As the Thai Navy Seal unit succeeded in rescuing 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped inside a flooded Thai cave for more than 10 days, the world breathed a sigh of relief. The 25-year-old coach Ekapol Chanthawong stood strong and took care of the children and what kept the boys going were frequent meditation sessions inside the cave. According to AP (Associated Press), it is said that before being a football coach, Chanthawong served as a saffron-robed Buddhist monk for around a decade.

While talking to AP, Tham Chanthawong, aunt of the coach said, “He could meditate up to an hour. It has definitely helped him and probably helped the boys to stay calm.” Even the rescue experts pointed out that the Wild boar boys had the advantage of their coach’s experience with meditation.” Ekapol’s meditation – a mainstay of the Buddhist faith – likely served the group well. Meditation helps to manage the mental state and allows to reduce fearful and negative thoughts.

Just in case you aren’t aware, performing meditation releases alpha waves in the brain that is associated with relaxation. By relaxing our brain cells, it keeps us calm during difficult situations.

Here are some of the benefits of meditation:
* During anxiety and panic attacks, the heart starts beating faster, which might lead to stroke in extreme situations for people with cardiovascular issues. Meditation decreases heart rate, reduces anxiety and also reduces blood pressure.

* The purpose of meditation during panic attacks, anxiety and stress is to help you step away from these experiences and witness them as a third person. When people are tangled in anxious thoughts, struggling against them, they are too trapped to deal with them.

* It disrupts obsessive and negative thought patterns and allows us to restructure our thoughts.

* Meditation helps to create a creative space between the person and their problem.

Are you an ardent coffee or tea lover, but advised to avoid caffeinated beverages due to your heart conditions? Cheer up, drinking up to three cups of coffee or tea a day is safe as well as reduce irregular heartbeat and stroke risk, a study says.

A single cup of coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine. It acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system and works to block the effects of adenosine -- a chemical that causes atrial fibrillation (AFib).

AFib is the most common heart rhythm disorder, causes the heart to beat rapidly and skip beats, and if left untreated, can cause strokes.


The results suggest that caffeine intake of up to 300 mg per day may be safe for arrhythmic patients.

"There is a public perception, often based on anecdotal experience, that caffeine is a common acute trigger for heart rhythm problems," said lead author Peter Kistler, Director at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

But, "caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea have long-term anti-arrhythmic properties mediated by antioxidant effects and antagonism of adenosine," he added.

For the review, published in the journal JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, the team analysed multiple population-based studies.

A meta-analysis of 228,465 participants showed that AFib frequency decreasing by 6 per cent in regular coffee drinkers, and an analysis of 115,993 patients showed a 13 per cent reduced risk.

Another study of 103 post-heart attack patients who received an average of 353 mg of caffeine a day showed improvement in heart rate and no significant arrhythmias -- or abnormal heart rhythms, that cause the heart to beat too fast, slow or unevenly.

However, in two studies, where patients drank at least 10 cups and nine cups of coffee per day, showed an increased risk for ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) -- a condition in which the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles) beat very quickly.

On the other hand, patients with pre-existing heart conditions who consumed two or more energy drinks -- that contains concentrated caffeine -- per day reported palpitations within 24 hours.

With people becoming more health conscious, several restaurants have started introducing dishes with healthy ingredients like kale, beetroot and quinoa. These dishes offer wholesome goodness as it is not just good on nutrient value but also on taste, say experts.

Rajesh Sawhney, Co-founder of Healthie.in and Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Culinate, have listed some of the healthy ingredients that restaurants and cafes have started using in their dishes:

* Quinoa is a seed that belongs to the spinach/chard family, which is why it is called a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain. Quinoa is rich in protein and a lot of other vital nutrients such as magnesium, dietary fiber and vitamin B. It is also a good source of antioxidants called flavonoids and it's a healthy alternative to rice.

* Kale is high in fiber, low on calorie and has zero fat. It is one of the most common ingredients in the healthy dishes prepared by restaurants. Apart from being highly nutritious, kale is also high in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can be added to pasta, green smoothies or can be simply tossed in a salad.

* Chia seeds are a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. A 28 gram, or 1ounce, serving of chia seeds also contains 5.6 grams of protein. Hence, they make it on the menu of most healthy food restaurants. These seeds can be added to smoothies, oatmeal or yogurt.

* Nuts are often counted as good fats and are also rich in fiber and Omega-3. Plant sterols are a substance present in nuts that helps in lowering the cholesterol level in the body.

Nuts are a great source of L-arginine, which make the artery walls more flexible and less prone to blood clots that can block blood flow. You can make a nutty trail mix and simply munch on nuts in between meals or add them to your stir-fry.

* Activated charcoal is a natural ingredient that helps in flushing out toxins from the body. It not only helps in the detoxification of the body but also helps in digestive cleansing by alleviating problems like gas and bloating.

Activated charcoal also helps in fighting the signs of ageing.

Healthy restaurants incorporate activated charcoal in their healthy drinks and also in the breads and buns used for their special sandwiches and burgers.

* Beetroots contain valuable nutrients that may help lower your blood pressure, fight cancer and inflammation, boost your stamina, and support detoxification. It is an amazing source of iron but is often ignored due to its peculiar taste. Beetroots can be added to salads, smoothies or you could even add beetroot to your chapati dough to get that much-needed iron intake.

The contraceptive pill, or simply 'the pill', is a type of hormonal contraception taken by women to prevent pregnancy. Now, even though the birth control pill is extremely effective in preventing unplanned pregnancy, it is not without some side effects. The common side effects of birth control pill include:

Intermenstrual spotting: Some women experience intermenstrual spotting or bleeding in the time between their menstrual cycles. This is very common in the first three months of you taking the pill. Most of the times, intermenstrual bleeding resolves itself.

Nausea: Some women might experience mild nausea when they take the pill for the first time. The nausea will resolve on its own after some time, but if it gets critical or persists, seek medical help. Taking your pill at bedtime or with food can aid in countering the nausea.

Breast tenderness: Breasts can become tender or enlarge as a result of birth control pills. Reducing salt and caffeine intake, and wearing a support bra can be beneficial.

Headaches: The development of migraines and headaches are the effects of the sex hormones. Different pills with varied doses and types of hormones may lead to different symptoms of headaches. Studies suggest that pills with low hormone doses are usually linked with headaches.

Weight gain: There is no logical link between weight fluctuations and contraceptive pills, but fluid retention (specifically in the hip and breast areas) and enlarged fat cells are common side-effects.

Mood changes: Women who may have suffered from depression should consult their doctors when taking the pill. A study discovered that taking pills usually leads to the thickening of the cortexes (outermost layers of the brain involved with analysing incoming stimuli and reward response). However, there is more research pending on this issue.

Missed periods: Skipping or missing a period is very common when you are on the pill. Factors such as stress, travel, illness and thyroid or hormonal abnormalities can influence this.

Decreased libido: The pills contain hormones that can lower your sex drive or libido.

Vaginal discharge: Some women experience differences in their vaginal discharge when they are on the pill. Vaginal lubrication can dip, which causes discomfort during sex.

Visual changes: Fluid retention is a side-effect of the pill, which even ends up affecting the cornea; they change shape or swell up.

Population explosion refers to a situation where there is a sudden and magnanimous increase in the size of a population. This population explosion is affecting people in terms of healthcare facilities, literacy, employment, and a number of aspects of life. This is where the need for family planning arises as it would help people in keeping control over the number of children they give birth to, by use of contraception or through the use of sterilization in a voluntary manner.


Causes
The causes which lead to population explosion are as follows:

Increase in birth rate: Birth Rate around the world has increased with each passing year and the situation has been worse in developing countries. The main reason behind this is the lack of awareness among people about ways to control delivery.

Infant mortality rate has decreased: As science and technology have improved, that has led to better treatment facilities along with the emergence of new drugs, leading to a decrease in infant mortality rate.

Life expectancy has increased: Over the years, there has been a significant improvement in the living condition due to better sanitation, better nutrition, which has all helped to increase life expectancy.
So, by looking at the above-mentioned causes, we can easily say that to curb this menace, Family Planning is the way forward.

How can family planning help in controlling the population explosion?

Family planning programs offer a wide variety of contraceptive choices to couples, to enable users to keep the population in check. Some of the ways by which family planning can be of great help are detailed as under:

Changing the mindset: With the help of various family planning programs, the aim is to change the mindset of the people and to create awareness about planning pregnancy and restricting it to not more than 2 pregnancy.
Reduction in the risk of maternal mortality: Family Planning can help reduce the risk of mortality that is associated with childbirth, by avoiding risky pregnancies from taking place.

Improved health care for children: Low amount of fertility helps in producing healthier children. Children born at short intervals are all susceptible towards facing high mortality risks.

Life options improved for women: By allowing women to have more control over their fertility can help enhance their status, hence provide them better choices in set-ups where there is an expansion of educational and economic opportunities.

The idea is to control the total number of births a woman gives during her entire fertile period. This help in controlling the overall birth rate and population control. However, stringent checks are required and the efforts should be made to spread the awareness and the reach has to be increased.