It’s cool to be a working mother

In a development that is surely expected to cheer women from all across the globe! A team of researchers from the University College London, after a long-term study, have asserted that mothers working either part-time or full-time do not adversely affect young children.

This revelation is expected to cheer mothers of young children who are often discouraged to take up or continue their careers post child-birth.

Says, working mother of a five-year old boy, Moumita Das, "I was repeatedly cautioned by my friends, family and well-wishers to drop the idea of working after I delivered my son. But then, I had to because I help my husband support our family financially. While there is always that nagging fear that my child, who stays with her grandmother during my office house, will become stubborn and ill-behaved, so far it has worked out fine for me. This news should cheer all working mothers who just have to work to support their families."

Kumkum Bhattacharya, mother of a 13 year-old girl agrees saying, "When you are one of the bread-earners in the family, you just have to keep working. Despite the age we live in, in our society, women are often expected to shun working after child-birth so that they can nurture the child's future. Well, a mother's concern is always directed towards the best for the child, and a certain amount of balancing between work and family is all it takes to sustain the best of both worlds."

We hope the latest study helps in recovering women of the working mother equals irresponsible mother tag!

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Get rid of heebie-jeebies at work

Stress at work is normal. But if cold sweats and 'going blank' during presentations are your thing, here's how to fortify yourself against heebie-jeebies in the office

We'd imagine that most people overcome their fear of speaking in public when they take the stage in class four for an elocution contest. But New Yorkbased psychotherapist and business performance consultant Jonathan Berent says, it's the biggest fear among most professionals. Ironically, it's the one fear they will encounter repeatedly — while making a presentation before seniors, sharing opinions with colleagues and chatting on conference call.

While it's normal to be anxious about challenges that come your way, if anxiety is controlling you, it could affect your career and mental well being. "Most people who work experience it due to the reality of ongoing and an ever-evolving pressure for performance and productivity," says Berent.

The signs, say psychiatrists, range from physical symptoms (cold sweats, pulse racing and gastrointestinal upset) to nervously stammering and 'going blank' while worrying obsessively. It can deteriorate into avoiding taking on complicated assignments, not returning phone calls, ignoring assignments and calling in sick. Avoidance can be counter-productive and could even prevent you from bagging a promotion or being eligible for a raise.

Consulting psychiatrist Dr Ashish Dewan agrees that if unchecked, workplace anxiety can get out of hand and in extreme cases, derail a professional's career, lead to alcohol dependence, and a long-term mood disturbance outside the workplace.

Work makes me nervous
found several takers when it released in 2011. Co-written by Berent, it was the story of marketing copywriter Amy Lemley, who had spent most of her professional life worrying about whether her colleagues and clients took her seriously. She avoided calls, and preferred to communicate via email. Strangely, she experienced the tightening of the chest, heart racing and lightheadedness only at work. "Socially, I was fine." Lemley calls workplace anxiety the "fear of being noticeably nervous or otherwise singled out on the job". In an email interview to Mirror, Lemley explains that a big component of this is the fear of shame — that your mind will go blank bang in the middle of a meeting or you'll say something stupid.

According to her, overcoming stress at work isn't impossible. Start small, experts suggest. Set yourself a doable challenge — returning phone calls, speaking up at a meeting.

Gradually build up to bigger challenges. "Several people suffer from workplace anxiety at some point in their careers. We're talking about high-powered executives, middle managers and young people just entering the workforce. But you don't have to live that way. You can learn to channel that anxiety — which is nothing but adrenaline — into a fuel that will lead you to success," Lemley says.

How seniors should react
It makes business sense for managers or employers to identify underlying anxiety drivers among staffers. Is the firm going through a churn of change? Have there been salary cuts or layoffs? Have new policies been introduced that employees are wary of? Once the sources of anxiety have been identified, sit down with the concerned employee or better still with the team. Hear them out, let them share their fears and figure a way to collectively minimise them. Just by addressing the fear, you are showing that you will support them, helping put them at ease at once.

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Keralites crazy about Krav Maga

Fitness enthusiasts in Kerala are making a beeline for Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art, which is apparently one of the easiest to master for self-defense

If you thought Kalaripayattu is the only martial art that is luring fitness freaks in Kerala these days, you stand corrected. When it comes to fitness, Malayalis are looking up to Israel for inspiration. Wondering why? Krav Maga, a 'tactical' martial art from Israel, is what is keeping all fitness freaks busy these days. And people, irrespective of their age and profession, are making a beeline for learning Krav Maga, which apparently makes you not just fit but teaches you self-defense.

Game for a street-fight
Krav Maga, which means 'combat contact' in Hebrew, is a combination of various other martial arts and combat sports. "It was inspired from street fighting way back in the mid-1930s, which continues to be used even today in real-life situations, to stay physically and mentally fit, and more importantly, to counter attacks. Merging a few techniques from muay thai, karate, boxing, wrestling, judo, wing chun, jiu-jitsu and grappling, Krav Maga maximises ones efficiency to knock off an opponent," says Rajan Varghese, a Krav Maga trainer in Kochi.

Meditation, a bonus
Sunil Jacob, Superintendent of Police, Trivandrum, who has been practising Krav Maga for the last seven months, is trained in several other martial arts. However, the cop swears by Krav Maga. "Krav Maga does wonders to one's physical, mental as well as emotional well-being. In addition to giving a boost to your confidence, this martial art requires you to draw your full concentration while practising each move, as concentration and focus are essential while dealing with your enemy in an unexpected situation. It lets you slip naturally into a meditative mode during the balancing and weight shifting processes. A 10-minute meditation session after each class is a bonus that makes me hooked on this martial art," says Sunil.

For the impatient lot
Cristella Hert Singh, who runs an NGO for teenage mothers in Kerala, says it is the best option for a person like her who is quite impatient. "I did a research on this martial art in order to teach my students self-defense. And to my amusement, I came to know that this was the best choice for people like me with no patience at all. Unlike other martial arts that require months of training, Krav Maga, can be mastered in just a few days. It also requires less energy to maximise your effectiveness in protecting yourself," says Cristella, who has enrolled her family too for the classes.

All for safety
Each Krav Maga training drill is designed to equip one with escape routes — even if you are injured or overpowered by your attacker. "Practical sessions held as part of the training are similar to real-life situations, where heavy-built men surround a student (irrespective of his or her body type) and use mock instruments such as rubber knife, fake revolver and rubber-coated sticks against him or her. Since the sensitive parts of the opponents or even the victims, like the face and groin, are the target of attack, trainees as well as students wear groin guard, hind guard and head guard to avoid getting hurt while training," explains Rajan, who says an hour of training thrice a week is more than enough to master Krav Maga.

Why Krav Maga
- For quick decision-making
- Stress management
- Boosting confidence levels
- To understand the psychology of a street conflict

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Bring home a puppy, be happy

Read about breeds to find the one with the right size, energy level, trainability and temperament for your lifestyle.

- Professional breeders breed for quality, health and temperament and they want to find loving homes for their puppies with responsible owners who understand the commitment of owning a pet.

- Get an identification tag for your dog's collar. In case your dog is lost or wanders away, strangers will know whom he belongs to.

- You and your dog should visit the vet regularly to make sure to keep vaccinations current.

- Regular exercise will help ensure continuous good health. Take your dog for a walk, run around in a garden or play fetch-anything to get it up and moving. A lazy dog is no good.

- Teaching your dog basic commands such as sit, stay and come will not only make your life easier, but will also fulfill your dog's desire to learn and please you. Especially when you have guests for dinner.

- Expose your dog to different people and settings regularly. The more your dog learns of the world, the more comfortable it will be out in it.

- Children and dogs can be great companions, but they require supervision when playing together. Moreso if your breed by nature is aggressive.

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Your shoe an indicator of arthritis

The way your shoe wears out could signal muscle and bone conditions, including the early onset of arthritis

Standing in long queues, crossing the entire length of a railway platform, and chasing a cab during rush hour — the average Mumbaikar takes between 8,000-10,000 walking steps (about 6-7.5 kms) every day while commuting.

No wonder that your brand new office shoes are likely to wear out in less than couple of years. Practising podiatrist and mobility consultant Chaitanya Shah says wearing of the shoe is normal in Mumbai. However, if the signs of wear and tear are more defined in specific areas than others, it could be an indicator of problems with your feet, knees, hips and back.

TOI gets experts to analyse patterns of weathering in footwear, and what each says about your health.

1. Outer heel worn out
The natural biomechanics of a foot landing start with a heel strike, followed by the mid-foot strike and flattening of the arch to absorb the landing impact, and finally the forefoot strike which pushes you off the ground and leads to the next stride. Normal shoe wear is seen at the centre of the heel with an exception of four degree on the outside. If the wear is seen beyond four degrees on the outside, the person is said to be supinating. "This happens with people who have a high arch that doesn't flatten with mid-foot landing. Therefore, their body weight is likely to fall on the outer edge of the heel and the foot. The feet lose shock absorption ability while landing and are not stable on rough surfaces," says Shah.

Health indicator: Such people are prone to frequent ankle sprain and injuries. Weight imbalance on the knees can lead to erosion of the knee cartilage on the outside and bring on early arthritis. This style of walking also puts a lot of pressure on the hip bone and can lead persistent pain of the bone while sitting or standing. Tip: Consult a podiatrist or orthopaedic expert who can guide you on gait training or the correct style of walking. Correcting your gait can remodel your bone structure.

2. Inside of heel
You are a pronator if the inner edges of your shoe heel wear out more than the rest of the sole. Pronation is a common problem with people with knocking knees and flat feet. Your arch flattens with the mid-foot strike and causes your foot to roll in under your body weight.

Health indicator: The spring action which leads to foot-lift off is gone with pronation. This leads to tightening of the calf muscles which become overused with the missing spring action. Cramps are frequent and swelling may be seen on the inside of the ankle joint. "This pattern of walking will also lead to an anterior pelvic tilt — when the front of the pelvis drops and the back of the pelvis rises — causing lower back aches. Such people often complain of getting tired very easily while walking," says Shah. Tip: Go for gait training. You may also need in-soles in your shoes to correct your walk.

3. Ball of big toe
If your shoe has become worn out at the ball of the big toe, you may be suffering from equinus deformity. Dr Sachin Bhonsle, orthopaedic surgeon at Fortis Hospital says, "The equinus deformity causes limited movement of the ankle due to a tight Achilles tendon. While walking, such people compensate by picking up the heel early during foot-landing and placing increased pressure on the ball of the foot."

Health indicator: In some patients, this tightness is congenital, while in others it is acquired by keeping the foot pointing downward for extended periods, such as, while sitting in a chair, or frequently wearing high-heeled shoes. It can lead to corns and calluses — hard dead yellowish skin — at the bottom of your feet. Tip: You will need soft cushioning or custom gel in-soles under the ball of your foot. Perform light stretches of the calf muscle and upward foot flexors to relax your Achilles tendon.

4. Big or little toe
When the shoe surface starts tearing on either sides of the big or the little toe, it indicates that you have a wide foot and have been wearing shoes that are too tight for you. Wearing high heels with a narrow toe also causes a similar pattern of wearing.

Health indicator: When your body weight falls unevenly on your forefeet, the pressure causes the joints to become unstable and protrude beyond the shape of your foot, causing bunions. It can lead to ingrown toe nails or hammer toes that form a claw shape. Tip: You need to wear wide boxtoes shoes in which you can wriggle your toes easily.

5. Mouth of shoe inside: You are wearing shoes that are bigger than your foot size. While walking, your feet are trying to adjust to the oversized shoe and therefore keep slipping out of the mouth. Friction causes the heel to rub against the rear causing the wear. As the heel is not stable, there is too much friction on the forefoot. If you put your hand inside the shoe, you will notice that the insole at the forefoot has entirely collapsed.

Health indicator: Friction can cause blisters on the heels or plantar fasciitis — inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. Because of the constant pressure on your forefoot, you may suffer from shin splints — acute pain in the shin and lower leg. Tip: Always measure your foot size before buying a new pair. Make sure they are snug fitting.

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Impulsive adolescents take to boozing early

Young people, who are impulsive, are more likely to start drinking heavily at an early age, scientists have suggested.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool suggested that targeting personality traits, like impulsivity, could potentially be a successful intervention in preventing adolescent drinking from developing into problems with alcohol in later life.

Studies in the UK show that approximately 24 per cent of 12 year olds have reported at least one episode of alcohol consumption, rising to 77 per cent of 15 year olds.

The team used computer tests that measured inhibitory control, the ability to delay gratification, and risk-taking.

More than 280 young people who were aged 12 or 13 at the beginning of the study took part in the study. The participants repeated the computer tests every six months over the two years of the study.

Results showed that those participants who were more impulsive in the tests went on to drink more heavily or have problems with alcohol at a later time.

The study did not, however, show that alcohol consumption led to increased impulsive behaviour on the computer tests. This suggests that there is a link between impulsivity and adolescent drinking, but that alcohol may not necessarily lead to increased impulsive behaviour in the short-term.

Professor Matt Field, from the University's Institute of Psychology Health and Society, said that young people in the UK have started drinking alcohol at a younger age than in the past, and much of this reflects broad social trends.

There are, however, significant differences in the age at which teenagers start to experiment with alcohol and the age at which they start drinking regularly.

Field said that it is important to identify the psychological characteristics of adolescents who are likely to go on to drink heavily, because this can help us target alcohol prevention more effectively.

In addition, we need to identify the consequences of heavy drinking during adolescence for health in general, and brain development in particular.

The research has been published in the journal Addiction.

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Now, tattoo removal the latest trend

A lot of Kanpurites are opting for tattoo removal as part of their image makeover

Getting inked may be high on the must-do list of a lot of youngsters, but for Kanpurites who have been there, done that, it's time to come clean, literally. After spending a considerable amount of money to get their tattoos, an increasing number of city folk are emptying their pockets to get rid of them. The trend can be attributed to family pressure or an attempt at being taken seriously at work.

Family first
Businessman Vishal Grover is a tattoo aficionado and has gotten inked on his neck and forearm. Five months ago, he decided to get one of his tattoos removed. "Almost a year ago, I got my third tattoo, this time on my wrist. It really annoyed my family, for I already had two tattoos. My parents felt that tattoos did not gel with the social mindset of the city. Seeing their reaction, I decided to get one of them removed. Since I did not want to take any risk, I did my research and went to Delhi for a laser removal," shares Vishal, adding, "Getting the tattoo removed was difficult not only because I loved it, but also because the entire process was very painful. The laser beams are so powerful that they burn the colour of the tattoo inside the skin." The procedure costed him `20,000.

Go pro
Jeet Gondal, a former DJ and now an event manager, went in for tattoo removal because of the change in his work profile. "When I was into DJing, I got two tattoos on my forearm. With a change in my profession, I felt that the tattoos no longer gelled with my profile. I thought that my clients would not take me seriously if they noticed my tattoos. Out of the two tattoos, I got the one on my right forearm removed. I spent `30,000 on the procedure in Mumbai. Even though I really loved the tattoo, mujhe serious dikhne ke liye tattoo remove karwana hi pada," says Jeet.

Manish Tripathi is another professional from the city who decided to get rid of his tattoo. "In a city like Kanpur, tattoos are still a taboo. People think that if you are inked, then you have a lighter approach towards your personal and professional life. I had a tattoo of a tiger that used to start from my neck and end on the chest, which I got done while holidaying in Thailand. I had to get it removed so that the people in my professional circuit would take me seriously. Deciding to get it removed was a tough decision as I knew that the laser removal treatment was quite painful, but I still went ahead with it at a Delhi cosmetic clinic," says Manish, who's also stopped dying his hair. "Now, people tell me that salt and pepper hair and no tattoos have added depth to my personality," he avers.

During his stint with a company in Goa, Himanshu Bhatia had no qulams in getting tattooed. But once back in Kanpur, he had to deal with a different work culture. "I worked in Goa for almost three years and it was then that I got an eagle tattoo done on my nape. But recently, I took up a new job. With my changed profile, I had to look serious and the tattoo depicted exactly the opposite. After joining the new organization, I went in for a tattoo removal surgery in Mumbai," he shares. Himanshu's tattoo costed him a whopping `43,000 in all - `18,000 to get it done, and `25,000 to get it removed!

No facility for tattoo removal in Kanpur
While more and more Kanpurites are looking to remove their tattoos as part of their image makeover, there aren't enough facilities in the city to get the procedure done.

Kanpur-based cosmetic surgeon Dr Rahul Agarwal informs, "Many people come to me for getting their tattoos removed. But since it's a new concept in the city, I suggest them to get it done in either Delhi or Mumbai. We still do not have the proper equipment needed for such surgeries. If a trained cosmetic surgeon performs it, then there are no scars or marks left behind."

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Extend hair with care

Hair extensions can make your thin hair look voluminous. But when not used properly, they lead to patchy loss of hair, says an expert.

Hair extensions range from human hair, which are available in limited shades, to widely used synthetic hair fiber supplements.

"To add volume to thin hair one can choose natural human hair extensions, but we advise using it with clip-on attachments," Apoorva Shah, founder of trichology centre Richfeel Health and Beauty Pvt. Ltd, said.

"These are temporary, unlike the permanent type of attachment, which cause a lot of pull on the hair it is attached to. Sometimes it causes 'traction alopecia' (patchy loss of hair due to constant pull)," Shah added.

Wax, glue, adhesive or silicon rings are used to attach the extensions to hair.

"You need professional help to attach them and at times it can be painful to remove them. The chemicals also cause a lot of shaft (body of hair) damage leading to breakages and textural deterioration," he said.

If you are using human hair, you need to take care of it by keeping it well-conditioned. "Human hair needs good conditioning on a regular basis to avoid breakages," Shah explained.

Synthetic fibers lose shine and colour due to frequent washing. So be careful with it.

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Erotica is not porn, says author of racy novels

Award winning erotic fiction writer Tracey O'Hara has claimed that erotica is not porn and it just gives both men and women the opportunity to explore their own sexuality.

O'Hara, who publishes erotic romance under the pen name "Tracie Sommers", told the Sydney Morning Herald that they are stories which contain graphic sex scenes but narratives also centre as much around the mental and emotional journey of the characters as they do about the physical side of things.

O'Hara is preparing to host her second how to write erotic fiction workshop at the ACT Writer's Centre and is hoping to help free the minds and emotions of Canberra's budding writers.

One of her goals of the weekend workshops is to encourage aspiring authors to look past the "vanilla" examples of erotica, like 'Fifty Shades of Grey', and start writting their own passionate novellas or sexy long-form stories.

She said that the biggest challenge for any wannabe EL James is learning how to construct and write a good sex scene.

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Stay healthy with these drinks

The thought of taking time for a healthy breakfast rarely breaks the stride of the jet-setting business traveler. Why not opt for a few healthy drinks that are loaded with nutritiotional benefits instead.

Balance Smoothie
Ingredients
70 g Banana, 250 ml Orange juice, 5 ea Baby spinach leaves, 1 tsp Cocoa powder, 125 ml Soya Milk, 2 tbs (20 g) Ground Almonds

Method
Blend the banana, baby spinach, almond and cocoa powder with the Soya milk. Then add the orange juice and blend until completely smooth. Serve chilled.

The nutritionist's comments
Banana is rich in the important electrolyte potassium. A diet rich in potassium seems to have a blood pressure lowering effect. Banana is also rich in the water soluble fiber pectin's and acts soothing on the gastro intestinal tract. Pectin's have a cholesterol lowering effect too.

Nutritional information
Energy 1520 kJ, Protein 12 g, Fat 11 g, Carbohydrates 53 g, Fibers 4 g

Health Smoothie
Ingredients
60 g Banana, 100 ml Fresh squeezed orange juice, 120 g Strawberries, 6 Mint leafs, 125 ml Soya milk, 2 tbs (20 g) Ground Almonds

Method
Blend the banana, strawberries and mint leafs with the soya millk. Add the orange juice and almond and blend until completely smooth. Serve chilled.

The nutritionist's comments
Apart from the great sweet taste of summer, strawberries offer support for optimal health due to the phytonutrient that gives the vibrant red color in the skin of the berry. Strawberries tend to give us protection against inflammation and heart disease.

Nutritional information
Energy 1290 kJ, Protein 11 g, Fat 12g, Carbohydrates 39 g, Fibers 5 g

Good energy juice
Ingredients
400 g Beetroot, 40 g Baby Spinach, 500 g Carrots, 100 g Apple red, 1 Tsp Chopped dill

Method
Cut the beetroot, baby spinach, apple and carrots and extract juice with a extractor. Add the chopped dill. Mix until juice is smooth. Add a table spoon of crushed ice and stir before serving.

The nutritionist's comments
This juice is rich in healthy vegetables and helps you balance the blood sugar and gives you great energy and helps enhance your mood. Spinach helps detoxify hormones and beetroot supports digestion, which is important for absorbing nutrients.

Nutritional information
Energy 2141 kJ, Protein 8,5, Fat 4, Carbohydrates 115, Fibers 23

(Courtesy Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa)

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