Search Results for: health
Methi Thepla :Fenugreek Flatbread Easy Recipe
Sharing is good Karma!
EASY Plants for your Balcony Garden (Tested)
Sharing is good Karma!
Travel in COVID times: Guide for Pregnant women
Traveling is tough in COVID times. It’s even more difficult if you are pregnant.
Becoming a mother is profound. In COVID times, it just got more tricky. With restrictions lifting everywhere, everyone has the “travel bug “calling out to them. This COVID 19 travel guide ,will help everyone but a few specifics are for moms-to-be.
Keeping healthy and happy both need work. Being cooped up indoors is taking its toll on all of us. If you have travel planned or some emergency requires you to travel, this post will help you.
Have a budget, plan where you want to go,this is important for safety.
The questions this post will answer
First up, talk to your Obstetrician before making any travel decision. Every pregnancy is different, and you are unique. Your doctor knows best about your condition. Second-trimester(14-28 weeks) travel to a nearby location or a short weekend staycation is something you can plan if it’s a change of scenery that you are looking for. Go for an antenatal checkup before planning a trip; that way, you can take the doctor’s opinion and have peace of mind too.
First trimester travel is risky since most micarriage happen during that time.
Third-trimester travel is often uncomfortable when backaches, bathroom breaks, risk of Deep vein thrombosis, and preterm labor all adding to the worry. Any trip more than four hours long can be a problem, during pregnancy, even at the best of times.
When is travel strictly avoided?
It depends on the medical condition of the mom-to-be. But the following are common medical reasons for avoiding travel.
- When there’s a risk of miscarriage
- Twin/multiple pregnancies
- History of vaginal bleeding
- Cervical incompetence
- Placental problems
- Preeclampsia in this or previous pregnancy
- High blood pressure during last or present pregnancy
- Gestational diabetes in this or previous pregnancy, history of preterm labor in a previous pregnancy, or history of ectopic pregnancy in a previous pregnancy
- Precious pregnancy
What should you avoid while traveling?
While unnecessary travel is not recommended for anyone, it is even more important for pregnant women and kids.
- Avoid unplanned trips
- Avoid trips with very small kids who can’t wear masks.
- Avoid international travel
- Avoid long-distance journeys(longer than four hours) even in India.
- Stay away from crowded places.
- Avoid travel if you have any history of complications in a previous pregnancy or any risk factors in the current one.
Wherever you go, the market, shopping mall, your relative’s home, or a staycation, remember to wear a mask (N95 will be best ), wash your hands, use a sanitizer, and maintain social distance.
The Where
Sea beach, mountains, or the forests anywhere in India, you will be spoilt for choice. The only real limitation is how much you can search and plan.Sea beach: Mandarmoni, Puri, Goa, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry.
A few tips for the second option include Darjeeling, Kurseong. Kalimpong, Dharamshala, Shillong, Cherrapunji, Shimla, Nainital, Manali, Pahalgam.
What kind of hotel?
The best-case scenario is a weekend rental home at the seaside. Fresh air good food and exercise, all in one place.Holiday rentals with housekeeping options and a kitchenette will be perfect for a few days by the beach. If Holiday homes are steep or not available, look for boutique hotels in offbeat locations.
Tea gardens have quaint resorts ,which give luxury experiences and personalized service.Since these places don’t have many rooms,crowds are uncommon.
The Tumsong resort in Darjeeling or the Cedar Inn Hotel is both lovely properties. Divine Hima in Dharamshala, Ri Kynjai at Shillong and The Polo hotel at Cherrapunji, The Dona Sylvia Novotel at Goa, The Grand Dragon at Leh Ladakh, or the Taj Visakhapatnam are all properties that take excellent care of their guests.
Look for rooms that do not share ventilatory systems and have separate A/C or heating units. Centralized heating, air conditioning system is best avoided.
Precautions to take while traveling in COVID times
- While traveling in trains, keep your mask on. You will have to carry your own bedding too.
- Avoid touching heavy use structures, doorknobs, window panes without spraying a surface sanitizer. You can also use a disinfectant wipe to touch them or clean them.
- Wash your hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating.
- Ingesting sanitizer, which stays on your hands with every meal, is terrible. When you smear your hands with sanitizer, let the hand dry for at least twenty seconds for it to be effective.
- While traveling, don’t touch your face, mouth, eyes.
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But how will you eat while traveling and at hotels?
Now while traveling, carrying quick snacks works best due to the current situation. In any case, avoid crowds while taking off your mask for eating.
In hotels, order room service or eat at outdoor restaurants, poolside, and terrace where tables are kept six to 10 feet apart. Avoid sitting in air-conditioned indoor dining areas.
I prefer standing while eating outdoors. That way, I can increase the distance from other people quickly. Sounds strange writing this down, but we live in unique times.
Having a small kitchenette in the room can be a big help if you have special dietary needs. Try to avoid street food as travelers’ diarrhea can be a problem. In any case, don’t take over the counter drugs for any problem as that may affect the unborn child. Avoid overly spicy, salty, oily food as it can aggravate morning sickness and cause bloating. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and the right type of protein. Don’t forget to take your supplements.
What you must carry while traveling?
- Must carry several masks
- Gloves
- Sanitizer
- Antiseptic wipes
- Soap
- Snacks water
- Your Antenatal medical records and supplements
- Your health insurance and your Doctor’s number on speed dial
Takeaway:
You have to remember 5 things-
- Talk to you your doctor before you plan your travel.
- Wear your mask.
- Practice good hand hygiene
- Maintain social distancing.
- In case you face any trouble, go to the nearest Government Medical facility.
Sharing is good Karma!
Small Balcony garden ideas No One Told you!
Most moms blogging journey starts with “when I had a baby”. I started similarly, but by then, my baby was almost two years old. I actually find more relation with my gardening activities and writing life ,than with anything else.
Staring at green plants is my second favorite habit.It’s also good for my eyes . The health effect of gardening is a favorite research topic.This found it’s way into my book on Gardening ,Writing,Walking -the three musketeers who help me.
Traveling to any of my aunts or uncles homes as a child meant, I could watch trees and people. All of which made me ask my mother innumerable questions and my nonstop chatters. When my mother refused to give a satisfactory answer(instead, she grew tired), I started making up stories about those trees and people.
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Plants and nature have a way of bringing out the writer in us. Or maybe it was the solitude of bringing up a tiny human in a new town. Having few people to talk to daily socially (not professionally) meant I had more brain space for making up my own stories. Work was overpowering physically, but mentally I needed a hobby, which gave me a challenge. I am a big fan of brain challenges, where I have to go out of my comfort zone to learn something, make something preferably ending in profitable results.
But gardening I do just for fun. So today I will share a few small Balcony ideas to get you started.
1)Microgren or sprout garden:start in a cup.
2)Only ornamental plants like purple hearts,aloevera,Areca palm ,Chinese banyan.All are easy to grow.
3 .Easy flower balcony garden:Bougainvillea, roses,all year.Chrysanthemums ,petunia,pansy in winters.
4.Small vegetable garden ,spinach ,red amaranth,lettuce,pumpkin greens,mustard greens
5.Get any plant which is suitable for your locality.Take care of that plant.Then buy another.Start slow.
That last part makes the explanations easier and so much more worth it. Time, after all, is limited and can not be stretched. We already tried that.
But I digress.
Through the environment talks of Cause a chatter, I will talk about gardening as a reason for joy, mental health, and productivity. But environment and nature as a whole are crucial for human survival.
Remember, we are a part of nature. Anything which you do to harm nature affects you to. Directly or indirectly.
I will tell you about my journey with gardening on my balcony, windowsill and experiment with growing greens, microgreens, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. How I almost bought a mango garden and then wrote my second Krishna Mishra mystery about it. I will tell you about the India-made version of a portable system of growing food at home anywhere in India. This one will take some time though, the product is still in beta????
I will share my balcony seasons of how we plan to transform my husband’s childhood home and garden why I am a fan of growing a forest.
Human beings and all things nature are part of each other.
We cannot talk about preservation without talking about pollution and population.
Why it’s important we talk about our home environment and Mother Earth as a whole:
We cannot create if we can’t save. We cannot complain if we don’t do our part to make things better. It starts with you and me. We can make a difference.
I am a forest nymph who became a Doctor-writer. So when I tell you nature heals, you know I have felt it. There’s nothing more potent than your dose of daily green, both outside and inside. If I talk about nature and the environment, you know, you will get all the right details.
You can start now, with what you have wherever you are.
While I write my next post on the topic, I thought of sharing my reason for starting this journey.I am also sharing a few of my previous posts from my Home, garden, and environment.
Man-made a mistake, forgetting he was part of nature.
Cutting down an arm to make space for a leg makes little sense. There have to be better ways, that are what I plan to find out.
A writer and gardener for seven years now and a practicing doctor for thirteen. I know I am happier because of my environment.
Health, after all, is multidimensional. I remember that in all my decisions.
My posts about balcony gardening
Growing vegetables in your Balcony garden
About environmental pollution
My Balcony Garden Video playlist
This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter’ and link it back to our website (https://www.
theblogchatter.com/causeachatter
Sharing is good Karma!
Making of an Army of Leprosy Warriors and (Flipchart) Their Great New Weapon
Making of an Army of Leprosy Warriors and Their Great New Weapon.
Hansen’s disease or leprosy is a curable infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. India still accounts for more than half of all new cases of leprosy in the world. But for the past two years, the decreasing number of new adult and pediatric patients have given us fresh hope.
What is crucial in this fight to lower the disease burden is early diagnosis and timely treatment with multidrug therapy. In fact, India is running the most extensive leprosy eradication program in the world. But challenges remain because of the low rates of self-reporting, low levels of awareness, and lack of knowledge.
Now, this war against leprosy is getting an army of leprosy warriors which is getting strengthened by a new weapon of mass awareness and early detection. But first, let us understand what this army is fighting against!
Symptoms of Leprosy
The first step is to know the symptoms. Common symptoms of Leprosy (Source CDC) are –
- Single or multiple whitish/pale patches involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Single or multiple nodules involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Numbness of the affected regions of skin
- Eye problems (if left untreated, can even cause blindness)
- Ulcers on soles of feet
- Blocked feeling in the nose
- Enlarged nerves (commonly around elbows, knees, and ankle)
- Muscle weakness (can lead to paralysis if not treated)
- They spread, become larger, affecting nerves, wasting muscles, causing crippling disabilities if left untreated.
How does Leprosy spread?
It spreads through droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close contact with untreated patients. Mycobacterium leprae multiplies slowly. The incubation period is five years. That means after exposure, the disease may occur even five years later.
How to fight the stigma?
Awareness around leprosy is the biggest battle to win – widespread societal awareness and acknowledgment that leprosy is just like any other bacterial infection which is completely curable, along with eradication of superstitions around leprosy – will go a long way in fighting the stigma. Knowing the symptoms, self-reporting, getting diagnosed and an understanding that timely treatment will help in complete recovery will further help in eradicating the stigma around leprosy.
A ray of hope is there – The Government of India and the Sasakawa Health Foundation are doing great work in spreading awareness, education, supporting rehabilitation, and helping fight leprosy. SHF helps in awareness, giving access to education and financial support for self-reliance to leprosy-affected persons and their families.
The weapon – Flipchart and the help it can provide in mass awareness and early detection
Flipchart is a pictorial aid for the early detection of leprosy. It is in the form of a booklet which makes for easier understanding due to its pictorial and storytelling style. The Flipchart is being distributed to community health workers (ASHA workers),
Flipchart will help ASHA workers spread awareness about the early symptoms of leprosy. With Flipchart, these leprosy warriors have an effective tool in their fight against Hansen’s disease. This army of Flipchart-wielding ASHA workers has the potential to do what we need to win this war against leprosy – mass awareness and assisted early detection.
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The many ways a Flipchart for Leprosy will help the army of Leprosy Warriors – The ASHA workers
· Showing the pictures, ASHA worker can explain the early stages of the disease.
· How it appears at first to different people
· How to get help
· Where to get help
· She can talk about free medicine available at hospitals.
· What happens if you don’t get treated on time and in the right way.
· When it has the right visuals, then things get more comfortable to explain.
· There is less chance of misunderstanding or miscommunication.
· There is also less fear and much less discrimination.
· The ASHA workers will be more confident, reading the text while showing the pictures.
An example of How Flipchart wielding ASHA worker can help – The story of Renu’s brother
When Renu’s brother Raju first noticed a white patch on his forearm, he ignored it.
He also did not shout at Renu when she slapped hard on his forearm while playing.
This got Renu worried. She had seen Meena di, the ASHA worker in their village, showing a colorful book with pictures similar to the patch on Raju’s forearm. She discussed it with her mother and then decided to call Meena di home for advice.
Seeing the patch on Raju’s forearm, Meena di gently pinched it and asked a few questions. She then advised them to visit Dr. Natesh at the village PHC the next morning.
Dr. Natesh performed a few tests and confirmed that Raju had contracted leprosy, and he would need to take medicine, which will be given free of cost, for six months to get fully cured. Everyone was relieved and thanked Meena di profusely.
But Meena di was thinking about how Renu had seen her Flipchart and taken note of it. When she discussed this with her supervisor, s/he decided to give flipcharts to all ASHA workers working in the area.
Takeaways
The burden of leprosy can only be reduced by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Awareness at the community level, using the Flipchart will help in fighting Hansen’s disease. A picture speaks a thousand words. Please share this blog post and help. Help us in the fight against this disease.
