Health GlareEvery human being is the author of his own health or disease

Have you been wondering what an article on “Top 10 Health Tips” doing on a website dedicated to Beauty?

Are you one of those individuals who think “Top 10 Health Tips” and “Top 10 beauty Tips” are two separate concepts and need to be dealt individually? Have you been splurging an aweful lot of money trying to look “good” by getting Spa treatments, visiting Beauty Salons, Buying Designer Labels, Eating Health Foods, and yet every time you look into the mirror, you feel there’s something “lacking?”

If you think that way, you’re not the only one. Whereas most of us spend a whole lot of time, money and effort to make our skin, hair, face, hands and feet look beautiful, we often miss out on the critical role our health and wellness plays in making us look physically and mentally beautiful.

Follow these Top 10 Health Tips in your daily life to stay beautiful on the inside and outside:

1.Follow A Healthy, Balanced Diet: A balanced diet is the first step towards a beautiful, healthy body. Follow a healthy balanced diet that complements your lifestyle. An ideal diet should be high on fiber, low on fat, and must be supplemented with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides knowing what to eat, it is equally important to know the right proportions, meaning how much or how little to eat. Talk to a fitness expert and find out what’s your daily calorie intake. Make food choices that have high nutritional value but are low in calories.

2.Eat Different Types Of Foods: According to Ayurveda, the Ancient Indian science of healing, rotating your food habits not only strengthens your immune system, it can also protect you from most illnesses. Try to eat vegetables and fruits of different colors each day. Try eating a different food at least thrice a month. Begin your day with an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

3.Don’t Skip Your Breakfast: Are you surprised to see how some people manage to stay so fit, energetic and active the whole time and are able to stabilize their weight while you continue to put on weight and feel exhausted most of the time? Well, chances are, they eat a good breakfast and you don’t! According to nutritionists and health experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and skipping your breakfast can lead to serious health problems besides adding those extra pounds as a result of binging on unhealthy snacks later in the day. Besides re-charging your energy levels, eating regular breakfast has several long-term benefits like:

• It results in faster weight loss
• Your body get more nutrients everyday
• Breakfast rich in fiber foods and wholegrain helps keep the heart healthy especially if you suffer from metabolic disorders like fluctuating blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol. It also helps stabilize blood sugar levels
• A good breakfast early in the morning sets your mood right and enables you to handle stress better
• You stay overall healthy! So begin your day with fresh fruits, fruit juices, hard-boiled eggs, wholegrain cereals and breads and stay healthy all day!

4. Drink Lots Of Water: Drinking a minimum of 7 to 8 glasses of water everyday cleanses all the impurities and toxins from your body and helps to get healthy, flawless skin.

In addition, the fluid in your body is responsible for the functioning of your internal organs including the metabolic processes.  So if you’re dehydrated, this whole process gets affected and your body tends to slow down leaving you feeling low and lethargic.

5. Exercise Regularly: Who does not dream of getting those six-pack abs? Besides making you look sexy and popular, regular exercising is also the best natural “anti-aging” recipe because it helps you stay and feel young by raising your energy levels, stabilizing your body weight, and enhancing flexibility, which reduces the wear and tear in your body.

You don’t need to exercise for hours everyday, just take 15-20 minutes off your busy schedule everyday to sweat out that pot-belly or burn those extra-pounds that have been making it difficult for you to get into your favorite outfit! If you can’t, make one of these a part of your routine: take the stairs instead of elevators and escalators to climb; Make it a habit to walk about 15 minutes everyday. If holistic healing is your thing, enroll yourself for yoga classes. If not, go swimming, take aerobics lessons or start shaking a leg or two at the local dance academy-whatever keeps you going, juts do it! If you’re into sports, you can make it part of your fitness routine.

Remember, your external fitness is only a reflection of your inner fitness and a beautiful, healthy body reflects a fit, healthy mind.

6. Quit Smoking: Okay, so you’ve heard this countless times from your doctor, but here it comes again as one of our most important health tip-Quit Smoking! If you’re one of those people who smoke to lose or gain weight, we’d stay think again! While smoking may have been related to an increase in metabolism, it is certainly not a good enough reason to substitute it with the huge risk of dying from lung cancer!

If that doesn’t make you change your mind, this will. Recent studies have proved that smoking is also one of the leading factors that stimulate the process of aging in both men and women. So say no to cigarettes and stay young and healthy for the rest of your life!

7. Say No To Stress: We know what you’re thinking-easier said than done! Agreed, but leading a stressful life can only make matters worse. On the other hand, leading a relaxed, stress-free life will not only reduce the risks of health related disorders, it will also calm you down and let you enjoy your life better.

While planning your day, strike a balance between home and work. If you have trouble remembering things-make a list of all the “things-to-do” before going to bed each night or simply set a “reminder” in your cell phone so you don’t have to run around at the last minute. Staying positive and thinking happy thoughts is one of the most effective stress buster technique you can easily follow in your daily life.

Spend atleast 15 minutes doing something you love and enjoy each day. It could be a simple activity, like cuddling up in bed by yourself and watching a funny movie, enjoying a glass of your favorite wine, socializing with friends, reading, sweating it out at the gym, pampering yourself with a stress-releasing body massage, soaking in a hot tub, taking a stroll on the beach, playing with your dog, listening to your favorite music or simply lazing around and doing nothing!

8. Take Care Of Your Teeth: Remember the phrase “million dollar smile?” Well, your teeth have a lot to do with your smile and they can make or break your looks depending on how much or how little you’ve cared for them over the years! Dental health is an important aspect of your overall heath. One of the best ways to have healthy teeth, prevent gum-related infections and protect your heart is by flossing your teeth every day. Few of us know that gum infections if left untreated can cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can lead to stroke and heart ailments.

9. Sleep Well: A good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a must for our body to reboot itself and feel energetic next day. Lack of sleep affects our hormone levels and slows down metabolism often resulting in weight gain. Studies have shown that deep, uninterrupted sleep helps cell growth and cell repair, which can increase the metabolism and help in burning calories. If you suffer from sleeplessness, try some of these simple remedies:

• Avoid alcohol before going to bed
• Stay away from stimulants like coffee, tea and chocolates before going to sleep
• Regularize your sleeping habit
• Keep your bedroom clean and uncluttered; Use decors and furnishing with peaceful and soothing colors
• Avoid taking longer daytime naps
• Follow relaxation techniques (for ex-meditation) to reduce stress

Keep Your Brain Active: Keeping your mind in “good shape” is just as vital as taking care of your physical health, so be sure to indulge your brain on a daily basis. An idle mind is not only the devil’s workshop, often the feeling of “aimlessness” or “nothingness” can cause boredom and can lead to depression and anxiety-related disorders.

One way to keep your brain engaged and busy is to constantly challenge yourself with new ideas and by learning new skills. Studies have shown than an active brain makes new connections between nerve cells that help cells communicate with one another. This allows our brain to store and access information easily, regardless of our age. Try some of these activities to keep your mind active and free from boredom:

• Learn to play a new musical instrument
• Learn a new language
• Indulge in crossword puzzles
• Play scrabble with a friend
• Participate in discussions and forums
• Maintain a blog and update it daily
• Switch careers or make a new beginning
• Read books on unfamiliar topics
• Pursue a new hobby
• Stay aware about what’s going on in the world

Follow these “Top 10 Health Tips” to stay physically and mentally beautiful for the rest of your life. Remember-”Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!”

Learning to talk is exciting and fun for your child and your family. The process of talking involves listening, understanding, thinking, wanting and needing to speak, and being able to co-ordinate all the right muscles. Talking to your baby when you are playing together also aids her language development and makes the interaction much more enjoyable.

At about six months of age most babies begins to saysingle syllable sounds such as maa, baa, da etc. This is the time he becomes interested in how people talk or make sounds. By the end of the eighth month, he may begin to use different syllables all in the same breath. Now he will be able to repeat her own sounds after you. He also will start using his voice to get what he wants. With his tone and expressions, he will let us know what he wants and whether he is angry or having fun. At about 9 months, many babies will start making more difficult sounds like ‘f’ or ’s’ other than ma or ba.

Although your baby is still developing language skills, she’ll be able to understand you well before she can say the words. Encourage her to talk by asking questions and conversing as though you expect a reply. Very often your baby’s responses may be just a smile, changing of facial expression, or waving of her arms. Even if she doesn’t make a sound, this type of conversation helps her begin to learn to talk.

Now your baby looks at things as well as people and babbles, she will stop in between and look at you as if expecting a reply, thus imitating conversation between people. She’ll love it if you answer her back and it will encourage her to continue her ‘conversation’ with you. Between 9 and 12 months of age, your baby will begin to imitate new sounds and words which we say other than the sounds he has made first. She’ll pick up words like ‘oh’, ‘bye’ and so on, by listening to us and try to imitate them. She’ll talk most when she has people or children around her, playing with her.

After her first birthday, she slowly begins to say more words maybe about one a month. By the age of two she may be able to say two words together and will know about 200 words in all. When babies grow up in a language- rich environment, they naturally learn to speak.

There are a few tips you can do right now to help baby develop language skills-as well as social skills. They are;

*Have fun with your baby, make funny faces, blabber like him, clown around. Babies like it.

*Have fun with nursery rhymes and songs. Sing each rhyme, preferably with action a few times while he watches and listens. Then repeat a line and pause, so he can try to imitate your sound.

*Introduce you baby to books with large, colourful pictures. Talk about the pictures. Photograph albums, art books, etc are also good sources for pictures.

*Encourage your child to listen to different sounds, such as cars, birds and animals in the garden, the telephone.

*Increase vocabulary by giving choices, by asking him whether he wants this or that.

*Listen carefully and give your child time to finish talking. Take turns to speak.

*Always respond in some way when your child says something.

*If your child says something incorrectly, say it back the right way.

*Talk to him slowly and clearly and give him lots of time to take in what you say.

*Help him to wave ‘bye bye’ as people leave.

Holding Your New Baby

From an early age, your baby needs closeness and comfort as well as food, warmth, and sleep. To begin with you will probably feel quite nervous about handling and cuddling him: your hands seem so clumsy, his limbs so floppy, his head and neck so fragile.

Picking your baby up

When your baby is lying on her back, slide one hand underneath your baby’s neck and head and support her back and bottom with your other arm. Life her gently and slowly, so that her body is supported and her head can’t loll back. Carefully transfer her head to the crook of your elbow or your shoulder, so it is well supported. Be careful that his head doesn’t loll back. `

Putting Your Baby down

Put one hand underneath her head and neck, then hold her under the bottom with the other. Lower her slowly, gently supporting her until the pad or mattress is taking her weight.

Slide your nearest hand out from under her bottom. Use this hand to lift her head a little so you can slide out your other hand, and lower her head down gently. Don’t let her head fall back on to the surface, or jerk your arm out quickly.

Holding your new born baby against your shoulder

Help upright like that this, your baby feels secure. Take her weight with one hand under her bottom, and support her head with the other hand.

All babies are different in many ways, especially in how much sleep they require. Your new baby sleeps most of the time, usually 17 hours out of 24 during the first month.  They have different stages of sleep. By the time your baby is three months old, he may well be sleeping about 10 hours a night, with another five hours during the day, often in two distinct naps, morning and afternoon.  

If you wrap him up snugly in a blanket, it makes him feel safe and secure and stops his limbs from jerking and twitching as he drops off to sleep. Lay him down on his side, smoothing his rear flat under him and for the first three months put a rolled -up blanket along his back so he can’t roll over. During this time he is safest sleeping like this- If he sleeps on his back and brings up any milk or formula  he might choke, and if he sleeps on his stomach he may accidentally get his mouth and nose buried in the mattress.

Some babies always cry before going to sleep, while others slip off to sleep easily, especially if they are allowed to do so in their mother’s arms.  Listen to your baby, when he is crying, you’ll be able to tell the difference between some whimpering during a nap and intense sobbing which needs attention. For some babies, sleeping may be difficult without some background noise. Try the hum of a fan or the soft strains of soothing music.  Rituals such as rocking your baby back and forth in your arms or rubbing her back or stomach rhythmically or patting her legs rhythmically, often work to soothe your baby into sleep, but remember babies often get used to such attention and want you to do this each time before they fall asleep.

Many women are happiest fitting in with their baby’s pattern, feeling that sleeping together – as mothers and babies do all over the world – is best.

Bathing is an enjoyable time between you and your baby. Your new born baby during the first six weeks does not necessarily need a full bath every day. A soft wash cloth or cotton wool and some warm water will do to clean him up especially till the baby’s umbilical cord drops off. It is important not to get the belly button area wet, where the umbilical cord is still attached.

Once you start on the water bath routine, it is very good for your babies health if you massage him with any baby oil before bathing. This is practiced traditionally in some countries. It is a wonderful way to lavish your baby with the attention she needs and loves. This massage aids food absorption, promotes sleep, builds immunity and develops muscle tone and coordination.

Bathing Tips

• Until your baby’s navel has healed, do sponge baths (cleaning only the parts of your baby that really need attention-her hands, face, neck and diaper area).

• Make sure that you have everything ready before the bath so you will not have to leave your baby. Never ever leave the baby alone in the bath even for a second.

• Always test the water with your elbow, the water should feel just warm. The temperature felt by the hand may feel right, but may scald the delicate skin of the baby.

• If you use a baby bathtub, it will make bath time easier for you.

You will need

• Towel (two preferably, one for the head and the other for the body)

• Cotton balls

• If you want to massage your baby take ordinary baby oil or almond oil which is soothing to the skin. Instead of baby oil, you could use cooled paste of turmeric powder mixed with milk, boiled together provided your baby does not have an allergy.

• Baby Soap (instead of soap you can use green gram flour or besan flour)

• Foam Pad or rubber mat ( to lay on the bottom of the sink so that she won’t slip)

How to bathe your Baby

• Always clean the baby’s face first. Dip a cotton wool or wash cloth in warm water and squeeze out excess water. Wipe her eyes from the inside corner to the outside. Use a clean part of the washcloth or a separate piece of cotton for the other eye. Don’t use soap on her face.

• Again with another piece of cotton wool or washcloth wipe her ears- over and behind each year with the washcloth.  Don’t try to wipe inside.

• Wash her body with a soapy cloth or in warm water in a tub. Lower him into the tub with his head supported on your arm and your hand holding her firmly around her shoulder and upper arm. Be sure to wash in between creases in her neck, arms and legs. Wash her bottom carefully from front to back. Hold her firmly with both hands while lifting her out of the water as she will be slippery.

• After her body is washed, wrap her in a dry towel on your lap and dry him thoroughly in between creases as well.

• Hold her head in one hand and supporting the back along your forearm like a football, pour water gently from the tub on the head and do not splash water on her face. Wash the hair and scalp using circular movements with a little soap or shampoo.

• Pat his head dry with a fresh towel.

Babies can become seriously ill quickly and any infection may be dangerous, so don’t take chances; as illness at this age requires immediate attention.

• Call your pediatrician if your baby has these symptoms.

• Has a temperature over 102.2o F (39oC) for more than half an hour.

• If your baby is too cold and too hot

• If your baby’s breathing is very noisy and rapid

• If your baby throws up green vomit or vomits and cries uncontrollably as if in pain.

• If your baby shows that an area is tender to the touch

• If your baby has a low volume over a 24-hour period

• If your baby has blood in his urine or in his faeces

• Refuses two successive feedings, or does not demand to be fed for six hours

• If your baby seems particularly irritable or restless or seems abnormally quiet or drowsy.

• If your baby has a taut, bulging fontanelle when he isn’t crying

BCG

Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a live vaccine developed in 1921 to protect babies and young children against the most severe forms of Tuberculosis (TB) such as TB meningitis and military TB. In countries where TB infection and TB diseases are common, the world health organisation strongly endorses the continued use of BCG in national immunisation programme to minimise the harmful effects of TB infection in the first year of life.

A nodule appears 3-4 weeks after BCG vaccination. It may soften or ulcerate in 2-4 weeks. No application or fomentation is necessary. It heals, leaving a scar, indicating effective vaccination.

DPT

DPT vaccination is given to immunize babies against the diseases diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus. The vaccine is administered as three dosages within 6 months and a booster at 18 months and at 4-6 years of age. There may be mild fever and pain, redness and swelling at the site of the injection. A small painless lump may remain for a few weeks. For fever and pain, paracetamol syrup/tablet may be given.

OPV

OPV is oral polio vaccine administered as drops for protection against polio.

HBV (Hepatitis B)

A hepatitis B injection for jaundice is given shortly after birth while the mother and child are still in hospital.

Breast-feeding may not be possible or preferable for all women. For those times when you will be away for a few hours or if you’re planning to return to work, you may be forced  to feed him your breast milk from a bottle. One of the Bottle feeding’s advantage is either parent or anyone else can feed the baby at any time and you can know exactly how much milk your baby has had.

There are many types and shapes of  bottles and nipples available. Silicone nipples last more while latex nipples last only about just more than a month. There are anti-colic nipples with a valve in the rim which allows air under the nipple into the bottle and bottles with throw away plastic liners which prevent the nipple from collapsing and the baby from gulping air as he sucks. Formulas are available in powdered form and concentrated liquid form which should be mixed with water as well as ready to feed formula. Many commercial formulas are modified cow’s milk, some babies do have allergic reactions like stomach pain, diarrhea, skin rashes. So ask your pediatrician if you suspect an allergy and he will tell you the recommended formulas.

Here we are giving few tips to make an enjoyable bottle feeding for your new born baby. Remember to wash you hand before preparing your baby’s bottles.

• If you want to choose ready-to-pour, ready -to-mix powder or liquid formula is up to you. Reading the instructions on the can well and it will tell you the correct amount of liquid or scoops to add to each measures of water. You must always follow this directions exactly.

• Always use clean boiled and cooled water to make your baby’s formula and warm it once only. Once warmed, feed it to the baby immediately, if not, throw it away. Never save it for the next feeding.

• It is recommend to sterilize all bottles and equipment for your baby especially for the first three or four months of life. First of all you wash the equipment bottle, ring, nipple cap or nipples and boil it fully submerged in water for five minutes. Store it in the refrigerator or a cupboard.

• If you’re using a powder formula, it’s easiest to prepare the entire day’s bottles in the morning and put them in the refrigerator so they’ll be ready when baby is hungry. Warm it slightly by dipping the bottle in hot water for sometime, before feeding the baby. Don’t store the prepared formula in the fridge for more than 24 hours.

• Throw away half finished formulas, never save it for the next feeding.

• When you travel, take cans of ready-to-use formula, or sterile water and single-serving powder formula packets.

How much milk will baby want

Your baby’s needs vary from day to day. During the first weeks of life, 6 feedings (bottles) of  125ml of formula may be enough. As he gains weight he may need more. As a rough guide, your baby needs about 150ml per kg of body weight every 24 hours. So if a 5.5kg baby is on six feeding a day, he make take about 140ml of formula at each feeding.

How to Bottle Feed
If you have decided to choose bottle feeding for your baby, one important thing you should  keep in mind is that your love, cuddling and attention are just important as to your baby as the formula itself.

• After preparing your infant’s formula, test the temperature by shaking a few drops onto the back of your hand. Many babies prefer their formula slightly warm.

• Check the flow of the milk. It should be 2 or 3 drops a second. Too small a hole will make sucking hard, too large will allow milk to gush out.

• Always lie the baby in a semi- upright position on the bed or in your arms like in breast feeding.

• During feeding hold the bottle firmly at an incline so the nipple fills completely with formula. So that she can pull against it as she sucks, and tilt it so that the nipple is full of formula, not air. If he dozes off during her feeding, he may have gas, which is making her feel full. Sit her up and burp him for a couple of minutes, then offer her some more formula.

• If your baby refuses to let go of the nipple after feeding , do not pull the nipple out from her mouth,  slide your little finger in between the gums and the nipple to release.

• Feeding time should be pleasant for both you and your baby. Always hold her close and cuddle against you, and talk softly during the feeding. Skin to skin contact will also help you feel closer to your baby.

• Never leave your baby alone with her bottle, she may choke. Feeding may take as long as a half hour if she is feeling playful.

Breast feeding is the natural way of feeding your baby. Nature designed human milk especially for human babies, and it has several advantages over any substitute ever developed. Feeding your baby  should be a pleasure. The baby should be at the breast immediately after birth. The vast majority of newborns can be put to breast within minutes of birth. There is no substitute for the colostrum (the thick yellowish fluid) that your breasts produce in the first few days and feeding your baby this will provide him with valuable antibodies to help him fight infection  and built up immunity in the early months.  Studies have also shown that skin to skin contact between mothers and babies keeps the baby as warm as an incubator. Breast milk contains just the right balance of nutrient, and it contains them in a form most easily used by the human baby’s immature body systems.

Breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry without any restriction of time. Feed your baby even during the night. You can breastfeed the baby even lying down although the best way is to sit upright and feed. It is a common doubt for breast feeding mothers whether their baby is getting enough milk. You can find out, by checking whether the baby is passing colourless urine at least 8 – 10 times a day.

How to Breast Feed

• Wash your hand and nipples with water and soap.

• Sit comfortably in an upright position with your back supported and hold your baby with her head up. Put a pillow on your lap to bring the baby to the right level of the breasts.

• Hole your breast with your index and medium fingers.

• Introduce your nipple and alveolar (the dark circle around your nipple) inside the baby’s mouth.

• Feed at one breast at a time till it is empty (because the initial milk (foremilk) is watery (contains sugar and proteins) and quenches the baby’s thirst while the milk that is secreted later (hind milk) is rich in fats and satisfies baby’s hunger.)

• After the first breast is empty, burp her and shift to the second breast.

• You can alternately start the feeds at either of the breast.

• Put your small finger inside the baby’s mouth in order to take out your breast easily.

• Feeding while lying down is more comfortable but don’t fall asleep or the child could inadvertently be suffocated if you roll over with the breast still in his mouth.

• After breast feeding  burp up any swallowed air, giving him soft strokes on the back.

A healthy birth and growth weight is  good for your baby. The average birth weight for a typical baby will be boys (3.2-3.6kg or 7-8lb), girls (3-3.5kg or 6 3/4lb -7 3/4lb) and the average height may be boys (48-52cm) and girls (48-51cm).

After losing some of her birth weight (up to 10%) during the first days after birth, your baby will start to grow steadily. By the middle of her first month, she will probably be gaining about 0.5 to 1 ounce per day. After the first month, weight gain may be 1.5 to 2 pounds and length may increase 1 to 1.5 inches per month. These are just averages; as long as your baby is staying on her own growth curve, you should have no concerns about her progress. Your pediatrician will measure her weight, length, and head circumference once a month and plot your baby’s own growth path on a chart, so any growth problems can be spotted early. All babies grow at different rate. There is no need to worry if your baby has periods of slow growth interspersed with spurts but if two consecutive measurements seem low, consult your pediatrician.

At 3 months, the ‘typical’ baby weighs 13 pounds and measures 24 inches. But don’t worry if your baby is smaller or larger. Babies, like adults, vary in size and shape. In fact, the ‘average’ weight for a 3-month-old can range from 9 to 16pounds and the average length from 22 to 25 inches.

Make sure that your child’s growth is normal by checking the growth chart given below showing the growth rate every month in the first year and bi-monthly figures in the second and third year. This is a chart showing the height, weight and head circumference- the green marking shows the range of head circumference in centimeters (cm) likely in a normal child with the dividing line showing the average growth. The orange-red marking shows the range of weight measurements in Kilogram (kg) and the dividing line shows the average increase in weight. The light blue-dark blue markings shows the range of height measurements likely in a normal child with the dividing line showing the average increase in height.

During the first six months of his growth, along with the gain in height, weight and head circumference, he slowly develops control over his body and senses in stages and responds to what is going on around them. At first he could barely raise his head, then he will be able to raise chest and head while lying on his stomach. Then he will push up or prop himself up on his arms and kick his legs out behind him maybe raise both legs off the floor and even balance on the stomach, probably by the end of four months. Sometime during the first six months the baby will learn to roll over from front to back at first and then from back to front. The baby will be able to hold light things put in his hand and soon reach out to swing at objects. She smiles, coos and gurgles and her eyes follows a moving object.

Please note that these are only general developmental guidelines for an average healthy child. A healthy child may reach a developmental milestone earlier or later than the average shown in these guidelines. Each child develops differently and just because a child may appear to be behind in one developmental area does not mean there is something wrong. If you feel your child is behind in several areas of development, contact your pediatrician for advice.