Thursday 15 October 2009

vegetarian


VEGETARIANISM

Most Indians tend to observe vegetarian diet at least two to three times a week. Some are life long vegetarians. There are many types of vegetarian:


a) lacto vegetarian : Diet includes dairy products but not eggs
b) vegan: Only plant based products are consumed
c) lacto- ovo vegetarian: Diet includes dairy products and egg.


No matter what type of vegetarian you are, you need to place importance on the type of food you consume for each meal. Some vegetarians only eat rice, rasam and pickles. By eating this type of food, you will not gain sufficient protein, vitamins and minerals.


Some vegetarians consume vegetarian mock meats, i.e. vegetarian chicken, vegetarian mutton, vegetarian egg etc. If we were to compare the nutrient value between vegetarian egg and a normal egg, there is a big difference whereby vegetarian mock eggs has more salt, sugar and fat content. In fact all vegetarian mock meats have high sugar, salt and fat content as the ingredients are needed to provide flavour to the product. Try to reduce consuming vegetarian mock meats as much as possible and opt for natural vegetables, fruits and grains to keep your body fit and healthy.


If a vegetarian were to eat a complete balance food, he/she will not have any health problems. By being vegetarian, you can prevent the risk of getting cancer, diabetes and weight problem. According to research done, if a vegetarian do not consume the right food, they will be prone to vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because vitamin B12 is only available in meat products and not in vegetable products. Therefore vegetarians should and must consume fortified cereals, breads and milk which are enriched with vitamin B12.


Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient for the heart and nerves.

Bone health,elumbu


BONE HEALTH


Bones are very important. Lots of people, when they enter old age tend to suffer from broken bones. This could be due to lack of certain nutrients. Healthy bones require calcium and phosphorous.



Calcium is found in milk, sardines, soya milk and yogurt while Phosphorous is found in milk and other types of food. Both minerals are vital as it helps to make the bones strong and solid. If you are not in favour of drinking milk, blend milk with fruits.



We tend to drink lots of coffee and tea. High caffeine intake will cause damage to the bones. High level of caffeine intake will cause bone calcium to be released from the body through urination. This release of calcium from the body will increase the risk of osteoporosis.



High intake of salt through frequent consumption of salty food, i.e. salted fish will also cause damage the bones. The effect of high salt intake will also cause bone calcium to be released from the body.



Smoking frequently will also affect the bones. Vitamin D is also very important to build strong bones. Make sure you receive morning sunlight for a few minutes to obtain vitamin D

food and sickness


FOOD AND SICKNESS


It is important to eat good food when we are ill as nutrients from the food will help strengthen our body. When we have fever, we normally eat porridge. This is not a good diet as rice porridge has high content of carbohydrate and less protein, vitamins and minerals. When preparing rice porridge, we have to maximise the nutrients in the porridge. Saute garlic and onion in ghee or oil and add the sauteed oil in the porridge. This method not only gives taste but increases the calorie content.



When we are sick, we need to consume protein food. Some may not be able to eat solid food when they are sick. They can only consume liquid and juices. If you are having this problem, blend a scoop of ice cream or fruits, i.e. papaya, strawberry and other types of fruits with milk.



If you are constantly vomiting due to food poisoning or due to chemotherapy treatment, you have to consume dry food like biscuit and bread. Do not wet the dry food with water or milk as the wetness of the food will create nausea feeling. Those who are nauseating, it is very important to eat small frequent meals to gain sufficient nutrients.



If you are suffering from diarrhoea, make sure you consume lots of fluids. Drink lots of water and soups as you need to replenish the loss of liquid from the body.

food for adults


FOOD SUITABLE FOR ADULTS

Many old people who are 65 years and above suffer from malnourishment as they believe that they should eat less due to their old age. This is a wrong thinking as old people must consume lots of protein food, i.e. chicken, fish etc.



Some old people have various types of sickness and perceive they should only eat porridge, bread and biscuits in small quantity. This notion is wrong as they will not gain/obtain sufficient nutrients. Due to lack of nutrients, the body's immune system will become low, decreases strength and leads to more diseases like pneumonia, flu etc.



Some old people do not have strong teeth and tend to eat soft food. They will stop eating rice, noodles, vegetables and fruits. If they unable to bite and chew food, it is best to mash vegetables and blend fruits for them to consume. Treat them like babies and do not omit from giving them nutritional food.



Old people require calcium. Milk is rich in calcium and has various nutritional values, i.e. protein, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B complex. If you were to have high cholesterol, drink milk which has low fat content. Make sure you consult a dietician before consuming any type of food.

OBESITY AND KIDS ,குழந்தை பருமன்


OBESITY AND KIDS

It is common for children to suffer from excess weight. Children who are obese have great tendency to suffer from hypertension and sugar related problems.


There are many causes for a child to suffer from obesity.
a) Medical reasons
b) The types of food they eat and
c) lack of physical activity


If your child is overweight, make sure you avoid feeding them with high calorie and sugary foods. You should also consult a physician or dietician if your child is overweight.To resolve your child's weight problem, make sure you do not introduce a weight reduction diet to your child immediately. This is because your child requires and needs sufficient nutrients for development.


An adult will not suffer from any effects if he/she were to reduce their weight and significantly reduces their calorie intake and protein foods. But when a child reduces their food intake, it will greatly affect the child's development process.Besides food control, an overweight child should perform lots of physical activity. Instead of watching TV and playing video games, it is best to accompany your child to a park.

Deepavali wishes ...தீபாவளி வாழ்த்துகள்,அகஸ்தியர் சித்த வைத்திய நிலையம்,





Happy deepavali to all my members...be healthy be happyஅன்பர்கள் அனைவருக்கும் இனிய தீபாவளி நல் வாழ்த்துக்கள்...சுற்றமும் நண்பர்களும்


agasthia@yahoo.com

http://www.agasthia.com/

03 404 13 505

016 2500004

pinang.johor.sentul.brickfields

Tuesday 13 October 2009

TITLE OF THE SICKNESS ASTH MA




ASTHMA: First you must consider the person’s age .If infants or under 4 years old start of by just giving KANNAI ENNAI. This medicine is very good in loosening the flu .People might bring the patient’s, after giving a lot of cough mixtures. This instead of giving relieve to asthma hardens the phlegm and the patient finds more difficulty in breathing. KANNAI ENNAI cools the body. It loosens the bowels. You may discover that after constipation, asthma attacks will be more for the patients.

Furthermore we recommend NEERKORVAI THAILAM for bathing the affected children. Adults as well as children are given the same oil to bathe. After bathing you must apply the CHEST RUB on the ribs and chest. This external application oil is needed to keep the chest warm after taking bath. The above NEERKORVAI OIL or THAILAM is applied daily about 20 cents in size and thoroughly applied on the whole head .After 5 or 10 minutes the hair must be washed off by warm or cold water, without shampoo. This will help the person being cooled down. Once the body is heated up only water flows from the nose, sneezing starts and all the flu problems start. In order to be safe side we must bathe the children at least once a day from head to foot.

From the 5th day of birth onwards a child is ready for Indian traditional bath. But oil bath is recommended after the 15 th . The child after taking oil bath will be tired by the massaging and followed by aftermath rubbing the body by herbal powders to give a natural fragrance and natural glow. This powder is used to take off the oil from the body. After that to have a nice sleep and health we have to give a bit of KASTHURI MATHIRAI or BALA SANJEEVI MATHIRAI with the herbal juice of KARPURAVALLI. This is a special preparation for infants. This will prevent them from asthma when they grow.



FOR YOUR INFORMATION



For your family members it is a must for oil bath; which means in Malaysia we can always massage some NEERKORVAI OIL on the head and apply 2 to 4 drops of KAN KAATHU THAILAM in the eyes and ears. This will reduce our tension, calm our head and soothe our veins. You will have a good sleep after oil bath. Weekly once will do.

Father’s tension can be relieved after massaging the neck veins during their head oil massage.

Fun in oil bath is that people after seeing the Indian pictures, think that there must be somebody to rub their whole body with the oil. To be frank, in this modern era we do not have time and we are not prepared to spend time for it too ; But we can do the above treatment .Isn’t it?

Feeding is very important to children. They should not be given coco, chocolate drink; neither could they eat heat foods like injected and preserved chicken, nor could they be given durian or rambutan. As the children grow introduce to them as many grains as you can. A good serial mixture is recommended for those who are choosy in eating . NUITRYBOOST is a perfect food mixture to give asthmatic children.

Thursday 8 October 2009

OBESITY AND KIDS

OBESITY AND KIDS

It is common for children to suffer from excess weight. Children who are obese have great tendency to suffer from hypertension and sugar related problems.



There are many causes for a child to suffer from obesity.
a) Medical reasons
b) The types of food they eat and
c) lack of physical activity



If your child is overweight, make sure you avoid feeding them with high calorie and sugary foods. You should also consult a physician or dietician if your child is overweight.To resolve your child's weight problem, make sure you do not introduce a weight reduction diet to your child immediately. This is because your child requires and needs sufficient nutrients for development.



An adult will not suffer from any effects if he/she were to reduce their weight and significantly reduces their calorie intake and protein foods. But when a child reduces their food intake, it will greatly affect the child's development process.Besides food control, an overweight child should perform lots of physical activity. Instead of watching TV and playing video games, it is best to accompany your child to a park.

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (10 -12 MONTHS OLD)

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (10 -12 MONTHS OLD)

Babies who are between 6 to 8 months old should be given blended food.
Babies between 8- 10 months should be given mashed and babies from 10 months onwards can be given solid food. However the solid food should be cut into small tiny pieces.



Feed and introduce various types of vegetable to your baby and do not feed your child with vegetables according to your preference. Also it is not advisable to mention to your child that you dislike certain vegetables as it can influence your baby.



Babies at this stage will start to grip things. It is good practise if you can have them hold their food when eating, i.e. biscuits or boiled carrots. Make sure you supervise them during this period as they might get choked while eating.



Do not use salt when cooking baby's food. Types of food that are suitable to be eaten are fruits, vegetables, protein foods and legumes. Always remember, the types of food given during this period determine their health in future.



Do not feed your baby with peanuts and egg white. Any types of soft bread can be given between meals.



By feeding your baby with various types of fruits, vegetables and protein food will enable him/her to absorb the vital nutrients needed for their development process

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (8 -10 MONTHS OLD)

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (8 -10 MONTHS OLD)

As previously mentioned, food should be blended when given to babies who are between 8 to 10 months old. Babies who are 8 months and above should be given mashed food.



Egg white should not be fed to babies who are below one year old. You can feed your baby egg yolk but not egg white. Boil the egg and remove the egg white.
Mash the egg yolk with a fork and feed your child.



Babies at this stage are very active. Do not run after them while feeding them with food. It is a good practise if you can make them sit stagnant in a place when feeding them as it will help develop healthy eating habits.



It is also a good practise if parents to have their meals together with their child as it will set a good example in their child's mind.



Feed your baby according to time.



Besides egg yolk, you can also feed your baby with chicken and fish. Steam and mash chicken or fish before feeding your baby. Do not mash rice, vegetable and meat together. Mash and feed the different items separately. If you were to combine the foods together, the baby will not be able to identify the individual taste of each food.



Avoid using sugar, salt and oil when preparing food for your baby

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (6 - 8 MONTHS OLD)

SUITABLE FOODS FOR BABIES (6 - 8 MONTHS OLD)

How do you feed your baby and what are the types of food you can feed your baby who has reached 6 months old?



a) Babies who are at this stage can start eating rice, vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables are to be steamed and blended. Fruits are also to be blended and rice
needs to be cooked in porridge form. Make sure you sieve the blended items as
baby's food should be in liquid form.



b) Feed your baby with the any of the blended food after feeding him/her with milk.
Make sure your baby is not full when feeding them with the blended item.



c) When you feed your baby with blended fruit, i.e. papaya, it is advisable to add a
small quantity of milk into the blended fruit. The aroma of the milk will enable the
baby to accept the new type of food that is being introduced for the first time.



d) When you are introducing rice for the first time to your baby, do not add any
vegetables. Feed your baby with plain rice for the first 3 days. On the
4th day, you can add a vegetable with the rice. Do not combine vegetables and rice
together when introducing the food for the first time to your baby. This is because if
your child were to suffer from an allergy or rashes, you will not be able to identify
or determine which food caused the condition

COMPLIMENTARY FOOD FOR BABIES


COMPLIMENTARY FOOD FOR BABIES

Many parents make lots of mistakes when preparing food for their babies. When the food they prepare is tasteless, they tend to season the food with Soya sauce or salt. It is very important to avoid the use of sugar and salt when preparing food for infants who are below the age of one. This is because the baby's kidney is not matured enough to process any salty or sugary food.


Make sure you continue to feed your baby with milk even after introducing solid food. Milk should be given to toddlers until the age of two

Suitable food for babies

SUITABLE FOOD FOR BABIES

A new born baby should be given mother's milk continuously for 6 months. After 6 months, you can slowly introduce various type of food. Some mothers may get confused on determining the right type of food to be given to their baby. After the 6th month, it is important to give the right type of food to your baby as this is the period to cultivate healthy eating habits. If wrong foods are given, the baby will have various types of health problem when they grow up.



To determine whether the baby is healthy is by checking the baby's weight. If a new born baby is 3 kg, the infant should be double the weight when he/she is 6 months old. Do not feed your baby with "nestum" or any other type of solid food before reaching 6 months as it can cause allergy and stomach problems. Check with your paediatrician on when to start giving solid food to your baby. After the 6th month,



a) make sure the food is prepared in a healthy and clean way. This is because the baby's immune system is low and can be affected if the food is not clean or cooked in an unhealthy way.



b) do not feed your baby with nuts and egg whites. These types of food should be avoided to babies who are below one year.

Confinement period

CONFINEMENT PERIOD

Many cultures have various types of beliefs and restrictions for women who are in their confinement period. Some cultures believe newly delivered women should not eat vegetables, drink lots of water, eat cooling foods or heaty foods. If we were to analyse from the scientific perspective, some beliefs are true and some as considered totally false.



When breastfeeding, it is important for new mothers to consume proper and healthy food as it directly affects the quality of their milk. If breastfeeding mothers are to reduce their food intake due to restrictions on the type of food to be eaten during confinement period, the baby will not get sufficient nutrients from the mother's milk.
If breast feeding mothers do not eat vegetables, vitamin and minerals from the vegetables will not be absorbed into the mother's milk and they will suffer from constipation.



Some cultures believe in giving new mothers a small quantity of alcohol as it helps keep the mother's body warm. However if you are breastfeeding, you need to be extra careful when taking alcohol as it will be absorbed into the mother's milk.



Breastfeeding should be done before consuming alcohol. After consuming alcohol, it is important to drink lots of water. After 30 to 1.5 hours, the alcohol content disappear from the system and breastfeeding can be continued again.


During confinement period, some women are afraid to drink water as they believe that water will keep the body cool. This is a wrong perception and it is very important for breastfeeding mothers to drink lots of water. This is because when breastfeeding, the body will be constantly dehydrated and if the body is not replenished with sufficient water, the secretion of mother's milk will be affected which in turn affects the development of the new born baby.

bresasfeeding

BREASTFEEDING

It is important for a newly delivered mother to breast feed her baby as it provided lots of benefits to both mother and child.



Benefits to the mother:
a) By breast feeding, the mother's excess fat will be burnt. Excess fat gained during pregnancy will be easily burnt when breast feeding. This is because the body required at least 5000 calories a day to produce milk. Burning 5,000 calories is equivalent to 2 kilometres of jogging.



b) Reduces the risk of cancer and bone related diseases, i.e. osteoporosis



c) Regains the size of uterus.
The size of uterus will be enlarged during pregnancy. By breastfeeding, the uterus
regains its normal size.



Benefits to the baby:
a) Development of baby
Breastfeeding for 6 months will help the development process of the baby.
It will also help reduce the risk of lungs related diseases, diabetes and
weight related diseases.



b) Reduce the risk of hospitalisation
There are many nutrients in mother's milk. Serious attention should be taken on the
types of food eaten when breastfeeding as it directly affects the quality of the milk.



Proper care and attention on the types of food consumed during pregnancy should also be given during breastfeeding. By eating carbohydrate food, it will help provide energy while protein food and various types of vitamin helps increase the quality of mother's milk which directly helps the growth and development process of the new born baby

FOOD AND PREGANT WOMAN

FOOD AND PREGANT WOMAN

Some pregnant women have the wrong perception of the need to eat more and consume more nutrients during their pregnancy period. In order to gain more nutrients, they tend to purchase various types of vitamin supplements.



However we have to have the awareness that not all types of vitamins are suitable to be consumed as it could create harmful effect to the child.
For example: If vitamin A were to be taken excessively, it can cause harm to your baby's heart and nerve system. Therefore before consuming any type of vitamin capsules, make sure you consult your physician.



Types of vitamin which are important for a pregnant woman to consume are calcium, folic acid and iron. There also types of food which a pregnant woman should not consume.



Types of food which should be avoided are


a) half boiled eggs, half cooked fish, chicken or red meat.
This is because live micro organism could exist in these food and can harm the
infant. Therefore make sure the foods you eat are properly cooked.



b) Unclean Fruits and Salads.
Make sure fruits and raw vegetables are properly washed and cleaned before
consuming



c) Unpasteurized cheese
Pregnant women should consume pasteurised cheeses only. Blue vein cheese and
fermented cheeses should be avoided.



d) Unpasteurized Milk
It is important for unpasteurized milk, i.e. cow's milk is boiled to its boiling point
before consuming.



e) Processed Food and Junk Food should be avoided as we will not know
the types of colouring agent used in processing the food.

Morning sickness

MORNING SICKNESS

Morning Sickness is very common among women who are from her first to third month of pregnancy. Morning sickness could be due to hormonal changes or the type of food that is consumed.



Those who suffer from morning sickness or nausea are advised to eat small frequent meals. By eating this way, morning sickness will be greatly reduced.Vomiting could also be due to absence of taking food for a long time. To avoid or reduce the occurrence of morning sickness, pregnant women are advised to eat a light snack before sleeping, i.e. sandwich, a glass of milk or biscuits.



Some pregnant women may experience stomach bloatness or heart burn after eating. This is due to the pressure of the baby against the stomach which causes acidity and a feeling of indigestion. Do not sit after eating. Walk or move around and heart burn will be reduced. By consuming mint tea or mint sweets occasionally will help relieve the gastric or indigestion problem. If there is too much pain or extreme discomfort, it is best to consult your physician.



Leg cramps are also common among pregnant women. It could be due to lack of calcium. However to identify the actual reason or cause, you should consult your physician

NUTRIENTS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN




It is important for pregnant women to pay attention on the types of food they eat as the nutrient from the food will also be absorbed by the baby.



Within 9 months of pregnancy, women will put on weight from 9 to 13 kilos. This extra weight is an indirect way of determining the baby's health. Some women may put on more than the required weight as they tend to over eat due to the misconception of eating for two.



If pregnant women were to put on excess weight, they tend to suffer from various types of diseases and sickness like gestational diabetes and hypertension.If pregnant women were to eat less than the required amount, the baby will not be able to get the required nutrients and will affect the baby's growth development.



A pregnant woman should consume 300 to 500 extra calories a day


It is not sufficient to only eat 3 meals a day. They should eat healthy snacks in between meals. These extra calories are needed for baby's muscle growth and hormone development.Pregnant women should also consume extra protein. Protein food should be consumed during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Extra protein is very important for baby's muscle growth and organ development.


Pregnant women are to consume the below mentioned nutrients as it is very important for baby's growth:



a) Folate
Folate is a vitamin B nutrient. Folate is very important to prevent baby's nueral
tube defect disease. It is also important for women who are trying to conceive to
consume this nutrient. Folate is found in green vegetables and citrus food, i.e.
oranges and pineapples. However folate in green vegetable are lost when it is
cooked. Therefore it is very important for pregnant women to take folate
supplement during their pregnancy period.



b) Calcium
Calcium is very important to build baby's bones. Women who are in their 30's
requires a daily intake of 800mg of calcium. If they are pregnant, they require an
extra intake of 200 mg of calcium. Hence a pregnant woman around her 30s
should consume a daily intake of 1000 mg of calcium.


To consume 1000 mg of calcium a day, it is required to eat 3 types of food which
are rich in calcium.


In the morning, suggested food is 2 glasses of milk and a slice of cheese.
For lunch and dinner: Suggested foods are chicken and sardines.
Note: Sardine and chicken bones are rich in calcium


c) Fibre
Pregnant women who are in their third trimester (6 to 9 months) may suffer from
constipation due to changes in hormone level and diet. To avoid this problem,
pregnant women at this stage should eat more vegetable, fruits and whole grain
products.



d) Water
Some pregnant women do not drink enough water as it will cause them to urinate
more often. This is a very bad practise as lack of water will cause constipation and
improper blood circulation. A pregnant woman should drink 6 to 8 glasses of water
a day.

HOW TO CHOOSE HEALTHY PROCESSED FOOD

HOW TO CHOOSE HEALTHY PROCESSED FOOD

Besides checking the expiry date, we should also place importance in checking the food label. Food label is very important as it provides vital information whether the food is nutritious or high in calorie.


If you are not able to read and understand the nutrient content displayed on the food label, you should refer to the ingredient section.



Example:
Biscuit A: Ingredients are Flour, Sugar and Fruits
Biscuit B: Ingredients are Sugar, Flour and Fruits



You should opt for Biscuit A because according to food label regulation, the first ingredient stated is the most quantity used to prepare the product.
Therefore for Biscuit B, sugar is the most quantity used to prepare the final product and it is not healthy as it has high sugar and calorie content.


If sugar and fat are listed in the first 3 main ingredients, avoid buying the product as much as possible. Make sure sugar and any types of fat are listed as the last ingredient in the ingredient section label of any food product.


Some food may be labelled as low fat. But this does not mean that it is low in calorie.

Example: Low Fat Yogurt
The yogurt could be low in fat but for taste, extra sugar could be added in. The extra sugar will increase the calorie content. Hence when choosing healthy food, make sure the product or food is not only low in fat but also low in calorie.

Monday 21 September 2009

Selamat Hari Raya


Selamat hari raya ...kepada semua pelangan yang menyambut HARI RAYA...Selamat hari Raya.
Dari pada
AGASTHIAR SIDDHA VAITHYA NILAYAMAS
03 404 13 505
agatshia@yahoo.com