Women, who followed a combination of five or more lifestyle factors, including changing specific aspects of their diets, experienced more than 80 percent less relative risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders, compared to women who engaged in none of the factors, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who studied a group of 17,544 married women.

     Making the right dietary choices and including the right amount of physical activity may make a large difference in the probability of becoming fertile, according to Dr. Jorge Chavarro and Dr. Walter Willett of HSPH Department of Nutrition.

  The researchers devised a scoring system based on the following dietary and lifestyle factors.

     The ration of mono unsaturated fats to transfats in the diet.        Protein (animal and vegetable) consumption.

      Carbohydrates consumption.

      Dairy consumption.

      Iron consumption.

      Multi Vitamin use.

      Body Mass Index.

      Physical activity.

   The researchers assigned a fertility diet score of one to give points. The higher the score, the lower the risk of infertility associated with ovulatory disorders.

   The researchers found that the women with the highest fertility diet scores had the following common factors.

      Ate less transfats.

      Ate less sugar from carbohydrates.

      Consumed more protein from vegetable than from animals.         Ate more fibre and iron.

      Took more multivitamins.

      Had a lower Body Mass Index.

      Exercised for longer periods.

      Consumed more high-fat dairy products.

      Consumed less low-fat dairy products.

   The relationship between a higher fertility diet score and lesser risk of infertility was similar for different subgroups of women regardless of age and whether or not they had been pregnant in the past.

   “We analyzed what happens if you follow one, two, three, four or more different factors. What we found was that as women started following more of these recommendations, their risk of infertility dropped substantially for each of the dietary and lifestyle strategies undertaken,” said Chavarro.

     Dermatologists, who recently met at the American Academy of Dermatology’s SKIN Academy, shared their secrets of maintaining healthy skin and hair

       “Unless you have really oily skin, because you are a teenager or work with oils or gases, you do not need soap to get yourself clean. Pure water does the job to get you clean. You need to use soap only on your face, under your arms and in the groin area. As you get older, the use of soap on the rest of your body can unnecessarily dry your skin,” says Brian B. Adams, MD, associate professor of dermatology, University of Cincinnati.

    “When it comes to hair care, less is more. Using unnecessary products or subjecting the hair to repeated procedures such as perming, colouring, waving and straightening can damage the hair and lead to breakage,” says Zoe D.Draelos, MD, who practises at High Point.

     “What you apply to your skin helps give it a healthy, radiant glow, but remember what you put into your body is just as important. A balanced diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants can make a real difference in the appearance of your skin,” says Susan Taylor, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Columbia University.

    “Quit smoking or better yet don’t even start. More and more young people are smoking and doing so to relieve stress, but it’s bad for your skin and causes wrinkles. Deep set wrinkles will appear around your mouth from puckering, your skin will be dehydrated and dull and you may experience premature ageing,” says Flor Mayoral, MD, clinical instructor, department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami.

   Today the perception of beauty is based in images of models, who have been surgically made to look beautiful. Many people feel inadequate of their natural looks.

     Breast uplift is the most popular cosmetic surgery among women and nose job is the most popular cosmetic surgery among men. Among the non-surgical cosmetic procedures, botox is used to smooth forehead lines. And collagen is used to improve the appearance of wrinkles.

     People who plan cosmetic surgery must be aware that certain cosmetic procedures need not be carried out by medically qualified personnel and could lead to side-effects that cannot be reversed or could only be reversed at a great cost and suffering. “If things go wrong, some patients could be left scarred physically or psychologically for life,” said Dr. Andrew Wallance-owen, Chairman of the Independent Healthcare Advisory Services’ Working Group on Cosmetic Surgery.

     “Some people spend more time choosing their bathroom tiles than they do choosing their surgeon,”   said Dr. Rajiv Grover a consultant plastic surgeon and Secretary of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. People considering cosmetic surgery must consider the potential dangers and side-effects and select the surgeons with care, warned Dr. Rajiv Grover.