You can cut your risk of a fracture by shortening your running stride, an lowa State University study has found. When men reduced their step length by loper cent, their risk of bone damage dropped a whopping 33 per cent. Small erstrides reduce the force your muscles apply to the bone, says study author Dr Brent Edwards. On a treadmill, count how many steps you take for a specific time period. Then work on increasing that number by 10 percent to reduce step length. You’ll soon proof yourself against running niggles and will be able to go further without risking injury.

Pets are loads of furry fun—until one of them impales you with its incisors, worst case, some bites will require antibiotics, says ltzhak Brook, MD, an infectious-diseases specialist at Georgetown university. Our guide can help you figure out if you need meds. First, wash the wound for five minutes. Then rinse it. pat it dry and bandage it, If the bite bleeds longer than 10 minutes, is near a joint or bone, oron your face or head, go to a hospital ER.

Do  I Need antibiotics?

DOG

A dog bite may require antibiotics, especially if the wound was difficult to clean or wasn’t cleaned immediately. If the site shows signs of infection (redness, warmth, swelling, discharge or increasing pain), see a doctor

CAT

cats have long sharp teeth, which can drive bacteria beyond the reach of soap and water Talk to your doctor about starting a course of antibiotics,

while their bites rarely cause serious wounds, these pets can carry serious disease-carrying bacteria. If a bite from one of them shows any sign of infection, consult your doctor.

If the bite shows signs of infection, is located near your eyes or joints. or is on your hand, ask your doctor for antibiotics. Same goes if you experience flulike symptoms seven to 14 days after the bite; you may have psittacosis, commonly known as parrot fever.

Make these cancer-fighting superfoods go down easily

The greens are not only loaded with the good stuff—vitamins, proteins and antioxidants but are also great in fighting cancer. If you shudder at the thought of anything green, here are ways to sweeten the bitter pill.

BEETROOT

Irs high in folate and its also a great source of anticancer oxidants. How to sweeten the pill Use beetroot instead of crisps as halftime snacks Slice it thinly, top each slice with a dab of olive oil and fresh mixed herbs, then bake for 30 to 60 minutes at 230CC. Baking intensifies its natural sweetness and lccks in nutrients.

BROCCOLI

Antioxidants in broccoli limit the cellular damage caused by free radicals, and may also have anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. The top reason to eat it: it’s a powerful defender against cancer “Broccoli contains certain chemicals selenium, dhndolylmethane and glucoraphanin which fightfreeradicals and fortify your body against cancer,” says Gurgaon-based •‘. nutritionist Sunita Pant Bansal. For maximum benefits, skip the stalks—the florets have three times as much beta-carotene and they’re a source of lutein, another potent antioxidant.

How to sweeten the pill : You can hide broccoli by sneaking it into the foods that you like. At the last minute, add steamed florets to that explosive chilli chicken or paneer, or dash them in yourfavourite soup. If you’re having a pizza, chop some broccoli over it. Your maid or parents might have their suspicions about your mental health ,but you’ll get that cancer protection without even noticing.

CLEVER COGS

01. Mix it up : To ensure you’renotleaving the gason inyour eighties,vary your routines. “Every thought process hasthepotentialto influence disease process,”says DrRajivAnand, consultantneurolo- gist. “Which is why happymen with active lifestyles have less diseaserisk: Varying workout routine solear sout monotony, making it fun to exercise, which inturn stimulates your brain.”

02. One Cup Manship

Swilling coffee could bethe perfect accompaniment to the cryptio crossword. Austrianscientists measuring brain activity tound short-term memory and concentration improved after consuming 100mg otcaffeine—equal to an Americano. But after45 minutes those guineapigs were back to the dumbness levels of a twice-a-dayDeal OrNo Deal viewer.

03. CURRY FAVOURS

Go yellow to clear the mental cobwebs. University of Californiaresearch ershaved is covered that curcumin—a yellow-coloured compound to undin the spiceturmeric— can slow the on set of memory loss. So remember this: Don’t play any other colour to night and forgo the Chinese and Italian numbers. Curries witba yellow tingewill have the highe stcurcum in count. Oradd it to your cup of milk

04. BRAIN- BOX 360

P]ay first-person videogames like Gods Of War (XBOX 360)and you’ll develop stronger visual skilis and make decisions S5 percent faster than non-garners, say the University of Rochester experts. “They can read the newspaper, recognise a scene orpick out facial features faster,”said Daphnesavelier, of the Rochester research team, in between fragging killer aliens.

05. BEING BORON

Fat-busting snacks have the added benefit of enhancing your little grey cells. British Nutrition Foundation reports showlow-tatdried fruits suohasdates area good source of brain-boosting boron.Get l75g of the fruit down you aday and you’re likely toscore higher in motor skills than yourraisin-less colleagues.That’s coordination, not Top Gear trivia knowledge.

• BITTER START

Hart a grapefruit at breakfast reduces insulin levels and increases metabolic rate according to a Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism study.

• GREEN WITH ENERGY

Have halt a cup of green tea at lunch. A University of Geneva study found it contains catechin polyphenols—plant chemicals that boost metabolism.

• JOIN The RESISTANCE

Training with weights at mid-day keeps the tat furnace burning as you rest. Do it daily to see big benefits, says a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study.

• SPROUT ABOUT IT

With their high vitamin C and protein levels, Brussels sprouts help to improve your metabolism, according to research by California State University.

• WATER WAY TO GO

A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found drinking just 500ml of water before bed increases metabolic rate by 30 per cent.

Tabasco fights cancer

Splash some hot sauce onto your meals and you’ll significantly reduce your risk of colon cancer, say scientists at Hannam University. Hot chillies have been found to attack the development of the disease in your body thanks to capsaicin – the compound that make chillies spicy. Adding tabasco to just about everything is the easiest and most accessible way to stay safe and spice it up

Eat for your smile Not enough healthy fats in your diet may lead to too few teeth in your mouth. Harvard researchers found consuming DHA (a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in white tuna) can lower your risk of developing periodontitis, a common gum disease, by 20 per cent. The scientists believe DHA may discourage the growth of bacteria that attack gum tissue and may also reduce inflammation-related tissue loss. So, eat 85g of white tuna a week, the amount used in the study.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Your guide to eating right

THE CASH DIET

Next time you go food shopping, hit the ATM. In a simulated shopping session, people using cards spent 70 percent more on junk food than cash customers, but spent the same on healthy foods, a Journal of Consumer Research study found. Scientists observed the same pattern among real-life shoppers,too. Voufeel less ‘wallet pain’ wtienyou use abstractforms of payment (like credit and debit cards) and this may weaken yourabilltyto control Impulse purchases, says thestudy.

A pill for productivity Taking a multivitamin could make you a better multitasker, say UK researchers. They gave people four cognitive tests and asked them to start a multi or a placebo daily. Sixty days later they retested: The vitamin poppers scored higher. One theory:
B vitamins help you metabolise homocysteine, an amino acid linked to reduced brainpower when it accumulates. Try a multi vith a 300 per cent daily value (DV) of vitamin B6, 150 per cent DV of folic acid and 50 per cent DV of vitamin B12.