How to minimize the risks for cancer? 5. Enough physical activity…

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Physical activity is the key to our health. We all know this. But, we have several excuses why don’t we do it regularly.


Last week a patient of mine came to me. She had 30 kg overweight. I tried to persuade her to do some physical activities. For each of my suggestions she had an argument why she didn’t do that. Uncontrolled food intake and a sedentary life are the reasons for overweight.

Physical activity helps us in many ways. The advantages include:

• Helps to protect you from developing certain cancers, e.g. breast, lung, colon and endometrial cancers
• Reduce the risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, heart disease and stroke
• Helps to prevent type 2 diabetes
• Reduces bone loss and thus prevents osteoporosis
• Improves mood and relieves the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• More calories are burnt and this means maintaining the weight or for many enjoying their food
• Very good to improve the mental fitness of seniors
• Improves sleep
• Improves general fitness
• Improves quality of life
• Makes healthy to live longer

It is never too late to start the physical activity. Physical activity is important for all, but how much one needs varies from individual to individual. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for 5 days in a week is considered optimum. You can do it continuously or with breaks. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend the following for exercise:
• To reduce disease risk, at least 30 minutes daily of moderate-intensity physical activity, beyond your usual activities at home and work.
• To lose weight and prevent gradual weight gain, 60 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity activity on most days.
• To keep of lost weight, 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

The moderate-intensity physical activities include:

• Brisk walking for 35 min
• Gardening for 30 to 45 min
• Basketball (shooting baskets) for 30 min
• Playing volleyball for 45 min
• Bicycling 8 km in 30 min
• Fast dancing for 30 min
• Water aerobics for 30 min
• Swimming, 20 min
• Rope jumping, 15 min
• Self using of wheelchair, 30 to 40 min, personal experience
• Stair-climbing, 15 min

In vigorous-intensity physical activity one breaths rapidly and is able to speak in short phrases. The heart rate is increased and mostly results sweating. If possible the moderate-intensity physical activity and vigorous-intensity physical activity can be done alternatively. The vigorous-intensity physical activities include:

• Aerobic dancing
• Fast dancing
• Fast cycling
• Fast swimming
• Jogging
• Playing basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis etc.
• Race walking
• Hiking uphill


If you have not done more than a year any physical activity consult your doctor first. This is the case if you suffer from diseases too. Pregnant woman must also consult her doctor before starting her exercises.

Select the right physical activity, stay healthy and enjoy life…

I have 10 kg overweight. But, I hate to do exercise. What is your suggestion?

If you are lazy to do physical activity it is difficult to reduce your weight. Right food and exercises are important for weight reduction.

Try to find some friend and go for swimming or to gym. Two people are better than one for this purpose. But if you have no friend, then it is not possible.

For indoor exercises you can put on your radio for your music. It helps because you are concentrated to hear the music and the exercises go automatically.

When I was working I used to hear the evening news during my exercises. I had no problem to do them.

If you go out for a walk you can use your cell phone today to hear the music. The best thing is you must have the will to reduce the weight. If the will is there the way is also there.

Start from today and you can achieve your goal surely.

Is drinking water during or after meal good or bad?

First of all you must drink enough water, 2 to 3 litres everyday. If you sweat much or do hard physical work you have to drink more.

Drinking water during or after a meal will not make any problems for digestion. Indeed, water helps digestion. They will not dilute digestive juices or interfere with digestion. Water and other fluids help to break down the food in your stomach. It keeps also the digestive system healthy.

Eat enough fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and whole grain products. Healthy life style and enough physical activity will keep your digestion good. Try to live a stress free life.

Do not drink water or eat your food very quickly. If you gulp lot of air with that you may get stomach problems.

So the direct answer is drinking water during or after meal is good.

What are the consequences of osteoporosis?

There will be increased risk of fracture with minor falls. With increasing age, from day to day works like bending and lifting, the frequency of falls may lead to pain and other physical problems.

The risk of hip fracture is the worst because it affects the quality of life and more often it leads to death in women above 75 years old. About 35% of the women recover or regain their pre-fracture quality of good life. During the sickness, fear, anxiety and depressions are the symptoms along with the suffering of their families.

Imagine, a woman lives alone in Europe or in North America without family members, or the family members have no time because of their job or children, then old age home with medical care is the only alternative and the stress produced from the loss of her home and her personal environment, may increase, the chance of premature death. Here, I do not want to write about the happenings with such persons in the old age homes throughout the world.

Above all, you are lucky if you or your family are financially sound, otherwise the situation is catastrophe. Dear, young readers, by doing several things like good nutrition, enough physical activity, good observation in the families and a good family doctor who can take enough time for you, you can avoid this disease.

Physical activities such as walking, jogging, swimming or gymnastic are very useful to prevent the disease. The human beings are made to move always, but unfortunately mostly you cannot wander during your work or job. Do not work more than 8 to 10 hrs in your office so that you get more time for your physical activity. We work to live, but not live only to work.

The good food intake is throughout the life important. Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and lean meat are good. One must be careful with calcium supplement and it is better to consult your doctor before that.

Muscle Contraction

The contraction of voluntary muscles in human beings take places by the mutual sliding of two sets of interdigitating filaments. The thick one containing the protein myosin and the thin one containing the protein actin.

Muscle contraction is controlled by the central nervous system, this means brain and spinal cord. Brain initiates the voluntary muscle contractions and spinal cord initiates the involuntary reflexes.

There are three types of muscle tissues in our body and they are skeletal, cardiac and smooth, the blood vessels muscles. The skeletal muscles are in charge of our movement.

Coming to the problem of Sakthikkumaran V. the back pain in the lower part has many reasons, overweight and obesity and less physical activity.

The human beings are created by God to walk with four legs. The spinal cord is produced by God to this purpose. In the evolution we have two legs and two hands. This has several advantages and few disadvantages. The major disadvantage is the problems with the spinal cord. It is actually the problems of the small muscles supporting the spines. Because of its unnatural upright position these muscles hardens and gets damaged. There starts the problem with the nerves touch the sharp bones. We have to stretch our spinal cord everyday. The 160 muscles what we have in the back must work everyday properly and we must help them by stretching.

You have to talk to your orthopaedic doctor and physiotherapist. In cases where the damage is already there the neorologist is the expert to do the treatment with others together.

For the last 60 years I am physically handicapped with almost no muscles in my legs. Even today, with 62 years I have no back pain. The reason is the good physiotherapist who taught me this simple exercises after my foot-correction operation in 1974. It is only five minutes exercise of stretching the spinal cord and the small muscles which support it.

Am I expecting too much from you all for your health? 2010 is going to begin soon and start doing this exercise from 1st January 2010.

I am a 61 years old lady; could gym help to improve my bone mass density?

Gym or any physical activity is important for women above 60. These are as good as calcium Intake. For our health physical activity is very important.

Studies have shown that even the affected bone has also improved its density after regular gym or sport. It should be recommended to all women. This is the best to prevent osteoporosis.

If not possible to go to gymnastics, try 30 min quick walking, bicycling or swimming.

I am very careful with my food, fruits and vegetables, low fat milk, cereals and swim every day and go to gym, but I am not losing any weight...

What you eat is good but I have no information about your weight, height, how much and when you take your food and also how much water you drink.

My experience is if you do more exercise and reduce your food intake, your metabolism slows down very much and only few calories are burnt. Eat normally, drink enough, 3 to 4 litre of water, more physical activity and have patience for few weeks. Your body gets more calories, more physical activity and now burns more calories and your weight will come down.

The side-effects of some of the medicines also increase your weight and in this case you can eat less but your weight will not come down but can go up. A personal consulting with your doctor and dietician can clear this situation. The minimum effective dose of the medicine must also be found out by your doctor; otherwise the chances are very bleak.

Men’s Cosmetics

Men’s cosmetics, is it necessary? The cosmetics companies say yes because it is a big market for them. It is like half of the Asian women smoking for cigarette companies. Their argument is that the men’s skin is thicker and oilier and therefore has different needs. Many companies have developed specific lines of skincare for men.

Taking bath daily in the morning and evening is a must for men. A mild shampoo and a mild soap are good to remove the dirt and the dead cells on the skin. Shave after the bath or shower. Use a mild after shave lotion.

A moisturizer is always important. If the skin is very oily do not use the moisturizer. Toner and acne concealer powders are bad. The so called experts say after a good make up the men should not touch their face. It is a wit – if you watch somebody we touch our face several times in an hour – such wonderful unnatural suggestions for men to stop their reflex reactions.

A man can use deodorant only in his armpit and it is applicable to women also. All Deodorants contain Aluminum salts which remove the bad smell. Aluminum is a very dangerous metal. It gives problem to iron absorption and it is suspected that aluminum play a role in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Very little deodorant is enough. Whole body deodorant is dangerous, never use it.

My advices to men include:

• Avoid exposure to excess sun. If you have a white skin you have to protect with SPF 15 cream or lotion. If you are brown it is not necessary. Even then avoid excess sun.
• The food you take must be healthy. You must eat lot of vegetables, fruits, pulses, beans, nuts and whole grains products. Avoid processed food and junk food. Make up can do only little for your skin but the real beauty of the skin comes from inside with you healthy life style.
• Physical activity is very important to your skin shape. Quick walking, skipping, gym, swimming, bicycling, or any team sport like soccer, basket ball or volley ball is good. You must do it every day.
• Think positively, avoid stress and treat problems as challenges.

The dose makes the poison. Too much of anything is never good. It is applicable to food, sweets, alcohol, tobacco, stress, fatigue and even for make up.

I have talked about the body smell of men with women in all continents. For them men’s hygiene is very important. But all like their partners’ body odour. So men decide what you want.

Sesame oil pulling makes and keeps your mouth and breath fresh which is highly appreciated by many women.