All posts by Sumana Rao

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Progressive muscle relaxation

Manage your stress with Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Stress, fear and anxiety for many of us results in muscle tension. Muscle tension is response of body to prepare for situations. Whether the situation is simple or complex, body’s response to stress is same. The degree of muscle tension might vary. When we are tensed or muscle experiencing tension, we also tend to have body aches, headaches, backache etc.

To reduce muscle tension there is a solution and it is known as Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. Yogis practice PMR before getting into meditation status or shavasana. In PMR exercise one will tense up muscles of body followed by relaxation.

Practicing PMR everyday helps when we are undergoing stress, anxiety, anger or fear to face situation and calms body and mind.

The pain that we feel due to our emotions also will reduce overtime by practicing PMR.

Practicing PMR before going to sleep, helps to get good sleep.

When you have pain due to stress and anxiety, practicing PMR on that muscle group or area could help you to get rid of the pain.

How to practice Progressive muscle relaxation?

When you are ready to practice PMR on certain time, select a place for relaxation.

  1. Slowdown breathing and prepare your mind to relax without any disturbance.
  2. When you are ready (best is lying down on mat in Shavasana or corpse pose), breath in and then tense the muscle group one by one in sequence (given below).  While doing so, you should feel the tension in targeted muscles. Do not tense muscle so much that you get pain.
  3. Keep tension in muscles for about five seconds.
  4. After five seconds, say relax and, breath out, relax the muscle and again tense the muscle for 10 more seconds. After ten seconds say “relax” and then move on to next set of muscle.
  5. After finishing PMR on all body muscles, be in the pose for few minutes and count 10 to 1 to bring back your focus to present. Now notice any change, observe how your muscles feel when tensed and when they are relaxed. If your body as well as mind feels relaxed, then you know that PMR is working.

If you feel that you need few more mins of PMR, then continue muscle relaxation technique for additional five seconds on each muscle group.

How to tense the muscle group?

To remember muscle groups sequence, you can record sequence and play audio till you get to know the muscle group sequence.

Each muscle group needs certain tension ‘action” in order to get into PMR. Below are instructions that explains how to  progressively tense and relax each muscle group in your PMR practice.

  1. Right Hand – Clench upper arm, forearm and make a fist with palm
  2. Right wrist and forearm- Make a fist with your right hand. Bring your right forearm up to your shoulder to “flex muscle’
  3. Left arm – Clench upper arm, forearm and make a fist with palm
  4. Left wrist and forearm- Make a fist with your right hand. Bring your right forearm up to your shoulder to “flex muscle’
  5. Shoulders – Shrug both shoulders towards ears
  6. Around eyes and nose bridge- Close both eyes tightly and bridge of nose feel tensed too
  7. Mouth, Jaws and cheeks – Open mouth as wide as if you are yawning or giving wide smile
  8. Lips – Press lips tightly inwards
  9. For muscles front of neck –Press back of head on the floor or chair. Another way is move face slightly forward and then pull your head back slowly, as you are looking up to the ceiling. You will feel stretch and tension in muscle.
  10. For muscles at back of neck – slowly bring chin towards chest.
  11. Chest muscles- Take a deep breath and hold it for 4 to 5 seconds.
  12. Shoulder blades and back- Push shoulder blades inwards so that they almost touch each other. While doing so your chest will push forward
  13. Stomach – Breathe deeply and hold stomach tight for five seconds
  14. Hips and buttocks- Squeeze buttock muscles
  15. Right upper leg- Lift muscle up and hold it tight
  16. Right lower leg- Lift muscle up while flexing feet towards you, pull toes towards you to feel the stretch
  17. Right fee – Curl toes downwards, away from you.
  18. Left leg- Repeat same actions as for right leg right foot.

Practicing PMR daily will help you to understand the muscles and how each muscle group responds to tension and how you should relax them. This will help you to respond differently for various kinds of stress and pain.

Image credit: Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 11, 2020
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Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer

Encouraging News Pfizer Announces Covid-19 Vaccine Results

After many months of waiting, today we have some good news about COVID-19 vaccination. Two leading companies who are working on COVID-19 vaccines- Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE announced that their mRNA-based vaccine candidate BNT162b2 against COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) has demonstrated evidence of efficacy against COVID-19, in participants without prior evidence of COVID-19 infection. The report is based on the first interim efficacy analysis from the Phase 3 trial.

All the vaccines that are being developed are focusing on the protein spike of the virus and there were some theoretical concerns about this target. Today it has been proven that targeting the protein spike is the right approach. This new vaccine candidate targets the protein spike of the virus. The spike protein is the knobby protrusion on Covid-19 virus that helps virus to attach to and invade cells during infection.

Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO said “Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,”

Pfizer Inc in their website announced the news with following crucial details:

  • Vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis
  • Analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants
  • Study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42% having diverse backgrounds, and no serious safety concerns have been observed; Safety and additional efficacy data continue to be collected
  • Submission for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planned for soon after the required safety milestone is achieved, which is currently expected to occur in the third week of November
  • Clinical trial to continue through to final analysis at 164 confirmed cases in order to collect further data and characterize the vaccine candidate’s performance against other study endpoints

The phase 3 trial was beginning on July 27th with enrollment of 43,538 participants to date and 38955 participants received the second dose of the candidate vaccine as of this week. Amongst the participant 42% are global and 30% are US volunteers with both ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds.

The study will evaluate the potential for the vaccine candidate to give protection for those who had prior exposure to Covid-19 as well as for those who are severely infected with the disease. The final analysis will also include new secondary endpoints evaluating efficacy based on cases accruing 14 days after the second dose. This will help to align data across all studies of Covid-19 vaccine.

In June, FDA informed manufacturers that it would accept a vaccine that reduces the risk of symptomatic Covid by 50%.  Reason for this is, many of the vaccines that target pathogens that invade respiratory system do not generate proper immune responses.

Both companies are accumulating safety data for the second dose of the vaccine candidate as per FDA guidelines. Both companies have reported that there is no safety concerns for this vaccine candidate. In addition, all the participants will be monitored for long-term protection as well as safety for two years after the second dose of vaccine.

Companies are expected to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021 globally.

Who will be getting new vaccine first?

According to the sources, groups that are at high risk of infection or more vulnerable to Covid-19 viruses are likely to get priority. This might include health care workers, older adults and those who have preexisting conditions like diabetes.

For further reading:

https://www.statnews.com/

https://www.pfizer.com/ news/press-release

https://www.nytimes.com/

image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/50308119421 (Cc by 2.0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 10, 2020
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Tips to Reduce vaccination pain in babies

Ways to relieve vaccination pain in baby

Vaccination is a must for all babies. There are several types of vaccinations a baby must take to get protected from dreaded diseases like chickenpox, diphtheria, measles, mumps, polio, Hepatitis A and B, smallpox, tetanus, tuberculosis, Pertussis (whooping cough) etc. These vaccines will help baby to develop antibodies that are essential to protect and prevent from illness.

For new parents, getting vaccination for the baby is a tough job. It is not just needle pricking also the pain that little baby undergoes brings tears in their eyes! Many parents worry about the baby shots because of pain followed by fever. What parents must know that vaccination is critical, and it helps to prevent childhood diseases. If not, any such diseases could be fatal.

To give relief from vaccination pain try these tips:

  1. Hug and hold baby close: Hold baby close and hold her little arm. If your baby can sit, then let her sit on your lap facing you. Your presence, closeness and vicinity reduce the intensity of pain.
  2. Ask doctor about vaccine drops instead of needle prick: Some vaccinations come as oral drops. If that is a possibility, ask your baby’s pediatrician.
  3. Ask about combining vaccine shots: Sometimes vaccines need multiple shots in intervals of months or weeks. Ask doctor whether these shots can be combined into one and given. It is a possibility with some vaccines.
  4. Give little sugar water: Carry little sugar water with you. Between the shot feed one small spoon of sugar water. This is helpful for babies who are more than six months. You can give sugar water before the shot or immerse pacifier in the sugar water and give it to baby during the shot.
  5. Distract baby with toys and talk: Distracting baby helps. Carry her favorite toy. Talk to baby, show something new on your phone, Disney channel, baby talk … anything.
  6. Feed baby: Feed your baby, breast feeding during vaccination make them feel less pain or no pricking pain as it brings baby’s attention to food instead of hurting and pain.  
  7. Apply numbing ointment or cream: Ask pediatrician and get ready with eutectic mixture of local anesthetics of EMLA cream. This will help to numb the pricking area.
  8. Rub skin after vaccination: Gently rub the skin around needle pricked area. Put slight pressure on the area and it could help to reduce the pain.
  9. Apply cool cloth: Take a soft cool, wet cloth and hold it against pain area. It reduces tenderness and swelling.
  10. Give liquid: Feed child with plenty of liquid as the child might refuse food because of discomfort.
  11. Ask doctor for mild medicine: Contact pediatrician regarding mild pain killer for the baby that could be given before vaccination. They might help you with some children pain killer dosages (based on baby’s weight not age) that you could give to baby beforehand. Do not give aspirin to baby.
  12. Parents must stay calm: Stay calm, many times, parents feel anxious and it shows in their behavior.  Instead of making fuss and crying in front of baby – stay calm and show you are there for the baby all the time. Stay calm by thinking, the pain is temporary, and vaccination protects baby for life long.

Follow these tips to give baby relief from vaccination shots. If baby develops fever or rashes contact pediatrician and seek medical advice.

Image credit: Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 6, 2020
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Tips to clean veggies and fruits

Tips to clean and keep freshness of vegetables and fruits

Here are few tips and hacks to keep your veggies and fruits clean and fresh. Many vegetables and fruits will have worms, soil, microbes and or pesticides on the surface. It is always good idea to take precautions by cleaning them before consuming.

  1. Cucumbers: Sometimes you notice bitterness in cucumber. Eating such cucumber can cause sickness. To remove bitterness cut about half inch on both edges of cucumber and using same cut pieces rub on both end surfaces. It releases milk from cucumber surface and this releases bitterness.
  2. Cauliflower: It is known fact that cauliflowers carry small worms inside. To remove small invisible worms, cut cauliflower florets and soak in salted warm water for half an hour. You will notice worms coming out. Throw the water, wash cauliflower in water and use for cooking
  3. Strawberries: Just like cauliflowers, sometimes strawberries carry worms on surface. Soak in salt water for few minutes and throw the water that contains worms released from strawberry surfaces.
  4. Cleaning apples: In supermarkets apples may look fresh and crispy. Do you know many varieties of apples look shiny because of wax coating? When you bring apples, transfer them to a vessels and soak in warm water that helps to remove and dissolve wax. Give couple of more washes and then consume apples.
  5. Watermelon: Picking up watermelon from store? Does it look clean and ready to eat? It might not be. Watermelon and many other Cucurbitaceae members that are heavy fruits generally get bigger on the soil surface. It means there will be soil and microbes like E. coli on the surface. Clean the surface and then cut the watermelon.  
  6. Fresh Lettuce: If the lettuce you bought is wilting fast, soak the entire head in water for some time to regain the freshness.
  7. Okra: Okra has mucilage or slime that disturbs cooking. One way to avoid slime is to wash okra, dry using paper towel and then cutting them. Another way is to soak okra in water and vinegar mixture (4:1 ratio) for 20 minutes and then wash and cut okra.
  8. Crisp Broccoli: Keep broccoli stem soaked in water like bouquet. This keeps broccoli head crispy and fresh.  
  9. To store herbs : Wash cilantro, mint and other herbs. Wrap them in paper towel and store in a box in refrigerator. Paper towel helps to prevent sogginess.
  10. Aloe vera : Before using Aloe vera, remove spike, cut leaf into pieces and give minimum 7 to 8 wash in water. This removes the latex that could be toxic.
  11. To remove pesticides: 1) Many fruits and vegetables will have pesticides on the surface. Soak the vegetables or fruits for few minutes in water containing baking soda. Being alkaline, baking soda helps to remove pesticides from the surface of the produces.   2) Soak vegetables and fruits in vinegar water for few minutes or in water containing few drops of lemon juice. Both these solutions will help to remove pesticides.
  12. To clean potatoes: Soak potatoes in water for some time. Then wash them under water thoroughly. Any soil and E. coli sitting on potatoes will wash away.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 5, 2020
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Deep Vein Thrombosis

How To Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a condition that is a formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. These blood clots develop in the lower leg, pelvis, or thigh. It can also form in the arm. Deep Vein thrombosis (DVT) can happen to anybody resulting in disability, serious illness and if not treated, it can be fatal. 

Is DVT is preventable? The answer is yes if it is diagnosed early and is treatable. In some people, serious pain will lead to the discovery of DVT. 

There are two types of blood clots that affect the body depending on the location and type of blood clot: 

  • DVT: A blood clot that develops in the leg, arm, the pelvis is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This type of blood clot does not cause a heart attack or stroke.
  • Arterial thrombosis: A blood clot in an artery, usually in the heart or brain- This type of blood clot can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Symptoms, causes, and complications of DVT:

Symptoms of DVT: In the initial stages most common symptoms of DVT are:

  • Warmth and pain around the affected skin
  • The dark color of the skin 
  • Skin warmth to touch
  • Bulging twisted veins 

Following is a list of factors that increase the risk of developing DVT (CDC):

Following is a list of factors that increase the risk of developing DVT (CDC):

Injury to a vein, often caused by:

  • Fractures
  • Severe muscle injury
  • Major surgery (involving the abdomen, pelvis, hip, or legs)

Slow blood flow, often caused by:

  • Confinement to bed (due to a medical condition or surgery)
  • Limited movement (like cast on a leg to help heal an injured bone)
  • Sitting for a long time, especially with crossed legs; or Paralysis.

Increased estrogen, often caused by:

  • Birth control pills
  • Hormone replacement therapy, sometimes used after menopause
  • Pregnancy, for up to 3 months after giving birth

Certain chronic medical illnesses, such as:

  • Heart disease
  • Lung disease
  • Cancer and its treatment
  • Inflammatory bowel disease -Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

Other factors that increase the risk of DVT include:

  • Previous DVT
  • Family history of DVT
  • Aging  
  • Obesity
  • A catheter located in a central vein
  • Inherited clotting disorders
  • Varicose vein

Prevention of DVT: Move around as much as possible if you are confined to bed after surgery or illness. Seek someone’s’ assistance to move if you must. If you’re at risk for DVT, talk to your doctor about:

1.Graduated compression stockings or medical compression stockings.

2.Any medication like anticoagulants.

3.If you are traveling and sitting more than four hours then-

4.Get up and walk around every few hours so that your legs won’t swell

5.Exercise your legs in sitting position- raise and lower heels, move toes, tighten and release leg muscles.

6.While traveling wear loose-fitting clothes.

7.Maintain healthy weight, avoid sedentary lifestyle. Practice going for walk and reduce strain on legs

8.Drink enough fluids. Staying hydrated is one of the key factors to prevent DVT

Staying healthy, active, and improving lifestyle is key to prevent DVT. Dealing with DVT is difficult and it needs proper attention and good care. Consult a vascular specialist if you are experiencing symptoms of DVT and plan on going through treatment. This will reduce complications and serious sickness that one could experience due to DVT.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/

https://www.medicinenet.com/

https://emedicine.medscape.com/

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blausen_0290_DeepVeinThrombosis.png

Attribution: BruceBlaus “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436., CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 3, 2020
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Mask mouth symptom

Mask Mouth Symptoms and Care

Have you noticed a type of unpleasant smell under the face mask that makes us feel sick? It is called “bad breath” or halitosis. Apart from this, people also are experiencing mouth dryness more than usual, sore throat, toothache, sometimes coughing and gum bleeding (causes stained teeth and bad breath) after wearing a mask for longer hours. This condition is called “mask mouth”.  It is not only embarrassing but also makes it difficult to breathe as we must follow safety guidelines.

Mask mouth / Meth mouth:

Says Dr. Rob Ramondi, a dentist and co-founder of One Manhattan Dental: “We’re seeing inflammation in people’s gums that have been healthy forever, and cavities in people who have never had them before,” “About 50% of our patients are being impacted by this, [so] we decided to name it ‘mask mouth’ — after ‘meth mouth.’ ”

How do we know we have mask mouth problems and how to address it?

Symptoms of mask mouth:

  • Bad breath
  • Sore throat and pain
  • Receding gums
  • Dry mouth
  • Tooth decay, toothache
  • Feeling sick
  • Sometimes coughing, unable to breathe properly

Dentists are seeing more patients than before, according to the reports. Gum problem has been increasing in many due to improper mask and oral hygiene. Gum disease or periodontal disease could eventually lead to increased heart attacks and strokes!

 When we wear a face mask, we keep breathing inside the mask. The carbon dioxide starts concentrating inside the mouth causing an acidic environment.  We have a good number of microbes situated in our oral cavity.  The acidic environment disturbs the pH inside the mouth and causes an imbalance in the oral microbiome and buildup of bad bacteria. Disturbance in the oral cavity leads to health issues. As we know oral hygiene is critical to maintaining good health. What does it mean? If oral hygiene is not maintained, it causes inflammation leading to low immune resistance!

How to address Mask mouth condition?

Focus on good oral hygiene: As Ayurveda daily routine says, focus on oral health. Brush and floss twice daily – morning and night. Rinse mouth with water after consuming food. If you have a habit of taking nap then, once you get up from a nap clean the mouth. This will help to keep the mouth out of food particles as well as microbe build-up.

Cleaning gum: Some people suffer from gum disease because of a sulfurous chemical called methyl mercaptan produced by bacteria inside the mouth. This leads to a bad smell like rotten eggs. While wearing a mask one can have more bad breath problems. Contact the dentist and get a solution to the problem. A dentist might suggest what we should be doing to avoid such a problem.

Diet: Watch your diet because some drinks and foods can make breath sink. If you are stepping out, better avoid eating anything that is too fragrant or gives a strong odor like garlic, onion, radish. Some people end up with bad breath after drinking coffee and soda. If you eat or drink such food, then better rinse the mouth with water and mouth refresher. It is even better if you brush and floss the teeth before wearing a mask.

Clean masks: Some people attitude towards mask is very risky. Wearing the same cloth masks multiple times without washing or not replacing disposable masks can lead to a bigger problem. Respiratory particles from the breath will end up in the mask which we breathe and it causes bad odor, sore throat, throat pain, and coughing! Wearing properly fitted masks helps to get adequate airflow. Using such masks makes it impossible for carbon dioxide accumulation.

Don’t forget to drink water: While wearing a mask, people tend to breathe through the mouth instead of through their nose. This creates dryness in the mouth and dehydration problem. It means, there will be little, or no saliva produces inside the mouth. Saliva is what fights the bacteria and cleanses our teeth. People tend to drink less water after wearing the mask and it leads to less saliva causing issues of tooth decay or gum disease or both.  To produce saliva and to reduce dehydration we must drink more water.

We cannot risk ours as well as other’s safety by not wearing a mask. Mask is a must for all till we have other alternative solutions or come out of covid-19 at the global level. The new norm is when we step out, we must carry and wear a mask while in public. Wearing masks helps us to be safe and prevents sharing the germs especially the Covid-19 and flu germs. We all are getting used to wearing masks and we also must practice good oral hygiene to avoid Mask mouth condition and to maintain a good immune system.

References;

  • https://nypost.com/https://www.oralhealthgroup.com/
  • https://www.umms.org/
  • https://www.unitedconcordia.com/
  • Image credit: Image by Thomas G. from Pixabay  (Dental hygiene: Free for commercial use) & https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-ifofi, https://www.pikist.com/free-photo-izalw (Masks images: Free for commercial uses)
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 2, 2020
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Raising vegan kid

Raising a vegan or vegetarian child

World Vegan Day is celebrated On November 1st. Day by day the percentage of vegans is increasing around the globe. More youngsters are adopting a vegan diet and influencing their family too! In Western countries, families are changing to a vegan diet from a non-vegetarian diet due to the choice and change in the diet habit of kids. How the parents can handle and raise a vegan child?

Suddenly if your meat-eating child comes home and says, “I no longer want to eat meat!”, as a parent you will be concerned and worried. The concern is understandable. For growing kids’ nutrients like calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, protein, iron is very essential and plant-based diets might not give all these essential nutrients in enough quantity. The next question in parents’ mind is “is it possible for my kid to be healthy without eating meat”. The answer is yes, absolutely!

Raising a vegan or vegetarian child can be challenging for parents who relay on meat for nutrients. Fondness and kindness towards animals are changing children to be vegans. Many children find it hard to convince parents to let them become vegan. Most parents are skeptical about it.  Parents worry about where the child gets protein by eating just plant food.

What parents should know:

There are millions of people who are either vegetarians or vegans by birth. They have their daily menu that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner- all prepared with plant products. Do you know the healthiest breakfast in the world is idli and it is is plant-based food? Idli has balanced amount of carbohydrate, protein, and fat! It is a traditional vegetarian breakfast. In fact, well planned plant-based diets are nutritionally adequate, healthful and give good solution for many serious conditions. Plant based diets are good for all stages of life including pregnancy, childhood, adolescence, adults, seniors. Many athletes prefer vegan or vegetarian diet to be fit and healthy.

Kids can follow vegan or vegetarian diet and get all the nutrients that are essential for their growth. These nutrients are available in whole grains, lentils, legumes, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts. One must understand and learn the quantity per serving that supplies enough amount of nutrients for growth and development.

Teenagers and young adults may choose plant-based diet for ethical or environmental reasons. But, studies show that there is growing number of toddlers and preschoolers who does not prefer taste or texture of animal protein. Whatever might be the reason, all growing kids should get adequate amount of nutrition.  Parents should consider the sentiments and respect child’s decision for selecting plant-based diet.

How parents can raise vegan or vegetarian children?

  • Understand what vegan and vegetarian diets is. Do not make fun of child or pass negative comments, instead just support and respect child’s good decision.
  • Talk to a dietitian or pediatrician to know sources of different nutrients in plants.
  • Learn about servings and teach child the importance of serving and nutrient intake
  • There are many dishes that can be made to be vegan or vegetarian by replacing animal protein.
  • Plant protein is available in different forms – buy and store them in your pantry and refrigerator
  • Support your child by learning to cook plant-based dishes. Simple soup, curry, salad, veg burger preparation at home will help to boost child’s confidence.
  • For a change, parents can try replacing animal protein with soy products. Make things delicious!
  • Consider veggie pizza, vegetable lasagna, hummus wraps, vegetable curry, tofu stir-fry, grilled or roasted vegetables, light spicy soups.
  • Keep fresh fruits and vegetables at home all the time.
  • For dessert try vegan cakes, ice cream or vegan bakery items. Try different smoothies that fills stomach.
  • Nutritional adequacy is main concern for parents of vegetarian children. Parents should know, various plant sources easily meet protein needs – beans, lentils, peas, soy, nuts, tempeh etc. Learn about adequate serving to fulfill daily nutrients supply for growing body. Two servings per day (as most vegetarians do) should fulfill protein needs. Milk and dairy products supply calcium. Orange juice and soy milk that are fortified, leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, collards also supply adequate calcium and iron. Vitamin B12 is the only concern for vegans and vegetarians. Choose fortified food or give Vitamin B12 supplement. That should be adequate for the child.

If your child decided to be a vegan or vegetarian, then it is a good decision. All parents should do is support the decision and ensure a good nutrition for child. Discuss and plan a diet chart with your child. To begin with, make sure calorie and nutrient intake is enough. Talk to vegetarians and other vegan parents if you have any concerns. Meet a nutritionist, dietitian to clear your doubts. Initially adopting to your child’s new diet might seems intimidating, later it can be not only your child’s identity but also of others in the family for all good reasons!

Image credit: Photo by Gabrielle Cepella on Unsplash

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 1, 2020
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