Dengue Fever And Nutrition

Dengue is a viral disease spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. Dengue is endemic to many tropical countries.

Know the symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. The signs of dengue fever are high fever, rash, vomiting, headache and severe joint pain. The symptoms for dengue hemorrhagic fever are more severe and can include respiratory complications, abdominal pain, bleeding, bruising and shock.

When talking about nutrition for dengue fever one cannot forget continuous rest and intake of water to the required amount which should be observed from the initial stages itself. It is more secure to consult a doctor if the above mentioned symptoms persist for more than 3-4 days. There are some people who are infected with the disease but no external symptoms. This is a very serious case as the disease will be brought to the notice of others only after it reaches the dangerous conditions. 

Yet there is no specific cure for dengue infection but the disease could be controlled to a large extent with the use of drugs

Sufficient nutrition can save many lives suffering from the illness. Do not delay to consult a physician or a doctor as it might get hard to cure under serious conditions. Scientists have taken actions on developing specific drugs and nutrition for dengue fever which are still on the progress. Hope they will give a better solution to this Health issue in the years to come. No one can detect the fact if a mosquito is carrying the disease or not.  Therefore one should take enough care to limit mosquito bites as far as possible. It is advisable to wear long dresses with full sleeves in order to cover your whole body.  Use bed nets and electric vapor mats to prevent mosquitoes. 2 hours after and before sunset are recorded as peak hours of mosquito biting.    

A mosquito becomes a dengue virus carrier only after biting an infected person therefore it is the responsibility of the patient to protect from mosquito bites.  

Paracetamol help to bring down fever and it is advised to use it only after the said time intervals. Aspirin and brufen could develop the risk of bleeding and reduce platelets therefore it is suggested to limit those drugs to be on the safe side. Antibiotics cannot help this. Platelet transfusion has to be done only in the case of very law platelet count and bleeding.

What to drink:

Purified water, coconut water and other healthy water preparations: lemon water, turmeric water, herbal water (with tarragon, lemon grass, mint)

Coconut juice replenishes electrolytes, minerals and other trace minerals lost by the body to dehydration.

Vegetable juices – carrots, cucumber, sweet potato tops, papaya leaves, moringa juice and other green leafy vegetables.

Studies show that pure organic vegetable juices can provide all the basics of human nutrition.

Fruit juices – papaya, oranges, guava,

"Prevention is better than cure". This saying is very true with dengue fever as it could be prevented.

RAMADAN SPECIAL

Bread nuggets

Ingredients:

Bread slice                              2

Red chilli powder                    1 Table spoon (Tbsp)

Salt                                          to taste

Coriander                                2 Tbsp

Baisen (gram flour)                5 Tbsp

Oil                                           for frying

Method:

Cut the corner of bred and shaped them in round.

Add all the other ingredients in baisen and mix it with water.

Heat oil in a pan.

Dip the shaped slices in the mixture and deep fry till it turns to golden brown.

Serve it with ketchup or mint chutney.

Spicy Potato Macaroni        

 

Ingredients:

Potato                                      ½ kg

macaroni (boil)                         1 cup

Ginger & garlic paste             2 Tbsp

Turmeric powder                    1 tsp

Cumin seed (zeera)                 1 tsp

Chaat masalah                        1 tsp

Red chilli powder                    1 Tbsp

Lemon juice                            2 Tbsp

Coriander leaves chopped      as required

Salt                                          to taste

Oil                                            2 Tbsp

Method:

Cut the potatoes in small squares and boil them.

Heat oil in pan and add ginger & garlic paste, turmeric powder, zeera, red chilli powder and salt. Stir constantly.

Add potatoes and macaroni in it.

Now add lemon juice & coriander leaves.

Sprinkle chaat masalah.

Serve hot.

Ramadan Special

Chicken Pakoray

Ingredients:-

·        12 kg boneless chicken pieces

·        3 Tbsp chili sauce

·        2 tsp crushed red chilies

·        3 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

·        1 egg

·        1 Tbsp Soya sauce

·        3 Tbsp cornflour

·        1 Tbsp honey
to taste

·        Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Mix all the ingredients, except chicken and corn flour.
Now add chicken pieces and mix well.
Refrigerate for two hours.
Add corn flour and mix well to make a smooth coating on the chicken pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry chicken on high heat till cooked.

Serve with chili garlic sauce & french fries.

 

Chicken Potato Cutlets

Ingredients:-

·        Chicken boneless boiled & shreded 200gms

·        Potato boiled & mashed 1/2 kg

·        Red chillies Powder 1-1/2 tsp

·        Salt to taste

·        Black pepper 1/2 tsp

·        Chat Masala Powder 1/2 tsp

·        Onion thinly chopped 2-3

·        Green coriander leaves 1/2 bunch

·        Zeera whole 3/4 tsp

·        Sabit Dhania 3/4 tsp

·        Lemon juice 1

·        Bread slices soaked in water & drained & mashed 2

Method:-

Mash Potatoes well. Mix all the ingredients in it one by one very well to form a thick mixture.
Shape them to small kababs.
Fry in pan with little cooking oil to golden.
Serve with tea or at dinner with tomato ketchup

DIET DURING RAMADAN

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on Allah, and practice self-sacrifice. Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking. The Arabic word for "fasting" literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.

Fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of Allah.

Ramadan fasting has spiritual, physical, psychological, and social benefits; however, man-made problems may occur, if fasting is not properly practiced.

During the holy month of Ramadan, our diet should not differ very much from our normal diet and should be as simple as possible. The diet should be such that we maintain our normal weight, neither losing nor gaining. However, if one is over-weight, Ramadan is an ideal time to normalize one’s weight. In view of the long hours of fasting, we should consume slow digesting foods including fiber containing-foods rather than fast-digesting foods. Slow digesting foods last up to 8 hours, while fast-digesting foods last for only 3 to 4 hours.

• Slow-digesting foods are foods that contain grains and seeds like barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, whole meal flour, unpolished rice, etc. (called complex carbohydrates). 
• Fast-burning foods are foods that contain sugar, white flour, etc. (called refined carbohydrates). 
• Fiber-containing foods are bran-containing foods, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables like green beans, peas, sem (papry), marrow, spinach, and other herbs like methie, the leaves of beet root (iron-rich), fruit with skin, dried fruit especially dried apricots, figs and prunes, almonds, etc. The foods eaten should be well-balanced, containing foods from each food group, i.e. fruits, vegetables, meat/chicken/fish, bread/cereals and dairy products. Fried foods are unhealthy and should be limited. They cause indigestion, heart-burn, and weight problems. 

Sahur:

First of all, there is no need to consume excess food at iftar, dinner. The body has regulatory mechanisms that activate during fasting. There is efficient utilization of body fat. Basal metabolism slows down during Ramadan fasting. A diet that is less than a normal amount of food intake but balanced is sufficient enough to keep a person healthy and active during the month of Ramadan.

Consume a light sahur. Eat whole wheat or oat cereal or whole wheat bread, 1-2 servings with a cup of milk. Add 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil or any other monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats in a salad or the cereal. Eat 1-2 servings of fruits. Yoghurt is good to consume in sahur.

Iftar:

The body's immediate need at the time of iftar is to get an easily available energy source in the form of glucose for every living cell, particularly the brain and nerve cells. Dates and juices are good sources of sugars.

Avoid
• Fried and fatty foods. 
• Foods containing too much sugar. 
• Over-eating especially at sahur (the meal before beginning the fast).
• Too much tea at sahur. Tea makes you pass more urine taking with it valuable mineral salts that your body would need during the day. 
• Smoking cigarettes. If you cannot give up smoking, cut down gradually starting a few weeks before Ramadan. Smoking is unhealthy and one should stop completely.  

Eat
• Complex carbohydrates at sahur so that the food lasts longer making you less hungry. 
• Haleem is an excellent source of protein and is a slow-burning food. 
• Dates are excellent source of sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium and magnesium. 
• Almonds are rich in protein and fiber with less fat. 
• Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium and carbohydrates. 

Drink
• As much water or fruit juices as possible between Iftar (breakfast) and bedtime so that your body may adjust fluid levels in time. 

Normal or overweight people should not gain weight. For overweight people Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to lose weight. Underweight or marginally normal weight people are discouraged from losing weight. Analyzing a diet's energy and nutritional component, using food composition tables or computer software, will be useful in planning an appropriate diet.

It is recommended that everyone engage in some kind of light exercise, such as stretching or walking. It's important to follow good time management practices for Ibadah (prayer and other religious activities), sleep, studies, job, and physical activities or exercise.

UNDERSTANDING THE ELEMENTS OF HEALTH

The body is the complex organism that has the ability to heal itself ­­­­­­­­­-if only you listen to it and respond with proper nourishment and care. The human body is the greatest machine on earth. Think of your body as being composed of millions of tiny little engines.  The fuel we give our bodies’ engines comes directly from the things we consume. The foods we consume contain nutrients.

Individual nutrients differ in form and function, and in the amount needed by the body; however, they are all vital to our health. Research has shown that each part of the body contains high concentrations of certain nutrients. A deficiency of those nutrients will cause the body part to malfunction and eventually break down-and like, dominos, other body parts will follow.

Brain function, memory, skin elasticity, eyesight, energy, the ratio of lean to fat tissue in the body, and overall health are all indications of how well the body is functioning. With the help of the proper nutrition, exercise and a balanced diet, we can slow the process of aging and greatly improve our chances for a healthier and pain-free and possibly, longer-life.

If we do not give our self the proper nutrition, we can impairs the body’s normal function and cause ourselves great harm. Even if we show no signs of illness, we may not necessarily be healthy. It simply may be that we are not yet exhibiting any overt symptoms of illness. One problem most of us have is that we do not get the nutrients we need from our diets because most of the foods we consume our cooked and/ or processed. Cooking at high temperatures and processing destroy vital nutrients the body needs to function properly. The organic raw foods that supply these elements are largely missing from today’s diet.

Your body’s nutritional needs are as unique to you as your appearance is.  The first step toward wellness, therefore, is to be sure you are getting the correct amounts of the proper nutrients. By understanding the principles of the holistic nutrition and knowing what nutrients you need, you can improve the state of your health, ward off diseases, and maintain a harmonious balance in the way nature intended.

Eating a healthful diet and supplementing your diet with appropriate nutrients will help to assure that your organs, cells and tissues get the fuel they need to operate properly. The nutrients promote healing and wellness by allowing the body to heal and reinvigorate itself.  

Good nutrition is the foundation of good health. Everyone needs the four basic nutrients – water, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, - as well as vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients. To be able to choose the proper foods, and to better understand why those foods should be supported with supplements; you need to have a clear idea of the components of a healthy diet.

Anti-oxidants

Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as enzymes (proteins in your body that assist in chemical reactions).

Antioxidants are substances or nutrients in our foods which can prevent or slow the oxidative damage to our body. When our body cells use oxygen, they naturally produce free radicals (by-products) which can cause damage. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers" and hence prevent and repair damage done by these free radicals.

The benefits of antioxidants include stopping oxidation process and returning stability to the body. They prevent cell damage and improve the body’s ability to repair itself. Antioxidants fight off the negative effects of oxidative stress on the cells caused by free radicals. Their presence in the body not only stops cell degeneration, but helps healthy cells grow.

Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer are all contributed by oxidative damage. Antioxidants may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. Stress, pollution and aging can damage the immune system. Antioxidants keep the immune system strong thereby making it easier to fight off diseases.

The presence of antioxidants in the body helps slow the signs of aging by fighting against premature aging of cells. Staying youthful is one of the most sought after benefits of antioxidants. Keeping cells healthy inside the body keeps a person’s outer appearance looking healthy. Those with high numbers of antioxidants in the body tend to have healthier skin, less wrinkles and a more youthful appearance.

Antioxidant substances include

• Beta-carotene
• Lutein
• Lycopene
• Selenium
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

Antioxidants are found in varying amounts in foods such as vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, eggs, meat, legumes and nuts. Some antioxidants such as lycopene and ascorbic acid can be destroyed by long-term storage or prolonged cooking. Other antioxidant compounds are more stable, such as the polyphenolic antioxidants in foods such as whole-wheat cereals and tea. The effects of cooking and food processing are complex, as these processes can also increase the bioavailability of antioxidants, such as some carotenoids in vegetables. In general, processed foods contain fewer antioxidants than fresh and uncooked foods, since the preparation processes may expose the food to oxygen.

Antioxidant compounds	Foods containing high levels of these antioxidants
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)	Fresh Fruits and vegetables
Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols)	Vegetable oils
Polyphenolic antioxidants (resveratrol, flavonoids)	Tea, coffee, soy, fruit, olive oil, chocolate, cinnamon, oregano and red wine
Carotenoids (lycopene, carotenes, lutein)	Fruit, vegetables and eggs.

Choosing raw fruits and vegetables rather than cooked, provides the highest concentration and best absorption of antioxidants. Dietary supplements are also available for those that do not consume enough antioxidant-producing foods.

 

Diet According to Blood Donation

Blood donation not only could help others but also is good to body health.

In order to donate blood, you must be in good health, at least 17-years-old, weigh at least 110 lbs. and be able to pass a health history assessment. The specific requirements vary according to each state and may change if you are donating a specific part of your blood, such as red blood cells, plasma or platelets.

Donating blood can cause temporary weight loss. According to the University of Southern California Blood Donor Center, this weight loss is typically 1 to 2 lbs. and is recovered after only two to three days as your body replaces its lost fluids.

If you have recently experienced weight loss or are attempting to lose weight, ask your doctor before donating blood to make sure that it is safe and will not interfere with your weight loss program. If you are hoping that donating blood will provide weight loss, focus instead on a healthy varied diet and regular physical activity.

Diet Before Blood Donation:

The diet before donating blood should be light and avoid greasy foods. Do not eat high protein food such as shrimps and crabs to prevent protein deterioration and allergic substances in the blood; do not eat too full on the night before and do not drink alcohol two meals before; keep good sleep and do not have strenuous exercise; do not donate blood with empty stomach, and people should eat some foods such as porridge and bread to avoid dizziness, palpitation, sweating and other responses. In addition, if people get cold or cough before, they should put off blood donation. And women should avoid donating blood three days before and after menstruation.

Diet After Blood Donation:

After donating blood, people should notice the nutrition calculation. They can eat lean meat, eggs, soy products, fresh fruits and vegetables to promote faster recovery of blood components. But do not overeat and drink alcohol. If the diet is scientific and nutritional the blood will recover in short time.

Drink more water to supplement the lost liquid, you can also drink brown sugar water to achieve goals of supplementing iron and blood. Do not drink tea during one month. Eat more hematopoietic food. The main raw materials of blood generation are protein, iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Thus, body absorbs such substances to supplement blood and prevent anemia. Blood donation could stimulate the blood regeneration in body and it is good for health.

 

Exercise After Blood Donation:

If you are following a weight loss program that requires strenuous exercise, you may not be able to follow the program immediately after giving blood. Light exercise is safe, but you should avoid intense activity or heavy lifting for 24 hours after donating blood.