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.
Idli

IDLI, Healthiest breakfast and its nutrient composition

You all would have seen a video which shows “Idli as the most healthiest breakfast in the world”. Many of us are Idli lovers and it feels good!  What is the specialty of idli that makes it a preferred breakfast?

According to research on ‘India Breakfast Habits Study’ conducted by Dr. Malathi Sivaramakrishnan of Nirmala Niketan (with support of Kellogg India), the existence of well-defined breakfast foods like Idli and Dosa with Sambar ensures that Chennaiites have a breakfast adequate in calories compared to De­lhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Idli, a very popular fermented breakfast food consumed in the Indian subcontinent, consists mainly of rice and black gram. Idli fermentation was carried out in the conventional way in a batter having rice to black gram in the ratios of 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 at room temperature. It makes an important contribution to the diet as a source of protein, calories and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins, compared to the raw unfermented ingredients. It can be produced locally and used as a dietary supplement in developing countries to treat people suffering from protein calorie malnutrition and kwashiorkor (a form of malnutrition that occurs when there is not enough protein in the diet) Adding Saccharomyces cerevisiae along with natural bacterial flora of the ingredients, is commonly used to standardize Idli fermentation in terms of improved organoleptic characteristics, leavening and nutritional constituents. Traditional Idli fermentation involves several bacteria and yeasts, contributed by the ingredients rice ( Oryza sativa ) black gram (Phaseolus mungo) and the environment, with overall dominance of the former in bringing about various changes. Idli fermentation is accompanied by an increase in total acids, batter volume, soluble solids, reducing sugars, non-protein nitrogen, free amino acids, amylases, proteinases and water soluble vitamins B1, B2 and B12 contents, thus accounting for improved digestibility and nutritional value of the staples. (Future of Idlis: A scientific assessment by Elizabeth Yorke; under the guidance of Dr. Prabhakar Sastri, Manipal University),

What else Idli contains that makes it more healthy breakfast in India (& world)?

Protein, Fiber and Carbohydrates:

In a single idli, you consume 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of carbohydrates. For a light snack, that is a notable amount of protein and fiber with minimal carbohydrates. Healthy adults need 50 grams of protein and 225 grams of carbohydrates daily. Adequate protein facilitates muscle repair, and carbohydrates provide energy. Fiber promotes healthy digestion and bulks stool — men need between 28 and 34 grams of fiber and women between 22 and 28 grams daily.

Vitamins and Minerals:

One idli contains 1 milligram of iron, and trace amounts of calcium, folate, potassium and vitamin A. The iron is mostly from the black lentils, with about 25 percent of it from the rice. Iron keeps your blood oxygenated and is crucial for any diet. Men need 8 milligrams daily and women 18 milligrams.

How to prepare Idli?

Traditionally, Idli preparation is as follows:

[1] Soak the rice and black gram separately or together for 6-8 hours.

[2] After draining the water, grinding rice and black gram with occasional water

[3] Coarse grind and add a little salt to the batter

[4] Ferment at room temperature (69-75F)

[5] Deposit batter in Idli stand cups

After 15 to 20 minutes steaming have hot idlis with delicious saambar, fresh butter  and chutney !

References:

1) http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrition-idli-2667.html

2) Elizabeth Yorke: uture of Idlis’: A Scientific Assessment (A Study on South India’s Most Preferred Breakfast Cereal), Manipal University (2013-2014)

Image Source: http://images.mapsofindia.com/my-india/Idli-Sambhar.jpg

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 15, 2016
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Latest News: HIV contaminated blood transfusion in India

Latest News: HIV contaminated blood transfusion in India

HIV infected blood transfusion resulted in infection of more than 2000 people in India in past 17 months – India’s National Aids Control Organization (NACO) released the information at the insistence of information activist Chetan Kothari, who filed a petition for the report.

More than 2,200 people who received blood transfusions in India in the past 17 months were infected with HIV, new figures show. Blood transfusions are used when patients lose blood due to an injury or during surgery. About 84 % of blood used for such procedures in India reportedly comes from voluntary donations.

Mr. Kothari claims that the Government – provided the official data -the data was collected by India’s National Aids Control Organization (NACO), but was only released to the public when Kothari filed a Right to Information query.

India has more than 2 million people living with AID/HIV.  By law, In India the blood bank and hospitals where the blood donation and transfusion takes place, required to screen blood for HIV, as well as hepatitis B, C, and other infections, before a transfusion. However, the new data suggests this is not happening consistently across the country, possibly due to a lack of funding.

According to Kothari, “The problem lies in the cost of the tests which helps to determine the HIV. It costs about Rs. 1,200 for the test or $18 and lack of facilities creating these problems.  In big cities like Mumbai only the private hospitals have HIV testing facilities. Even the largest Government hospitals do not have the technology to screen blood for HIV”.

When it came to infection rates, some parts of the country were worse than others, with the highest number of transmissions – 361 cases – being reported in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. In the country’s west, the state of Gujarat recorded 292 cases and Maharashtra had 276 cases. As reported in local paper The Hindu, just last week, a three-year-old boy was infected with HIV after receiving contaminated blood to help treat serious burn injuries.

Mr. Naresh Goyal, deputy director general of the National AIDS Control Organization, said the numbers need to be put in context, as nearly 8 to 10 percent of infections in India were attributable to transfusions 20 years ago, but today that figure is below 1 percent. Naresh Goyal, told Himanshu Goenka over at the IB Times that the country has made great progress when it comes to reducing the risk of infection. He also pointed out that some people may test negative for HIV because the virus takes about 10 days after initial infection to be detected in a patient’s blood, showing a false negative.

“These are unfortunate cases and we are working towards the goal of zero transmission. Having said that, these numbers must be looked in the context of the scale of our HIV program,” he said. “It is now legally mandatory for every blood bank to screening the units before giving it to a patient.”  

India is the second-most populous country in the world and has the third-highest number of HIV-infected people in the world – at around 2.1 million people – following South Africa and Nigeria.

HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS, is most often passed through sexual contact, but also can be transmitted through injection drug use. Countries like the United States, United Kingdom and Australia do not allow gay or bisexual men to donate blood unless they have abstained from sex with men for at least a year.

India already has more than 2.1 million people living with HIV or aids, which is why it’s so important to screen blood for the virus before using it in transfusions. India has also banned blood banks from paying donors, to help reduce people at high-risk of HIV infection from donating.  The HIV infection rates are also slowly dropping in the country – in 2007 there were more than 2.2 million people infected. Still, there’s more that could be done. In countries such as the US, Australia, and the UK, potential donors are screened even before they donate blood, to make sure they do not carry any infections. The blood is then tested again afterwards by blood banks. These countries also do not allow people at high-risk of HIV, such as sexually active gay men, to donate in order to further reduce the risk of blood being donated during the 10-day false-negative window.

India is progressing towards new dimensions and economic conditions are improving. Hope this progress continues, and eventually people in India can receive a life-saving blood transfusion without the fear of infection.

Note from WHO: HIV is a virus that is spread through contact between body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, and breast milk. (It cannot be spread through sweat or urine.) The most common method of transmission is having sex without a condom (unprotected sex).  There is no cure for HIV. However, when it is caught and treated early most people do not go on to develop AIDS.  According to the World Health Organization, there are about 34 million people in the world who currently have HIV. Many of them live in sub-Saharan Africa.

See more at:

1) http://www.usnews.com/
2) http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016
3) BBC News
4) http://www.sciencealert.com/
5) http://www.ibtimes.com/

Image credit: Photo by Creators Collective on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 2, 2016
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Stress in Adolescents

Stress in Adolescents: How Adolescents can help themselves

Adolescence years start and cover from puberty to adulthood.  A young person who has undergone puberty but who has not reached full maturity- a teenager.  Adolescence can be roughly divided into three stages: early adolescence, generally ages eleven to fourteen; middle adolescence, ages fifteen to seventeen; and late adolescence, ages eighteen to twenty-one. In addition to physiological growth,

Adolescents go through lots of stress during these stages of their lives – due to changes in the body, study stress, competition, projects, exams and home work, peer pressure, adaptation to new things etc .

Some of the signs of stress in a teenager can show up in their emotions, body, thinking and behavior:

  • withdrawing from friendship groups or activities she usually enjoys
  • seeming nervous or anxious
  • sleeping too little or too much
  • eating more ‘comfort food’
  • eating less
  • wanting to be by oneself more than usual
  • crying
  • refusing to go to school
  • having emotional ‘ups and downs’ for no obvious reason
  • having less energy than usual
  • drinking more caffeine products or taking over-the-counter painkillers – for example, Advil, Motrin, codeine or ibuprofen
  • being aggressive
  • going down in schoolwork or results
  • not caring about her appearance
  • finding it hard to concentrate and stay focused
  • losing the thread of thoughts or conversations

(Read more here: https://healthylife.werindia.com/life-stages/teen-nutrition/stress-in-teenagers)

Here are some tips to reduce the stress level in adolescents.

1. Get regular exercises like yoga, jogging, running, martial arts, individual or team sports, walking, join gym for work out. Exercise is stress buster – remember !

2. Eat regular meals – do not skip meals. Have good amount of breakfast, lunch and dinner at appropriate time.

3. Avoid using excessive caffeine in the form of – coffee, tea, soda, diet soda, soft drinks, energy drinks

4. Do not drink alcohol, avoid drugs and do not be a part of illegal activities- Do not bend to peer pressure

5. Take a break from stressful activities or situations. Engage in hobby, listen to music, volunteer in vet hospitals, take care of pets, baby sit, read good books

6. Build a net work of people who has similar interest and help in positive ways.

7. Rehearse and practice for stressful situation – get ready for the examination well ahead.

8. Learn relaxation techniques – breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation techniques helps during stressful events.

9. Breakdown large task into small tasks – have priorities.

10. Learn to recognize and reduce self talk. Change negative thoughts to positive thoughts and keep smiling. Practice developing neutral thoughts and positive thoughts.

11. Do not spend too much time on social media and in selfies.

12. Learn not to demand perfection from yourself. It is okay not to be perfect. Results may vary, say next time will do a better job. Do not get disappointed if something goes wrong. Learn to feel good about yourself and doing good enough job is just okay.

13. Approach family members – spend time with parents, grandparents, siblings and seek advice and help. Talk to your counselor about your issues.

14. Get enough good sleep – do not go to bed very late. Get enough sleep – it will help you to overcome the heaviness of mind.

15. Eat good food – Aim for a family diet with plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, dairy foods and wholegrains. Explore meatless diet – try vegetarian and vegan foods.

For parents: If you observe and see your child’s worries have got worse over time, or your child’s stress is getting in the way of sleep, appetite, energy levels, enjoyment or socializing, it’s a good idea to see a professional. Professionals will help your child to relax and may advice in such a way to make things better and easy for the child.

References:

  1. http://raisingchildren.net.au/
  2. https://stressfreekids.com
  3. http://www.aacap.org/
  4. http://www.pamf.org/teen/life/stress/7stresstips.html
  5. Image credit: Photo by Jesús Rodríguez on Unsplash
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 1, 2016
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How to take charge of your life with a verbally aggressive person?

How to take charge of your life with a verbally aggressive person?

All of us will encounter people who are verbally aggressive, intimidating, controlling freak who take over our conversations or try to overpower us. They may be known to us and will be present everywhere – work, home, friends, public places, events etc.  People who have more empathy and soft natured find it difficult to handle these aggressive people and will move away from the person. Instead of moving away from a person understand and react in such a way so that you will handle more such people smartly and will not cut off the relationship. How that is possible? It is possible by reducing personalization; we can be less reactive and focus our energy on problem solving. With astute approach and good communication, an aggressive person can become more cooperative and less aggressive.

What are the common behaviors of aggressive person?

1) Control freak

2) Demanding

3) Need too much attention and praise

4) Anger

5) Pushing your buttons, pull your strings

6) Throw you out of your balance

7) Unnecessary arguments over small things or for no reasons

8) Abusive, yelling and shouting

9) Helpful but seek all the credit for the little work they do

10) Too much of intimidating.

How to handle such people?

Depending on the circumstances and situation, learn to handle these kinds of people in private or public.

1. Maintain composure and stay calm:

To use your better judgment stay calm and breath in and out. Instead of responding to harsh words take a deep breath and count slowly one to ten.  Many times, by the time you reach 10 you would have regained your composure and it clears your mind.  Instead of giving yourself to anger, you will respond to the person in a calm and composure mood. Maintain self-control and say, “I will get back to you later” or say, “You are very angry right now and you’re saying things you don’t mean. I am going to excuse myself. We can talk again after you calm down.” This helps to keep your tension low.

2. Maintain a distance and keep your options:

If it is not worth tussling with an individual then maintain a distance. Your happiness and well-being is important. If the person is negatively entrenched, do not try to engulf yourself in an argument or anger. Keep a healthy distance unless you are sure and feel that it is important that you have to get involved. Aggression to you may just be a panic attack for them that have put them in fight or flight mode. If you feel that you are stuck in the situation, seek help from trustworthy friends and family members.  Keep your options in mind and be ready to take a good decision.

3. Choose not to take it personally:

Aggressive people often hurt you by hurtful words. Do not take it to heart and make it personal.  You have an option how you respond and if you feel that it is not worth to listen to their hurtful words take it in one ear and leave it through another.  Do not allow words to go through your system and there is absolutely no need to be sad. It does not make you feel better and things will only worsen.  Practice de-personalizing the words of aggressive person by putting yourself in their shoes for a moment.  They might have not had an easy upbringing, difficult job, controlling partner, chronic pains or sickness.  Attempt to understand the meaning of the aggressive behavior. This does not mean that, (your) empathetic statements do not excuse unacceptable behavior. The point is to remind you that sometime people do what they do because of their own issues.

4. You have the right to be treated well and with respect:

Understand your rights and demand respect. Do not harm the person but express yourself with your feelings, opinions, and priorities.  Say no to the person without any guilty. If your opinion is different express it.  Everybody is different in this world – you may be born very different and it is okay.  If you are threatened physically, mentally then you have the right to question. Your happiness is important to lead healthy life.  Do not allow aggressive people to take advantage of your situations and good mind. Offender is not charge of your life, you are charge of your life.

5. Give them center stage but reclaim your power:

Often controlling people want more attention. They always complain. They will not focus on solving the problem.  Do not react to comments by being defensive.  Instead, ask direct question and have simple conversation with person. Your focus should be on solving the problem. Ask the aggressive person for a suggestion to fix the problem or offer your own solution.  If they still disrespect, you tell them, if they do not change the attitude, you will not talk to the person.  This will make other person think a bit and will back away.  If still the complain continues, change the topic and take charge of communication.

6. Do not allow person to violate your boundaries:

In a serious situation if the person is violating the respect and is trying to intimidate more, put your foot down and say it.  Do not show your anger, breath in and breath out before responding or count one to ten. Then say with calmness and composure that the person is crossing the limits. You should also set boundaries for the person -it requires you to assertively express how someone else’s verbal abuse makes you feel and that you don’t want to be treated in this manner.

7. Humor and smile:

Smile is a powerful tool.  In mild situations smile and react. Your ability to add humor to the situation with aggressive person in it, is the best tool that you have. This will break the ice. It only shows that you are calm and have superior composure.  This will help to reduce the tension.

8. Ask them do they need help:

If the anger and aggressiveness is going out of proportion, suggest them to seek help when they are in a better mood. Many website, experts and text lines will help in emotional situations.  Talk to the person about their behavior and aggressiveness that is making the people to move away in social life.  Often talking, discussing and seeking expert suggestion helps the person to be better.

Dealing with someone’s aggressiveness and hurtful words is really can be taxing.  The key to responding to verbal abuse is learning how to break free of the control and get your power back. Try to find a solution to keep yourself happy. Remember offender is not charge of your life, you are charge of your life. 

References:

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/
  2. http://www.campusalam.org/
  3. http://www.wikihow.com/
  4. http://family.custhelp.com/
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: May 31, 2016
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For Parents - Food Allergies In Children

For Parents: Food Allergies In Kids

An allergy is a heightened sensitivity to a foreign substance (called an allergen) that causes the body’s defense system (the immune system) to overreact when defending itself. The most common allergies that can happen to children are:

  • Outdoors: tree pollen, plant pollen, insect bites or stings
  • Indoors: pet or animal hair or fur, dust mites, mold
  • Irritants: cigarette smoke, perfume, car exhaust
  • Foods: peanuts, eggs, milk and milk products, soy, wheat, tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews), fish, shellfish (such as shrimp).

A child can develop allergies when a child is not with his or her parents. Parents need to make sure that their child’s school, day care or other program has a written emergency action plan with instructions on preventing, recognizing and managing allergies in class and during activities such as sporting events and field trips. If your child has been prescribed an auto-injector, be sure that you and those responsible for supervising your child understand how to use it.

Next few slides will talk about most common food allergies in children.

For more information visit: https://healthylife.werindia.com/life-stages/kids-nutrition/food-allergies/introduction

Egg Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Egg Allergy

Peanuts Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Peanuts Allergy

Milk Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Milk Allergy

Soy Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Soy Allergy

Wheat Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Wheat Allergy

Fish Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Fish Allergy

Shell Fish Allergy: Click here to know about the allergy

Shell Fish Allergy

References:

  1. http://foodallergies.yodish.com/
  2. http://mphsblog.org/
  3. http://acaai.org/allergies
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: May 26, 2016
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Egg Allergy

Egg Allergy

Eggs are one of the most common food allergens. People with an allergy to chicken eggs may also be allergic to other types of eggs, such as goose, duck, turkey or quail. Egg allergy develops when the body’s immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to proteins in egg whites or yolks. When eggs are eaten, the body sees the protein as a foreign invader and sends out chemicals to defend against it. Those chemicals cause the symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Egg Allergy Symptoms:

  • Skin reactions, such as swelling, a rash, hives or eczema
  • Wheezing or difficulty breathing
  • Runny nose and sneezingRed or watery eyes
  • Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
  • Anaphylaxis (less common)

Management: Avoid eating eggs, Read food labels; use alternatives to eggs in recipes. Inform your health care providers about your egg allergy; some flu vaccines and the yellow fever vaccine contain egg protein in varying amounts. Many recipes can be modified to avoid the need for eggs. When recipes call for three or fewer eggs, substitute each egg with a mixture of 1 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Alternative substitutes are 1 packet of unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 tablespoons of warm water (mixed when ready to use), or 1 teaspoon of yeast dissolved in cup of warm water.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Peanuts Allergy

Peanuts Allergy

Peanut allergy develops when the body’s immune system has an abnormal, hypersensitivity response to one or more of the peanut proteins. Peanuts can cause a severe, potentially fatal, allergic reaction. Casual contact with peanuts, such as touching peanuts or peanut butter residue, is less likely to trigger a severe reaction. Casual contact becomes a concern if the area that comes into contact with peanuts then comes into contact with the eyes, nose or mouth (for example, a child with peanut allergy gets peanut butter on her fingers, and then rubs her eyes). Food particles containing peanut proteins can become airborne during the grinding or pulverization, and inhaling peanut protein in this type of situation could cause an allergic reaction. In addition, odors may cause conditioned physical responses, such as a skin rash or a change in blood pressure.

Peanut Allergy Symptoms:

  • respiratory system (difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing),
  • gastrointestinal system (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea),
  • cardiovascular system (increased heart rate, decreased blood pressure),
  • neurological system (lightheadedness, passing out),

Peanut  Allergy Management and Treatment

  • Avoid peanut and peanut-derived products.
  • Administer epinephrine (adrenaline) to counter a severe reaction.
  • Always check food labels, even for products you know, as ingredients can change.
  • All individuals with a peanut allergy should have an emergency action plan outlining the treatment plan for an acute reaction. Since epinephrine injection is the only treatment for a significant allergic reaction, all individuals with a peanut allergy should carry an epinephrine auto-injector at all times.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Milk Allergy

Milk Allergy

Between 2 and 3 percent of children younger than 3 are allergic to milk. Although experts once believed that the vast majority of them would outgrow this allergy by the time they turned 3, recent studies contradict this theory. There are two main types of milk protein — casein and whey. Casein, the “solid” part of milk, comprises about 80 percent of milk protein. Whey proteins, found in the liquid part of milk, make up the other 20 percent. Within a short period of time after consuming milk or a milk protein, you may experience the following symptoms:

  • Hives
  • Stomach upset
  • Vomiting
  • Bloody stools, especially in infants
  • Anaphylaxis

Diagnosis:

Research suggests that some types of milk proteins (casein and two proteins found in whey, alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactalbumin) are more likely to cause serious reactions. A newer type of blood test, known as a component test, can help the allergist determine your risk for a serious reaction by looking for allergies to those specific proteins. Another test your allergist may order is an oral food challenge.

Management and Treatment:

Avoidance of milk or items containing milk products is the only way to manage a milk allergy. People who are allergic to milk and the parents of children who have this allergy must read ingredient labels very carefully. Most recipes calling for milk can be just as successful by substituting the equivalent in water, juice, or soy or rice milk.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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