chatwithketch

Is this diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains applicable to children? I feel that, because they are growing, they need sugar and the likes.

A: You are certainly right. They need sugar to fuel all that activity that makes parents continually yell, ’what’s going on there?’ 😀 But, it’s probably not the sugar that you meant…that is, refined sugar from baked goods, soft drinks etc. Remember that all food we eat, eventually gets converted to sugar in the body. The sugar from refined products cause sugar spikes and lows such that the people who eat them, get hungry very quickly after they felt full. So limit the sugar from these sources. Sugar from other sources like complex carbs are released slowly causing a feeling of fullness for longer.

As parents or caregivers, we have to model the right food behaviour for the children. We can’t tell them to take fruits and then turn around to take soda. In the same vein, we can’t eat junk and expect them to grow up and have healthy food habits. Another thing we do, which may promote the wrong image of food in children, is that we often times give them sweets or candy as reward for good behaviour. So, it’s only natural for them to now desire this.

So what should they eat? Get details from the book, Just For The Health Of It. You can get a copy via the shop now link on our facebook page. Or you can get it through:

1) 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.

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

3) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this link http://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

Here’s what Dele, someone who reviewed the book on jumia had to say ‘nice book. A lot of people need to read this, learned so much from it’

Let us know what you think too by giving a review 🙂

Have an amazing week ahead!

Here’s to a healthier you!

Every time I get a new cleaner, I am almost fanatical in teaching them to clean the toilet by myself. You know why? It’s because I have observed that most times when people clean the toilets, they just move the germs from one corner of the toilet to another. So, this is really no work done.

I also observe families where one towel is used by everybody. I certainly believe in sharing and family unity, but some things were just not meant to share.

Here are our top tips for maintaining hygiene in the toilet/bathroom
• Toilets and bathrooms are used every day. There’s no reason why they can’t be cleaned every day or at least disinfected and bath wiped down. Remember that bacteria thrives in moist and damp places.
• Ensure that you have some disinfecting fluid in the soapy water used for washing your toilet and bathroom. Even bleach has disinfecting properties and will leave a nice clean smell in the toilet.
• Do not forget to clean water faucets, toilet rims, the toilet seats, the door handles and the handles or knobs of the water closet.
• Please do not share towels. Certainly a child should not share a adult’s towel or vice versa and also children should not use each other’s towels. All sorts of infections are spread through the use of damp shared towels. They include pubic lice (aka crabs) are spread through the use of shared under clothes and towels. Ensure that towels are dried after use. If you have a hot towel rail, use it. If not please dry outside or in an airy place. Let’s make it really difficult for bacteria to thrive.
• Air the toilet bathroom regularly. This ensures that that damp moist atmosphere that promotes the growth of germs is removed and also a fresh clean smell is encouraged.

Remember to also rinse out and put your bar of soap in a place it can air out so that it doesn’t remain soggy and also become a culture medium for germs.

Now we know what to do and how to do it. Let’s keep the hygiene flame burning 🙂

Q: Good day ma’am, please is it safe/healthy to have sex while breastfeeding? It’s been 8months now since I delivered and I haven’t been intimate with my husband. He”s complaining but I keep telling him to wait till I wean. Am I doing the right thing please?

A: Thank you so very much for writing in! Oh wow! 8 months!!!

Is it safe to have sex while breastfeeding? Yes, it is. The breast milk and the sexual activity have totally different pathways 😀 Is it healthy? It’s definitely NOT UNHEALTHY. It’s not abnormal to be ‘wary’ of sexual intercourse after having a baby. The main reason is because you feel very sore down there and the last thing you want is anything that aggravates that pain. There are no hard and fast rules. You can resume sexual relations once you feel up to it. It is usually a good idea to wait until after the 6 week period when your obstetrician gives you the all-clear. 8 months is definitely way over any of the limits…especially if the reason why you’re not indulging is because of breastfeeding. I’m too scared to ask when you had intended to stop breastfeeding and restart sexual activity given that the recommended period for breastfeeding is 2 years 😀

Another question I’ve received often is whether it is safe to breastfeed while pregnant? For instance, if you’re still breastfeeding a baby and you find that you’re pregnant again, should you stop breastfeeding? No. It’s generally considered safe to continue breastfeeding in pregnancy. In fact some mothers would even breastfeed the new baby and the older one, concurrently. This is called tandem nursing. However, given the requirements of breastfeeding and of pregnancy, this mum must ensure that she is eating healthy and drinking sufficient fluids.

If your already born baby can talk, he may comment on the fact that the taste of your breast milk has changed especially towards the end of pregnancy and a few days after the birth of the new baby as colostrum is produced.

Mothers who have had preterm (premature) babies, have premature contractions or are pregnant for twins and other multiple pregnancies should be sure to discuss with their doctors. These ones may have to wean early. Always check with your doctor.

Have a great weekend, everyone 😀

Check out @LagosMums’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/LagosMums/status/606197971605176321

Here’s to a healthier you!

Q: Hello ma’am. Please this is my second time of asking this question but no reply. A friend of mine says she used to enjoy sex before but now she no longer enjoys it. Please, what can she do?
A: Well, several factors can lead to decrease in libido. Stress is one. Having had a baby is another. Depression and even feeling an emotional disconnect from spouse may all be factors.
Below, I reproduce a post I had made on this subject:
Q: Good morning Doc. Please I need your advice or rather a solution to my problem I hardly get sexual feelings or urges and having sex with my spouse is more like rape. Please what do I do about it?

A: Thanks for writing in dear. I can understand your worry as indeed sex is a critical aspect of marriage. The way you feel needs to be dealt with, so that it doesn’t become a bigger problem, later on.

Usually low sex drive could be due to stress, depression or even the physical challenges that come with having had a baby or even going through menopause. I’ll start with the most obvious question: have you tried talking with your husband about this? Perhaps he rushes a little bit before you’re ready. In this case, maybe you can get him to slow down a bit and wait for you? Perhaps you could try setting the mood….get a romantic dinner ready for two and then dress the part. Play some music, light some candles and send your children to spend the night with your parents 😀 Take the time to bond emotionally and connect with your husband on that deep level. With the emotional connection, the sexual connection will follow and that’s because women connect emotionally first before they connect sexually. Encouraging your husband to spend a little more time on fore-play will also be helpful.

Planning date nights with hubby is also a great way to bond. We all get busy with stuff…work, house work, children etc and so it’s so easy to get to that point where your discussion with hubby revolves around:
• Rent is due next month
• Our baby is having a fever
• Your mum wants to come and visit
• I need to go to the market tomorrow etc
With all of that ‘exciting’ 😀 conversation as listed above going on, it becomes difficult to feel sexy or really in the mood to bond with hubby 🙂

By the way, if you’ve got a television in your bedroom, take it out. Make your bedroom a haven for you and hubby. Don’t bring work in there. Let that be a place where you and hubby can reconnect after a long day. Make sure your children sleep in their rooms. There’s no greater downer than trying to ‘chillax’ with hubby and having your baby’s cries ruin the mood.

So make a conscious effort to cut out the clutter and bond with hubby.

If these don’t help, try having a chat with your doctor/gynaecologist so he can counsel you and perhaps find out if there are other reasons like stress or depression responsible for this and treat accordingly.

I hope this helps 🙂

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve had a great weekend.

Ahead of Season 2 of The Dr Ketch Show, we will be uploading Season 1 episodes on youtube.

Our youtube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClZDy59jnB2D4YGmHb7FDCQ

Please visit our youtube channel and click on the ‘subscribe’ button and be the first to see all the great shows we have in stock for you.

Pick your green leafy veggies and wash. I will be using ugu (pumpkin leaves) for this. Wash under running water or in water that has food safe disinfectant or salt. If you use the latter, be sure to rinse off before cutting. Cut the leaves.

Put the leaves into a pot. Cut some onions into it and sprinkle some seasoning over this (a little pepper, salt). Place the pot over a low heat and wait for the veggies to soften/wilt. I like my veggies with some crunch and so depending on the quantity of veggies I have in the pot, 3 to 5 minutes is sufficient.
Serve with boiled unripe plantain or yam or jollof rice or whatever you choose grin emoticon