Pregnancy is a really beautiful as well as a very sensitive phase in a woman’s life. Craving for your favourite food in the middle of the night, or even throughout the day, is a perfectly normal phenomenon. Although you deserve to be pampered with your favourite food, however, there are certain foods which irrespective of cravings you really need to avoid for the well being of that tiny little life inside you.
Here is a list of food items to be avoided during pregnancy.
Starting with fruits, papaya and pineapples are big negatives. These fruits contain substances that produce uterine contractions inducing labour, and thus, abortion.
Sesame seeds also tend to excite uterine muscles thereby causing contractions which may lead to abortion. So it would be an intelligent step to avoid intake of these. Other dry fruits like raisins, dates, almonds, walnuts, pistachios are safe to consume in a moderate amount.
Spices that make way into this list include fennel and fenugreek seeds. These may induce uterine contractions too.
Although fish is rich in omega 3 and is an important food to include in the pregnancy diet, intake of some sorts of fish might not be a good idea. Here is a list of the kinds of fishes that should be avoided.
Fishes containing mercury
Smoked or refrigerated seafood.
Fishes cultured in polluted water
Shellfish that is undercooked. Eg, clams, mussels, oyster
Undercooked or raw eggs may be tainted with salmonella bacteria that might cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Desserts or sauces containing raw or uncooked egg should be avoided.
Any form of undercooked or treated meat or poultry. This is because a parasite named toxoplasma may be present that might cause excessive food poisoning which in turn could cause foetal damage or miscarriage.
Milk is one of the essential foods in pregnancy diet; however, any sort of unpasteurized milk is strictly negative.
Sprouts and raw vegetables should be avoided. However, these can be eaten if shallow fried.
One major setback for coffee addicts is that caffeine intake is required to be lowered to minimum amounts; that is, not more than one cup a day.
Supplements
Saccharine
Canned food as well as street food.
There are many more little details that should be taken care of but this list would be handy for newly pregnant women. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.
Lasers are being used to remove unwanted hair, resurface the skin to remove scars, wrinkles and boost collagen. But are they safe? This is the question that plays on numerous minds. Let’s try to answer this question here.
First, let’s look at what lasers are. They are basically radiation, but of a safe variety. Laser therapy uses non-ionizing radiation to produce a fine laser beam which in laser hair removal is used to kill the hair follicle. This therapy is used to remove tattoos, plump up the skin and is also used in dental treatments, treatment for varicose veins, skin and eye surgery and as a treatment for skin cancer.
The type of radiation coming out from lasers is sometimes called non-ionising radiation. This is different from ionising radiation from nuclear sources and X-rays which are carcinogenic or cancer-causing. In terms of cancer risk, X-rays and gamma rays are the most dangerous and are known as high-frequency ionising radiation. Yet, X-rays are used even today to take pictures of our bones.
What is important is that when this kind of ionising radiation passes through our bodies, it can cause direct damage to our cell’s DNA and can lead to cancer later on. This doesn’t happen when lasers pass through the layers of our skin. The US Food and Drug Administration, FDA states that the light energy from these lasers does not penetrate deep into the skin. The laser beam remains superficially at the level of the skin and these lasers don’t cause DNA damage and DNA mutations, which are changes in DNA, linked to cancer.
Lasers are being used to remove unwanted hair, resurface the skin to remove scars, wrinkles and boost collagen. But are they safe? This is the question that plays on numerous minds. Let’s try to answer this question here.
First, let’s look at what lasers are. They are basically radiation, but of a safe variety. Laser therapy uses non-ionizing radiation to produce a fine laser beam which in laser hair removal is used to kill the hair follicle. This therapy is used to remove tattoos, plump up the skin and is also used in dental treatments, treatment for varicose veins, skin and eye surgery and as a treatment for skin cancer.
The type of radiation coming out from lasers is sometimes called non-ionising radiation. This is different from ionising radiation from nuclear sources and X-rays which are carcinogenic or cancer-causing. In terms of cancer risk, X-rays and gamma rays are the most dangerous and are known as high-frequency ionising radiation. Yet, X-rays are used even today to take pictures of our bones.
What is important is that when this kind of ionising radiation passes through our bodies, it can cause direct damage to our cell’s DNA and can lead to cancer later on. This doesn’t happen when lasers pass through the layers of our skin. The US Food and Drug Administration, FDA states that the light energy from these lasers does not penetrate deep into the skin. The laser beam remains superficially at the level of the skin and these lasers don’t cause DNA damage and DNA mutations, which are changes in DNA, linked to cancer.
In case you have a concern or query regarding skincare consult doctor online, you can always consult the best dermatologist online & get the answers to your questions.
Few tests are needed before starting the treatment in an Infertile Couple.
These include
1) Semen Analysis of the Husband
2) Wife's Blood test for AMH, Rubella and Thalassemia
3) Wife's TVS to look for the ovaries and the uterus
4) Wife's HSG to look for the Fallopian Tubes.
1) For any disease, we should do the tests ONLY when the test will give important information that is helpful to change the decision for treatment. If a test does not change the decision, it is not helpful.
2) There are thousands of tests. It does NOT make any sense that you have all those and then start treatment.
3) In some cases, the treatment procedure may be expensive. If you spend too much in the tests, it's difficult to carry out the actual treatment.
You know, it is a tyle of "Microsurgery" by which a camera is inserted inside the abdomen to look for the uterus and ovaries in the best manner. But it's a major surgery, so it should be done only in few cases like
B) If there is Hydrosalpinx (Swollen Tubes), Large Cysts in the ovaries, Large Fibroids in the uterus or severe pain during menstruation.
It involves inserting a camera to see inside the uterus. It's also a surgery and therefore should ONLY be done, if there are
A) Abnormal bleeding, polyps or Fibroids inside the uterus or birth defects
B) In some cases of repeated IVF Failure.
It involves testing of some organisms like Toxoplasma, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes and Syphilis. Previously the test was done if there was Repeated Miscarriage.
Only case, where the TORCH testing is necessary, in the previous pregnancy, the baby died inside the uterus and no cause was found.
However, Rubella test is necessary to prevent this infection affecting your baby.
It involves testing for Lupus Anti Coagulant, Anti Cardiolipin and Anti beta 2 glycoprotein. These are essential if you had previous repeated miscarriage.
It means a blood test to check for the chromosomes. It is needed only in few cases
A) In a man with very low sperm count or Azoospermia and the testicles are not functioning.
B) In a women with early menopause.
C) In a couple with previous repeated miscarriage or previous baby with chromosomal abnormalities.
This means testing the semen for infection. This is needed only if there is suspicion of infection in the husband (pain or abnormal discharge, some cases of abnormal semen).
There is an ongoing intense debate on what to eat, how to eat and when to eat during pregnancy. While quality eating is becoming crucial by the day for everyone, it becomes vital for a pregnant woman. It is a widely known and well-established fact that what a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy is the primary source of nourishment for the baby. So, the experts suggest that a would-be mother should choose a wide array of healthy foods and beverages in order to provide the required nutrients that the baby needs for optimal growth and development.
Foods to eat during pregnancy:
To improve prenatal nutrition, you should eat more fruits, lean protein, vegetables, whole grains and of course, dairy products. You must fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, 1/4th of it with lean protein and the remaining 1/4th with whole grains. It is also vital to include dairy products in each meal.
During pregnancy, you should eat more protein, which can be found in dairy products, particularly Greek yogurt. Also, increase your intake of soybean, peanuts, chickpeas, beans, and peas in your daily diet as they are excellent plant-based source of iron, folate, protein, and fiber. Sweet potatoes should always find a place in your diet since they contain copious amounts of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Salmon contains Omega 3-fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, which are required for the development of the baby’s brain and the eyes.
Foods to avoid during pregnancy:
To enhance the good effects of these helpful foods, you should also curb down those that can prove to be detrimental to your health. Some of these include:
Note that even though pregnancy diet is referred to as eating for two, it doesn't mean that you will have to consume twice as much food as you used to consume. You are not eating for two until your second trimester, and the best thing you can do is to add 300 calories more along with the general dietary intake. So, consult with your doctor and frame a proper diet plan along these lines as suggested above to deliver a healthy baby.
There is an ongoing intense debate on what to eat, how to eat and when to eat during pregnancy. While quality eating is becoming crucial by the day for everyone, it becomes vital for a pregnant woman. It is a widely known and well-established fact that what a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy is the primary source of nourishment for the baby. So, the experts suggest that a would-be mother should choose a wide array of healthy foods and beverages in order to provide the required nutrients that the baby needs for optimal growth and development.
Foods to eat during pregnancy:
To improve prenatal nutrition, you should eat more fruits, lean protein, vegetables, whole grains and of course, dairy products. You must fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, 1/4th of it with lean protein and the remaining 1/4th with whole grains. It is also vital to include dairy products in each meal.
During pregnancy, you should eat more protein, which can be found in dairy products, particularly Greek yogurt. Also, increase your intake of soybean, peanuts, chickpeas, beans, and peas in your daily diet as they are excellent plant-based source of iron, folate, protein, and fiber. Sweet potatoes should always find a place in your diet since they contain copious amounts of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body. Salmon contains Omega 3-fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, which are required for the development of the baby’s brain and the eyes.
Foods to avoid during pregnancy:
To enhance the good effects of these helpful foods, you should also curb down those that can prove to be detrimental to your health. Some of these include:
Note that even though pregnancy diet is referred to as eating for two, it doesn't mean that you will have to consume twice as much food as you used to consume. You are not eating for two until your second trimester, and the best thing you can do is to add 300 calories more along with the general dietary intake.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been conclusively known to be the causative agent for AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which is a major killer disease of the modern times affecting almost 50 million people around the world.
The virus that causes ‘ Aids’ – HIV belongs to a family of viruses known as retroviruses. HIV looks like a rolled up porcupine. It contains two snakes like single strands of RNA along with reverse transcripts firmly wrapped up in a core, giving HIV its characteristic appearance.
On entering the white blood cells known as CD 4 cells, HIV produces its own DNA and sees to it that this gets inserted into the DNA of the host cell. The viral DNA has enough power and information to direct the destiny of the cell. It can force the cell to manufacture several new copies of HIV. However due to certain trigger and regulatory mechanisms, the viral DNA lies dormant in the host cell for several years before it begins to do the damage.
It has been known that CD4 lymphocytes are mainly affected by the HIV when these classes of lymphocytes are destroyed. It produces an immunological imbalance in the body and weakens the resistance to several opportunistic infections, consequently leading to death. The medicines available at present produce a decrease of the viral load, but as they are immunosuppresents they can produce a deterioration of the patients’ immunity.
People infected with HIV may take 7 – 10 years to develop AIDS.
AID/HIV in Ayurveda may be considered as Ojakshaya, meaning the loss of Vital Energy or immunity. The symptoms, Signs and Causative factors (Nidan), and the Treatment aspect has been described in many Ayurvedic Treaties like Charak Samhita, Susrutha Samhita and Ashtanga Hrudaya, Bhavprakash, Vaidya Chintamani and Chakradatta etc.
Ojas is essence of our body. Ojas is otherwise explained as ‘Bala’ (strength or immunity) and ‘Dhatusara’. Ojas is of two types namely, ‘para ojas’ and ‘Apara ojas’. The ‘ojas’ of para(excellent) type is eight drops in quantity, is located within the heart and death occurs when this get depleted. The other type ‘Apara ojas’ is also known as ‘sleshmaka ojas’, the quantity of which is described as Ardha Anjali and distributed throughout the body. When this ojas is not affected the bodily functions will be normal.
In conditions like HIV/AIDS, where loss of ojas is a prominent feature, people are found to be susceptible to various other diseases or infections.
A miscarriage can have adverse effects on both physical and emotional health. The impact of one such event can last for a very long time and harm your social behavior and thus, relationships. It is important to understand that in most cases, it is no one's fault. A number of things can go wrong naturally during the development of the fetus and so, the feelings of guilt, shame and anger are best avoided.
Here are the common causes responsible for miscarriages: