Dr. Gunjan Kacker

Pregnancy is that period of time in a woman's life when she is excited about giving birth to her baby. She is not only responsible to keep herself healthy, but her baby is also her responsibility. What she eats, how she lives and her daily routine will affect the baby. Thus, to have a healthy pregnancy it is necessary that you exercise regularly and eat well. You should also avoid those things that may hurt your baby. 

Take care of what you eat:
During pregnancy it is important to get proper nutrition so that you and your baby are healthy. For slow and gradual weight gain, it is necessary to pay close attention to the folic acid, calcium and iron intake. However, if you are obese, then your weight gain regime will be different from others. 

The diet during pregnancy should include:

1. Intake of fruit and vegetables is important as they are good sources of vitamins, minerals and even fiber. They are good for digestion and also help in preventing constipation. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
2. During pregnancy carbohydrates are also important as they act as an important source of energy. Different food items that are rich in carbohydrates are potatoes, bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, millet, maize, oats, yams, sweet potatoes, and corn meal. It is better to eat whole grains and potato with the skin on as they are rich in fiber. 
3. Intake of protein is very important during pregnancy, and thus you should take lean meat, pulses, beans, nuts, fish, and eggs. All these items should be cooked well so that you do not face any problem in digestion during pregnancy. 
4. It is also necessary to eat dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt during pregnancy. They are important because they contain the calcium and nutrients that are necessary for the growth of the baby. 

What to avoid?
Just as you should eat certain food items to be healthy, there are certain foods that must be avoided to be fit and healthy. Avoid the following during pregnancy

1. Drugs and alcohol
2. Medicines that are not prescribed by your physician
3. Smoking tobacco
4. Fried and oily food
5. Fishes those are rich in mercury like shark, tilefish, swordfish and those fishes that are caught in local waters are not considered safe. 
6. Too much intake of caffeine is also hazardous for a pregnant lady. 

Thus, by following the above-mentioned  diet tips you can keep your baby and yourself healthy. Always get advice from your physician for any decision that you take during pregnancy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

1.  Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts
2. Greens, including red leaf lettuce and arugula
3. Green and red peppers
4. Beans and lentils
5. Almonds
6. Berries

Today ‘working’ usually implies sitting at a desk from morning to evening. While this may seem more comfortable than working in the fields, sitting at a desk can trigger a host of back problems. This is because sitting in the same position all day makes the spine bend forward and lowers the efficiency of the back muscles. Working at a desk not only strains your back, but also restricts your movements to typing on a keyboard and moving a mouse.

Once a back problem begins, it usually lasts a lifetime hence; here are a few tips to save your back.

1. Get yourself a good chair: Your chair is crucial to your back’s health. Avoid the hard backed plastic chairs and pick a more flexible mesh backed office chair if you sit at the table for a long span of time. Ergonomic chairs may seem expensive, but are worth the expense in the long run.
2. Stretch your muscles: Sitting in the same position all day, puts the muscles under stress and with time can constrict the muscles. Make it appoint to stand up every 30 minutes and stretch your back and sides. Also try rotating your hips and shoulders form time to time.
3. Take a break: No matter how much work you have in front of you, take a break at the end of each hour. Taking even 2 minutes off out of 60 every hour can have a huge impact on your health. If you still feel guilty skip using the phone to connect with your colleague and walk over to their desks instead.
4. Get a pedometer: Keeping a pedometer will help you track the number of steps taken in a day. Ideally, a person should take 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. If you sit at a desk for majority of the day, take every opportunity you can to up the count on your pedometer. Go for a walk around your office after lunch or park your car a little way off from the office to create opportunities to walk.
5. Take the stairs: As far as possible avoid escalators and elevators. Instead climb stairs for a quick workout. If your office is on the 20th floor, walking up may not be feasible, but you could get off the elevator on the 18th floor and walk up the remaining two floors.
6. Eat healthy: Lastly, pay attention to what you eat. Avoid eating at the office canteen or picking up a bite at the coffee shop and carry lunch from home. This ensures that you eat a balanced meal. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Physiotherapist.

A detox diet is a temporary food habit, which involves detoxifying your body without causing much stress. Detoxifying includes cleansing your body of toxins, bacteria, and viruses that build up inside it. It usually lasts for a few days, and a detox diet consists of foods that are easy to digest and low in fat and protein. These foods help liver function and increase your metabolism, which brings about the detoxification progress.

Some of the constituents of a detox diet are:

1) Drinking copious amounts of water - Water performs many bodily functions like regulating body temperature, hydrating the body, regulating bowel movements etc. One such vital function is flushing out toxins. The more water you drink, the more toxins get flushed out of your body. Drinking eight glasses of water each day is advisable. Plus, water also helps to control hunger.

2) Munch on fruits and vegetables - Replacing your daily diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in fiber, can help remove toxins. It also provides the body with necessary nutrients and antioxidants. Fruits rich in fiber are spinach, broccoli, avocado, blueberries, beans, artichoke and many others.

3) Eating oranges, lemons or limes - Citric acid helps to dissolve toxins within the body and increases and improves the functioning of the liver. Lemons contain the highest amounts of citric acid and eating them on a daily basis can be highly beneficial.

4) Drinking herbal tea - Herbal tea, which is a huge source of antioxidants and water, helps to flush toxins out of the body. Green tea is a good example of this and is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties as well.

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Related Tip: 5 Quick-fix Detox Drinks That Will Do Damage Control

Decline in muscle strength and flexibility, slower balance reflexes and some vision problems are some of the prevalent causes of falling down amongst elders.