS, B2B, and consumer businesses, the company said.

Moreover, the company mentioned that under this programme, founders will get access to domain knowledge, mentorship, a curated community of female founders and exclusive events. Each startup will also receive over $1M in perks from other companies from cloud credits to devtools, analytics and much more.

Spark’s curated community of startups now includes three cohorts, 48 founders and 41 startups across 10+ sectors in less than three years.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) Almost 1 in 5 Indian adults aged 60+ show signs of mild neurocognitive disorder, according to a study.

Given an estimated 138 million adults over 60 years of age in India, these estimates suggest approximately 24 million and 9.9 million older adults in India are living with mild and major neurocognitive disorder, respectively, revealed the study published in the journal PLOS One.

The findings showed that the prevalence of major neurocognitive disorder was greater with older ages - from about 4 per cent among those aged 60-64 years to 15.2 per cent among those aged over 80 years.

"India, with its rapidly aging population, faces an alarming burden of dementia," said the team including from St. John’s Medical College in Bengaluru and Johns Hopkins University in the US.

For the study, the team recruited almost 4,100 participants residing in 18 geographically and linguistically diverse states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, among others. The majority of the group was aged 60-79 years.

They found that the prevalence is higher with older age, less educational attainment, and among illiterate and rural-living older adults.

These findings highlight the growing importance of dementia in India.

"The prevalence of dementia in India is higher than previously recognised. These findings, coupled with a growing number of older adults in the coming decades in India, have important implications for society, public health, and families," the researchers said in the paper.

The team analysed the participants using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) -- a widely recognised clinical diagnostic authority.

Tbe results showed that the population prevalence of DSM-5 mild and major neurocognitive disorder was 17.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively.

Further, 12 per cent reported severe loss in at least one ADL (activities of daily living) and 8.5 per cent reported impairment in any IADL (instrumental activities of daily living).

Major neurocognitive disorder was more prevalent among illiterate (9.3 per cent) than literate (5 per cent) and rural (10.3 per cent) than urban (4.9 per cent)

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Even as India is set to soon launch promising new DCGI and US FDA-approved medicine Inclisiran to lower cholesterol and keep it low with just two doses a year, doctors, while hailing the advance, contend that the drug is expensive and stressed on better use of the much cheaper versions available.

Inclisiran is the first and only small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (also known as bad cholesterol or LDL-C) with two doses a year, after an initial dose and one at three months.

Manufactured by Swiss multinational pharmaceutical Novartis and expected to cost around Rs 1.2 lakh, it has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) under the brand name of Sybrava, following the successful completion of trials. The UK has also approved Inclisiran.

"There is a case for use of these injectables in India if their price comes down. As of right now, even the use of appropriate doses of statins is not so common in India. These are cheap medicines which are available in generic form in India and they are still not used so at the moment, one should focus on how to use them better," Dr Vivek Chaturvedi, Head, Department of Cardiology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, told IANS.

"The use of these injectables will only take place for those people in India who find too many side effects of statins. The reason being that, for most Indians, cholesterol is controlled using statins which are much cheaper," he added.

Inclisiran is able to reduce the amount of LDL-C in the bloodstream by improving the liver’s natural ability to prevent the production of a protein that plays a role in keeping circulating cholesterol levels high.

It is a subcutaneous injection with an initial dose, then again at three months, and then every six months. This approach may help those who have trouble sticking to medicines that are self-administered and have greater dosing frequency.

"Inclisiran is a new cholesterol-lowering drug administered subcutaneously twice yearly. Being both very expensive and a very potent drug, its use will initially be restricted to those patients with severely raised blood cholesterol levels that don’t respond to current orally administered pills," Dr Atul Mathur, Executive Director-Interventional Cardiology & Chief of Cath Lab, Fortis Escorts Hospital, New Delhi, told IANS.

"However, the most noteworthy fact is that we are entering an era where we will soon replace daily pills with subcutaneous shots needed once or twice a year. This is how with time we are moving ahead in the management of cardiovascular diseases," he added.

Dr. Chaturvedi said that there are several drugs already available for effective reduction of cholesterol.

"The most studied to-date and the most effective in terms of its response and cause are the statins which are readily available in India. These are the first drugs which should be given to a patient because of their long-standing record and LDL lowering capacity," he said.

There are two more oral drugs available in India -- one is histamine and a newer one called bampidoic acid which are used along with or sometimes instead of statins when people have statin-associated muscle symptoms.

"These medicines, as of right now, are too expensive for the common Indian household. So, their use is reserved at best. Hence, even the drugs that are available like evolocumab, are still not very widely used in India," Dr. Chaturvedi said.

According to a study by the Indian Council and Medical Research and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, and published in The Lancet last year, about 213 million people in India -- or almost 24 per cent of the population -- have dyslipidemia, a disorder marked by abnormal levels of lipids, such as cholesterol, LDL-C, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), in the blood.

"Lipid lowering therapies are well-established to prevent cardiovascular events in adults with dyslipidemia and multiple risk factors. However, global clinical usage of statins remains sub-optimal, with adherence to low rates mainly due to concerns about side effects and misconceptions about benefits," Dr Ashwani Mehta , Senior Cardiologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.

"This new therapy is a very powerful way of reducing cholesterol and thereby taking care with the adherence issues and can be a breakthrough in checking this global epidemic of heart disease," he added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANSlife) India, with its rich cultural heritage, is a tapestry of traditions, and Christmas is a vibrant thread weaving its enchanting spell across this diverse landscape. Unique celebrations unfurl in every nook and cranny, painting the country in a kaleidoscope of festive hues. The spirit of Christmas serves as a unifying force, effortlessly transcending cultural boundaries and bringing people together in a joyous celebration of love and togetherness.

Adding an extra layer of vigour to the festivities, infusing the touch of magic into Christmas celebrations becomes paramount. Whether you find joy in indoor festivities or revel in the great outdoors, we have curated a list of activities to infuse fun into your celebrations, ensuring a memorable and spirited Christmas for all.

Spend quality time at home with loved ones:

Christmas beckons the entire family to come together for a heart-warming celebration. Seize the festive spirit by exchanging gifts, sharing laughter, and basking in the joy of togetherness. Amplify the holiday vibes by adorning your home and introducing a charming Christmas tree into the mix. Delve into the warmth of the season by reading Christmas stories with your loved ones and harmonizing in joyous carols – a perfect way to cherish quality time together. Engaging activities, such as baking cookies or enjoying romcom movies, add an extra layer of merriment. To effortlessly encapsulate the essence of the holiday, consider embracing the Nikon Z f mirrorless camera. This state-of-the-art device boasts a powerful full-frame 24.5MP sensor and innovative autofocus system, ensuring that every precious moment is impeccably captured, immortalizing the magic of Christmas.

Take a stroll in the Markets immersed in Christmas spirit.

December unfolds with a crisp chill, accompanied by the enchanting spirit of Christmas, turning markets into veritable wonderlands for delightful exploration. Immerse yourself in the holiday cheer by exploring Delhi’s Khan Market or Santushti Complex (Chanakyapuri). Mumbai boasts the vibrant Christmas energy of Crawford Market, and The IC Colony markets, while central Kolkata invites you to discover the festive wonders of new market.

Step into unique shops adorned in festive red and white, illuminated by fairy lights, offering thoughtful gifts that add an extra layer of magic to your celebrations. Amidst the lively ambience of these bustling markets, be sure to capture the enchanting moments, creating lasting memories. Elevate your photography and videography experience with the Nikon Z 8, a perfect companion for the task. Whether you're a seasoned videographer or just starting out, the Nikon Z 8 can shoot ultra-high-resolution video of 4K/120p and 8K up to 60p, thereby taking your video quality to whole new level. Not just that the Z 8 offers in-camera 10-bit N-Log video for better color grading and creative filters which set the mood of your videos, bringing out vibrant hues and infusing your footage with an extra touch of magic."

Explore picturesque Cafés with Christmas decorations

Discover the holiday magic as many cafes in town transform into an enchanting Christmas-themed dreamland.

In Delhi, dive into the festive spirit by exploring picturesque cafes like Café the Flora, Diggin Café for a truly mesmerizing experience. Olive Bar & Kitchen and the Sassy Spoon Café can provide an escape from the busy Mumbai life. In Kolkata iconic spots like Flurys or The Tea Trove are tranquil locations for a relaxed time with loved ones. Additionally, Mrs. Magpie and Paris Café offer charming tearoom vibes. In Jaipur, enjoy your Christmas at Taruveda Bistro, Nibs Café, Chocolataria and Anokhi Café.

These cafes have a cozy ambience, and you can sip on a warm cup of hot chocolate while surrounded by twinkling lights and beautifully decorated Christmas trees. The charming outdoor seating areas in these Cafés are adorned with festive garlands and ornaments, creating a magical atmosphere that will make your holiday season unforgettable. Adding a desi flavour to your festivities, you can also order in McDonald’s newly launched Kebab Rolls and all new special wraps.

Enjoy a Christmas feast at the ITC Kohenur:

Indulge in the festive spirit and treat your senses to a celebratory Christmas feast at ITC Kohenur, as their award-winning dining outlets unfold a culinary extravaganza. Whether you prefer the charm of exquisite a la carte offerings, the leisurely indulgence of a delectable brunch, or a festive dinner buffet, ITC Kohenur’s culinary experts have crafted an experience that promises to elevate your Christmas mood. Revel in the joy of the season surrounded by the warm ambiance of ITC Kohenur, where every dish is a celebration, and every moment is an opportunity to create lasting memories.

Keep your health a priority during Christmas:

As the winter chill descends, strengthen your health and keep the Christmas festivities vibrant with the added support of mineral supplements. Embracing the season of joy doesn't mean compromising on well-being. Stay hydrated and add a few drops of Vestige Marketing’s Concentrated Mineral Drops (CMD into your daily routine to ensure your body receives the nutrients it requires to stay resilient during the colder months. Let the warmth of the holiday season be complemented by the internal warmth of good health. Make these supplements your wellness companions, making this winter season festive and healthy.

Dress Up in festival spirit and Spread Cheer:

Embrace the Christmas spirit by dressing up in holiday attire and spreading joy with your friends and family. Whether it is a Santa hat or a reindeer sweater, dressing up in the festival spirit brings an extra layer of joy to the festivities. The harmonious blend of red, green, and gold combine to create an aesthetic that reflects the vibrancy of the season. So, step into the season, wrap yourself in the colours of celebration, and become an embodiment of the holiday spirit. After all, spreading cheer is a gift and you should do it more often.

Making the most of the occasion by capturing these precious moments using the Nikon Z fc. The Nikon Z fc comes with a 20.9MP DX CMOS sensor paired with the EXPEED 6 engine blending design and cutting-edge performance, ensuring your memories are preserved in high-quality photos and videos. This way, you can relive these joyful holiday moments for years to come.

Attend a special Christmas Eve midnight mass at a Church

Experience the serene beauty of Christmas while thanking the Almighty. Attend a midnight mass at one of the many incredible churches in major Indian cities. In Delhi, the Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Stephen’s Church open their doors to those seeking a spiritual experience. In Goa, revel in the grandeur of the Holy Cross Shrine and the Church of Saint Cajetan. Kolkata boasts the stunning St. Paul's Cathedral along with the historic Basilica of the Holy Rosary.

These churches beautifully decorate their interiors with lights and ornaments, creating a serene and joyous atmosphere. It is a wonderful way to connect with the community and experience the true spirit of Christmas. Singing Christmas carols at the church along with the crowd will make the festivities even more enjoyable.

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in

--IANS

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Los Angeles, Dec 25 (IANS) Singer Dolly Parton revealed about some procedures that she regrets.

"Every now and then you'll get a hematoma, or sometimes with fillers and Botox you can get too much and have to wait till the swelling goes down to look normal again," Parton told Saga Magazine for its January 2024 issue, reports aceshowbiz.com.

"It means that instead of being back at work in two weeks, it's a month."

Parton also divulged when she would go under the knife.

"If something is bagging, sagging or dragging, I'll tuck it, suck it or pluck it," she declared.

In November, Parton stated on SiriusXM's 'The Howard Stern Show' that she tries not to "overdo" plastic surgery in case things go wrong.

"I always say, 'Just find the best doctors. You've just got to be very careful not to overdo it because you never know, anytime you go under the knife you could come out looking not good," she said.

"I try to do just little bits at a time - I don't do like really big stuff," the music icon continued. "I do fillers, Botox … only when I have to do something a little more, and even then, I try to be careful."

--IANS

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London, Dec 24 (IANS) Sniffing women’s tears lowers brain activity related to aggression in men, reducing aggressive behaviour, researchers have discovered.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel conducted the study, which discovered that human tears include a chemical signal that decreases activity in two aggression-related brain regions.

In the study, published in the journal PLOS Biology. In the study, researchers, led by PhD student Shani Agron from the institute's Brain Science Lab, set out to determine whether tears have the same aggression-blocking effect in people as they do in rodents.

In a series of experiments, men were exposed to either women’s emotional tears or saline, without knowing what they were sniffing or being able to distinguish between the two.

Following that, they played a two-player game designed to generate hostile behaviour in one player towards the other, who was portrayed as cheating.

When given the opportunity, the men could get revenge on the perceived cheaters by causing them to lose money, though they themselves gained nothing.

After sniffing women's emotional tears, the men's revenge seeking aggressive behaviour throughout the game decreased by 44 per cent, or roughly in half, the researchers noted.

The researchers mentioned that this result seemed equivalent to the effect observed in rodents, but rodents have a structure in their noses called the vomeronasal organ that picks up social chemical signals.

"These findings suggest that tears are a chemical blanket offering protection against aggression – and that this effect is common to rodents and humans, and perhaps to other mammals as well," said Prof Noam Sobel, head of the Brain Sciences Department.

Agron said: "We knew that sniffing tears lowers testosterone, and that lowering testosterone has a greater effect on aggression in men than in women, so we began by studying the impact of tears on men because this gave us higher chances of seeing an effect."

--IANS

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Positive news like decline in the US bond yields and weakening crude can help the market to revive but it may not sustain given the uncertainty surrounding the West Asian conflict. Investors may opt for a cautious approach to the market till some clarity emerges on the geopolitical situation, he said.

An important feature of the near-term market is the weakness of the broader market. On Monday when the Nifty corrected by 1.3 per cent, Nifty Small-cap crashed by 3.9 per cent. Since the valuations in mid and small-cap space are higher than that of large-caps, this weakness is likely to persist, he added.

Safety is now in large-caps particularly in banking majors which are fairly valued, he said.

Vaishali Parekh, Vice President - Technical Research, Prabhudas Lilladher said Nifty tanked heavily with profit booking witnessed once it breached below the crucial and important support zone of 19,500 levels with bears taking control of the situation and overall bias has turned very cautious.

The 19,200 zone shall be a crucial support zone failing which there can be further intensified selling pressure with next major support maintained near 18,800 levels. The support for the day is seen at 19,100 levels while the resistance is seen at 19,450 levels, Parekh said.

BSE Sensex is down 17 points at 64,544 points on Wednesday. Infosys is down 2 per cent.

--IANS

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