Month: June 2014

Kids need outdoor play, not just sports, say experts

ouutdoor play

As children gear up to participate in sports leagues and camps this summer, experts say it’s important to ensure time is also devoted for youngsters to enjoy less structured outdoor, active play.

Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer of Active Healthy Kids Canada, has previously described active play as the “overlooked sibling” of the physical activity equation.

“We need to let (children) go play in the sandpit and run through the stream and get their shoes dirty and get grass stains on their knees,” he said in an interview at the recent Global Summit on the Physical Activity of Children in Toronto.

“The beauty of that sort of freedom is there’s limitless opportunity. It’s only at the limits of the mind to create … what can you do with yourself, what can you do chasing a frog. And every day, it can be a new adventure. It doesn’t cost anything.”

William Pickett, head of the department of community health and epidemiology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., said there are obvious fitness benefits to active play and physical activity. But Pickett said it can offer a boost in other ways, such as “subtle benefits” to emotional health, like feeling a connection to nature.

“I think (the concept of) allowing our kids room to move needs to be expanded,” said Tremblay, director of Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute.

“When we look across at other countries, those that are excelling have done that. It’s either inherent in the way they live, or they’ve been able to allow… the interaction with nature and the outdoors to just occur organically — whereas it’s anything but organic in our society.

“I think we need that better balance of active transportation, active play, organized sport, incidental movement — all of those pieces regularly, inherent, pervasive throughout the day,” he added.

Yet, while many of Canada’s kids have access to parks and playgrounds and take part in organized sports, the physical activity levels of the country’s youngsters lagged near the back of the pack among 15 countries, according to a recent report.

The Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth saw Canada assigned a D minus for overall physical activity levels with only seven per cent of five- to 11-year-olds and four per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds meeting recommended guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily. What’s more, Canadian kids earned a failing grade due to hours spent being idle, expending little movement or energy.

No grade was available on the report card in the category of active play due to limited research in the area and the lack of an evidence-based benchmark. However, parents of kids aged five to 11 reported that the youngsters only get 4.1 hours of physical activity a week while taking part in unorganized physical activities outside of school — whether alone or with a friend.

Deb Lowther, who writes about fitness and nutrition on her website Raising Healthy Kids, works diligently to model an active lifestyle for her three daughters: 12-year-old Julia, 10-year-old Brooke and eight-year-old Amy.

The Burlington, Ont., resident is an avid runner, and both she and her husband, Stuart, participated in a half Ironman triathlon last year. Whether they’re hiking, skiing or taking a dip in the backyard pool, being active is a pivotal part of family life for both parents and kids.

Still, the girls are also afforded the chance to take part in less structured play. Lowther said they keep the garage stocked with hula hoops, skipping ropes, basketballs, bikes and other equipment to help keep the kids moving.

“There’s a whole bin of stuff there to take out and have fun,” Lowther said.

“If you’re a parent that’s not that active, it’s still super easy to get your kids active doing stuff. … One of the issues is giving kids the time.”

Source; ctv news

Parents: a good sleep routine can keep the whole family healthy

a good sleep

A new study conducted at the University of Illinois says that children who are raised by families that prioritize shut-eye are less likely to be obese.

The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examined the sleep routines of 337 US preschool children and their families, taking into account socioeconomic characteristics and observing the influence of TV time and meal routines.

Researchers considered four routines protective against childhood obesity including limited TV time, not having a bedroom TV, quality family meal time and adequate sleep.

Yet sleep was the only factor that made a difference in the results.

Children who slept 10 hours per day or more were less likely to suffer obesity than those who did not, regardless of the other protective routines.

Given the importance of sleep, the most likely factor in a child’s risk for obesity was the parental sleep routine.

In a chain reaction, parents who slept inadequately had children who did the same and were therefore more likely to be overweight.

“Parents should make being well rested a family value and a priority,” said Barbara H. Fiese, director of the U of I’s Family Resiliency Center and Pampered Chef Endowed Chair. “We viewed how long parents slept and how long children slept as part of a household routine and found that they really did go together.”

Sufficient sleep has long been linked to healthy weight management and children are hardly new study subjects.

A recent study by the University College London found that 16-month-old toddlers who slept less than 10 hours per day increased their calorie consumption by 10 percent over those who slept 13 hours per day.

A 2009 study by the European Centre of Taste Science in Dijon in central France found participants were likely to consume up to 22 percent more calories than normal after a bad night’s sleep.

Source; yahoo news

World Healthiest Food-Spinach

Spinach_3-600x565

Everything you wanted to know about Spinach.

You could say Popeye did the most to promote spinach, not the scientists or food industry. Just if Popeye’s spinach was fresh, and not canned, the message would be more accurate.

Phytonutrients for optimal health.

Scientists have discovered 15 different flavonic compounds in spinach which are potent antioxidants. Lots of them are useful for cancer prevention. Various studies have shown that these compounds inhibit the growth of malignant cells of the stomach, skin and breast.

Spinach is important for a healthy prostate.

Carotenoid pigment which is found in spinach successfuly fights against prostate cancer, in two ways. One carotenoid form under the name neoxanthin on one side affects the prostate cancer cells in a way that stimulates their self-destruction.

And the other hand, neoxanthin with metabolic processes in the intestine is further converted into neo chromes, which inhibits the growth of cancer cells in the prostate.

Spinach2

Spinach is important for healthy and strong bones.

In one cup of spinach there are nearly two times more vitamin C than the recommended daily dose of that vitamin. If spinach is cooked, one cup of spinach contains 6 times larger amounts of vitamin K daily than recommended dose of this vitamin.

Vitamin K is important for the activation of a particular protein in bone, which “catches” calcium and thus incorporates it into the bone structure.

Besides vitamin C, other elements that are important for bone health and are in spinach is calcium and magnesium.

Important for a healthy cardiovascular system.

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene), and a good source of vitamin C. These two vitamins are most “deserving” for the healing properties of spinach, and especially important for the health of the cardiovascular system. Vitamins A and C primarily act as antioxidants, meaning they neutralize the degradation processes that occur under the action of free radicals.Spinach3

With the same mechanism, they prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, which in that form has the ability to accumulate on the wall of blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis, then high blood pressure. This increases the risk of myocardial infarction.

The following useful ingredient of spinach is folic acid. It helps in the conversion of potentially dangerous chemical called homocysteine ??in other joints. Increased levels of homocysteine ??in the blood is associated with increased possibility of occurrence of myocardial infarction.

In one cup of spinach is about 40% of daily needs for magnesium. It is a mineral that helps for lowering blood pressure. So spinach also helps in the prevention of diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Protects the digestive tract.

Vitamins A and C, and folic acid, found in spinach have strong antioxidactive effects, also prevents mutation of cells in the intestines. It has been proven that people who consume these vitamins in sufficient quantities have significantly lower risk of developing bowel cancer.

Anti-inflammatory substances.

Allergic reactions are more common occurrence these days. Besides classical allergies, there are many autoimmune diseases that also include the mechanism of allergic reaction.
Asthma and rheumatoid arthritis are just some of them. Spinach ingredients that help to soothe the inflammation are beta carotene and vitamin C.spinach4

Impeccable eyesight.

One of carotenoids, lutein, is a protective chemical that “cares” about the health of the eyes. Particularly successful in the fight against cataract and macular degeneration caused by aging.

Iron – trademark.

Although spinach is not the richest food for iron, yet it contains iron in significant amounts. Spinach as ingridient is significantly better source of iron than others, because it doesn’t contains saturated fat, cholesterol, and is low on calorie.
One cup of cooked spinach provides about 30% of the daily recommended amount of iron.

But also bear in mind that:

  • – Spinach, like almost all foods, is a potential allergen.
  • – Spinach is one of the vegetables with the highest amounts of pesticides backlog. Therefore, when you buy spinach, ask about its origins.
  • – Spinach contains significant amounts of oxalates, so it is not recommended for people with severe damages on kidney and gallbladder.
  • – Spinach also contains a certain amount of substances that can affect the secretion of thyroid hormone. Therefore, it is not recommended for people with diseases of the thyroid gland.
  • – Purines, which is found in spinach, may lead to excessive accumulation of uric acid. People who suffer from gout or kidney disease should avoid excessive consumption of spinach.

Source: secretly healthy

Father-teen relationship may benefit from outside help: study

Father-teen relationship

When teens in conflict with their fathers consult others for advice, the response may lead to improved well-being and create a stronger parent-child relationship, according to a U.S. study.

The study, published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence, surveyed 392 families, observing the interactions between both step and biological fathers and their children.

Researchers processed responses from both parents and children about who they turned to after a conflict in order to get perspective and to determine who was at fault. Next they asked the children to describe how they felt after reaching out for help.

Adolescents whose sources led them toward a better understanding of their fathers’ reactions and to recognize who was at fault felt better about themselves and their relationships with their father, the study concluded.

“There has been a lot of evidence suggesting that talking to people about conflict is a good thing for adolescents,” says Dr. Jeff Cookston, psychology professor and department chair at San Francisco State University.

“What we did for the first time was look at what actually happens when they talk to someone.”

The frequency at which teens reached out made little difference; it was rather the quality of the explanations offered and the accuracy of fault recognition that led to better well-being and relationships.

“When kids get explanations and good reasons that fit with the world they see, it helps them feel better,” says Cookston. “It’s sometimes hard to change how adolescents feel about situations, but we can talk to them about how they think about those situations.”

All participating father figures lived with their respective families, with survey data divided in half between biological and step fathers.

“Families are happier when they have less negative emotions, so anything we can do to promote more positive or even more neutral emotions within family is desirable,” says Cookston.

Source: Ctv news

PG dipoloma Programs : TAU

PG

PG Dipoloma Programs : TAU

Texila American University offers a unique program which helps to attain the PG Diploma in a span of Eight Months. Students with basic Medical Education is inducted into this program.

Advantages of the program
Students will be able to procure a world class PG Diploma in a span of 8 Months
Student can pursue from his own place without re-locating as it is an External program.
Study while you earn – Need not leave the present profession.
Can acquire wider knowledge and exposure.

Specializations:

  • Cosmetology
  • Oncology
  • Endocrinology
  • Maternal and Child health Programs
  • Medical Education
  • Reproductive health
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Maternal and Neonatal Care

and much more

For more details register here: http://www.tauedu.org/texila-connect/signup.html

5 healthy snacks for the office

healthy snack1

Eating unhealthy food even if it is for your snack time can lead to a lot of excess calories. It is better to munch on healthy snacks even if you are at work. There are various easy-to-carry-and-store options available these days. Here are a few of them:

Dry fruits: These are an excellent source of various nutrients at once and can be eaten any time of the day. Buy a packet of mixed nuts and eat a handful a day to keep your hunger pangs at bay.

healthy snack2

Sprouts: Not only do they keep you full, they have protein, vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. Make mixed sprouts of Bengal gram, chana, etc. If making them is too much of a hassle, you can buy them at various supermarkets these days. Just squeeze some lemon juice and add a dash of chaat masala and your healthy snack is ready

Home-made popcorn: Yes, popcorn too is a healthy snack. Make it at home without adding butter or oil and enjoy it in the evening. Since it is made from wholegrain, it packs in fibre and keeps one full for a longer period of time

Bhel: Yes, bhel is definitely healthy. Puffed rice, mixed with various veggies such as onion, tomato, green chillies, coriander, etc and topped with green chutney and peanuts.

Fruit salad: Don’t ignore the power of this age-old dish. It packs in a punch of nutrition. Opt for seasonal mix of fruits to make it more healthy and don’t really add much of dressing. A bit of chaat masala is fine but stay away from cream, etc

Walnuts. A portion of about 14 walnut halves (1 oz) is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Top your oatmeal with a quarter cup of chopped walnuts, a tablespoon of honey, and a shake of cinnamon

Brazil nuts. They’re a great dietary source of selenium, a mineral that’s essential for reproductive and thyroid health. Swap pine nuts and basil for Brazil nuts and spinach to give your pesto a nutritional turbo-boost.

Cashews. Thanks to high levels of magnesium, these sweet, creamy nuts can help keep your blood sugar steady and your blood pressure low. Sprinkle chopped, salted cashews over hot roasted broccoli; their sweet flavor pairs perfectly with the veggie.

Source: yahoo news

Health Experts Call for Integrated Approach to HIV and TB in Zimbabwe

health experts

Zimbabwe is facing challenges in eliminating tuberculosis (TB) say health experts, who are calling for much greater integration of HIV and TB programmes within the healthcare system.

Tremendous progress has been made in minimising the spread of HIV while TB programming is weak in comparison, according to Michael Bartos, UNAIDS country director for Zimbabwe.

Strengthening coordination systems

Bartos told a recent workshop for Zimbabwean civil society organisations that there was an urgent need to strengthen coordinating systems across HIV, TB and malaria. The workshop was run by AIDS Accountability International in partnership with Southern Africa AIDS Trust and Zimbabwe AIDS network.

“We need, as civil society, to enhance HIV mobilisation to support TB. There is weak mobilisation of communities where it matters. The issue of resources also needs to be addressed if we are to succeed in eliminating the spread of TB,” Bartos said.

Civil society priorities

At the workshop, representatives from various HIV groups created a priorities charter as an ‘advocacy road map’ for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria. The top priority was the need for a coordinating mechanism for HIV and TB, according to Dr Gemma Oberth, senior researcher at AIDS Accountability International.

“This is because HIV coordinating structures are disproportionately strong, compared with TB civil society networks,” Dr Oberth said.

Some of the priorities identified include prevention, treatment, advocacy, care and support, mitigation and stigma reduction.

Zimbabwe is ranked 17 among the 22 countries in the world worst affected by TB, according to a research project commissioned by the World Health Organisation.

Victoria James, director of New Dimension Consulting, which carried out the research, said: “The estimated incidence of new TB cases was 633 per 100,000 in 2010 compared to 97 per 100,000 in 1990, reflecting a growing trend.

Seventy-five per cent of adult TB cases are reported to be HIV co-infected, while HIV testing in TB is 97 per cent. The treatment rate is very low and civil society needs to focus more on playing a role to address the issues.”

She also highlighted some concerns involving new TB diagnoses, which are reported to have increased from 35,340 in 2013 to 38,725 in 2012.

Lack of resources

According to Dr Charles Sandy, deputy director of AIDS and TB programmes at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, TB is managed through the routine health system. The government is faced with the challenge of a lack of resources, although it collaborates with local and international partners.

“We are dependent on the health delivery system for success of the TB programme. Although we have made some progress in trying to address TB, we are facing challenges of a demotivated health workforce and lack of optimum work performance,” Dr Sandy said.

He added that community awareness in addressing TB was low and more resources were needed to address the challenges. Sandy said the government worked with civil society organisations through the Country Coordinating Mechanism and invited them to make suggestions on how they could be more involved.

Source: all africa

Critics Say Uganda’s New HIV Law a Giant Step Backward

uganda

A Ugandan bill criminalizing the “willful” transmission of HIV and mandating HIV tests for certain groups is awaiting the president’s signature to become law. Such a law could be a setback in the country’s fight against AIDS.

The bill President Yoweri Museveni will be asked to sign hands out lengthy jail terms for those convicted of intentionally spreading HIV, or attempting to spread it. It also mandates testing for pregnant women and victims of sexual assault, among others.

Ugandan MP Chris Baryomunsi told local journalists he supports the bill because it punishes people who threaten the community.

“The law is not unfairly targeting anybody, but rather it is addressing somebody who has tested for HIV and knows his or her status and, out of malice, intentionally wants to infect others,” said Baryomunsi.

But many experts say the bill is a giant step backward in the fight against Uganda’s HIV epidemic. Civil society and HIV activists have rallied against it. Even the government-run Uganda AIDS Commission refuses to support the bill.

But Dorah Musinguzi, of the Ugandan Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS, says their efforts so far have been futile.

“The Uganda AIDS Commission came out, and the Ministry of Health in some ways. But this has not been bought. A wise nation at this particular moment would have seen what the technical people are advising,” said Musinguzi.

One concern, Musinguzi says, is the effect the law would have on people’s decision to get tested. You can only be prosecuted under the law if you know your HIV status, she points out.

“According to statistics, Ugandans who have tested are 33 percent. Those who have not yet tested are 67 percent,” she said. “If they have not tested when there was no law that threatens them as potential criminals, are they going to test now that there is a law?”

Uganda is not the first to pass laws criminalizing HIV. Paula Donovan, of the New York-based advocacy group AIDS-Free World, says this is becoming a trend in Africa.

“Since about the turn of the century, when there were no HIV-specific laws at all, it appears that there are about 25 countries in Africa that have attempted in one way or another to criminalize specific aspects of HIV. That’s about half the countries in Africa, and it’s expected that other countries will follow,” said Donovan.

Nor is Africa alone. Prosecutions for intentional transmission of HIV are actually more common in the West, says Donovan, although not always under HIV-specific laws.

Despite the growing prevalence of such laws, there is no evidence that they are even necessary, she adds.

“There’s absolutely no evidence that in any country, in any situation, that criminalizing transmission lowers the incidence of HIV. I don’t think there’s any evidence that there is a great incidence of people who are HIV positive who are going around trying to spread the infection to others,” she said.

Civil society activists say they will try to make their case to President Museveni in person before he decides whether or not to sign the bill into law.

Source: voa news

Carrot-Onion-Tomato Soup

CarrotOnion

Ingredients:
1. 1/2 cup chopped carrots
2. 1 onion chopped
3. 1tsp turmeric
4. 1 tsp chilli powder
5. 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
6. 1 tsp lime juice
7. Coriander leaves for garnishing
8. Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium heat.
2. Add chopped onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in turmeric, and chilli powder and cook, stirring, 1 minute longer.
3. Add chopped carrots and tomatoes and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil.
4. Close lid and give 2 whistles. Take off the stove. Allow to cool.
5. Puree carrots onions and tomatoes. Run the mixture through a strainer to discard tomato seeds.
6. Put in a saucepan and heat over medium flame, stirring, until it boils.Add more water if too thick.
7. Stir in lime juice.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with coriander leaves.

Source: yahoo

Cameroon steps up war on malaria amid worsening floods

Cameroon steps up war on malaria amid worsening floods

Cameroon is seeking ways to mobilise its citizens to support a government-led campaign against soaring malaria deaths, as worsening floods aggravate health risks.

Government officials in the central-west African country say regular flooding due to erratic rains is partly responsible for the recent spike in deaths from vector-borne diseases, because standing water encourages malaria-carrying mosquitoes to breed.

“The increase in the death rate from malaria in Cameroon is disturbing indeed, especially at a time when efforts to combat the disease in African were yielding positive results. The Cameroon government, however, is sparing no efforts to reverse the trend,” Alim Hayatou, secretary of state in charge of epidemics and pandemics, told the launch of a nationwide campaign against vector-borne diseases in March.

Hayatou said the 2014 campaign aims to step up official efforts to reduce the death rate from malaria by at least 75 percent before 2018, and to alleviate its heavy social and economic burden on the population.

The annual death toll from malaria in Cameroon jumped from less than 2,000 in 2011 and 2012 to over 3,200 in 2013, according to statistics from Malaria No More, an international NGO fighting the disease in Africa.

Government officials, health experts and environmentalists are unanimous on the need for a joint push to keep malaria at bay.

Against this backdrop, the government – alongside partners including UNICEF, Plan Cameroon and Malaria No More – announced a boost to the anti-malaria campaign K.O. PALU (Kick Out Malaria) with a door-to-door distribution of treated mosquito nets to families, especially with pregnant women and children, accompanied by environmental education.

PLASTIC BAG BAN

According to Cameroon’s minister of public health, André Mama Fouda, Cameroon saw the distribution of free treated mosquito nets rise from 33 percent of the population in 2011 to 66 percent in 2013. But the death rate has paradoxically increased, indicating the need to accompany net handouts with messages about the environment and good hygiene practices.

“Exerting unprecedented control over the unfriendly behaviour of people towards the environment is key to succeeding in the fight against malaria and other vector-borne diseases,” the minister said.

In 2013, the government banned the production, sale and use of non-biodegradable plastic bags – which health and environment experts say have clogged up drains and gutters, contributing to floods.

“The reckless littering of…plastics on streets and waterways are some of the barriers to efforts to fight floods, because they block drainage facilities,” Tansi Laban of the ministry of environment and nature protection told Thomson Reuters Foundation in Yaounde.

“Worse still, many households and companies dispose of plastic bags by burning them, which emits toxic gases that harm the atmosphere and increase the level of dioxins and carbon dioxide in the air, resulting in ozone layer depletion. This leads to global warming and climate change,” the official added.

The government delegate to Douala City Council, Fritz Ntone Ntone, said at the malaria campaign launch that the council had completed a drainage project to channel run-off water during heavy rains into the River Wouri, in response to persistent flooding and pollution of some areas. The project, which began in January 2013 and ended this March, cost the council some 785 million FCFA ($1.57 million).

The cities of Douala in the Littoral Region and Mokolo in the Far North Region, which suffered heavy floods in 2012 and 2013, accounted for over 40 percent of malaria deaths last year, pointing to the negative effects of weather extremes for public health, experts say.

The problems of regular flooding and poor drainage need to be addressed to prevent mosquitoes breeding, said Olivia Ngou, Cameroon country director of Malaria No More.

Environmentalists have blamed Douala’s tendency to flooding on the exploitation of mangrove forests near the coast by fishermen who cut down trees to smoke fish, leaving the shore bare of vegetation and removing protection against storm surges and sea-level rise.

NETS NOT USED

Statistics from the public health ministry show that children younger than five and pregnant women are the groups most vulnerable to malaria, registering over 40 percent of deaths in 2013. More than 1.6 million Cameroonians are affected by the disease each year.

The government is concerned that the population is not collaborating sufficiently with the anti-malaria drive.

Last June, on World Environment Day, environment minister Pierre Hélé expressed regret that climate change was playing out in people’s lives, yet few paid attention to ways of averting the potential risks.

Some climate change projects have either failed to take off, or have been poorly or partially implemented due to corruption and administrative bottlenecks, he said. The minister cited the planned construction of a canal to stop flooding in Douala, which was announced by the government in 2012 but has yet to begin amid allegations over mismanagement of funds.

Health workers say many people have malaria nets but do not use them because of excessive heat in the city due to overcrowding and rising temperatures linked to greenhouse gas emissions from local industry in the country’s commercial capital.

Isaac Ebong, a doctor at Laquantini hospital in Douala, told Thomson Reuters Foundation that patients complain the nets are too warm to sleep under.

WHO SUPPORT

The World Health Organization (WHO) country representative in Cameroon, Charlotte Faty Ndiaye, said at the anti-malaria campaign launch her agency stood poised to help the government, as in previous years.

“WHO is always ready to work with government and civil society organisations to improve the health of the population. Thanks to efforts by WHO, some 337 million cases of malaria were prevented between 2001 and 2012,” she said.

Malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable mosquito-borne illness, according to the WHO.

An estimated 3.4 billion people are at risk of malaria worldwide, according to a 2013 WHO report. Of these, 1.2 billion are at high risk, in areas where more than 1 malaria case occurs per 1,000 people.

Globally, there were an estimated 207 million cases of malaria in 2012, and an estimated 627,000 deaths. The report said 90 percent of all malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: one trust