Random Recipes…

Posted on July 5, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

I learnt this from the chef on Season 1 of the Dr Ketch Show.

Oats are a great source of fibre and help reduce cholesterol levels. If you’re looking for a nutritious and filling breakfast, a bowl of oats in the morning is a good way to go. However, a lot of people find the taste bland and some others just douse the oats in sugar. The latter defeats our healthy eating purpose.

So, for a jazzed-up version of oats, try the overnight oats!

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.

Mix it all up…tastes fabulous!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Supplements Versus Real Food?

Posted on July 5, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Are supplements good alternatives to fruits and vegetables?

A: Nothing beats a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables to keep you healthy and able to fight all manner of diseases.

Supplements, as the name implies are meant to plug in the tiny holes that may not be completely filled by your diet. For instance, if your diet regularly misses out on dairy products despite the recommendation of at least 3 servings per day, you probably need calcium and Vitamin D supplements. If, however, you’re a junk food lover, there’s no magic pill that can take care of your problem! What you need is a menu make-over focusing on portion control and right plating with the different food groups.

Want to know how to get a menu makeover? 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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: How To Reduce Your Intake Of Saturated Fats

Posted on July 4, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

It’s a weekend again and a number of us will be visiting some fast food restaurants for snacks or quick eats. The problem is with the quantity of saturated fats in some of these foods. A diet rich in saturated fats is associated with heart disease. Unfortunately, this fat is super abundant in a lot of the fast foods we love and crave.

Here are some tips to help you reduce your intake of saturated fats:
 Eat more white meat eg chicken and fish. Choose the healthier cuts of chicken like the breast as opposed to the wings and drum sticks
 Choose low fat dairy products: Full cream dairy is rich in saturated fat and so from the age of 2 years, children should be switched to skimmed variety or 1 or 2% milk
 Remove the skin from chicken and trim off fats from it during preparation: I see your face already and I know some of you save the bit of chicken with the skin as the last amazing mouthful before you finish up your food 😀 But, here’s some news for you, it’s got loads of saturated fats
 Reduce your consumption of red meat. Most people love their red meats and cannot seem to want to substitute that with anything else. So here’s what you can do, reduce portions, trim off the fat and try out other white meats
 Use healthier oils: Using healthy oils as part of a healthy diet actually helps your health and indeed can help prevent heart diseases. Healthier oils include Olive oil, canola oil. peanut/groundnut oil etc. Olive and groundnut oils contain mono-unsaturated fatty acids and Canola oil contains poly-unsaturated fatty acids. These unsaturated fatty acids are better options than saturated fats, helping reduce the risk of heart disease.

A good tip to follow is this:
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature…avoid them!
Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature and cloudy when put in the refrigerator. You can use this. It’s a good replacement for saturated fats.
Poly-unsaturated fatty acids are always liquid whether they are at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Have a great weekend, people 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Daily Health Tips: Frequent Penile ‘Injuries’

Posted on July 3, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Doctor! I enjoy your replies to people’s medical challenges. Mine is a bit troublesome because it makes me not to enjoy sex. The challenge I am facing now is that whenever I have sex, I always have an injury in form of a cut on my penis despite the fact that my partner’s sex organ is always wet with her secretions. After a while the injury will heal but whenever I have sex again, it will re-surface. I had an STI test done when I first noticed it last year but no disease was found. I’m really worried. What should I do? Is there any remedy for this? Please its urgent

A: Dear sir, sorry to know you are going through this. Sex is meant to be enjoyed by both consenting parties, and when that’s not the case it can be very disheartening. From what you’ve described it seems that the method or style of intercourse may be the predisposing factor here.

I would advise you talk with your partner first and get her opinion on how she sees your method /style. Next try to use a more subtle approach . The wear and tear of vigorous exercise on the muscles of the limbs may also explain what you are experiencing.

Also, it may be a good idea to go for a venereal disease screening (to check if you have any sexually transmitted infection) including an HIV test.

More importantly, speak to your mind. You don’t need to be anxious when you want to enjoy yourself (if it’s legitimate)…take it one step at a time and ENJOY!

***** This response was contributed by a doctor guest blogger.

Have a great night, y’all 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Shake All The Time?

Posted on July 2, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Dr Ketch, I am 25 years old and I’ve been feeling somehow lately.My body just starts shaking without provocation from my hand. I want 2 really know the cause because I am not old and what should I do to remedy the problem.

A: My dear young friend, your shaking is not a sign that you are getting old. It may be a few other things that could be responsible for this. Since it started just recently, I believe it’s due to something that can be taken care of.

There are a few causes of shaking or tremors as it is called medically. Tremors may be familial i.e. runs in families, with the shaking noticed more when stretching out the hands or carrying out an activity; there are usually no other problems associated with it.

Tremors could also be a sign of some abnormalities in the body’s functioning – endocrine abnormality. Here there is shaking especially in the hands, fast racing heart beat, which the individual can hear, sleeping problems, excessive sweating and possibly a neck swelling.

Certain drugs can also cause tremors.

Liver, kidney or long standing lung diseases also causes.

Alcohol intoxication, withdrawal from hard drugs, Parkinson’s disease (a disorder of certain substances in the brain), and even anxiety or panic attacks (fear of places, situations or circumstances, which exceeds that which can ordinarily be explained) are some other causes.

Remember when you had to write an exam which was all important to you and your parents, or present something in front of the class or assembly for the first time…shaky, weren’t you?

I may not be able to identify the cause of your symptoms, but I would advise you take some time off. Stress, if you are undergoing any form of it, (physical, emotional, or psychological) could be the source of this problem. It’s time to sit back, identify the likely causes and address them from within you to the outward.

For those things/issues you cannot resolve immediately, hand them over to God and leave them with Him. Exercise is also a good way to relax and relieve stress. But most importantly visit your doctor who would evaluate you, identify the possible cause of the shaking, and recommend appropriate treatment.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

***** This post was contributed by a doctor guest blogger.

Have a great night, people 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Stretch Marks, Dry Skin And Sunburns.

Posted on July 1, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Hi madam, I am 40yrs old but you would think I am 60yrs. The reason is because of stretch marks, dry skin and sunburns on my face. Please, help me get out of this.Thanks

A: Madam, I know it’s quite disturbing to have skin problems and I can appreciate what you are going through.

Skin problems like stretch marks, sunburns, rashes, color changes, dry skin etc are caused by a number of factors…hereditary, inadequate nutrition, exposure to sunlight, certain drugs, excessive weight loss and weight gain, use of certain cosmetics and creams, high stress levels, poor sleep and exercise and other systemic illnesses like liver or kidney disease, cancer or endocrine abnormalities.

I would advise you avoid using artificial cosmetics and creams for now, commence a highly nutritious and well balanced diet, have a well programmed exercise plan and give yourself adequate rest.
Natural products like shear butter and coconut oil may be helpful and the use of a moisturizing soap like dove for the dry skin can also be commenced.

However, I believe you will benefit from a visit to a skin doctor (dermatologist) who would be able to evaluate you thoroughly and give you further advice and help.

Please remember that even though your skin is a reflection of your outward beauty, your true beauty lines within you…how you see yourself . Cheers and keep smiling! 🙂

***** This post was contributed by a doctor guest blogger.

For related topics, please click on the following links:

Daily Health Tips: How Do I Get Rid Of These Stretch Marks??

Daily Health Tips: Harmattan/winter-proof skin

For people who had asked about pimples, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/04/15/daily-health-tips-pimples-re-visited/

And remember….a great attitude and positive outlook amlso gives you a youthful outlook. So, cheer up 😀

Have a good night, beautiful people 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Health Tips: Copious Vaginal Discharge

Posted on June 30, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please doctor, I have vaginal discharge and I do notice that when I wear panties in the morning, before 10 seconds I already have discharge on my panties. After that, I start perceiving the odour from my body. Please, what drug can I take to stop this?

A: Vaginal discharge is quite common in females especially in sexually active females, though it can also occur in people who are not sexually active. It can be rather disturbing if associated with symptoms like itching, sores in the genital area and bad odor.

There are different causes of discharge and many organisms responsible for vaginal discharge (bacterial, fungal and protozoan), and the offending organism/cause will determine the treatment.

Some causes include poor hygienic practices, use of harsh chemicals to wash the genital area, use of tampons and pads for long periods without change, insertion of herbs or other objects into the vagina, and wrong cleaning practices, like cleaning from back to front (the correct way should be from front to back)

From the description of your symptoms, it is rather difficult to determine the cause of your discharge.

I would advise you try to maintain a high level of cleanliness, eat healthy, involve in exercise as this helps in cleansing the system, try to keep the place dry always, by during with a towel or tissue after washing (wash with only water or water and a mild toilet soap). Washing and urinating after intercourse can also help. I would also advice you visit a doctor, who would request you have some test done and then based on the results would prescribe the appropriate drugs for you.

Following the result of your tests, your doctor may advice that your partner be treated if he thinks it’s a sexually transmitted infection. This would prevent you from getting reinfected on meeting him after your treatment. It’s important to note that this is not always the case…your symptoms may not be due to a sexually transmitted disease and in that case, there may be no need for your partner to be treated.

Fungal infection such as candidiasis are not usually transmitted through intercourse and so would not require this.

Sorry about the discomfort you maybe going through, but once treated properly you will be preventing yourself from likely complications and recurrence.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

******This post was contributed by a doctor ‘guest’ blogger. For related posts, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Is Vaginal Discharge Normal?

Daily Health Tips: Is Vaginal Odour Normal?

Daily Health Tips: Toilet Infection…seriously???

Have a good night, y’all 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Daily Health Tips: Why Does My Baby Have Rashes While He’s Teething?

Posted on June 29, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Good morning ma’am. My baby (6 month and 2 weeks old) is currently teething. Her temperature was very high for 2 days after which it came to normal but I noticed red rash on her face and it has spread all over her body now. She no longer has a high temperature, she eats and plays as well but at night, she cries from her sleep and appears uncomfortable. What do I do ma’am and what’s the cause of the rash?

A: Thanks for writing in, dear. A lot of mothers complain that babies have a fever and frequent loose stools when they are teething.

There’s really not enough data that confirms this relationship between teething and diarrhoea. Here’s what we do know: around the time of teething, babies pick up things and stuff in their mouths leaving them open to infections. This could lead to fever and/or diarrhea. It has also been suggested that the excessive saliva baby produces which causes him/her to drool, when swallowed could lead to loose stools.This is worse in babies who use pacifiers as they swallow a lot of this saliva.

The baby’s drool can cause irritation/rashes around the mouth area as the sensitive skin rubs on soft surfaces like a pillow. These rashes could also get infected developing crusts or blisters. To prevent this, keep your baby’s mouth area as dry as possible by dabbing at baby’s drool as soon as they appear. Rubbing at the drool could lead to or worsen the irritation. Applying some petroleum jelly on baby’s face can act as a moisture barrier too preventing contact between the saliva and your baby’s delicate skin.A bib is also a great idea so that the drool/rash doesn’t spread further. An absorbent napkin under baby’s head when he/she is sleeping will also be helpful.

I’m not sure how far the rashes have spread. I suggest you see your baby’s paediatrician to take a look at your baby’s rash and make a proper diagnosis.

For more on teething, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/01/06/daily-health-tips-teething-in-babies/

Have a good night y’all 😀

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Care Of The Umbilical Cord

Posted on June 28, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Do you wonder what to do with your baby’s umbilical cord stump? How many times to clean it? What to clean it with? Methylated spirit, antiseptic lotion or water? Or perhaps you should just ignore it, hoping against hope that nature does its things and the stump falls off when it should leaving your baby with a nice looking navel?

Well, a couple of years ago, the standard teaching was to wipe the stump with rubbing alcohol (methylated spirit) after every diaper change, but it was realized that this may have delayed the healing of the stump somewhat. The focus, really, is on keeping the stump clean and dry.

What’s the recommendation for cleaning today and how often should the cord be cleaned? What are the normal colour changes the cord should go through before it drops off? Is it normal to see some pus there?

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

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Random recipes…

Posted on June 28, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Sometimes, when I feel like something sinful I make this sandwich:D

It uses dark chocolate which some studies suggest may be good for blood pressure and cancer prevention. The evidence in support of this is not conclusive though but in small quantities once in a while, you should be fine 🙂

I put a slice of whole wheat bread on the sandwich toaster and then place two small chunks of dark chocolate on it. I cover the chocolate with another slice of bread, plug in the toaster and in a short while, I see the ‘ready’ light which tells me we’re good to go!

Another variation of this is if you have some left-over cooked chicken, or fish. This can replace the chocolate. Chop it up and add some sliced tomatoes. Add some low fat dressing and place in the sandwich toaster. It’s juicily tasty!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment