Daily sugar requirements

Daily sugar requirements according to WHO is around 12 teaspoons of sugar

Your softdrink can contain around 8.5 teaspoons which is daily limit for 4-5 years old kids

Harmful effects of excess sugar in diet include

1. Obesity
2. Type 2 Diabetes
3. Heart disease
4. Cancer
5. Gum Disease
6. Tooth decay

Why is so much sugar placed in drinks?

• Caffeine is bitter. Most people address this by adding sugar to caffeinated beverages.
• Straight coffee (no milk, no sugar) is zero-calorie and sugar-free, but bitter so it is sweetened to improve flavor.
• Energy Drinks contain lots of sugar, particularly those that are juice/soda combinations. Rockstar Juiced and Punched are very high in sugar.

For more information click here: Sugar content in my drink

Beat Diabetes -Activity level for healthy living

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Bells-Palsy Exercises

Bell’s palsy is a condition in which the muscles on one side of your face become weak or paralyzed. It affects only one side of the face at a time, causing it to droop or become stiff on that side.

It’s caused by some kind of trauma to the seventh cranial nerve. This is also called the “facial nerve.” Bell’s palsy can happen to anyone. But it seems to occur more often in people who have diabetes or are recovering from viral infections.

Things to do in the first 6 weeks:

Massage the face with strokes towards the ear.

• Support the cheek with the hand whilst talking – this will make the B and P sounds clearer. While on the phone for example, you may want to press your hand against your cheek, thereby mimicking the tension that would normally be in your muscles.
• Take care to keep the affected side of the mouth clean. Lodged food, lack of saliva and taste to that side of the mouth can cause problems. You may want to use a mouthwash. Try to chew on both sides of the mouth taking care not to bite your tongue or cheek.
• Try not to increase movement on the good side of the face.
• If necessary use a straw to drink. Try to put it to the centre of the mouth, completing the lip seal with finger pressure.
• Take plenty of rest when you feel tired. The sooner your body fights off the virus the quicker things can start to recover.
• Take good care of the eye, it cannot blink, close or water properly, and it is vulnerable to damage. Use eye drops, tape the eye closed at night or whenever it feels sore, and protect it from draughts by wearing glasses. You may need to wear dark glasses when in bright light or sunlight for eye protection. Get professional help if ever the eye feels sore.

Exercises following Bell’s Palsy

Massage

Do not begin any exercises for the face until there are visible signs that the nerve is sending signals to the muscles.

However, it is safe to start some gentle massage:

Using your fingers, massage and gently stretch the skin from the corner of your mouth towards the ear and then down to the jaw bone in a circular pattern

Do the same circular pattern on your chin and forehead.

With your finger (make-up brush / ice cube) brush forehead in an upward direction towards the hairline, 2 – 3 times. Do the same with the cheek area, or try gentle tapping on the skin with your fingertips.

Exercises

Preferably do the exercises in front of a mirror and concentrate on which muscles are trying to work.

If the ‘good’ side overworks or movements become too exaggerated, then stop and make the movements smaller.

Exercise in short sessions but repeat the routine 2 – 3 times a day.

Quality important than quantity.

• Wrinkle forehead into a frown
• Close eyes slowly
• Gently wink with one eye. Repeat with other
• Wrinkle up nose as if you have smelt something horrible
• Open mouth wide as if to say “ahh”
• Pucker lips and push forwards as if to say “ooo”
• Smile without showing teeth; then smile showing teeth
• Puff cheeks out with air – hold lips shut so that no air escapes. Hold for 3 – 5 seconds
• Compress lips together
• Practice reading / speaking out loud, carefully sounding out the words
• Don’t chew gum as this exercises the wrong muscles.

Recreational exercise and pregnancy

KEY POINTS

Recreational exercise refers here to any kind of energetic (aerobic) exercise (such as swimming or running) and/or strength conditioning exercise.

• During pregnancy, aerobic and strength conditioning exercise is considered to be safe and beneficial.
• The aim of recreational exercise during pregnancy is to stay fit, rather than to reach peak fitness.
• You should take extra care when doing exercises where there is a possibility of losing your balance, such as horse riding or downhill skiing

You should avoid contact sports where there is a risk of being hit in the abdomen, such as kickboxing, judo or squash.

• If you experience any unusual symptoms, you should not continue to exercise. You should contact your healthcare professional immediately.
• If you have a medical condition, you should discuss this with your healthcare professional before doing recreational exercise.
• Pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy and immediately after birth may reduce the risk of urinary and faecal incontinence in the future.
• For most women, it is safe to exercise as soon after the birth as they feel ready.
• Recreational exercise does not affect the amount of milk you produce or its quality.

What is recreational exercise?

Exercise forms a part of our daily lives, whether we realise it or not. Actions such as climbing stairs, walking to the shops or running for a train all involve some form of exercise. Recreational exercise refers here to any planned regular exercise that a woman takes during her pregnancy, which involves energetic (aerobic) exercise (such as swimming or running) and/or strength conditioning exercise. The aim of recreational exercise during pregnancy is for a woman to stay fit rather than to reach peak fitness.

What are the benefits of recreational exercise during pregnancy?

 Benefits for you

Many women find that recreational exercise helps them to adjust to the physical changes that occur during pregnancy. It may help relieve tiredness, lower back pain and reduce varicose veins and swelling of the feet and ankles. Recreational exercise improves muscle tone, strength and endurance. It makes it easier to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy and helps prepare you for the physical challenge of labour. Recreational exercise promotes a sense of wellbeing. Staying fit during pregnancy may help to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. Recreational exercise also improves sleep.

Recreational exercise during pregnancy may help to prevent medical conditions such as:

• Gestational diabetes mellitus (diabetes that develops during pregnancy)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).

Recreational exercise also reduces the risk of developing colon cancer and may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer later in life. If you have gestational diabetes mellitus  (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), exercise can help to improve your blood sugar levels. Women who do not do recreational exercise during pregnancy may become unfit.

Benefits for your baby

Women who do strength conditioning exercise during pregnancy tend to have a shorter labour time and fewer delivery complications.

Are there any risks?

Although recreational exercise can be beneficial during pregnancy, there may also be certain risks. These are related to the physical changes that occur as your body adapts to pregnancy. The risks are more likely to occur when you do inappropriate kinds of exercise  and when you overexert yourself. By making appropriate adjustments to your exercise routine, you can reduce the likelihood of harm to you and the baby.

The risks include:

Getting too hot (hyperthermia)

When you exercise during pregnancy, your overall body temperature increases more than it would do normally. If your body temperature rises above 39.2°C in the first 12 weeks, this may affect the baby’s development leading to disability at birth.

To reduce the risk of getting too hot, you should:

• ensure that you drink lots of water before and during exercise
• avoid over-exerting yourself, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy
• avoid exercising in a very hot and humid climate until you have acclimatised – this will take a few days.

Low blood pressure (hypotension)

When you lie flat on your back, the growing baby presses on the main blood vessels. The effect is that less blood is pumped around your body and this may lead to low blood pressure (hypotension). This is more likely after 16 weeks of pregnancy.

To reduce the risk of low blood pressure, you should:

• avoid exercises which involve lying flat on your back, particularly after 16 weeks.

Physical injury

During pregnancy you may notice that your joints become loser. You may also notice that you can flex and extend particular parts of your body more than usual, such as your elbows, wrists, fingers, and knees. This is often referred to as hypermobility. It occurs because hormonal changes affect the ligaments that normally support your joints, which in turn make the joints loose in preparation for birth. When your joints and ligaments are less stable, you are at increased risk of injuring yourself.

To reduce the risk of physical injury, you should:

• make sure that you do warm-up and cool-down exercises
• avoid sudden changes of direction, if you are doing aerobic exercise
• consider wearing pelvic support belts during exercise.

Insufficient oxygen in the baby (hypoxia)

At high altitudes, the flow of blood to the womb is decreased and so the baby receives less oxygen. If a woman exercises at high altitudes, the amount of blood flowing to the womb is decreased even further. This leads to insufficient oxygen for the baby.

Blood sugar level

Blood glucose is a source of energy for both you and the baby.

It is important that you:

• eat well during pregnancy
• Exercise for no more than 45 minutes at a time.

If you have pre-existing or gestational diabetes mellitus, then you should take particular care when exercising. You should have your blood glucose monitored, eat at regular times, take rest at specific times, and ensure that your baby is carefully monitored. Your healthcare professional should provide you with further information.

Why aerobic and strength conditioning exercise?

The best forms of recreational exercise during pregnancy are:

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular (heart and lungs) exercise. When you do aerobic exercise your heart rate raises. This causes blood to circulate more quickly around the body and as a result more oxygen reaches the muscles. Swimming, running, fast walking, aqua aerobics and dancing are examples of aerobic exercises.

Strength conditioning exercise. This form of exercise helps to increase your overall fitness and involves slow, controlled movements such as weight bearing exercises.

If you do not exercise routinely and you are starting an aerobic exercise programme, you should be advised to begin with no more than 15 minutes continuous exercise three times per week, increasing gradually to a maximum of 30 minute sessions four times a week to daily.

What kind of recreational exercise should I avoid?

You should avoid exercises which involve lying flat on your back, particularly after 16 weeks.

You should avoid contact sports where there is a risk of being hit in the abdomen, such as kickboxing, judo or squash.

How can I be sure not to over-exert myself?

To ensure that you do not over-exert yourself, you should always have a warm-up and a cool-down period.

The ‘talk test’

During recreational exercise, you should be able to hold a conversation. If you become breathless as you talk, then you are probably exercising too strenuously.

When should I stop exercising?

If you have any unusual symptoms, you should not continue to exercise.

Unusual symptoms may include any of the following:

• dizziness or feeling faint
• headache
• shortness of breath before exertion
• difficulty getting your breath whilst exercising
• pain or palpitations in your chest
• pain in your abdomen, back or pubic area
• pain in your pelvic girdle
• weakness in your muscles
• pain or swelling in your leg/legs
• painful uterine contractions or preterm labour
• fewer movements from baby
• leakage of your ‘waters’ (amniotic fluid)
• bleeding.

Can I exercise if I have a medical condition?

If you have a medical condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, or develop this during pregnancy, then you should talk with your healthcare professionals (such as cardiologist and obstetrician) before doing any recreational exercise.

Can I exercise immediately after birth?

If you have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery, then you should be able to do mild recreational exercise such as walking and stretching immediately after birth.

You should be advised to do pelvic floor exercises after the birth, as this reduces the risk of urinary and faecal incontinence.

Women, who do recreational exercise during pregnancy, tend to continue to exercise after birth.

The benefits of exercising at this time are that you:

• feel better
• feel less anxious and depressed
• have more energy
• lose weight
• feel fitter (improved cardiovascular fitness).

Sources and acknowledgements: This information is based on the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Statement Exercise in Pregnancy

For more information contact:Dr.Sandeep Singh Sarpal Clinic

Diet For Gout Patients

What is gout?

Gout is a type of arthritis. It is caused by having too much of the chemical, uric acid, in your bloodstream.

Uric acid is the waste product created when the body breaks down purines (a type of
protein found in many foods and all of your cells).

Increased levels of uric acid in your blood may occur if, for example, your kidneys cannot efficiently remove it, you have a rare genetic abnormality, or because your diet and lifestyle increase the amount of uric acid that you produce.

If levels of uric acid are high for prolonged periods, needle-like crystals can start to form in your tissues, resulting in swollen, painful joints.
Your diet plays an important role in both causing gout and reducing the likelihood of suffering further painful attacks of gout.

If you already suffer from gout, eating a diet that is rich in purines can
result in a five-fold increase in gout attacks.

Are other illnesses associated with the development of gout?

Elevated uric acid is seen in many other conditions, and people who have gout may also have raised cholesterol, raised triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood), high blood pressure and poor glucose tolerance.

This may make it more likely that you have (or will develop) type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and kidney disease.

In addition, approximately half of all gout sufferers are overweight.

Central obesity (carrying weight around your middle) also increases certain inflammatory substances in your blood. This can further exacerbate gout attacks, as well as putting you at risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

 Can losing weight help my gout?

Losing weight alone can reduce blood uric acid levels, and the number of acute attacks suffered.

Weight-loss will also help to reduce the stress on weight–bearing joints e.g. hips, knees, ankles and feet.

However, it is important to avoid any type of crash dieting, as going without food for

long periods and rapid loss of weight can increase uric acid levels and trigger painful gout attacks.

A combination of balanced healthy eating and regular physical activity is the best way to lose weight safely and maintain a healthy weight

Which foods should be avoided?

As uric acid is made in the body from the breakdown of purines that

come from your diet, it is advisable to reduce the amounts of foods

that you eat that are high purines.

High purine foods include: (avoid)

•Offal – liver and kidneys, heart and sweetbreads

•Oily fish -anchovies, herring, mackerel, sardines, sprats, whitebait

Seafood – especially mussels, crab, shrimps and other shellfish, fish roe, caviar

Moderate purine foods (eat in moderation)

•Meat- beef, lamb chicken, pork

•Poultry- chicken and duck

•Dried peas, beans and legumes- baked beans, kidney beans, soya beans and peas etc.

•Mushrooms

•Some vegetables- asparagus, cauliflower, spinach

•Wholegrains- bran, oatbran,wholemeal bread

Low purine foods

•Dairy- milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter

•Eggs

•Bread and cereals- (except wholegrain)

•Pasta and noodles

•Fruit and vegetables

 

How much protein do you need?

Generally you need about 1g of protein per kg of body weight (70kg man only requires 70g of protein daily), unless you on a protein restricted diet e.g., some people with kidney disease may need to restrict their intake.

Are there any foods that are good for gout?

Studies have shown that men whose diet is higher in vitamin C are less likely to develop gout.

Also, taking additional vitamin C as a dietary supplement (500 to 1500mg/day) can reduce blood uric acid levels.This is achieved by helping to remove uric acid from the

body via the kidneys.

If you’re considering supplementing your diet, always discuss this with your doctor as vitamin C can (rarely) interact with prescribed medications.

High doses of vitamin C can also cause loose stools in some people.

Eating healthily is key

Eating a balanced diet is important for everyone. A healthy diethelps to control weight and provides all the necessary nutrients needed for maintaining good health.

A variety of foods from the four main food groups should be eaten every day, this means:

•Plenty of fruit and vegetables

– it’s very important to achieve at least 5-a-day, as fruit and vegetables provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and phyto nutrients essential for good health

• Plenty of bread, other cereals and potatoes

– try to eat some whole grains, and use the skin on potatoes to ensure you get the vitamins, mineral and fibre you need

•Moderate amounts of meat, fish and alternatives

– avoid eating large portions – beware restaurants often serve 8oz of meat

for a main

•Moderate amounts of dairy products

– the recommended amount is three portions of dairy products daily e.g. 200 ml glass of milk, a pot of yoghurt and a 30 mg (matchbox-sized) piece of hard cheese

•Reduce or eliminate highly processed foods and drinks

Should I drink lots of water?

Yes, drinking fluids reduces the likelihood of crystals forming in the kidneys. As a general rule, drinking 8 large glasses of fluids a day (1.5 litres) is recommended. All drinks, except alcohol, count towards your fluid intake, including caffeine-containing drinks such as tea and coffee. Caffeine can act as a mild diuretic, which means it causes you

to pass urine more often.

Can I drink alcohol?

Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of developing gout and can bring on a sudden attack if you are already a gout sufferer. Alcohol can raise the level of uric acid in the blood in a number of ways and so trigger a gout attack. Many beers contain large quantities of purines from the fermenting process and alcohol stimulates the production of uric acid by the liver. More importantly, however, alcohol is converted in the body to lactic acid which interferes with the removal of uric acid from the body by the kidneys.

While it is certainly possible for people with gout to remain well without becoming teetotal, reduction in alcohol consumption is very important particularly if you are drinking more than the recommended healthy limit of 21 units per week for men or 14

units per week for women.(Recommended by UK society for Gout)

1 unit of alcohol is provided by:

•½ pint of standard strength (3-4% alcohol by volume) beer, lager or

cider

•125ml glass of wine (11%, 100ml glass of stronger wine)

•Single measure of spirits (25ml)

•Single measure of sherry or fortified wine (50ml)

For more information contact:

Dr.Sarpal Clinic

Kitna Deti Hai in Real Life !!!

If you happen to watch Maruti car advertisements in the last decade they would usually have the “Kitna Deti hai” (How much average does this give)  advertisement campaign.

     Kitna Deti Hai

Like most Indians I too am concerned about the average my car gives before buying. But this Saturday visit to Fiat Wheels Showroom at Mohali for servicing of my car was an eye opener to how much people take this “car average” issue seriously. Talking to sales team about customer choices these days, the guys shared am amazing incident on this theme.

A customer had ordered a new car for around 7 lacs(10000$) and at the time of delivery the dealer filled the car with around 5 liters of diesel. As the car company claims the average around 20 km per liter the customer who hailed from Ambala(Around 90 km from Chandigarh)calculated he could reach Ambala with the said amount of Diesel. The dealer specifically asked him to get the car filled with diesel and then proceed to his hometown. After around one hour of delivery, the salesman received the call from the customer that car had stopped midway and diesel was empty and he did not have anyone for help. So he asked him for help and the dealer responded and the salesman reached the spot after about an hour with diesel.

The incident is a glowing example of how good we are at mathematics and how little misery on the customer’s part can spoil his fun. Just imagine having spent 7 lacs (10,000$) on the car and then avoided 2500 Rupees (30$) for a full tank.

The scenario can be projected to the life of many people where we spend stupendous amount on buying the thing but when it comes to maintenance/annual service we aren’t very keen unless the item is giving us a problem.

A pleasant surprise !!!!

Time Flies Fast is an age old saying.
You start realizing more of these age old quotes wisdom as you enter thirties and henceforth the rest of your life. !!!
And meeting your old school pals brings forth those cherished memories that are close to your heart. New Year brought in a pleasant surprise when I received a call from Hitesh.It has been more than 12 years since we last met. He was posted in Japan with Samsung. He is still as slim as he was a decade back .His style which I appreciated the most about him since my school days is intact. I must thank him for the gesture of taking time for planning this visit to my place .

And yes I truly agree with Hitesh that after meeting , we are now just not dormant Facebook contacts.

Varun also visited probably after a gap of three years. His IAS exam has taken a toll over his stylish hair. But I bet people could sport Anupam Kher hairstyle for rest of their lives if someone would assure them of clearing the exam. Luckily Varun has managed to clear IAS without that.
It was very heartening to meet after so long. The time just flew as we were recalling those years .It just seem yesterday while were discussing and yet it seemed so much had happened in our lives during those years.Zorawar was also exited meeting them and he would pop in a few thoughts here and there to let us know .
Time flies over us, but leaves it shadow behind