 Break Barriers, Seek Treatment, Save Yourself Not long back were HIV patients treated as untouchables. People hesitated to talk, laugh or be in the presence of HIV-affected people fearing communication of the disease. But thanks to various awareness programs and days such as the World AIDS Day that has proved all of this wrong and helped people with AIDS lead better lives.
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that can leave a person with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for a lifetime. Its unlike certain other viruses that leave the body with progressive treatment. Here, a person remains affected by AIDS for life once you get HIV. The virus reduces the number of CD4 cells (these cells help the immune system fight off infection) thereby leaving an individual vulnerable to other infections and diseases as well. Read more about our body’s immune system and how its functioning affects us at www.firsteatright.com. AIDS is the last stage of HIV and people living with it are at a greater risk of diseases such as cancer too. AIDS-affected patients survive on medications every single day of life but by taking these survival rates of these people are equivalent to the survival rates of other individuals (when diagnosed during early stages of the disease). Causes A person can be infected with HIV for years before it becomes AIDS. The infection occurs through blood, semen or vaginal secretions. These secretions enter the body via vaginal/oral sex, blood transfusions, shared needles/syringes and from a pregnant/breast-feeding mother to her child. One must also clearly understand that HIV doesn’t spread through hugging, kissing, dancing or a handshake and neither can it spread via air or water. Symptoms Though different symptoms exist the only reliable way to confirm the disease is to get it tested. The disease progresses through four different stages of which AIDS is the last stage. Common symptoms during the initial stages include fatigue, fever, weight loss, diarrhea, shingles and swollen lymph nodes. AIDS leaves a person’s immune system damaged badly and the common signs at this stage include weight loss, skin rash, chronic diarrhea, recurrent fever, continuous fatigue or persist white spots on the tongue. Prevention Although AIDS has no cure nor is there a vaccine for HIV it is possible to protect yourself by taking certain precautionary measures:
Humanity has come a long way since 1988 when the campaign was first initiated by WHO and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the World AIDS day. Still, we have a longer road to travel as there are more than 1 million individuals who die from HIV because many of them don’t realize that they have the virus, seek treatment very late or don’t seek treatment at all. Above all, there are around 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide making these figures the highest till date of which a quarter of them are ignorant that they have the virus. The theme for this year is ‘Know your status’ and it seems to fit the bill perfectly as many people are still hesitant to take up a HIV test. Most do it only after falling sick and showing symptoms. WHO hopes to encourage people to test for HIV and motivate those with HIV to seek treatment. Its good to know that three of four people with HIV know that they have the disease, but they still don’t know how to protect themselves. Even the discrimination and stigma surrounding the disease remain a reality till date. World AIDS day provides the perfect platform to improve monetary funds, raise awareness and fight discrimination.  Throw Away Weeds, Sow New Seeds, Lead the Way to Health  Educational qualification and your work profile may not always reflect your choices or thoughts and in many cases are taken up due to social pressure and monetary restrictions/needs. A hobby comes as a breath of fresh air in between all this. We have heard of none who has taken up a hobby owing to external factors. Hobbies provide an enriching personal experience and act as stress busters in this hectic world. The craze for collecting stamps or currency notes/coins of various countries has been a part of most of us during our childhood days. Don’t we all still possess the treasured stamp book? In fact, the smell of aging currency notes stacked in our cupboards fill us with refreshing memories of our sweet past. Some of us have even been crazy enough to collect our bus tickets or bills and load up our draws. These hobbies have been our savior rescuing us in times of boredom or relieving us of our exam stress. But are you aware that these hobbies can do good to our mental and physical health as well? Hobby for Health There’s no second opinion that we take up a hobby only because we enjoy doing it. The world has become health-conscious and I am sure that taking up something that would benefit your health would only be a welcome change in your monotonous life. Leading a healthy life includes much more than eating right and doing exercise. It includes overall wellbeing which in turn depends on doing things you love, spending time for yourself and being happy engaging in leisure activities. These boost productivity, activate brain cells and make you feel wholesome. There are a number of hobby activities that can be quite engaging, fun-filled and healthy as well. For each of you wanting to bet on your good health pursue any or all of these: Dancing: Not long ago in our apartment a friend of mine came with an innovative dance class offer to all residents. She knew a master who excelled in various dance forms and he was conducting classes that combined quite aplenty dance varieties in the form of a physical exercise class. Basically, it was dance form-based exercise. The experience was great and we are still continuing the class with the number of registrations only increasing. Aerobic classes were one of the initial exercise forms that involved dance steps and the latest trend is Zumba. Dancing doesn’t need much-not even a pair of shoes but only yourself, some fast-paced songs and maybe some good company to keep you lively. If you are not yet ready to dance on the dance floor you have always got your cozy home. Make up a few steps and dance to the tunes unconcerned about anyone or anything in the room. Firstly, dancing is fun and above all, it is an excellent cardiovascular workout. Any cardio workout benefits health by strengthening bones and muscles, improving cardiovascular health and improving stamina. Studies show that dancing improves balance in the older population and also improves brain activity thereby decreasing the risk of dementia. Cooking: Cooking is a great pastime that opens to you a plethora of new recipes. Passionate about cooking? This is the right hobby to eat nutritious meals that are healthy and tasty too. Try your hands on different healthy dishes, cook up interesting salads and try different mains sticking to your portion sizes while eating them. Gardening: While gardening was not appreciated sometime back, nowadays more and more individuals are in love with the sowing, digging and reaping process. Getting your hands soiled is a great way to improve hand strength, decrease stress and getting a dose of vitamin D. Pulling out weeds, planting seeds and plucking flowers activate our muscles, improve stamina and add to aerobic exercise. Not only this, you get to enjoy the lush greenery surrounding you, the deliciously fresh veggies and juicy fruits right from your backyard garden. Read more about gardening, its advantages and the studies supporting it from the website www.firsteatright.com. Music: This is not something new and mankind has relied upon music and instruments to relieve stress, feel relaxed and be happy. Just a silly thought but this has never escaped my mind whenever I listen to music-We find solace in listening to songs but do musicians and singers too find the same? I’ve always been a person who has always relied on music to boost my confidence, make me feel stronger and also during happy times. Listening to music benefits both physical and mental health. Even a few studies show that music is advantageous on the immune system, decreases stress, anxiety and keeps depression at bay. Listening to music right before a surgery decreases a person’s anxiety far better than taking prescription drugs as music was linked to lower levels of stress hormone, cortisol. Keeping pets: Newspapers and magazines are filled with more and more articles on the advantages of owning a pet. Having an animal at home improves well-being, decreases stress, increases self-esteem, lowers BP and keeps you active. Pets at home also decrease the feeling of loneliness among the elderly population. Though studies exist showing that having a pet keeps a person healthier these studies do doubt whether it is the other way round-it might just be that healthy people are those who have a pet. Pen down your thoughts: How on earth can sitting at your desk and writing be beneficial for your health? Writing your thoughts on a sheet of paper or on your laptop helps you express your feelings, reduce stress and improve sleep. Blogging or creative writing is a great way to bond with others and build new relationships with people having similar interests. I hope that after reading through many of you would have already prioritized these hobbies according to your interest. Take up any of these hobbies to improvise your health, well-being and quality of life.  Keeping Pace with Your Pet Needs Stamina!  Kids Look Forward to New Experiences these Days  A Ophthalmologist Can Give Green/Red Signals for Your Champ’s Eyesight Toddlers as well as parents are anxious and overwhelmed with emotions on the child’s first day of schooling for very different reasons. Children obviously feel perplexed and uneasy thinking about the new environment and people after enjoying thoroughly at the comfort of their home. Parents are equally anxious thinking about their children and hope that everything goes well for their kids. As parents, we would have done our duty of searching for a great school that satisfies our individual priorities (some might prefer schools that excel academically while others might wish for extra-curricular activities too) and admitted our children into one of the best schools. All these aside, have we ever taken a minute to ponder and check whether our kids are school-ready?
Pediatricians set milestones for the child as soon as he/she is born assigning tasks such as rolling over at the age of three months, crawling at the age of six months and so on. Doctors assess newborns between 1 and 5 minutes after birth and declare the Apgar score for the baby based on five different categories. Frequent visits to the doctor keep the parent up-to-date on the baby’s health status. Despite all these, problems with speech, senses or language go unnoticed and the trouble begins once the child starts attending school. Sensing Your Child’s Sense-readiness Parents fully equip their children with books, stationary and bags while sending off kids to kindergarten or class 1. Satisfying these needs don’t sound convincing enough but parents rarely look beyond these to gauge whether their kids are ready for school. One must fully understand that a child learns to enjoy schooling only when his/her hearing, vision, speech and language are fully developed as per age. Any disparities regarding these must be addressed first before packing off your kids to the school. As you read this, some might even brand this measure as ‘over-precaution’, but this strongly exists as a mandatory requirement for the wellness of your child. You might have sent your toddler to the daycare without any complaints or he/she might have seemed fine at home. That’s because rarely problems pertaining to the senses, speech or language are not detected or the child might have a lazy eye or slight hearing loss that goes unnoticed. Ears to Hear Almost all infants are screened for hearing and vision soon after birth and when any newborn is diagnosed with hearing loss/impaired vision, the physician arranges for necessary intervention such as hearing aids or cochlear implants. These standby aids must start no later than the infant’s sixth month so that children with hearing loss can develop language skills that help them converse and share their happiness. It might also be possible that the kid suffers from no hearing loss problem since birth but suddenly develop it later due to many different reasons such as head injuries, meningitis or repeated ear infections. A noisy classroom proves to be a tough fight for kids suffering from mild hearing problems and the teachers might even misunderstand the unnoticed hearing loss as attention deficiency in such kids as these children miss out on many instructions and lessons simply because they don’t hear clearly. Hearing others speak helps a child learn new words and understand different concepts. Children become functional with a new language by listening to others and engaging in conversations. When hearing impairments are present, the kids might lack a full-fledged comprehension of the language nor do they possess 100% speech skills. Another kind of language problem called the specific language impairment or developmental language disorder affects around 7% of children in kindergarten. Children with this problem do not possess the ability to learn new words, might have minimal vocabulary skills or might speak grammatically incorrect sentences. Blame on Parents Sometime back, the blame was shouldered by parents entirely for their child’s language disability. They were accused of spending less time reading books or speaking with their kids, but research shows multiple other causes too related to this. A study that included children with learning disabilities or dyslexia directed the cause to genes, meaning that language impairments tend to run in families. Genes can inject dyslexia into a person, but it also remains within the person’s territories to delay or minimize its impact on the person with a healthy lifestyle and exercise. Read more about this at www.firsteatright.com. Despite continuous learning, kids don’t overcome language impairments completely. While their vocabulary expands and their language skills improve they do suffer from side effects even after graduation or starting to work. To bring this to bare minimum it is advisable to diagnose specific language impairment before kindergarten and start the kid on language therapy. Eyes to See Small kids too can suffer from poor vision and this is common among preschoolers who tend to ignore the problem owing to lack of knowledge. These children feel that its normal to see double or to possess a blurry vision. But this might lead to headache, straining the eyes to see clearly or attention difficulties due to lack of clarity to view the blackboard. Improper vision is mostly due to amblyopia or lazy eye which happens when the two eyes point in two different directions or when one eye produces a better image than the other. Some kids have trouble reading words on the blackboard (nearsighted) while rarely some kids might find difficulty reading books that produce a nearby image (farsighted). Wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses can correct this problem. Screening Before Learning The best way to identify the problem at the earliest stage is to screen preschoolers for hearing loss or vision impairment. But, screening only identifies the problem and it is advisable that the child goes for regular examination to an eye specialist. Detecting the problem at an early stage and treating it help kids achieve better a hearing, vision and language experience. Overall, they get to enjoy a full-fledged learning experience.  Manipulate Intestinal Bacteria to Avoid Obesity-related Hepatic Complications Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disorder that is increasing rapidly due to staggering obesity rates. Almost 70-80% of individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes have ‘fatty liver.’ NAFDL is the accumulation of excess fat in liver cells that is not due to alcohol. Normally any liver can contain fat but when the fat is more than 5-10% of the liver’s weight, then it is termed as fatty liver (steatosis). NAFLD is generally seen in overweight/obese people and in those who have diabetes, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Rapid weight loss and poor eating habits may also lead to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Often present with no symptoms, when symptoms do occur they manifest in the form of fatigue, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, spider-like blood vessels, skin and eyes (jaundice) turning yellow, itching, fluid buildup, mind confusion and swelling of the legs (edema) and abdomen (ascites). Fatty liver disease is increasingly seen in childhood and adolescent obesity and exists as the most common form of chronic liver disease in these age groups. Gut Microbiota The gut microbiota acts just like an Akshaya Patra (meaning an inexhaustible vessel according to Hindu mythology that keeps supplying food indefinitely) surprising us with a continuous rendering of news and facts that are decoded while exploring it. There is a plethora of information available about the gut microbiota in the website www.firsteatright.com. The human gut consists of a large number of microbiota that play important roles right from absorbing nutrients to energy homeostasis. The liver exists as the first point of contact for bacterial and microbial components, endogenous and exogenous toxins present in the portal blood and acts as the first one to trigger an immunological response to these molecules. A new study published in the journal ‘Nature Medicine’ shows how certain gut bacteria cause the accumulation of fat in the liver and play a crucial role in fatty liver disease (hepatic steatosis). The research could make way for the availability of biomarkers to predict the disease and suggest solutions based on nutritional and pharmacological approaches along with the use of probiotics. Fat accumulation in the liver is associated with inflammation, chances of liver failure and a diminished ability to filter environmental and dietary toxins enhancing the risk of cancer. Fatty liver is a cunning disease, in the sense that there is no medical treatment as such available till date. The only treatment options exist in the form of diet modifications and liver transplant. The Study The study split 800 obese men and women into two groups depending on the presence or absence of fatty liver noting down a huge set of medical data. In a small group of 100 obese women, molecular analysis was done on liver biopsies and urine, fecal and plasma samples. The main concern of the researchers was to find out whether the microbiota was majorly involved in the onset of fatty liver due to obesity and type 2 diabetes. The researchers used a big data approach to get an answer to their queries. A huge database comprising of various molecular details of the microbiota, liver genes, plasma proteins and urine proteins were created and the information collected on female patients’ biopsies and clinical data was used. Algorithms were later developed to catch hold of any link between these data sets. The algorithm scanned through three million bacterial genes and the researchers found two things of primary importance:
The Cold Weather Might Seem Like a Sleeping Pill but All it Takes is the Will to Exercise11/28/2018
 Dress Up in Layers of Clothing  Love to Drink a Hot Beverage on a Cold Day is Universal We are almost into December and in a month’s time all of us would again be taking up new resolutions and goals. Most would be attempting to take up a weight loss goal and commit strongly to achieving it, at least this time. Meanwhile, why not pull up our bedsheets and sleep until its time to get ready to school/work/college? After all, it’s the time of the year when sun is showing pity on us and winter chills are making our evenings pleasant and the nights cooler. Common buddy, its time to pick up the steaming masala chai and sip through it early in the morning instead of punishing yourself in the cold weather outside! This is the feeling that’s settled into most individuals. I don’t think there’s an off-season for fitness nor does it need a vacation every year!
Winter Madness A dip in temperature can discourage even the most hardcore exercise fans and ruin all efforts taken until now. Its not uncommon to hear lame excuses ranging from ‘The cold weather can cause a runny nose’ to ‘I’ve got a busy day ahead’ given every day during the winter season for abstaining from exercising. There are some individuals who go to the gym without missing a day’s workout from January through September. Their activity levels are almost negligible during the rest of the months. It’s understandable that the breezy wind or the everyday chills are great demotivators but with planning you can cruise through winter without much hurdles. Exercise is for anyone and everyone during any season of the year. But if you are suffering from conditions such as asthma and heart problems it is better to consult your physician before you exercise. The tips here can help you exercise safely and warmly during winter. Workout wear: Any comfortable clothing is suited while exercising. Sometimes these are not only for aesthetics but also designed to suit weather conditions and sweat expulsion. Its recommended to wear layers of clothes and cover up your nose and heads protectively against the chilly breeze. Never wear wet clothes as these can aggravate chillness and lead to sickness sometime. Cover up your fingers and toes with gloves and socks to avoid frost bites. Dressing up too warmly is also not advisable as sweat starts leaving the body once you start exercising (this generates heat). Its good to dress in layers as they are easy to remove once you feel sweaty and also easier to wear them back if you feel cold again. Warm Up: Muscles are flexible and they need to be chiseled in the right way to stay healthy and prevent injury. Do warm up indoors to activate your muscles before heading out. This helps to increase your body temperature and feel warm already before going out. If the gym or activity class is nearby a brisk walk to it is all that is required to warm up your muscles. Cool Down: After workout you might be sweaty and heading out instantly into the cold weather is all that is required to catch a bad cold. Do simple stretches after the workout to save yourself from injury. Stay Hydrated: Many have got the wrong perception that drinking water is restricted for summer months. Its quite silly as water is water and staying hydrated is necessary for good health any time of the year. Its only the quantity of water that we drink that varies. You may feel that you sweat less but what you don’t notice is the increase in urine production. Stay hydrated by drinking water before, during and after workout even if you don’t feel thirsty. How much to drink and how often to drink are common questions for which answers are available at www.firsteatright.com. Apply Sunscreen: The sun might play hide and seek buts its better to wear your sunscreen to protect the skin. Its also necessary to ensure that the shoes you wear provide enough traction. Despite all these if you still feel gloomy to exercise in the morning try to go for an early-evening or post-lunch workout. Take a quick walk after lunch around your office, do physical activity inside your home when you have time or bring home a friend to dance to some peppy numbers. Rarely, you might face a couple of hurdles that prevent you from exercising. When that’s the case try to at least do aerobic exercises thrice a week but ensure to maintain the pace and intensity. Its better to exercise with a partner during these times as both of you depend on each other. This dependency makes you commit to your health as well as your routine as your efforts impact the other person’s health and none would wish to be a spoilsport.  Ditch the Drab Carb? We are becoming increasingly displeased with many food groups/macronutrients such as fats, carbs and dairy as all of us are intentionally or unintentionally gaining weight. This hatred, displeasure or unrest-you can name it whatever you want to-has paved way for different diets such as Atkin (low carb diet), ketogenic (low carb, high fat diet) and so on. Fitness freaks, figure-conscious people and even those interested in eating healthy foods run away from potatoes, bananas and even dates, all of which are excellent sources of good carbs. All this reinstates the point that it’s time to refresh our basics of a healthy diet.
If fats, carbs and full-fat dairy are declared to be untouchables, there are not many options left for consumption. Low-carb diets such as the Atkins are in demand currently for their accelerated weight loss effects and reduced risk of illnesses. But a new study shows that following a low-carb or high-carb diet increases the risk of death whereas a diet including all food groups in moderation has a positive effect on long-term health. Any diet comprising of less than 40% or more than 70% of calories from carbohydrates was associated with the highest risk of mortality and consuming anything between 40 and 70% set grounds for a healthy life. Bias in Creating Carbs A US study conducted for a period of more than 25 years indicated the ill-effects of too much or too little carb consumption. This study, published in The Lancet questioned around 15,400 people on their food habits, beverage consumption and portion sizes. All participants were aged between 45 and 64 and requested to fill two questionnaire six years apart. Their health was monitored for 25 years which included close observation of smoking, income and diabetes pattern. Finally, the study results were amalgamated with seven other study results carried out worldwide and including more than 430,000 people. Nutrition and fitness have become a priority for all of us but what we lack is a clear idea about what we should eat and do. That’s mainly because, one day we are surprised with a study result indicating that a high carb diet is healthier and the next day we get another study indicating that a low carb diet is better. That’s how the latest study cropped up which includes a combination of both, high and low-carb diet. At the end of the 25-year follow-up researchers understood that:
Any low-carb diet might prove to be fruitful in the short term but have negative consequences in the long run. Rejecting potatoes, bread and pasta while pursuing a low-carb diet is extremely imbalanced and must be discouraged. Assuming that an individual consumes around 2,000 kcal/per and when carbs account for 30% calories, it comes to only 150g a day of which sugar alone comprises of 50g and when you ignore the rest 100g of carbs too substituting it with other foods, you are ignoring the macronutrient almost completely. This is not the case with every individual but there are some people who consume a low-carb diet in the form of animal fats and meat instead of vegetables, fruits and grains. One important fact to be observed and followed is that, it is not enough to give importance only to the nutrient but also focus whether they are derived from animal or plant sources. Any individual unsure about the right proportion of carbs to be included in the diet, the complete list of good and bad carbs and the right portion of each carbs can get complete information by getting in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com.  Pick out A Right Purpose, Make Your Life Brighter  Chilling Out with Friends is Great but it's not the Ultimatum Every human lives on this earth with a purpose. The nature of the purpose does not matter mostly and it is false to assume that only certain aspects of life can be acknowledged as meaningful. It rather depends on the person defining his/her purpose of life. The President of the country as well as the petty shop owner surviving in this business for the last 20 or so years have their own purpose of life which is extremely important for carrying out their day-to-day activities. When I say that human existence is meaningful only when there is a purpose to live, what am I meaning here? Is it only about developing a strong value-based family, rearing children, studying well or going for a white-collar job? Definitely not! So, are all people who have lost their spouse, children, uneducated or unemployed just leading a worthless life? That is also not the case. The purpose can be anything from living for the sake of a pet to fulfilling chores in orphanages leading a life of service. With all this comes the next question, “Are all these people happy in life or are they defining a purpose only because they need to live?”
Hedonic & Eudaimonic Well-being Happiness has been a debated and discussed topic for many centuries right from the Ancient Greek philosophy, Utilitarianism and the current research done on well-being. Happiness was a concept looked only from the monetary perspective a few decades back, but now gladly, this concept is sought-after and valued more than just minting money or earning goodwill. Well-being of a person also affects his/her stress levels and anxiety. Stress can lead to a number of health problems that can derail a person’s health and for a complete insight on the stress-related health problems, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com. Also, theories on well-being impose the view of hedonism-maximize pleasure and minimize pain-which can be rooted to the beliefs of Aristippus, a Greek philosopher, who strongly trusted happiness to be the ultimate goal in life. Eudaimonia Eudaimonia is a Greek word that gets translated as ‘happiness’ and this can be often misleading. It comes as no surprise when one questions now how exactly is eudaimonic well-being different from hedonic when both have their roots as happiness. The goal might be similar, but the means are completely different. Aristotle’s Brainchild Eudaimonia was the brainchild of Aristotle who believed happiness to be a vulgar idea and objected against taking action for all desires in life as even though some of them may give us pleasure, they would surely not produce wellness. Aristotle believes happiness is measurable in terms of how well you have led your life as in how well you have used your complete potential as a human being in leading your life. According to Aristotle, "for as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy." We cannot predict a movie to be fantastic only after seeing the first half as there is quite a many chance that the second half turns out to be boring! Similarly, one cannot tell that he/she has lived a happy life until almost it is over! Sadly, most people define themselves to be happy after having a gala time with friends or chilling out with a bottle of wine. These are small episodes in life that surely make you happy, but these small pleasures are only short-lived and actual happiness depends on the quality of life you lead. Aristotle believes happiness to be a combination of health, wealth, knowledge, friends, career and many such things that help to enrich human life. Purpose of life is closely connected to eudaimonic well-being and inversely related to hedonic well-being. The first has a deeper sense and strong meaning while the second is superficial and temporary. For example, playing with their child/talking to them might not give many parents happiness as they feel happier watching a movie but raising a family gives a deeper meaning to life and makes it complete. Self or Service Personal development involves understanding ones plus and minus, working out methods to capitalize on the positives and minimize the negatives, striving hard to succeed and grow in life. Love/affection, family, career and success are four things that every human being wishes for. Once he/she achieves these, the next step is well-being. We begin to look out for pleasure in life, partying, socializing, becoming better financially and having good time. Some people commit their lives for the sake of others. For example, we might come across someone who has given up marriage to take care of his/her ailing parent, a mom who has given up her career for the sake of raising (not simply looking after them) her children to grow into better citizens. Note that, these people have only given up their personal development for the development/existence of people they feel more important in their life. They do this without losing themselves in the process. Finding a purpose in life is not a one-time decision, it can keep changing as you lead life. Its not as hard as an invention nor can you simply get it by using Google search. You need to think, communicate and finally commit to your purpose of life! Instead of finding the meaning of life, try to build meaning into your life. Hedonic or eudaimonic, live your life with a purpose in the ethical way. During this process comes your career, money, children, family, friends, wine, fun, food, travel and all other things. Its up to you to balance all these in equal proportions and achieve well-being, both physical and mental.  Spend Sometime Stretching & Relaxing to Ease the Pain Off  Stretch your Joints to Increase Blood Flow Rheumatoid arthritis is more commonly associated with morning stiffness. We love to get up with a dash of energy after a good night’s sleep. It feels disappointing to realize hints of a bad headache soon after getting up. We feel frustrated and upset though this situation might be a rare one. Imagine the plight of those people getting up from their bed with pain and discomfort all through their body every single day of their lives. Its distressing and calls for some immediate intervention.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint pain, stiffness (including morning stiffness) and inflammation. More than 80% of people with RA experience morning stiffness. The percentage is so high because the core of this problem is due to prolonged joint inactivity that’s not avoidable as you are asleep. To sail smoothly through the day, it is better to ease out of the morning stiffness pain as soon as you wake up, maybe even before getting out of bed. Practicing the below-given tips regularly can help you as much as possible: Get up earlier than required to increase mobility on your joints: After waking up, move your stiff joints slowly and gently, give circular motions and don’t stretch them too much. This must be done for every joint of the body including your wrist, knee, elbows, fingers and neck irrespective of whether they pain or not. Heat therapy: Try giving heat therapy in bed for 30 minutes by placing a heating pad on the joints. Use this time to read your paper in the mobile or your favorite book. Even if you don’t have 30 minutes try doing it for at least 10-15 minutes for which you need to get up early. A hot shower: Right after some exercises for relaxing your joints go for a hot shower. Its good to use a 30-minute hot water bath or if you don’t have much time to spare at least go for a quick 10-20-minute hot water bath. Heat helps to warm your joints and causes the blood to move to the surface of your skin. Stretch & relax: As soon as you get up stretch your joints and muscles to increase blood flow, elevate circulation and reduce pain. There is no harm in doing it in the comfort of your bed but do it slowly. Bend your knees, rotate your elbows and ankles and do some simple yoga poses (after learning them from a professional) to keep your joints active. It does take time for them to start responding normally but the results are worth the efforts taken. Stress is bad for RA and might elevate your pain. Meditate, do some breathing exercises or listen to soothing music to calm down. This helps to manage your morning stiffness. Drink water: Staying hydrated is essential to keep your joints in the right way as our joints require enough hydration to stay healthy. Its advisable to keep a bottle of water near your bed and use them whenever required rather than getting up with a stiff back that might only prevent you from getting out of bed. Healthy breakfast: The right breakfast helps to keep you healthy, nutritious and packed with energy to sail through the day with a zing. Choose an anti-inflammatory diet that goes easy on your inflammation. Get in touch with reputed dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to help you plan an anti-inflammatory diet suiting your body requirements. This might hep to ease pain, keep you healthy and prevent you from getting hit by inflammation problems badly. Take breaks between work: Morning stiffness can rarely extend beyond the first hour or so after getting up in the morning and last for hours together too. If you have the opportunity to work from home utilize this option as it gives you more chances of moving around in between work. Taking breaks and stretching your arms and legs is mandatory to keep your muscles and joints flexible. Always keep meds by your bed: Medicines can lessen morning stiffness symptoms but it’s not good to reach out for them every time owing to their side effects. Just in case you might need them, its advisable to keep medicines near the bed so that you can use them in the morning to ease stiffness symptoms before getting out of bed.  Succumbing to Dejection is not the Solution; Work Towards Improvement Infertility rates are skyrocketing and the blame has been shifted from the woman to the man in the family. Earlier, women bore the entire brunt of the infertility problem but increasing evidences nowadays have shown that men too are responsible in almost 50% of the cases. There are more men visiting a physician complaining of erectile dysfunction and other such related problems. Lifestyle, obesity/overweight and stress are generally blamed for such issues with the male population but these factors can also contribute towards decreased testosterone rates which in turn influence sexual function.
Andropause Menopause is not the birth right of women alone and the poor male population too suffer from such a phase called the ‘andropause’. Testosterone levels decline gradually after the age of 40 at almost 3% rate every year clinically termed as ‘andropause’ or ‘male menopause’. For those of you who are surprised with this terminology and doubt about its existence, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com for a detailed briefing. The society cautions a woman to bear children before she enters late 20s fearing infertility problems but they can’t care lesser for the men who are victims of increased infertility rates as they grow old. An 80-year-old man’s testosterone levels are almost 50% lesser that what he had during younger years. So, men trying for children in their late 30s or 40s experience setbacks and problems in their journey of conceiving. Commit to Testosterone Lower levels of testosterone pave way for weight gain, decreased muscle and bone density, anxiety, depression, sexual problems and stress. Hormone replacement therapies are easily available but their side effects are intense and not negligible. Testicle shrinkage and decreased sperm production are possible. Rather than going for such solutions, a well-balanced approach to improve testosterone production would be the ideal way to solve this problem. Exercise: If only you were aware that weight lifting and squats were excellent boosters of testosterone levels, many of you would have done them day in and day out! Any exercise done using larger muscles such as those in the legs and back increase testosterone levels. Perfect examples include squats, deadlifts and lifting heavy weights. Remember to do cardio exercises as well along with these to benefit the entire body. Never overdo any exercise as it can lead to falling testosterone levels. Common signs of overdoing exercises include sleeping troubles, trouble recovering from workouts and diminished performance. You Reap what You Eat: What goes into your body matters a lot! Anything that promotes weight gain and diabetes is sure to decrease testosterone. This does not suggest that you totally refrain from carbs but choose your carbs wisely. Go for those that take time to metabolize such as fruits, vegetables and whole-grains. Sleep: It’s believed that maximum testosterone production happens in the early morning hours. Also, please refrain from using mobiles after 9 p.m. in the night as the light rays affect your sleep quality. Keep your bedroom comfortable with the blinds intact, a light fragrance emanating from a corner and go to sleep after a warm shower. You can even meditate for a while to enable better sleep. Supplements: Don’t forget your supplements. One can always talk to the physician regarding their use to solve your hormone-related problems. Nutritional supplements can always boost testosterone levels. Doctors too must never assume normal testosterone levels in younger men due to their age and check the ranges to get to the bottom of the problem.  Eat a Plant-based Diet to Fulfill Micronutrient Requirements Absence of good nutritional intake help diseases blossom into the lives of humans without much efforts. Not many individuals in this world die a blissful death without a single instance of pain, presence of diseases, health issues or stress. Each of us were blessed with our life and it is upon us to utilize this life for the better or worse depending on the way we choose to live. Cases of high BP, high blood glucose levels, cholesterol, stroke, obesity and heart disease are everywhere with the rates pretty higher than usual. We can rule out BP as a side effect of stress but what about blood glucose levels, obesity or heart failure? All these diseases generally have an inactive lifestyle as their background for blossoming for which we are clearly aware of the culprit! Life is a one-time plan, but top ups can be of various varieties. Choice of the top-up depends on the individual living it-you can choose to go the healthier way, choose to live life as per your terms and suffer from consequences later or enjoy life as well as focus on health simultaneously-and these top ups determine the course that life will take in the long run.
Heart Failure Individuals suffer from heart failure due to various reasons and get treated for it. They are furnished with a post-treatment diet plan to stay healthy without any variations in heart functioning. Well and good if the individual sticks to this plan and lives a healthy life but the consequences can be devastative if the same individual refrains from all such plans and leads life on his/her own terms. There is even a latest study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that proves that consuming a varied-quality diet could help prevent hospitalization or even death in patients with heart failure. When a person with heart failure suffers from multiple nutritional deficiencies he/she is at a two-times higher risk of dying or being hospitalized than those who are devoid of any deficiencies or suffer from a minimal number of them. Hair fall, nail color changes or skin tone differences are not the primary effects of nutrient deficiencies but the ones such as diseases and disorders. Alas, mankind is more bothered about going bald or losing skin glow more than taking steps to prevent long-term side effects of decreased nutrients intake. The current study proves the point that nutritional deficiencies go a long way in determining a patient’s risk than what we are currently aware of. The study suggested 246 heart patients from three different countries to maintain a detailed journal of their daily food and beverage intake continuously for four days. Researchers had a list of 17 micronutrients (11 vitamins, 6 minerals) jotted down and analyzed the patient’s intake of these nutrients from the food diaries. Results showed that 44% patients who suffered from seven or more micronutrient deficiencies were hospitalized or died within the end of year compared to only 25% of patients who suffered from no deficiencies or only a few. Calcium occupied top position in the missing list of micronutrients followed by magnesium, vitamins D and E, zinc and vitamin C. When Variety Becomes Stressful None can avoid a wide spread of food items without being tempted to taste and there is also none who dislikes variety. People stick with a particular food group or meal plan owing to various reasons such as lack of time, decreased interest in food due to ageing or circumstantial pressure. The study group found that lack of multiple micronutrients could be the result of eating the same food daily as the study found many patients eating the same food multiple times a day across all the four days. The average age of patients involved in the study was not less than 61 years and their old age was a compelling factor to believe in the concept of ‘decreased desire to consume various foods.’ Moreover, a majority of these patients were overweight/obese disproving the long-standing association between a patient’s weight and nutritional deficiencies. Not even a thin strand of thread connects a person’s BMI with his/her nutritional deficiencies and by all means, it is advisable to stop gauging a person’s nourishment level depending on body stature. Not all overweight people are well-nourished and not all underweight people are starved! Overweight or underweight, get onto your healthy weight range by consulting registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com. Plant-based foods are usually rich in micronutrients such as fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains. You can elevate micronutrients intake by adding a small portion of fish and dairy products to this plant-based food chart. Put together, what we need is a well-balanced, nutritional meal that never compromises on the quality of the foods we eat.  Who Am I?  Male Have a Dominant Sense of Direction The battle of the sexes has no end and it continues forever! Anatomical differences in body structure, facial hair and sex organs are well-know, but do such differences reach our brains too?
Researchers have been working on the underlying differences in brain structures between a man and a woman and have come up with evidence-linked conclusions. On an average, a man’s brain has almost 8-13% larger total brain volume than a woman’s brain. Brain composition also differed greatly-male brains have much more white matter while female brains contain more grey matter in the cerebral cortex. Women have thicker cortices (increased cognition and overall intelligence) than men and men had higher brain volumes than women in every subcortical region including the hippocampus, amygdala, striatum and thalamus. Now, how do men and women react to the same external stimuli/cognitive skills? If they react differently, how do they perform the same task and will such differences affect brain disorders? Different by Birth As soon as a new born comes into this world, the infant is wrapped up in a blue or pink towel denoting that he/she is a boy or girl respectively. For example, one study done on rhesus monkeys offered male and female monkeys girly (plush) or boyish (Wheeled) toys and observed the toys chosen by any of them. The research team were surprised at how the male rhesus monkey preferred the wheeled-toys while the female rhesus monkey wanted the plush ones. This shows how boys and girls differ in their choice of physical activity and energy expenditure. A seven-month old baby girl loves to see faces and expresses joy when people surround her. These are genetically tuned behaviors which can never be removed from our DNAs. It can only be modified as the infant grows. Different Activation Patterns There are a number of studies that focus on the different brain parts that are activated while performing a similar task. For instance, male and female participants were asked their solution for a maze task where the participants were requested to find their way out of a complex maze. In men, the left hippocampus (context-dependent memory) sparked immediately and in women the right posterior parietal cortex associated with spatial perception, motor control and right preferential control immediately lit up. There are already results supporting the fact that men outperform women in specific spatial tasks and this includes the fact that men have a better sense of direction than women. Read more about this at www.firsteatright.com. Hippocampus is needed to make use of cardinal directions and this helps men solve the maze problem much faster. In early times, men were hunters and women were gatherers which led to different ways in which the brain evolved. This makes women better at finding objects locally. For instance, women are much adept at finding things in the house while men are faster at finding the house. A study analyzed three groups of people: male-male, female-female and male-female couples who performed similar tasks that needed synchronization and cooperation. Same-sex couples performed better but different brain parts were activated in the male-male versus female-female subjects. Such different activation patterns lead to different behavior between the two sexes. Even while resting, male and female brains work differently. In a resting state, the brains are not responding to any direct tasks, but it doesn’t mean that the brains are not active. When male and female brains were scanned at rest, it showed that the various differences between males and females at this state might be the reason for the difference in their behavior too. But, there are also studies that show that there is no significant difference in the white and grey matter in brains of people of different sexes. Human brains possess different interests, behaviors and attitudes and instead of differentiating human brains as masculine or feminine, it would be better if we start understanding and appreciating the diversity of our human brain. Social Cues Never cheat a woman, she reads you like an open book! Women constantly boast of being better judges at people’s behavior and a study also seconds their beliefs. Women outperform men in terms of social cognition and in ways they understand and respond to other people’s social behavior. Areas of brain responsible for brain function shows that men’s brain try to work hard to process social information and take decisions. Brain Disorders Men and women react to situations differently and suffer from different set of problems due to their emotional quotient. One study shows that microglia, specialized cells belonging to the brain’s immune system, are much more active in women showing that women are more exposed to chronic pain than men. Also, women show increased brain activity in more regions of the brain compared to men. Women show increased functioning of the prefrontal cortex and the limbic regions, both of which are associated with impulse control and mood regulation, and this shows clearly that women are much more susceptible to depression and anxiety disorders. That’s also due to the fact that women keep replaying the situation, concentrating more on the problems and the negativity surrounding these problems rather than involving themselves in solving the problem at hand. A vast study of the sex-based differences in the brain confirms that men and women suffer from different brain disorders-autism, ADHD, conduct disorder, specific language impairment, Tourette syndrome and dyslexia are profoundly visible among males while conditions such as depression, anxiety disorder and anorexia nervosa are predominantly present among females. Generally… Women are talkative and love to chat which all of us are aware about. But this does not stop with gossip or useless chats but also prove to be useful in demonstrating verbal abilities. In general, women excel in verbal abilities, reading skills and writing performances far better than men and are quick to retrieve information from long-term memory. Men, on the other hand, excel in visualizing 2D or 3D objects in space, at aiming projectiles and tracking moving objects. Men and women have different sex hormones-estrogen and progesterone in women; testosterone and androgen in men; Brain regions that differ in size between the two sexes contain high receptors for these sex hormones. Also, the sex chromosomes that form one pair among the 23 pairs of human chromosomes in each cell activate the brain differently. Whatever might be your sex, it finally depends on the individual to take it up in his/her stride and do as much as possible to achieve best results in any field. There might be genetic differences in which we are wired, but nurture plays an equal role in molding our skills and tune-fining our thinking caps.  Wow! Its All in the Gene!  Nature with Nurture Makes Your Kid a Whiz A child’s education and schooling influence many important decisions and brings about critical changes in parents’ life-some shift locations within the city to enroll their child in the best school, some moms quit their job to focus on children while rarely, some parents even change cities to offer the best education to their child. Parents are constantly worried over their children’s performance in school but what they lack is the knowledge that their kids were already blessed with talent and skill to shine and succeed before they were delivered out of the womb! By no means does this promote the fact that what one does to sharpen skillset is a waste of time. There are plenty of environmental factors too that determine academic achievement along with what the gene has bestowed upon your child.
Whiz Kids Every kid is a talented individual who is blessed with different abilities. It is in our hands to nurture these abilities and help our kids shine through. Instead, what we do is force them to do what every other child does-read math, science, history and geography. Beyond this, we harass our children to score well and vent out anger when these kids don’t excel well. Instead of grooming a kid to become well-versed in his/her talented field, all that we do is impose something onto our little ones. It is a well-established fact that different children perform differently at school. Recent studies and research reveal the fact that almost two-thirds differences in school performance can be attributed to differences in a child’s underlying genes. Research shows the impact of genes on a child’s performance at primary school and even on various subjects. There are not many studies relating to how genetic and environmental factors influence a child’s academic performance throughout schooling years. A research group focused on this and analyzed it on more than 6,000 pairs of twins. Twins were chosen for the study to analyze differences arising as a result of genetic factors. Twinning Success Identical twins share 100% of their genes while non-identical twins share 50% of their genes-just like any other siblings. Researchers found educational performance to be almost standardized through the schooling period-kids who performed well in primary school continued their performance until graduation. Genetic factors played a key role in affecting 70% of this output while another 25% was attributed to environmental factors and the remaining 5% due to differences in friends or teachers. The study found that changes in performance between primary and secondary school was largely determined by environmental factors that was different in case of each twin. Under controlled environments too, genetics still accounted for 60% of a child’s chance of academic success despite both cognitive and non-cognitive traits such as health, family, encouragement and behavioral problems contributing towards academic excellence. For more information on how environmental factors impact success/failure in an individual’s life, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com. ‘Top’ Up Genes with Timely Intervention This result also makes us wonder whether we can use DNA tests at birth to identify kids who suffer from cognitive disabilities such as reading problems. Singling out such kids and coming up with strategic solutions to correct these issues can prevent problems all through schooling. If such intervention is not taken, it is likely that the kid struggles academically in school. A child might be a genius at birth or have a below-average IQ level comparatively. One thing people must understand is that despite genes determining intelligence and inheritance dominating success, environmental factors too can influence an individual largely. These factors can at least help struggling children attain close-to-normal IQ levels. Making up for a genetic disadvantage is never easy but with the right training tools, mindset, reading practices and a motivating environment, we can surely witness progress and success. Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November 1st to November 30th)  Don't Misinterpret Lung Cancer for Bronchitis or Pneumonia  Early Detection Increases Survival Rates Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is primarily of two types namely non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) Each type has multiple stages which are delineated based on the location of the tumor. Generally, lung cancer is diagnosed in the later stages mostly owing to the large surface area of lungs which gives enough time for the tumor to grow before they are ever diagnosed.
Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) This is the most common type prevalent in 85% patients detected with lung cancer and has three different subtypes as they originate from three different types of lung cells namely adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Each of the types has different stages through which a person goes through and the stage at which the disease is diagnosed determines the individual’s survival hopes. Stage 1: The cancer is present only in the lungs without spreading to the lymph nodes. Stage 2: At this stage, the cancer is present in the lungs and the nearby lymph nodes. Stage 3: The cancer progresses from the nearby lymph nodes to the lymph nodes present in the middle of the chest apart from being located in the lungs. Termed as ‘locally advanced disease’ at this stage, it is further split into two different subtypes. Stage 3A: Here, the cancer spreads to lymph nodes on the same side of the chest where cancer started. Stage 3B: Here, cancer spreads to lymph nodes on the opposite side of the chest where cancer initially originated. Stage 4: This is the final stage of the disease also known as the advanced disease where cancer has spread to both lungs, the fluid surrounding the lungs or even to other parts of the body. Small Cell Lung Cancer The remaining lung cancer cases belong to this type. Though they grow quicker than NSCLC tumor, they respond more faster too to chemotherapy compared to NSCLC. There are two stages here: Limited stage: Cancer is present on one side of the chest, specifically contained in one part of the lungs and its nearby lymph nodes. Extensive stage: At this stage, cancer has spread to other regions of the chest or even to other parts of the body. Most symptoms of lung cancer are mistaken for bronchitis or pneumonia which accounts for more than 70% of lung cancer cases to be in advanced stage when they are diagnosed. Earlier the diagnosis stage, better the chances of successful treatment. Smoking is the main cause of lung cancer and it is advisable that smokers get themselves screened for the disease every year to ensure early diagnosis (if the disease is present). November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and you can find A-Z information on lung cancer by visiting the website www.firsteatright.com.  Flex Your Muscles, Shed Some Calories  Stand & Work Together, Encourage Each Other Flex your muscles, shake your hips, move around and you might lose weight. One cannot be assured of weight loss even after such extensive physical routines as there are many other factors that affect our weight measures. We find ourselves entangled in the humdrum work schedules at office glued to our seats for a couple of hours together without a single break. This might seem justifiable to our hefty salary packages but what justice are we doing to our priceless body that toils tirelessly? No denial that many people nowadays regularly workout, go for a walk or do yoga as a part of their daily physical activity but the whole point here is whether this one hour of activity (on an average) is sufficient enough to maintain our health and keep us fit! We have evolved as a society where desk jobs are the day’s norm and the only people shuttling back and forth are the marketing guys, fruit/vegetable vendor and other sales persons.
Dawn to Desk Punishments at school involve standing outside the class, kneeling down or running around the ground when some student fails to complete a given activity. Though embarrassing for the kid involved it now sounds like a solid chunk of exercise that could garner plenty of benefits. That’s because, a new study by itself approves of standing rather than sitting down while working to lose weight. While the study comes just at the right time when obesity rates are increasing more and more, there are already few companies who have incorporated this change into their workstations. That’s employee friendliness to name it! These offices have standing workstations that equip employees with provisions to stand for as long as they want and work to their heart’s content. The link between obesity and inactivity is well-established and there are numerous studies that show that sitting too much can increase fat accumulation around internal organs, advance biological aging or shorten telomers (nucleotide sequences present at the end of chromosomes playing an active role in affecting aging process). Keeping yourself active with some exercise schedules is the appropriate way to stay fit and in a healthy weight range but how feasible is it to most of us to go to the gym every day in the morning, especially for women who are still the primary individuals who cook, clean, send children to school and go to office too? It’s far from practical for many, especially those who commute for long hours. The latest study result excites these people and makes them wonder whether something as simple as standing can help one lose weight. Study The study was an analysis of 46 different studies which had 1,184 participants totally whose average age was 33 and 60% were men. Their average BMI was 24 and weight 65 kilograms. According to one of the senior-most individuals who excels in cardiology, standing not only helps to burn calories but the additional muscle activity is associated with decreased risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Realize the overall impact of a person’s weight on increased/decreased stroke and heart attack risk by visiting the website www.firsteatright.com. The researchers found that standing burned 0.15 kcal per minute more than sitting down. Standing might seem to be a punishment initially or even impossible for those used to doing desk jobs but for a person who sits for 12 hours a day reducing it by as much as 50% would benefit him/her extensively. The study team feels that the energy expelled while standing in comparison to sitting might be much greater than what the study found. That’s because, one cannot stand like a statue but is sure to make small bodily movements, such as swaying hands, shifting body weight from foot to another or taking a step back or forth. Calories burnt due to standing is doubled in case of men compared to women which is indicative of effects of greater muscle mass in men on the number of calories burnt. This even encourages people to walk over and discuss an issue with their colleague or put something into the bin that’s further down without much hesitation. Standing instead of sitting helps reduce the risk of long-term weight gain as the basic idea is to involve some low-impact activity into our everyday routine to improve health. Ways to Stand More
 Rope in Your Little One to Dance Around or Play Out Befriending Activity You are remarkably blessed if you have a daughter/son aged anywhere between 5-15 years who spends time playing outdoor games, riding bicycle or enjoys walking down the greener paths with a bunch of friends who talk avidly about interesting things in life. That’s because, many kids in this age roam around with a smartphone/tablet in hand or spend time watching television. Such actions and device-free play times are not coincidental but the results of constantly preaching, practicing and patronizing limited screen-time. Nowadays, its not surprising to find even 7- or 8-year old children complaining of fatigue and tiredness even before completing two or three rounds of jogging/running in the school playground. Kids these days are well-adjusted to the comfortable lifestyle provided by parents. All their requirements are fulfilled even before they are required to ask for it owing to many single-child families where the child becomes the center of attention of the entire family. Most families have both, mom and dad working and this leaves the child at the mercy of grandparents, caretakers, friends or electronic gadgets. Caretakers can never replace the love and warmth of parents as most of them only discharge their duties without any passion or interest towards what they do. Grandparents shower their love on grandchildren, but age restriction does not permit them to play to the whims and fancies of small kids. Finally, these kids divert all their attention towards electronic gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and television. Electronic Gadgets & Obesity Sedentary behavior (SB) such as watching television, playing video games and other screen-related activities are primary contributors of decreased physical activities in kids and this sedentary behavior is linked with overweight/obesity in young people. Parenting norms and the society around can affect a child’s SB. When parents strictly warn their kids against watching TV/playing games for not more than 2 hours in a day, one study found that this reduced SB by 8 min/day and decreased screen time by almost 38 min/day. Almost all 5- to 8-year-old kids spend more than three hours a day watching television or using smartphones while many of them even have their own smartphones. There is another study from 2014 that shows that teenagers who spent their significant portion of available time watching television, playing video games or fidgeting with smartphones were highly likely to grow into obese young adults who are prone to diseases such as heart disease and stroke. If you are burdened by the thought of telling ‘no’ to television or smartphones, don’t worry. Kids these days are extremely smart and are capable enough to divert their attention towards some other activity that interests them. Of course, this activity would be much better and healthier than watching TV or playing games. If you are still not sure about the staggering side effects of social media and smartphone use, recent research has revealed that children are becoming weaker, less muscular with decreasing grip ability and strength. They are able to do lesser number of sit-ups continuously or hang for lesser time periods from wall bars in gyms. For a complete picture on the devastating effects of electronic gadgets on children’s health, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com. Early day games or fun activities included climbing trees, swimming across ponds and playing hopscotch. Although these games might include falling off a branch or bruising your knees, all these serve as quick lessons to pick yourself up and try again, climb better or run faster. But, many schools or parents themselves prevent their kids from engaging in such activities owing to fear of pain or bruise.
Start the Practice
Parents train kids to do daily activities and teach them what’s right and what’s wrong. Likewise, why aren’t parents taking up limiting screen time too as a challenging task and finish it successfully? Some suggestions given here can help parents in this regard:
 Mothers Must Fully Recover from Pregnancy Effects before Planning for Another  Lower the Age Difference, Stronger the Bond between Siblings Raising a single kid is a hectic affair these days with exuberant school fee structures, overcharged delivery expenses and the increasing financial costs. Parents either don’t want to plan for a baby forever or most of them wish to just stop with one owing to personal choices or health conditions of the mother. Experiencing the pain of childbirth too plays a vital role in this. This decision might suddenly seem unfair to you once your child grows up a little and feels lonely looking at his/her friends and their siblings, family might pressurize you to go for a second one or you might be the sole reason for the change in your own decision. Once things settle down and you decide to plan for a second baby the first question that comes to your mind is the ideal time gap between two pregnancies.
Ball is in your Court I am sure that most of you reading this article are blessed with siblings and your age difference is anywhere between 2-5 years. Defining age gap between pregnancies is purely your choice and you need to decide after considering various factors foremost of which is the mother’s health before choosing the right time for your next bundle of joy. Two things: to decide to have a second baby and timing the second pregnancy, both are in your hands but none of it must be at the cost of the mom’s health. Couples plan their first child with utmost caution leaving a gap of even five years after marriage before settling the family way. Some couples plan the number of children, time gap between every two kids and carry it out perfectly (if nature obliges so!) settling into marital bliss. Whatever your plan is, it is top-most priority to never compromise on the mother’s health. Every plan has its pros and cons. Pregnancies that are too closely or too distantly spaced carry their own set of resulting consequences. All is Well that Ends Well If your babies just have a gap of 12 months or 18 months there is no chance of sibling rivalry that exists as the prime cause of fight and jealousy among siblings. Rather, they might be best friends sharing a strong bond and having similar wavelengths due to minimal age difference. All these advantages are countered by the disadvantages it imposes on the mother’s health. The mom’s sleepless nights double, responsibility increases two-folds as both the kids are small unable to attend to their needs by themselves and such a less gap might even result in preterm deliveries and low-birth-weight infants. Couples who space their pregnancies two years from each other are doing a good job with their planning as the first child is old enough to express his/her needs and the mom would have almost recovered from her previous pregnancy. Pregnancies planned with three years gap are even better as the first kid becomes old enough to be quite independent, mom’s health is 100% fine and she can attend to both the kids needs as their requirements are completely different from each other. Waiting for more than five years is again a pain as research shows that it increases the mother’s chances of developing health problems, especially in those women who are of an older age. Paternal age too decides a healthy pregnancy and if you are surprised by this statement, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com for more details. Not Too Less, Not Too More WHO guidelines recommend not less than 24 months before getting pregnant with the second child. In worse cases, there must be at least 18 months difference maintained. But a new research suggests changes that one need not wait as long as 18 months before getting pregnant and its enough to just wait for a year between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This comes as a welcome relief to many women over the age of 35 planning to go the family way. This study shows that time gap between 12-18 months is more than enough time to giving birth and getting pregnant again. Risk of premature labor and maternal mortality dropped significantly once the woman spaced her pregnancies 12-18 months apart, according to the study. Pregnancies that have a very short spacing either are unplanned or are planned purposefully by older women. Within the stipulated time gap it is up to the mother to use contraceptives wisely and abstain from pregnancy.  Spend Sometime Stretching & Relaxing to Ease the Pain Off  Stretch your Joints to Increase Blood Flow Rheumatoid arthritis is more commonly associated with morning stiffness. We love to get up with a dash of energy after a good night’s sleep. It feels disappointing to realize hints of a bad headache soon after getting up. We feel frustrated and upset though this situation might be a rare one. Imagine the plight of those people getting up from their bed with pain and discomfort all through their body every single day of their lives. Its distressing and calls for some immediate intervention.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes joint pain, stiffness (including morning stiffness) and inflammation. More than 80% of people with RA experience morning stiffness. The percentage is so high because the core of this problem is due to prolonged joint inactivity that’s not avoidable as you are asleep. To sail smoothly through the day, it is better to ease out of the morning stiffness pain as soon as you wake up, maybe even before getting out of bed. Practicing the below-given tips regularly can help you as much as possible: Get up earlier than required to increase mobility on your joints: After waking up, move your stiff joints slowly and gently, give circular motions and don’t stretch them too much. This must be done for every joint of the body including your wrist, knee, elbows, fingers and neck irrespective of whether they pain or not. Heat therapy: Try giving heat therapy in bed for 30 minutes by placing a heating pad on the joints. Use this time to read your paper in the mobile or your favorite book. Even if you don’t have 30 minutes try doing it for at least 10-15 minutes for which you need to get up early. A hot shower: Right after some exercises for relaxing your joints go for a hot shower. Its good to use a 30-minute hot water bath or if you don’t have much time to spare at least go for a quick 10-20-minute hot water bath. Heat helps to warm your joints and causes the blood to move to the surface of your skin. Stretch & relax: As soon as you get up stretch your joints and muscles to increase blood flow, elevate circulation and reduce pain. There is no harm in doing it in the comfort of your bed but do it slowly. Bend your knees, rotate your elbows and ankles and do some simple yoga poses (after learning them from a professional) to keep your joints active. It does take time for them to start responding normally but the results are worth the efforts taken. Stress is bad for RA and might elevate your pain. Meditate, do some breathing exercises or listen to soothing music to calm down. This helps to manage your morning stiffness. Drink water: Staying hydrated is essential to keep your joints in the right way as our joints require enough hydration to stay healthy. Its advisable to keep a bottle of water near your bed and use them whenever required rather than getting up with a stiff back that might only prevent you from getting out of bed. Healthy breakfast: The right breakfast helps to keep you healthy, nutritious and packed with energy to sail through the day with a zing. Choose an anti-inflammatory diet that goes easy on your inflammation. Get in touch with reputed dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to help you plan an anti-inflammatory diet suiting your body requirements. This might hep to ease pain, keep you healthy and prevent you from getting hit by inflammation problems badly. Take breaks between work: Morning stiffness can rarely extend beyond the first hour or so after getting up in the morning and last for hours together too. If you have the opportunity to work from home utilize this option as it gives you more chances of moving around in between work. Taking breaks and stretching your arms and legs is mandatory to keep your muscles and joints flexible. Always keep meds by your bed: Medicines can lessen morning stiffness symptoms but it’s not good to reach out for them every time owing to their side effects. Just in case you might need them, its advisable to keep medicines near the bed so that you can use them in the morning to ease stiffness symptoms before getting out of bed. World COPD Day (November 21st 2018)  Narrow Airways Make Breathing a Difficult Process Shortness of breath after running, exercising on the treadmill, going for a walk in high altitude regions or rock climbing is common. There are some who feel short of breath every single day in life making their journey a challenging one! Almost one in 7 people suffer from this issue but often don’t realize its existence which makes it even more complicated. This World COPD Day take a pledge to screen your lungs for COPD if you suffer from such symptoms and safeguard yourself from its consequences.
Shortness of Breath Cannot Shorten Life Its not fair to allow shortness of breath to stop you from living your life or fulfilling your dreams. Before knowing how to handle the disease lets know about it. Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) is a group of lung conditions including bronchitis and emphysema that cause difficulty in expelling air out of the lungs due to narrowed airways. These conditions can either occur individually or exist together too. In bronchitis, the airways are inflamed and narrowed where the individual often produces sputum or phlegm whereas in emphysema the air sacs at the end of the airways are affected due to which the lungs are filled with holes that trap air. All these make breathing difficult as lungs inhale less of oxygen and exhale less of carbon dioxide. While there are options to make breathing easier in no case can the damage be reversed. While smoking and exposure to dust/chemicals are the most common causes of COPD, anyone above the age of 35 who has been/was a smoker is likelier to develop the condition. Also, it seems to be a genetic problem and if either of your parents suffered from the condition you are susceptible to developing it. Symptoms include:
Living Healthy with COPD Though there is no cure for the disease, the affected patient can do as much as he/she can to live a healthy life: Quit smoking: Take a pledge to quit smoking today. Try to avoid second hand smoking as much as possible. These have immediate positive effects on the body. Vaccination: Get yourself vaccinated against pneumonia and influenza Follow a healthy diet: A healthy diet is a sure-shot way to keep yourself energized and prevent any further deterioration in health. Make it a habit to include foods from all five food groups. Get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com to help you eat a well-balanced meal and also help you avoid weight imbalances. Stay active: Research on COPD shows that doing physical activity regularly can help you stay fit, improve quality of life and keep you energized. World COPD Day While life with COPD can be difficult as it is a progressive disease (meaning it has no cure) one can always take steps to reduce its impact as much as possible and make life easier and more comfortable to live. The World COPD day celebrated on November 21st this year aims to spread awareness about the disease and improve care of those patients suffering from the disease. More than 50 countries participate actively on this day holding different events, campaigns and activities to improve the condition of those people suffering from COPD and also to make people come forward and get themselves tested if they fear symptoms of the same. The theme for 2018 is ‘Never too early, never too late’ which seems apt as there is no upper limit or lower limit for taking care of yourself.  Cholesterol-filled Yellow Deposits are an Outright Indication Generally, physicians, dietitians and nutritionists commit towards controlling various health issues through a well-planned meal routine and physical activity. Exclusions always exist and one such is hypercholesterolemia that is characterized by extremely high cholesterol numbers despite regular exercise and a proper diet. Strange, isn’t it?
Not a Clean Gene Genes define our lives and when some of them are faulty we might become victims of certain diseases and illnesses. One such is hypercholesterolemia-presence of high cholesterol levels throughout the life of an individual and this is inherited. Cholesterol is not bad but an essential substance that becomes good or bad depending on the levels you maintain in the body. Our body is almost self-sufficient in producing cholesterol and we need to include a limited quantity of fat in the diet to produce the remaining cholesterol levels needed to stay healthy. The fat and cholesterol are absorbed in the intestine and transported to the liver. Here, the fat is also converted into cholesterol by the liver and this cholesterol enters the bloodstream. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (good) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (bad) are the two types of cholesterol which impact the body in various ways. High levels of LDL can cause a heart disease while greater quantities of HDL can protect against heart disease. Familial Hypercholesterolemia Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a condition characterized by increased levels of cholesterol in the blood due to genetic abnormality. In general, increased cholesterol levels are the result of unhealthy food habits and lifestyle issues but hypercholesterolemia is unrelated to diet and lifestyle. There are cases where the person suffering from FH follows an unhealthy lifestyle and there are also cases where some individuals stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle like glue but still suffer from the consequences of high cholesterol levels as it is an inherited disorder. This is fate! The commonest cause of FH is a mutation in the LDLR gene. This gene helps the body produce a protein known as the low-density lipoprotein receptor which binds to low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). These LDLs carry cholesterol and the LDL receptor aids in cholesterol removal by removing LDLs from the blood. While this process happens smoothly in a normal individual, people with FH face difficulty due to decreased production of LDL receptors or improper removal of LDLs by the receptors due to gene mutations. There are several other gene mutations that can result in FH and when any of these occur, receptors function improperly and pave way for high cholesterol levels irrespective of diet and exercise routines. All these impact cholesterol levels and cause increased cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. The gene mutation can be inherited from either parent or both parents which determines the severity of the disease. Though rare, a gene mutation inherited from both parents can cause hazardous effects. It is usually passed down from one parent and when this is the case, the risk of acquiring the disease is only 50%. Whatever be it, there is every chance of the disease as the mutation is present in the egg or sperm cell. Risk Factors When one or both parents suffer from hypercholesterolemia there is every chance of the kid suffering from the disease and the first step includes testing cholesterol levels of the child. This test must be performed when the kid is between 2 and 10 years of age. Symptoms A normal person is at an elevated risk of high cholesterol levels later in life due to accumulated years of inactive lifestyle or unhealthy diet routines. FH occurs right from birth and does not boast of its presence by giving out clear symptoms or indications. Rarely, people with hypercholesterolemia might experience:
Any cholesterol buildup around the eyes is an instant indication of FH. A physician asks for the patient’s family history and checks out on the person’s symptoms to diagnose the disease. Even a blood test for total cholesterol levels might be recommended to confirm the condition. When total cholesterol values are higher than 300 mg/dL or 250 mg/dL in children, it becomes a case of dire attention immediately. The bigger step would be for a genetic testing that is sure to notify the physician of the presence of any genetic mutation. Treatment Treatment always starts with a lifestyle change and modification of food habits which brings about an immediate positive impact on some people. While none agree upon the best diet for cholesterol, most people suggest a vegetarian diet to lower total and LDL cholesterol levels. Even a Mediterranean diet is preferred which insists upon abundant produce and limited processed foods. You must consume only as much of calories as you burn out to maintain weight and if you would like to lose some extra kilograms, you must consume fewer calories than you burn. If you aren’t sure about following the right kind of diet to lose weight, get in touch with a nutritionist/dietitian at www.firsteatright.com. The need for medications depends on your response to diet changes and your risk of heart attack and stroke. Statins are the commonly prescribed drugs for high cholesterol levels. Along with these, individuals must avoid smoking, keep their blood pressure levels controlled, maintain normal glucose levels and maintain a healthy weight to reduce their risk of coronary artery disease. Medications and lifestyle changes produce different results on different people. While diet and exercise changes lower cholesterol levels by 10%, medications can lower LDL levels by another 20-50%. Every adult above the age of 20 is recommended to get a lipid profile test done every five years. When numbers don’t fall within the ranges, its time to alter your lifestyle and keep your cholesterol levels monitored more frequently. Drinking Alcohol While Breastfeeding Affects the Child’s Cognitive Skills Later in Life11/19/2018
 Kids Take Twice the Time as Adults to Get Rid of Alcohol From Their Body The umbilical cord might be chopped off once the baby is born but the underlying bond between a mom and her child is irreplaceable and undetachable lifelong. Nutrition habits, exercise routines and stress levels of a pregnant mom affects the womb inside her as the fetus experiences her joys and sorrows, eats what the mum-to-be eats and grows accordingly. Even after childbirth, the nutrient quality of the food consumed by the new mum impacts the child strongly.
Alcohol & Breastfeeding Anything that you drink or eat makes its way into your breastmilk and alcohol is no exception. One glass or two glasses, there is no recommended levels of alcohol that’s considered safe for a baby to drink. When you consume alcohol, it enters your breast milk at the same concentration as that found in your bloodstream. The infant could be exposed to only a small fraction of the alcohol his/her mom drinks, but one must also remember that a newborn eliminates alcohol from the body at only half the rate of an adult. One might even hear of amazing folklore tales that insist that drinking alcohol improves breastmilk production, but research shows that drinking alcohol decreases breast milk production and further, presence of alcohol traces in breastmilk reduces milk consumption by as much as 20%. Latest Study A new study shows that children whose mothers consumed alcohol during lactation are likelier to experience dose-dependent reduction in cognitive skills at age 6 to 7 years, but the effect diminishes by 8 to 11 years. The study included 5107 infants who were assessed every two years. These infants were scored on three different streams and results showed that breast-fed infants whose moms consumed alcohol were likelier to have reduced scores at age 6 to 7 years. But there was no effect on babies who did not breast feed. Also, this association between alcohol consumption and cognitive decline was not present at ages 8 to 11 years owing to increased education in older children. Alcohol concentrations in breast milk resemble those in the new mom’s blood immediately within 30 to 60 minutes of ingestion. The quantity of alcohol in breast milk is almost 5-6% of the maternal dose and newborns eliminate this at only about half the rate of adults. One important element missing in the study is that, this study neither recorded the amount and frequency of milk consumed by the infant nor the timing of alcohol consumption. Also, smoking during breastfeeding affected the results in no way. Balancing Feeding & Drinking There is no need to drink during breastfeeding period but if you intend to have a social drink, try avoiding breastfeeding at least 2-3 hours after drinking. This gives enough time for the alcohol to leave your breast milk. Either feed before getting your drink or express some milk ahead of the function and feed the baby with this milk. Whatever it is, ensure to empty your breasts some way or the other, otherwise they may become overfull and start paining. Don’t be misled by false assumptions that pumping and dumping milk quickens the alcohol elimination process from your body. The only use of this process is that, it helps you to maintain your milk supply as well as prevent overfull breasts that can lead to extreme pain later on due to clogged milk. Also, if you succumb to binge drinking, that is drinking more than five units of alcohol in one session, it makes you enter a different frame of mind and makes you less aware of your baby’s needs. If you drink alcohol, never share your bed or sofa with your little one as it can lead to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Prioritize your newborn’s health above everything else and you would be able to work out wonders. If you are looking for post-pregnancy weight loss programs that can take care of your nutrients as well as help you lose weight, get in touch with registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com.  Chopping Off Hunger but Introducing Biodiversity Loss Malnutrition-related deaths make us cringe with fear and sympathy dwelling on our state of life. Human lives are lost owing to inadequate food resources but almost 60% of biodiversity loss worldwide is due to our food system. One side we keep complaining of hunger and on another side we keep depleting available resources in the name of agriculture. None can be ignorant of the fact that almost 71% of our Earth is covered by water. Almost 70% of freshwater from lakes and rivers is utilized for agriculture for which most of the forest lands are cleared after all. Complains are constantly raised for converting green spaces into buildings that prove the mettle of fine engineering to accommodate the growing population providing them with houses. But none care about the rise in food needs that require more and more of agricultural land, use of water and release of much carbon dioxide into atmosphere to meet increasing meat and dairy needs. Food is responsible for nearly 20-30% of greenhouse gas emission globally and with growing food requirements these numbers are sure to grow affecting the entire environment and climate globally.
Sustainable Eating Well-aware of the basic needs for survival-food, shelter and clothing-there is no scope for decreased food production nor is there any chances of surviving without eating. The only smart way is to design a sustainable diet for people across age groups which helps us meet our nutritional requirements as well as save our planet from further damage. Follow these tips given below to eat more sustainably: Be More Plant-friendly: Earlier, many individuals used to vegetarian style of eating started following a non-vegetarian-based diet for its taste and nutrients. One has always been doubtful of satisfying various nutrition needs from a vegetarian-based diet plan. Now, the reverse is becoming true. People are frantically hopping over to a vegan/vegetarian diet plan. Yes, a vegetarian diet mainly focused on vegetables, beans and nuts is the need of the hour. We can always refer to Asian cuisines and the Mediterranean diet too for tips on preparing different veggie-based salads, pasta, stews and rice varieties too. Choose differently: Rather than sticking to your chicken and rice every day of the week for lunch start exploring new dishes and expanding your taste buds. It is always recommended to add colors to your plate to add various nutrients to your body. Choosing rainbow-colored fruits and veggies make your meal more tasty, flavorful and healthy. Empty the bin: Shopping is relaxing and pleasurable. But it shouldn’t be that we directly shop for something and drop the things we bought right into the bin after a while. Sadly, that’s what we all do. We overstock our cabinets, refrigerators and finally our tummies too throwing away a quarter of what we purchased owing to various reasons. Its like simply dumping natural resources and our hard-earned money into the gutter. Waste less food. Beat the Meat Mania: It all started sometime back when people became over-ambitious wanting to grow muscles in a week or so. These guys started eating chicken regularly to fulfill their protein needs and the world followed suit. Eating less chicken in no way asks you to compromise on your proteins. There are other healthy and sustainable alternatives to chicken available in different plant sources. Change the mindset and explore plant-based protein food options available at www.firsteatright.com to contribute towards a sustainable community. Decrease your Salt & Sugar intake: There are no surprise elements here and as all of us know, the less of salt, fat and sugar we consume, better it is for our health and well-being.  On Cloud Nine After Weight Loss-Stay There Forever with Smart Moves  Hmmm...The Aroma of Freshly Baked Cakes & Breads is Tempting for Anyone “Hurray!!! I have lost 15 kilos and I am going to refurbish my wardrobe!” Such statements are often heard, and the individual actually spends thousands of rupees on new clothes. But wait, don’t be hasty and take decisions on the spur of the moment as new research suggests that you start putting back your lost weight almost immediately after you stop dieting.
Not One or Two, But Many More to Come There are not few but many reasons for this weight regain after a diet program and one cannot single out a core reason.
The best solution to this problem is to adhere to a sustainable weight loss and maintenance principle. Try to make slow and small healthy changes that can be adhered to, even during your vacations or special occasions. In a nutshell, you need to invoke smart changes that allows you to try new foods but adhering to portion sizes. What Does the Study Convey? The study gathered information of 70 overweight/obese adults who completed a 12-week weight loss program. The participants lost around half a kilogram every week on an average, but once the program ended, weight regain started almost immediately. Every participant gained almost 0.07 kilograms every week for the first 11 weeks and around the 32nd week of study, the regain rate decreased slightly. What surprised the researchers here is that, while they assumed weight maintenance to stay for a little more longer before the weight gain occurred, it did not match their expectations. Don’t be hasty and decide that it is impossible to keep off the weight loss forever. Many individuals are successful in maintaining the lost weight-they stay disciplined and follow the behavior changes they made during the weight loss program. Most of them also weighed themselves daily and this makes it easier for individuals to realize a weight regain more quickly and easily. Also, the researchers recommend individuals on a weight maintenance program to workout at least for 5 hours every week. We might say that doing 30 minutes of exercise on at least 5 days a week helps us remain fit. But, in reality you need to workout much more than this if you are genuinely interested in maintaining your lost weight. Also, environment is the biggest threat to people. For instance, if you pass by a bakery daily while commuting to office, you are sure to be aroused by the aroma of those bread loaves or the cookies getting baked. In such scenarios, it is better to take a different route that trying to control your desire because one fine day you will surely succumb to your desires giving a lame excuse for it. Have your motive, be smart and work hard towards achieving your goal. If you are interested in taking a weight loss program or if you need any guidance in maintaining your weight loss, you can get in touch with reputed registered dietitian nutritionists at www.firsteatright.com who are always there to help you lose/maintain weight in the right way.  Premature Babies are Often Disabled for Life!  Save the Date, Change Your Fate Supersonic jets, countries battling against each other for the No.1 spot on the world’s fastest supercomputers and companies trying to maximize efficiency in minimal time prove time’s priceless worth. Every second counts in this fast-paced world. Technology has advanced, science has improved and mankind is coming up with new treatments and medications to speed up treatment procedures yet none can change the gestation period of a fetus inside the mother’s womb! That’s the beauty of nature.
Gestation Age Its great news for the family when a woman conceives and the immediate question that arises is regarding the due date. The time between conception and birth is the gestation period during which the baby grows inside the mother’s womb. Gynecologists use the term ‘gestation age’ to refer to the progress of the pregnancy period from the first day of the last menstrual cycle to the current stage of pregnancy. A normal pregnancy length is anywhere between 38 and 42 weeks. A complete 280 days is what it taken from the first day of the menstrual cycle of the conceived woman to calculated due date. This due date is called as ‘expected’ due date as this is the expected time around which delivery might happen and is not the final date beyond which one cannot wait. Only 3% of babies are born on the ‘expected’ due date and most babies are born a week ahead or after it. The baby is classified under any of these categories soon after he/she is born:
Premature Birth Premature birth is a serious health complication which exists as the primary reason for death in children under the age of five globally. These babies are at an increased risk of health problems pertaining to the lungs, brain, hearing or vision compared to full-term babies. According to WHO estimates, almost 1 in 10 babies born around the world are born preterm and almost 1 million babies died in the year 2015 alone due to preterm birth. Almost 15 million infants are born preterm (3 weeks earlier than due date) every year. Even when these babies survive, most of them face a lifetime of disabilities pertaining to learning, visual problems and hearing complications. Preterm birth and a small physique that contribute towards low-birth-weight (LBW) are main causes of neonatal deaths. LBW causes around 60-80% of neonatal deaths and is extremely prevalent in developing countries. Main causes for a premature birth include:
The best way to prevent health issues and problems of death due to preterm delivery is by ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Taking proper care before, during and between the pregnancy promises a woman of a healthy delivery. Leading a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious meals and staying active can help a woman stay away from the risks of a preterm delivery. If you are planning for pregnancy or have just conceived get in touch with nutritionists/dietitians at www.firsteatright.com who can help you with your nutrition part and take you smoothly through your pregnancy term without any nutrient deficiencies. More than three quarters of premature babies can be helped to lead as normal a life as possible by taking proper care during child birth. Administering antenatal steroid injections to the pregnant woman who is at an increased risk of preterm labor, helping the mother with kangaroo mother care where she carries the baby with skin-to-skin contact most times and breast feeds often and giving antibiotics to treat newborn infections can reduce the risk of infant death. World Prematurity Day World Prematurity Day celebrated on November 17th every year is a worldwide campaign held to raise awareness on premature births, the challenges faced by children born prematurely and their parents who face various hurdles meanwhile. The day is becoming increasingly important as more and more babies are born preterm. Having a baby is a joyful experience but having to spend time at the neonatal care is the most unexpected of situations that traumatizes every parent who experiences it. Anger, fear, anxiety, irritation, frustration, confusion, guilt and shock are some of the common feelings experienced by all parents who have a preterm baby in the NICU. Avoiding a preterm situation is the best but if unexpected turn of events lead to a preterm birth, the physicians and family members are always there to care for you and your baby any time of the day. Families, hospitals and health professionals involved in preterm birth make World Prematurity Day a special one by organizing campaigns, events and activities to create awareness among people across the world.  The Bright Light Might Dim Our Life National Epilepsy Day (Nov 17th) |
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AuthorDietitian & Nutritionist Dr. Nafeesa Imteyaz. Worldwide Research & Patents Blog - Dr. Nafeesa.
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