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As we trudge through the dog days of summer here in Michigan, the temperature regularly soars above 90 degrees with humidity levels of equal value. Sometimes the air seems so thick you could cut slices through it with a knife, with each breath seeming to take ten times the effort to get into your lungs as it does on a cool day.

This is sadly the time of year that I tend to exercise the least, as I simply cannot handle the heat. The air conditioning in my house is woefully inadequate, my little bungalow doesn’t have the best insulation in the upper level, so it gets too hot to even think about going upstairs, much less running on the treadmill up there. So often, the 90 degree weather outside is my best option – at least you get the occasional cool breeze outside. You just have to know how to prepare for the experience.

How hot is too hot?

Unfortunately, there is no “magic number” to answer this question. There are numerous factors that decide this, including physical condition and genetics. And it doesn’t have to even be hot outside, some people just react differently to different environments.

In fact, a study in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise discusses a “well-trained male runner in his late 30s” who collapsed just a mere ten meters short of the finish line of a marathon from heat stroke. His body was at a core temperature of 105.3 degrees Fahrenheit half an hour after he collapsed. And the real kicker here – the temperature outside? A high of 49 degrees. Fahrenheit. No, not Celsius, Fahrenheit. And remember, this was a seasoned athlete here, not some out of shape weekend 2-mile runner.

The key is that you need to find what works for you. If you are running and begin to feel weak or dizzy, an unusually rapid heartbeat or get a headache – you may be experiencing the warning signs of heat exhaustion, the precursor to heat stroke. Your body will give you plenty of advanced warning of heat-related illness, making it easy to prevent if you just listen to the messages your body sends you. Ignoring the early warning signs can have some disastrous results, possibly sending you to the emergency room – or worse.

If you are in a new area which is warmer than what you are accustomed to, it may take your body up to a week to acclimate itself to your new surroundings. You should avoid strenuous workouts in the heat until that week has passed.

Moral of the story? This can happen to anyone, even you.

The Sweaty Six

There are six main heat-related illnesses that you will need to concern yourself with. All are serious to some degree, however one is potentially fatal.

#1: Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is thought be the the onset of other heat related illnesses. It typically begins when the core body temperature is in the range of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the symptoms of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating, nausea, dizziness, fainting, weakness, headache, vomiting or cold and clammy skin.

To treat heat exhaustion, a mild case requires little more than getting into a cool place, resting and hydrating with sodium-containing liquids such as sports drinks. In more severe cases, fluids may be given intravenously and ice packs may be used for rapid cool down of the body.

#2: Heat Cramps

Heat cramps are one of the first warning signs that your body is in danger of overheating. It is thought that profuse sweating combined with a lack of water and electrolyte intake lead to muscle spasms that make it very uncomfortable to continue exercising. It should be noted that getting heat cramps does not predispose you for any further heat-related illnesses.

Treatment for heat cramps will include stretching of the muscles, massage and icing the muscles down. You should also make sure to hydrate yourself, as well as getting some sodium into your system – a sports drink such as Gatorade will help to reduce further cramping.

#3: Heat Edema

Heat edema is a mild heat illness that occurs when the body has not yet become acclimated to a new, warmer surrounding. There will be mild swelling and redness in the extremities as blood pools there in an attempt to cool off the body. This is more common in older adults who are getting acclimated to tropical climates.

Heat edema is treated by rest and elevation of the limbs. You can also use compression stockings in extreme cases, but it will usually take care of itself in 7-14 days, or when the athlete returns to their normal climate.

#4: Heat Rash

Miliaria rubra, commonly known as “heat rash” is a itchy, and sometime painful set of small red bumps that appear on the skin when you are in the heat too long. You will most commonly find this in highly sweaty areas such as the waist, trunk or groin. It is caused by obstruction of the sweat ducts. Excessive scratching can cause Staphylococcus infection as well.

To treat heat rash, cooling of the area is the best thing you can do, sometimes changing the clothes you wear when running will help. If the rash does not go away on its own in a few days, you may get a cream from the doctor such as an antibacterial/steroid combination that will eliminate it quickly.

#5: Heat Syncope

Another mild heat illness, heat syncope is caused again by pooling of the blood in the extremities, combined with a rapid change in body position such as standing up after riding a bicycle in the hot weather.

The most common remedy for heat syncope is to put the patient into a supine position (laying down, face up) in a cool spot. Elevation of the legs may help, but is often not necessary. You also want to make sure you are taking in liquids, as dehydration is probably one of the the things that caused the illness in the first place.

#6: Heat Stroke

There are two types of heat stroke, classic and exertional. Between the two of them, they are responsible for around 400 deaths per year.

The first type, classic, is where the environment takes on a larger role, such as a particularly bad summer heat wave. These cases are common among the elderly who may not have air conditioning in their homes. This is often a result of the body not having time to get acclimated to the climate.

The second type, exertional is the one that runners really need to be careful of. This is where the heat is generated by the athletes body from an aggressive workout. Exertional heat stroke is the third leading cause of death among athletes, with football players seeing the largest number of individual deaths each year.

In both cases, the symptoms will be similar to heat exhaustion, only more pronounced, with the added possibility of collapse, seizures or unconsciousness. The core body temperature will have rise to over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. At this point the person will definitely require medical attention, as an aggressive cooling plan needs to be put into place, the body must be returned to normal temperatures between 30-60 minutes from the time of the initial onset.

Who Is At The Greatest Risk?

The two easiest groups to pick out are the young and the elderly (under age 15, over age 75). Their bodies are far more susceptible to heat than the rest. People who have a history of heat-related illness are not only at a greater risk of developing heat-related illnesses in the future, but also at greater risk for further complications down the road.

People with medical conditions such as eczema or psoriasis are at higher risk, as are those who are overweight and/or in poor cardiovascular health. Even something as simple as not getting a good night’s sleep can increase your risk considerably.

There are also several external factors that can contribute to heat illness susceptibility. One of which is taking certain medications. The long list includes allergy medicines, cough and cold medicines, blood pressure and heart medication, products containing pseudo ephedrine, diet pills, medication for irritable bladder and bowel syndromes, laxatives, benzodiazepines like Klonopin, Valium or Librium, seizure medicines, thyroid pills and diuretics.

Best Ways To Stay Safe

There are a few simple ways you can be sure you are safe when exercising in the heat. These are really all common sense, but I will mention them anyway. If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment below – I’d love to hear other people’s tricks.

Early To Bed, Early To Rise…

It’s a simple fact – in the middle of the summer, mid-day is just TOO hot to be out running. You would need to carry around a gallon jug of water to replace what you are going to lose sweating for an hour in 90 degree heat. So you have two options – early morning, or late night. I find early morning tends to be a lot cooler than late night (at least up here in Michigan), it might get down to the sixties or seventies around 6 or 7am, whereas at 10pm it still is often 80-85 degrees. I know it can be hard to wake up that early – but you will get SO much more accomplished in your day when you get up early, and start out with some breakfast and a nice bit of exercise.

Keeping Hydrated

Your body can lose an incredible amount of water in a short amount of time exercising in the heat. Make sure you drink plenty of water before you even leave the house, and it is a must to have a supply of water with you. I like to throw my water bottle in the freezer the night before, and grab it on the way out the door. That way the ice thaws as you run, and you always have cold water to drink. Add a tablespoon of sugar and a quarter teaspoon of salt to your bottle of water and save the buck on the sports drink (and spare your body from a few chemicals).

Take It All Off

It is important to dress appropriately when the temperatures start to climb. Light, airy fabrics should be worn – try to avoid cotton based materials as they will just trap the heat next to your body. The moisture wicking fabrics are much better suited to summer exercise. When it’s steamy, shorts and a tank top are really what you should be wearing.

Frozen Towels

This is a great trick I picked up working in hot restaurant kitchens – you just take a small (hand-sized) towel, get it wet – then throw it in the freezer overnight. When you leave for your morning run, you grab it and drape it around your neck. Having a cold towel on the back of your neck makes your whole body feel cooler, and it will stay cold for quite a while in the heat. Plus you get the added protection from sunburn on your neck.

Post-Run Cleanup

It is always a good idea to bring a few clean towels and a change of clothes. with you for when you are finished with your exercise routine. Wiping off that oily film of sweat will help open your pores and let your body cool down easier when you are finished, as will having some nice dry clothes to wear. This is especially helpful for preventing heat rash.

Conclusion

Heat-related injuries and illnesses are easily preventable, all that is required is a little care and common sense. Make sure you stay hydrated – bring water or a sports drink with you every time, even if you are only going to be running 20 minutes. Be mindful of the temperature forecast – and remember that it will feel almost twenty degrees hotter than it really is once your heart starts pumping.

If you start to exhibit signs of heat related illness, stop immediately, get into the shade or air conditioning, and drink lots of fluids. If you do not recover within a reasonable amount of time you may need to seek medical attention as heat stroke can be life-threatening.

Sources Cited

“Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: what you should know.” American Family Physician 71.11 (June 1, 2005): 2141. General OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 5 Aug. 2008

Howe, Allyson S., and Barry P. Boden. “Heat-related illness in athletes.(Team Physician’s Comer)(Disease/Disorder overview).” The American Journal of Sports Medicine 35.8 (August 2007): 1384(12). General OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 5 Aug. 2008

Wallace, Robert F., David Kriebel, Laura Punnett, David H. Wegman, and Paul J. Amoroso. “Prior heat illness hospitalization and risk of early death.(Author abstract).” Environmental Research 104.2 (June 2007): 290(6). Academic OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 5 Aug. 2008 .

Sanders, A.J., and J. Redhead. “Heat stroke and 10K ‘fun runs’: new safety measures are called for.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 40.10 (Oct 2006): 880(1). General OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 5 Aug. 2008 .

Roberts, William O. “Exertional heat stroke during a cool weather marathon: A case study.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 38.7 (July 2006): 1197-1203. General OneFile. Gale. Eastern Michigan University. 5 Aug. 2008 .

This Article Written By David Mitchell, A Dietetics Major At Eastern Michigan University.

For More articles, plus Food and Exercise Log analysis, free blog hosting, social news, message forums all focuses around diet, health and nutrition check out: http://www.davesworkout.com

This article available in full with color pictures at
http://www.davesworkout.com/articles.php?read=12

With Britons continuing to struggle with money, it is important that they take steps to ensure the heat on their financial situation is not turned up even further.

Such is the claim of uSwitch, which reports that despite a series of price increases occurring earlier in 2008, consumers should prepare themselves for at least one more round of hikes in the cost of gas and electricity. According to the price comparison firm, experts believe that the cost of energy bills are set to surge by up to 40 per cent over the remainder of this year. Such a move would see the typical household bill stand at 1,467 pounds by this winter, a rise of 61 per cent from the 912 pounds which was noted at the start of the year.

Following on from rising utility bill costs it may also be possible that consumers encounter problems in managing other areas of monetary demand. These areas may well include personal loans, transport expenses, store cards and groceries.

In addition, it was asserted that should rises of this magnitude take place then some 1.6 million Britons would be plunged into a state of fuel poverty, causing the total of such consumers reported to be struggling with utility bills to stand at 6.1 million. The projected increase in utility costs was partially attributed to rises in wholesale gas, in addition to a lack of storage capacity for energy within British shores.

Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at uSwitch, said: “The days of cheap energy are over. Households could see the largest ever increase in household energy bills this year. If suppliers do increase bills by a further 40 per cent by this winter then consumers will have seen a 61 per cent or 555 pounds increase in household energy bills in a year. If average energy bills do hit 1,467 pounds by the end of 2008, spending on energy will account for five per cent of the average household’s net income. This is going to cause huge financial pressure and consumers will naturally expect their salaries to increase to help them meet the spiralling costs of living and working in Britain.”

She went on to report that as the financial outlook is “grim” it is important for consumers to be proactive in negating the impact that prospectively higher household bills will have on their finances. Ms Robinson reported that although online and capped tariffs can be of assistance, those wishing to take advantage of such deals will have to act quickly as availability begins to diminish.

The news comes as Britons are shown to be increasingly struggling with overall demands on their finances. Although uSwitch pointed out that net salaries have increased by an average of 44 pounds per month this year, expenditure on necessary monetary demands – energy, food, mortgage repayments and fuel – has gone up by 148 pounds.

For consumers concerned about how they will manage their money in the face of rising energy costs and a slowing in wage growth, applying for a debt consolidation loan might be recommended. In getting such a loan, borrowers may be able to merge numerous constraints on their spending into a single low-cost monthly repayment. This may be of particular assistance after a recent moneysupermarket study revealed two-thirds of Britons claim to be “very concerned” about their ability to manage money should the cost of energy continue to rise.

Mark Dawson writes for the Loan Arrangers. Where visitors can compare bad credit loans online, and apply for cheap consolidation loans. To read more articles from Mark go to http://news.loan-arrangers.co.uk

Why Carbon?

We owe our presence on Earth to carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. It helped stabilize temperatures to levels suitable for organic life. It did this – and continues to do it – by what is known as the greenhouse effect. This occurs when heat energy from the sun passes unimpeded through the atmosphere and warms up the Earth. In turn, the Earth radiates this energy back towards space. The greenhouse gases – water vapor (the main greenhouse gas), methane, ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and CO2 – absorb some of this energy and emit it in all directions, including back towards Earth. As a result the Earth’s surface is about 34ºC warmer.

Over millions of years, the Earth has managed to regulate concentrations of greenhouse gases through a system of sources and sinks. Carbon (in the form of CO2 and methane) is emitted by volcanoes, by rotting vegetation and other organic matter. But CO2 is sequestered, or absorbed, by trees (their roots, branches, trunks and leaves are about 50 per cent carbon), plankton, soils and water bodies. Indeed, scientists have become aware that increased concentrations of CO2 actually stimulate the growth of many different types of plant, including trees – this is called the CO2 fertilization effect. For example, a doubling of atmospheric CO2 has been shown to stimulate leaf photosynthesis rate by up to 50 per cent depending on temperature. Although some of this CO2 will be released back into the atmosphere by increased respiration, more carbon should be sequestered.

Where did the solution lie?

The adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 was a major step forward in finding an innovative solution to the problem of global warming. Yet as greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels continued to rise around the world, it became increasingly evident that the member firms needed an independent international agreement that could be linked to the existing treaty.

This gave rise to the Kyoto Protocol that was adopted at the 3rd Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997. Most of the countries ratified this treaty except USA and Australia. Post the ratification by Russia, the Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of December 2006, a total of 169 countries and other governmental entities have ratified the agreement.

The Protocol requires developed countries to reduce their GHG emissions by nearly 8% below the baseline of 1990 and these targets must be met within a five-year time frame between 2008 and 2012.

In order to help the members achieve their targets, the protocol offered the following innovative mechanisms :
1. Emission Trading
2. Joint Implementation
3. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)

These mechanisms allow developed parties to earn and trade emissions credits through projects implemented either in other developed countries or in developing countries, which they can use towards meeting their commitments.

Emission Trading/Carbon Trading

Carbon trading essentially means exchanging points earned by reducing emissions of certain harmful gases for money, has emerged as a huge opportunity for developing countries like India and China. 1 tone of carbon dioxide is equivalent to 1 carbon emission reduction (CER) unit and its price ranges from Rs 458 for early stage projects to Rs 973 for issued units.

The emission trading program can be conducted in two ways i.e. The “Cap” & “Trade” approach in which a cap on all sources is established and then these sources are allowed to trade among themselves to determine which source emits the excessive pollution load.
The second approach is called the “Baseline” approach. In this a set of polluters that are not under an aggregate cap can create credits by reducing their emissions below a baseline level of emissions.

Recent Trends in Carbon Trading/CDMs/JIs

The carbon market grew in value to an estimated US$30 billion in 2006. Project-based activities primarily through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) grew sharply to a value of about US$5 billion in 2006. The voluntary market for reductions by corporations and individuals also grew strongly to an estimated US$100 million in 2006.

The carbon market and associated emerging markets for clean technology and commodities have
attracted a significant support from the capital markets and from experienced investors, including those in the United States. Analysts estimated that US$11.8 billion have been invested in 58 carbon funds as of March 2007 compared to US$4.6 billion in 40 funds as of May 2006. 50% of all capital driven to the carbon value chain is managed from the UK. Most of the newly raised money, of private origin, came to the sell-side (project development and carbon asset creation) which currently represents 58% of the capitalization. A key indicator of interest in aligned and closely related fields is the record US$70.9 billion in clean technology investments in 2006 with major investments from well-known investment banks.

Till now, only the energy and the manufacturing sectors were included in the EU tading program but transportation-aviation & shipping may also join the band wagon.

FUNCTIONALITIES OF THE EMISSION TRADING SCHEME
EU Emission trading scheme is the largest multi-national, greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme in the world. Today’s EU European Trading Scheme (ETS) accounts for about two-thirds of global carbon trading, with each country allocating carbon credits for free to various industries such as utilities and manufacturers. It is divided into two phases. First phase from 2005-2007 which includes around 12,000 installations, representing approximately 40% of EU CO2 emissions. The second phase which is from 2008-2012, has some significant addition over the first phase. In this phase Clean Development Mechanism and Joint implementation would be introduced. This will significantly enhance the market of emission trading. Also, large and rapidly growing aviation sector would be included. This in addition is expected to increase the demand of allowances by about 10-12 million tones of CO2 per year. This in turn is expected to lead to an increased in the use of JI credits from projects in Russia and Ukraine, which would offset the increase in prices. This whole process would result in lesser visible impact on average annual CO2 prices and hence fluctuation in the carbon prices would be reduced.

The goal, by the year 2012, is to lower emissions to a level 8% below those in 1990. This market-based approach to reducing emissions is built on a sliding scale so that fewer credits will be issued in coming years, thus making it more expensive for those companies to buy carbon credits. If carbon prices continue to rise and become a major drain on profits, companies will invest in the technology or offset projects to reduce their emissions.
INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF EMISSION TRADING

“Climate change risks are an important challenge for the international financial markets – Emissions Trading is an efficient way to manage these risks.” – Anonymous
I believe that the following factors may contribute to the increase in efficiency of Emission trading and increase in liquidity in the market:

Scope and size- The successful development of emissions trading market depends on the liquidity of the market. An international emissions trading regime requires not only a broad range of sectors but also sufficient volume to ensure an adequate diversity of contracts.
Market access -Traders and financial intermediaries increase market liquidity and reduce volatility and are therefore a necessary component in an emissions trading scheme.
Market compatibility-Transferability of certificates across regional and national markets, and between flexible mechanisms for example, is an important condition for market liquidity and cost efficient emissions reduction.

Emission reduction targets- Within such an international trading scheme, absolute emission reduction targets, as called for by the Kyoto Protocol, are an important prerequisite for credible, efficient and effective emissions trading

LIQUIDITY IN THE MARKET.
The carbon emission market offers a wide spectrum of instruments, and the pricing is closely related to a country’s economic situation, the price of energy commodities, and the weather. Therefore, despite regulatory uncertainty, carbon emission instruments should be included in the investment strategy of any traders targeting these markets.

Lack of liquidity as a plague to the carbon emission exchanges; the carbon market is still mainly an OTC market. The fact that many exchanges provide reporting capacity to market participants that conduct OTC transactions inflates the transaction volume of carbon emission exchanges. In reality, 72% of the trades in the carbon market are conducted OTC, with a significant share of bilateral trading.

To increase the liquidity the following measures could be taken:

1. Currently, future/forward trades account for 90% of the transactions conducted on carbon emission markets. This situation is mainly due to lose reduction targets in the past year and is likely to change in the near future as more restrictive schemes are implemented.

2. Today, the market is dominated by OTC transactions that accounts for 72% of trades. Nevertheless, there are discrepancies among regions and some exchanges such as the ECX are able to capture some significant market share (400 transactions are conducted daily on the ECX). The concentration of the market among a few leading players and the lack of transparency does not play in favor of electronic trading at this time. However, expects electronic trading to gain market share as the scope of emission reduction schemes expands and new participants enter the market.

3. To avoid the forecasted cataclysm of global warming, numerous countries have agreed to the Kyoto protocol to reduce their carbon emissions. Of course, the most concerned countries are OECD members, which currently account for 50% of the global emissions.

There is a concern with rising gas prices. It becomes cheaper to shift from gas to coal-fired power plants that will need to buy additional allowances to cover their increased carbon emissions. Electricity generators thus become short of allowances and demand more allowances in the market. This drives the price of carbon up, other things being equal. As we are witnessing the fastest rise in the prices of the oil and gas today , it would be more profitable to shift from gas to the coal fired power plants.but the coal fired power plants have more carbon emissions than the gas fired plants and hence additional allowances would be required by the power plants to fall under the ambit of standards. Due to all this, they would become short of allowances and hence there would be more demand of allowances in the market. This would then drive the carbon prices up keep several other things constant.

Another school of thought for crunching liquidity is that the surplus allowances lie with the small players in the market. These small players are not willing to sell off the allowances in the hope of expanding their business and consuming these credits.

FUTURE OF CARBON TRADING
The current scenario portrays an optimistic picture of carbon trading. The need of the hour is to develop efficient markets like the EU ETS. Already, we have the Canadian Climate Exchange(CCX), The Australian Climate Exchange (ACX), Chicago Climate Exchange etc. One of the most important CDMs that are emerging in the system of carbon trading, which allows the development of a market wherein carbon dioxide as well as carbon equivalents, ie, other greenhouse gases like methane, can be traded between participants. The participants could be countries or Companies. Though the political and institutional framework for carbon trading is yet to develop, it is generally believed that a potentially large and lucrative global market for carbon trading could develop by the end of the decade. The potential for inter-state trade has been estimated at around $2 trillion over the next 10 years.
Aviation sector is one sector which has increased its contribution in Co2 emission worldwide , but still it has managed to escape the eye of EU policy makers. Though cognizance of its effect has been taken into account , but still the practical difficulties have prevented its full implementation. Various difficulties include whether to include international fights in the scheme , determining the cap to be put and various allowances to be allotted and how to take other greenhouse gases into account.
There are three divisions as to where the policy should be applied differently. The first is for intra EU flights which cover emissions from flights from one locale to another within EU. Second one is for flights departing from EU which cover any flight departing from EU to any destination and the third one is for emission from any flight that are release over EU airspace. So in order to decide on various policy scenes we have to take into consideration the effect of prices on the above mentioned three categories. This becomes critically important as EU is committed to reduce the CO2 level by 20% by 2020 and this cannot be achieved if aviation, which is the major contributor to the CO2 emission, is not taken into consideration.

Gaurav Malhotra, FMS Delhi

Are you crazy for Wii games? If you are, then you can easily get these games online from many websites, but the problem is that these websites charge a big amount of cash in exchange. You can say that you have to purchase the games at a higher rate, it’s mainly because users are not aware of the actual market price of any game, so they do not know that, whether they are paying the right amount or they are purchasing that game at higher rate then its actual rate.

If you really want to purchase the Wii games for cheap, then you will have to know about the websites, which offer you the Wii games for cheap, and these websites are the Wii downloads websites.

These websites provide you so many advantages :

- you can download thousands of games, movies, tv shows, you name it, for just an one time fee, usually 40-50$, even cheaper sometimes. So with a small calculation with 40-50$ you will get 4000-5000 files to download and the average price for each file, or each game is 1 Cent.

- you get guides and software to convert the downloads to work on your Nintendo console no matter the type( Ntsc or Pal);

- you get 24 hours a day support;

- all the websites are 100% legal to use.

Comparison in price

As there are many websites available on the internet, where you can get the Wii games for cheap prices, the Wii downloads websites will give thousands of quality, new games for just a small fee. As you already may know a game usually cost 20$, and a Wii downloads website charges 40-50$ for your membership where you can download as much as you want, without any further fees.

So, if you are looking for Wii games for cheap you know what to look for, a website that offers thousands of games, movies and more for a very low one time fee.

Best Wii downloads websites reviewed.Everything you need for your Wii…

Get Any game for your Nintendo Wii paying just a few pennies and not hundreds of dollars.

The Indian stock markets had a good July. During the month, the benchmark index of share markets in India, Sensex, rose to 14,355 from 12,961. Not bad considering that the stock market in June fell from 16K levels to 13.5K levels.

Did the earnings season perform the trick? Yes, there were some earnings surprises on the positive side, especially from capital goods group but overall it was on expected lines. But it was oil, oil and oil. The global markets also witnessed some uptrend in July on the back of oil coming down to $120 levels.

Coming back to Indian stock markets, it would again be oil which would dictate terms in August, in the absence of major stock market related news. The earnings season is almost over, so also the rate hikes from the Reserve Bank of India. The central bank is not expected to hike the rates soon, given that they are now at a seven-year high.

Nor, the positive vibes of July is expected to be carried forward by the traders. The rollover of Nifty positions from July series to August series has been poor. The rollover to August has been in the mid-sixties as compared to lower seventies from June to July.

On the positive side for the share markets in India, August got an early boost, with the nuclear deal clearing the first hurdle in International Atomic Energy Agency. The capital goods stocks would be the biggest beneficiaries if the deal materializes. Already, L&T, JSW, BHEL and R-ADAG are readying their nuclear plans.

In the midst of the good news, don’t forget the inflation, which is still at a very high level and is unlikely to come down soon. The RBI governor hinted that inflation is going to come down only from the third quarter of this fiscal before dropping to 7 per cent by the fourth quarter.

The FIIs still seemed to be losing favour in the stock markets in India, with being net sellers in Indian equities in July, too. Domestic mutual funds on the other hand continue to be net buyers.

Another negative sentiment has been the progress of monsoon. Rainfall in July has been below average.

However, if the government is able to kickstart the stalled reforms process again, the Indian stock market could get a big boost. The IPO market particularly and the other PSU banking stocks would be the biggest beneficiaries of such a move. The Left parties had opposed to offloading stake in public sector banks, pension reforms and higher FDI limits in insurance.

Another contentious issue had been easing of norms for foreign banks. On the retail side, we don’t expect more reforms, particularly since elections are near and retail-side reforms could affect a large number of people, particularly the trading community. And this could further give a boost to the BJP.

The stock markets in India in August would veer between the positives and negatives. But the central point of the movement would be oil.

Author is an investment advisor and associate editor to stock market news India website. The website is committed to provide visitors with complete information on mutual funds in India. For more information visit http://www.ndtvprofit.com

Will you lose weight on a low-carb diet? The truth is- temporarily. The fact is many other world populations eat a high carb diet, yet they have a low incidence of obesity and chronic disease. They eat more carbohydrates and less protein then their overweight American, who is riddled with disease.

Carbohydrates is the energy for the body. It is like fuel in an engine, they ‘burn’ in the presence of oxygen, providing 4 calories per gram. There are plentiful in the plant kingdom and are abundantly found in fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, honey and sugar.

Sugar, the most abundant source of carbohydrates, is a multifaceted substances that are similar but not identical: simple sugars or monosaccharide, such as glucose (blood sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar); double sugars or disaccharides, such as sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar); and complex sugars or polysaccharides, such as cellulose (fiber) and starches. Among the natural foods most plentiful in simple and double sugars are dried fruits. Dates, for example, contain 78 per cent sugar and raisins 54 per cent. Simple and double sugars are the most concentrated sources of energy.

However, the body can only use the simple sugar GLUCOSE to provide energy. This means that all sugar and starches, and to a lesser degree proteins as fats, must be converted to glucose by digestive enzymes before they can be used. Glucose is subsequently metabolized and regulated by the hormone insulin. FRUCTOSE (abundant in fruits) is readily converted to glucose by digestive enzymes before they can be used. Glucose is subsequently metabolized and regulated by the hormone insulin, Fructose (abundant in fruits) is readily converted to glucose by the liver and absorbed from the intestines into the blood, without the need of insulin, making it a fine quick-energy sugar. That is why it is best for people who wake up drowsy in the morning to have a glass of fresh fruit juice rather than coffee. This is also the reason why fructose can be consumed moderately by diabetics ( who lack insulin). As it is 50 per cent sweeter than table sugar and causes less tooth decay, it is also safer. Another related sugar which does not trigger insulin release is SORBITOL, most people among diabetics. Most of it is converted to carbon dioxide. Only a small part is converted to glucose, which is absorbed through the intestines over a longer period of time than table sugar, making it a much more desirable sweetener than ordinary sugar, even for healthy people. Its slow metabolism does not tax the sugar-balancing glands and causes mush less tooth decay. Sorbitol also increases assimilation of certain vitamins such as B12, which explains its presence in many multivitamin tables. MANNITOL is another non-insulin-releasing sugar.

Right now, American is engaged in a diet war! Are carbohydrate bad for you? Do they came with side-effects? Those questions need answer that are based on scientific evidence.

My intention is to provide you that the right types of Low Carb Diet can help you to loose weight. Visit here for more information: http://www.alllowcarbsrecipes.com