chatwithketch

Q: Greetings Dr.My sister is aged 21 and weigh 80 kg. After all the nice slimming course programs given to her, it doesn’t lead to a positive results. What can she do to cut down this weight of her’s, please?

A: Thanks for caring about your sister and writing in.

The first and perhaps most important thing I would like to say is that weight loss is not an event but a lifestyle. And so, it’s not something that happens after you have attended a course or taken some pills, but something you need to build into your everyday lifestyle.

Three very important concepts to help this journey:
• Portion Control: Start with reducing the portion sizes you eat. This could be by just changing plates…switch from a big plate to a smaller plate.

• Eat Healthier: Make your plate colourful with fruits and veggies.
Half your plate should be filled with fruits and veggies. The other half should be divided into 2 (a quarter each).
One quarter should contain the protein you wish to eat: fish, beef, chicken etc. Remember that white meat is healthier. The ‘redder’ the meat, the less healthy it is for you. For instance in chicken, the breast is very white and is the part people like the least. It is the healthiest though. The chicken wings etc with more redness are less healthy!
For carbohydrates, stick with complex carbs. These have a lot of fibre and when eaten, they absorb water and stay in the stomach longer given a feeling of fullness. The sugars from the food is also released slowly thereby preventing blood sugar spikes which are not good for you. Good examples of complex carbs include beans, local rice, oatmeal etc

• Get moving: Get, at least, 30 minutes of exercise on 5 days of the week. This could be walking, running, swimming, dancing, doing jumping jacks during the commercial break in between your favourite show etc.
For more creative exercise ideas, please lick on this link:

Daily Health Tips: Is It Possible To Actually Enjoy Exercise?

So, the most important ingredient for weight loss is self control 😀 And that’s why it’s not a destination but a journey. Sometime, you may slip and fall; but don’t give up! Pull yourself up and start all over again. Everyday provides a new opportunity to do more, be better and push the envelope.

For more resources on weight loss, make yourself and someone else happy by getting a copy of the book, Just For The Health Of It, from any of the following outlets:
1) Laterna Books online shop with nationwide delivery. Just click on this link:https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=15450&c=44

2) Another option for those in Lagos is Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) Jumia.com. Just click on this link http://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-books-just-for-the-health-of-it-with-dr-ketch-179486.html and get a copy. You have the option of paying when the book is delivered to you or paying online. This service is available all over Nigeria.

4) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this linkhttp://www.amazon.com/Just-Health-Ketch-Pregnancy-Parenting/dp/9789398026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426246647&sr=1-1&keywords=just+for+the+health+of+it+with+dr+ketch+olalere+nkechi

For those in Abuja and environs, please call 07030739403 or pick it up at No 5 Bricks Market, Dawaki 11 Market, Dawaki extension.
For those in Awka, please call 08189944090.

Have a great week ahead, y’all 😀

Q: Hi Doc, I changed my family planning method from Jaddell hand injection to coil and I’ve realized I have discharge that’s smelly. What do I do? What remedies do I take?

A: There are different types of birth control methods including birth control pills (hormone-containing tablets taken orally which prevent ovulation), birth control injections (hormone-containing injections which can prevent pregnancy for up to 3 months), implants (hormone-containing match-sized rods placed under the upper arm), tubal ligation (tying up the fallopian tubes to prevent eggs passing out from the ovaries), cervical cap, Intra-Uterine Device (coil), spermicides, male and female condoms, vasectomy (for men), natural family planning  etc

The choice of which methods to use depends on individual considerations, risks involved, cost of procurement etc
Talking specifically about the coil, this refers to the Intra Uterine Device (IUD). There are two types: the Paragard IUD and the Mirena IUD.

The Paragard IUD is a copper-containing IUD. The copper is poisonous/toxic to sperm and the IUD also prevents implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterus, should fertilization still occur. Paragard can be used during breastfeeding and its removal leads to a quick return of fertility, generally.

The Mirena IUD contains hormones which make the cervical mucous extra thick preventing the sperm from getting to the womb and it also makes the lining of the womb thin such that even if a fertilized egg were to get there, it would not be able to implant on the thin lining of the womb. It also prevents ovulation. Mirena helps reduce the cramping pain of a menstrual period and also reduces bleeding.

Side effects of Paragard include back ache, cramps, severe pain during menstrual period and heavy bleeding etc while Mirena can cause breast tenderness, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles etc Both IUDs can also be expelled, spontaneously, that is for no reason.
There are warning signs to look out for when you have the IUD on. If you experience any of these under-listed symptoms, please see your doctor immediately.

• Severe vaginal bleeding with at least 2 sanitary towels soaked every hour for 2 or more hours.
• Smelly vaginal discharge. This could be associated with fever and chills
• Severe pain in abdomen or pelvis

So, you should see your doctor immediately to check this discharge out.

Have a great night 😀

Q: Hi Dr Ketch. I watched you on DSTV and I have a question. Please, give me a food time table to start with when my baby is 6 months. And timings, if possible. It’s a baby boy.

A: Hi dear. Congratulations on your new baby.

Your question is a favouirite for new mums. I reproduce below a post I had made on this.

Weaning can be a trying period for a mum…when should I start? What should I give? For how long? What if he doesn’t like it? Just like adults, a good number of babies are resistant to change. They are comfortable eating what they had been eating? Life was good…why do you want to change it???? 😀 Okay, that’s some babies. Others are more than happy to move on to the next stage!

When to start? At 6 months. From birth to 6 months, please focus on exclusive breastfeeding with not even a drop of water. From six months, baby is ready to be introduced to some other food.
For a long time, the standard teaching had been to go for rice cereal as the first add-on meal because it is bland and babies tolerate this well. Other studies question this wisdom now and suggest that foods like meats with lots of essential nutrients like iron may be a good place to start. What should you do? You can boil beef/chicken very soft and blend it up for baby. If baby tolerates this, then by the next week, you could try adding some rice cereal. Try not to introduce more than one food per week so that you have time to study how your baby adapts to it and of course, look out for/isolate food allergy. And, to start off, only one meal of the complementary feed should be given daily. The rest should be the usual…breast milk 😀 This will, of course, as baby tolerates.

Generally, foods to start off weaning should be just slightly thicker than milk and so, if it retains its shape on a spoon, it may be too thick.

From 9 months, baby can be allowed to start experimenting with regular family meals…minus the spices, of course 😀
From one year of age, you can add the cereals mentioned in the question and it’s also okay to introduce cow milk at this time. Full cream cow milk is advocated at this time for proper brain development. Thereafter, please switch to skimmed/1%/2% milk as full cream milk has a lot of saturated fat which may contribute to poor heart health. Grains, green leafy vegetables, cow milk, honey, whole eggs can generally be introduced after the baby turns 1 year old.

Generally, other weaning foods that can be introduced include:
Boiled egg yolk (egg whites contain substances that baby may react to), sweet potatoes, fish, chicken, beef, fruits like banana, avocados, boiled beans (with skin removed if possible etc
Simple recipes include, blend some chicken or beef with the stock or mash a banana and add to baby’s cereal.

Our local cereals can also be used and fortified with some breast milk or formula.

As baby tolerates these meals, you can get a little more adventurous.

Boiled carrots mashed with some coconut oil or a little yoghurt with mashed banana may not go amiss too.

An example of a recipe I make for my children is boil potatoes in a pot and place a stainless plate on top of the pot. Add your egg yolk and a drop Olive oil and when the yolk is cooked and potatoes soft, mash all together and feed baby.

Now I know we are all very busy, but weaning is no easy task and so we must commit to trying as much as to prepare these meals ourselves. Packaged meals usually contain additives that may trigger problems/allergies etc in the baby. Hygiene is also critical!

I hope y’all had a great day?

Good night 😀

Q: Dr how can you boost low sperm please???

A: Here are 5 things you wish you knew about low sperm count
• The causes of low sperm count could be medical, environmental or due to lifestyle issues
• Medical causes include infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia, certain drugs used for cancer and fungal infections, , undescended testes and cancer.
• Environmental causes include over-exposure to industrial chemicals, heavy metals and X-rays; over-heating the testicles by frequently using the sauna and hot tubs; prolonged bicycling
• Lifestyle causes include alcohol use, tobacco smoking, illegal drug use, obesity and emotional stress.
• To get a woman pregnant, a man has to have at least 40 million sperm per ejaculate. People with low sperm count usually have less than this.

If you have been diagnosed with low sperm count, then do something about it. Here are some tips that could help to improve your sperm count
• Stress has been found to contribute to infertility problems such as hormonal issues. So, prevent excessive stress and perform relaxation exercises. Remember that infertility and life in general can be stressful, learn to relax.
• Stop smoking because smoking significantly reduces both sperm count and the movement of sperm-cells.
• Prevent overheating of the scrotum: When scrotal temperature rises (caused by tight underwear, long stays in a sauna or Jacuzzi, for example) sperm production can be impaired.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Not too under or overweight since weight influences estrogen and testosterone levels.
• Stop using drugs: Prolonged use of recreational drugs (for example, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine)

For related posts, please click on the following:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/12/09/daily-health-tips-belching-low-sperm-count-size-concerns/

Daily Health Tips: Sexual Weakness And Low Sperm Count

Have a fabulous week ahead 😀

It was World Cancer Day on the 4^th of February. The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘We Can. I Can’. This theme explores what we can do, collectively as a group and individually as persons to halt cancer.

We Can:

• Inspire action and take action in your community and wherever your sphere of influence can reach
• Prevent Cancer
• Challenge perceptions by getting the right information on cancer and preventing the spread of myths about the disease
• Create healthy environments. Leaving environments smoke-free will be helpful here
• Shape policy change through advocacy…speaking out about what we believe that can help reduce cancer burden etc

I Can:

• Make healthy lifestyle choices
• Understand that early detection saves lives
• Ask for support if I have cancer and/or support others who are also suffering from this
• Love and be loved
• Speak out about cancer etc

For more of what you can do to fight cancer, please click on these:

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/05/daily-health-tips-cancer/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/02/04/daily-health-tips-debunk-the-cancer-myths/

https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/12/12/daily-health-tips-your-food-and-cancer/

Have a great day, y’all 😀

Dear all, thanks a lot for all your kind words to Mrs M as she deals with this great loss. Here’s the second installment of her story which was sent in last week:

Yesterday, was one of the toughest days yet. It’s a Wednesday. The Wednesday. For a while all Wednesdays will be received with dread. I kept replaying the events of that day.

My husband had slept with him in the hospital on Tuesday night because he had to give him blood. I took our daughter home so she could prepare for school the next day.

Wednesday.
At past 7am, I had dropped her off in school heading to the hospital. Got there 9:30am. Found him cranky. Brought his favorite toys to make him happy. He tried to calm down but you could see he was defiantly in pain. I wish I could take that pain away. His chest was still swelling. Worse than the previous day. We waited for a scan that took forever. I had to go give a shouting match before my baby was attended to. This was now noon. He tried to smile at me. There is this thing we do. I can’t describe in writing. We make funny noises moving our tummies. He would do it and wait for me to respond. He tried to do it twice. You could see the pain. He stopped. I had hope that my baby would get better.

As from 8:30pm, the story changed and my life was forever to change with it. His oxygen level had dropped. The amazing thing was the so called doctors had no clue. My husband was the one that found out. Imagine an engineer doing the job of a doctor. They got him an oxygen mask that was not working. My baby was struggling. In so much pain. I was helpless. Until the doctor decided it was time for the surgery. I carried him off his bed so he could receive the little comfort I could give. It helped. Mum is holding me. All will be well.

At past 9pm. My life took a nose dive. He was dying and there was nothing I could about it. He died in my arms. The arms that carried him when he came into this cruel world held him while he died.

The doctor ran like rats looking for people to help with CPR. Imagine that. A hospital as big as that. Unbelievable. They had to go to another department to get the machine to revive my boy. They struggled for over an hour.

My husband and I prayed all the prayers we know. We sang, we had faith, we believed. My husband was called out. I knew something was wrong. I saw the doctors coming out shaking their heads. No-one would tell me anything. I was scared. Very scared. My husband came back and told me he was declared dead. My baby? Dead? No. Not possible. He was in my arms an hour ago. I asked to see him. I had heard of mothers that held their dead babies and they came back to life. I wanted the same to happen to me. I wanted it so badly. I went into the room where he was. It was a mess. Needles and all sorts where on the bed. A pool of bloody liquid was on the bed. His nose was running. There was a little trace if blood in his right ear. His eyes were closed. My husband told me later he shut them. He looked so peaceful. He did not look dead. So I carried him. He was warm with a slight air of cool on his skin cause the AC was on. I wrapped my arms around him. Placed him on my chest. I spoke into his ear. I asked him to remember the pain I went through during his birth. I asked him to remember all the times we shared. I asked him to see the pain I was in now and come back. We sat there for a while and nothing happened. My husband said we should leave him there that God would visit him. We would be back in the morning he promised.

I put him down on his baby bed. Covered him up to his chest with the duvet so he won’t get cold. Promised him, gave him my word. I would be back tomorrow. I was lifeless. My baby was alive. Brought alive to this place and now he was there alone without me. I could not come to terms with it. I did not sleep all through the night. I could not wait to see him again.

Morning came and I kept asking my husband when we would go. He kept saying later. My baby needed me. He needed to eat and take a bath. He needed mummy. I needed him. I still need him. Everyday. I never saw him that day. My husband left to see him. My head told me he was going to bring back our boy. He never did. It’s not possible. Can’t be possible. My son, my king. The King can’t be gone. Is he really? Is he gone? Yesterday was one of the worse days. Maybe today will be better.