8 Essential Foods For A Healthy Spine

Spine-health problems can be painful and can affect the life of a person to a greater extent. From trouble lifting heavy things to inability to perform routine tasks; this ‘can’t do’ list can lead to a dead-end.

If you have been suffering from a spinal issue, you can surely relate how it feels. Sharing my personal experience, I became habitual of resolving my pain with over-the-counter painkillers. You can say I learned to manage pain over time but I never tried to figure out the root cause of the problem. The result was that I had to go to the chiropractor in Peshawar where I began my treatment.

Why is spine health important?

Spine-health is one of the most important aspects of human health as our spine literally makes us stand. Numerous conditions can affect our spine health starting from the neck to lower back. Most common causes of spine disorders include;

  1. Accidental injuries
  2. Inherited spine problems
  3. Infection
  4. Ageing
  5. Birth defects
  6. Inflammation

How does food affect your spine-health?

Spine problems can range from back bracing to complex spinal surgeries depending upon the condition. However, diet can play a major role in your spine health. No matter if you are looking for prevention or dealing with a spine health problem, some foods are packed with nutrients that can improve your spine health.

Spine-healthy foods

Here are some of the foods that you can improve your spine health including;

1- Plant proteins

Proteins are one of the three major nutrients in our diet. Apart from our muscles, proteins are known to improve your spine health as well. In protein, plant-based protein is rich in proteins that don’t cause inflammation and are safe for consumption with spinal problems. Among plant-based protein lentils, flax seeds, chia seeds, beans, and soy are some good sources of protein.

2- Salmon

Besides plant-based protein, the omega-3 fatty acid is also important for your spine health. If you don’t have a problem with seafood, you can add salmon to your diet. Salmon is a source of lean protein as well as it has omega 3 fatty acid in a good quantity. Omega 3 fatty acid in salmon can help to protect against inflammation.

4- Vegetables

Undoubtedly, all vegetables are good for you but the vegetables with natural pigments are the best. Some vegetables contain properties that help them to effectively fight spinal problems. The veggies like broccoli and kale have components with anti-inflammatory properties that can work well for your spine health.

Apart from spine health, veggies tend to improve your overall health in general. I remember when I was going to the caring and curing center in Peshawar for certain treatment, I remember my physician asked me to consume a minimum of 7 cups of vegetables in a day.

5- Good fat-containing oils

As per common belief, oils are considered as a high-calorie dietary product but some of the oils contain key nutrients in them. You can include certain oils such as olive oil, sesame oil in your diet as these are a good source of omega-9 fatty acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

6- Dairy products

Calcium has its recognized role in improving bone health in general. Many dairy products including milk, cheese and yoghurt provide sufficient quantities of calcium that makes them a spine-healthy food. You can add these dairy products to your diet if you want a healthy spine.

7- Herbs and spices

Using certain spices and herbs for treatment is a centuries-old practice. Well, when we look deep we get to know that these herbs and spices contain certain good properties. Such as turmeric is known for its healing properties and ginger contains anti-inflammatory properties. You can add these herbs and spices into your diet including herbal teas as they are known to boost immunity, reduce inflammation and have healing properties.

8- Fruits

Just like veggies, fruits are also good for your spine health. The fruits packed with antioxidants and other essential dietary components can make your spine healthy.

Bottom Line!

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of spine problems is probably medication. But you can eat a healthy diet to improve your spine health. So, start today because choosing the right food today will ensure a healthy spine tomorrow.

Tips To Keep Children Healthy During The COVID 19 Scenario

Your kids are not always holding the patience as you adults can. They don’t get the severity of the pandemic. Therefore, forcing them to stay at home is becoming mentally and physically disturbing for them. Kids are active most of the time and they love to spend time in playgrounds and parks. At this stage during pandemics, they are stuck at home, gaining unnecessary weight and being moody at the same time.

According to Michael Giannulis, taking care of your little ones at this stage is always the prime factor to consider. It will help you to keep your little ones safe during this pandemic situation. There are some simple steps to follow, and you can get some promising tips from WHO and other healthcare organizations.

The basic tips of child care from Michael Giannulis:

If you are a new parent and don’t know how to cope up with your child and this pandemic situation, then there are some basic tips you need to address.

  • Make sure to establish one structured and consistent daily routine here.
  • You can always set aside 5 to 10 minutes every day for that special time.
  • It will involve you letting your child lead the play in here.
  • At this stage, parents need to use praise and then avoid commands, questions, and criticisms.
  • Remember to strengthen the family in the way you want. Make sure to identify one day of the week that can turn out to be the game night or movie time with family.
  • Make sure to take time daily and encourage your little ones to do some exercises.
  • Also, use time at home for promoting exploration of the current new interests here.
  • Don’t forget to praise liberally and also ignore some of the minor misbehavior like whining.

Mike Giannulis asks you to encourage hand washing:

Hand washing seems to be a major way for preventing the spread out of COVID and some of the other infectious diseases. In case the virus is living on your child’s hand and they touch their face with it, chances are high that they might get infected.

  • Experts like Mike Giannulis will ask you to encourage your kids to wash their hands frequently at home and at school.
  • The child needs to wash hands after blowing the nose, sneezing, or coughing.
  • They need to wash their hands after handling face masks, leaving the public place, and also touching pets or animals.
  • Moreover, it needs to be a mandatory note to wash hands after touching pets, animals and even after using the restroom.
  • Right before they take in some food and after finishing the meal, hand washing needs to be there.
  • They should definitely wash hands before they can touch the face too.

If you cannot find soap and water, then you can ask your child to use hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol in it. You can also provide your little one with hand sanitizer for school and even give them extra wet wipes to clean desk areas, anywhere they step in. These simple steps can help prevent spreading viruses to your little ones.

Fitness and Weight Loss Tips in your 30s For Mom

Just stepped into the 30s? Do not worry; you are not alone in the race. The truth is there is nothing that you cannot achieve at 30 that you achieved in the 20s. You can still lose weight fast, even get fit, and attain your ideal body weight. But it would help if you discovered the changes that the body is undergoing. Being aware of those changes and acting accordingly is the way to go. Fitness and weight loss have no age bar. 

Weight loss calculator helps you to determine that how much weight you have to loss within a specific period of time. All you need is to provide your existing weight, gender, age, and mostly crucially your height, it will let you know how much daily calories your body is required to intake. High weight and obesity can cause various diseases that can harmful for your body. Weight loss calculator is also so beneficial for women especially after giving birth to a baby, because women are most likely to gain weight during and after the pregnancy.

Shuffling work-life and conventional obligations is an intense undertaking, yet ladies have been doing this with incredible. In the savagely serious world, ladies have demonstrated their proficiency over and over, yet in an offer to demonstrate their multi-witty worth, has their wellbeing assumed a lower priority? Stop and think. Have you missed your morning meal to scramble for a significant gathering thinking you’ll get up to speed with a light nibble later? Is it accurate to say that you are observing your carb, protein, and fat admission while having your lunch? These minor concerns, which might not have made a big deal about a distinction in your 20’s, are here to frequent you in your 30’s. Fortunately, you can stand tall before every one of these difficulties with these proposals.

Know the Changes 

In the 30s, the metabolism rate will be a little slow, which means it will burn fewer calories than before. But before you find yourself on the TV Show My 600lb Life and in need of Dr Now diet, these simple rules can be followed. Besides, you will also experience hormonal changes. The elasticity of the skin will fall, and the face will have tiny wrinkles. The renewal of the skin is too slow. These changes are never sudden or drastic, but the process begins as you enter the 30s. Thus it is time to undergo some corrective measures that help you look healthy, young, and fit as you shed the extra pounds.

Right Diet 

A vital part of the weight loss and fitness plan is the diet. To start with, it is essential to keep all junk food away along with habits such as excessive smoking and drinking. Along with weight gain, these habits can lead to several adverse health impacts. Most importantly, drink an adequate amount of water to flush out all the toxins and keep the skin hydrated and healthy. 

Eat 4 to 5 small meals daily to keep the metabolism going. Include lots of vegetables and fruits to cut calories and get enough vital antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Add lean protein to keep muscles lean and healthy, and take milk and milk products in abundance to get sufficient calcium.

If You Are Planning to Start a Family

The same number of ladies in their 30’s is likewise intending to consider, their iron and folate content turn into even more basic. Folate is a nutrient ladies need in wealth to forestall any birth surrenders. 

You can have beans to up your folate levels. A cup of beans contains 200 to 300 micrograms of folate. Folate helps produce DNA and structure new sound cells, accordingly fundamental for anticipating ladies. Different approaches to build your folate admission are green verdant vegetables like spinach and citrus natural products.

Exercise 

Along with a proper diet, the right exercise is also essential to stay in the pink of health. It will help you lose weight and keep you fit and healthy. Making you slim and doing exercise daily will boost the skin’s elasticity and improve muscle tone. Besides, it will improve blood circulation and keep stress at bay.

For Better Bone Health

The following significant concern is shrinking bone wellbeing. Indeed, an issue usually connected with more seasoned ladies presently influences ladies in their 30s too. As you develop old, your estrogen level decays, which thus influences your bone-thickness unfavorably. Along these lines, an expanded calcium admission combined with nutrient D gets basic at this point. Ladies need around 1000mg of calcium daily. Great wellsprings of calcium incorporate milk, curd, chia seeds, cheddar, broccoli, almonds, bukchoy, and so forth 

Incorporate these master recommendations and stand tall and solid against a portion of these organic difficulties like the wide range of various difficulties you’ve been propping so effectively.

Fat Burners 

Despite doing a regular workout and eating a balanced diet you should check out herbalife afresh benefits, also there may still be a bit of flab that you cannot burn, which can be frustrating. Here, effective fat burners such as burning fat supplements and others like vintage burn fat burner can act as a savior. These supplements can do a lot, such as stop food cravings, boost energy, and eliminate fat spots. They have ample health benefits such as increased energy levels, thermogenesis, and suppression of appetite. 

The specialty of these fat burner supplements is that they are made with some of the best ingredients such as caffeine, green tea extract, hot peppers, vitamin D, and Glucomannan, which are all useful for burn fat quickly fast.

Look out for these ingredients, choose the best fat burner, and stay in good shape now and forever. Your body will thank you for this. 

What Every Parent Should Know About the New USDA Guidelines

Parenting can be challenging for us all. The best thing to do about this is to gather as much information as you can about keeping your kids happy and healthy. One of the most important and confusing subjects can be what you should feed to children. Luckily, there’s an official set of guidelines to follow when it comes to your family’s nutrition.

What Are the US Dietary Guidelines?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are updated every five years and can help you make healthier food choices. This guide aims to promote better nutrition across all ages. Following nutritional targets and placing limits helps to improve your diet significantly.

The Department of Agriculture develops these guidelines alongside the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The advice they offer is based on evidence from scientific research. They are regularly updated to give you the best possible suggestions when it comes to nutrition.

What Is the USDA?

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) develops these guidelines alongside the DHHS. The USDA contains 29 different agencies, all advising of various areas in agricultural research. They have thousands of locations across the US as well as some abroad.

The USDA provides guidance on food, nutrition, and agricultural resources, among other things. They offer the best available science and introduce policies that can help to improve the nourishment of all Americans. They aim to promote the preservation of America’s natural resources and create efficient and sustainable farming methods.

More recently, the development of the USDA guidelines has been made into a more inclusive process. The department wants to encourage transparency when creating new policies, so they opened up the topics for public discussion. These were then examined to help make the guidelines more relevant to the American public.

What Are the Changes for 2020, and How Will They Affect Your Family?

Introducing Guidelines for Pregnancy and Early Childhood

For the first time, the DGAs will include advice for pregnant women and children aged 0-24 months. The hope is that tackling better nutrition earlier on in a child’s life will help to reduce the rising cases of childhood obesity. It should also assist with brain development and overall health in those crucial first 24 months.

If you’re an expecting or new mother, then make sure to read up on this new information when it’s released in 2021. This can help improve the health of both you and your baby. The evidence-based recommendations are the most updated health advice for this age group, and the information is being offered for the first time.

One of the main points you’ll see here is the recommendation for no added sugar for children under two years. This is the primary factor being addressed to combat the obesity epidemic currently happening in the US. An easy way to cut out added sugars is to reduce the number of processed foods you give to your children.

Introducing Potential Allergens at an Earlier Stage

The other key point in the 2020-2025 guidelines is to introduce eggs and peanuts to children in their first year of life. These foods can be added to your child’s diet after four months. There’s moderate evidence from the Scientific Report that shows this can reduce the risk of developing an allergy to eggs later in life.

There’s even stronger evidence to support that peanut allergies are less likely to develop when you give them to children between 4 and 12 months. This was especially effective in preventing this allergy in infants with a high risk to do so, but can also be applied to lower-risk individuals.

Take Away

It’s clear to see the DGA and USDA want to finely tune their guidelines in the years to come. This year and next, the most important addition to know is the recommendation for children under two to avoid added sugar. It’s also encouraged to feed them foods that can cause an allergy, like eggs and peanuts, to lower the likelihood that they’ll develop one. 

Parenting Your Parents with Dementia

Dementia is a medical condition that involves cognitive dysfunction. A large number of behavioral and mental changes may occur as a result of this medical condition. In case your parents are suffering from this disease, it becomes a matter of concern for you as a child. If you choose to be a caregiver for your parents, you will have to note the many essential things starting from understanding the disease. Alzheimer’s disease is one type of dementia that is characterized by pronounced stages. It is a progressive condition, which means the symptoms increase severely with time.

Many studies have revealed that people suffering from this disease live for about four to eight years after confirming the condition. However, there are cases where people may live for more than two decades, also. You will have to be aware of the different dementia stages to cater to your parents with all that they need.

Studies have revealed three primary stages of Alzheimer’s disease: the early stage, middle stage, and the later stage. The first stage can involve forgetting recent events, difficulty with numbers, losing the ability to organize and plan events, etc. The moderate or the middle stage includes increased memory loss, confusion; test to get dressed up, trouble paying bills, the problem in following instructions, and the like. The severe or the last stage of Alzheimer’s includes problems to eat or swallow, trouble to sit or walk without assistance, individual personality changes, etc.

A step by step guide to taking care of parents who have dementia

• Making the home environment safer: as the disease starts to progress from the mild to the moderate stage, you, as a caregiver, have to transform the house environment to make it less risky for the patient. You will have to make changes in the home decor to reduce the risk of falling. To ensure your parents’ safety and security, you will have to ensure that they get limited access to the kitchen.

   The kitchen is a storehouse of dangerous equipment ranging from knives, pillars, stoves, microwaves, and the like. You will have to make regular checks for fire extinguishers, use carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors at your home. In the bathrooms also you will have to make use of grab bars. Even the use of safety stickers can help to make the surface much safer. In addition to this, proper lighting of the bathroom, doorways, and staircase is essential. Lastly, you must always keep away the rugs and, at the same time, install latches for safety measures.

• The role of research: providing care for patients with dementia, especially parents or an elder relative may not come naturally. It is not even intuitive. It requires a good deal of research into every dimension of the disease. You will have to learn about the person’s proper treatment and consult a doctor for the same. Try to gather information about the medication, treatment method, the things to avoid, etc. You must stay vigilant to face the outcomes of dementia. According to memory care in Anchorage, there are different types of mental symptoms associated with dementia, leading to personality changes. As a caregiver, it is your responsibility to understand the reality of the disease.

• Finding resources: at the moderate and severe level of dementia, a caregiver may feel stressed. You will have to learn how to cope up with different types of situations. Along with the patient‘s care, you will have to be conscious of your well being as well. You can take regular breaks to avoid any caregiver burnout. Also, you may take the help of friends and family members to take care of your parent. Never try to handle everything on your plate and do not hesitate to ask for help. The memory care in Alaska provides different types of guidelines regarding how you should maintain a balance between your parent’s well-being and yourself.

In light of the above-given points, you must know that dealing with dementia and playing a caregiver’s role is a daunting task. Take the help of your family and friends to distribute the responsibility with them. You may use online and offline platforms to gather reliable information owing to the disease. Your activities should have more strategic planning and proper execution to achieve realistic targets. In addition to this, regular family meetings are a productive way to deal with the issue.

You can also fix appointments with therapists and doctors to help cope up with the situation. It will become challenging for you to handle this situation alone; thus, you seek professional help. A skilled professional has the proper training and knowledge to deal with patients who have dementia. You can also collect knowledge from various sources, but you can not have the appropriate training that a professional can provide.

 

Maternal Serum Screening: What Is It and How To Interpret the Results

Pregnancy is an exciting time. Each stage of pregnancy is different and as your due date gets closer, morning sickness and fatigue begin to subside as your baby grows. During pregnancy, scheduling routine visits with your OB/GYN is necessary so that you can keep up with routine testing and make sure that you and your baby are in good health. During your pregnancy, your OBGYN may recommend maternal serum screening. This is a quick, outpatient procedure that can help you better plan for your baby’s future.

What is maternal serum screening?

Maternal serum screening, or a quad screen, is a type of prenatal genetic testing that analyzes four substances in your blood –– alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin, estriol, and inhibin A. 

Doctors usually recommend maternal serum screening between weeks 15-22 of your pregnancy. It can help determine if your baby has an increased risk of Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, neural tube, or abdominal wall defects.

What are the types of maternal serum screening?

There are two distinct types of maternal serum screening:

Combined First Trimester Screening (CFTS). CFTS is a type of maternal serum screening that takes place between weeks 9-13 of your pregnancy. CFTS determines your baby’s risk of certain genetic abnormalities by evaluating a blood sample and a nuchal translucency ultrasound. 

Second Trimester Manual Serum Screening (2TMSS). 2TMSS only requires a blood sample. During 2TMSS, your OB/GYN or general practitioner will insert a needle into a vein in your arm to get a sample of blood. They will then send your sample to a laboratory that can provide results in as little as a week.

Who can benefit from maternal serum screening?

Any woman who is pregnant can benefit from maternal serum screening. The test is optional, but is worth considering if you’re 35 or older, have a family history of developmental irregularities, or are living with Type 1 diabetes.

Maternal serum screening is more than just a blood test. Your OB/GYN or general practitioner evaluates your sample based on your age, ethnicity, and weight. They use this information to determine your baby’s risk of a genetic abnormality. 

Maternal serum screening doesn’t confirm a diagnosis. If you receive an abnormal result, you can choose to investigate risks further with additional testing.

What do the results of maternal serum screening mean?

Maternal serum screening evaluates the levels of four specific hormones in your blood. Here’s what some of those results might mean:

  • High levels of alpha-fetoprotein indicate a neural tube defect like anencephaly or spina bifida. It can also indicate that your baby is older than you thought, or that you’re expecting twins.
  • Lower than normal levels of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and inhibin A indicate your baby is at an increased risk of Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome.
  • Lower than normal levels of estriol may also indicate that your baby is at an increased risk of Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome.

How accurate is maternal serum screening?

Maternal serum screening isn’t 100% accurate, but it has a proven track record of success. Research suggests that, combined first-trimester screening (CFTS), maternal serum screening can accurately predict 9 of 10 pregnancies affected by Down syndrome. Second-trimester maternal serum screening (2TMSS) can accurately predict 75-80% of pregnancies affected by Down syndrome.

Once you receive the results of your maternal serum screening, your OB/GYN or general practitioner can refer you to a genetic counselor who can answer any questions you may have about your results.

Helping Your Teen With Drug Abuse – What Options Do You Have?

Addiction related problems can crop up in your life quite suddenly. That is predominantly because addiction is a gradual process and takes years to develop. In the first few weeks and months, you won’t even notice that anything is amiss – and before long, you will find yourself in the clutches of substance abuse, quite permanently.

Addiction has various names and faces – cocaine, heroin, opiates, and alcohol are, to name a few. There are no benefits to anyone of them, and all of them are harmful to the same degree. It starts as a health hazard and later grows to become a compounded problem when family and friends get involved. Moreover, there are several psychological problems associated with drug addiction, as well.

What constitutes abuse?

Regular usage of any drug will constitute abuse. This goes for the prescribed pain medications as well. In America, the root cause of drug-related addiction and abuse has been painkillers and over the counter medications. It is also vital to understand the most susceptible of the lot regarding drug abuse and related complications are teenagers.

The young and rebellious attitude makes teens seek out newer experiences and experiments, which leads to gateway drugs, which soon develops into a full-blown addiction problem. However, drug rehab for adolescents is the perfect solution to these problems and allows a teen to better integrate into society following rehabilitation and treatment.  

About cocaine addiction treatment

Cocaine is one of the most potent stimulants that is sold all over the world. There are various street forms of cocaine available with dubious purity and quality. It essentially activates the brain’s reward system, and that feeling induces the effect of “high.” It is quite an effective drug and one of the most addictive substances out there in the world today. Moreover, the ease of usage means the drug can reach far reaches and corners of society.

Complications following long term cocaine usage

The following is a list of all the complications that arise from prolonged cocaine abuse,

Headaches
Viral hepatitis
Heart attacks
Respiratory failure
Blood-borne diseases
Severe allergic reactions
Stomach pain and nausea
Abnormal heart rhythms or chest pain
Bowel gangrene (tissue death)

Repeated high doses will build tolerance towards the drug and compound the issues by further compromising the body’s already damaged areas. Also, repeated high doses will lead to restlessness, anxiety, and irritable syndromes, which can slide into paranoia and psychosis quite easily or under the effect of external stressors. This is when an individual starts to lose touch with reality.

How to get rid of addiction?

When it comes to getting free from addiction-related troubles, the key thing to remember is motivation. It would be best if you were motivated enough to remember when you could have the same enjoyment from a day without resorting to drugs. You need to understand that somewhere during the haze of drugs, you convinced yourself that the quality of life improves under drugs’ influence. However, in reality, the drugs never added anything; instead harmed your physical and mental faculties.

However, it is not all that dreary, and through hard work along with determination, you can bring your life back on track. It would be best to enroll in a professional and reputed drug rehabilitation center, which will transform your life through careful training, therapy, and medication under expert supervision.

Here is what you are looking for when you check into a rehab.

Contingency Management

This entails incentives and gifts as prizes to bring out positive motivation in drug-addicted individuals. Patients are work together towards a common goal, i.e., the number-of-days-clean. These gifts include healthy lifestyle coupons, movie tickets, gym memberships, and many more.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

It allows the individual to understand the triggers and the situations that prompt them to use the drug. It is one of the crucial factors for an addict to identify and understand. The more you are aware of the problem, the better you get at trying to avoid them. Professional councilors work with the patients to work out strategies to avoid the stressors to prevent a relapse.

Community help

Group activities and community outreach programs are the best for having a helping hand around when you are at your lowest. Several drug-free residencies are available where peers will help you to deal with the issues at hand. You can opt for inpatient services or have a sit and join-in session as an outpatient member.

Even after you finish your rehab stint, you will still have to attend the regular check-ups and meetings to build accountability and trust. However, a rehabilitation program is the only way if you are serious about quitting and getting ahead of your addiction-related troubles. All the best!

Gym Workouts to Complement Keto

Carbs are essential for high-intensity workouts, be it running, skipping, or sprinting. These activities may not be the best when following a ketogenic diet because the diet insists on as minimal as possible carbs for desirable results. But, that does not mean you should not work out.

Incorporating low-intensity workouts into your routine can help you improve your energy, stay active and remain productive. If you are looking for gym workouts that complement keto, these discussed below can be viable options.

 

Cardio Workouts

If your primary exercise is cardio, it is easy to follow the keto diet alongside gym workouts without straining or lowering performance. Remember, you do not have to exercise at high intensities that require your body to be loaded with sugar. All you need to do is get your heart rate up and keep it consistent during cardio.

With cardio, you will benefit in many ways other than burning fat. Your mind will be clearer, and your performance will improve and, ultimately, your productivity. You might notice an increase in endurance doing cardio while on a keto diet.

It is important to keep the intensity at low to moderate, so you do not burn out. On this note, you should aim for a heart rate between 50 to 70 % and be careful not to go past that. If you are starting on keto, aim to stay within a lower range and gradually increase as you adapt.

Here are some cardio exercises that you do at the gym while on keto;

Treadmill running
Circuit training
Interval training classes
Aerobic training classes

 

Weight Lifting

You can increase your strength, power and muscle mass while on a ketogenic diet. The best part is that you can improve all three with the same workout, hence more desirable results. However, weightlifting while on keto is a little different than on a regular diet.

You need to do very short sets since the body can sustain activities less than 10 seconds without glucose. And, since the body has little to no glucose as fuel, sets less than 10 seconds are recommended. Aim for a program that prescribes five or more sets of five or fewer reps per exercise.

Lower sets can maximize hypertrophy, which in layman’s terms is muscle gain. That means that your muscles do not need more than ten reps to grow. The most important thing is for your muscles to grow and increase every week.

Therefore, when weightlifting, it is advisable to go slow. You would rather do more short reps than go all out and burn out. If you wish to go strong and adopt traditional bodybuilding, you would need to supplement your diet with a few carbs. You might need some pre-workouts and other supplements if your ultimate goal is to add muscle mass.

Exercise is important whether or not you are on a specific diet. With keto, you can engage in low to moderate exercises to keep your productivity booming and energy thriving. The suitability of these exercises varies from one individual to another, so it would be best to try light and build up as you go.

A Guide to Using an Electric Breast Pump

Breastfeeding is an essential feature of motherhood that influences the health and wellbeing of your baby. Only 55% of infants in India are breastfed for the first six months after birth. A major reason for this gap is the mother’s job. If you are also a working mother, use the best electric breast pumps in India to feed your little one.

These pumps are convenient for mothers who are not around the child, want to include their partners in the process of baby feeding, or suffer from lactation issues. Today, there is continuous research in making breast pumps portable by reducing their size. Thanks to this, India may witness pumps with adjustable suction power and other enhancements in the upcoming years. 

Here is all you desired to know about this handy device.

When to Consider Using an Electrical Pump?

Working Mothers

Moms who prefer going back to work after delivery may find it challenging to breastfeed the newborn often. In such cases, electric pumps help to express milk easily and store it away for the entire day’s feed.

According to a survey, about 80 percent of working mothers prefer using electric pumps during their lactating period. Indian mothers also use these pumps due to being popularly recommended by gynaecologists. 

Mothers Expected to Deliver Early

Pregnancy complications or women at the risk of an early delivery may consider using the best electric breast pumps in India. A low-weight preterm baby may not have enough strength to suckle, which makes these pumps indispensable. 

Mothers Delivering Twin Babies

For those women delivering twins, breastfeeding becomes an exhausting affair. Nevertheless, you can opt for electric pumps that help express more milk within a small time interval.

Tips to Use a Breast Pump

Like with any skill, it takes time to master the use of a breast pump. Your body will gradually learn to trigger the letdown, relax, and express maximum milk.

Don’t Hurry to Breastfeed

In the initial weeks, work with your baby to initiate and build on your milk supply. You can maintain a consistent supply when you remember to stick to your pumping schedule. But, breastfeeding your baby within an hour after the birth works wonders for their health. In India, only 41.6% of infants are breastfed immediately after birth. Don’t let your child become one of them. 

If your Child is Unable to Breastfeed

Start to double pump the breast milk if the baby is unable to feed directly from the breast. It is essential to express milk as frequently as your baby will drink. Research has shown that expressing milk within the first few hours of birth will produce high milk volume in the early weeks. 

Read the Instruction Manual

Remember to look into the manual to understand your pump’s mechanisms and use the special features. Nevertheless, using an electric pump is a simple process that involves placing the breast shield on your nipple and turning on the electric pump. 

Relax

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Being relaxed is essential to stimulate the letdown reflex and pump out more milk. Consider applying a warm compress to the breasts for enhancing the letdown. Choose a spot that is free from distractions, comfortable, and private. Ensure your arms and back are well supported during the pumping process. 

Don’t Neglect the Discomfort

Breast pumping should not become an uncomfortable phenomenon. If you feel any discomfort while expressing or notice chafing or blisters on your breast, consider reducing your pump’s suction. You also need to use the right size of the breast shield, which surrounds the nipple closely. There must also be enough space for it to move around without rubbing. 

Electric breast pumps are also known to reduce the medical/health-related issues plaguing Indian mothers. By addressing problems such as inverted nipples, underdeveloped breasts, and hormonal imbalances, experts predict a rise in pumps’ demand forthwith. 

Do Not Deviate From Your Pumping Schedule

Make it a habit to pump at specific times each day to meet your baby’s increasing demand. If your baby is exclusively milk pumped, consider pumping more often and store enough milk for the infant. However, if you are pumping and breastfeeding, pump 60 minutes before or 30 minutes after feeding the baby. 

As a new or expectant mother, you have enough things to worry about, and feeding the baby must not be on the list. The best electric breast pumps in India can ease your feeding troubles and deliver the right nutrition at the correct times to the newborn. These apparatus come handy during a variety of situations and make the initial phases of motherhood comfortable. 

Family Friendly Ways to Be More Sustainable 

Being sustainable can be difficult. We all want to help the environment, but the world is so advanced that being sustainable no longer feels natural. These days most of the businesses are sustainable, or they are trying to be. 

However, we all need to play a part in helping the environment, and that means being more sustainable. In fact, being sustainable can be fun, if you do it as a family. Working together and finding creative ways to use what you have can be an exciting adventure. So, here are some fun and family-friendly ways to be more sustainable. 

Grow your own veg

Store bought fruit and veg can be full of chemicals. Often, the items that you buy are grown abroad and shipped over. This isn’t good for the environment. But, growing your own fruit and veg is, and it can be super fun. Simply find a patch in your garden that gets plenty of suns and get digging. It can be incredibly cathartic and obsessive. Just be aware of any chemicals you use in your own garden. Herbicides, such as roundup can be harmful to humans and cause lifelong health problems (why is round up still being sold? It’s a good question. Click the link to find out more). Soon, your garden will be full of life and delicious veg for all the family. 

Arts and crafts 

Everyone loves arts and crafts. Even the least creative person can’t resist a little glue and glitter. But how are arts and crafts helping you to be sustainable? Well, instead of going to a store for new clothes, you can make changes to the clothes you currently have, making them feel new. Instead of buying a new outfit for one occasion and never wearing it again, you’ll be excited to show off your amazing sewing skills. Check out these winter crafts for more ideas. 

Water challenges

We all use far too much water. Long hot baths in the evening can be so tempting, yet baths can use up to seven times more water than a quick shower. So, challenge your kids to a water use competition. Who can use less water in a week? The winner gets a prize!

Car boot sales

Families tend to throw lots of things away. Kids grow out of their clothes quickly, and their interests are ever changing. However, it’s important to show your kids the impact of throwing things in the landfill. This is terrible for the environment, as most plastics take many years to decompose. So, instead of throwing out old toys and clothes, start going to car boot sales where your kids will see other families enjoying your used items. You can pick up some bargains for them, too.