A Low Fat Diet Can Lead To A Healthier Lifestyle

There are many different kinds of diet but one of the most successful, effective and healthiest is a low fat diet. There are many advantages to a diet of this type besides helping you to lose weight. Those individuals who suffer from high cholesterol can benefit from eating a diet that is low in fat as can those who are considered to be obese.

You do not have to change your diet very much other than be aware of the foods that you are eating. To do this all that you need to do is check the labels on the foods that you buy in the supermarket. You should also be wary of foods that proclaim to be very low in fat and are aimed specifically at dieters. Some foods often have contents which are much higher than normal brands. High fat content can also be hidden in some processed foods with cookies and crackers being the worst and also the oil used when cooking foods.

When it comes to cutting down on the amount of fat and eating a low fat diet then you should consider taking care when choosing food. If you do not want to give up meat then go for the leaner cuts of beef for example. Cutting the skin off chicken and grilling it is another excellent example on how you can cut down on the amount of fat in your diet. Also increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet with the recommended being 5 portions at least per day and increase the amount of fish. You should also aim to include plenty of whole grains, beans and lentils in your diet. Grains and beans are known to be rich in complex carbohydrates and should become the main meal with a small amount of red meat included.

There are many ways that you can move over to a low fat diet without leaving out all the foods you enjoy. For example if you enjoy ice-cream then choose a sorbet or sherbet. Baking, broiling or roasting lean red meat and draining off the juices will allow you to enjoy red meat without adding too much fat to your diet and for a touch of flavour add lemon juice.

If you like milk on your cereal and in tea and coffee then switch to 1% milk and then drop down to skimmed milk. After a while you will not notice the difference especially when in a hot drink. When it comes to shopping read the labels in the products before buying, you should avoid foods which contain pal, palm kernel and coconut oils. Also avoid buying products with egg-yolk solids, whole-milk solids or unidentified shortening.

A low fat diet is one of the easiest types of diet to get accustomed to and the transition can be made very slowly. As with any type of diet it is imperative that you make changes slowly over a period of time to allow your body to get used to them and so not miss them.



Jason Hulott is Director at UK Diets Online, a service that provides information about all the major diet systems available, healthy eating and diet information. Visit now and take advantage of our special deals with Weightwatchers.

Nutrition, Fitness, Relaxation And Sleep - The Recipe For A Healthy Lifestyle

I can honestly say I felt at my best when I was in my thirties. I was physically, mentally and emotionally at my peak and firing on all cylinders.

Since then, it's definitely gone down hill and I've lost plenty of brain cells and lean muscle. I haven't lost weight though as muscle has been replaced by fat - plenty of it.

Over the years it's crept on. I've gained a pound here, a pound there, but regrettably haven't taken action to get rid of it straight away. Now over the past twenty years those pounds have turned into stones, so no prizes for guessing what my New Year's resolution was.

I watched a programme on tv over the festive period which was probably cleverly scheduled to prevent people from eating too much over the Christmas break. It was about a poor man who had to lose 30 stone or risk dying. He had reached the point where he couldn't even get out of bed and his whole life was spent in the confines of his four walls.

He'd lost all self-esteem, and was physically incapable of doing any activity without getting out of breath. He'd been the butt of jokes and ridicule so had stopped venturing outside. He ate for comfort.

It seems he's not alone. Obesity is common and the numbers of morbidly obese are growing. People often turn to food as a substitute for something missing from their lives.

We all do things for a reason and apparently this poor chap had a cruel father and an unhappy childhood. He'd been forced to eat everything on his plate or suffer a beating. Even after the death of his father he continued to eat everything put in front of him. It became a vicious circle. He got depressed because of the name calling, being unfit, unhealthy and not finding clothes to wear, so to comfort himself he ate. Consequently, he got bigger, and even unhappier.

It doesn't matter what size you are as long as you are healthy and have self-confidence. This poor chap didn't. Self-confidence is a wonderful thing. When you feel good about yourself, life is wonderful and you can achieve so much.

In my thirties I felt elated, engaged, excited and focused. I want that feeling back again so I am not going to "diet" but focus on four areas in my life - Nutrition, Fitness, Relaxation and Sleep.

I've neglected them all lately. My excuse is I've been very busy and this is true. However, if I want to get the most out of every day and live a lot longer I need to address them all. Excess weight carries lots of health issues and if you are morbidly obese, can reduce your life span by several years. Thankfully, I'm not in that category, but the thirty stone that man had to lose wasn't put on over night. It creeps up gradually as I've discovered and it's about time I reversed the situation. Hence the New Year's resolution - no diet, just a healthier lifestyle.

Nutrition is what, when and how much I eat; Fitness is sensible exercise and improving my recovery rate; and Relaxation and Sleep are the times during the day and night when I switch of and just rest, not only my body but my brain.

Friends and family say I'm doing "too much", but if I want to be more productive and expend more energy I have to become more efficient at renewing it.

Wish me luck!


Jean Shaw writes articles and is the author of three non fictional books on Autism and Mercury Poisoning Sign up for updates on her articles and other useful information

Relieving Headaches Through Lifestyle Changes

Tension is the most common cause of headaches and other pains that we feel within our body. Usually, what people do to relieve this tension induced headache is to take anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives. These drugs are fast acting and seem to be the best remedy for headaches. However, the use of these drugs can not give us a lifelong relief from headaches. These drugs can even lead to a more serious problem since anti-convulsive and sedative drugs may cause dependence in the part of the individual after long term use. The curative effect of these drugs are just temporary which means that you need to pop a pill each time you feel tensed and anxious.

We need a better way to address tension headaches; there is no other route to take other than a drastic lifestyle change. If you wish to suffer no more without the use of prescription pills, here are some of the changes that you need to follow.

Exercise Daily. Exercising is a good way to avoid muscle tension. By doing regular exercise, our muscles get toned and relaxed. We can gain control over our muscles that gets uptight in times of distress and anxiety. Through exercise techniques, we will find ourselves being able to handle moments of anxiety or stress. Any tension is dispersed and thus prevents the onset of headaches. If you are suffering from regular headaches, try to exercise daily and see the difference.

Avoid Caffeine. If you are a strong coffee drinker with regular bouts of headache, read on. We all know that caffeine contributes to the increase in muscle tension. It is said that continuous intake of caffeine actually triggers flight response. High caffeine dosage can increases our cardiac rate which further increases the chance for tension headaches. In this case, it is recommended that we just limit our caffeine intake so as to balance its effects.

Maintain Good Posture. Good posture is a determinant whether or not a person is likely to experience tension headaches. You can see people shrinking when in distress; a lifelong habit of bad posture can mean that you are not living life well. Happy people are full of zest and walk confident and straight. Start to examine the way you sit, if you see yourself sitting like an old man then straighten up. A good posture can mean better circulation for your body. There are so many ways were posture affects the overall health. Be aware and start changing your ways.

The best thing one could do in order to relieve tension naturally is through modifying your lifestyle and reshaping your routine and attitude. Although it may take longer to relieve tension through natural ways, these subtle lifestyle changes will help you avoid dependence on drugs that will later get you to a far worse situation.


For more life changing tips on how to relieve headaches naturally and without drugs or chemicals, visit http://www.relieve-headaches.com/.

Creative Spirituality: Give to Others What You Desire

In the creative process the universe receives our intensions via our thoughts (conceive), our words (create) and our deeds (experience). These correspond to the three-part being that we are. The spirit, or soul (conceives), the mind (creates), and the body (experiences).

We know that thought is creative and that the body is the benefactor of those thoughts through experience, but the importance of the mind in this process cannot be understated. The mind takes the thought to a higher level and instructs the body on what needs to be done to manifest those thoughts into reality. The creative process requires that the mind, body and spirit work in unison with each other.

Unlike our dealings with each other, you can't fool your mind. That is why sincerity is such an important part of the creative process. If you are insincere about your intensions, your mind will know it and break the link in the creative process. If you make affirmations to the universe that you now have money, in an attempt to manipulate the universe into sending you more money, the mind, which is very clear that you do not have money, will foil this deception and you will beseech the universe with empty words.

If your intensions are not sincere, you are not creating in unity and will not manifest into your reality what you intended.

Your mind goes to your base thought about what you intend to create to see if it jibes with what you actually believe. If there is conflict you lose sincerity. As we have seen, we can change these base thoughts by reversing the thought, word, deed process. We can also change these base thoughts by giving to another that which we desire.

This gets a little tricky because we must sincerely give to another that which we desire. The only way we can get the mind to believe in the sincerity of our gestures is for the mind to believe that there is no selfish personal gain involved.

If you give something to another as a tool to receive something back that you want, you are trying to fool the system. Therefore not only do you not get what you desire, but the recipients of your gesture see the selfish method and recognize your insincerity.

The rational behind the process of giving to others that which you desire is fundamentally described within the core concept that we are all one. What we do for another we also do for ourselves. The mind is united with the body and the spirit in believing that the universe will deliver through you that which you sincerely wish to give to another.

Once again sincerity is the key.

Here's how it works. If you want more happiness in your life, then give happiness to another in order for them to be happy. When you do this you experience the sensation that you must “be” happy since you have enough of it to give it away to another.

You understand you cannot give away what you don't possess, and your mind begins to process that you sincerely gave away happiness with no expectation of personal gain. If that is the case, then the minds thought about this is that you must possess happiness or you couldn't be giving it away.

This new thought then becomes your experience and what you are “being.” You establish this state of “beingness” as a definition of who you are, and you create more from that. Beingness creates doingness and doingness creates experience and experience defines your beingness.

Sincerity and unselfishness allow the mind to process the intent. When you give to another that which you desire, by the very act of giving, you realize that you already possess what you desire to have. By giving it away with sincerity you attract more to you because you are being it.

On this physical plane in the world of relativity, what you are being is the critical factor in how you relate to everything. It's all a matter of perspective when it comes to how you view life and beingness brings you the perspective that you have in the present moment.

Use your creative powers to create yourself anew, in every moment, as the person that you wish to be.


Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.nutsandboltsspirituality.com/

Spiritual Growth on Steroids: Fill Yourself with Love

Spirituality information that really hits the nail on the head involves the concept of unconditional love. If you are seeking spiritual growth then you will begin to immerse yourself in this concept.

Because we live in a world of physicality we are often concerned with our exterior world but when it comes to understanding your true nature you begin the process of going within where your true essence resides. You find out what is inside of you and then use that knowledge to create meaning to the experiences of your life.

“What is inside of me? What aspects of myself do I bring forth when I am confronted with life situations?” I know that as a former sleepwalker I was pretty much in lockstep with a society that told me that if somebody squeezes me I should get angry, get confrontational and be fearful while all this is happening. I had been conditioned very well.

Here is the question I posed to myself, “What if I was so full of love, that no matter what people did to me and no matter what life threw at me, all that would come out of me is love?” Then I started saying love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love. It is really cool. I can picture myself driving down a country road and there are cows out in the pasture and I am giving them all my love, and there are giant trees on the other side of the road and I am giving them all my love, and the sky is clear and beautiful and I am giving the sky all my love, and it is such an empowering experience that I make a vow to myself to institute this concept into my reality.

I continually work on this process of filling myself with love because, as you will find, everything in life is a process. So now, when I am confronted with antagonistic or threatening situations, what comes out of me is love. From this foundation of love I am able to make more conscious choices about what I choose to create as these life situations unfold.

Did you see what I just wrote? I said, “…what I choose to create…” not, “…what I choose to react with…” Sleepwalkers react to what's happening. I choose to create what's happening. And what I choose to create depends on where I am going in any particular moment in time. I have a vision of where I choose to be and then I move toward that vision.

I have a vision of what I believe serves me. I created this vision consciously. I live this vision in every present moment of now and by doing so the vision is fulfilled. We are all powerful creators and we are all creating with every thought that goes through our heads. Thoughts become things, so it is critical that you be clear on what you are thinking about.
Once again, if you are, in fact, being what serves you, then you will automatically be doing what serves you. And why is that? All together now, because beingness creates doingness.

You see, this is the main difference between people who are consciously living their lives and people who are living their lives unconsciously.

If you are living consciously you become aware of your beingness. As you become more aware, you begin to understand that you are more than just your body with a brain. Some people are so unconscious that they have become one-dimensional. They think of themselves as just a body. They have stopped using their brain as a cognitive tool and are totally unaware of the spiritual side of their beingness. This is not a judgment, it is merely an observation.

If you ask them about spirit, they may reply that they don't go to church. Well, so what! What does church have to do with being spiritual? Nothing.

Some of our most profound spiritual experiences are often found while walking in nature or looking at the stars at night or watching your cat play with yarn. You don't need a formal building fitted with religious trappings to connect to your source and enjoy the natural consequence of that connection. Sitting quietly in a room and allowing the silence of space to envelope you is a much more effective way to communicate with your source than to have a choir singing the praises of the lord and a preacher telling you their perspective on heaven and hell.

That is not to say that churches and religions don't have their place in their ability to help us gain insight on spiritual principals and concepts. Religion is one way to make connection with your source, but it is not the only way. Every person occupying this planet has their own way of walking their individual path that will eventually bring them to the realization that they are one with the source of all that is.

The absolute sure-fire way of connecting to your source is to fill yourself with love so that no matter what confronts you in life what will come out of you is love. Trust me on this one.

Try it, you'll like it.

Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.nutsandboltsspirituality.com/

Self Realization

That which you are seeking is causing you to seek. Your true self is already realized and is directing your mind to read these words and think about them. The key to self-realization is for your mind to realize that you are NOT your mind. Observe that part of you that can observe what your mind is thinking as you are reading this. It’s a game, as well as a powerful way for your mind to connect with your spirit and the consciousness evolving you now.

Connect with the volition that is compelling you to read these words. Where is this curiosity coming from? What compels you to read? Turn your awareness away from the light coming into your eyes and the thoughts floating through your head, and be aware of that which is aware. Reflect upon your own nature. Turn your awareness around 180 degrees and observe the part of you observing. Allow your mind to behold that there is something other than your mind observing your mind.

Just take a moment to observe whatever you are thinking. Watch your mind as if you were watching a movie on the screen of your mind. Note that there is something other than your mind that is observing your mind. There is a subject and an object. Your thoughts are the object. The witness, or observer of the thought, is the subject. You are conscious of what you are thinking right now, just be conscious of that consciousness.

There is a sixth sense of awareness evolving throughout humanity. The fact that you are called to read these words indicates that you have reached a critical point in the evolution of your consciousness where you are now ready to fully realize your full potential…you are being called to self-realization. You are ahead of the bell-curve of humanity, an early adopter that is taking that next big step in awareness and enlightenment. Enjoy the journey, it just gets better.

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

P.S. My new book The Calling takes you through this labyrinth of the mind and back into a place of full consciousness. To order your copy now visit www.selfawareness.com/BooksBySSS.html.



Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.selfawareness.com/ for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Use Your Spiritual Growth to Release Limits

The spirituality information that serves you the most is accepting the spiritual aspect of self as part of your being human. This concept will advance your spiritual growth faster than any other concept because your spirit is your eternal direct connection to your source.

If you choose to continue to live and define yourself as mostly a body and a mind, that is okay. You have free will to believe and experience life in any manner that you choose.

If you choose to open yourself up to the spirit part of your beingness and allow your spirit to be an equal partner in the decisions you make about your life, then you will begin to do different things than you have been doing in the past.

You are introducing new ideas into your thinking. You are no longer limiting yourself to two dimensions of your beingness. You are being more of yourself than you were previously. You are expanding your consciousness.

You are beginning to eliminate a limiting belief that you may hold about yourself that says “as a human body I can only be, do and have so much because I am tied to the limits of my physical capabilities.” When you allow the spirit part of your being to be included in your definition of self, you become aware that this aspect of your being is limitless and not confined to physical parameters.

More importantly, you are letting the love that is the core of your being expand with every input from your spiritual nature. You are removing the limits that you set upon yourself when you were limiting yourself to your mind and body.

What's this? You are becoming unlimited? Wow! What a concept! But what about all those shackles and conditioning I put on myself when I didn't open myself up to my spiritual side? What? You say I am liberating myself? Wait a minute. I have to ask myself a question.

“Does this serve me?” If it does then I should “be what serves me.”

In order to reach clarity on “what serves us” we need to have a clear understanding of what it is that we are trying to accomplish. So what are we trying to accomplish? What is our mission? What is our purpose in the life process? How are we going to know “what serves us” if we don't know where this service is taking us?

Until we can answer these questions we are just spinning our wheels with no sense of direction or reason. Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is just taking up time. Vision with action can change the world.

So now it is time to take a look at these larger issues of life. We need to explore the areas of our existence that can shed some light on “being what serves us.” We need to get a better handle on this concept of understanding who we really are. When we know who we really are we will be able to see “what serves us” from a much clearer perspective.

So let us go back to the beginning of time, as we know it, and answer some of these larger questions in order to get a better idea of who we really are and how this knowledge of who we really are will show us how we can “be what serves us.”

Usually, we go back to the beginning of the story and follow the progression of the human species to see how we evolved to this point in time. This history of human evolvement usually starts out with “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” We all know Genesis I:I, but in order for us to understand who we really are we need to ask an even more basic question.

Our question needs to be, “Why did God create the heavens and the earth in the first place?” Our next question needs to be, “What is our purpose in that creation?”

When we can answer these questions, we will be able to see the bigger picture of life. From this larger perspective, we will see what serves the universe as a whole and can then more easily determine what serves us as the human species because they are one and the same. When we can see what serves us from the larger perspective, we can put ourselves in alignment with that and use it to serve us. We then move into “being what serves us.”

Life is a process and understanding life is a process as well. Let us explore this life process and see the logic and reasoning behind some of the essential foundations that have taken us to this point in our human experience. Once we have gained some insight about the totality of the very reason for our existence we can use that knowledge to better navigate the journey that lies before us. It is such a fun adventure made even more so when you have a well-lighted path before you to help you from taking u-turns and running into obstacles along your way.


Richard Blackstone is an award winning author and international speaker on Love, Oneness & Creation. Journey into discovery of Self by reading this FREE report; "The 3 Simple Immutable Laws of the Universe" at: http://www.nutsandboltsspirituality.com/

How to Live a Frugal Lifestyle

The word “frugality” has left a more negative connotation for most people than simply being a saver, a cheapskate or tightwad. There is a thin line difference to saving and too much frugality to the point of being awkward and ridiculous. This is where the negative connotation comes from.

But if you are guided with the right principles and reasons in deciding to live a frugal life, you would never go wrong.

If you have decided to live frugally, no need to be worried of insults. Keep your head up high. And keep your focus through these tips.

1. Eating Out - Having gimmicks with friends on a Friday night is fine if you do it once in a while. But this can be expensive if you add them up at the end of the month.

2. Clothing - Naturally, if you are the kind of person who adores signature and designer clothes, do not expect that there will be something left of your take home pay. Instead of being trendy, wear clothes that can easily be matched with your other clothes.

3. Own Home - If you are planning to move out and find a place to settle, do not be overwhelmed by the excitement, instead be practical. As a start, buy a smaller house or try other ways like rent-to-own, do-it-yourself arrangements, and owner financing.

4. Buying Your Own Car - Shy away from sports cars or SUVs. Just stick to your purpose of buying a car which is to transport you anywhere you need to go. Check out also program cars like a new car warranty. Maybe this is not just the best time to replace your car with a new one.

5. Shopping for Groceries - As much as possible do not go with items that are branded. Choose non-brands and try looking for items on the highest or lowest shelves for best prices. Grab the opportunity and shop during sales or use coupons.

6. Family Out - There are inexpensive ways to bond with your family and be entertained like going to libraries, local parks, malling, picnics, visit friends and local church.

7. Buying School Supplies - Stock school supplies at home and do not buy anything fancy.

8. Be contented with what you have and try to live within what you earn.

9. Plan your Child’s College Education - Teach them the ways to be independent and self-supporting by encouraging them to apply for scholarships and “on campus jobs”.

10. Be Aware of your Financial Limitations

11. Anticipate your Failures by Planning - Have always a budget plan so you would avoid impulsive buying.

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Weight Loss - Change Your Life Style

The only way to lose weight is to change your attitude and the life style that you are following. If you really want to see you in a good shape or a healthier physique you should be ready to bring some changes in your behaviour and habits. When you prepare to do some thing positive to reduce your body weight you should focus more on healthy diet and regular exercise.

The first step towards weight loss is observing your present food habits. Closely watch what all that you consume a day to assess how healthy is your food habits. You should closely watch your uncovering behaviour that makes you over eat even while you are engaged in activities like watching or reading some thing.

Your desire for weight loss can be accomplished easily if your family members are willing to support your venture. It is the best way to maintain the new life style that you have adopted with an intention to loss your body weight. If your family is ready to cop up with your new life style that requires a controlled healthy diet and increased physical activities you will be able to continue the new life style that may ultimately lead to weight loss.

The best way to make your physical exercise regular and a part of your routine is joining a health club near to your house. At home you may not be able to do the right exercises required for weight loss. It is always advisable to consult an expert trainer to understand the exercises that suit your body and age.

You can also join in your local community clubs that have regular team sports and outings to make your weight loss programme more easy and interested. Instigate your family members or your neighbours to come with you for morning walk or jogging to avoid the boring of walking alone.

Weight loss is not some thing that can be achieved in one or two days and focus on a long term goal instead of a quick fix. If you want to know more about healthy diet and behavioural changes you can consult a weight-loss counsellor to know the details of healthy diet.

A variety of options are now available to accelerate your weight loss programme. And always remember that the key to successful weight loss is good eating habits and regular exercise.


For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with your http://www.weightlossrevolution.net/

Infections in Pregnant Women - Role of Diagnostic Microbiology

Pregnancy is a dynamic state of health and disease, shared by the pregnant woman and a growing fetus, a concern to the treating physician for timely diagnosis and necessary interventions. Infections with Viral, Bacterial, Parasitic and Fungi do occur in any pregnant woman like other non pregnant woman of similar age.

Most infections are not serious. But some infections are more important in pregnant woman than in non pregnant woman because of the potential for vertical transmission to foetus or infant. There is a growing awareness on HIV, HBV, CMV, Rubella and Toxoplasmosis, on rare occasions Varicella and Listeriosis can do harm to the growing foetus. With advances in medical treatments and laboratory technologies we are more concerned with transmission of HIV, and HBV as we can still interfere with appropriate treatments. Now it is certain, every pregnant woman needs a successful screening for Rubella IgG, HBV surface antigen, and HIV antibodies apart from existing protocol for screening for Syphilis in all pregnant women with VDRL / RPR testing.

WHY GOOD CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY SERVICES ARE IMPORTANT

No laboratory test for diagnosing a specific disease should be undertaken on a casual testing basis without knowing the implication of a positive value of test. Women are more willing to accept routinely offered testing as in screening for syphilis with. The situations to screen for antibodies to HIV turn to be entirely different and needs an informed consent, as every woman has a right to refuse any medical investigation or treatments.

UNDERSTANDING MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS WITH IMPLICATIONS ON FETAL HEALTH

There is an unlimited gap of understanding between the laboratory reports and the treating physician, which should be always brought down for improving our quality of services.

1. All requests for any particular serological or molecular testing should be based on clinical symptoms (May not necessary as in HIV, HBV, CMV and Syphilis which are symptom free in early stages.)

2. Writing a good clinical history will certainly guide the testing clinical microbiologist to use the right protocol in the laboratory methods.eg. Toxoplasmosis, CMV, Rubella to determine the active infection.
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS RUBELLA, CMV, TOXOPLASMOSIS, VARICELLA Infections.

1. Clinicians should request for IgG in all cases apart from IgM which is only positive in recent infections.

2. Best serological evidence of recent infections is IgG seroconversion (a change from a negative test to positive test) to understand all serological tests which turn out to be negative on first testing, do not exclude recent infections. Testing should be repeated upto three weeks after suspected contact, which may be extended up to 6 months in cases of diagnosis of HIV Infection for appearance of antibodies.

3. When a specific IgM is positive without IgG being positive results should be interpretated with caution. If Ig G seroconversion do not occur the IgM result is likely to be a false positive

4. The question comes how recent is infection: can be clarified with newer generation of serological testing in accredited laboratories. The clinicians should ask for IgG avidity assays which will help confirm or exclude recent infection. ( Eg , Toxoplasmosis, Rubella and CMV ) As high avidity indicates that infection occurred several months previously. Interpretation depends on laboratory protocols and should be discussed with clinical microbiologists.

HIV SCREENING OR TESTING

The problems of screening all pregnant women for HIV antibody is a complex issue. It should be discussed and issue can be still be resolved if offered as testing with motive of offering antiretroviral therapy to both mother and new born if infected.

SCREENING FOR SYPHILIS (WITH VDRL/RPR)

A routine test done in every pregnant woman irrespective of consent is associated with biological false positives. Every positive test should be reconfirmed testing with TPHA, a specific test to detect active infection. Testing with FTAbs IgG remains the best option before diagnosis of syphilis is ruled out.

BACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Many bacterial infections have Major effect on women’s health with implications on the New born.

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

Urinary tract infections remain the most common infections at any stage of pregnancy. Many present with asymptomatic infections, Asymptomatic bactenuria which can only be identified on culturing the urine. It is ideal to order culturing in early pregnancy to be followed upto the last trimester of pregnancy. Most neglected part of urine culturing remains with proper collection of specimen and often left to an inexperienced nursing staff. The treating physicians should instruct the staff how to collect a mid stream and a clean catch sample.

Less experienced Microbiologists give confusing reports but should not forget to specify the validity of report. A cut off point of ? 100,000 bacteria/ml is the minimal criteria in healthy pregnant women with isolation of a single species e.g. E.coli, Klebsiella species will strengthen the diagnosis of urinary tract infections. Missing of asymptomatic bacteriuria can cause premature labor and pylonephritis in pregnant women.

GROUP-B STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION

There is a growing awareness on infections with Group B Streptococci. CDC advices culturing for Streptococcus B group at 35-37 weeks of pregnancy is important which can help to prevent early neonatal infection particularly premature labor. Appropriate collection of specimen from cervix remains the minimal requirement
.
GONOCOCCAL AND CHLAMYDIAL INFECTION

They need specific or specialized techniques for precise diagnosis but only ordered in high risk group of women as they can lead to pelvic inflammatory diseases. The physician should discuss with clinical microbiologist as routine testing is not possible in less equipped laboratories and will not serve the purpose

BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS AND CANDIDIAL INFECTIONS

There is a growing incidence of Gardnernella vaginalis and Candidial infection. Few laboratories have adequate facilities for characterization of etiological agents. The clinical requests should specify what they are looking for.Today we have an ever growing list of microbes including Varicella, Herpes simplex, Parvovirus B19, Listeriosis and many others encroaching on pregnant women. An appropriate investigation and management can reduce adverse outcome, unnecessary interventions and anxiety. The need of the hour in up gradation of our Microbiology laboratories to cope, with changing trends in infection as there is ever-increasing list of Microbes harming a pregnant women and the growing fetus.
CAUTION ON MOLECULAR METHODS

All molecular methods for diagnosis of infectious diseases ordered with caution. It is ideal to try all time tested laboratory methods and to consider the using of molecular methods which on many occasions are research or academic tools with good number of false positive reactions.


In spite of several advances in Laboratory Technologies in Developing countries, we in India must depend on the wisdom of our Physicians, as our patients do not afford many investigations on random basis or for Academic interest. However, antenatal screening that is not based on accepted criteria or well defined plan of action can cause unnecessary anxiety and potentially dangerous intervention. Still we know little how a Fetus protects and survives itself in spite of several challenges apart from Infections.

Email; tvraodoctor2000@yahoo.co.in


Dr.T.V.Rao MD working as Professor in an Indian Medical College, writes on articles of Public health interest to bring in more awareness to bring in better health care