Sagar Brain & Spine
Institute

Sagar Brain & Spine
Institute

Sagar Brain & Spine
Institute

How to Take Care of Nutrition During Pregnancy?

A woman’s diet and regular exercise are essential for the growth of a healthy baby. Maintaining good health during pregnancy can reduce pregnancy complication, and you will be more likely to give birth to a healthy baby. Apart from the baby’s good health, it will be beneficial to you as well in many ways.

A nutritious diet during pregnancy is responsible for proper brain development, healthy weight during birth, reduces the risk of congenital disabilities. Apart from the baby’s growth, it also helps in combating mood swings, reduces the morning sickness, and improves the delivery process.

Ideally, a well-balanced diet for pregnant women must include protein, vitamin C, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, folic acid, iron-rich foods along with healthy fats. If you are not getting enough nutrients from your diet, then you must try take food supplements.

You must ensure to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly before consumption so that you and your baby can stay from bacterial infections. Also, you must avoid eating refrigerated and undercooked red meat and seafood during pregnancy and lactation. Make sure all your dairy products such as cheese, milk is pasteurized before having them.

You must seek pregnancy food guide from the doctors so that you learn to take care not only for yourself but also for your baby. Pregnancy and food cravings are common – you must discuss with your doctor regarding cravings and how to curb them. Usually, cravings are caused due to nutrition deficiency during pregnancy. Thus, it is important that you should take care of the right nutrition.

What happens if you do not take a balanced diet during pregnancy?

Here are a few consequences of not following a nutritious and a balanced diet during pregnancy:

• You will be at high risk of anemia and other unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue and nausea feeling.
• You may have to deliver a premature baby, or in the worst case, you can undergo miscarriage too!
• Increased risk of congenital disabilities
• Your baby will be likely to be underweight.
• You can suffer from multiple pregnancy complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature labor and delivery and ectopic placement.

Pregnancy - nutrition deficiency is very common among Indian women, and this is primarily due to the lack of awareness on nutrition during pregnancy.

How important are nutritional supplements during pregnancy?

Having a nutritious diet is vital, but sometimes food may not be able to provide all the nutrients that your body requires. Hence, supplements must be taken in the form of tablets or capsules. Prenatal vitamin supplements can foster the development of the fetus.

• One of the essential food supplements for pregnant women is folic acid. Folic acid is known to lower risk of neural tube defect such as spina bifida. You can discuss with your doctor before starting the dosage of this prenatal vitamin. Folate supplements can be taken before pregnancy and also during the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.
• Another essential mineral supplement which a pregnant woman must take is iron. Deficiency of iron can cause anemia, and it is a vital mineral for the development of the baby. You require 27mg of iron per day and vitamin C is necessary for the absorption of iron. Hence, ensure that you consume citric foods during pregnancy to assimilate iron.
• It would help if you take care of thyroid levels during pregnancy. Iodine is the mineral which regulates the thyroid hormone, and low amount of iodine can cause mental impairment and cretinism in the growing babies.

Pregnant and lactating women require a higher amount of iodine in the body and thus you must ensure to get 150micrograms per day throughout pregnancy and lactation period.

Healthy mom and baby is all you need

Pregnancy is a long term of nine months, where your daily nutrition plays a crucial role for both mom and baby, hence you should take of eating right during pregnancy. You must read books, articles, blogs on pregnancy guide and food supplements to gain more knowledge on the importance of nutrition diet. This will not only help you in deriving nutrients from food and food supplements but also ensure that when and how to eat and what not to eat.

Diet plays an important role during the entire journey of your pregnancy. Hence, you must feel free to discuss daily nutrition with doctors. They will guide you correctly about food supplements and other essential nutrients which is essential for both the mom and baby. Do not ignore your pregnancy nutrition!

How Yoga and Diet can Boost Your Mental Health?

There has been substantial technological advancement in the last two decades and with the over usage of mobile phones, the internet, and computers, people are becoming more stressed. This is resulting in getting afflicted with mental health like depression, anxiety, and other disorders, which is not only hampering the work performance but also personal life.

People today, have forgotten to take adequate care of their mind and body. People can rely on the package and junk foods which are nutritionally low and can result in gastrointestinal issues which can last for a lifetime. Although you may not realize it, lifestyle takes a toll on mental health adversely.

Women are more prone to mental health issues than men as they undergo many hormonal changes in the lifetime: Onset of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and lactation, and menopause. Many of them go through postpartum depression after childbirth. Today, even children are afflicted by stress and anxiety due to increased screen time.

How can you beat stress in this stressful life?

• During these stressful times, it is necessary to balance lives and improve its quality, and this is where timeless remedies like yoga and diet can work wonders for you. Along with this, a change in your dietary habits can go a long way in transforming your life.

How can yoga impact our mental health?

Recent studies point out that yoga for life reduces stress, makes the body healthy, improves concentration, thus giving a feeling of wellbeing and joy. There are various postures in yoga, which can be coupled with meditation to enhance the sleep pattern. Once you start having a sound sleep, your mental health starts improving on its own.

Yoga has been proved to keep away negative emotions like anxiety and fear.Yoga techniques have been shown to improve the physical & mental healthof people suffering from physical ailments or depression or other anxiety disorders.

Yoga can improve the general energy levels of the mind and body and enhances the ability to think clearly.

Yoga includes physical postures, several breathing exercises, and meditation. All these techniques have been shown to improve the mental health of people suffering from depression or other anxiety disorders.

• Yogarelaxes the mind and lessens its hyperactivity, which calms the mindbymaking you happy and peaceful.
• It can significantly boost immunitythereby improving the overall health
• Specific yogic postures, along with proper breath control, can regulate the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine.
• It also helps in reducing the stress-inducing chemicals in the body.
• Moreover, the blood circulation of the body improves to a great extent as you practice breathing exercises
• Yoga also helps to improve our awareness about the link between mind and body.

How can diet impact our mental health?

We all know that a diet rich in nutrients goes a long way in maintaining the well-being and the quotient of our mind. Most of the people ignore the importance of nutrition in food and rely on junk food, which impacts mental health as the body doesn’t get sufficient nutrients to work correctly. Eating fruits and vegetable daily can beat many mental diseases such as depression. Never neglect the importance ofprotein & vitamin intake should also be monitored.Certain nutrients present in specific fruits and vegetables help in reducing stress hormones and increase the feel-good factor of the mind.

Some common foods to include and exclude in your diet:

• Always include sufficient fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, grains and cereals in your diet.
• Foods that have been known to impact the mind positively are bananas, apples, citrus fruits, berries like blueberries, walnuts, peanuts and leafy vegetables like spinach, mint, etc.
• Try to reduce the intake of refined sugar, refined flour, and saturated fat as they are unhealthy to the body and mind.
• Healthy fats like olive oil must be included in the diet.
• Reduce the intake of red meat and include fishes like salmon in your diet. Fishes contain omega three fatty acids which are known to be beneficial for depression.
• Superfoods like chia seeds are also helpful for fighting against mental disorders, including anxiety and depression.
• It is always better to consume fruits, vegetables, and nuts which are grown naturally without chemicals.

With minimum changes in your lifestyle, you can see much improvement in your stress levels, anxiety, and any otherphysical and mental related problems. Yoga, coupled with the right diet, can bring positive changes in your mind, body & spirit.

• September 11, 2019
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Smartphone Addiction and its Influence on Kids’ Mental Development

Is your kid always glued to the smartphone? Do they check the phone for notification or are always chatting with friends and family or busy playing mobile games? Do they get cranky when you do not give them phones? If your answers are yes, then your kid is probably addicted to smartphones. Smartphone addiction is a common problem, and it is recognized amongst many children. It is affecting their eye sights, mental growth and to some extent, physical growth too!

Reasons why children are addicted to smartphones

Let us see the major impacts of mobile and its effect on kids:

Pleasure: It has been found that humans find happiness whenever they receive a message or notification. These are a sort of rewards give them comfort as dopamine is released in the brain. The happier they feel with such rewards, the more they want to use it

It has become a part of their bodies: You must have observed how anxious a child feels if he cannot find his phone! This is because the phone has become an extended self without which children feel lost. Mobile addiction is affecting kids mental health and building up anxiety in children too.

Need to socialize: With so much hype to social media, children want to socialize all the time. They enjoy posting pictures, likes, and comments and also connect to people through various social media platforms via chats and groups.

Games and other apps:Smartphones offer many quite addictive gaming apps. Children enjoy playing games for long hours as the graphics are attractive and keep them busy and glued to the screen.

Cons of using Smartphones

Mobile Addiction not only leads to anxiety, depression, but also disturbed sleep, damage eyes and the list goes on. However, here are the top 3 cons of using smartphones by the children:

Eyesight problems: With smaller screen size just near to the eyes, can damage the eyesight.

Disturbed sleep: Children may have insomnia or take a long time to fall asleep. Using smartphones just before sleeping can cause disturbing sleep as the blue light spectrum suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep producing hormone. The electromagnetic fields disturb sleep and also affect mental peace. This is what makes people get up from the sleep when they keep the phones nearby.

Mental health problems: Increase in usage of screen activities can lead to mental health problems. Children who are into virtual life communication suffer from anxiety and depression.

How fast smartphones are affecting children’s mental health?

With the increasing demand of smartphones among children, there is a fear that smartphones can hamper the kids’ mental health by a great extent. Harmful radiation from the phone and overexposure to the screen can affect brain development. It affects the learning ability of the children as the circuits in the brain are neglected due to exposure of screen time. Mobile radiation and its effectsalong with overexposure to the screen can affect brain development.It also affects children’s potential to communicate and interact in the real world. They become anxious when they don’t get to use cell phones. In some cases, children get depressed and become detached from the real world. Smartphones are acting faster on children’s mental ability to grow and learn, and hence parents must ensure to limit the usage of the smartphones and keep them occupied in the real world by planning some fun activities.

5 Ways to make your child free from Phone addiction

Below listed are some prominent methods you can apply to make children free from this addiction:

Set boundaries: Parents should set some strict and clear limitations on the children to put in limit the usage of smartphones.

Children learn from parents: Parents should themselves restrict themselves by not using smartphones at a specific family time and weekend outings or family get-together.

Create NO-SMARTPHONE zones: Try to use phones only in the living room and make sure, not to use mobile phones in the kitchen and the sleeping room premises.

Install specialized parenting apps: - Monitor your child’s device usage and block inappropriate content by using parental control software.

Spend real-time with children: Interact with your kids during fun activities or introduce an active family time. Please help them by letting them enjoy the original world, to get along without a cell phone and treasure the bliss of life.

Mobile addiction is one of the significant causes of eye damage, and its harmful radiation is significantly affecting the kids’ mental health. Hence, it is essential that parents must ensure that the screen time and mobile usage and access is balanced and monitored well between kids and mobile. This is to ensure that smartphones remain a boon in their overall growth and development.

Stress Management and Physical Exercise, the Secret Towards Healthy Life

As each of us gets through our day-to-day, we often feel moments of stress. Stress is one of the most common words that we use to describe our state of being. According to the Mental Health Foundation, UK, stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or being unable to cope and when pressures seem too much or unmanageable. In our 21st century modern lifestyle, stress is unavoidable; however, if we continue to experience stress every day without taking steps to de-stress, it can lead to chronic illnesses.

Good and bad stress

According to researchers, not all stresses are bad. In fact, some stresses can be beneficial. For instance, when you’re running a marathon and find yourself close to the finish line, or when you have to go up on stage and deliver a speech, the pressure you feel could be overwhelming and intense, but it helps push you over the finish line. These kinds of stresses do not have any negative effects on our physical or mental health, and we can return to ‘resting’ state very quickly. Stress also triggers a ‘flight or fight’ response in certain situations that can actually help us survive certain situations; like examinations, job interviews and so on.

But long-term stress can have deleterious effects on our health. Financial stress, sudden loss of a loved one, an accident, difficulties in relationships at work or home, relocation and many such factors could lead to unimaginable stress. These stressorscan contribute to the deterioration of our mental health,leading to anxiety and depressionand even impact the normal functioning of our heart, weaken our immune system, and impact our emotional wellbeing.

Watch out for these stress signals

According to Mental Health Foundation, UK , work-related stress accounts for an average of 23.9 days of work lost every year for every person who is affected by stress. So what are some of the signs of stress that we must all keep a look out for? Stress affects our behaviors and emotional wellbeing, soirritability, fear, sudden bouts of anger, sadness, or a feeling of extreme frustration, are some of the feelings we experience when confronted with extreme levels of continuous stress. Our behaviors also undergo subtle changes: becoming indecisive or extremely inflexible and rigid, or withdrawn and not wanting to have any social interactions. Suddenly bursting into tears or feeling tearful along with changes in sleep patterns could also indicate stress.

Besides emotional and behavioral changes, stress also induces physical symptoms such as nausea, headaches, indigestion, sudden palpitations, and even breathlessness. Research has also linked prolonged stress to Irritable Bowel Syndrome as well as cardiovascular disease.

Exercise and de-stress

Regular exercise can have a profound and positive impact on your mental health and counter the negative impact of stress. Besides improving overall physical wellbeing, when you exercise, you release endorphins;the chemicals in the brain that help us feel good and uplift our mood. Regular physical activity improves our blood circulation, helps us feel energetic, improves our sleep and makes us feel better about ourselves. Moreover every bit of physical activity, even if it’s only for 15-20 minutes a day, increases our ability to fight the debilitating effects of stress. Some of the exercises that one can do to relieve stress are:

• Yoga - this form of gentle exercise helps lower our heart rate and our blood pressure, increases one’s body’s flexibility and makes us mindful of our breathing. It is great for people of any age.
• Aerobic exercises –any form of high intensity workouts like dancing, spinning, running or kick boxing,increases our heart rate, burns calories, maintains a high metabolic rate and helps build muscle while strengthening our bones and improving our mental health.
• Pilates – this form of exercise is designed to build strength, flexibility and endurance and is a form of anaerobicexercise, which tones our body and helps to reduce stress.
• Team sports- what better way to enjoy your physical activity than play team sports such as football, cricket, basketball or even aqua sports. It helps keep you active, fit and improves your relationships, while also helping you de-stress.

Stress today is an undeniable fact of life. But we can counter the harmful effects of stress by being mindful of how it can and does affect us, physically and mentally, and take necessary steps to keep ourselves stress-free and healthy. If you find that you or someone close to you is suffering from anxiety, depression or other stress-related issues, please take an appointment with a doctor. Don’t let stress win over you. Exercise your willpower and negate its effects, because you can.

Headaches can be Serious. Don’t Take Them Lightly!

Most of us are familiar with headaches and have suffered from some form of headache at one point or the otherin our lives. According to Harvard Health Publishing, headaches are so common that at least 90% of men and 95% of women have at least one, in any given year. In this article we’ll explore some of the different kinds of headaches. What could be some of its common causes, some headache cures and finally, when should red flags of concern be raised and when toconsult your doctor.

Let’s begin with the most common question: what is a headache?

A headache is any pain in the head, face or neck area. Headaches can be of different intensities, can occur due to several reasons and are of various different types.

What are some of the causes for headaches?

There are several different reasons for headaches. Muscle tension, dehydration, nerve pain, certain food and drink or even some medications are some of the common reasons for headaches. Too much of stress can also bring on a headache.

How many different types of headaches are there?

According to Headache Australia there are 36 different types of headaches. And according to Harvard Health Publishing, there are more than 300 types of headaches, but only 10% are known to have a cause. There are two main types of headaches: primary and secondary. Some of the common primary headaches include:Headaches that just happen without any underlying serious illness or injury, such as tension headaches, cluster headaches or migraines. Secondary headaches could be due to an underlyinginjury, or illness, side effects from certainmedication, certain foods (even ice creams are known to cause a headache), toothache, high blood pressure, sinuses and many more.

What are some simple remedial measures you can take for relief from headaches?

Headaches could be caused due to several factors. Some simple and effective steps you can take when you suffer from a headache:

• Keep yourself hydrated: Headaches could be the result of dehydration, so drink plenty of water.
• Use an ice pack or a cool cloth and place it over your head.
• Just splashing your face with cold water can also help relieve a headache.
• If it’s a tension headache, try massaging your neck, shoulders, jaw and head.

How can we prevent headaches from occurring in the first place?

One of the first things we must do to prevent headaches is to make changes in our lifestyle. Long hours at work, too much sitting with hunched shoulders poring over our computers, standing for hours, alcohol, smoking andevenour diet, all need to be completely reset if we want to remain healthy. From eating the right, nutritious food to regular exercise, getting outdoors more often and breathing in fresh air andgetting regular healthcheck ups, these are some of thethings you can do to prevent headaches.

How do I know when to consult a doctor for my headache?

In case you suffer from any of the following, then you must consult a doctor or a neurologist:

• You are unable to understand what people are saying, or feel confused.
• If your headache is accompanied by high fever, then you must consult a doctor immediately.
• If you feel nauseous, or suddenly faint, or even have numbness on one side of yourbody, then it’s time for medical intervention.
• Headaches that start when you cough or sneeze or due to any exertion can also be a symptom of some serious underlying condition.
• Athunderclap headache that reaches maximum intensity and severity very quickly, perhaps maybe in 2-3 minutes and requires immediate medical attention.
• A stiff neck, trouble talking, walking, or seeing, means it could be something serious and you need to consult a neurologist.
• A constant headache that seems to persist and doesn’t go away, so much so that it impairs your day to day life, could also be a very strong reason for you to consult a doctor.

Most headaches are common and often come and go. But the root cause of some of the headaches could lie elsewhere. It is best to be mindful of your headaches, when they occur, their pattern, their frequency, what triggers them and so on, so that in case of any anomalous behavior, you can get it investigated by a doctor. If you have any questions on any type sof headache that you are experiencing, please feel free to write to us or take an appointment.

Sleep – A Blessing for Our Brain

Do you feel sleepy in a meeting and try to stifle a big bold yawn? Perhaps it’s the boring presentation, or the uninspiring presenter, or it could just be that you are sleep deprived and are not aware of it. It is true that many of us tend to ascribe several different reasons for feeling sluggish, fatigued, or irritable during the day. When we find that we are unable to focus and pay attention, we think that just some rest and perhaps a good night’s sleep will help us get back on track. What we don’t realize is that perhaps we need to be more mindful of our sleep patterns and ask ourselves: how many hours of sleep are we getting each day?

Different facets of sleep

Sleep is very critical for our body to function optimally and every human being spends approximately one third of his/her life sleeping. Research on sleep suggests that while we are asleep, every tissue in our body goes into ‘repair’ mode. In fact scientists are suggesting that sleep affects every system in the body – from the brain, heart, lungs to the immune function and even our metabolism.

Sleep has 2 stages of sleep called the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep. Non-REM sleep according to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), is further divided into 3 stages. Each of us goes through both these 2 types of REM and non-REM sleep,which is responsible for how well one has slept, or how refreshed one feels on waking up. Sleep patterns and sleep requirements change as we age. Babies sleep 16-18 hours, whereas adults usually sleep anywhere between 7-9 hours and the older we grow, the less we tend to sleep. It is extremely important to get enough sleep because a lack of good, restful and deep sleep is known to cause several disorders and illnesses including:

• Weight gain or obesity – feeling lethargic and therefore not exercising enough. The effect of sleep deprivation on our hormones can lead to further weight gain
• Risk of heart disease – just like the 4Ss, lack of sleep too can result in an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Risk of Type 2 diabetes – healthy adults sleeping for only 5-6 hours every day show an increased incidence of pre-diabetes.
• Depression – The quality of sleep or being sleep deprived is found to be one of the key complaints that people with depression make.
• Sleep apnea–an obstruction when we breathe leading to loud snoring can lead to breathlessness, moments during sleep when we don’t actually breathe and caneven lead to death rarely.

Smoking, Sitting, Sugar and Salt – the 4Ss that are Harmful to Us.

India is the diabetes capital of the world. By 2020 close to 70 million people and 80 million people by 2030 will be suffering from diabetes. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 8 million people will die by 2030 due to diseases related to tobacco consumption. According todata provided by WHO, there is an estimated 1.1 billion adult people suffering from high blood pressure. Did you know that long, uninterrupted hours of sitting, called the “sitting disease” is actually harmful and can result in obesity, high blood sugar, high blood pressure and other lifestyle diseases? In fact, women who spent over 6 hours a day sitting were 94% more likely to die than men.Shocking? Yes, that’s the 5th S that we should be adding to the list of already dangerous Sugar, Salt, Smoking and Sitting.

Beware the 4 Ss – sugar, salt, smoking and sitting

Sugar

For long, studies have shown the direct co-relation between the consumption of processed sugar and several diseases, the most common being diabetes and obesity. Natural sugars occurring in fruits or carbohydrates are not bad. They are in fact necessary, as they provide energy to the body. However, our lives today are busy and we have become dependent on processed and ready-to-eat foods, that are convenient, but cause great harm to our health in the long run. Much packages foods comprise of refined and processed sugars that are found to be the primary cause of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Salt

Imagine eating food without ‘salt to taste’! Yes, salt is extremely important for our bodies and not just because it lends taste to the food we eat and makes it ‘yummy’. Salt or sodium chloride helps in the absorption of nutrients from the food we consume. The sodium component of salt in our bodies also determines the amount of water present within our bodies, outside of our cells, which in turn is crucial in keeping our blood pressure under control. Too much of salt in our curries, salads and other foods, including in all the processed foods that we purchase, can lead to high blood pressure, hypertension and heart disease.

Sitting

We are all aware of the deleterious effects of smoking on our health. Tobacco consumption, nicotine and the tar that lace cigarettes are found to cause cancer of the throat, lungs and mouth among others. It is also known to be the cause of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, besides increasing the risk of tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis and even erectile dysfunction. There are several myths related to smoking where many believe that smoking “light cigarettes” “ultra mild” cigarettes, “social and occasional smoking” or “once in a way” is not dangerous and cannot cause you harm. Experts, oncologists and researchers raise red flags and state unequivocally that smoking is dangerous to health. Period.

Smoking

Our lifestyles today while busy and hectic, have advanced to include technology, which has automated a whole bunch of tasks, from turning on lights and air conditioners to opening doors and gates. It has also given rise to, what doctors and experts call the “sitting disease”. People in urban environments all over the world seem to be spending at least 7.5 hrs in a day sitting; sitting at work desks, in front of the TV, in front of the computer, while commuting, and so on. Experts believe that too much sitting can lead to obesity, heart disease and other lifestyle diseases.

Say ‘no’ to the 4Ss for health

Need to satisfy your craving for a ‘sugar rush’? Does adding less salt in your food make it unpalatable? Does smoking and it doesn’t matter how many cigarettes a day, make you feel more focused? And you don’t think that you’re sitting too much? Wrong! All you need to do is to say “no”! Here are a few simple tips to stay healthy:

• Include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet and avoid processed, ‘junk’ food and refined sugars
• Reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke in a day – there are e-cigarettes and nicotine gums that can help you give it up completely. Or just think about how many man years you’re reducing with every cigarette you smoke
• Be very mindful of the salt intake in your food. Avoid too much of salt and processed foods.
• Move. Take a break after every 30 minutes of sitting at your desk or in front of your desktop or TV. Exercise daily even if it’s for 30-45 minutes. Get a standing desk and try working on your laptop standing.

And finally, protect your health by getting regular health check ups. Remember the old adage, ‘health is wealth’. Take an appointment today and get experts to guide you on how to keep healthy.