Daily Health Tips: Foods to avoid

Posted on November 17, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Food is very important to life and health. Some foods are particularly important as they help build our immunity against certain diseases. In the same vein, research has shown that some foods when eaten regularly, set us up for disease conditions like Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension and even cancers. Here are some of such foods and they should be eaten RARELY.

Added sugar from all sources: white sugar, brown sugar, soft drinks etc make your blood sugar rise and fall erratically. And they contain empty calories which do not help you at all.

Baked goodies like cakes, doughnuts, pies etc contain a lot of unhealthy fats, processed carbs and of course, added sugar.

Processed meats like bacon, sausages and ham are certainly not as healthy as white meat like skinless chicken. Fish is also a good alternative.

Dairy foods like full cream milk, ice cream and cheese should be replaced with skimmed milk, unsweetened low fat yoghurt and low fat cheese. You could add some cut up fruits to the yoghurt to ‘jazz it up’ or pour it over your cereal like muesli.

White carbs like white bread, polished rice, cookies etc should be replaced with whole wheat versions. If you bake, you could add oatmeal to your cookies for a healthier option. 

Salt should be used very sparingly and the only way to this is really re-training our taste buds to ‘accept’ less salt as tasty. Remember that you can use spices to ‘jazz’ up your food.

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The gateway to the heart!

Posted on November 16, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

How come you feel sad or cry when a sad song is played? Think about it…that’s right. It’s because you heard the lyrics and perhaps it tugged at a memory. What about the pain you feel when that person you care about hurls some really nasty words at you? It’s almost like your heart is going to break, right?

All these emotions can be xperienced through one gateway only…the ears!

Have you ever wondered whether you’re taking good care of your ears? Weird question, right? Like, what can go wrong with your ears? They generally mind their business on the sides of our heads and more often than not, we don’t even notice them. That’s kind of why when you take the pains to look behind them, especially for children, you find ‘amazing’ stuff behind them…disgustingly smelly stuff, that much I can tell you!

Well, I never used to pay much mind to these hearing organs until I had children. First, my first daughter gingerly walked into my room one weekend and complained about a funny sensation in her ears. I probed about whether this was water in the ear, an itch, a buzzing sound…what? I decided to look in. What did I see…a pencil tip!!! No! How on earth does something on a writing instrument end up in an ear? How did this happen? How…? The questions were popping out faster than I could ask them? The story came out…pretty basic and simple story, really. She felt an itch in her ear, she had a pencil in her hand and generally scratched the itch with it. Pretty simple really…you feel an itch, you scratch it. Yes? Well yes, just not with a pencil or sharp object…especially when it’s your ear or even eye. So, we ended up in the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor’s office where the ‘foreign object’ was removed. Thankfully no lasting damage had been done to ear drum or any other part of the ear.

Next episode came via my second daughter who anytime she swam kept us awake the whole night screaming about her ears! I almost considered banning swimming as her case of swimmer’s ears was always more than I could bear. What is swimmer’s ears, I hear you ask? This usually occurs when the outer ear becomes moist and warm from frequent swimming. The natural oily, waxy protection of the ear canal is also washed away. Thus, bacteria have the ideal environment (warm and moist) to thrive in and can do so without any fear of being trapped by the wax that has been washed away.  This condition would usually start off with tingling or itching in the ear…you know the type, you can’t resist scratching 😀 But try…to resist it, as this just worsens a bad situation by breaking the delicate skin of your ear, letting in even more bacteria! Other times, this condition would show up as pain in the ear with some discharge too.

The final ear episode I can remember, also started with ear pain/itch. We ended up in the ENT doctor’s office again this time for removal of impacted wax.

Now, what’s the moral in these stories? There’s something to be said for caring for our ears. For instance, our common practice of cleaning our ears with cotton tips or cotton buds should be discouraged. These actually push wax deeper into the ears. They can also harm the delicate lining of your ear and in extreme cases, bore a hole in your ear drum! In fact conventional wisdom states that we should not clean our ears with anything bigger than our elbows….uhuh! You heard me…your elbows! So, just wash your outer ears with a wash cloth while taking a bath…this is more than sufficient cleaning!

Other tips to take care of your ears:
When swimming:

  • Choose clean pools or waters to swim in.
  • Use a swimming cap and use it to shield your ears.
  • It’s probably inevitable that some water will get into your ears, but don’t just let it sit there. Shake it out.

The wax actually serves a purpose…to trap foreign objects that may want to go deeper down into your ears and cause damage. So, leave it well alone to get on with this job.

Constantly using earphones may also lead to problems in your ear…recall how it appears your ear is kind of inflamed after a while?

Remember that pencils, pens or their covers are not meant to be used to scratch your ear or remove wax.

If you do find a foreign body in your ear, don’t try to get anyone to fish it out, see your doctor!

Here’s to a healthier you!

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Daily Health Tip – still on autism

Posted on November 15, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Still on autism, who is at risk? Autism can affect anyone but boys are more likely to have it, families with one autistic child are likely to have another and it is also thought that perhaps children born to older parents are more at risk.

Regarding treatment, please note that there is no cure, but autistic children can live full and happy lives if this is discovered on time. The focus is on their areas of concern: communication and social interaction. Family therapy sessions focus on equipping families with the skills to take care of these children and interact with them in a way that encourages them to interact socially; educational therapies aimed at providing structured learning programs have also been successful, and usually these involve a team of specialists. Other programs aimed at addressing their communication and behavioural skills help reduce the problems associated with this area of their lives and teach them new skills.

There are no drugs for the treatment of autism but some meds are given to treat the symptoms that arise. For instance, drugs may be given if the child is too hyperactive etc.

There’s a support group for autism in different countries. In Nigeria, the Nigerian Autistic Society could be a useful resource.

Have a great day!

Dr Ketch

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Daily health tip – Autism

Posted on November 14, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

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 witches in our traditional African societies. Think about how many of them have been beaten blue and black by parents who feel they are not smart enough. Think about the laughter and scorn these children go through. Food for thought.

We will talk about risk factors and treatment tomorrow.

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Daily Health tip – Spitting

Posted on November 13, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Our health tip today is on my pet peeve, people spitting in public places!

Sometimes, you’re just walking and minding your business when you happen across this ‘disgusting’ blob; other times, someone just spits out without minding if anyone is close by and you catch some droplets of it (Eew!) etc.

Apart from the fact that you can ‘catch’ some disgusting droplet infections (whatever disease the person was harboring in the saliva), it just makes everywhere more disgusting and dirty. I ask the question, ‘if you pass a dirty place that smells really bad and you spit there as a result, are you making it better or worse? Food for thought.

Please let’s stop this dirty habit as cleanliness starts from us and every little ‘good habit’ helps.

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Daily health tip…safe heels?

Posted on November 11, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Yesterday, after my post on shoe shopping, someone asked me about the effects of wearing very high heels! That was like a blow below the belt! I love my heels! I am petite (that’s fancy grammar for vertically challenged or not very tall. I draw the line at using the ‘s’ word :D). I also walk like a soldier (no kidding) whenever I wear flats…no regard to finesse et al! I probably missed all those classes where catwalks were taught (sigh!). So how do I live without my heels; I’d be looking up to everybody!!! But more seriously, the question is ‘are heels good for your feet or not?’

Truth is high heels can create deformities by altering the normal shape of the foot, can cause problems with your Achilles tendon (the prominent tendon at the back of the ankle), cause foot pain and increase the possibility of sprains and ankles (imagine falling from the great height of a six inch heel…ouch!!!).
I would love to feel that all heels would be thrown away now that we know they are bad….maybe, or maybe not Okay, how can these heels be worn safely though?

Heels with soft insoles are very comfortable and if your heels don’t come with them; you can buy and fix in (I am sure they should be available in shoe shops or even big department shops anywhere), the larger the base of the heel, the better; don’t wear shoes that over-flex your arch (the natural curve of your foot) or shoes that you can’t walk in! If you can’t do the normal everyday things you do while wearing them, then don’t. If you try on a heel and your toes automatically slide to the front, they are not for you and could create more pressure and pain on your toes. Open-toed heels are helpful especially for people who have corns or calluses. Finally, switch the heels around and try and wear a mix of heels….throw some low heels into the mix, perhaps not higher than an inch (which is the ideal recommended height of a heel!!!).

So ladies, here’s some serious food for thought for the week. Have a great one y’all!

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Daily Health tip…happy feet

Posted on November 10, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Hello everyone. It’s Sunday…just in case you hadn’t quite figured it out :D. For some of us, it will be a quick dash into church and back. For others, it will be a long day of services, meetings and perhaps standing to usher people into seats etc. Whatever category you fit into, you need the right equipment for your feet. Yes, you guessed it…the right shoes so that the day doesn’t end up with your feet feeling tortured.

Let’s give you some tips for choosing the right equipment for your feet when next you go shoe shopping:

Try shopping in the afternoon as this allows for the natural expansion of your feet as the day progresses and especially in hot weather;

Try both shoes on and don’t assume because it fits one, it will fit the other. In fact, if the disparity is very significant, you may have to buy different sizes for both feet (ahah!);

Stand and walk around in them to ensure that you are comfortable and check the tags that specify what type of material was used to make the shoe to ensure that you don’t react to them (I bought a pair of shoes once and every time I took them off, I spent the next 30 minutes or so scratching away. I developed horrible dark sores on the top of my feet);

Make sure there’s about a quarter to half an inch between your biggest toe and the end of the shoe.

You know that story aboit how the shoe will expand later? Trust me, it doesn’t work…even 1/10 of the time!

So, next time you go shoe shopping, you know what to do. Shop for style….and comfort
😉

Dr Ketch

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Daily health tips…protect your heart

Posted on November 9, 2013 by chatwithdrketch
The football match yesterday went down like a fabulous dream for Nigerians and like a nightmare for Mexicans. Well, such is the way of life. Congratulations Nigeria and commiserations to Mexicans…there’s always another time!
 
Sometimes, after football tournaments we hear stories of people who slumped and died due to the events of the tournament (good or bad). So, obviously to protect your heart, it is clear that this organ can only take so much stress. So stress from worrying whether your team is going to win, stress due to anger, depression, financial woes etc lead to high blood pressure and may contribute to the formation of deposits that clog arteries. These all lead to reduced performance of the heart and subsequent events that could lead to sudden death. Other heart healthy activities include getting enough sleep, exercise, eating right, salt and oil reduction in cooking, limitation of alcohol intake and cessation of smoking.
 
So, next time your country is about to play any tournament, come prepared….with your emotions in check! Is this possible?!
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Daily Health tip…Neck pain

Posted on November 8, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Have you ever woken up with a crick in your neck that lasts for a while…perhaps due to the position in which you slept? That pain can be uncomfortable and may be due to other reasons. Here are ways to keep neck pain at bay:

Try using the hands free device of your phone instead of constantly bending over your neck on one side to answer your call, make sure your computer screen is at eye level, keep your eye glasses’ lens prescription up to date so that you’re not constantly leaning back to see properly, don’t use too many pillows to sleep (obviously :D) and don’t sit in the same position for too long…get up exercise and stretch yourself. Finally, get a good night’s sleep and remember to be kind to your neck as this small but important part of our bodies, carries the weight of our heads….and the many thoughts in it .

Have a great day!

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Daily Health tip – Body itch after a bath

Posted on November 6, 2013 by chatwithdrketch

Are you one of those who experience a severe itch after taking a bath on most days? Have you ever wondered why? That itch is usually caused by skin that has been excessively dried out by soap, cold or dry air and/or hot baths. This causes the skin to lose the protection of its natural oils and makes the nerve endings to become super sensitive leading to the itching. What to do? After a bath, try dabbing your skin so that it is still slightly moist before applying a moisturizing lotion that locks in the moisture. Drying your body completely aggravates the dryness and itching as this encourages more evaporation from your skin, more dryness and therefore more itching. Lotions that contain glycerine, lactic acid and panthenol are very good. Body washes with moisturizers are also be a good for for those with this problem as they will not dry out your skin when you take a bath. Have a great day!

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