Thursday 5 May 2016

Drinking won't bring long-term happiness

Daily drinkers, please take note! Alcohol may provide momentary pleasure and make you happier every evening but over time, non-drinkers are just as happy as drinkers, interesting research says.

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This means that drinking alcohol may provide a quick fix but it is not a key to long-term happiness, said the team from University of Kent.

The findings showed that drinking more does not make people more satisfied with life, but on the contrary, people who become addict are likely to become less satisfied with life.

The team found that over time, changes in alcohol consumption had no effect on the participants' overall well-being.

For the research, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, the team used an iPhone-based app and a traditional cohort study to determine the effect of drinking on overall well-being. 

The first study involved iPhone users who tend to be young and wealthy while the second study looked only at 30-42 year olds.

Eat grapes to help lower obesity risk

Consuming grapes combined with a diet rich in saturated fats can lower obesity risk as well as improve gut bacteria, a new study has found.

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According to researchers, it may also help counter the negative effects of a high fat diet, including heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

The findings showed that the unique and diverse composition of antioxidants called polyphenols present in grapes can help reduce the percentage of body fat, subcutaneous and visceral fat deposits, markers of inflammation in the liver and improve glucose tolerance.

Further, it also increased microbial diversity and decreased abundance of several deleterious bacteria in the intestinal tract.

Amar Singh congratulates Big B

Former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh congratulated megastar Amitabh Bachchan for his National Award win and said that there will never be an artist like him.

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Bachchan on Tuesday received the National Award for his performance in "Piku" and when Singh was asked about his reaction at the music launch of "Bhouri", he said: "I congratulate him for that, I have always said that there was no artist like him, neither is, nor will ever be. He is one of those fortunate artists to have seen destiny supporting him."

" He has made use of every genre of entertainment rightly at the right time," he added.

Take extra care of eyes this summer

With the rise in temperature resulting in various eye ailments, health experts on Wednesday urged people to take extra care of their eyes this summer.
They said Ultraviolet (UV) radiation could lead to cataract and skin cancer around eyelids.

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According to the ophthalmologists, extra care was required during summers because even when skin could protect against UV radiations by producing melanin, eyes could not develop such tolerance. Rather, the eyes become more sensitive due to repeated exposure.

"UV radiations can play a contributory role in various ocular disorders, including age-related cataract, pterygium, cancer of the skin around eyelids and photokeratitis," said Mahipal S. Sachdev, a leading Delhi-based ophthalmologist.

Sachdev, managing director of Center for Sight, said reflective UV light, glare from water, sand and even roads could have a debilitating effect on eyes. 

Tips for gaining weight for skinny people

If you are unhappy with your tiny frame and wish to put on some weight, and then eat properly, exercise and sleep well, says an expert.

Shubha Dhyani, dietician, Park Hospital, Gurgaon suggests easy ways to gain weight:

♠ Eat food items that have calories and protein. Fish, eggs and meat are good sources of protein. You can get your daily dose of calories from peanuts, banana chips and dried fruits.

Tips for gaining weight for skinny people
♠ Since you are on a high calorie and protein diet, you must ensure that your physical activity is not compromised. However, you must not do cardio as it will keep you from putting on weight. Complex and compound exercises on the other hand are best for you. This includes bench presses and squats.

♠ Even if you are gaining weight, you must keep a track of calories you are consuming. Making a diet chart for that and consulting an expert becomes very important. Once the diet chart is made, it should be followed.

Wear sunglasses to avoid eye damage

Are you suffering from irritation in the eyes? Wear sunglasses to protect your vision from the sun's ultraviolet rays as overexposure to these harmful rays without the right eye protection can result in dangerous health consequences.

Wear sunglasses to avoid eye damage
According to a nationwide survey, one in three adults in the US overlook sunglasses and as a result 34 percent people have experienced symptoms of prolonged UV exposure such as eye irritation, trouble seeing and red or swollen eyes.

The findings showed that only 31 percent of Americans protect their eyes with sunglasses or other ultraviolet (UV)-protective eyewear every time they go out in the sun. 

"UV damage to your eyes can start in as little as 15 minutes," said Justin Bazan, medical adviser to The Vision Council -- the global voice for vision care products and services. 

Beware! Herbal remedies don't guarantee safety

Overturning a common perception that herbs are safe because they have been used for many years, researchers have warned that long-term use of herbal remedies is no guarantee of their safety as many herbs may contain toxic or carcinogenic substances.

Beware! Herbal remedies don't guarantee safetyIn a commentary published in the journal EMBO reports, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University discussed scientific evidence showing that the plant Aristolochia can cause aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). 

People with this condition experience interstitial nephritis, renal failure and cancers of the urinary track.

In Taiwan, according to the national prescription database, between 1997 and 2003, eight million people were exposed to herbal products containing Aristolochia, the authors remarked.

Daily yoga can help reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms

Yoga along with aquatic exercises can have a positive influence on certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) like fatigue, depression and paresthesia, a significant study has found.

The findings showed that these symptoms significantly improved after an eight-week programme of yoga and aquatic exercise.

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MS is a chronic progressive auto-immune disease in which the immune system attacks the nervous tissue, potentially resulting in movement disorders. 

Other typical symptoms of MS include physical and mental fatigue as well as faintness, depression and paresthesia such as pins and needles, itchiness and numbness.

"Exercise training programmes should be considered in the future as possible complements to standard MS treatments," the researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Little rest during exercise will make you macho

Taking at least 2-3 minutes rest between weight-lifting sets at the gym can help boost muscle growth, British researchers have found.

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The results suggest that guys who took longer rest periods showed two-fold increase in myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) -- associated with strength and muscle growth.

The study highlights that short rest intervals may actually impair the processes that control muscle growth.

However, with short rests of one minute, the actual muscle response is blunted. 

Alesha Dixon wants to have fun with her style

Singer #AleshaDixon wants to have "fun" with her style.

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Speaking on UK TV show "Lorraine" about her influences, Dixon said: "I think fashion is subjective and everybody has opinions and I honestly have fun with it and you should have fun with fashion and that's why I wanted to create my own line.

"I think now it's about doing something myself and I've collaborated with my best friend Nicola Atkinson and we've created a clothing line...we hope that women love the clothes, we wanted to make women feel fabulous.

The "Britain's Got Talent" judge's is very proud of her first clothing line and says it was a lot harder work than she predicted, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

‘Kaanu’ Jharkhand Government’s first officially sanctioned film: Director

Upcoming football drama ‘Kaanu’, has been declared as the first officially sanctioned film by the Jharkhand government, claims the director Prabhat Bhattacharya.
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“We would call it an honour, and a result of our hardwork that ‘Kaanu’ is the first officially sanctioned film from the Jharkhand government and this is another milestone for our film,” said Prabhat in an interview.
He added, “Jharkhand tourist department is with us, it is the first film according to the film policy of the government, We are going to do a campaign as part of the promotion of the film and Jharkhand, which we have named as ‘Anmol Jharkhand with ‘Kaanu’.”

Witherspoon's daughter flaunts bubblegum pink hair

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Actress Reese Witherspoon's daughter Ava showed off her own unique style with bubblegum pink hair during an outing in Santa Monica.



The actress and her 16-year-old daughter looked the spitting image of each other when they enjoyed a bonding session in Santa Monica on Tuesday, reports mirror.co.uk.



There was only one noticeable difference - while Reese has blonde hair, Ava sports pink tresses.

I am fan of SRK: Ram Gopal Varma

Maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who earlier lashed out at superstar Shah Rukh Khan, saying that he might lose his star status to Salman Khan just like Kamal Haasan did to Rajinikanth, has clarified that his statement was a “compliment” for him.

Varma took to Twitter on April 23 to question Shah Rukh's movie selection process, saying that he "should learn from Kamal's mistakes and just be (like) Salman". 

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Asked to justify his statement on the “Chennai Express” star, Varma, who was in the capital on Wednesday to promote his forthcoming film “Veerappan”, said: "It is still the same. It was a compliment (for Shah Rukh). I am a fan of Shah Rukh Khan and I would like to see him as a star and not just anything else.”

In a series of tweets previously, the "Satya" filmmaker took digs at Shah Rukh's recent decision to turn into an obsessed fan in "Fan". He also lashed out at the upcoming Aanand L. Rai's project in which Shah Rukh will be seen as a dwarf and hinted at Kamal Hassan's "Appu Raja".

He shared: "Megastar SRK becoming ordinary fan, dwarf etc. is as big a same blunder as what Kamal Haasan did to lose his stardom to Rajinikanth (Salman Khan). Kamal was as big a superstar as Rajinikanth till he started doing dwarf, fat, tall etc. and as a fan, I hope SRK doesn't listen to wrong advisers."

He added: "SRK must learn from mistakes of Kamal and not listen to near and dear ones who are stopping him from becoming a Mega Rajinikanth."

'Jannat 2' completes four years, Emraan, Esha get nostalgic

Actors Emraan Hashmi and Esha Gupta have gone down memory lane as their film "Jannat 2" completes four years of its release in Hindi cinema on Wednesday,

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The 2012 crime thriller film was the sequel to the 2008 movie, "Jannat" directed by Kunal Deshmukh.

Calling it a "memorable journey", Emraan tweeted: "How time flies...Four years of 'Jannat 2'. A memorable journey of finding heaven amidst hell. Thank you for the love."

Esha remembered the film's shoot done during winter time in the capital.

Lata Mangeshkar gifts Rishi Kapoor Sai Baba idol

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has thanked melody queen Lata Mangeshkar for gifting him a Sai Baba idol.

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The 63-year-old actor took to Twitter, where he also shared a photograph of the idol, which he will cherish forever.

"Lata Mangeshkar...Thank you Lataji for "Babas Blessings" as a gift. Will cherish forever. A place in my heart and Temple!" Rishi tweeted on Wednesday.

The 86-year-old singer thanked the "Bobby" star. 

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Sonakshi Sinha confirms 'Namastey England'

Actress Sonakshi Sinha has confirmed being a part of director Vipul Amrutlal Shah's "Namastey England" along with Akshay Kumar.


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Sonakshi shared the news on Twitter on Tuesday morning.



"'Namaste England'...It's official!" Sonakshi wrote.


The film will reportedly roll in August. 

This is not the first time the "Tevar" star will be seen sharing screen space with the "Khiladi" star.

The two previously have worked in films like "Rowdy Rathore", "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty", "Boss", "Joker", and "Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!"

Aamir buys bike containing INS Vikrant metal

Superstar Aamir Khan has become a proud owner of the new Bajaj V, a motorcycle which contains metal of India's de-commissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

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Aamir was inspired to buy the V15 when he learnt that the new launch from Bajaj contains metal from INS Vikrant, which played a role in the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

When Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, got to know that Aamir, a personal friend, had placed an order for a V15, he contacted Aamir and decided to have a unique customisation done for his Bajaj V. 

Low calorie diet linked to sexual wellness

Apart from losing weight, a diet low in calories is also likely to increase vigour and improve sexual drive, finds a new study.

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The findings showed that a low calorie diet improved mood, reduced tension and improved general health and sexual drive and relationship after a period of two years. 

The participants who showed bigger weight loss by the calorie restriction also exhibited increased vigour, less mood disturbance, improved general health and better quality of sleep.

Manoj Bajpayee to host 'Savdhaan India'

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee will be “saluting” the spirit of traffic police by hosting a special episode of TV show “Saavdhan India”.

He added that it is a great honour for him to host the show, which is aired on Life OK. The show brings real life-based crime stories on the small screen.

“'Savdhaan India' is a perfect platform to raise the issues of concern which prevail in our society even today. I look at this as an opportunity to salute traffic cops for playing an important role in our lives. I feel we don’t thank them enough,” Manoj said in a statement. 

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Manoj became part of the show as a promotional activity for his forthcoming film “Traffic”, which is based on a road trip from Mumbai to Pune. 

The story revolves around transportation of a harvested heart for a heart transplant case, chasing a strict deadline. During the mission, the characters face numerous difficulties and obstacles, traffic being one of them. 
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'DDLJ' is Bollywood's most evergreen love story: Survey

Irrespective of age and gender, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer 1995 film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”, which is considered a landmark in Indian cinema, is the most evergreen love story made in the Hindi film industry, according to a survey.


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The survey done by SoGoSurvey, a worldwide leader in online surveys and market research, tells that the Aditya Chopra directorial, which features the love story of Raj (Shah Rukh) and Simran (Kajol), is still the most liked love story of Bollywood and people across different age groups are still in awe of the film.



Among the 4,100 individuals, who took part in the survey conduced in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad etc., 47.33 percent people chose “DDLJ” as the most evergreen Bollywood love story.



Not only among the younger lot, the film received a thumbs up from people over the age of 36 too. Sixtytwo percent people between the age of 36-50 said that “DDLJ” is the most evergreen love story.

Monday 2 May 2016

Diluted apple juice best to treat dehydration in kids

As the summer picks up the heat, kids suffering from mild gastroenteritis and dehydration should be given diluted apple juice instead of electrolyte drinks to replace fluid losses from diarrhea and vomiting, researchers say.
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The results showed that 17 percent children who were administered diluted apple juice experienced less treatment failure compared to 25 percent given electrolyte drinks. 

"The use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance fluids in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration," said Stephen B Freedman from University of Calgary in Canada. 

Mandira Bedi launches patented resort wear line

Actress-designer Mandira Bedi has unveiled her patent collection of beach saris titled Salt. Drawing inspiration from delicate and breezy resort wear, Mandira tailored the collection for the dramatic and bold women of today who believe in the power of understated glamour, striking a fine balance between elegance and attractiveness.
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Continuing the bender of unmatched designs by using flowy soft drapes and fabrics like lycra in summer colours and styles designed to be fluid and relaxing - Salt is a prêt line that allows all to ride the cool waves this season effortlessly. 

"The colour palette for this collection is much varied and so are the drapes and patterns. There are broadly three different styles within this, namely solids, constructs and digital prints. 

"The colours are mostly bright red, lime green and the type with a lot of aqua shades like powder blue and blush pink. The idea was simple; to let everyone be comfortable in their own skin," Mandira, who ventured into fashion designing in 2013, told IANS.

She says it breaks the conventional boundaries by ease of wear, drape and use. 

Parineeti Chopra is an 'inspiration' for women

Although she has been criticised by many on social mediafor her transformation, actress Parineeti Chopra is in fact glad for being an "inspiration" for other women who are trying to follow a similar path.

Parineeti, who was on the chubbier side when she entered Bollywood with "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" in 2011, says that several women have told her that she has "changed" their lives.

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"I have seen women tear up and tell me I changed their life. Post delivery weight, teenage obesity, they are fighting it, and I am their inspiration. As an actor, there is no bigger achievement for me (sic)," Parineeti wrote on Instragram alongside an old photograph.

The "Daawat-e-Ishq" star said she is "glad to be a part" of their lives. 

"So thank you everyone. Thank You for making me feel loved. Like I always say, if I could do it, so can you. And I am always there for all of you... Lots of love...." she added.

The actress said that she earlier struggled with her appearance. 

"All my life, I have struggled with how I look, how I feel, and how people looked at me. I was constantly made fun of, but the person I was, I generously laughed with them," she said.

Kabir Bedi lands an important role in 'Gauthamiputra Satakarni'

Bollywood veteran actor Kabir Bedi, who has films such as "Hulchal", "Khoon Bhari Maang" and "Dilwale" to his credit, has been roped in to play a crucial role in Nandamuri Balakrishna's highly anticipated upcoming Telugu period drama "Gauthamiputra Satakarni".

"Kabir Bedi plays a very important role and he will join the first schedule in Morocco, where we plan to shoot for about 2-3 weeks from May 9 onwards. In this schedule, one of three major war sequences of the film will be shot," film's producer Rajeev.

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After wrapping the Morocco schedule, the makers will return to India.

"We haven't decided yet if we want to go back and shoot another schedule in Morocco. We'd like to see the rushes of the first schedule and then take a call. Moreover, it's getting very expensive to shoot there, so we need to plan accordingly," he said.

Karthi is learning to fly for Mani Ratnam's film

Actor Karthi, who plays a pilot in filmmaker Mani Ratnam's yet-untitled Tamil romantic drama, is currently undergoing a crash course in flying.
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"Karthi is learning the basics of flying, which includes even simple things like how to be seated while in the pilot's seat. It will be a 2-3 weeks crash course and upon completion, the makers will finally take the film on the floors," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Karthi plays an NRI in the film. He falls in love while on a trip to India with a doctor, which will be played by Aditi Rao Hydari.
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Sex once a week best for your relationship

Countering a common perception that more sex can improve relationships, a study has found that couples are at their happiest when they hop into bed just once a week.

"Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week," said lead researcher Amy Muise University of Toronto-Mississauga in Ontario, Canada.

sex-once-week-best-for-your-relationship
"Our findings suggest that it's important to maintain an intimate connection with your partner, but you don't need to have sex everyday as long as you're maintaining that connection," Muise noted.

Some previous studies and self-help books, have claimed that more sex equals more happiness. 

But this study, based on surveys of more than 30,000 Americans collected over four decades, is the first to find that association is not there after couples report having sex more than once a week on average. 

The findings appeared in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Lionel Richie launches cosmetic line

Singer Lionel Richie is launching his own cosmetic line inspired by the title of his hit song "Hello".

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Richie's company filed a trademark for the beauty line called "Hello by Lionel Richie" last week, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The copyright covers everything related to beauty -- from cosmetics to face masks, body glitter to bath beads, hair bows, nail polish and all. However, there's a separate trademark for products like candles and candle accessories. 

Back in December last year, Richie hinted at a collaboration with singer Adele after their "Hello" mash-up went viral. 
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