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Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts

Recipes For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy brings new joys for a mother. The experience of having a new life within her is simply overwhelming. However, pregnancy also entails many new responsibilities on her, one of which is providing proper nutrition for her yet-to-be-born baby. 

In this context, most of the women make the mistake of going for recipes that contain more calories, but not necessarily extra nutrition, while the latter is much more important for them. To help all the pregnant women out there, we have listed some nutritious, but easy recipes, in the lines below.

Recipes For Pregnant Women

Healthy Recipes For Pregnancy

Porridge

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups Water
  • ½ cup Wheat Dalia (porridge)
  • ½ cup Oats
  • ½ cup Milk
  • ¼ cup Raisins
  • ¼ cup Almonds
  • 3 tsp Sugar
Instructions
  • First of all, you need to half-fill a pan with water and place it on flame.
  • As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and stir in oats and wheat dalia.
  • Mix the oats and dalia well and let them cook for 5-7 minutes, in boiling water.
  • Add raisins and almonds to the water and mix well. Cook for a few seconds.
  • Add sugar to the pan, followed by milk, making sure to mix well every time.
  • Your porridge is ready. Let it cool down a bit and start eating.
Yogurt Cookies

Ingredients
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • ½ cup Packed Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Butter
  • ¼ cup Shortening
  • ½ cup Nonfat Yogurt (any flavor)
  • 1½ tsp Vanilla
  • 1¾ cup Flour
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips
 Instructions
  • First of all, sieve together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • Take a bowl and combine both the sugars in it.
  • Add butter and shortening to the pan and mix well.
  • Add the butter mixture to the flour and beat well.
  • Now, mix in yoghurt and vanilla.
  • Knead the mixture, to form dough.
  • Roll out the dough to even thickness and with the help of cutters, cut out the cookies.
  • Grease a baking dish with butter and place the cookies on it.
  • Heat oven to 375 deg F and bake the cookies in it, for 10-15 minutes.
Cutlets

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 medium-size Onion
  • 1½ tsp Finely Chopped Ginger
  • 1½ tsp Green Chilies
  • 1 cup Carrots
  • 1 cup Beans
  • 3 tbsp Fresh Chopped Coriander
  • 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
  • ½ cup Soya Granules
  • 2 Mashed Potatoes
  • 1 cup Kabuli Chana, boiled and mashed
  • 2 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 tsp Pepper Powder
  • ½ tsp Black Salt
  • 1½ tsp Lemon Juice
 Instructions
  • Place a pan over medium heat and put the oil in it.
  • After the oil becomes hot, add onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook until they turn brown.
  • Stir in chilies and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add rest of the ingredients, except sesame seeds, to the pan and cook for a few minutes.
  • Remove the pan from heat and let the mixture cool down a bit.
  • Now, mash the mixture and make small, even balls from it.
  • Flatten the balls and add sesame seeds on top.
  • Heat oil in a pan, enough for frying, and fry the cutlets in it.
  • Eat the cutlets with chutney, while they are still hot.

Stomach Ache During Pregnancy

Pregnancy and pain are ageless companions, much like aches and aspirin, or moon and night. Nevertheless, an unexpected cramp or a sudden spasm during pregnancy can throw your gumption out of the porthole. Before you hit the panic button, know that certain amount of pain and discomfort is pretty much normal during pregnancy. 

Pregnancy Tips
 
Stomach Ache During Pregnancy

While nagging pains and cramps can be highly annoying at times, it is important to understand that they are anything, but life threatening and are more often just gentle reminders for you to take things easy. Anything from gas pain to raging hormones to bulging uterus can trigger discomfort in your tummy. However, severe cramping or stomach pain is something that should not ignored, as they can be an emergency signal of serious complications. If you are an expecting mom, then reading the following causes of stomach pain during pregnancy will save you from losing your sleep over it. Read on to know more on causes of stomach pain during pregnancy.

Causes Of Stomach Pain During Pregnancy

Most expecting women complain of stomach cramps during the early stages of their pregnancy. While these cramps are most often a gentle reminder that you should slow down and take things easy, at times they can be a warning sign of more serious complication like ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy or ‘tubal pregnancy’ occurs when the fertilized ovum is implanted outside the uterus, somewhere in the fallopian tube. As the egg starts to develop, it induces severe strain in the pelvic and abdominal region causing sharp, stabbing pain in the abdomen that might just get worse with physical activity, bowel movement, coughing and more.

Cramps during pregnancy are nothing unusual and count up as normal pregnancy discomforts. However, severe cramping accompanied by vaginal bleeding can indicate a more serious case of miscarriage. The pain may be light or intense, short or long lasting and generally varies from one woman to another. Some may experience low backache or complain of dull abdominal pain and pelvic pressure too.

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Of all the concerns usually tagged along with pregnancy pain, prematurity is possibly the worst dreaded fear. An early onset of labor can induce premature contractions, which may last up to four hours or even more, menstrual-like cramps, dull nagging backache, intestinal cramps, pelvic pressure and increased vaginal secretions. It is best to consult your practitioner at the soonest if you experience any of these symptoms to avert any untoward complications.

How often you have jumped out of your sleep believing that “this must be it” and then went back to sleep again realizing that this was not the real thing? Most women experience contractions or tightening of uterus, during the last trimester of pregnancy, which are nothing more than false labor or Braxton-Hicks Contraction. These contractions are irregular, infrequent and painless and spell no danger in real sense.

Pregnant women are unusually susceptible to bladder infection during pregnancy because of changing urinary tract position. As pregnancy advances, the uterus increases in size, thereby blocking the drainage of urine from the bladder and inducing an infection. Bladder infection can lead to pain or burning when urinating, cramps or pain in the lower abdomen, cloudy foul smelling urine and tenderness in the region.


Weight Loss After Pregnancy

The nine months of pregnancy swept past and you have been blessed with a bundle of joy in your arms. One look at your little angel and you know that all the pain and discomforts were worth it. However, one problem that is making you restless is the extra weight and inches that you have gained in the nine months. Trying to have weight loss after pregnancy is no easy task. However, if you are willing to be patient and indulge in regular and dedicated efforts, the results will start showing soon. Want to know more? Read on.

Weight Loss After Pregnancy



Be Practical

If, and when, you decide to achieve weight loss after pregnancy, make sure to keep your expectations reasonable. Looking up to the celebrity moms, who have lost inches as well as kilos within days of delivery, is surely not a good idea. Remember, it took you almost nine months to reach this size. Going back to the original figure would also take a few months. Being patient and sticking to the weight loss program is a must.

Eat Healthy, But Don't Starve

Going on a crash diet is not at all a good way to lose weight. Rather than starving yourself, by following a strict diet regime, you need to start eating healthy food. If you are breastfeeding, you will need the extra calories as well. However, you can ensure that the calories come from things like fruits and vegetables, rather than oil and full-of-fat food items. Rather than dieting, concentrate your efforts on healthy eating.

Indulge In Exercise
Indulging in a regular exercise program is one of the best ways to lose weight after pregnancy. However, do not make the mistake of starting an exercising program two days after giving birth to your baby. The pregnancy has lead to major changes in your body and you need to give it some time, to return back to normal. It is always advisable to do strenuous exercises only a few weeks after coming home, that too after consulting your doctor.

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Continue Breastfeeding

It is believed that breastfeeding can help a woman shed those extra kilos, after pregnancy. So, make sure to breastfeed your baby on a regular basis. However, this alone would not help you lose all of the pregnancy weight. You need to combine it with other types of weight-loss activities, such as a healthy diet and a proper exercise program. Not much time later, you will find yourself losing all the extra kilos.

Start Walking

This is one of the activities that you can start a few days after going through the delivery. However, the intensity of the walks will be determined by your physical health. In the initial days, it is advisable to stick to 10-15 minutes of light walk. Gradually, you can increase the time as well as intensity, taking it to no less than 45 minutes of brisk walking, on a daily basis. If you want, you can also substitute walking with jogging, but only later on.

Weight Loss After Pregnancy : Read More

Healthy Diet For Kids

A well-balanced diet, comprising of all the required nutrients and having just the right amount of calories, is vital for the proper growth of children. While planning the diet for your children, never ever concentrate on one type of food items only. They should be made to consume a wide variety of food stuff, to make sure that they get all the essential nutrients and have a balanced diet. Keep a check on their fast-food intake and make sure that they never skip their meals. To get some more tips on healthy diet for kids, go through the following lines.


Healthy Diet For Kids

Planning Healthy Diet For Children

A major portion of your kids' diet should comprise of carbohydrates, providing them the energy needed for their growth and development. Carbohydrates also boost the immune system, aid various developmental processes and are essential for storage and transport of energy. Make rice, wheat, maize, bread, pasta, and the like, a part of your children's daily food.

Fruits & Vegetables (Various Nutrients)
Include lost and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your kids' daily diet. They will provide them with vitamins, minerals, fiber and lots of other nutrients. Since they are low on calories, you will not have to worry about you child's waistline as well. It is suggested that you give 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables to your kids, on a daily basis, in the form of salads, juices, puddings, smoothies, milk shakes, etc.

Milk & Other Dairy Products (Calcium)
Milk is one of the food items that should be necessarily made a part of your kids' diet. Apart from direct consumption, you can give it to them in the form of dairy products, like milk, cheese, butter and yogurt, as well. Milk contains a lot of nutrients, right from proteins and fats to calcium and vitamins, making it beneficial in the growth and development of children.

Proteins & Iron
For a kid, who is at the growing stage of his life, it is necessary to consume the right amount of proteins. The nutrient helps aid the proper functioning of the body, apart from being useful in building muscles and forming a part of hemoglobin. So, make sure your kid eats protein-rich foods, like fish, eggs, meat, and pulses. Iron is another nutrient necessary for the growth of a child. It can be given in the form of green leafy vegetables, liver and rice flakes.

Fatty Foods
While some amount of fats is needed by children, make sure that you do not let them consume oily and fatty foods in excess. Keep them away from fast foods, which are high in calories and low on nutrients, as well as soft drinks, as much as possible. Do not forbid them altogether. Just make sure that your kids have it in moderation and never ever replace them for other important food items.

Menopause Symptoms

The state of absence of twelve consecutive periods leads to a stage called menopause. It is during this phase that the body undergoes several changes, the most common of them being irregular periods, a reduction in the estrogen and progesterone levels, lining of the vagina and urethra getting thinner and dryer, and sexual intercourse becoming painful and uncomfortable. This indicates that the productive years in a woman’s life are getting over and the menstrual cycle is coming to a halt. 

Menopause Symptoms

Though the average age of reaching menopause is 51 years, this can largely vary in different women. Most women reach this stage between 45 to 55 years, but menopause can occur as early as in the 30s or 40s, or even as late as in the 60s. As a general rule of thumb, women undergo the menopause stage at an age similar to when their mothers had reached. Learning the signs of menopause is very crucial so that you can prepare yourself well in advance and welcome this new stage happily with open arms. Take a look at the various signs and symptoms of menopause in the following lines.

Signs And Symptoms Of Menopause

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are one of the most frequent symptoms of menopause, experienced by a vast majority of women. Hot flashes are characterized by sudden heat strokes in the upper part of the body with a noticeable redness in the face and neck. They are a result of body’s reactions to reduced supply of estrogen hormones that occur when a woman enters the menopause stage. Depending upon the reduction in the estrogen hormones, hot flashes differ variedly. When they decrease gradually, women complain of few hot flashes, but in women, where ovaries stop producing estrogen suddenly, hot flashes turn out to be a roller-coaster ride.

Night Sweats

An evening cousin of hot flashes, night sweats can be mild or severe, but usually disappear after few years of menopause. Also known as nocturnal hyperhydrosis, night sweat is a common perspiration disorder wherein women suddenly wake up in middle of the night and find it difficult to fall asleep again. As a result, they complain of un-refreshing sleep and tiredness during the day.

Irregular Periods

Women experience menstrual irregularities with their periods occurring more frequently or getting farther and farther apart. As such, the menstrual cycle can become shorter, occurring every 24 days instead of 28, or longer, after 2-3 months, with no “normal” pattern of bleeding. Also, the bleeding can last for only few days or extend up to like there’s no end. This menstrual irregularity is commonly observed in the mid-40s as women graduate towards the menopause stage.

Vaginal Dryness

Dryness in the vagina is another common symptom of menopause. The moist and soft feel of the lining of the vaginal area is lost, since the tissues start getting thin and less elastic. As a result, most women have problems with regular intercourse that leads to pain and discomfort, causing vaginal itching, irritation, or even severe infections.

Loss Of Libido

It is due to the changes in hormones that causes a change in sexual drive. With a reduction in the estrogen levels, the vagina gets dryer and takes more time to get lubricated. As such, women may experience loss of libido or trouble in getting aroused. However, in some cases, women become more sexually active since conceiving or getting pregnant is no more a worry.

Mood Swings

Complaining of mood swings is another common symptom of menopause, though it varies intensely. In some cases, women experience anxiety and clinical depression, which can be treated through medical prescription. But for most women, these signs are similar to normal mood swings occurring during menstruation. Since exhaustion is a frequent sign during menopause, it becomes difficult to get rest due to night sweats and interrupted sleep. As such, less sleep leads to more stress, thereby leading to more mood swings.

Weight Gain

Weight gain, especially around the mid section, is yet another sign of reaching the menopause stage. Numerous books and doctors state that menopause has got nothing to do with weight gain, but it is a commonly observed sign in menopausal women. This generally happens as women are aging and their metabolism is reducing. Lean muscle mass reduces, thereby making it difficult to maintain or gain lean muscle.

Breast Pain

Often, women complain of pain, soreness, or tenderness in one or both breasts before or during menstrual periods. However, these signs are possible during pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause as well. As a result, they can lead to discomfort and pain on touching or applying pressure to the breasts. Though these signs fade with time, if they persist for more than two months, seek medical advice. Also, any breast pain that is accompanied with a breast lump or nipple discharge should not be ignored and reported to the doctor on an immediate basis.

Other Menopause Signs:
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Loss or thinning of hair on head, pubic, or whole body
  • Menopause sleep disorders
  • Disturbing memory lapses
  • Concentration, disorientation, and mental confusion problems
  • Dizziness and light headedness
  • Incontinence (easy passage of urine on sneezing, and laughing)
  • Sudden bouts of bloat
  • Change in body odor
  • Increase in allergies
  • Rapid heart beat
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Sore joints and muscle aches
  • Severe headaches
  • Digestive problems, such as indigestion, nausea, flatulence, and gas pain
  • Gum problems, like intensive bleeding
  • Increased tension in muscles
  • Cold or tingling hands and feet
  • Ringing and buzzing in ears
  • Yeast infections
  • Leg cramps
  • Osteoporosis (after many years)
  • Sensations of electric shock under the skin and in the head
  • Softening, cracking, or easy breaking of fingernails
  • Increase in premenstrual syndrome 
By following a diet with low fat content, regular exercising, and relaxing techniques, like yoga and meditation, you can reduce the signs and symptoms of menopause to a great extent. All the best and take care!

Losing Weight While Breastfeeding

Getting pregnant is one of those moments that bring the most happiness in life. Thereafter, comes the time of delivery and coming of a newborn baby into this world. It is said that it is only after becoming a mother that a women feels complete. You have been through all the joys and troubles of pregnancy and delivery. Now, you have a wonderful little baby in your arms. 

Losing Weight While Breastfeeding

Everything is so perfect, except you have not remained little any more. Your size has increased manifold and now you want to get back into shape as soon as possible. This is the time, when most of the new mothers wonder whether they can lose weight during breastfeeding. The answer is yes, only you need to take certain precautions. In the following lines, we will tell you how to lose weight while breastfeeding.

Losing Weight While Breastfeeding 

First of all, remember that you gained all that weight in the course of nine months. Losing all of it within a few weeks is not possible and not at all healthy, for you as well as for the baby.

In most of the cases, you can start doing light exercises four to six weeks after birth and by the sixth or seventh week, you can also settle into a workout routine. However, it is better to consult a physician first.
While breastfeeding, you should not aim at losing more than one to two pounds a week.

Make sure that you are taking the right amount and right type of calories. While the food has to be nutritious, it does not need to be full of things like oil and other fatty things.

Break down your meals. Rather than having three large meals in a day, have six smaller ones and even them throughout the day. It will help you avoid binges and also boost your metabolism

One of the best exercises for nursing mothers is walking. Put your baby in a stroller and go for a brisk walk. Not only will you burn calories, but your baby will also have a nice time.

You can also indulge in swimming on a regular basis. However, go slow and do not turn to rigorous sessions in the very beginning.

If you experience pain, bleeding, feeling faint, shortness of breath, heart palpitations or dizziness while exercising, stop it immediately and contact your physician.

Healthy BMI For Women

In a world that revolves around beauty, to make it to the top of the lot, it is almost always essential to look better than the next one in the crowd. This fact of life has strangely caused a lot of women to push boundaries to only look a wee bit better. However, it might surprise you that while looking good and being healthy is synonymous, it may not be the case as per current societal notions! What do you think of those reed-like models you see strutting their stuff on the ramp? Are they really healthy? 

Healthy BMI For Women

Going by most medical standards, they surely aren’t! Go ahead and read on for a closer look at what should be the healthy ‘Body Mass Index’ or BMI amongst women. Based on what you are about to read, discovering if your BMI is a healthy one or not really shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

What Is The Healthy BMI For Women

Before even beginning to throw light on what should be the healthy BMI for women, let's try to understand what is BMI. BMI or ‘body mass index’ is an index that is employed to help a person understand if he or she is overweight after taking into consideration that particular person’s height and weight.

Since the body mass index is a scientific index, it is a must to mention here that same is arrived at after the use of a few formulas. The formula as per SI units is, BMI (in kg/m2) = mass (in kgs)/(height in meters)2. Once you know how to calculate your body mass index, arriving at your respective BMI should be a breeze. However, if you believe that the formula is a tad too complicated for you, you can always use the internet. There are tons of sites on the internet that will help you arrive at your respective BMI.

Now that you know how to arrive at your BMI, it is time to move on to what should be the ideal body mass index for women. Ideally, a woman who possesses a BMI that ranges from 18.5 to 25 kg/ m2 can be considered to be a woman with a healthy BMI

On the other hand, a woman whose body mass index crosses 25 kg/ m2 is considered as overweight. To get the BMI back to a normalcy, it is advisable to drink a lot of water, eat right and get as much exercise as possible.

Women who suffer from a body mass index that has crossed 30 kg/m2 are nothing but obese. However, women who suffer from a body mass index that has crossed 40kg/m2 can be considered women who are coping with morbid obesity. Sadly, there really is nothing pleasant about this whole situation.

As for the women who have a BMI that goes below 18.5kg/m2, they are nothing but underweight. To get the better of this predicament or to get back to a healthy weight bracket, it would be advisable to eat right, and drink sufficient water .

Now that you are done processing the facts on what should be the healthy BMI for women, it’s time for you to get your weight back into control.

Health Tips For Women

A women’s tryst to become a super-women is almost endless! She loves to work hard, party harder, dabble with zillion thoughts and things at a time, and still pretend to look unfazed. However, have you ever wondered what a jam-packed schedule, weird health routine, and other lifestyle habits can do to your body? Remember, the true joy of life boils down to good health.  

Health Tips For Women

Therefore, eating badly and overloading yourself with work, stress and social responsibilities is a bad idea if you wish to stay high on health and happiness for long.  Women can be awfully tardy when it comes to caring for themselves. Nevertheless, ignoring your body and health can leave you with out-of-the-blue issues. Before you become a nervous wreck and buzz the panic button, check out these health cues to enjoy a great life. Here is more on this.

Women’s Health Care Tips 

Is your home, kid, professional allegiance, or frantic lifestyle playing hooky on your health? Before stress gets down on you and throws your well-being out of the kilter, seize some hours for yourself from your delirious day and indulge in essential pampering to stay high, up and going. Treat yourself to the goodness of a soothing aromatic body massage or slip away into the ecstasy of yoga to experience the seventh heaven.


Whether you need a quickie to calm your cortisol (a stress hormone) or pep your health, nothing uplifts your mind and body better than a quick run on the treadmill and a few extra lifts and pushups. Exercise not only helps to improve fitness and kick off the extra pounds, but is also one surefire way keep diseases like osteoporosis, heart diseases, obesity and cancer away. Just join your neighborhood aerobic school, take up weekend tai-chi classes or just jog a mile a day to keep ailments away.

How often have you plunked yourself in bed and tried hard to snooze to get rid of that weird feeling? Thanks to money, career, friends and hectic social schedules, women today are tenser than ever. When you are juggling a trillion things all day, it is almost impossible to wind down in bed. The wacky levels of cortisol and adrenaline levels in the body are good enough to mess up with your nocturnal schedule and send your sleep for a toss. The best way to beat this blue is to unplug your gadgets, switch off your mobile phones, and catch up with a quick nap during the day. If you really have a tough time keeping your eyes shut at night, dump your worries for a while and imagine your body melting and muscles relaxing until your brain switches off to snooze mode.

Are you a drunken mess and cannot do without your daily shot of gin, rum or wine every night? Does your night begin with a promise and your vows get flushed down in the toilet later? Well, it is a no brainer that boozing is a social lubricant; it gives you a much-needed high, and is best done in moderation. While it may not be easy to get out of the pleasure zone at one leap, just try cutting down on your drink to enjoy good health and well-being.


So you love to hog on buttered popcorn, cannot do without your six cups of caffeine a day and are absolute big for a buffet dinner? While it is impossible to train your brain to say ‘no’ to the chocolates, cheese and wine, filling your tummy with more smart nutrients like fresh fruits, nuts, green veggies, whole grains, milk and dairy products, proteins and loads of water can keep PMS (Premenstrual syndrome), pimples, insomnia, bowel problems and even freckles and wrinkles away.

Health Tips For Moms

Being a woman was, as it is, never easy, but being a mom is downright demanding! Right from packing lunch boxes to running after the little ones to feed them to taking them to doctor for daily checkups, a mom’s schedule is always jam-packed, with little or almost no time to spare for her own self. Mums are often so busy catering to their children’s needs that at times, they forget to attend to their own needs. Sooner or later, they realize that they don’t even have enough time to fall sick and it becomes a habit to shoo off stomach pains as just gas or menstrual cramp. 

Health Tips For Moms

However, at times, things can be just a little more serious than a regular cramp or stress. After having a baby, you go through physical and emotional changes that can trigger - or mask - certain health problems. The biggest favor that you can do yourself, as a mother, is to take care of your own health. Take out a little time from your hectic schedule to care for your mind and body. A brisk walk, reading your favorite novel or even catching up on that extra bit of sleep will ensure that you stay happy and healthy. Here are some more health tips for moms that you can include in your everyday life and ensure that you keep kicking always.

Best Health Tips For Mothers

Exercise Every Day
Ageing is never a delight for women, especially when it comes tagged with a host of unwarranted health issues. Thus, you need to take care of your body from a very early age. A 20 minutes brisk walk everyday is all it will take you to stay in shape, be fit, and keep joint- and bone-issues at bay. Indulging in gentle energy-boosting exercises like tai chi and yoga, apart from adding to your healthy lifestyle, is likely to cut down on ageing too, ensuring that you stays healthy and beautiful for days to come.

Frequently Drink Water
Water has more benefits than we can ever count. It helps eliminate harmful toxins from the body and maintain blood osmotic levels. Scientists unanimously vote for the benefits of water. So, gulp at least eight glasses of water every day, to stay healthy for long. Women are prone to diseases like urinary tract infection, thrush and more. Drinking adequate water ensures that you excuse yourself from such ailments for long.

Explore The Goodness Of Tea
Tea indeed makes up as one of the favorite drinks worldwide. So why wait! Treat yourself to the benefits of tea. Tea, apart from being refreshing, is low-calorie beverage that is known to possess free-radical inhibiting properties. It helps prevent atherosclerosis or hardening of arteries. It is also replete with polyphenols, a kind of active antioxidants that help the body against the threat of cancer and diabetes. Get some herbal tea for yourself and get sipping!

Have A Healthy Bite
As mum, you are constantly after your child to force him/her to eat greens. Now it’s your turn for a bite of health. Greens are known to be life-extending, anti-aging foods. Give your mum a healthy dose of soy; leafy green vegetables like spinach, mustard greens, parsley and seaweed; yams and sweet potatoes; nuts and seeds; and deep-sea fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel. They are known to help in the battle against breast cancer, osteoporosis, hormonal imbalance, heart diseases, and ageing too.

Indulge In Laughter
With too many things to take care of, as a mum, it is likely that you get stressed easily. Laughter is known to be a great health booster that enhances immunity. It is also known to release endorphins - a hormone that kicks good feelings, making you more peppy and cheery. So, grab your favorite comic flick or your child’s comic books and get rolling with mirth. After all, your happiness is priceless! So get indulging.

Diets For Nursing Mothers

A healthy diet is very necessary for each and every individual. And when the person is a new mom, it becomes all the more necessary to eat the right foods. Similar to the pregnancy period, a woman needs to have a nutritious diet after the birth of the child as well. This is because hormonal changes take place when the body first starts lactating. In such circumstances, a well balanced diet, which has a variety of nutrient-rich foods, is a must. Nursing mothers should lower the consumption of processed foods as well as the ones that are acidic or gas producing in nature. Given below is a list of foods, which nursing mothers should eat and avoid during the breastfeeding days.

Diets For Nursing Mothers

Diet For A Breastfeeding Mother

Foods to Eat
  • Cod Liver Oil
  • Butter
  • Eggs, preferably from pastured chicken
  • Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, and the like
  • Fresh seafood, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
  • Fresh beef or lamb
  • Oily fish or lard daily, for vitamin D
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc
  • Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
  • Bone broths, used in soups, stews and sauces
  • Soaked whole grains
  • Fresh vegetables and fruits
  • Lime soda
  • Fresh fruit juice 
Foods to Avoid
  • Trans fatty acids (e.g., hydrogenated oils)
  • Junk foods
  • Commercial fried foods
  • Sugar
  • White flour
  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Cigarettes
  • Brewer's yeast
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Chocolate
  • Gas-forming vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, etc
  • Oranges and orange juice
  • Strawberries
Some Tips

A breastfeeding infant is completely dependent on his/her mother, for nutritional requirements. So, a nursing mother should make sure to consume a diet that is rich is all types of nutrients. In short, having a balanced diet is a must for her.  
In nursing mothers, a part of the water consumption is used for milk production, making it very necessary for them to increase their liquid intake. They should drink 2.5 to 3 quarts water in a day. However, the water consumption should not be excessive also, as it can reduce milk production.

The daily intake of calories needs to be somewhere around 2,500 calories. If you are planning to continue breast-feeding for more than three months, you may increase the intake to 2,800 calories per day, as well. However, make sure to consume healthy foods, for gaining these extra calories.
Rather than having three heavy meals in a day and having high-fat snacks in-between, spread your caloric intake over five meals - breakfast, noon snack, lunch, evening snack and dinner. Use them to consume water, low-fat dairy products and fruits also.

Say no tobacco and alcohol. Whatever you intake will go inside your child as well. If you cannot seem to control yourself, make sure to smoke at least one hour before your next feeding session and drink only after a feeding session is over.

Weight-Loss Surgery Increases Bone Fracture Risk

A recent research has underlined the point that a weight loss surgery like bariatric increases the risk of bone fracture. To know the reason, check the details here:

Bariatric or weight loss surgery includes a variety of procedures that are performed obese people. It is done by reducing the size of the stomach with an implanted medical device (gastric banding) or through the removal of a portion of the stomach. This surgery is also carried out by resecting and re-routing the small intestines to a small pouch (gastric bypass surgery). It causes significant long term weight loss, recovery from diabetes, improvement from cardiovascular disease and a reduction in mortality of 23 percent from 40 percent. But now this new study has come into light claiming that such kind of weight loss surgery can raise the risk of bone fractures in the future. So here is the detailed study.


Weight-Loss Surgery Increases Bone Fracture Risk


Weight-Loss Surgery ups the Risk of Bone Fractures

This study was done by Kelly Nakamura, at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Rochester, Minnesota. She reported the final analysis of research that was presented in two years. This previous study included a small subset of the 258 patients. Now this new and full analysis showed that people who had bariatric surgery have 2.3 times the chance of fractures in comparison to the general population. This new risk is opposed to the earlier one of 1.8 folds.

Nakamura's analysis stated that patients who had bariatric surgery had an increased risk of a fracture at nearly all skeletal sites which were included in the study. There is a greater chance of breaking a foot or hand. It is three times higher than expected. 94 patients underwent gastric bypass surgery between 1985 and 2004. 79 of them had 139 fractures in 9 years. They got their first fractures around 6 years back on an average.

Therefore guys!!! if you are in the trap of a heavy bulk of fat layers on your stomach and thinking to get a surgery done, then think again as this may cost you many bone fractures. So take care of yourself and do not neglect your health to stay happy and fit!!! Good luck!!!

Tiredness and Fatigue During Pregnancy

This is one of the most common questions raised by women during their pregnancy, but there is nothing to be worried as this is a common fact that women tend to feel tired sooner in the period of frequency as compared to other days of their life. Fatigue is a very common thing in the first few months of pregnancy. When you start expecting a new life inside you then it puts an extra strain on you and therefore your body tends to get tire up earlier than before. 

Tiredness and Fatigue During Pregnancy

Prominent reasons behind fatigue and tiredness

The first three months experience the development of a placenta as well as an entire support system where the baby can be developed and this process continues to progress till maturity which is marked by the onset of the 2nd trimester. At the same time, your metabolism rate as well as level of hormones also changes rapidly. There is a significant change in the level of sugar present in the blood and at the same time there is a fluctuation in the pressure level of blood as well. Hence, there are several suchreasons that account for your fatigue.

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Although, if apart from this you tend to feel a bit dizzy as well as experience occasional fainting then there are chances that you are suffering from anemia and hence, you should speak to your gynecologist immediately. This might be the time when you would be asked to have some effective iron supplements.

Steps to be taken in case of tiredness

There are several steps that you can take in order to lessen the degree of fatigue and also to strengthen your body to resist to exhaustion. Some of them are mentioned below:
  • Try listening to the signals of your body:  Start the habit of taking some effective catnaps in between your schedule. Even a fifteen minute or a few more would do in between any household as well as office work.
  • Take care of your eating habits: You should try to have a diet that is rich in iron content and at the same time has the right amount of proteins. Green leafy vegetables as well as fruits are fine and should be used in supplement of some fiber-rich food. Skimmed milk as well as lean meats should be consumed at regular intervals.
  • You should also have some vitamin supplements:  Lack of iron as well as calcium can result in early exhaustion and therefore their balance in the body should be maintained. Also make sure you consume a fine quantity of vitamin D. The best source of this vitamin is early sunrise and of calcium is milk or fish.Tiredness and fatigue during pregnancy.

Tips for Panic Attacks

Today people are facing a number of problems that results into mental disturbances such as anxiety, fear, hypertension, depression, panic attacks, etc. 

Panic attack is generally the result of stress. Depending on the severity of the condition, it may last for a few seconds or for days. The attack can create a lot of uncomfortable situation which lead to a vain situation. The person goes through a certain type of fear which is unreal but seems very true. He might be experiencing mild infrequent attacks at early stage but later on the attacks may become so severe, that he might find it hard to carry on with his daily routine. 


The individual suffering from panic attacks reports fear of dying, going crazy, heart attack, faintness, nausea, chest pain, difficulty in breathing etc. Shortness of breath and chest pain is the main symptom of this condition. Some patients are affected by this condition due to phobia, loss of a loved one, use of caffeine, nicotine, marijuana etc. Some of the main characteristics of a person suffering from panic attacks are change in the way s/he interacts, does not open up, and adopts a passive approach. 

Following are some of the tips for panic attacks that will help you to deal with the situation:

1) Consider taking anti-anxiety medication under the guidance of a well experienced physician.

2) Talk about your feelings and fear that you have been experiencing with a supportive person. You can always consider talking about it with a person who had already suffered from the attack to seek advice on how to control it.

3) Breathing slowly through the nose using diaphragm and abdomen is another way to keep your panic attack in control. Exhale slowly through the nose to help balance the oxygen and cabondioxide level in the blood.

4) Acknowledge the fact that you are suffering from the attack and try to understand it to handle the situation with proper care.

5) Yoga is another way of helping the body’s muscle to relax in order to enable it to get enough oxygen to alleviate the metabolism of the body.

6) The person should and must distract himself from the things that could trigger panic disorder.

7) The person must take proper rest, to relax his mind and to keep himself away from unwanted attention which could add to his disadvantages.

8) Following a proper diet is very important. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits keeps the body healthy and helps in maintaining the body’s requirement.

9) Inculcate positive attitude towards life. It helps to get rid of the fear and will also help to initiate a healthy life much better than living with a panic attack.

10) Hypnotherapy is a way through which the patient can be helped to relax and strengthen their determination to control the physical symptoms experienced during an attack

In panic disorder the person suffering from it must know some few things, panic can’t trigger heart attack, can’t stop the heart breathe, and it’s only the way to distract you from being yourself, try some of this few tips, it will relief you from the attack. Also, unassertive way of communicating contributes to panic attack. 

The person will begin to convince himself to fight with the problem, s/he will experience magical thoughts, avoid crowded places, remain aloof etc. If you are living with the condition then life can be very tough for you.

Also read on to know how to overcome panic attacks, in order to handle the situation effectively when you are going through a panic attack. Your views and comments are valuable to us, so feel free to share it with us.

The 5 Strong Home Remedies for Head Lice

Head lice is one of the most common problems that affect a large number of children. Head lice is more common in girls than in boys. Teenagers often fall prey to head lice which irritates them a lot and sometimes also lead to a lot of frustration.

Considering this, it is very essential to get rid of head lice effectively. People try various medications and chemicals to get rid of head lice but they do nothing good to remove the head lice. In fact, they only make people lose a lot of money with no proper results. In such a case, it also becomes essential for people to choose some home remedies that can help to get rid of head lice. The following are some of the home remedies that can help to get rid of head lice.

The 5 Strong Home Remedies for Head Lice


Tea tree oil:

To get rid of head lice you need to massage the hair of the infested person with tea tree oil. This oil is known to kill the head lice quite effectively. Once you apply this oil on the infested person, allow it to rest for some time and then comb the hair with the help of head lice comb.

Custard apple:

Take a custard apple and take out its seeds. Grind these seeds to make a fine powder. Add some water to this powder and make a paste. Apply this paste directly in the head of the infested person and allow it to rest. Rinse of the head and you will find complete relief from the infestation of the head lice.

Camphor tablets:

The pungent smell of the camphor tablet helps to kill the head lice. To use this home remedy you need to crush some camphor tablets and add the powder made out of it directly into the hair and rinse off the powder after some time. 

You will see dead head lice coming out of your hair as you comb your hair with a head lice comb.

Apple:

Crush an apple into pieces and apply it directly on the hair of the person infested with head lice. Allow it to rest and rinse it off after some time. This is one of the best home remedies for head lice as it removes the head lice fast and easy.

Garlic:

A paste made by grinding some pieces of garlic when applied directly to the hair of the person infested with head lice can work wonders in removing the head lice. Garlic is known for its pungent smell. This pungent smell kills the head lice instantly. A person needs to apply the paste of garlic on the head, allow it to rest overnight, and rinse of the paste early morning. The person will see dead head lice falling from the hair.

The home remedies mentioned above are completely safe and can help to get rid of head lice almost instantly. So, try these home remedies and solve the problem of head lice permanently without spending too much of money.

Summer Pregnancy Comfort Tips

Being pregnant can be quite uncomfortable with the daily routine of the women in the modern society, especially in the summer where it’s going to be hot and humid. Life today is so fast moving and while even being pregnant it might be necessary to do work. There can be many changes happening in the mother’s body related to pregnancy which could already be very difficult to cope with in a normal environment. Especially in the summer you will need to plan out how to make yourself comfortable without being exhausted.

A few simple tips


Always plan your daily task

Since you may have many tasks to do it is always wise to plan them earlier in the morning or towards the evening when it is much cooler. Being outside, going for walks and breathing in fresh air is essential but they should be done when the heat dies down. Being exposed to direct sunlight and being sort of burnt should be avoided. When the temperature ishigh it’s always good to be in an air-conditioned space. Local weather forecasts would give details about how each day is going to be so that you can plan out on which days to be out on an errand.

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Wear Lighter Colors Always

When travelling outside light colors should be worn, darker colors like black absorb sunlight and heat making them real hot. White clothing material reflects sunlight and does not absorb them as heat. This significantly keeps the heat down and keeps you comfortable. Silk and cotton can be good materials to wear clothes from. When you sweat, these materials will let the sweat evaporate quicker. Other materials may not be the same, most often they will be uncomfortable to wear as well. The kinds of clothes you can wear during pregnancy are limited, so therefore make sure that you are wearing suitable clothes every time which are not tight. 

When it is hot you will be losing lots of water from your body as sweat and urine and therefore these fluids need to be replaced to maintain internal balance, especially to support the needs of the unborn baby.

Take time to Rest

In case you feel faintish or light headed, immediately stop work settle down in bed and rest. Felling dizzy can be dangerous since you may even faint and fall which will not be good at all for the unborn baby. Sun block would be a good option to block to prevent the intense heat from burning your skin. Skin during pregnancy period becomes different and is vulnerable to sunburn . Applying sun block before going out in the sun would be good but a good sun block with no harmful affects is to be used.

Take Several Baths Regularly

In the pregnancy time period it would be relieving to take several quick baths or showers each day as keeping cool is hard in summers. The shower should be quick ones as not to cause any other problems from being in water for too long. 

Sprinkling water on to yourself if you find it really hot is a good method to keep cool as well. Daily chores makes you feel hot therefore its great if you can just relax when it is really hot. A couple of naps at the hottest time of the day are ideal to make sure that you are comfortably in your sleep at the difficult of time.

Avoid Heavy Foods and Drinks

Avoid taking concentrated foods or drinks containing salt because it can cause swelling due to water retention. If you have to be outside in the hot sun then always find a shade and be under it. Meals should be taken on time and should not be missed. All meals should be healthy with less sugar and caffeine if possible. Constipation can be avoided by taking in plenty of fibers in the diet which will clear your gastro intestinal tract.

Exercise Regularly

A mother needs good exercise as well to keep her healthy and ready for labor; exercising in the summer heat can be a problem. Mild exercise in the form of walks done in strategic times can be handy. Fresh air and good exercise has a greater effect on our health and stress levels than what we think, therefore this should be given more attention.

Learn to Socialize

The heat can get to you in more than one way meaning it can be mentally a problem as well. With the increasing heat you can get headaches or loose temper with the stress that comes with being uncomfortable. It is good to socialize and speak to others or maybe get in contact with another pregnant lady. Having someone to talk is just as important when pregnant as when normal.

Naps in the summer

When the baby is much older you will need to take lighter meals each time to avoid the discomfort of being too full. Remember you can be really hungry and be full since the baby and the food needs to fit inside your stomach. Taking smaller meals but many in number would help you solve this problem and keep up to your nutritional needs. Just after a meal sleeping should be avoided and it would be great if you could sleep with your upper body elevated from the level that your lower body is.

Perhaps a warm shower or a normal shower would get you in the mood for a good night’s sleep. Firm mattress should be used but one which is not that firm and uncomfortable. Soft mattresses cause the heavier mother to sink into the mattress and disrupt her posture, getting up from such a mattress would be hard as well. Many pillows can be used for support to arms and legs. Most often women find it comfortable to sleep on their sides with the legs crossed. During pregnancy women’s breasts become different and undergo changes. They become much heavier meaning they will be a large influence on how comfortable you are going to be. Nursing bras should be a good remedy to support enlarged breasts and also make sure you do not wash yourself with strong soap or body wash which will make your skin dry. Summer pregnancy comfort tips.

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