While hungover Indians reach for refreshing, electrolyte-rich coconut water to cure their post-bender misery, poached duck embryo and dried bull’s penis are some popular remedies around the world.

Here are a few hangover remedy traditions from drinking cultures around the world, according to the New York Daily News.

Filipino partiers calm a queasy stomach with a delicacy known as balut, a poached duck embryo, beak often included.

A popular remedy in the Western US is the Prairie Oyster, which is a drink made from Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper, and a whole raw egg. Diehards add a shot of vodka. It”s also widely known that hungover cowboys soothed their aching heads with a freshly brewed tea made from rabbit droppings, dubbed pellet tea.

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Regular exercise and early treatment can help people suffering from arthritis to beat the pain of the disease, according to researchers.

A review of scientific research concluded that physical activity could cut the risk of disability and help relieve the pain of a range of conditions including arthritis, back pain and brittle bone disease.

For some, the level of improvement increases with the number of exercise sessions, the researchers found.

A second study also hailed the benefits of aggressive, early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, the Daily Express reported.

The researchers noted that the chances of disability could be significantly reduced when drugs, which can halt the disease’s destructive process, are started soon after it begins.

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Reading more, saving money, and losing weight have replaced giving up smoking, cutting out alcohol or taking more exercise as top New year resolutions for 2013, according to a survey.

Quitting smoking and drinking less were placed at the 22nd and 26th most popular resolutions for 2013, the Daily Mail reported.

After reading, saving, dieting and redecorating the house the fifth most popular aim was taking better photographs on our hi-tech gadgets like iPhones or iPads, according to the poll of 2,000 people.

Other modern resolutions included reducing the amount of time spent on social networking sites or leaving work on time more often.

People also plan on upgrading their cars, topping up their wardrobes regularly and making more time for friends and family.

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Garlic and onions are known to have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Adding lightly cooked versions of both to your food would boost your immunity and keep you healthy this winter.

Dr Gowthaman, Medical Director, Dr Gowthaman’s Ayurveda Panchakarma Center, Chennai, answers readers’ questions on Ayurveda. Get your doubts cleared and see them featured on our FAQ page every Tuesday.

This week’s answers:

I am 33 yrs old and underwent ayurvedic detox 2 months back. When I started detox I weighed 95 kgs but after completion of 60 days program, my weight reduced to 85 kgs and since then it is steady on this. I now do yoga everyday, eat home cooked food which is a mix of fruits, cereals, rice, rotis, sabzi, dal and in non-veg – eggs, fish, chicken. I am hypothyrodic and have PCOD as well. I was told that my liver is weak and so I now feel that inspite of following a healthy regime, I do not seem to be loosing weight. I need your guidance to make my lifestyle further healthier and how can I get my liver to work effectively and how can I effectively loose cholestrol.
Taruna

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An individual’s face not only gives non-verbal signals about someone’s true well-being from unconscious facial expressions, but the state of their skin reveals a great deal about what’s going on inside, both physically and emotionally.

In fact, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used facial analysis as a diagnostic tool for centuries, marrying specific facial areas and features with organs and emotional states.

So when you get a recurring zit on the same part of your chin or have a perpetually congested or flaky forehead, your skin could be trying to tell you that there’s a deeper health concern in need of attention.

Facial diagnosis is not an absolute science, but it could certainly point you in the direction of a healthier lifestyle, Fox News reported.

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An expert has come up with some ways to avoid a horrible hangover if you find yourself drinking more than you planned at a holiday party.

Jonathan Pogash, hospitality holdings director of cocktail development at the World Bar in New York City, has given the 411 on how to have a good time without paying for it the next day, Fox News reported.

According to Pogash, there are certain drinks you should avoid if you want to decrease your chances of a bad hangover.

One of the drinks would be a Long Island Iced Tea because it has too many different liquors, a lot of sugar and cheap liquor.

It is best to stick to fresh ingredients that don’t contain too much sugar and always skip the cheap stuff. If you are going to drink, opt for high-end products.

Also, try to drink cocktails that are high in antioxidants, like cranberries or pomegranates.

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Just like learning to play a musical instrument, losing weight requires behavioral changes and a certain amount of discipline, says an expert.

“People need a motivation to lose weight and the New Year is an opportunity to start fresh,” said Dr. Jessica Bartfield, internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System.

Bartfield is part of the Loyola Center for Metabolic Surgery and Bariatric Care that offers non-surgical as well as surgical weight loss programs for patients. Patients in both programs benefit from a dedicated team of medical professionals in psychology, nutrition, exercise physiology and more with an expertise in bariatrics.

“Behavior change is the cornerstone of healthy, successful weight loss and it takes about three months to establish a new behavior,” said Bartfield.

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