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We Can I Can

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“We can I Can” is the theme for this year’s World Cancer Day and this theme will continue through 2018. The idea of ‘We Can I Can’ is to explore how everyone –together and individually- can do their part to reduce the global burden of Cancer.

Today is World Cancer Day and experts say that one of the best ways to reduce the risk of Cancer is by adopting a healthy lifestyle. It is said that you can reduce the risk of many common cancers such as bowel, breast, uterine, ovarian, Oesophagus, kidney and liver by maintaining a healthy weight, eating right and making physical activity part of your daily routine.

As individuals ‘I Can’:

  • Make healthy lifestyle choices that include avoiding tobacco, getting plenty of physical activity, eating a healthy diet
  • Learn to detect signs and symptoms of cancer it only makes it easier to treat
  • Support Cancer patients and survivors with physical and emotional impacts of cancer after treatment
  • Share stories of own cancer experiences, communicate with decision makers and join support groups to help make positive changes for all people affected by cancer
  • When possible return to work after cancer treatment to restore normality, routine, stability, social contact and income.

As community ‘We can’:

  • Educate people about the link between lifestyle behaviors – including smoking, poor diet, and lack of physical activity – and cancer risk.
  • Dispel myths that lead to stigma and discrimination against people with cancer in some communities.
  • Encourage schools and workplaces to implement nutrition and physical activity policies that can help people to adopt healthy habits for life.
  • Improve access to affordable cancer health care for all populations.

(source cancer.org)

We all can do our bit. I remember there is an organization in Mumbai called Ugam, a voluntary support group formed by Childhood Cancer survivors. UGAM means “To Rise” underscoring their determination to rise above all obstacles in life & be VICTORS. UGAM, based in Mumbai is the youngest unit of the oldest & most prominent NGO, The Indian Cancer Society( ICS) under its survivorship programme.

Ugam’s vision is to ensure that every childhood cancer survivor finds his/ her way to celebrate life after winning the battle with cancer. Ugam helps in self-empowerment of the survivors. It helps in fulfilling their dreams that were put on hold while they were battling this tormenting disease and the hardships of the treatments. Helping in overcoming social fears and hindrances, overcoming their physical and mental disabilities and moving ahead despite them, Educational and career related assistance and guidance.

Ugam provides a platform for them to talk about their experience and problems and help in building their confidence and self-esteem. Ugam tries and gives them a reason to lead a social and personal life in the future.

We at GOQii are advocates of a healthy lifestyle and doing Karma. So let make a beginning…..

Here is another interesting read….

http://goqii.com/blog/foods-for-breast-cancer-prevention/

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Lactose Intolerance among children and food substitutes that help

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Lactose Intolerance is a bigger problem than the letters in the word itself. Now this is a condition in which the body has a hard time digesting milk sugar (lactose), a natural sugar found in milk and dairy products.

There is an enzyme called lactase which is produced in the small intestine. This breaks down the sugar lactose present in milk and other dairy products. Kids who are lactose intolerant have less or no production of this enzyme LACTASE.

How will a little baby or a toddler explain that, ‘Mom, I can’t digest your breast feed or the top milk that you are feeding me’. Along with the child it is too much of a challenge firstly for the mother that her child cannot digest milk. Milk is usually the food for first 6 months in any child’s life.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS

  1. Unexplained crying,
  2. Abdominal/Lower belly pain
  3. Loose or foamy stools/diarrhea
  4. Gurgling sound in the tummy
  5. nausea,
  6. bloating,
  7. flatulence

STEPS TO BE TAKEN

  1. ELIMINATE

Parents should systematically eliminate milk and other dairy products from their child’s diet. Avoidance is the best treatment.

  1. REINTRODUCE

The dairy products like yogurt and cheese can be reintroduced overtime. The symptoms post introduction should be noticed. If there is no problem other milk products and diluted milk can be introduced. If there are negative symptoms then stop immediately.

  1. UNDERSTAND

Some kids can tolerate small amounts of milk products or certain types of milk products without problems while others cannot tolerate even little.

HOW TO MEET THE CALCIUM REQUIREMENTS

A big challenge for people whose kids are lactose-intolerant is learning how to eat to avoid discomfort and to get enough calcium for healthy bones.

Although it is definitely possible for children to get the calcium they need for strong bones without dairy.

Broccoli, brussels sprouts, dried figs, and sardines are among the most calcium-rich non-dairy foods, Other foods that contain good amount of calcium are Tofu, sesame seeds, ragi, almonds, Moong, kidney beans, urad dal, Chana, Amaranth and curry leaves.

Try and add one of these food items in every meal.

LITERAL MILK SUBSTITUTES FOR OVER 6 MONTH OLDS

  • YOGURT

If a child is lactose intolerant, there are chances that he/she is partially intolerant and in some cases may be able to digest yogurt. This is because yogurt has active bacterial cultures and also has less lactose as compared to milk. Yogurt may cause less bloating because much of the lactose has already been broken down by its ‘good’ bacteria.

  • SOY MILK

The immediate option for a child with lactose intolerance is soy milk. Some kids may reject it initially due to its taste but eventually get used to it. Do not opt for the flavoured versions instead go for natural.

However, if your child has a milk allergy which is different from lactose intolerance he or she may also be allergic to soy milk. Avoid using soy milk as a substitute for anyone with a milk allergy.

  • OTHER KINDS OF MILK

Goat, sheep, cow and Buffalo milk doesn’t help a child’s symptom because all milk from mammals contains lactose. However, for kids who don’t enjoy drinking soy milk there are some more options. Almond milk, which is loaded with magnesium and vitamin E. Rice milk, has almost no saturated fat and plenty of vitamin B12. Coconut milk, tastes creamy like cow’s milk. Other vegetable milks include oat and cashew. The only drawback is that these milks don’t work well with cooking.

·         CHEESE

Fermented cheeses have less lactose than other dairy products so a child may be able to tolerate them. It is a very good source of calcium and protein as well.  Examples of hard or aged cheeses that are low in lactose are Swiss, Parmesan, and blue cheese. Now days, it is easy to find these cheese in metro cities.

INFANTS

For infants with lactose intolerance, formulas that contain no lactose can be used. Similac is an example of a milk-based formula that contains corn-syrup solids rather than lactose as its carbohydrate calorie source. Many soy-protein formulas also do not contain lactose and are suitable for lactose intolerant infants.

HIDDEN LACTOSE FOODS-WATCHOUT

If the child craves for ice cream parents generally substitute with sherbet. Ready-made sherbet does contain some dairy, but it’s a low-lactose food, Sherbet is a good example of a hidden source of lactose because you probably don’t think of it as a dairy product.

Other hidden sources of lactose include ready to eat soups, salad dressings, and processed breakfast foods. There is always a way out. A child can grow very normally without having milk in his/her diet. A mother will just have to substitute by providing foods rich in proteins and calcium that can completely substitute milk.

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Shake off the salt habit!

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My food won’t taste good at all if I don’t add salt to it. Salt has become a habit to such an extent that we not only use it while cooking but add extra from the top too. We need salt for enhancing our fruits’ tastes too. Surprising isn’t it??

Salt namely Sodium chloride contains 40% of sodium in it. We add this salt to most of our foods/recipes and thus it is considered to be the major source of sodium to our body. Also the sodium we are talking about is not completely bad the way it’s being projected. Sodium also performs some important functions in our body like regulating the nerves and muscles, controlling the blood pressure and thus the sodium concentrations need to be carefully controlled by the body. Most of us consume far more sodium than what our body would actually need. This excess sodium causes the body to retain too much water in the blood vessels which causes a rise in the blood pressure thereby increasing the risk of heart disease, kidney disease and even stroke.

Our daily limit of sodium consumption per day is given as 2300 mg which is actually completed by 1 teaspoon of our table salt itself. Surprised?

Now give a thought to how much salt and thereby sodium are we consuming!!

So are you thinking that you don’t really consume that much of salt specially because you don’t sprinkle salt from top or not even add much to your daily food?

Research in fact shows that 75% of salt or more precisely sodium comes from the processed and preserved foods that we consume on a daily basis which we might not even consider to be really overly salty.

One vegetable wrap with loads of cheese, tomato sauce and mayonnaise in it can give you sodium for next 7 days. Thus, this is the extra sodium you consume in addition to any extra salt to your food at home.

Solution for this is not of course cutting all sodium/salt out of your diet but let’s try to strike a chord somewhere in the middle.

Here is a salt check and a few tips to help us to cut down our salt intake and thereby our sodium intake too.

  1. Cut down your all obviously salty foods like salted nuts, fried moong dal, farsan, chips, powders, cheese, pickles, sauces, dry fruits, dry fish etc.
  2. Look out for the hidden sources of sodium and salt. Baked items, breads, whole bread too, biscuits, breakfast cereals even if they are sweet, stir in masalas, table sauces, soup powders, tinned fruits, vegetables, canned juices, frozen patties, parathas, nuggets, sausages contain loads of sodium and should be restricted as much possible. It is not always sodium chloride but it can be other salts of sodium like citrate, sorbitrate, glutamate, benzoate, carbonate, bicarbonate etc. MSG or monosodium glutamate present in soya sauce, schezwan and chilli sauce – the main sauces in our Chinese version foods is again extremely salty a very high source of sodium.
  3. Try to google for the preservatives- the E- series- you will be surprised to see that almost many salts of sodium are used for your favorite foods.
  4. Buy fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses and not their remix version.Try to obtain the goodness of cereal from the wholegrain s instead of breads and pastries. Natural foods contain far less sodium than the preserved ones. Start eating the fresh homemade food. Use healthy cooking methods.
  5. Instead of salt, use herbs, spices to season your cooking. Lime juice, tamarind, kokam, vinegar, garlic, black pepper, and cinnamon help to add the flavor. Try making different marinade and spicy rubs to add flavor to your foods instead of plain salt.
  6. Taste your food before adding the entire quantity of salt you plan to add.
  7. Take the salt off your dining table. If you have to always go and get your salt you tend not to bother to get it. You can cut down your salt by adding less to your food slowly day by day. Research suggests that if salt is decreased very slowly it is not even realized.

So finally next time if you forget to add salt in your vegetable, stop yourself from adding extra salt and instead try eating the vegetable just without salt. Initially you may find it difficult. But soon you may realize that what tastes now is the original taste of the vegetable and the spices or herbs that you have added to it. It might prove to be a pleasant surprise to your taste buds too. This effort needs to be taken from our side as we all are aware that excess salt consumption can act as a silent killer in the body.

 

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Yoga to reduce Uric acid levels and manage Gout

yogaa

Uric Acid is a chemical (waste product) produced by final oxidation (breakdown) of purines in the body, carried in the blood and excreted by the kidneys through urine. Formation of uric acid in the body is quite normal as it is a necessary substance in food metabolism. Uric acid is known to acts as an anti-oxidant and helps prevent damage to our blood vessels lining. But, higher levels of uric acid in the blood are harmful.

The level of uric acid in the blood rises mainly because either the kidneys are not working efficiently to excrete the excessive uric acid from the body or the uric acid level is too high for the normal kidneys to excrete the excess or due to both the conditions. Whatever the condition, the result is high level of uric acid in the blood.

High uric acid level may result in attacks of gout but it’s important to note that not everyone who has high uric acid gets gout and not everyone with gout has high uric acid. Uric acid levels can be reduced with the help of correct diet and exercise like walking, swimming and yoga.

Yoga can help in reducing uric acid levels in three ways:

  1. Helps in managing weight – Extra pounds add to the joint pain and you might suffer from a flare-up. Gradual weight loss is recommended because if you drop weight too quickly, purines can attack your joints. Yoga aids gradual weight loss. It also helps to maintain weight and prevent weight gain in people who are at their ideal weight.
  1. Yoga movements are gentle- on the joints, improves flexibility and circulation thus preventing uric acid crystals from depositing in the joints, removing crystals that are already deposited in the joints by mobilising and excreting them.
  1. Making you more aware of your body – This awareness can help you follow the recommended diet to prevent another painful attack.

There are quite a few Yoga Asanas which when practiced regularly can not only help in reducing uric acid but prevent uric acid crystals from depositing in the joints, removing it and help prevent a flare up. These asanas are:

  • Ardha Matsyendrasana (The Spinal Twist Pose)
  • Bhujangasana (The Cobra Pose)
  • Dhanurasana (The Bow Pose)
  • Halasana (The Plow Pose)
  • Hastashirasana (The Hand to Head Pose)
  • Januhastasana (The Hand to Knee Pose)
  • Makarasana (The Crocodile Pose)
  • Pavan mukhtasana (The Wind Relieving Pose)
  • Pranayama (Breathing technique)
  • Tadasana (The Mountain Pose)
  • Trikonasana (The Triangle Pose)
  • Uttana Padasana (The Extended leg Pose)
  • Veerasana (The Hero Pose)
  • Vriskshasana (The Tree Pose)

So, awaken the yogi in you and practice these asanas everyday and lead a pain free life by keeping your uric acid levels well within the normal range. Normal range varies from lab to lab based on the testing method used. Usually, the normal range is 3.5-7.2 mg% but some labs have up to 5.7 mg% as the upper limit.

 

 

From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

As we observe World Cancer Day under the powerful theme ‘United by Unique’ (2025-2027)**, we are reminded that every individual’s journey with cancer is distinct, yet united by shared resilience, hope, and the collective fight against this disease. This theme places people at the centre of care and their stories at the heart of the […]