On Health
Regular Health Mistakes
All of us make little health mistakes that cause damage to our bodies in the long run - simply because we are unaware we are doing something wrong. Here are some of the most common mistakes made by many of us.
Crossing our legs
Do you cross your legs at your knees when sitting? Although we may believe that this is the lady-like elegant way to sit, sitting this way cuts down circulation to your legs. If you don”t want varicose veins to mar the beauty of your legs and compromise your health, uncross your legs every time you realise you have one knee on top of the other. The best way to sit is to simply place both legs together on the floor, balancing your weight equally. If you feel like changing position, instead of crossing your legs, simply move both legs together to one side. As an alternative, you could also consider crossing your legs loosely at the ankles. This is a classically elegant way to sit, and is far better for your legs and your health than sitting with your legs crossed at your knees.
Not changing our toothbrush
How often do you change your toothbrush? Most of us wait until most of the bristles have either fallen off, or are in such bad shape that we”d be embarrassed to pull out our brush in public. However, since not many of us need to pull out our brush in public, we carry on with our frayed one until we lose it. Replace your toothbrush often. Damaged bristles can harm the enamel, and don”t massage your gums well. If you find brushing your teeth a pain like I do, but know you must do it, you might as well be doing it right. Imagine going through the annoyance of brushing your teeth twice a day only to find out that you”re damaging your enamel every time you clean your teeth. Also, use a brush with soft bristles unless your dentist has advised otherwise.
Eating out often
There are oils that are high in cholesterol, and oils that cause little harm and are better for your heart. However, no matter how light
the oil is, it is never a good idea to eat too much of it. Avoid fried foods.Remember that in all probability your favorite Indian food
restaurant throws a huge, HUGE chunk of butter in a tiny bowl of dal. Rita, who worked in the kitchen of a 5 star hotel, was shocked when she saw the cook chop a 500gm butter slab in half, and throw half into a Paneer Makhani dish. No wonder the customers left licking their fingers. And no wonder they felt so stuffed and heavy afterwards. Limit outdoor eating unless you know that you”re getting served light and healthy food.
Skipping breakfast
Never, ever skip breakfast. Remember, when you wake up in the morning it”s been around 10-12 hours since your last meal. Your body needs food now, more than at any other time. Eat a heavy breakfast. You will then be busy through the day, and the calories will get expended quickly. If you are trying to diet, eat a light dinner. Here are some more common health mistakes we make. Being informed and making a few changes can help make us feel a whole lot better.
High heels
High heels sure look great, but they’re murder for your back. This however doesn’t mean you should steer clear of stilettos. Wear them, but not when you know you will be walking around a lot. Wear them when going out for lunch or dinner - when the only walking you will be doing is to your car, to the table, and back. Avoid high heels when you are going somewhere on foot. If you are constantly tempted to wear your heels, take a good look at your flats. Is there something about them you dislike? Invest in a new pair of beautiful flats or shoes with a low heel. Buy something you love, that you will enjoy wearing. If possible, get a matching bag. You will then enjoy your flats as much as you do your heels.
Sleeping on a soft bed
You don’t have to sleep on the floor be kind to your back, but do make sure you have a firm mattress. Although a mattress on springs is soft and lovely to sink into, it’s bad for your back. If you already have an old bed with springs, you don’t need to invest in a new one - simply get a thick wooden plank put over the springs, and place the mattress on the plank. Similarly, if your mattress is old and lumpy, throw it out and get a new one. Your neck and your back will thank you. The same rule applies to sofas. If you will be spending hours on a sofa, get a firm yet comfortable one. Sofas you completely sink into are not the best idea.
Pillows
No matter how comfortable sleeping with ten cushions is, have pity on your neck and resist. Sleep with one pillow, and make sure it is not too thick. If your pillow gets lumpy, discard it and go for a new one. Get a thin pillow if you sleep on your stomach, and something a little thicker if you sleep on your back, to give your neck adequate support.
Not exercising
So all of us know we should exercise more, but many of us don’t. This is a health mistake we consciously make! And why is that? Simply because we refuse to admit the damage we are causing to our bodies by not working out. A number of people only start working out once they’ve experienced a warning signal. Don’t wait for a heart attack to strike before you decide to opt for a lifestyle change. Make the change now. You don’t need to train for the marathon to be in top shape. Half an hour of brisk walking three to four times a week will make a world of difference to your health. You could then increase this to forty minutes, four times a week - and you’re all set. If you haven’t exercised for a week, you’re making a mistake.
Ditch your diet demons
… and lose weight for good! The pain of weight gain can be driven out if you plan your diet and lifestyle smartly. Read on to bust these myths…
I have a slow metabolism
Actually, if you’re overweight, you probably have a faster metabolism than someone who’s slim. Extreme dieting can cause a temporary drop in metabolism as your body uses muscle as well as fat to provide it with sufficient energy, so eat a minimum of 1,200 calories a day.
I can’t afford to eat healthily
Make a shopping list to prevent impulse buys and avoid expensive, calorie-packed biscuits, cakes, crisps and booze. Choose “economy” or “value” ranges for healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, bread, milk, chicken, pasta and rice. Pad out meat dishes by adding beans, lentils or barley, which are cheaper and lower in fat. And save money by buying seasonal fruits and vegetables.
I won’t give up favourite foods
Keep a food diary to identify exactly how many treats you eat a day. Allow yourself a 100-200 calorie treat every day, whether that’s a small chocolate bar, glass of wine or packet of reduced-fat crisps. If you love fast food, have it in place of a meal and make sure you fill up on fruits, vegetables and starchy, fiber rich foods to prevent hunger, which can leave you craving fatty and sugary snacks.
I hate exercise
If you are reluctant to exercise opt for fun activities such as dancing, kick boxing, long walk with a friend or martial arts. Be more active in your daily life too. Don’t travel by car for short distances, use the stairs and be more active with kids.
I have big bones
You need a reality check! You may be big boned but, if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 25, you probably also have a big belly. A quick and easy way to find out whether your extra weight is down to too much fat is to measure your waist. For women, a measurement of 32 inches is linked to an increased risk of health problems (for men it’s 37 inches) and indicates you should lose weight.
I’ll put the weight back on that I lost
Many people find it harder to stay slim than to lose weight. The key is to avoid “dieting” and instead focus on a healthy, balanced diet you can stick to. To stay slim, you need to continue eating lots of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber food. Remember to keep choosing low-fat dairy products and limiting fatty, sugary and salty foods, regularly.
I inherited “fat” genes
Scientists have identified genes that may make us fat. While we might inherit “fat” genes from our parents, we also inherit their bad habits such as a poor diet and lack of exercise - and it’s these factors that have a more important part to play in weight gain.
I hardly eat a thing
Many people swear they can’t lose weight despite eating very little but they forget all the extras they’ve eaten through the day. Keep a food diary for a week and write down every morsel that passes your lips. You’ll be amazed how much mindless eating you do.
I can’t give up going out
When eating out, skip the starter or dessert or both. Alternatively, ask for two starters and have one as a main course. For dessert, choose fresh fruit salad. As a rule, avoid anything that’s fried or made with loads of butter, cream, pastry or cheese.
Nutrition tips for kids
Many more children are being diagnosed with high cholesterol, or as overweight or obese. These conditions can cause many health problems for your child such as diabetes and high blood pressure, both now and as he or she moves into adulthood.
By helping your child eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, you can reduce his or her risk of experiencing these health problems.
How can help a child eat right?
If you prepare healthy foods for your family and eat healthy foods yourself, your child will eat healthier, too.
Make sure to prepare a variety of foods, so your family gets all the vitamins and minerals their bodies need to function properly.
What are some examples of healthy meals?
Breakfast: The first meal of the day is a good time to give your child foods that are high in fiber. Whole-grain breads, cereals, fruit, low-fat or nonfat cheeses and yogurt are also good breakfast foods. Use skim or low-fat milk rather than whole or 2% milk. Fruit juice is usually high in calories and has less nutrients than whole fruit (fresh or canned).
Lunch: Use whole-grain breads and rolls to make a healthier sandwich. Whole grains increase the total fiber in your child’s diet and are less processed than enriched white bread. Give your child whole-grain crackers with soups, chili and stew, and always serve fresh fruit (with the skin) with meals instead of chips or other high-calorie options.
Here are some ways to make healthier sandwiches:
Use low-fat or fat-free lunch meats. They are good in sandwiches or cut into strips on top of a salad.
Buy leaner meats, such as turkey, chicken or veggie dogs.
Put leftover chicken or turkey strips in a tortilla to make a cold fajita (add strips of raw red and green peppers and onions). Use fat-free sour cream as a dressing.
Stuff a pita-bread “pocket” with vegetables, fat-free cheese and bits of leftover grilled chicken.
Cut up vegetables such as onion, carrot, celery and green peppers to add to tuna salad. Mix vegetables and water-packed tuna with fat-free mayonnaise or, for a different taste, mix with a fat-free salad dressing.
Chunky bits of leftover chicken mixed with fat-free mayonnaise, raisins, shredded carrots and sliced almonds is a great chicken salad. Serve it in a pita-bread pocket. Top it with salsa for a Southwestern flavor.
Mix cranberry sauce and fat-free mayonnaise to add to a turkey sandwich.
When buying peanut butter, choose an “all-natural” option. For jelly, buy one that 100% fruit and does not contain high fructose corn syrup. This will make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches much healthier.
Sliced ham and low-fat or fat-free cheese with mustard is great on rye bread.
Low-fat cheese makes a good sandwich with tomato slices and mustard or fat-free mayonnaise on a whole-grain roll.
Slice leftover pork tenderloin and top with barbecue sauce for a hot or cold sandwich.
Make grilled-cheese sandwiches with low-fat or fat-free cheese and serve them with raw carrot and celery sticks.
What snacks are good for child?
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low- or nonfat dair also make great snacks for children. Here are some ideas for ways to serve these foods to your kids:
Fruits:
Bits of fruit stirred into nonfat yogurt
Strawberries
Raisins
Grapes
Pineapple chunks
Orange or grapefruit sections
Bananas cooked lightly in apple juice
Apple slices with all natural peanut butter
Dried fruit mixes
Vegetables:
Carrot sticks
Celery sticks with all natural peanut butter
Raw broccoli and cauliflower florets with a low-fat dip or salsa
Protein:
1% fat or fat-free cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Water-packed tuna mixed with fat-free mayonnaise on top of celery sticks or whole-grain crackers
Fat-free yogurt topped with sunflower seeds, chopped dried fruit or a spoonful of oat bran
Whole grains:
Cereals or cereal bars that are low in sugar and fat, and high in fiber and protein
Whole-grain crackers, breads or bagels
Sweets and desserts:
Fat-free frozen yogurt
Juice bars
Sherbet and sorbet
Night Fright
Have you ever woken up with a throbbing headache or an agonising toothache in the middle of the night?
Many times certain ailments catch us off-guard in the middle of the night. We may sometimes experience muscle cramps and at other times severe toothache and ear pain. To make matters worse, we try and do certain things to cure the ailment which again turns out to be harmful. Here, Dr Bharesh Dedhia, Chief, Critical care services, Jupiter Hospital, Thane, lists out the seven most common ailments and also provides us quick home remedies to counter these ailments.
Severe Toothache
This is a result of severe dental cavities, which could expose the inner dental nerves and cause pain or even severe gingivitis. Other causes could be severe ear infection or sinus infection which could masquerade as toothache.
Home Remedy: Rinse your mouth with warm water using dental floss to remove any food particles between teeth. Consume a pain reliever like crocin or apply locally acting pain relieving gels like Dologel. For swollen gums, application of ice pack on the outside of the cheek for 20 minutes could help. Chewing on a clove or applying clove oil is a century old practice and still works.
Earache
This is mostly due to a severe middle ear infection, and occasionally due to an outer ear infection. The symptoms that may require emergency treatment include: sudden change in hearing, sudden onset of dizziness, inability to concentrate, muscle weakness on the same side of your face as the affected ear. This could indicate spread of infection, and need urgent attention at any time of the day or night.
Home Remedy: Use a hot-water bottle, a hot towel or a heating pad, warmed to a comfortably hot level and wrapped in a towel. Keep the heat on your ear for 20 minutes or until the pain subsides. Take one tablet of crocin. Any application inside the ear canal is not recommended, till you see an ENT doctor.
Stomach ache
It could be due to infection in the bowels (food poisoning), acidity, stress, pre-menstrual reasons, infections in the urinary tract, stress, overeating, lactose intolerance or due to a variety of reasons.
Home Remedy: For most ailments, could lie on the bed with a hot water bottle on your stomach, which will ease the pain. Chewing an antacid tablet like Digene could also be helpful. Again taking a simple pain reliever like Crocin is recommended. But if pain increases or is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever or blood in the stool, seek medical attention immediately.
Muscle Cramps
They are due to overexertion and dehydration. Lack of proper fluid intake during over activity or hot sunny days could cause depletion of water and electrolytes in your body that could cause the muscles to cramp. The main electrolytes affecting muscle cramping are potassium, sodium and calcium. Frequent and intense cramps could be due to clots in the blood vessels and need immediate medical attention.
Home Remedy: Gently massage the affected area and stretch the muscle gently. Drinking water mixed with salt, sugar and lemon juice helps restore fluid and electrolyte imbalance in your body. Apply either ice or a heating pad which improves local circulation and relaxes the muscle.
Vomiting
Vomiting is nature’s way of removing unwanted food or fluid from your stomach. This could be due to overeating, contaminated food, over consumption of alcohol. Sometime it could be due to stomach ulcers, infections in the abdomen, pregnancy or even a sign of other ailments in other parts of the body.
Home Remedy: Gargle with water mixed with salt. Do not take any food or fluids for a few hours. Try taking only liquids initially. If that stays in, then try a bland diet. Usually nausea and vomiting clears within one day. Persistent vomiting, or vomiting of blood, indicates some serious ailment and would warrant immediate medical attention.
Headache
This could be due to stress, tension, migraine attack, sinus infection and ear infection, eye problems, high blood pressure, or rarely even more serious conditions such as infection in the brain, bleeding inside the brain etc.
Home Remedy: Apply an ice pack on your forehead or top of your head. Heat pad could be tried on the back of your head or the neck. Lying in your bed, with the room lights off and a quiet environment also helps. A head massage could also do the trick. Taking a simple pain reliever like Crocin helps. But if the headache persists or increases and is accompanied by visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, fever, you must seek immediate medical help.
Sneezing
This is due to seasonal allergies which many of us have through common household allergens such as dust, dust mites, mold, mildew, pets carrying allergens, or even due to pollution, upper respiratory track infection, sinusitis, etc.
Home Remedy: Try taking an over-the-counter antihistamine if the sneezing spell is short and seasonal but beware as they could cause drowsiness and other side effects. Certain non-sedating antihistamines are available but the doctor must examine you and prescribe these. You should change your bed sheet and pillow cover as these can hide dust mites. Bed sheets and pillow covers should be washed with hot water (50 degress celsius) to kill the mites.
Don’t bin it… make leftovers lovely!
Next time when you find yourself in a fix to chalk out your cooking menu, just try out these leftover techniques to make it easy
It’s surprisingly easy to reduce the amount of food we chuck out. It just requires a bit of planning. Go shopping more often and don’t buy more than you need. And if you have food in your fridge you’re not going to eat - freeze it. The message is simple - don’t waste it, taste it!
These 20 tips will help you become a savvy shopper and make the most of your leftovers:
• Plan your shopping. Working out beforehand, what you are going to cook can save your money and stop wastage of food.
• Keep a food diary. Note what you throw out in a week to help you become conscious of what you use.
• Do a stock check. Anything you know you’re not going to use, freeze.
• If you have lots of leftover veggies in the fridge, make a big batch of soup and freeze it for days when you can’t face cooking.
• Keep an eye on any fruit that’s ripening quickly. Old fruits are great for making ice cream or sauces, while black bananas are perfect for smoothies, and are so sweet you won’t need to add sugar.
• Clear out your cupboards and fill a box with the five products that need to be used first. Then don’t buy anything but fresh produce for a few days and cook using only what’s in the box.
• If sugar has gone rock hard, place in a microwaveable bowl and give a quick blast for about 30 seconds to get them back to their normal state.
• After Sunday lunch, always boil the chicken carcass or beef joint in the vegetable cooking liquid for a tasty stock to use in soups.
• To freeze excess tomatoes, remove stalks and place whole into freezer bags. Use them in place of canned tomatoes.
• Leftover meat and veg make great stir-fries or create a pasta sauce by stirring leftovers into a tin of tomatoes, garlic and herbs.
• Leftover fish needs to be wrapped well, chilled and eaten within a day of cooking. Flake fish and add to scrambled eggs, spicy rice dishes or make into a pate by mixing with cream cheese.
• That leftover slice of cake is better off in the freezer. Wrap in clingfilm and label clearly.
• Broken biscuits make a delicious crunchy topping for yoghurt or ice cream after being crushed in a bag with a rolling pin.
• Ice cube trays are handy for freezing herbs you use regularly: mint, parsley and tarragon, for example. Freeze them chopped in ice cube trays covered with water. Wash and dry them before freezing whole in bags.
• Cook enough evening meals, to be stored in the freezer to eat at a later date. This saves time and creates a second meal that’s waste-free.
• Don’t cook too much food. Invest in some decent scales and measurer to avoid making huge portions.
• Be a label guru. “Best before” dates refer to quality not food safety and can still be used if they look and smell fine. “Use by” dates are more serious and you should never eat products after this date.
• Cook small batches of foods you want your kids to try. If they don’t like it, you can freeze it or add to another leftover creation.
• If you never use a whole loaf before it goes stale, freeze and use as needed. To crisp up a stale crusty loaf, hold it briefly under the cold tap, give it a good shake and pop in a hot oven for 10 minutes - and it will be as soft and crusty as freshly baked bread
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