Top health and fitness blogs 2019

(1) Health and Fitness: Childhood Obesity Prevention

Preventing Your Child From Becoming Obese

Preventing child obesity is just a matter of monitoring your child's diet and engaging them in physical activities. Firstly, it is important to note that obesity is mostly a diet problem. You should avoid giving your child a lot of sugary or fatty snacks and always try to give your child foods low on cholesterol.

Obesity has become a significant problem befalling most Americans, and much worse, children have become the latest victims of obesity. Did you know that approximately 43% of children in the United States are obese? Well, it is a shocking development, but that is only an indication that parents need to take extra care to prevent their children from becoming obese. Fortunately, the condition of obesity is one that can be managed and prevent you from saving your doctor's phone number on speed dial.

Childhood Obesity

Preventing child obesity is just a matter of monitoring your child's diet and engaging them in physical activities. Firstly, it is important to note that obesity is mostly a diet problem. You should avoid giving your child a lot of sugary or fatty snacks and always try to give your child foods low on cholesterol. Your child's foods should consist of vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. You might also consider providing some dairy products for your child. Too much food is also not healthy for your child, so you should serve them with proportionate quantities of food. Your child should also take plenty of water to allow a smooth digestion process.

Secondly, you might want to encourage your child to do a lot of physical activity. While this should not be rigorous, an adequate physical activity might just help increase the rate of metabolism in your child's body. The net effect of this is that the increased rate of metabolism will be able to burn the excess fats on the body, helping your child to maintain a healthy body mass. Some of the recommended physical activities include walking, swimming, rope jumping, playing tags, or playing soccer. In essence, if you want to keep your child safe from obesity, just get him/her sweating, and give them the right types of foods are recommended above.

Childhood Obesity

Some parents have been so worried about the obesity situation of their children to the extent that they go seeking doctors' help. Well, obesity is not a disease, but rather a condition. Most of those doctors would only prescribe some weight-loss supplements for your child, and this could bring a whole new debate about the safety and reliability of the weight loss supplements. Some of the weight loss supplements have been reported to cause some health defects on the user, and you might not want to expose your child to such a risk. It is highly advisable that you use natural means to prevent your child from becoming obese or help them lose weight if they are already obese.

(2)Health and Fitness: Critical Care

Fractures & Sprains - When There Is No Doctor

Oops it could happen anytime, anywhere, without advance warning, even to the fit, the active, and the healthy. A slip or a fall and - ouch - you're landed (sometimes literally), with a fracture or a sprain. An expert orthopaedic surgeon outlines emergency procedures to help a victim until he can be got to a doctor.

The basic mistake that people make in the handling of fractures and sprains is that both are given the wrong kind of importance. Sprains tend to be treated as a minor disability that time and home remedies will heal; fractures, on the other hand, generally result in the pressing of all panic buttons. Both approaches are faulty.

"A neglected sprain could result in permanent instability of the joints which may require a major operation later," warns orthopaedic surgeon. A sprain occurs when soft tissues such as ligaments, joint capsules, muscles and tendons are stretched beyond their limit, mainly as a result of lifting heavy weights, exercising in fits and starts or playing a strenuous game like badminton after a long interval.

On the other hand, people over-play fractures. Because of the immediate and often unbearable pain they generate they are looked upon as a dire emergency and it is believed that if urgent treatment is not given, it will result in the permanent disability or loss of the limb. So, in sheer panic, the patient is rushed to the nearest doctor who, if inexperienced or incapable or plain mercenary, may perform an unnecessary operation "because it could develop into gangrene." A corollary myth is that all fractures require surgery when in fact most fractures can be treated without an operation. 

Sprain

When is it a fracture and when is it a sprain?

When a person suffers a fracture, i.e. a break in the bone, he experiences a shooting pain, and the affected limb is incapacitated. In a sprain, the pain may not be so powerful. The exception is a spinal column sprain which could cause severe pain and result in a stiff back.

In children, it's usually the elbow and legs that suffer fractures whereas in adults, it's the thigh, hip and spinal column. The parts most likely to suffer a sprain are the ankles (especially in women who wear high-heeled shoes), wrists, lower back and the neck.

Don't...

"Till a definite diagnosis is made by a good orthopaedist, don't give in to the temptation of resorting to a home remedy such as using a turmeric powder pack, it may only worsen the condition," advises orthopaedic surgeon.

And do's...

Both, sprains and fractures are best treated by lightly pressing an ice pack on the area to reduce the swelling and/or bleeding. Next, tie a firm bandage on the affected part, preferably reinforcing it with a handy splint like a foot-rule or a wad of newspapers or cardboard. The victim should be reassured and kept calm and made to rest while arrangements are made to take him to the doctor. Pain-killers may be given.

However, if the accident occurs on the road or playground, the victim should be lifted by four to six persons, their bodies serving as cushions as far as possible and made to rest nearby. If the upper limbs or neck is injured, the victim can be helped to walk to a cab or other available transport. However, if it is the legs that are injured, he should be either carried or placed on a stretcher, if it's available, all the time making sure he does not exert pressure on the affected limb. 

Fractured

A child is less tolerant of pain and his agitated parents could alarm him further. Calmly reassure him with a drink until he can be got to medical attention. Tincture of iodine, or an antiseptic ointment or lotion could be used in case of an abrasion or cut.

Any upper limb injury should be put in a sling (available at the chemist or you can make one at home).

Making a sling

A square metre of cloth (in an emergency a bedsheet or even a towel could do) cut diagonally across will make two slings. Support the hand by placing the widest angle pointing towards the elbow. The other two ends will go around the neck and are tied into a secure double knot at the nape.

Head injuries

Head injuries are usually caused by violent road accidents or by a fall from a height. This is a serious problem which requires quick action. The patient may become unconscious immediately or may gradually lose consciousness. If he is unconscious, do not let him lie flat on his back or he could choke if he swallows his saliva or blood (if he is bleeding in the mouth). Slowly turn him on to his side in ahead low position (without a pillow), so the secretions if any can flow out. Call the doctor or get an ambulance.

(3)Health and Fitness: Detoxification

Why 100% Non-Toxic Cookware Make The Best Pots And Pans?

Are you using a 100% non-toxic cookware? The answer to this greatly depends on the material(s) used in making your cookware. Metals, chemicals, glazes, enamels, and alloys are known to leach metal ions while cooking. These ions combine with food's nutrients and form toxic compounds that affect the health of your food by contaminating it and reducing its nutritional value. This is why your cookware has to be 100% non-toxic to cook healthy food.

100% Non-toxic Cookware - What Does It Take?

The problem is - most cookware are conventionally made from metals or ceramics and further glazed with chemicals and enamels. All metals are reactive (including popular ones like cast iron, titanium, aluminum etc.) and they leach ions when you cook food in them. This is the reason our ancestors never used metals or alloys to make cookware even though they used them to make tools and weapons.

For pots and pans to be the best, the material they are made from must be completely inert and 100% non-toxic. Unglazed primary clay is an all-natural material that has these qualities and this is the very material that has been used by one civilization after another for ages. And this is the reason our past generations lived longer and healthier than we do today (i.e. before the wars and before colonization)- they understood the importance and method of cooking healthy and nutritious food better than us!

Cookware

How Is Pure Clay Better Than Conventional Materials?

Unlike other conventional materials, pure clay is naturally inert and doesn't contain any toxins. Also, it preserves the nutrients in food by cooking it with gentle, far-infrared heat. And because of the excellent steam management by pure clay pots, the water-soluble nutrients that are typically lost as steam are locked inside instead with these pots!

As no glazes or enamels are used, the walls of the pots are semi-porous that allows food to cook with sufficient oxygen - another reason food turns out to be so well-cooked. Ever tasted or smelled the aroma of food cooked in a clay pot? It's far better than food cooked in metals or ceramics - all thanks to the way food is cooked that keeps nutrients, natural color (flavonoids), taste and aroma of the ingredients intact.

Clay Pot

When the body is regularly fed such healthy and nutritious food, not only do the toxins accumulated in the tissues, organs, and blood cleanse out but you will also experience an increased stamina, less frequent hunger pangs and lack of sicknesses like headaches or the common cold. With so many health benefits, who wouldn't agree that pure clay makes the best pots and pans?

(4)Health and Fitness: Disability

Health and Wellness With A Disability

People who have become disabled whether by an accident or some other factor will be facing a new normal. How do they remain healthy?

Some people are disabled from birth, or shortly after so they only know life one way. Some people, however become disabled through an accident or some other factor and suddenly they are faced with a new 'normal'. Perhaps they lost a limb, became a paraplegic or suffered a brain incident that left them in a wheelchair. Whatever the cause, if someone suddenly finds themselves in a new normal they may be wondering how they will go on with this new life. How will they maintain their health and wellbeing?

People, regardless of their physical situation are people and their goals are the same-to keep healthy and happy for as long as they can. While it may be a bit of a challenge to keep fit from a wheelchair it can be done. Where a person may no longer be able to take a run around the block, they can do exercises to strengthen their core and arms, for example. Any exercise is good exercise and any movement you can make is better than nothing. Take it slowly, take your time and build up to your goals.

Disability

Mentally, suddenly finding a new normal is a hard thing to adjust to. Experts suggest you keep your mind active, do puzzles or take up a new hobby, engage in clubs, teams and with community organizations, volunteer, hang out with your friends. A disability doesn't mean you stop being you, you are still you inside regardless of what differences have occurred on the outside.

Emotional wellbeing is also crucial for everyone. Perhaps you can get a pet, join a club, try a new place of worship, talk about your feelings with a friend or in a group setting, keeping things positive and the energy flowing. Whatever you did before you became disabled you may find you can still do, albeit with a few adjustments.

Disability

In short, the trick to staying healthy with a disability is the same as it is when you don't have one. Everyone needs to stay active, eat healthy foods, quit smoking, have regular checkups with your doctor, drink alcohol in moderation, use medications wisely and as prescribed, get help for substance abuse as soon as you can and stay in touch with friends and family members. Keeping a healthy body, mind and soul is the same regardless of your situation, it's your life so live it to the best of your ability!