Daily Health Tips: World Autism Awareness Day

Posted on April 2, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

It is another World Autism Day!

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Today is World Autism Awareness Day. How many people actually know what autism is? Well, I reproduce one of my posts on this subject.

Ever heard of autism? It is major developmental problem that usually appears in early childhood and usually affects a child’s communication and interaction with other people.

These children usually do not respond to their environment or people. They may not respond when they are called, they would resist hugging/cuddling, do not maintain eye contact and generally prefer playing alone. They may not speak properly or speak later than expected, they don’t appear to understand simple instructions and they usually have a sing-song kind of voice. They also usually perform repetitive motions like rocking, may indulge in self-harming activities like head banging and may have the craving for things like chalk or other items not considered food.

Think about how many of these children have been branded…

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Daily Health Tips: Let’s Go Fruity!

Posted on April 1, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: What is the health importance of APPLE FRUIT?
 
A: This reminds me of the very old cliché: ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’! Eat them raw and include them in smoothies. Same goes for bananas, mangos, oranges and carrots. Water melon and pineapples are also very nourishing and their health benefits are best experienced on an empty stomach. Blue berries, black berries and strawberries contain lots of anti-oxidants that are effective in preventing cancer. All these can be eaten on their own or added to smoothies.
 
I now reproduce below a post I had made on fruits and healthy snacking generally, with focus on fruits:
Smoothies are fruit juices extracted in a smoothie maker. ..almost like blending the fruits; the smoothie maker goes a step further by removing the pulp so that you are left with the pure fruit juice. Traditionally, yoghurts are added but be sure that be sure that they are then low fat and no-added sugar variety. To be extra sure you are not being fed ‘hidden’ sugars, you could make yours (a cup of milk to four cups of water. Leave in an airtight container overnight. You can add a little amount of ready made yoghurt – unsweetened – to this and then refrigerate).
 
These fruits and vegetables also come packed with vitamins, minerals and lots of other benefits:
 
Apples are known to be anti-cancer health promoters and also helpful in reducing blood pressure
 
Bananas help to keep hunger pangs away as they bring about a slow release of energy
 
Mangoes mop up free radicals and stimulate the immune system. (By the way, free radicals are produced by the body as part of the natural process of converting food to energy; they can also be extracted from the air and generated by the sun’s action on skin and eyes. These toxic substances can start off a domino-like chain reaction leading to malfunctioning and dead cells and ultimately, a lot of diseases in the body). I’m sure you need a breather here just to digest this 😀 Take a deeeep breath……
Oranges aid the destruction of free radicals (again) that cause skin aging
 
Carrots promote healthy skin and eyes
 
Water melon is refreshing and helps reduce blood pressure.
 
Pineapples aid digestion and help dissolve mucus
 
Blue berries, blackberries and strawberries destroy free radicals (yet again!) and slow down the signs of aging
 
Talking about smoothies, do you know you can live on a diet of raw fruits and vegetables made into smoothies for days? Okay, just before you decide on the particular (unpleasant :D) name you want to call me, perhaps starting off with a day and then graduating to three days is a better idea. Away with the face that says ‘Yuck and all manners of Eew’ . The smoothies do taste good and more importantly are good for you. You come away after three days feeling light and absolutely refreshed PLUS, you will see that tummy bulge reduce…bearing in mind that the quantum of reduction has to do with the initial size. The more the paunch (afo ukwu in Ibo or beer belly in ordinary parlance:D), the less visible the outward effect ( but the inward cleansing and detoxification is constant). Fruits and veggies like celery, beetroot, apples, pineapples, black berries, blue berries, avocado pears, pumpkin leaves (ugu), lemon (with its rind), avocado, cucumber, ginger, cucumber and carrots are some of the ingredients used in their raw state to make different smoothies for the three-day period. The vegetable, green (as known by ‘us’ Okoros) or efo tete (as known by my Yoruba peeps) can also be added to the blend. Check for these fruits and vegetables in the fruits and vegetable sections of major supermarkets. Truth is you can mix and match any of the ingredients. My favourite smoothie ‘brew’ is pineapple, water melon, bananas and some mangoes when in season. The pineapples and water melon go in the smoothie maker. Then the smoothie (fruit blend) is added to the bananas and mango pulp in the blender and it’s all whizzed up….Scrumplicious!
 
For those with a sweet tooth, you can still take a teensy weensy bit of chocolate. BUT, focus on the dark variety.
 
Lemon has vitamins and possesses cleansing properties. A slice of lemon in cold or hot water is a great energy booster. Taking a cup of warm water with a lemon slice is a great way to start the day. A slice of lemon in cold water or blended in a smoothie maker with beetroot with water added to it, is a healthy detoxifying brew for all times. Coconut water is also a good way of preventing dehydration and I have always been baffled by people who break the coconuts and pour away the water.
 
Green salads without all the fatty dressings are also great. Balsamic vinegar is better as salad dressing as it is derived from vines and rich in anti-oxidants. Be wary of the plastic packed varieties of fruit/vegetable salad hawked by fruit vendors which is really a mix of fruit and vegetables and has good intentions at the root of it. But those fruits and veggies spend so much time baking in their plastic packs in the sun such that when they are eaten, they pose more of a health hazard than benefit! Avocado pears with their heart healthy oils can be used as a spread on wheat bread sandwiches and also in salads.
 
Nuts are also a good way to snack. Almonds, cashew nuts and pistachio nuts are good examples of nuts with fiber, protein and omega 3 fatty acids (the good fatty acid). These nuts are available in all major supermarkets either as mixed nuts or one-nut packs. A small handful of peanuts( or groundnuts) will also not go amiss due to its high content of unsaturated fats and protein. Be sure to go for the unsalted and dry roasted varieties of all the nuts as opposed to the oil roasted ones. Walnuts are healthy and are pretty cheap when in season. They are called ukpa in Ibo and Asala or Awusa in Yoruba. In fact, there some evidence that this could boost fertility in men. You are absolutely allowed to go nutty here 😀
 
Final tip, try eating your food slowly. Make a conscious effort to chew every bite and savour every single bit of it. This gives your tummy enough time to realize that it is actually full and reduces the amount of food you eventually eat and by extension, how often you get the munchies.
 
So….no more excuses guys. On the go, at home….you’ve got healthy snacking options. Go for it.
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Daily Health Tips: Cow, Skimmed and Full Cream Milk.

Posted on March 31, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hello doctor, please what is the difference between cow milk, skimmed milk and full cream milk? Which is safer for regular consumption? Have a great day!

A: Skimmed milk and full cream milk are types of cow milk. Full cream milk has a lot of saturated fats. A diet rich in saturated fats is associated with heart disease. Skimmed milk has the least amount of fats (about 0.1%). There is also semi-skimmed milk which has about 2% fat content.

Here are the recommendations based on age:

  • From birth till 6 months, a baby should be getting breast milk only and he should get it on demand several times a day at least 2-3 hourly
  • From 6 months to 1 year, continue breast milk with other complementary feeds like fortified cereals

Before 1 year of age, your baby should not get cow milk (the regular milk we have). He should only get formula (baby milk) and/or breast milk.

  • From 1 year to 2 years, the child should get at least 2 cups of full cream milk. The fat is particularly important to ensure proper brain development

Full cream milk is advised for children from 1 year when they can start taking regular milk till 2 years. The fat in the full cream milk is needed for proper brain development.

After the child turns 2 years, please switch to semi-skimmed milk or 2% milk if you can get that, up to 5 years of age. Your child should get at least 2 1/2 – 3 cups of semi-skimmed milk or other dairy products daily.

  • From 5 years to 8 years, your child should get at least 2 1/2 – 3 cups of skimmed milk or other dairy products daily
  • From 9 years till adulthood, you should get at least 3 – 4 cups of skimmed milk or dairy daily

Remember that your milk intake should form part of your calorie intake per day. Be sure to take that into account. So guys, get your milk mustache going. It’s certainly one source of protein and calcium that you should not be ignoring. Be sure to check that the milk is also fortified with Vitamin D which ensures that the calcium is properly absorbed. If you are at risk of prostate cancer or have other concerns, be sure to discuss your milk intake with your doctor.

Have a good night, fabulous people 😀

 

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Daily Health Tips: Vaginismus

Posted on March 30, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good evening ma’am. I am always happy to read your answers to questions. May God bless you. I am 28 weeks pregnant but right before I got pregnant, whenever I had sex with my husband, he always noticed my vagina was tight. Now I am pregnant and still whenever we have sex my vagina is also tight. Please, is it a good one or can it cause any harm on child delivery? Thank you.

A: Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Vaginal tightness could be due to a condition called vaginismus and it describes a situation in which there is involuntary tightening of the muscles around the vagina whenever there is an attempt at penetration. This can, understandably make sexual intercourse very difficult and cause a huge strain on one’s sex life. It can also lead to difficulties with gynaecological and/or pelvic examinations which would occur at the point of child birth.

 

This condition is not clearly understood but the causes could be related to:

  • Painful first sexual intercourse
  • Previous sexual abuse
  • Thinking that the vagina is small (even if it is not)
  • Thinking sexual intercourse will be painful
  • Fear of pregnancy
  • Relationship problems etc

Treatment would depend on the cause.

If the issue is psychological (as occurs with the negative thoughts of sex or size of vagina), sex therapy utilizing counseling and/or the use of relaxation techniques or vaginal trainers.

 

If due to an infection, then treatment of the infection should suffice.

 

Vaginal trainers are usually plastic, smooth, cylindrical shapes available in 4 sizes. These sizes are graduated such that there is gentle progression of treatment from one size to the other. They can be used at home to help one get used to having something inserted into the vagina.

 

Will this situation affect childbirth? Unlikely. Nature has a way of preparing the birth canal for delivery with relaxation of muscles and lubrication from body fluids.

 

However, you should speak with your doctor so he can speak from the specifics of your situation, having examined you.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Have a good night y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Cancer, Kidney Disease and Fat Tummy!

Posted on March 29, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Your health tips, by my estimate, should be saving about 2000 lives a day. I appreciate your contribution towards life. I would like to know 5 tips of eating heath to avoid cancer, kidney problem, fat tummy. I am on daily hypertension drug called Norvasc 10mg (amlodipine). Thank you for the work you are doing in our lives.
 
A: Thank you so much for your kind words. I feel humbled by your comments.
This is a triple decker question! 😀 Here goes:
 
For cancer, here are some tips to help prevent this:
Eat healthy. More fruits and vegetables which are full of anti-oxidants which help protect the body against free radicals that lead to cancer. Eat less animal fats.
 
Quit smoking. Smoking is one avoidable lifestyle habit that increases your chances of a lot of diseases like cancer) of the mouth, throat, stomach and cervix high blood pressure etc. Even second-hand smoke (inhaling smoke from someone else who is smoking) has been implicated in lung cancer.
 
Reduce alcohol intake: Limit alcohol consumption to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women with at least 2 alcohol-free days per week. However, even these recommended amounts are still associated with significant health risks include cancer
 
Exercise as this helps you lose weight and reduces your risk of certain cancers like those of the breast, kidney and oesophagus.
There are vaccines to prevent some cancers like those of the cervix. You could also take the Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent long term damage to the liver and cancer.
 
More importantly, study, know and understand your body and be sure to notice any change(s) like change in skin colour, development of a lump etc.
 
Please click on the links here to read more on cancer:
 
 
Moving on to kidney disease, here are some tips to help prevent those:
 
Whatever you do, don’t self-prescribe! The fact that you have symptoms that kinda sound like the one your friend had yesterday, does not necessarily mean that you are suffering from the same ailment or that the same drugs would work. And that Aunty that is always free with medical advice, is not really a trained medical professional. So, odds are…she doesn’t really know what she’s talking about! 😀 Again, the chemist at the corner of the road, who you ask to ‘mix’ drugs for you knows absolutely nothing about the science of what is wrong with you, how much more, what drug to give you 😀 Trust me, even if someone says, ‘I have worked with pharmacists and doctors all my life’, it does not make him/her a pharmacist or doctor! 😀 So, give your kidneys a break and be sure to use only doctor’s prescription. Don’t abuse over-the-counter drugs either.
 
Remember that every drug is a potential toxin and so exposing yourself unnecessarily messes with your kidneys.
 
Drink sufficient amounts of water daily. Remember that the 8 glasses of water dictum is not sacrosanct. It can absolutely be increased, like when people are in very hot climates.
 
Eat healthy and ensure that your weight is optimal. Remember that for a standard flat plate, fill half of it with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with proteins and the last quarter with complex carbohydrates (brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread etc)
Keep your blood pressure within normal limits. Lifestyle modifications help: reduce salt intake, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, reduce alcohol intake, stop smoking, use less oil when cooking etc.
 
Keep your blood sugar within normal limits. Remember to stay lean and stay active. Staying lean speaks to eating lots of fruits and vegetables, staying active speaks to getting enough exercise daily and keeping your weight within normal limits. Reducing alcohol intake and quitting smoking even help.
 
Exercise helps to keep you healthy and lowers your blood pressure which ultimately protect your kidneys.
 
Quit smoking as this reduces blood flow to your kidneys which in turn affects their functions.
 
Be sure to have your kidney function checked regularly if you’re diabetic, hypertensive, obese or have relations with kidney disease.
 
As for fat tummy, please click on this link for details: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/10/28/daily-health-tips-pot-belly/
 
And for your blood pressure, more tips are available here:
 
 
 
 
Have a good night, y’all 😀
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Daily Health Tips: What Are My Chances Of Having A Normal Baby After My Last Pregnancy With Rubella?

Posted on March 28, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Q: Dr thank you for your help to us! My problem is that I delivered a baby but he died after a few hours. My blood test shown I have been affected with rubella. Is there any chance of me to get a baby with no disabilities in future?
 
A: Condolences on the loss of your baby. I trust that you have a good support system to see you through this difficult time. Hugs and loads of love.
 
Rubella is also called German measles or 3-day measles. It is a contagious viral infection with red rashes like the regular measles we all know. But, rubella is different from the ‘regular’ measles (also known as rubeola) as it is less severe and less infectious than rubeola. The symptoms of rubella are pretty mild and include mild fever, headache, aching joints, runny nose, red eyes, red rash that starts from the face and spreads, painful lumps at the base of the skull (lymph nodes) etc.
 
These symptoms usually develop 2 to 3 weeks after exposure to the virus. One gets exposed to the virus by inhaling droplets from the sneeze or cough of an infected person or through direct contact with respiratory secretions (eg mucous) of an infected person. An infected person is able to pass on this infection from about 10 days before the rashes appear to about 1 to 2 weeks after the rashes appear. This means that one can pass on the infection before they even realize they have an infection.
 
Another means of transmitting this infection is from a pregnant mother to her baby. This transmission is through the blood stream…which may have been what happened in this case. This can lead to death or birth defects (deafness, cataracts, heart defects, brain damage) in the baby, especially when this infection is contracted during the first trimester. These defects are referred to as Congenital Rubella Syndrome.
 
This infection is relatively mild and would ordinarily not require treatment except for isolation especially from pregnant women. In a pregnant woman, however, the effect of this infection can be quite serious for the baby.
 
Do you stand a chance of having babies with no disabilities in future? Absolutely! Once you have had rubella, you are, usually, immune and will not have it for the rest of your life. So the chances of having this infection again and the baby having the problems noted above, are pretty slim.
 
For other pregnant women who wonder how to avoid this, it really would be if you have a high index of suspicion that someone has the infection. Remember that even before the person looks ill or has a rash, he/she could very well have the infection already. Generally avoid people who are sickly, have a suspicious looking rash. There is a vaccine that protects against MMR, however, it is not recommended for everyone. Have a chat with your doctor about the relevance of this for you before pregnancy.
 
I hope y’all had a lovely day? Have an extra fabulous evening! 😀
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Daily Health Tips: Healthy Breakfast

Posted on March 27, 2016 by chatwithdrketch
Happy Easter, family!
 
I hope you all had a great day? Were you in church? Did you visit with family or friends? I had a thoroughly lazy day at home relaxing with my family.
 
May the resurrection of Christ bring to life every good thing in your life that you had assumed dead! 😀
 
As the holiday continues tomorrow, I thought this question would be a great help.
 
Q: What’s the best food for breakfast, please?
 
A: Eating healthy for breakfast does not have to break the bank.Most people think bread once they think breakfast. There are other ideas that help you switch things up and keep breakfast interesting.
 
• You can have fruits cut up into your cereal. Keep your cereal healthy and go for oats and muesli. Try to avoid all those sugar-coated or honey-filled cereals.
 
• A small wrap of moi-moi with some yoghurt (unsweetened). I know pap is a great accompaniment but the combination may very well send you to sleep when you’re trying to stay all sharp at work 😀 If you must, please go for a teensy weensy portion. And use skimmed milk.
 
• A boiled egg or poached egg with a slice of whole wheat bread is also a good idea.
 
• Fish sauce with a small/half finger (depending on size) of unripe plantain. Tiny portions only as it’s quite easy to have big portions with this 😀
 
• You can also make a toast sandwich with leftovers from today. Put a slice of whole wheat bread on the sandwich toaster. If you have some left-over cooked chicken, or fish, chop them up and add some sliced tomatoes. Place in the sandwich toaster…and toast 😀 It’s juicily tasty!
 
• You can also have overnight oats. See recipe below:
 
Put some oats in a bowl, add some milk and unsweetened yoghurt. If you don’t have yoghurt, milk will do.
 
Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add some fruit slices (I like apple and banana slices), add a sprinkle of cinnamon and if you want a little bit more ‘sugar’, add a couple of raisins/currants/dried fruit. Remember that even the calories in fruits also count, so be sure to go easy on all ingredients.
 
Mix it all up…tastes fabulous!
 
Have a great night, people 😀
 
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Daily Health Tips: Six Ways To Eat Less Salt

Posted on March 26, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Still on diet….if you find that you add salt to food even before you taste it, you need to stop! Here’s how….

 http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/6-ways-to-eat-less-salt
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Daily Health Tips: What Foods Don’t Belong In A Healthy Diet?

Posted on March 25, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Happy Good Friday, people 😀

As we all prepare to celebrate and eat 😀 be sure to read this! Are you one of those who believe that honey is so healthy you can have as much of it as you need? Well, you need to have a re-think. Honey causes sugar spikes just like regular refined sugar.

For details of this, please click on this link:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/which-foods-dont-belong-in-a-healthy-diet

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Daily Health Tips: Unite To End Tb!

Posted on March 24, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

Today is World Tuberculosis Day and this is the same day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes Tuberculosis. The theme this year is ‘Unite to End Tb’

Some background…
Tuberculosis (Tb) is a bacterial infection that mainly affects lungs. The infection could be active in which case the person is sick and can transmit the infection to another person or the infection could be inactive, in which case the infection is present in the body but does not cause infection neither can it be transmitted to another person. However, this latter case, needs to be treated as it can become active.

The issue of Tb has come more to the front burner with the advent of HIV/AIDS which causes a depression of the immune system such that the Tb infection can hold sway. Other conditions that depress the immune system include cancer treatment, some cancers, malnutrition, Diabetes Mellitus, extremes of age (very young or very old) etc

Symptoms of Tb include fever, cough that lasts for 3 weeks or more, coughing up blood, night sweats, weight loss etc
Treatment of Tb involves the use of a combination of drugs to prevent resistance. These drugs must be taken for the full course to prevent resistance. Common drugs used include Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol.

In countries like Nigeria, the vaccine BCG is the cornerstone of prevention and this is given to children at birth. Unfortunately, the poor economic conditions in most places in Africa makes this disease spread rapidly if one person gets it as overcrowding due to poor/inadequate housing helps the bacteria spread. Teaching people to cover their coughs and stay in well ventilated places also help.

For related post, please click on the link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/21/daily-health-tips-i-just-started-exercising-but-now-i-feel-pain-on-my-chest/

 

Have a great night, people 😀

 

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