The Health Risks Of Rapid Weight Gain In First Three Months Of Life

I've seen some of my friends' babies, born at low birth weight, around 2,5 - 2,7 kg. These babies seem so fragile, with bony hands, bony legs, even can literally see all the ribs. Actually, low birth weight is not a good thing. This can mean small brains and small organs, which is not a good start to life.

Research from Netherlands suggests that regardless of birth weight, how rapidly a baby gains weight in the first three months is associated with the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk later on in early adulthood.

In the past, people have thought that the circumstances in the womb which led to low birth weight, were what predisposed these children to heart disease later in life.

This new study though, has found that young adults with fat tummies, low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), less sensitivity to insulin (important to combat diabetes), were significantly more likely to have had rapid weight gain during the first 3 months of their lives. Unfortunately, the records didn't show which children were breastfed or formula-fed.

The study also found that these young adults who were born with a low birth weight are quite short as adults.

So, for parents, do check your baby's weight gain against the weight gain chart to make sure there is no significant increase in weight gain. Also, try to breastfeed your baby longer, for at least 1 year if possible, as recommended by AAP.

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For reference:

Leunissen RWJ et al. Timing and Tempo of First-Year Rapid Growth in Relation to Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk Profile in Early Adulthood. JAMA 2009;301(21):2234-2242

We All Can Die From Broken Hearted

It hit me long time ago, as I saw in some families, when one member of the family (be it the parent or the child) died due to some reasons, the other member of family will also die in the following weeks. It occurred to me back then, whether there might be some logical explanation that can justify why the other member of the family can die too? Is it dying because of broken hearted? Because of unbearable grieve and sorrow?

It turned out that this actually has a logical explanation behind it. I saw the news several days ago about dying because of broken hearted.

The fact is, you can die when someone you love dies, especially if the person is your partner or your child. This is due to increased risks of heart attack, according to Dr Thomas Buckley, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sydney.

Based on their research, the bereaved people experienced:

• psychological symptoms such as anger, depression, anxiety.


• physical symptoms such as reduced sleep, reduced appetite, increase in blood pressure and stress hormones, changes in immune system and blood clotting

The biological risk of heart attack is most intense in the first few weeks after the death of the loved one. But it decreases considerably 3 months after the death, and still continue to reduce down to 6 months (at this point, the researchers stopped measuring).

What's worth noting is that it's not just older people who are at increased risks of a heart attack. Younger people are also at significant high risks of a heart attack.

It is recommended for people to be prepared for death as this seems to be very important. And also having the right social support also helps greatly.

List of Foods Having Aphrodisiac Qualities

Apart from satisfying our hunger and taste buds, foods also have fringe benefits to them. Some foods are claimed to be able to increase arousal in both male and female. Here are the theories behind the aphrodisiac potential foods.

Arousal for Men
There are some components in oysters that have aphrodisiac qualities. For one thing, oysters contain varying levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects the arousal center in our brain. The effect is straight away. Secondly, oysters contain high level of zinc, that is important in raising level of testosterone in men. The effect, though, is not immediate.

Arousal for Women

Parsley and truffles may have aphrodisiac potential, as these food smell like that of androsterone, a pheromone usually responsible for men's musky body smell. This smell can influence arousal in women.

More Arousal
Ginger, cayenne pepper and garlic also can stimulate the arousal centers in the brain. Garlic which has anti-clotting properties can affect libido by increasing blood flow to brain and sex organs.

The smooth texture of chocolate and the cocoa's serotonin creating chemical, tryptophan, contributes to chocolate's aphrodisiac potential.

Happy experimenting potentially aphrodisiac foods! Best served with soft dimmed light or maybe during candlelight dinner. Do share stories of your experiences with these food (^-^)

Can Milk Consumption Increase Mucus Production

Milk has been long blamed for increasing mucus production. New studies concluded that there was no link between milk consumption and increased mucus production or asthma.

In one study, participants infected with the common cold virus reported symptoms of increased in mucus production after drinking milk, but when their mucus production was actually measured there was no statistical difference. In another study, there was no difference in the sensation experienced between drinking soy milk and cow's milk.

Many people also wrongfully claim mucus-milk phenomena as an allergy. The fact is that true cow's milk allergy is rare in adults. Children who have allergy to cow's milk usually outgrow the allergy when they are teenagers or even earlier. The symptoms are severe, rather than increased mucus production. The symptoms include rashes, vomiting and breathing difficulties. These symptoms appear within first 15 minutes to an hour after consumption.

On the other hand, lactose intolerance, causes diarrhoea, nausea or bloating. But lactose intolerance doesn't cause rashes or mucus. Lactose intolerance is caused by lack of enzymes required to process the sugar lactose.

Any suspicion on food allergy has to be confirmed by dietitian. Exclusion of milk in babies will cause unmet needs of nutritions, and lack of calcium in adults.

Poisonous Houseplants

My baby has just started to crawl around pretty quickly. She's been trying to crawl since last 2 months ago, not too much improvements since then, but she is one patient girl and keep on trying despite how many falls she had. All with no signs of frustation.

It is now the high time to start clearing away objects that are hazardous in nature when she can really crawl smoothly. Not only objects that can be hazardous, some houseplants are also potentially hazardous. Some poisonous houseplants include but not limited to the following:

- Azalea
- Bird of paradise flower
- Lily of the valley
- Caladium
- Mistletoe
- Morning glory
- Daffodil
- Philodendron
- English ivy
- Holly
- Hyacinth
- Hydrangea
- Iris
- Wisteria

Diet During Pregnancy Affects Your Child's Puberty

It is becoming a common knowledge that kids nowadays tend to have early puberty. Quite a lot of them start puberty as early as 7 years old! Young girls start menstruating at this age and their body start to change to become more womanly. Gosh. I remember back in my days, puberty starts around 10-12 years old. What a huge difference.

Apparently, what a pregnant mother eats during her pregnancy, and also lactation, affects her child's puberty. Researchers from Auckland University, New Zealand, found that the offspring of rats given high-fat diets started puberty significantly earlier compared to those rats given healthy diets. The same thing applies for rats given a calorie restricted diet.

The disadvantages of having early puberty would involve:
- changes in mood disorder
- increased prevalence in depression in adolescence
- increases in sexual activity in teenagers
- early puberty and early menopause in female
- link between early first period and breast cancer in female
- increased aggressive behaviour and risk taking behaviour in male

This study has just been published in the online journal PLoS ONE. Further research is needed though to replicate the study using different strains of rats, because different strains behave differently to diets and hence its impact.

Green Tea Benefits

I love drinking Japanese green tea, just because it taste nice. I have read many about the benefits of green tea.

However, a recent study published in Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the benefit of green tea is reduced chances of death from heart disease, but not cancer.

In order to benefit from green tea, men have to drink 5 or more cups a day. As for women, 3-4 cups a day.

Go drink more green tea today!

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For Reference
Journal of the American Medical Association
http://jama.ama-assn.org/

New Strain of HIV

All these times, it has been known that there have been separate transmissions of different HIV strains into human from chimpanzees. But now scientists have found that new strain of HIV virus has been transmitted to humans from gorillas.

The new virus subtype in a woman who migrated to France from Cameroon in West Africa. The researches are still unsure how the woman contracted the HIV virus from gorillas.

Apparently this new finding shows that the virus can jump easily between species.

Amino Acid Supplements and Bodybuilding Supplements

It has been 7 months since I gave birth to my daughter. From day 1 postpartum, I had 12 kilograms to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And because I delivered my baby by way of caesarean, I had to wait until 3 month postpartum in order to get green light from my gynae to get on to my fitness plan. After 3 months have passed, I was very much back into my exercise regime, ready to get all fit and back in shape.

When exercising, taking amino acids is important as they are the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be produced by our body, and hence, is important part of our nutrition. However, due to our busy and tight schedules, it is very easy to overlook our food intake and its nutrition. Taking amino acid supplements is thus the best and easy solution.

Besides the fats that I have to lose, I have always like having slight and lean muscles. I also took protein powder supplement, as protein is the building blocks of muscles.

Nutraplanet has a huge complete range of bodybuilding supplements. I can find all the supplements I need in their website, from amino acids, protein powder to fat burner supplements. Order can be easily made by calling their hotline number or buy online. The level of their service is excellent. The extent of their service even includes shipment tracking available at their website, and also forum where one can find and share information about the products.

And now 7 months postpartum, I have lost 10 kilograms. All thanks to my hardwork and supplements bought from Nutraplanet.

Watching Too Much Television Increases Risk of Asthma

Again, parenting tips for fellow parents. Please watch the hours your child spends in front of television. British study published in the journal Thorax, shows that children who watch tv for more than 2 hours a day double their risk of developing asthma.

The study suggests the link between breathing patterns and sedentary behaviour, resulting in developmental changes in the lungs and wheezing illnesses in children.

If your children do suffer from asthma, allow them to swim more. Swimming is a particularly good form of exercise for children with asthma as it is less likely to trigger asthma symptoms than other forms of exercise. In fact, regular swimming can increase the volume of the lungs and help develop good breathing techniques.

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For reference
Journal Thorax : http://thorax.bmj.com/

Atopic Dermatitis

My baby has been diagnosed having allergy by paediatrician. The so-called term is atopic dermatitis. The symptoms is white and red rashes on her body. So for my dear fellow moms, whose baby is also diagnosed with this term, please note the following things that you should keep your baby away from.

1. Smell : includes perfume, smoke, aromatherapy, etc. Keep your baby away from anything that has strong smell. Mom and people who take care of the baby should not use body lotion with strong smell.
2. Dust : do not sweep floor when your baby is around. You may want to vacuum instead.
3. Feather : never give your baby fluffy toys.
4. Cold : keep your baby's room at room temperature, i.e. 27 degrees Celcius.

What will happen if you do not avoid the above is that your child could easily suffer from cough, flu, and phlegm.

Stem Cell Therapy

I had just given birth to a beautiful healthy daughter by way of caesarean. My husband was not allowed into the operating theatre. He had to wait outside and was called only when our baby was already put inside incubator. He didn’t have the chance to cut the umbilical cord like how he had always imagined. All he got to do with the umbilical cord is to sign agreement papers to release the umbilical cord to the hospital.

Little did we know, the umbilical cord is actually very important. It is used in stem cell therapy to treat many diseases. There are varieties of stem cell therapies or treatment to treat range of diseases, such as lung, liver, neurological diseases to mention a few.

Biostemcellgenetics provides its patients with high quality alternative healthcare options. At MSC Health, the stem cell therapy or treatment program is catered to each individual based on his specific condition, thus resulting in finest treatment and care for each and every patient.

Their excellence also derives from their constant consultation with reputable scientists and researches worldwide, aiming to develop more effective medical treatments. This enables MSC to provide its patients with most updated clinical trial results and benefits of their various alternative medical treatments. Undoubtedly, patients could expect only the best out of MSC treatments.

So, contact MSC Health today for best possible treatment for your condition.

Nutritional Benefits of Green Mung Beans

Green mung beans (also known as green beans) are very beneficial towards our health. It has high level of iron to prevent anemia, phosphorus to prevent beriberi, vitamin B1 to prevent digestion problem.

Vitamin E from mung bean sprouts can help to increase fertility because of its alkalinity. Thus, it is also very effective in keeping gastric juice in check, helping in food digestion, and skin regeneration.

However, you should pay extra attention in the cooking process of green beans, as the nutritional value is easily diminished by heat and acid.

The correct way to cook green beans is to soak with water for 1-2 hours. Afterwards, cook it altogether with the water in medium heat for 30 minutes. It is ready to serve. You can add in sugar, milk, or coconut milk according to your liking.

For adults, green beans is very good to repair and maintain body system, especially during recovery phase from illness. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can benefit from its high level of iron and folate.

It is best if you could consume green beans daily. Or else you can take it once every other day, or twice a week.

Why Herbs Are Not Safe For Pregnant Women

Many Chinese people would take chinese herbs during their pregnancy. My families and my husband families are among those who believe that preggars should consume chinese herbs, to strengthen the uterus and thus the well being of the baby.

Consumption of chinese herbs is prohibited by my obgyn (obstetricians and gynaecologists) in Singapore. According to her, herbs do not have any quality control and thus should be avoided as we are unsure of the quality.

At first, I took some of chinese herbs during my pregnancy, and I fell ill. It was just the regular chicken herbs soup that I always took since I was young. I had stomach cramps. At first I thought it was just a coincidence. Then after the next 2 times I took the chinese herbs soup, I am very certain that the stomach cramp is due to the chinese herbs I consumed. It was in my early trimester of pregnancy. I avoided chinese herbs since then, and ignored what my family and my hubby's family said about the importance of consuming chinese herbs.

And I finally find a more detailed explanation in one of pregnancy books I am reading, on why preggars should avoid taking chinese herbs, or any herbal cures in general. So my preggars friends, or if there is any of you who is trying to conceive, note down this piece of information.

Medicinal herbs are drugs, often very powerful ones. Some are so powerful that they are used in laboratories to produce prescription medicines. Others have been used for generations in some societies to induce abortions, and some have been linked to miscarriage.

Even in a seemingly soothing cup of tea, some herbs are capable of producing such symptoms as diarrhea, vomiting, and heart palpitations. The use of herbal medicines presents an added risk that is not present hen the remedies come from the drugstore.

Herbs are not made under quality-controlled conditions, and may be dangerously strong or imptently weak. They may also contain harmful contaminants, including such allergens as insect parts, pollens, and molds, and even toxic agents such as lead or arsenic.

Considering the above, you should also avoid herbal teas. If you are craving for the taste or smell of herbal teas, just add orange, apple, pineapple, lemon, mint leaves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or other spices to your decaffeinated tea.

Plants To Clear The Air In Your Office

Looking for something to freshen up the air in your office?

Here is some good news. We may at some relief now, thanks to the research from Plants and Environmental quality Group at the University of Technology in Sydney. Their study has found that plants removed about 70% of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at concentrations above 100ppb from the office air. Volatile Organic Compounds are emitted from certain types of plastic in chairs, furniture and office appliances. Plant metabolism and soil microorganisms are involved in this clearing the air process.

The plants used in this study are common house plants: Howea forsteriana (Kentia palm); Spathiphyllum wallisii var. Petite (Peace Lily); and Dracaena deremensis var. Janet Craig.

So you might want to start looking for these plants to put in your office, for a safer and clearer air to breathe.

Fight Against Cancer With Broccoli

Good news for all of us who like to eat broccoli, well even those of you who do not like it, we all should start taking in more broccoli into our diet.

A study by Institute of Food Research in England has shown that broccoli can affect hundreds of genetic changes. To name a few: to strengthen genes that could fight against cancer, and to eliminate genes that could promote tumor.

Besides having isothiocyanate, broccoli also contain sulforaphane which yield extra immunity to fight against cancer.

How Smoking Parents Ruin Their Baby's Health

My husband is a smoker, and this worries me a lot. During my pregnancy, he always manages to smoke outside the house. But most of the time, I can still smell the tobacco after he finished smoking, even after he has brushed his teeth.

Smoking in fact should be avoided at all. Pregnant women should quit smoking to reduce the risk of premature delivery and of having a low-birthweigh baby. The spouse should do the same too, all in the name of the baby.

Studies have shown that smoking by parents has been linked to:

• an increased risk of SIDS / Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant that is unexplained by the baby's medical history, and is the major cause of infant death between the ages of 2 weeks and 12 months),
• more respiratory illnesses (colds, flu, bronchiolitis, asthma) and ear infections during the first year of life,
• impaired lung capacity, as well as
• an increased risk of tooth decay later on in childhood.

Not only are the children of smokers sick more often than children of nonsmokers, but their illnesses also last longer. They are also more likely to be hospitalized in the first three years of life. The more smokers in the household, the more severe the negative effect, since the amount of smoke a child inhales is related to the number of smokers the baby is exposed to on a regular basis.

And what seems to be quite safe for the mother or spouse to smoke outside the house, it is totally untrue! Do note that the above risks ARE NOT eliminated even when parents step outside the house to light up. Researchers have found that children in households with smokers who smoke only outside are still exposed to 70% more damaging lung particles than those in nonsmoking households.

So quitting smoking keep your child healthier in their childhood. Quitting obviously will not be easy. As they would with any drug addiction, your body and your mind will align against you. But, if you are determined to fight back, for your sake and your baby's sake, you can triumph over both! The best time to give up is now, before baby is born. So your newborn will come home from hospital to clean, breathable air.

Superbug Enemy

Scientists have discovered the natural antibiotics that can kill 12 types of bacteria that are very resistant to available medicines. Some of the bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

This antibiotics is made of the secretion of maggots. It needs 20 glasses of maggots to produce 1 drop of the antibiotic.

Alcohol as a Cause of Cancer

It has been told that moderate consumption of red wine, on average 2 glass per day will be beneficial for our health. For other alcohol in general, the suggested consumption is 4 drinks a day for men, and 2 drinks a day for women. Apparently, this no longer hold true. Red wine consumption is particularly good for cardiac disease, however consumption of wine and alcohol in general would increase the risk of cancer.

A new report "Alcohol as a Cause of Cancer" is released today, 8 May 2008, showing alarming link between alcohol consumption and particular types of cancer.

An international audit of cancer and alcohol research was conducted by The Cancer Institute New South Wales. The study found that even as little as 2 glass of alcohol per day can significantly increase the risk of cancer. And thus, reducing alcohol consumption will lower risk of cancer.

The types of cancer associated with alcohol consumption include:
- bowel cancer,
- breast cancer,
- head and neck cancer,
- oesophageal or gullet cancer.

The average risk increase per average drink is around 10-20% for some of the above cancers.

I myself have received news in less than a week that 3 men I know of have been diagnosed with colon or prostate cancer. All 3 of them smoked and/or drink wine on regular basis.

Cancer, in fact, is a very common disease. On average, 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women will most likely get cancer in their lifetime. The prevention strategies would include, but not limited to, eliminating the risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco. For more tips on cancer prevention, please refer to my previous post on cancer.

Does Watching TV Cause Damage to Children's Eyes

Most of us grow up listening to our parents telling us not to watch television all the time as it would damage our eyes. For us, grown ups, maybe the length of time spent on watching TV would not be of our concerns anymore. But how about your children? Would you allow them spending 2-3 hours watching their favorites TV cartoons? Does watching TV actually affect our children's eyes?

In general, just like any other muscles in our body, the longer the time spent on doing certain thing will cause muscle strain. The same rule applies for watching TV. Focusing our eyes on certain object will make our eye mucles work harder. The longer the time spent on focusing on TV, the harder the eye muscles have to work.

Well parents, you should follow a few guidelines when allowing your children to watch TV:

- Make sure your children sit at least 4-5 metres away from the screen. The closer they are to the TV, the harder their eyes have to work, and thus the more tired the eyes will become.

- Watch TV in a bright room, but avoid causing any glare or reflection of light on the TV screen.

- Take a break. You can ask your children to look away or move about during commercial break.

The above tips are contributed by Optometrist Andrew Hogan, the president of the Tasmanian division of the Optometrists Association Australia.