All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Tips to clean comb and hair brush

How to clean hair brush and comb

If you love your hair so much, then you must care about your hair brush too. Reason is, a dirty hair brush can only damage your hair and it results in hair fall and dandruff. After washing hair, if you use same dirty brush then how your hair remains clean?!

A dirty hair brush and comb are sources of dead skin- dandruff, sweat, dirt and old oil. None of these particles will favor your hair growth. For hair health it is better to give attention and take some time to clean hair brushes and it should not take more than 10 minutes of your time.

If you are not used to clean hair brushes, you will notice big difference of using a clean brush to comb the hair. The impact of practicing hygiene always yields positive results.

How to clean hair brushes and combs?

  1. Remove old hair: Always clean your hair tools in bathroom. Remove all hair stuck in hair brush or comb using fingers or toothpick. If you are having hard time to remove entangled hair in bristles, use a fine scissor and cut hair or run water over the brush to soften the hair and process will become easy
  2. Dampen brush using shampoo: Pour little shampoo on brush or comb, rub the shampoo all over the surface
  3. Soak brush: Fill a water mug or vessel or sink with warm water. Add little shampoo and detergent in water and mix well. Soak / immerse the brushes in this water mix. Wait for some time till the dirt and hair get dampened. Do not immerse cushioned brushes as water can enter in the vent hole causing erode in the cushion. Similarly, wood handle brushes also might absorb water and wood can become brittle. In such cases just soak brushes in the water mix, do not immerse. Baby shampoos are mild and contain less harsh chemicals are best for hair brush cleaning.  
  4. Remove dirt and debris: Using a new toothbrush or toothpick clean between the bristles and remove debris. In between run water on the brush and you will be surprised to see the amount of dirt that washes away from brush. Continue cleaning till all dirt washes off from brush and comb. After removing the dirt, hold brush under running warm water.
  5. Remove water and dry brush: After removing dirt, using a clean towel dry the brush. Place brush on a clean holder where there is no dirt or dust particles. Let brush dry further in the air.

How often you should clean hair brush? In a month two or three times clean the brush. If you have longer hair you might need to clean the brush three to four times in a month or every week.

Cleaning hair tools will keep hair healthy and beautiful!

Image credit: Image by Debbie Miller from Pixabay 

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: August 1, 2022
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World breastfeeding week

WHO Empower parents, enable breastfeeding

Statement from WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore

World Breastfeeding Week message: Becoming the parent of a new baby is both a life-altering gift and an immense responsibility. This week, as countries around the world celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF and WHO are calling on governments and all employers to adopt family-friendly policies that support breastfeeding.

The theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding.” 

Family-friendly policies – such as paid parental leave – enable breastfeeding and help parents nurture and bond with their children in early life, when it matters most. The evidence is clear that during early childhood, the optimal nutrition provided by breastfeeding, along with nurturing care and stimulation, can strengthen children’s brain development with impacts that endure over a lifetime.

Family-friendly policies are particularly important for working parents. Mothers need time off from work to recover from birth and get breastfeeding off to a successful start. When a breastfeeding mother returns to work, her ability to continue breastfeeding depends on having access to breastfeeding breaks; a safe, private, and hygienic space for expressing and storing breastmilk; and affordable childcare at or near her workplace.

Time off work is also important for fathers: Paid paternity leave allows fathers to bond with their babies and promotes gender-equality, including through the sharing of childrearing and household responsibilities.

Returning to work too soon is a barrier to the early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months and continued breastfeeding until age 2 or longer – practices that can boost children’s immune systems, shield them from disease, and provide protection from noncommunicable diseases later in life.  Breastfeeding also protects maternal health — women who breastfeed reduce their risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

In addition to their impact on children, family-friendly policies support women’s participation in the workforce, improve their physical and mental health,and enhance family well-being. They also advance business objectives and strengthen the economy. Such policies have been shown to increase employee retention, improve job satisfaction, and result in fewer absences. In short, family-friendly policies are good for families, babies and business.

As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, WHO and UNICEF call on governments and all employers to adopt family-friendly policies – including paid maternity leave for a minimum of 18 weeks, and preferably, for a period of six months – as well as paid paternity leave.

In line with the policy actions advocated by the WHO-UNICEF-led Global Breastfeeding Collective, we also call for greater investments in comprehensive breastfeeding programmes, improved breastfeeding counselling and support for women in health facilities and the community, and an end to the promotion of breast-milk substitutes to enable parents to make informed decisions on the best way to feed their infants. 

Together, with the support of governments, employers and communities, we have the power to enable breastfeeding and support families in fostering a nurturing environment where all children thrive.

Letter published in: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/world-breastfeeding-week-2019-message

Image credit: Image by pasja1000 from Pixabay (Free CC0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 27, 2022
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Feathered Peacock Pose

Feathered Peacock Pose

Feathered peacock pose is a challenging intermediate / advanced pose that needs several practice session to get into the pose properly. Those who suffer from shoulder, neck and chest pain must be careful and seek advice before learning or practicing this pose. This beautiful pose improves sense of balance, strengthens the arms, back and shoulders. It gives flexibility to abdomen, stretches shoulder, chest, belly and neck. This pose is recommended for those who has struggle in focusing and want to get relief from stress and milder depression. It calms the mind and gives sense of achievement and improves confidence in oneself – Healthy Life

LEVEL :Intermediate

Anatomy :Arms, Back, Chest, Shoulders

Pose Type :Arm Balance, Inversion

Sanskrit :Pincha Mayurasana (pin-chah my-yur-AHS-anna) pincha = feather / mayura = peacock

BENEFITS

  • Strengthens the shoulders, arms, core, and back
  • Stretches the chest and shoulders
  • Improves balance
  • Calms the mind
  • Relieves mild depression

CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • Pregnancy
  • High blood pressure
  • Neck, shoulder, or back injuries
  • Headache
  • Heart conditions
  • Glaucoma
  • Ear infections

HOW TO

  1. Kneel on the floor. Clasp your elbows with opposite hands and place them on the ground in front of you.
  2. Keep your elbows where they are, but release your hands and bring them forward so your forearms are parallel to one another, palms facing down.
  3. Curl your toes under and straighten your legs. Walk your feet toward you until your hips are over your shoulders.
  4. Gaze slightly forward and draw your shoulders upward. Lift your right leg to the sky. Then bend your left knee slightly and push off the floor to lift your left leg toward the sky.
  5. Balance in the pose for several breaths. Exhale and carefully lower both feet to the floor.

MODIFY OR REPLACE

Alternatives:

Modifications:

  • Loop a strap around the upper arms to keep the elbows close together.

SEQUENCING TIPS

Before:

  • Cow Face pose (Gomukhasana)
  • Bow pose (Dhanurasana)
  • Dolphin Plank pose

After:

  • Child’s pose (Balasana)
  • Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

TEACHING CUES

  • Fix your gaze at a point ahead of you to balance.
  • Draw your shoulders upward.
  • Draw your belly toward your spine.
  • Reach your tailbone toward your heels.

VARIATIONS

  • Bend your knees and draw your toes toward the crown of your head for Scorpion pose (Vrschikasana).

WATCH OUT FOR

  • Overarching of the back
  • Shoulders collapsing
  • Gaze downward rather than slightly forward
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Monkeypox symptoms

Monkeypox Outbreak – Symptoms And Treatment

Monkeypox an extremely rare disease is spreading around the world. So far more than 250 cases are reported from 16 different countries. The diseases spreads with close and prolonged contact with an infected person.

According to Rosamund Lewis, Head of the Smallpox secretariat of WHO emergencies Program, ‘the countries that are reporting the monkeypox now are those countries that do not normally have monkeypox outbreaks’. The emerging disease Monkeypox is endemic to tropical rainforests in west and Central Africa, but now it is increasingly seen spreading in urban areas too as per WHO. Monkeypox is endemic to Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo (both Democratic and Republic), Gabon, Ghana (in animals only) Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Sudan.

This year the first case of monkeypox in US reported in Massachusetts when a patient hospitalized with symptoms. According to CDC, in 2021 two passengers traveling from Nigeria to US were diagnosed with monkeypox. In UK monkeypox was reported in people who did not travel or did not had contact with those who had monkeypox.  Since May 13th of this year cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from its 12 member states are not endemic to monkeypox virus.

Cases of monkeypox in non endemic countries reported to WHO between 13th to 21st May are:

Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA.

Reported cases so far have not established travel links to an endemic area where the monkeypox originated. Cases have mainly been identified (but not exclusively) amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) seeking care in primary care and sexual health clinics. PCR test have identified samples as being infected with West African Clade.

Epidemiology of Monkeypox: It is a virus  or viral zoonosis ( virus transmitted to humans by animals) with symptoms similar to smallpox. However it is less severe. Virus belongs to Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. The name monkeypox originates from the initial discovery of the virus in monkeys in Danish Laboratory in 1958. It was first identified in a child in Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.

Transmission: Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and materials that are contaminated by infectious person. Incubation period is +6 to 13 days and range from 5 to 21 days (WHO).

People who have compromised immune system or those individuals who have suppressed immune systems are susceptible to the virus. This include children, pregnant women, cancer and patients with other serious conditions.

Between West African clade and Congo Basin clade – West African clade appears to cause less severe disease. Fatality rate in case of West African clade is reported so far is, 3.6% vs. 10.6% in Congo Basin clade.

Symptoms:

  1. Headache
  2. Acute onset of fever (above 38.6C)
  3. Swollen lymph nodes
  4. Myalgia or body aches
  5. Back pain
  6. Asthenia
  7. And acute rash: Rashes are hard to miss, it starts as macules which are flat lesions. Later it forms a firm nodule which becomes a blister and pustule that contains pus and it scabs over.

People may be contagious at the early signs of fever and stay infectious through the rash until the skin scabs and heals over (ucdavis.edu)

There is a misconception that monkeypox is related to Covid-19. No, monkeypox is not related to Covid-19 and it is related to smallpox.

Treatments:
According to WHO, Vaccines used during the smallpox eradication programme also provided protection against monkeypox. Newer vaccines have been developed of which one has been approved for prevention of monkeypox.

Smallpox vaccine has some cross protection against monkeypox. If the vaccine is given within four days of exposure it protects the person about 85% of the time. Vaccine is effective and makes the disease less severe. Other treatments include, antivirals and immunoglobulins that helps to treat the symptoms.

If you think you are exposed to monkeypox contact your health care provider.

Note from World Health Organization about Monkeypox:

Prevention – Someone who has direct contact with an infected person, including sexual contact can get monkeypox. Steps for self-protection include avoiding skin to skin or face to face contact with anyone who has symptoms, practicing safer sex, keeping hands clean with water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub, and maintaining respiratory etiquette.

Detection and care – If people develop a rash, accompanied by fever or a feeling of discomfort or illness, they should contact their health care provider and get tested for monkeypox. If someone is suspected or confirmed as having monkeypox, they should isolate until the scabs have fallen off and abstain from sex, including oral sex. During this period, patients can get supportive treatment to ease monkeypox symptoms. Anyone caring for a person sick with monkeypox should use appropriate personal protective measures, including wearing a mask, and cleaning objects, & surfaces that have been touched.

Reporting – Any rash-like illness during travel or upon return should be immediately reported to a health professional, including information about all recent travel, sexual history and smallpox immunization history. Residents and travellers to monkeypox-endemic countries should avoid contact with sick mammals such as rodents, marsupials, non-human primates (dead or alive) that could harbour monkeypox virus and should refrain from eating or handling wild game (bush meat).

Image credit: https://health.ucdavis.edu/

References:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON385

www.cnn.com

https://health.ucdavis.edu/

https://www.cdc.gov/

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 26, 2022
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These 4 Recipes Can Help To Detoxify And Reduce Weight

These 4 Recipes Can Help To Detoxify And Reduce Weight

Detoxify and reduce weight Infographic

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Child care illness prevention

Preventing illness in child care

When children are in a room, playing together in child care there is always a chance of getting infected. Both infants and toddlers who depend on care givers for their health in day care facilities or preschools are more prone to such infections. Children wipe their nose or rub their eyes and then touch toys and other children.  Virus thus becomes contagious and causes illness.

Viruses that are responsible for colds and flu cause most sickness in children in child care facilities. Sore throat, cold, cough, vomiting, diarrhea – these are some of the common sickness child will face after such infection. With all the preventive measures still, the infections spread in child care center. Both child care facility and parents must give attention so that other children should not get infected easily.

In many child care facilities where one or two staffs are working, taking care of sick child or children or giving proper attention to sick child might not be possible due to limitation of staffs, space and while giving attention to other children. In child cares where there is space and enough staff members are available, sick child should be kept in a comfortable place and must be allowed to rest and parents must pick up the child from that room so that other children not exposed to illness. If the child needs minimal care and does not need exclusion, then child can lie down in within sight of care giver.

Some of the recommendations to avoid sickness in child care

  • Prevent sick child from participating in activities.
  • Staff members of child care should not compromise the health and safety of other children to avoid spreading of harmful conditions
  • Any child with respiratory and fever symptoms should be excluded from child care till the child recovers.
  • To reduce the risk of infection child care providers and children of child care facility must receive all recommended immunizations including flu vaccine.
  • Practice good hygiene in child care is important. This include:
  • Sink and water to wash hands.
  • Separate sink for food preparation and hand wash
  • Toilets and sinks must be clean and readily available for child
  • Water or disposable paper towels must be available for all children
  • All toys that infants and toddlers put in their mouth must be sanitized
  • Door handles, drinking water unit, toilet surface, diaper changing area must be cleaned and disinfected everyday
  • All play tables and potty chairs must be cleaned and disinfected
  • All children and care staff must be fully immunized including flu vaccine
  • Food should be stored properly. For infants and toddlers who drink breast milk from bottles – bottles must be labeled and stored properly.

Hand wash is a must in child care facility and instructions for staff members should be:

  • When staff arrive in facility they must wash hands
  • Before and after handling food, while feeding child hands must be washed.
  • After helping child to use toilet, changing diaper – hands must be washed
  • After cleaning nose, eyes and mouth of a child
  • After playing with toys and sandboxes
  • Before and after giving medicine to children
  • After using restroom or toilets for personal use
  • After removing/handling garbage

Parents must also check with child care facility regarding health consultation availability that is needed in case of emergency or if the child falls sick in the facility. Review the policies of child care before signing up your child with a care facility.

References:

https://healthylife.werindia.com/

https://www.healthychildren.org/

https://www.babycenter.com

Image credit: Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 19, 2022
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Your food choices decides your health

Your food choices decides your health

With many types of health issues that arise due to food, today people want to know what our great grandparents, grandparents used to eat that kept their health in good condition for long time.

Well, the answer is “you are what you eat”.

It means our choice of food and diet should suit our system and body. We should listen to our body and understand what food is good for our system and what is not, it is simple concept.

To be healthy understand what you should be eating.

The five different choices one can make when it comes to food are:

Go for seasonal produce: Due to advanced technology, in this era all types of produces are available in all seasons. You may be happy find your favorite fruit and vegetables in all seasons. But, what grows in that season is what you should be eating. Those foods that grows during summer are great for summer diet and during fall, consume those foods that grow in fall. With change in season your body also seeks certain nutrients and you should supply those nutrients by means of foods that grow in the season. If not, you will end up in certain body condition.

Look for native edible herbs: If you don’t get vegetables, go outside in a farm and look at nature. You will be surprised to see native, edible herbs that can be used for cooking, salad and fruits to prepare smoothies. There are many such edible plants grow in nature. Learn traditional cooking with using native herbs and ingredients, it helps to boost your energy. If you have space, grow such plants.

Homemade fermented foods: Start preparing your own curd/yogurt, butter, clarified butter, batters and pickles at home. Learn the recipes from your elders. Not only these probiotics are healthy, it will give a satisfaction because you prepared it. Healthy probiotics keeps stomach in good condition, and there is no need to worry about indigestion. These foods strengthen our immune system.

Cook food at home: No matter what, don’t always eat unprocessed, canned and ready made foods. Eat healthy and homemade food. When you cook at home you know what you are adding. You will not add preservative, artificial color or flavor to your food. You will cook with natural ingredients that are available in your kitchen. Try different types of vegetables and healthy foods. All it will take is an hour maximum to cook. You can afford that much time for yourself and for your family. Why to consume fast foods and risk your health?

Go for unadulterated foods: Stop using additives, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, stabilizers in your food. Avoid GMO food. Go with natural milk and stop using hormonal milk and dairy products. Grow your vegetables if you have space in your backyard. If nature didn’t make it don’t eat . Chante to organic produces. Organically grown fruits and vegetables are safer than the chemical sprayed produces.

Incorporate these five mantras in your daily life and you will keep all conditions away from your body.

Image credit: Photo by Vo Thuy Tien from Pexels (Free CC0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 18, 2022
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