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DIET FOR DIABETICS

07 Dec

More of carbohydrate must be given as complex starches rather than simple sugars as they breakdown more slowly to release glucose in blood. The presence of fiber in complex carbohydrate like grains, vegetables and other starches slows the glucose absorption. One should emphasize more on the high fiber food instead of high fiber supplements available in the market.

It is way one consumes his calories and spends his calories by various means like exercises. To be more specific the doctor shall recommend a certain calorie diet per day and ask the dietician to prepare a menu for it.

All the diabetics should know the calorific values of the foods they consume and amount of calories they burn with various activities.

Food groups

High fiber food

Low fiber food
Cereals Whole cereals like whole wheat,

Dalia(porridge) , whole wheat flour

 Refined cereals like rice,

bread, maida, suji(Rava),

noodles, macaroni, etc
Milk and milk products - Milk and milk products
Pulses Whole dhals and dhals with husk Washed dhals
Meat, fish and poultry - Eggs, chicken, fish
Vegetables Vegetables like peas,

beans, lotus stem etc.

 Vegetables like potato,

lauki(bottle guard)  etc.
Fruits Fruits like apple, cherries, pears,

peaches, plums, guava etc.

 Fruit juices and fruits like

banana and papaya
Fats - Fats

Sample diet plan (for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus)

Meal Schedule Menu
Early morning
 Tea (preferably without sugar)
Breakfast Dalia (Broken Wheat) (salted) / Paneer (Indian Cheese) on toast
Tea without sugar Apple
Lunch 2 chapatti
Channa curry / or any other whole dhal
Beans sabzi / or any other sabzi (avoid potatoes)
Curds / ghia raita Salad
Tea Tea Salty biscuits
Dinner Vegetable soup / tomato soup / chicken soup
2 chapatti / missi roti (combining wheat flour with channa flour and  soya flour) Palak paneer sabzi / paneer bhurji Curds

Sample diet plan (for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus)

Meal Menu
Early morning
 Tea (without sugar)
Breakfast Corn flakes
Boiled egg Toast
Mid-morning Fruit chat
Lunch 2 chapatti (add extra chapatti if required)
Lobia curry / or any other whole dal
Capsicum sabzi / karela / or any other sabzi
Curds / raita Salad
Tea Tea / milk Vegetable sandwich
Dinner 2 chapatti
Dry dal
Cabbage sabzi / or any other sabzi Salad
Bed time Kheer / fruit custard

To remember :

  • It is important to control the amount and time of food intake.
  • Meals should not be missed.
  • Consider the likes and dislikes of the patient.
  • Try to substitute the craving for sweet by taking some fruit

Food to be avoided :

Glucose, sugar, honey, all sweets, chocolates and candies.

Food to be restricted :

Potatoes, yam, arbi, sweet potatoes, mangoes, grapes, bananas, alcoholic beverages, fried food, paranthas, poories, pakoras, mathris, deep fried food, dry fruits, salad oils, cakes and pastries.

Food to be taken at will :

Green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumber, radish, soups, buttermilk, tea and coffee without sugar.

 
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AN EXCESS OF THIS VITAMIN INCREASES BREAST CANCER

24 Nov

A recent published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that high intake of folate and other one-carbon metabolism related nutrients could potentially increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Folate is a vitamin that is often added to flours to help prevent birth defects.  This current study led by Victoria L Stevens and colleagues from the Epidemiology Research American Cancer Society Atlanta Georgia shows high intake of folate was associated with significantly increased risk of breast cancer.

In this study, Stevens et al. examined the association of dietary and total folate, vitaminB6, vitamin B12, methionine and alcohol intakes with breast cancer risk in 70,656 postmenopausal women  whose dietary information was collected at baseline in 1992. During the follow-up between 1992 and June 2005, 3,898 women developed breast cancer.

Researchers found postmenopausal women with the highest quintile of dietary folate intake was correlated with a 12 percent increased risk of breast cancer. The elevated risk was not modified by other nutrients or alcohol. But no dose-response trend was observed. The other vitamins were not found to be associated with breast cancer risk and methione was inversely related to breast cancer risk. Foods high in methionine include eggs, cheese, seaweed, seeds, nuts, fish, mollusks, soy protein, and butter. Methionine helps the body to detoxify toxins through the liver. It acts to bind or methylate toxins and such and releases them from the body. The researchers did not know why high dietary folate was linked with high breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.  All the folate-rich foods listed seem to be healthy foods or supplements. It could be the folate that is added to foods that is the problem but not the one’s that they are naturally found in. Researchers do not know, however, naturally high folate containing foods are very healthy. They acknowledged that more research is needed.

 
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What are aerobic exercises?

23 Nov

Aerobic Exercises?

Aerobic exercise is any rhythmic activity that uses large muscle groups and makes your heart and lungs work harder than at rest. Choose an aerobic activity that you enjoy and move your way to a healthier life. These are some of the activities that you can go for:

  • Bicycling
  • Aerobic Dance
  • Running
  • Stair Climbing
  • Swimming
  • Jumping Rope
  • Fitness Walking

Why should you go for aerobic exercises?

Aerobic exercises are great for you irrespective of your age, weight, or stamina. Regular aerobic activity will make you stronger and more energetic. Here are 10 ways in which aerobic activity will work for you and add a zing to your life.

  • Keep you in good shape. Along with a healthy diet, aerobic exercise helps you shed those extra kilos for good.
  • Do wonders for your stamina. When you start off, you may feel that they are tiring you out, but as your body adapts, you’ll see the difference in your stamina.
  • Make your heart stronger. A stronger heart pumps better, which means better blood flow to all parts of your body.
  • Keep your arteries clear. Aerobic exercise prevent plaque deposit in your arteries by making your good cholesterol (HDL) go up and bad cholesterol (LDL) come down
  • Beat the blues. Aerobic exercises have a mood boosting effect, reduce anxiety and help you relax.
  • Are good for your blood pressure and blood sugar. Aerobic exercises positively affect these two important readings that are so important to your health.
  • Protect you against serious, chronic diseases. Aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the risk obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and even some cancers. Weight-bearing aerobic activity, such as walking, protects against osteoporosis.
  • Boost immunity. Aerobic exercises strengthen your immune system and help you keep minor viral illnesses at bay.
  • Keep you raring to go even in your old age. Regular aerobic activity keeps muscles strong and improves your chances to stay fit and agile as you grow older. They have also been shown to be good for your memory.

Aerobic exercises are safe for most of us, but sometimes it’s important to consult a doctor before you start — especially if you have a chronic illness. It’s great that you have made up your mind to start, but don’t rush into it. Start with some light walking in the morning and in the evening, then gradually increase the duration and speed. It won’t be long before you find yourself doing the 30 minute brisk walk every day, effortlessly — and wow! You will have all the health benefits that it brings to you.

 
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Tips to fight fatigue

08 Nov

Fatigue may be caused due to increased family demands, work demands, inadequate sleep, poor diet. Fatigue leads to decreased mental activity, irritability

  • Avoid skipping the breakfast. Breakfast is the main thing in the morning. If you skip your breakfast you tend to get more sluggish as the time pass and your energy level decreases as the day passes.
  • Drink lot of water: Mild dehydration can make the heart to work more since the blood will thickens if the water in inadequate.
  • Have short and shallow breaths. Take deep breaths to increase the body’s oxygen supply.
  • If you have fatigue from long time, check for anemia, which is decreased hemoglobin in your blood. This leads to decreased energy levels.
  • Exercise regularly. Involve in some exercise for about 30-45 minutes for at least 5 days a week.
  • Control the stress by breathing exercises and meditation techniques.
  • Have adequate sleep every day. Sleep at least 8-9 hours per day.
  • Take a stress management class to reduce your stress levels. Learn various techniques to prevent stressors in the daily life. Learn relaxation methods and breathing techniques if you are stressed out.
  • Eat well balanced diet which has all the nutrients, carbohydrates, protein, calcium and potassium.
  • Nutrient deficiency can cause chronic fatigue, so identify it and incorporate in your diet
  • Drink plenty of fruit juices.
  • Take lemon tea, green tea instead of coffee and regular tea.
  • Avoid smoking, alcohol consumption.
  • Do not skip meals.
  • Avoid crash dieting.
  • Eat healthy diet which has more fruits, vegetables, whole grain food, lean meats, low fat dairy products.
  • Avoid over eating. Take small and frequent meals.
  • Take more of iron rich foods like papaya, dates.
  • Avoid using sleeping tablets on long term.

Visit our webclinic – www.asherclinic.com

 
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Hemorrhoids

08 Nov

Hemorrhoids is one of the commonly affected condition in younger and older age groups, also called piles, are swollen and inflamed veins in anus and lower rectum resulting from straining during a bowel movement or from the increased pressure on these veins which most of the times can be relieved from symptoms using home treatments and lifestyle changes.

Causes:

  • Increased Straining during bowel movements such as constipation or Diarrhea
  • Sitting for long periods of time on the toilet
  • Chronic diarrhea or constipation
  • Obesity, Portal Hypertension and chronic liver disease
  • Pregnancy and premenstrual syndrome causing water retention and constipation
  • Anal intercourse
  • Cigarettes smoking
  • Long distances of travel

Symptoms:

  • Painless bleeding with bright red colour and the bleeding usually does not last long.
  • Hemorrhoids may lead to a condition called prolapsed hemorrhoids.
  • This occurs when the internal hemorrhoids swell and then extend through the anus which can be felt at anus from outside and can be pushed back manually
  • Itching also called pruritis ani or irritation
  • External hemorrhoids may form a painful condition called thrombosed hemorrhoids.
  • When a blood clot occurs in a hemorrhoid, the hemorrhoid will become even more swollen. This swelling leads to increase pain which becomes even worse with bowel movements or sometimes with sitting
  • Leakage of fecal matter without sense
  • Food material such as spicy food and low fibre diet food

Tests and Diagnosis:

  • Digital examination through fingers
  • Using a anoscope the rectal area can be seen
  • Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy can be done in case of detailed study

Treatment and prevention:

  • Topical application of natural astringents and soothing agents, such as Witch hazel or Cranesbills, honey
  • Eating food rich in fiber bulking agents
  • Using the squatting position for bowel movements like in western toilets
  • Sleeping in night with raised legs helps reduce or completely eliminate especially external hemorrhoids.
  • Placing an ice pack to an external hemorrhoid should relieve itching and swelling. Leave the ice pack on the hemorrhoid for 15 to 20 minutes
  • Using sitz bath along with astringents can be useful
  • Homeopathy is best for Non Invasive treatment

Surgeries or medical procedures:

  • Hemorrhoidectomy
 
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Tips to fight heartburn

06 Nov

Heartburn can occur due to bad food choices and overeating. Certain food items like citrus fruits, sodas, fatty foods, onion, garlic, tomatoes and spicy foods are the triggering factors of heartburn. Certain lifestyle changes can prevent heart burn.

  • It is best to eat several small meals instead of two or three large meals.
  • Take cold milk when you have heartburn.
  • Do not lie down after eating.
  • Avoid having late night snacks.
  • Certain foods like chocolate, mint and alcohol make the heart burn worse
  • Avoid a food which increases the heartburn symptoms like spicy foods, foods that have lot of acid like tomatoes and oranges and coffee.
  • Avoid smoking of chewing tobacco.
  • Avoid alcohol intake
  • Raise the head end by 6 to 8 inches at night.
  • Do not wear tight clothing in the middle.
  • Reduce your weight if you are overweight.
  • You can take antacids to prevent heartburn.
  • Eat more of vegetables and fruits to prevent heartburn.
  • Non citrus fruits like apples, berries, grapes, prunes, peaches, banana and high fiber vegetables like broccoli, spinach help to prevent the heart burn. So increase these things in your diet.
  • Avoid taking medications like pain killers, antibiotics, steroids if you have heartburn since these tablets tend to increase the heartburn.
  • Avoid salty and fatty foods.
  • Avoid fast foods like hamburgers, pizzas

Visit Our Website – www.asherclinic.com

 
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Tips to prevent acne

06 Nov

Tips to prevent acne

The most effective methods to prevent acne include a combination of prevention and better skincare. Effective acne prevention will requires using the right acne treatment options, and good hygiene habits. To get rid of acne and pimples, and other skin problems like blackheads, go through these few great tips about acne prevention. Sometimes the stress itself of having these acne and trying to figure out measures to get rid of them can make things more worse. These tips will be helpful in relieving those stresses and preventing the acne.

Tip1

Do not ever pick, pop or squeeze the pimples/blackheads, or otherwise mess with your skin. These will lead to infection or scarring, almost always making the acne worse. Picking/squeezing can permanently scar your skin. If you must pick, please be sure to immediately apply a topical antibiotic to help prevent any infection setting in.

Tip2

Wash your dirty towels and pillowcases regularly as they are known to harbor/carry bacteria and germs that will make the acne worse.

Tip3

Oily hair aggravates acne, so avoid use of oily products like pomades or hair spray, especially if you have pimples on your forehead and want to get rid of them. If you have long hair, wear your hair pulled back or consider having a shorter hair style that keeps it off your face, neck and shoulders if acne are more in those areas. Be sure to pull your hair back or away from your skin when you sleep so that pimples/acne do not develop overnight.

Tip4

Have a shower after workout as soon as possible since sweat combined with skin oils trap dirt and bacteria in your skin pores.  At the same time avoid hot, humid environments like poorly ventilated kitchens, gyms, tropical climates. Stay away from cooking grease or machine oil as much as possible as it can contribute more to developing blackheads and clogged skin pores.

Tip5

Wash your skin gently with a mild non-soap based facewash or cleanser and warm water once or twice daily. Hot water and harsh cleansers are known to irritate your skin.

Never go to bed with makeup on. It will clog your skin pores and lead to breakouts. It is very tempting to try to scrub away acne, but that is not the right way to get rid of them. Scrubbing too hard or too frequently can actually make them worse and promote scarring by increasing the inflammation and/or rupturing cysts under your skin, which will lead to bacterial spread and re-infection. It will also lead to possible over production of oils to replace what is washed off, clogging the pores in the process. However if you do need to scrub, remember to use products with gentle exfoliation ingredients and no alcohol.

Tip6

Use cosmetics that are labeled “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic”. Use a non-acnegenic moisturizer in the pimple prone areas, else they will go worse. Clean your cosmetic brushes regularly in soap water and throw out the old, contaminated makeup articles. Keep anything that can carry bacteria away from touching your. Avoid shimmering facial colors and makeup articles, including lip gloss as they lead to more pore-clogging.

Tip7

Use topical treatment creams in places where you tend to get breakouts not just the existing pimples. The pore-clogging process usually happens two to three weeks before the actual blemish/blackhead becomes visible on the skin. Using salicylic acid acne medication in the body spray is an exfoliant, which helps to remove the dead skin that combines with the oil and dirt to form blackheads and whiteheads that eventually get infected and become pimples.

Other treatment options include topical retinoids, oral antibiotics and Benzoyl Peroxide for teens. Oral contraceptives or hormonal birth control pills and hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) may be helpful for adult women, combined with systemic or topical treatment medications.

Tip8

Regular exercises can help to reduce stress and increase blood circulation and oxygen penetration to the skin, which helps to prevent acne. It also help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression. Stress can trigger acne, so it is best to try and avoid stressful situations, and resolve stresses by talking to friends/family or a professional person, be sure to get enough of good sleep. Exercising regularly can also help reduce stress and it increases blood circulation and oxygen penetration to the skin, which may help with acne prevention. Regular exercise can help fight acne by fighting off negative stress levels that can come from negative self-esteem and depression.

Tip9

Drink at least 64 ounces of water or 6-8 glasses of water a day to help “detoxify” the body from the inside out. It helps in good skin hydration, thereby preventing excess oil secretion and thereby clogging of pores.

 
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Nasal polyp

06 Nov

Nasal polyps are small, sac-like growths made up of inflamed tissue lining the nose.

Causes:

Nasal polyps start near the Ethmoid sinuses (located at the top of the inside of the nose) and grow into the open areas. Large polyps may block the airway.

Having any of the following conditions may make people more likely to get nasal polyps:

  • Asthma
  • Chronic sinus infections
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)

Signs & Symptoms:

A person suffering from nasal polyps may feel difficulty in breathing; there is constant dripping from the nose and loss of one’s sense of smell.

  • Mouth breathing
  • Nasal obstruction
  • Runny nose
  • Sound congested

Diagnosis:

The doctor examines the patient’s nasal passages. A computerized tomography (CT) scan will be done to help determine the size and exact location of the polyps, including any polyps in the sinuses.

 
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Sleep Walking –

13 Oct

Sleep Walking

Sleep normally as four stages including REM sleep and NREM sleep in cycles. Sleep walking is a disorder in this cycle where the person starts walking suddenly in the sleep without realizing the act that they are doing. Sleep walking occurs usually in the deep, NREM sleep (stage 3 or stage 4 sleep) early in the night. More common in the age groups of 4 – 12 years, Adults can be affected..

The cause of sleep walking is still unknown but is associated with REM sleep disorder, some organic brain disorder, some mental disorders including STRESS , Panic attack, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias.

Signs and symptoms of Sleep walking

The patients normally presents with features of

• Walking during the night without their consciousness as said by others
• Sudden sitting up in sleep
• Eye opening without seeing anything
• Having a blank look or staring on nothing during sleep walking
• Does not remember the events during sleep walking
• Injury due to fall during sleep walking
• Confused state on arousing from sleep walking
• Performing some skillful activities in sleep walking in sleep
• Rarely aggressive behavior.

Diagnosis -
Medical history is sufficient for the diagnosis of sleep walking.

Treatment
The treatment includes
• Reassurance & Counselling
• Prevention of injuries during sleep walking by locking the room, block the stairs with a gate, move the furniture and vases from the usual path of sleep walking.
• Find the Stress & treat accordingly.

 
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Tips for good sleep

13 Oct
  • Regular daily physical exercises ( not to do in the evening)
  • Avoid or minimize day time nap
  • Maintain a regular time for going to sleep and waking up
  • Avoid consumption of drinks containing caffeine like coffee, tea, cola, before sleeping hours
  • Not to watch television or reading while in bed
  • Avoid fluid and heave meals before going to bed
  • Avoid regular use of alcohol and never use alcohol for promoting sleep
  • Sleep in a dark, quite and comfortable environment
  • Avoid bright colors in the sleeping room
  • Always brush your teeth, wash face with preferable luke warm water, comb your hair before going to bed.
 
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