Experts say a New Zealand woman’s 2-gallon-a-day Coca-Cola habit probably contributed to her death, a conclusion that led the soft-drink giant to note that even water can be deadly in excessive amounts.
Natasha Harris, a 30-year-old, stay-at-home mother of eight from Invercargill, died of a heart attack in February 2010. Fairfax Media reported that a pathologist, Dr Dan Mornin, testified at an inquest Thursday that she probably suffered from hypokalemia, or low potassium, which he thinks was caused by her excessive consumption of Coke and overall poor nutrition.
Symptoms of hypokalemia can …

In today’s competitive world, how can a working mother divide her daily work and also be productive at work?
An international workplace study has revealed that two of three mothers around the world believe that they do not need to be in the office anymore to be productive. The latest technological marvels give them an opportunity to balance their personal and work life.
Dr Sunita Maheshwari, paediatric cardiologist says, “Technology has changed my life in ways I could never imagine. Using Cisco e-teaching technology, I have set up a program in paediatric …

I’m tired of obesity. I’m tired of the whinging and excuses. I’m tired of hearing about hospitals full of self-inflicted illnesses.
And it isn’t only the overweight that get me ranting and raving. I’m also tired of hearing about skinny model wannabe’s surviving on ciggies, energy drinks, and vodka-soda-fresh limes.
It is the dumb choices of unhealthy people that make me angry, and here are the eight that annoy me the most:
1. You say: “I’ll have a Diet Cola with that” as you order your lunch at the drive thru, thinking that …

Which would you rather face: a sink full of dirty dishes, or your annual performance review?
If it’s the former, you’re not alone. In a recent study conducted by Development Dimensions International, sitting through a performance review was ranked ahead of doing housework, paying taxes and having a hangover on a list of situations that employees loathe most. Jazmine Boatman, who has a doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology and is the manager of DDI’s Center for Applied Behavioral Research, understands why: “A lot of managers don’t know how to have these conversations. …

TOI finds out what the women in the city think of women empowerment.
Today’s women are a smart lot and when they are empowered, it only gives them an extra edge. The statement made by Mamta Sharma, head of the National Commission of Women at a seminar in Jaipur recently only goes on to show how far women have come. “Don’t be offended if someone says ‘sexy’, rather take it positively,” said Mamta.
While we are still at empowering women with more rights, some of us feel that being a woman itself …

The United States posted a budget surplus for the first time in 42 months in April on a rise in tax receipts and a drop in government spending, although it partly reflected a shifting of some payments to other months.
The government notched a larger-than-expected $US59.12 billion surplus last month, compared with a $US40.39 billion deficit in April 2011, the Treasury Department said on Thursday. The last time the government logged a surplus in any month was September 2008, when the worst of the financial crisis began to rock Wall Street.
Analysts …