Top 20 pregnancy health tips

As soon as a woman gets pregnant, she is bombarded with advice; granted that most of this advice comes from good intentions, it's still riddled with myths and half-truths.

So the question arises, would all these tips work? Today, we ask Dr. Shilpa Mittal - Nutritionist, Diet Consultant and Founder of Nutrilife Health Management and Ms. Sunita Pathania - Sr. Registered Dietician and Diabetes Educator, Healthy Living Diet Clinic, Mumbai, to share some healthy and best tips for the moms-to-be.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Check your thyroid
According to Dr. Shilpa, now-a-days there are several cases of underactive metabolism commonly known as hypothyroidism reported all over the country. This problem often goes undiagnosed.

This problem can cause miscarriage or learning disabilities in the baby. Be safe, check for thyroid as soon as you know that you are pregnant, because treating a low thyroid is safe and easy during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Hydration is important
In order to have a healthy pregnancy period, the intake of sufficient amount of water is essential - says Ms. Sunita. Drinking fluids can help in preventing miscarriage, digestive problems and urine infections. Hence, make it a point to drink more than 12 glasses of water every day.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Stay away from cat poo
Avoid cleaning cat feces, because it contains a parasite that causes infection toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis can cause major health problems like brain damage and blindness in your baby.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Eat bananas to treat cramps
Leg cramps are common during pregnancy and can be excruciatingly painful. In order to heal cramps, make sure to eat a banana at bedtime. Banana being rich in potassium helps to relieve cramps and pain.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Pre exercise tips
Always consult your doctor, before starting an exercise regime. Also make sure that the instructor knows that you are pregnant, in order to avoid injuries. Wear well supported shoes and bra.

For the safety of your child don't try heavy weight exercises and avoid changing position quickly, as this will cause strain and make you dizzy. Lastly, avoid holding your breath for too long, as this will affect the flow of oxygen to your baby.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Exercise
Exercising during pregnancy is the most important thing to do to have a safe delivery. Thus, exercise everyday for your health and to reduce stress.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Recommended exercise
Dr. Shilpa recommends exercises like walking, but not more than an hour and outdoor group exercise in fresh air with other moms and to-be-moms. Practice yoga and Pilates but under a trained instructor, for quick stress relief and back pain relief.

Pregnant women can also try water exercises like swimming or walking in the water to support the growing weight of your body.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Consume a diet rich in Folic Acid
Folic acid is essential for the proper growth of the baby and to avoid birth problems. Make sure that you get at least 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid per day.

Include deep green leafy vegetables, dried beans, and citrus fruit to get your daily quota of folic acid. But make sure you don't consume beyond limit, as too much folic acid has its own risk too.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Reduce alcohol, caffeine and quit smoking
Trim down the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and smoke, because consumption of all these three things can cause serious birth problems to you and your baby. Stay away from secondhand smoke as well, because nicotine present in cigarettes can cause weight related problems in the baby - says Ms. Sunita.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Wear a safety belt
Always wear a safety belt, to avoid unwanted injuries. Dr. Shilpa recommends, the shoulder portion of the restraint should be positioned over the collar bone and the lap portion should be placed under the abdomen below the hips and across the upper thighs. Also make sure you're not sitting too close to the air bag.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Get adequate sleep
Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep, while you are pregnant to make yourself relaxed and energized throughout the day. A good night's sleep is essential for the health of both mom and the baby.

Most pregnant women suffer from insomnia, hence try buying pregnancy pillows or some other mattress to get sound sleep.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Reduce the risk of salmonella
Always separate cooked and raw foods, make sure you don't mix knives, plates, spoons, or cutting boards when handling raw meat or eggs to reduce the risk of salmonella and other harmful bacteria.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Take oral care
During pregnancy, be extra vigilant with your oral health, as your gums might get inflamed, causing them to bleed. Brush regularly, twice a day, with the use of a good fluoride toothpaste and visit your dentist regularly.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Care for your feet
Wear proper fitted, comfortable shoes in order to prevent fatigue and swelling of the feet and legs.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Limit animal fat
Reduce meat and animal fat in your diet. Animal products, from unreliable sources, may contain various types of chemicals like DDT and other pesticides, which can linger in your body and cause serious damage - says Dr. Shilpa.

This holds particularly true in countries where the meat sold is not put through rigorous quality checks. Therefore, if you aren't sure about where it's coming from, abstinence may work in your favour.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Overheating is bad
Avoid saunas or hot spas during your pregnancy period. Being in an extremely hot temperature can cause harm to you and your baby.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Try acupuncture
This fine needle therapy has its own healing technique to heal constipation, insomnia and anxiety. This therapy is completely safe, reliable and very effective in treating pain.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Stay away from cosmetics
Many personal care products contain various chemicals and other carcinogens that can affect your baby's development. The best thing you can do to protect your baby is to opt for safe products or simply avoid cosmetics for 9 months.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Gain weight steadily
Dr. Shilpa says, that you should gain only about a pound in your first trimester. And add only 135 calories to your diet per day. In order to fulfill the 135 calories mark, add a glass of milk, nutritious foods and one egg daily in your diet.

Pregnancy Health Tips: Avoid carrying heavy loads
Follow the guidelines laid down by your healthcare provider as to how much weight your body can lift from one trimester to the next. You're already undergoing a lot of back strain because you will be carrying your growing baby. Due to which there will be sudden change in how you hold yourself because your centre of gravity moves forward.

Therefore objects like your older child, a bucket of water, a bagful of groceries, a gas cylinder, etc will increase the strain on your back even more.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com  

 

Source  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health/Top-20-pregnancy-health-tips/articleshow/17450257.cms

17 Worst Habits for Your Heart

Here are the worst habits for your heart, and how to avoid them.

Bad habits for your heart

Everyone wants to have a healthy heart. Still, cardiovascular disease affects more than 1 in 3 adults in the United States.

The good news is that some simple, everyday habits can make a big difference in your ability to live a healthy lifestyle.

Here are the 17 worst habits for your heart, and how to avoid them.

Watching TV

Sitting for hours on end increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you exercise regularly.

"Intermittent exercise doesn't compensate for the time you sit," says Harmony R. Reynolds, MD, associate director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

Why? The lack of movement may affect blood levels of fats and sugars.

Dr. Reynolds advises walking around periodically and, if you're at work, standing up to talk on the phone.

Leaving hostility and depression unchecked

Are you feeling stressed, hostile, or depressed? It can take a toll on your heart.

While everyone feels this way some of the time, how you handle these emotions can affect your heart health. “Those likely to internalize stress are in greater danger; research has shown a benefit to laughter and social support,” Dr. Reynolds says.

“And it’s helpful to be able to go to someone and talk about your problems.”

Ignoring the snoring

More than a minor annoyance, snoring can be a sign of something more serious: obstructive sleep apnea. This disorder, marked by breathing that is interrupted during sleep, can cause blood pressure to skyrocket.

More than 18 million Americans adults have sleep apnea, which increases the risk of heart disease. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk for sleep apnea, but slim people can have it too.

If you snore and often wake up feeling tired, talk with your doctor; there are easy ways to screen for apnea, says Robert Ostfeld, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at Montefiore Medical Center, in New York City.

Not flossing

While the exact reason is unknown, there is a strong link between gum disease and heart disease, Dr. Ostfeld says.

If you don’t floss, sticky, bacteria-laden plaque build up over time, which can lead to gum disease. One theory is that these bacteria trigger inflammation in the body.

“Inflammation promotes all aspects of atherosclerosis,” Dr. Ostfeld says. Treating gum disease can improve blood vessel function.

Withdrawing from the world

It's no secret that on some days, other human beings can seem annoying, irritating, and just plain difficult to get along with.

However, it makes sense to strengthen your connections to the ones you actually like. People with stronger connections to family, friends, and society in general tend to live longer, healthier lives.

Everyone needs alone time, but you should still reach out to others and keep in touch whenever you can.

You’re either all or nothing

Call it the Weekend Warrior Syndrome.

“I see so many people in their 40s and 50s dive into exercising with good intentions, hurt themselves, and then stop exercising all together,” says Judith S. Hochman, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center at NYU’s Langone Medical Center.

With exercise, it’s wise to aim for slow and steady. “It’s more important to have a regular exercise commitment,” says Dr. Reynolds. “Be in it for the long game.”

Drinking (too much) alcohol

Sure, studies suggest a small amount of alcohol may be good for your heart. Alas, too many over-imbibe.

Excess alcohol is linked to a greater risk of high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and heart failure. In addition, the extra calories can lead to weight gain, a threat to heart health.

If you drink, stick to no more than two drinks per day for men, and no more than one a day for women. (One drink means a 12-ounce beer or 4-ounce glass of wine).

Overeating

Being overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease, and 72% of men and 64% of women in the U.S are overweight or obese.

Try to eat less, avoid oversize portions, and replace sugary drinks with water.

Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Hochman also suggest cutting portion sizes for high-calorie carbohydrates (think refined pastas and breads) and watching out for foods labeled “low-fat,” which are often high in calories.

Assuming you're not at risk

Cardiovascular disease—including stroke, heart disease, and heart failure—claims more lives in the United States than any other illness, including cancer.

"Don't assume you're not at risk," says Dr. Ostfeld.

High blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, and smoking are all risk factors that should be kept in check.

Eating red meat

It’s best to think of red meat as an occasional treat rather than the foundation of a daily diet. Red meat is high in saturated fat, and there’s also evidence that processed meat, such as bacon and hot dogs, increases your risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. Ideally, less than 10% of your diet should come from animals and animal products, Dr. Ostfeld advises.

Can’t part with the beef? Choose a lean cut of red meat and limit your intake. “People have to know that if you want a steak a few times a month, it’s OK,” Dr. Hochman says. “It’s what you’re eating three times a day that’s the issue. Be in it for the long haul. Eat a balanced diet.

Being a health procrastinator

Check in with an MD so that you know your numbers for cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

If these are elevated, you're at risk for silent killers like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

One thought: The lifetime risk of developing hypertension, or high blood pressure, for adults in their mid-50s is approximately 90%, even with those who never had a problem before. "The general point is that just because you didn't have it at 24 doesn't mean you don't have it at 54," Dr. Ostfeld says.

Smoking or living with a smoker

Sure, you've heard it a million times before: Don't smoke. But it bears repeating.

"Smoking is a total disaster for your heart," says Dr. Ostfeld. Smoking promotes blood clots, which can block blood flow to the heart, and contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries.

It's also a smart bomb aimed at everyone around you, Dr. Ostfeld says. In fact, about 46,000 nonsmokers who live with a smoker die from heart disease each year because of secondhan

Stopping or skipping meds

Let's be honest: Taking pills is a pain. There can be side effects. And it's easy to forget your meds, especially if you feel fine.

"High blood pressure is called the silent killer because you don't feel it," Dr. Ostfeld says. "Saying you feel fine is not a justification for stopping these pills."

There are 30 types of high blood pressure medications, so there are choices if one isn't working, Dr. Hochman says. "If one medication doesn't work, we can try something else."

Avoiding fruits and vegetables

"The most heart-healthy diet is a plant-based diet," Dr. Ostfeld says. That means loading up on fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and protein, and keeping junk food to a minimum. In fact, new federal dietary guidelines recommend that half of each meal should be composed of fruits and vegetables.

Research has found that people who eat more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day had about 20% lower risk of heart disease and stroke than people who ate less than three servings per day.

Ignoring physical symptoms

If you used to walk up three flights of stairs without a problem, but suddenly you're short of breath after one flight or have chest pressure, it's time to call your doctor—now. Never assume it's because you're out of shape.

Doctors say "time is muscle," meaning the quicker you get treatment for possible trouble, the less likely you are to have permanent damage to your heart muscle.

"It's better for it to be much ado about nothing than sitting on a heart attack for six hours," which is not uncommon, Dr. Ostfeld says

Being a salty snacker

The more salt you consume, the higher your blood pressure rises. One in three American adults has high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, kidney failure, and heart attack.

“Steer clear of packaged junk food, read the labels for sodium content, and stick to the outer portions of the supermarket, which is where the fruits, vegetables, and (unsalted) nuts are,” Dr. Ostfeld says.

Most of us should keep sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams a day. If you have high blood pressure or are over 50, cut back to 1,500 milligrams.

Eating empty calories

Foods high in sugar, fat, and oil deliver calories, but very few—if any—nutrients your body can use.

Studies have shown that a diet full of empty calories increases the risk of obesity and diabetes.

Look for foods dense in nutrients, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seafood, eggs, beans and peas, and unsalted nuts and seeds. Lean meats and poultry, along with fat-free and low-fat milk, are good choices as we

1931 diet tips still relevant today

“The science of nutrition travels so rapidly that it is almost impossible to keep up with it,” wrote Lenna Frances Cooper in her textbook, “Nutrition in Health and Disease.”

Wow, is she right! Nutrition research findings hit the headlines daily. It’s a lot of information to digest. But, get this: She made that observation in 1931.

Cooper, a nurse and dietitian, was a dean at the Battle Creek Health Care Institution in Battle Creek, Mich. She was one of the co-founders of the American Dietetic Association and was appointed to the staff of the U.S. surgeon general.

You know how most folks think of healthy foods as the ones that don’t taste very good? Well, Cooper was even on the case when she wrote in the foreword of her cookbook, “The New Cookery”: “Many food faddists have attempted to prepare wholesome foods but have neglected the almost equally important requirement — palatability.”

In honor of Cooper’s pioneering diet advice from 1931, here are a few tips to dine out more healthfully today.

● Celebrate the season with a variety of salad greens.

Today: So-called “winter greens,” rich in anti-oxidants and disease-fighting beta carotene and abundant in autumn, include Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, collards and escarole. Chef Joe Schafer at Parish pairs sweet potato ravioli with the pleasingly bitter notes of Swiss chard.

1931 advice: “The quality of lettuce, which can be obtained all the year round in almost all sections of the country, has improved enormously.”

● Choose the whole-grain version.

Today: You can find whole-grain versions of everything from tortilla chips to doughnuts. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee tells us to eat fewer refined grains. Choose brown rice over white and whole-wheat bread over white. Discover the taste of “ancient” whole grains such as quinoa, spelt and amaranth that are showing up on restaurant menus.

1931 advice: “As a class, the whole cereals are rich in minerals, but these are found particularly in the germ and outer layer, which are usually discarded in the milling process.”

● Break the whole egg for breakfast.

Today: Rethink that egg white omelet. The nutrient choline, found in yolks, helps support the brain’s neurotransmitters and is linked to new memory cell production.

1931 advice: “The egg yolk is of much greater value than the white, as it contains the majority of the minerals and vitamins.”

● Eat like a vegetarian.

Today: Eat more plant-based foods such as vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Check out the vegetarian entrees on menus when dining out, even if you’re not a vegetarian, to increase intake of valuable nutrients including fiber and anti-oxidants.

1931 advice: “Where an overindulgence of meat has been the habit, a recourse to a vegetarian diet often brings excellent results.”

● Dine out healthfully when there’s no time to cook.

Today: Whether it’s lower-fat fast-food favorites at Evos or chef Jeffrey Wall’s perfectly tossed orange and fennel salad with orange basil dressing at La Fourchette, restaurants are offering a greater selection of well-prepared healthful options.

1931 advice: “For cookery, lay wood shavings over the bottom of the firebox. When the wood is burning well, fill the firebox with coal. When the coal is burning without blue flames, close the oven dampers and the front door, but leave open the sliding draft in door.”

O’Neil’s advice: Get back in the time machine, use a smart phone to book dinner reservations, check the online menu for seasonal specialties, reapply lipstick and follow car’s GPS to the restaurant. Meet you there, Lenna!

Carolyn O’Neil is a
registered dietitian and
co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at
carolyn@carolynoneil.com.

Source  http://www.ajc.com/health/1931-diet-tips-still-713563.html

ASPIRIN IN PRIMARY CVD PREVENTION-BENEFITS AND RISKS

A new meta-analysis said to provide "the largest evidence to date regarding the wider effects of aspirin treatment in primary prevention" has shown that cardiovascular benefits are offset by an elevated risk of bleeding [1].
Senior author Dr Kausik Ray (St George's University of London, UK) commented to heartwire : "On a routine basis I would not recommend aspirin use in primary prevention. And it certainly should not be put in a polypill for mass use."
The current study did not find a significant reduction in cancer mortality. However, the lead author of a previous meta-analysis that did show a reduction in cancer death with aspirin says follow-up in the current study was not long enough to show such an effect.
The new analysis, published online January 9, 2012 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, included nine randomized placebo-controlled trials with a total of 100 000 participants. Results showed that during a mean follow-up of six years, aspirin treatment reduced total cardiovascular events by 10%, driven primarily by a reduction in nonfatal MI, but there was a 30% increased risk of nontrivial bleeding events. The number needed to treat to prevent one cardiovascular event was 120, compared with 73 for causing a nontrivial bleed.
Effect of Aspirin on Vascular and Nonvascular Outcomes or Death

Event	Odds ratio (95% CI)
Cardiovascular events	0.90 (0.85–0.96)
Nonfatal MI	0.80 (0.67–0.96)
Cardiovascular death	0.99 (0.85–1.15)
Cancer mortality	0.93 (0.84–1.03)
Nontrivial bleed	1.31 (1.14–1.50)

Possible Benefit in Those at High Risk
The authors conclude that the "rather modest benefits" and the significant increase in risk of bleeding do not justify routine use of aspirin in the primary-prevention population. They say that further study is needed to identify subsets that may have a favorable risk/benefit ratio. They note that their results suggest an increased risk of nontrivial bleeding in individuals receiving daily (vs alternate-day) aspirin treatment and a particularly unfavorable risk/benefit ratio for individuals at lower baseline cardiovascular risk.
An editorial accompanying the paper suggests that aspirin may be considered in patients with a CHD risk of more than 1% per year [2], but Ray said he thought that was an "oversimplification" of the results.
"There may be a benefit in higher-risk individuals, and there is a case for personalized medicine here. But we showed that as the event rate increased in the placebo group, the reduction in MI with aspirin also increased, but so too did the bleeding risk. The bleeding risk is always greater than the MIs prevented, but it depends on whether you think a nonfatal MI is worse than a significant bleed. So we could do better if we knew who would bleed and who would have an event. I think we need a dual risk score as is done for warfarin."
The cardiovascular results from this latest analysis are in line with those from the 2009 Antithrombotic Trialists' (ATT) Collaboration, and there seems to be agreement on the conclusions regarding heart disease. But there is less agreement on the use of aspirin for the prevention of cancer.
Disagreement Over Cancer Data
Lead author of last year's analysis showing a reduction in cancer mortality with aspirin, Dr Peter Rothwell (University of Oxford, UK) commented to heartwire : "This new meta-analysis just looks at the overall study results, and most of the studies only had three to four years of follow-up. That is not long enough to see a major effect on cancer mortality. In contrast, in our meta-analysis published last year we obtained individual patient data and followed patients long-term after the trials had finished, and in this way we were able to show a significant and impressive effect on cancer mortality."
Rothwell estimates that it takes at least five years to show an effect on cancer deaths, "but after this point you see quite an impressive effect." He noted that the new study also included both alternate and daily aspirin trials, but "all previous work has suggested that aspirin needs to be given every day to prevent cancer."
He added: "Their results are completely compatible with our results. They did show a trend toward a reduction in cancer mortality, which we believe would have become significant if they had longer-term data or if they looked at individual patient data."
The UK newspapers were today full of reports saying there is no benefit of aspirin in cancer prevention, exactly the reverse of the headlines after Rothwell's study came out last year. Rothwell says he is concerned about this. "The message today that aspirin does not prevent cancer is premature. The current study should not change advice on taking aspirin as a healthy person. It does not offer any additional information that we don't already know. We need to think about both risk of heart disease and cancer, and in general heart disease risk is coming down while cancer risk is increasing. There does appear to be a cancer benefit with long-term use, so if there is a family history of cancer I would think about taking aspirin. We have more studies with individual patient data coming out soon that will shed more light on the issue."
More Data Coming Soon
Rothwell says official guidance on primary prevention varies from country to country. "At the moment, the guidelines on primary prevention are just focused on heart disease. They have not looked at the cancer data. There are some new guidelines due to come out over the next year, and these should start to discuss the cancer findings. "
Ray, however, is not so convinced by the cancer data. "Our meta-analysis is much larger than Rothwell's. They had 25 000 individuals whereas we have more than 100 000 patients. As usual, in this situation, when you see the bigger picture, you see 'regression to the truth.' "
Ray commented to heartwire that assuming the trend toward fewer cancer deaths in the current analysis was real, the use of aspirin would produce three and half extra nontrivial bleeds for one cancer death prevented. But he suggested that the cancer data may be biased. "Cancer often shows up as bleeding, and if you are taking aspirin, you are more likely to bleed so are more likely to be investigated, which could affect survival." He also points out that Rothwell's study mixed primary- and secondary-prevention populations, while his study looked at only healthy individuals.
He added: "The cancer data are far from certain. The major reason to give aspirin is to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and in healthy people this benefit is outweighed by the risk of bleeding. Aspirin is not the same as statins, which are known to reduce mortality in primary prevention. Aspirin doesn't affect atherosclerosis; it modifies plaque rupture, which is the final step. That is why it works better in patients with established heart disease. Primary-prevention efforts are much better directed at the basics of diet, exercise, and smoking and reducing cholesterol and blood pressure."

Optimistic Guidelines to Sustain Good Health:

Good health is the foremost vital process for the human being to sustain the healthy life. To gain the healthiness and fine physical condition every one should want to follow the some valuable process throughout their life span. This effective practice will surely keep away from the attack of harmful diseases. Let us go through a number of tips below for “how to uphold the health.”

DIET :

Now-a-days peoples are eating more than what they need. At the same time they are eating whatever they desire. Utterly it is very habit and it will lead to harmful diseases. Without sense most of them consume unhealthy foods in bulky mount. So one must know the procedure that what to eat and how much want to eat? By knowing the process and following that regularly one can uphold good health.

Hence every one must make the tendency to consume healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, and nuts, which aid to lessen the result of surplus carbohydrates.

WATER:

One of the majority vital instructions for excellent health is drinking pure water. It will give support to you to create stability in your physical activities. You believe half-full, if you drink a glass of water previous to taking the food. This apply will hamper the overkill food intake. Drinking lot of water resolve to avert dehydration.

RETAIN CLEANLINESS:

Wash down hands prior to and after taking meals and Fresh them through a hand sanitizer or soap.

WALKING:

There are several health reimbursements for walking. Walking for not less than 30 minutes in a day may spirit your work out for the whole body.

SLEEP WELL:

Man working continuously in the day time. For that they want to take rest during the night time. To sustain the good health you need to sleep not less than six to seven hours per day.