Daily Health Tips: Sensitive Teeth

Posted on January 25, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great week?

Do you love your ice cubes and just love to chew on it? Well, here’s news for you. You just might be contributing to the development of sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth are a source of pain to whoever has them as these people, oftentimes, feel a sharp pain in their teeth when they take cold or hot drinks and even when air touches their teeth. What else can cause this? Let’s give you some causes of teeth sensitivity:

Acidic foods like lemon and lime, yoghurt, carbonated drinks and even tea can cause erosion of the enamel of your teeth. A good preventive measure is to use straws, where possible, while taking these drinks and be sure to rinse out your mouth with water or even drink milk afterwards to neutralize their effects.

Using a hard bristled toothbrush and brushing too hard: Studies have shown again and again, that it is not the intensity of the brushing that gets the job done. Focus should be on technique (gentle circular motions). Constantly going at your teeth like a dog with a bone 😀 could lead to wearing down of the enamel and eventual teeth sensitivity.

Teeth whitening products may also be contributory to teeth sensitivity. So be cautious while using them and wherever in doubt, speak to your dentist.

Cracked or chipped teeth: When teeth have chips or cracks, perhaps from chewing ice cubes or opening bottle tops, they can fill up with bacteria that cause gum inflammation and eventual sensitivity.

Gum disease: This exposes the root surface such that it is easier for the nerve endings to be reached.

Teeth sensitivity can leave you miserable. Don’t give it a chance. Practice the preventive measures above and where in doubt see your dentist.

Have a great weekend y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Germy Hands

Posted on January 24, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Have you ever raced into the toilet and raced right out…without washing your hands? Tut! Tut!!Tut!!! Let me tell you why you must never do that again.

• Even if you are neat, not everyone is clean about using the toilet and could have left their mess in places you can touch.

• Faeces, especially, contains a lot of germs, including E. coli, which can make you sick.

• Faecal germs are tiny and invisible, so they can be hiding on the faucet/tap, doorknob, and other bathroom surfaces.

• In the bathroom, you can easily get some germs on your hands and, if you don’t wash up properly, you just might take them with you. Those germs could get into your body and make you sick — like if you eat your lunch with those unwashed hands. Or you could make someone else sick — like if you give a new friend a nice handshake with those germy hands and then she goes and eats her lunch!

• By washing your hands, you rinse away those bathroom germs, protecting yourself and others. In addition to washing your hands, you might want to take some extra precautions when you’re in a public restroom. The fewer surfaces you touch, the better. You can use a paper towel to turn on the faucet/tap and to open the door on your way out.

There are so many ingenious ways the bugs have to get at us. Let’s prevent the ones we have control over.

Have a great day

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Daily Health Tips: Are 3 Square Meals Sufficient?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by chatwithdrketch
Q: How many meals should I eat in a day?

A: The jury is really still out on this one. One school of thought insists that small mini-meals every two to three hours is great and improves metabolism. The other school of thought claims that there is no significant finding that confirms that this is any better than the regular 3 square meals we’ve been used to.

Well, worldwide, we’re all agreed on the fact that more proteins, fruits, veggies and complex carbs are the way to go. If you add portion control to the mix ensuring that you have the right amount of food with fruits /veggies making up half of the plate, complex carbs taking up, a quarter of the plate and proteins in the last part of the plate, then you should be good. At this point, it won’t really matter whether you’re doing 6 mini-meals or 3 main meals all day…you’ll still be able to keep the weight off (with some exercise in the mix too :D) and really just be healthy.

Have a great day, y’all

 
Here’s to a healthier you!
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Daily Health Tips: Breaking A Fast?

Posted on January 22, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: How should I break a fast?

A: Breaking a fast is usually not as easy as it should be. You haven’t been eating and now it’s time to eat, so you pick anything you like to eat. Pretty open and shut, isn’t it? But actually, it’s not that easy.

For starters, during a fast, your digestive system took a break. So, it only makes sense to re-introduce your body to food gradually with easy to digest foods. 

If you have ever tried to load your body with food immediately after a fast, you will recall the horrible cramps that followed as a result of trying to waken a sleeping digestive system too quickly 

Easy to digest fruits like grapes, watermelons and apples are great options. They are easy to digest and absorb while providing the body with needed energy and nutrients. Juicing or eating slices of them…it doesn’t matter. Most people would break with citrus fruits like oranges but their acidic content may be too much for your stomach to handle. 

Remember that during your fast, given that you’re on a calorie restrictive diet, go easy on the exercises and focus on stretching and gentle walks.

Have a great day!

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Daily Health Tips: Egg-celent News!

Posted on January 20, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: How many eggs should I eat in a day?

Q: Are eggs healthy to eat?

 

A: Over the years, we have heard many things about eggs…all of them bad! 😀 And really, no one is to blame for this because it was found that egg yolks contain a lot of cholesterol. Whaat?! The bad stuff that clogs up our blood?! And so, nobody wanted any part of it. However, recent studies have suggested that the amount of cholesterol in eggs plays a smaller role in increasing our total blood cholesterol than saturated fats present in cookies, pastries, cakes etc. In essence, this means that saturated fats in our cookies et al stand a better chance of increasing blood cholesterol than eggs. That is certainly cheery news.

However, I would say, that just like for seafood, which also has a high amount of cholesterol, if you have high cholesterol levels, it may be wise to limit your egg intake to occasional treats or speak with your doctor before embarking on a binge 😀

Generally, one egg per day should be fine for other people.

Eggs are chock full of proteins, vitamins and minerals and there are only 85 calories in one small ‘regular’ sized egg. So this is a great idea for people watching their weight to have for breakfast as they also feel full for a longer period. However, it may be a wise idea to switch this up on different days of the week and ensure that we also have fibre at breakfast (like oats) to increase our intake of fibre which helps reduce blood cholesterol. So, having eggs on alternate days while having oats on the skipped days, sounds like a good plan 🙂 Another option is a boiled egg on a piece of whole wheat toast.

Be sure that your eggs are well cooked. In fact, pregnant women, children, old people and generally, people who are unwell should have eggs that have their yolks and egg whites solid….after cooking, of course 😉 Also, store the eggs in their boxes in the fridge and be sure to finish egg dishes as soon as possible.

Have an egg-celent day 😀

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Daily Health Tips: What is this Moringa???

Posted on January 19, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Are Moringa seeds healthy?
Q: Should we take Moringa seeds/leaves?

A: I have received so many questions about this Moringa that I decided to find out about it. Here’s what I found out. It is touted to be a Miracle tree and a super food containing about 92 nutrients and about 46 anti-oxidants. Every part of this plant is believed to be useful from the leaves, root, fruits to the seeds. It is thought to cure myriads of diseases and prevent scores of others. It is thought useful in purifying water, effective against bacteria and fungi, anti-hypertensive and cholesterol lowering activities etc.

Some studies suggest that more work needs to be done to confirm its precise actions but one thing appears to be clear, there are clearly phytochemicals in the leaves that make the claims to curative and preventive care, factual.

I would also say that given that it is a food supplement (even if it is a super food), be sure to get most of your nutrients from a healthy diet made up of more fruits and vegetables. Remember that supplements plug holes and are not supposed to be the mainstay of diet. Also check out the contents and confirm that you are not allergic to any of the components before use.

Have a great week ahead 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Snails, Prawns and Crabs…Good For Me Or Not?

Posted on January 18, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Are snails, crabs and prawns healthy to eat?

A: Sea food is generally healthy containing a good amount of protein and Omega 3 fatty acids which are very heart healthy. They are also rich in a lot of minerals and vitamins like Zinc, Vitamin B12, Selenium etc and they are low in calories. However, snails, crabs, prawns and shrimps are also pretty high in cholesterol and so should be taken as an occasional treat by people who have high cholesterol.

Other issues to note include:
Shrimps, prawns and crabs are best taken fresh rather than frozen. When frozen, they have a whole lot more sodium…probably from the salt used as a preservative. This could increase blood pressure.

Avoid raw, under-cooked and uncooked seafood and shellfish especially when pregnant. Make sure prawns and shrimps are a milk white colour when cooked.

Generally, when pregnant, the main concern is the amount of mercury in the fish or sea food. Large mackerel, Swordfish,Tile fish and Shark contain a large amount of Mercury that could cause defects in the baby’s developing nervous system.

So, all you sushi lovers…give it a rest when pregnant especially if it is made with and of the fishes listed above 😀

Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Coffee, Energy Drinks et al

Posted on January 17, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: What is the effect of energy drinks and coffee on the body?

A: Hmm! Talking about coffee brings back memories of Med School. I always used to love reading on my bed. Yep, you heard me. On my bed, surrounded by tomes of text books but just chilling and reading. This was my regular routine until it was time for my first major exam in Med School…the second MB exams! I felt that this was a special occasion which required a bit more from me. And so, I decided I was going to team up with a couple of my friends, go to class or the library and swot till forever! Well, that was the plan. What eventually happened was a different story all together!

One of the first principles of swotting forever is to ensure that you have a ‘never-ending’ supply of coffee. I had never been a coffee lover; so this new territory! And so, I set off trying to brew my cuppa. I should have asked for advice from the veterans…I mean, that’s common sense, isn’t it? But no! I was convinced I knew exactly what needed to be done. And so I loaded the cup with instant coffee, added hot water, sugar and milk and I was ready to face my medical tomes! Within minutes though, I realised something was terribly wrong! My tummy was rumbling, grumbling and roaring all at once! I raced into the toilet and spent the rest of the day there! There went my dream of swotting for ever!

Moral of this story: Don’t try to be like anyone else. If reading on your bed works for you, please go ahead and do just that. 😀 I learnt that the hard way! But, I digress…

Back to the question, energy drinks and coffee contain one important ingredient, caffeine. This is found in teas, chocolates and some sodas, too. Apart from the laxative effect it had on me, caffeine has other actions on the body:

  • Inability to sleep (I’m sure we all know that. That was the effect I was headed for and ended up with something else :D)
  • Rapid heart beat
  • Irritability
  • Nervousness
  • Irritation of the bladder
  • High blood pressure etc

The recommended daily amount of caffeine is 400mg which is about the amount of coffee in two 8 ounce cups of coffee. These are the dainty cups of coffee and not the huge mug-like (Who-send-you-come?) cups that a lot of us favour 😀

The energy drinks often contain huge amounts of caffeine and are used by people as a pick-me-up for different reasons. The thing is, if you haven’t slept for 3 days and you’re trying to complete that project by taking more energy drinks that will keep you awake, you will eventually pay for this…one way or the other. It is either the side-effects of caffeine take over or you do fall asleep! You can’t cheat nature (forgive the cliché). Your body needs rest when it needs rest and it will get it one way or another!

So, if you must, one energy drink (about 500mls) once in a blue moon may not hurt you but it may be more constructive to try to pace your activities and not try to get everything done at once. Eat healthy and get some exercise (at least 30 minutes) daily. Mixing these drinks with alcohol and other recreational drugs makes it a more dangerous ‘concoction’.

Please avoid energy drinks if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or you have a heart disease or at least speak to your doctor about it. Children and adolescents should stay off this. Pregnant women and breast feeding mothers should be especially careful.

Have a great day and a fabulous weekend ahead 😀

 Here’s to healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Is It Nice to Spice?

Posted on January 16, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: What functions do ginger and garlic serve in our bodies?

A: These are two great food seasonings. For people who use a lot of salt ordinarily, using these spices help to put the zing back in your food…they add a little something extra, such that you don’t miss the salt that much.

But, they are also healthy and good for you 😉

Garlic: Yes, I know it gives you stinky breath but it is amazingly super Healthy!

Funny…but it could very well be the sulfur compounds causing that odor that also stop cancer-causing substances from forming in your body, speed DNA repair, and kill cancer cells.

Garlic also battles bacteria, including H. pylori (the one connected to some ulcers and stomach cancer), and it reduces the risk of colon cancer.

To get the most benefit, peel and chop the cloves and let them sit 15 to 20 minutes before cooking. That activates enzymes and releases the sulfur-containing compounds that have the most protective effect

And…by the way, stick with the fresh cloves. Dried garlic is devoid of its important healthy components!

Ginger: When you chew ginger, gingerols come out and are helpful in preventing nausea and high blood pressure.

So, spice away, people and have a great day 😀
Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tips: Is It Safe To Re-use Oil For Frying?

Posted on January 15, 2014 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Should we re-use oils that have been used for frying?

A: This is a very important question. How do we tell the woman who has used a whole lot of oil to fry akara (bean cakes) to pour all that oil away afterwards? In these economic times? The truth is, even if she wanted to do that for her health, the economic imperatives make it impossible! Do you know how much that oil cost? 😀

Okay, so what can we do? Re-using oil can be done safely. First, the focus is on oils that have a high smoking point. Smoking point, simply put, is the heat point at which the oil begins to smoke 😀 (Elementary, my dear Watson!). And so, oil that has smoked, is not good for use anymore. In fact, you can consider smoking point to be that point at which oil goes from good to bad! At that point, the oil breaks down and forms free radicals that can cause cancer. Oils like peanut (groundnut) and Soya oils have high smoking points and do not break down easily.

So, you can re-use the oil provided it didn’t get to smoking point, it didn’t foam, change colour or develop a funny smell . To store the oil, let it cool, strain out all the food debris and then put in jars (glass, preferably) and refrigerate or freeze and use within one month. If food debris is left in the oil, it forms a rich culture medium for micro-organisms that can cause food poisoning to grow.

Finally, as much as practicable, try not to add salt to the food you wish to fry as salt lowers the smoking point of oils. And by the way, what’s with all the frying??? Grill, bake or roast 😉

I hope the Muslims had a good celebration yesterday? And the rest of us caught up on some rest, aye? Have a great day 😀

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