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Fitness challenge to make you stronger

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 38

My daughter is 4 and half years old .For the last 4 years I’ve told my hubby that I am getting fitter ,mentally !

The amount of exercise I do in my brain could have made me a bikini super model by now.

This year finally I found an answer to my fitness woes.

I had more fun getting fitter ,than ever before.

The lessons I learned :

#1 Talk to your brain.It’s the boss!

“I am happy with my body” ,line would have worked ,if that was true.Not lying to myself is my first rule.

I have a treadmill which I use everyday to walk or run or stroll whatever as long as I get on it.It makes me happy.

That shot of adrenaline helped me explore how I can make the treadmill trips less boring.I have a few hacks which I will be sharing.

#Lesson 2

Dumbbells are my favourite .

Lifting weights are a lot of fun.

They give me a feeling of accomplishment .

I started my weight training journey , apprehensively not sure I could continue it.

But continue I did.

While doing the Blogchatter challenge # My Friend Alexa, I realized most people work best in a community. After reading this this Blogchatter challenge it became obvious to me that, when you’re having fun, with friends its easier to get difficult work done.

What’s more difficult than getting fitter?

Weight loss is not just about self image for me.It’s about finding my strongest self.I want my daughter to grow up strong.Strong mothers can help their children grow up stronger.

Not afraid of the world and its lurking dangers.

As protests for the wrongs suffered continues ,women need to grow stronger.

The stronger you become it will be more difficult to suppress your voice.

#Lesson 3

When you are the ideal weight ,your heart and your joints having less work to do .

There’s a reason weight and height charts are matched .

Life is about a healthy living and the best life possible.

I started lifting weight 6 months back with one set of dumbbells.

Now I have a few. Living in a little town in West Bengal and with my crazy schedule, going to the gym is not convenient .

So whatever I do have to be done at home.

When I started my fitness journey I had a few nagging pains ,left over from my post pregnancy days.

The stronger I became , the better I felt about myself.

The less pains and aches I had .

Body weight and mental health ,have a deep relationship .Mind and body ,live together in your consciousness.

When your mind decides it wants to get stronger you will get stronger.

With 71 days left before 2017 are you as strong as you would like to be?

Are you upto,taking part in a fitness challenge to become the strongest you?

If yes ,you need to do two little things.

Subscribe to my list by entering your email in the form below.

Comment below to let me know.

Looking forward to making friends with strong women.

Because health is about strength and fitness!

I am taking part in the ultimate blogging challenge with Blogchatter #DailyChatter.

This is #UBC Day 18

Protected: Childhood obesity assessment :What you must know

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 1

Pages: 1 2

COCHLEAR IMPLANT: Who needs it? How does it help (part 2)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 19

COCHLEAR IMPLANT: Who needs it? How does it help? This is part 2 in the Cochlear implant series and you can read the first part here.

Cochlear implants appeared rather gimmicky when they first arrived. With misconceptions around its use, most people were apprehensive. Even doctors were doubtful. It promised everything, would it deliver?

What were the fears with a cochlear implant?

*It can’t help, if you are born hearing challenged.

*It doesn’t help in speech development.

*It will make the child alienated.

*It’s no good for old people with hearing problems.

So what are the answers? Read on.

The Story from deaf to hearing, is it magic?

Cochlear implants started in the second half of the 1980s.

Riddled by misconceptions and hype it was handicapped by the need for really motivated children and parents.

But like all life-changing things, the cochlear implant stood the test of time with flying colors.

Children who were helped by a cochlear implant make us smile.

They tell us how they hear. How do they understand speech? It’s through their words that we learned about life, from no sound to a noisy world.

Who does it help?

Children
Post-lingual deafness in all age groups
Old people with profound age-related hearing loss.
In Auditory Dys-synchrony

Cochlear Implant in Children

Postlingually deaf children.Children who have already developed speech and have lost hearing due to some disease like meningitis.
Best Age of cochlear implantation: before two and a half years. But it has been done as early as one year of age.

7 years is a watershed zone, after which Prelingual deafness has variable results.

The longer the child has an implant, the better is the speech recognition scores. When the duration of use of the implant is the same, results are better with a lower age of implantation. The rate of expressive and receptive language learning is similar to that of hearing children.

Role of cochlear implant in presbycusis

Presbycusis or age-related hearing loss is also helped with cochlear implantation. It’s useful for the elderly with profound hearing loss, which cannot be helped with a hearing aid.

A world without sound can be lonely. More so in the aged population.
10% of normal ganglion cells ( approx.3500 cells ) are needed to recognize and understand speech.
The successful hearing outcome is seen with useful hearing. This helps in the hearing rehabilitation of the aged.

Depression, anxiety, and social isolation in both elderly and people with decreased hearing make life more difficult.

Some criteria:

Pure tone audiometry(hearing test) of 70 decibels or more for those planning for implantation in children and adults.

Cochlear implant in Auditory Dys-synchrony

You must be wondering”Auditory what”?

Auditory neuropathy or auditory dys-synchrony is complex. Children have variable hearing abilities.

What do Tests show in Auditory Dys-synchrony?

Normal middle ear functions, otoacoustic emissions present. But Brainstem evoked response Audiometry is unresponsive. This means sounds pass from outside to the ear up to the nerve of hearing, like a hearing person. But the communication between this nerve and the brain is distorted. The sound reaches the brain scrambled and makes no sense.

Why does this happen?
The sensory cochlear hair cells responsible for firing electrical signals in response to sound, do so dys-synchronously. That’s random without the syncing needed for understanding the generated sound.

Plain English: the rhythm of the electrical firing, is not right for your brain to pick up as words.

The action potential doesn’t develop properly in the cochlear nerve. This causes hearing loss. This is variable depending on. the degree of dys-synchrony.

Initially believed that hearing aids and auditory amplification would be useless. But some children benefit from hearing aids too.

Cochlear implantation can restore synchrony by, by-passing cochlear hair cells and stimulating the auditory nerve directly and synchronously.

The theory is good. But research continues for strategizing treatment, in Auditory Dys-synchrony. Whether a cochlear implant will help in auditory dys-synchrony is decided case to case.

The next burning question:

1 implant or 2 implants: One ear or both ears?

With 2 implants pros:

Better speech understanding.

This is more obvious in a noisy environment. Better sound localization, the direction of sound detection possible only with hearing in both ears.

Cons of 2 bilateral implants:

Most importantly the cost.

The dedication required for several years of necessary post-implant speech training and follow-up. It’s definitely not easy.

Where do we stand now?

Some governments cover the cost.

Few individuals can afford the cost of the best grade of the implant for both ears.

The government is realizing the cost of the implant is value for money. It is less than the years of disability support a person will need.
In children should you use up both ears?

Over the years as technology improves, maybe they’ll be better options?

Childhood Hearing Loss -Act Now Here is How!

Should you give up the present for the future many questions still need answers

Can there be a significant bilateral vestibular injury?

With excellent imaging, experienced surgeon, and God’s blessing this is rare.

Is it cost-effective?

The benefits outweigh the potential harm for many cochlear implant candidates. Like with all new medical innovations, it’s a long journey to perfection. We are still far from perfect in this cochlear implant journey. But we are far ahead than 10 years back. Light years away from 50 years back.Where there was no hope…There smiles a child with a cochlear implant who is hearing.

Updated May 2022

Cochlear Implant: What you need to know(Part 1)

Cochlear Implant: Who needs it? ( Part2)

When do Babies speak(part3)

How to write away writer’s block:Inspiring Quotes to help

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 19

I have blogged for 2 years.Off and on.Mostly off.I was reading a lot .But writing a lot less.

Thinking about writing.Talking about writing.Then I always had something coming up.In this writing and exercising was in the same boat.I spent the entire day thinking about doing one or the other.But always had an excuse.Definitely important ones.

4 months back I wrote 2 posts a month on my blog. That too after thinking for days.

I didn’t think of writers block. Because I didn’t think I was a writer.

But I am a Bengali ,and all Bengali’s love to think they have a few untold stories in them.

Frankly speaking I started writing because my daughter was too young to understand the chatter in my brain.Plus I wanted to give my darling hubby
a break from my rants.

Yes I rant when I don’t have stimulating book,company,events or any thing which my brain can feed on.That’s why I absolutely fell in love with my Blogchatter BFFs .

When you are all looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow , it’s fun to have some company.Sharing the gold is good too.Because it actually multiplies infinitely every time you share.

That’s the same with writing.The more I write ,the more I want to write.

It’s not easy.But now I know it’s not easy for anyone.

The best part bloggers always have fun .Because whatever happens it’s a story right!

Like the time on Nabami, when I was standing in a crowded waiting room at the Sealdah station and writing a blog post on my phone. It’s not my best .But I did it.

It helped drown out the noise ,dirt ,and the two-hour wait standing!Luckily( for me ),my daughter napped on her father’s lap.

Me tapping away on the phone.Rai sleeping.My hubby looking shocked (and a tad irritated ) that I was writing standing in the middle of a crowded room.That’s mad . But you need a little madness to want to share your thoughts with random strangers right?

Once upon a time I read Perry Mason everywhere . I wanted to moonlight as a criminal lawyer.

But decided it was easier to do it in the next lifetime.Law books are something I have never attempted reading.And I read everything.

Maybe one day.The same was with writing.One day.

Then in July I did a Blogchatter half marathon daily chatter for 2 weeks.

#MyFriendAlexa challenge for 1 month in September where I wrote 15 posts in 1 month.Definitely more than what I wrote the entire year last
year.

I am doing a #Dailychatter challenge with Blogchatter again .The best part of this is , I am actually able to write everyday.The 500 word thing everyday is a good habit.Try it.

Whenever I read anything on writing it’s like eves dropping inside famous writers head.

I think of myself as work in progress .The following are a few famous quotes which help me ,when my writing brain needs a little push or maybe a shove and some inspiration .

24 Favourite quotes on Writing by writers

“What a writer brings to any story is an attitude…” John Gregory Dunne

Why you must write everyday?

You must write every single day of your life…You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear
books like hats upon your crazy heads….may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.” Ray
Bradbury

About writer’s block…

Planning to write is not writing. Outlining…researching…talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is
writing.” E.L. Doctorow

You only learn to be a better writer by actually writing.” Doris Lessing

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.

Stephen King

Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”

—Larry L. King, WD

You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.

John Rogers

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things about all others: read a lot and write a lot…reading is the creative center of a writer’s
life…you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

Stephen King

Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens.

– Ray Bradbury

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. Ernest Hemingway

Writing is like sex; you don’t have to wait until you’re an expert to begin doing it. ~ Anonymous

A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.

Richard Bach

The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You’re there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing.
Everything is useful to a writer, you see—every scrap, even the longest and most boring of luncheon parties.

Graham Greene

If you wait for inspiration to write; you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter. ~ Dan Poynter

Confused about what to write?

Write what you know. Write what you want to know more about. Write what you’re afraid to write about.

Cec Murphy

When do you fail as a writer

You fail only if you stop writing. ~Ray Bradbury

Why you should write?

If you can’t annoy somebody, there’s little point in writing.

– Kingsley Amis

After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.

– Philip Pullman

The pen is mightier than the sword and considerably easier to write with.

– Marty Feldman

The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.

– Robert Cormier

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.

– Ernest Hemingway

What is writing?

Writing is a socially acceptable form of getting naked in public.

– Paulo Coelho

When I was a little boy, they called me a liar, but now that I am a grown up they call me a writer.

– Isaac Bashevis Singer

On Editing

The first draft of anything is shit.

– Ernest Hemingway

10 lessons I taught myself to write away writers block

#1 Write everyday,everywhere .Sitting standing.Whatever works. No excuses.

#2 It’s a habit and you can do it .

#3 Find friends who write .Not just want to write.

#4 Avoid editing while writing the first time.Write what ever comes to mind.

#5 Your life is your story . It can help someone.

#6 It takes guts to write . So even if no one says so ,you are brave.Don’t stop believing.

#7 Exercise .Somehow it helps me write.

#8 Read ,read read.Then read some more.

#9 Writing is therapy for me.I feel better after getting my thoughts written down.

#10 Writing is a way to keep a little piece of me for my daughter to find even when I am no more

Do you write?

How do you find inspiration . Write in the comments below .

I am taking part in the #ubc #blogboost .This is day 12 post

Ultimate blogging challenge with Blogchatter #DailyChatter

Mompreneur biz focus:Upasana and Life through my bioscope

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 8

When I started writing

about mompreneurs blogging

journey it was to share what I learned

as a blogger.

But the best way to learn is probably

from other bloggers.That’s when I

decided to bug my blogger friends for

tips .

All of us have different strengths and

different responsibilities.

Our struggles too are different .

What unites us, is our want to do

something more.

Maybe this is a chance to make a bit

of us, digitally immortal.

When I look back I want to be happy

that at least I tried.

Tried writing, tried blogging,tried

making time and place ,non factors

in a struggling life.

Aren’t we all fighting our own battles.

I found Upasana in the now famous

#MyFriendAlexa campaign.

She is an IT professional and is a full time working blogger mom.

Plus she loves DIY projects.

Let’s learn from Upasana today

Tell me the story behind your blog

I always loved to write my

experiences but never thought of

sharing it. After my son was born, I

started reading parenting and other

inspiring articles online.

That is when Blog writing idea got a spark.

Being a new mother, I started sharing

my parenting experiences. My

writings are not limited to parenting

but other Life experiences related to

Travel, Career, Blogging and more.

Problems at the personal front

helped me to grow as a person. I am

continuously working on self-

improvement and sharing my stories

along with.

Who fo you write for ?

Being a multi-niche Blogger, my

audience would be anyone who love

to read the experiences and stories.

I write what I learn and love to share

my learnings in easy and friendly way.

I write for other new parents who

seek help online providing honest

and true information based on my

experience.

I write for people who believe

“Learning never stops”.

Your inspiration

My inspiration are people close to

me who appreciate my writings and

Your favourite quote

There are many favorites but yes, one line that I believe in:

“It’s better to start early and it’s never too late.”

3 tips & Your message for struggling mompreneurs

Make everyday worthwhile. Learn something everyday which can take you near to your goals.
Be Patient. Do not let others to knock you down .Be persistent and you will definitely gather the appreciation one day.
Do something to leave a Legacy. There is something unique about each one of us. Embrace it and polish it so that when it’s time to bid farewell to this world, there is something good you are leaving behind.

Checkout my DIY activities and other

tales. You can subscribe here.

What’s your future plan?

I have started a series of posts on

the daily lives of Bloggers. Its

interesting to know each other better.

I have few plans for next year where I

will engage in more DIY/Crafts.So

stay tuned!

Are you involved in any charitable causes

Yes, but charity does not need a name. I do it at least twice a year.

Tell us a little bit about your family.Who is your biggest support?

I have a younger Brother who is

always loving and smiling. Loving

parents and In-laws who supports

me through all thick and thin. Caring

husband and a loving kid makes me

feel blessed. My biggest support is

my mother who gives wings to my

dreams and most importantly,

believe in me.

Short bio

I am a full time working professional

who like to greet her loved ones by

handmade greeting cards. I believe in

hard work and love to learn

something new each day. I upcycle

things at Home and strongly

recommend DIY for all Mothers.

Fb page link

https://www.facebook.com/lifethroughmybioscope

I am taking part in the #ubc

#blogboost Ultimate blogging challenge with Blogchatter

#DailyChatter

#UBC Day 15

Biz focus series you will love

Jaibala Rao spellbinding storyteller :Mompreneur’s biz focus

Biz focus :Mayuri ,sirimiri,blogger and tarot card reader
Mompreneur’s biz focus :Deepa the kreativemommy

Mompreneur Tina Basu :Bloggingjourney & biz

Mompreneur biz focus:Mayura Amarkant the soothsayer

Mompreneur Biz focus :Jewellery making & Basudha’s Hoimonti

Mompreneur Biz focus:Nilanjana and Cue Math

Ashwini Dodani MBA cum poet: Blogging journey and entrepreneurship

Instacuppa Fruit Infuser water bottle (Review) #SuperBloggerchallenge

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on March 9, 2018 60

Drinking water should be an easy habit in the hot Indian summer, right?It would seem so.But most of us forget to take this miracle liquid in the right amount. Instacuppa Fruit infuser water bottle may be the answer to a prayer.

The reason may be because it’s tasteless,at least regular water is tasteless.Both children and adult have a problem with drinking more water even though its good for us.

Is fruit infused water good for you?

Even as a doctor I am guilty of forgetting to drink enough water especially on busy days.That’s where the Instacuppa fruit infusion water bottle helped me.I love my sliced cucumber infusion water.Ginger, lemon and basil water or lime, lemon and mint water.The refreshing nature of the simple infusion water makes drinking water easier.

If you haven’t read it yet, read my post on why water is good for you or watch the vlog below.

Till then I will tell you a few secrets about drinking more water

[bctt tweet=”Your metabolic rate increases after drinking water! #Instacuppa #SuperBloggerChallenge #Healthwealthbridge ” username=”misra_amrita”]

There are studies done, which says the increase happens after 30 minutes and can be as much as 30%.

[bctt tweet=”For every 500 ml water, you drink you expend 100KJ.Thats so cool! #Instacuppa #SuperBloggerChallenge2018 #Healthwealthbrige” username=”misra_amrita”]

Right? If you want a healthy body weight, and reduce those extras try carrying your own infusion water bottle around.It’s easy, tasty, healthy, no fuss and the best way to get those nutrients into your body.Research says that walking and having lemon water every day helps you not only in reducing weight but acts to lower your systolic blood pressure in hypertensive adults.

Infusion water is a great way to get those fruit and veggie nutrients in your body and that of your family.When I wrote my book Fruits for life nutrition secrets (part 1) (its free today get it now !) that’s when I started having infusion water.

While you know fruits are great for you, in the busy bee life, you tend to miss many of the things which are good for you. Incorporating fruits and vegetables as a part of my diet by various methods is my lifelong pursuit.

Can you make detox water in a plastic bottle?

When I first used infusion water it was a simple one. Only cucumber and water. The wonderful fresh flavor of the water made drinking easier. When a bottle of water finish, I just ate the cucumber slices no fuss, no mess simple! This I made in a glass bottle and never a plastic bottle.

What is the best fruit infused water bottle?

The problem was when I am traveling or when I visit the hospital that’s when I discovered the Instacuppa fruit infusion water bottle.It is amazing I can carry it anywhere making my water intake much easier.

At home, I use the Instacuppa thermos flask.

It’s easy to use.

Even if you are not a frequent water drinker, with this you won’t miss your daily water goals.

When your bottle is empty, just eat the fruit pieces.You don’t want to waste food right?

Infused water is flavored with the goodness of fruits.

The more processed something is, the more sugar it has, the worse it is for your body.

When you use infusion water, you get the water-soluble vitamins, minerals and none of the sugar overload.

What you should be careful about

Try to use only fresh fruits and veggies
Avoid adding sugar or salt or any kind of sweeteners

2 simple infusion water recipes I love

Few slices of cucumber ice cubes + water

2 lemon slices and water.

Have you tried fruit infusion water? Comment below to let me know.

Week 4 Voting

Week 3 voting opens

WEEK 6 LINK SUBMIT HERE

Blog

The lessons I learned :

#1 Talk to your brain.It’s the boss!

#Lesson 2

#Lesson 3

Sharing is good Karma!

What were the fears with a cochlear implant?

The Story from deaf to hearing, is it magic?

Who does it help?

Cochlear Implant in Children

Role of cochlear implant in presbycusis

Some criteria:

Cochlear implant in Auditory Dys-synchrony

The next burning question:

1 implant or 2 implants: One ear or both ears?

Where do we stand now?

Sharing is good Karma!

24 Favourite quotes on Writing by writers

Why you must write everyday?

About writer’s block…

Confused about what to write?

When do you fail as a writer

Why you should write?

What is writing?

On Editing

10 lessons I taught myself to write away writers block

Sharing is good Karma!

Tell me the story behind your blog

Who fo you write for ?

Your inspiration

Your favourite quote

3 tips & Your message for struggling mompreneurs

What’s your future plan?

Are you involved in any charitable causes

Tell us a little bit about your family.Who is your biggest support?

Biz focus series you will love

Sharing is good Karma!

Is fruit infused water good for you?

Can you make detox water in a plastic bottle?

What is the best fruit infused water bottle?

Sharing is good Karma!

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