Covid 19 has been an overwhelming experience for people worldwide. More so with doctors. They have gone above and beyond to serve people during this pandemic by taking on extended work hours, wearing PPE kits for long durations, bearing stress, and isolating themselves from their family members with a brave heart.  Even in such situations, doctors do not miss any opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of people or help the general public. Keeping in mind the requirement of blood reserves for emergency situations and various conditions, many doctors from Columbia Asia Referral Hospital Yeshwanthpur (A unit of Manipal Hospitals) have come forward yet again to donate their blood with a smile. They participated in the blood donation drive organized by the hospital on the occasion of National Doctors’ Day.

Along with doctors, other hospital employees enthusiastically participated in the drive and donated blood. 107 units of blood were collected during this drive. Some of the doctors who came forward to donate blood include Dr. Supraja Chandrasekar, Consultant Pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Sunita Gopalan, Consultant, Radiology, Dr. Divya Puttegowda, Consultant, Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Srividya S, Consultant, Internal Medicine, and many more. As part of the campaign, the hospital organized a blood donation bus at Vijayanagar in association with Lions Club Vijayanagar, to encourage people to come forward and donate blood.

This encouraged people who did not want to visit the hospital due to fear of infection, to donate blood at their convenience. Highlighting the importance of blood donation Col Rahul Tewari, General Manager, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur (A Unit of Manipal Hospitals) said “ To celebrate the doctor’s day in a meaningful way, we organized a blood donation drive.  We have seen that there is always a continuous need for blood from patients suffering from thalassemia or cancer, road accident victims, those on dialysis, and other emergency procedures. Blood donation is a selfless act that can save lives. However, Covid 19 has impacted this noble action as many people avoid visiting the hospital due to the fear of infection. Also, there is a lack of clarity among people about blood donation during Covid times or even after taking vaccination”.The drive was organized adhering to all Covid protocols.

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The second wave of Corona infection in India has spread to unprecedented levels with the daily positive cases breaching 2 lakh. Businesses that have already taken a severe beating when the pandemic broke out in 2020face worse situation this year. The spike in the everyday fresh load of coronavirus cases is expected to affect business, our day-to-day lives which is evident in the recent curbs imposed in different parts of the country in the form of complete lockdown, weekend lockdown, and night curfew.

As the pandemic caught the world off guard, it posed a severe threat to all countries, and each country adapted strategies to fight it, of which some fared better than others. Now we have learned many lessons the hard way in the first wave and we can draw from the past experiences in fighting the second wave.

Although the government now has imposed a partial lockdown kind of situation where only essential services will be opened for the public, there are high chances of infection spread even during this time if the businesses or organizations are not following the Covid guidelines. Places like hotels, vegetable stores, or smaller businesses can increase the spread of the virus if Covid’s appropriate behavior is not followed.

Let us look at what the businesses or employers can do to take care of the safety of the employees during this time:

Assess staffing requirement:

One of the first things employers should consider is to assess staff requirements and check if they can cut down the physical presence of employees at the workplace. With the advent of technology, there are many options available for employers to make their staff work remotely.

Reduce physical contact:

Some businesses demand the physical presence of the staff at the workplace. The staff needs to be present physically to ensure business continuity. In such cases, ensure that the staff is allowed to work by maintaining social distancing. Provide PPE kits to workers if the situation demands. Install barriers, erecting glass or window partitions, change the seating arrangement and if it’s a hotel, separate billing or booking counter, stall, etc, and switch to online payment options, self-serve options, and automation. Also, ensure that your facility is properly ventilated.

Sanitize the workspace at regular intervals

Frequently touched surfaces like taps, doorknobs, lift buttons, phones, light switches, etc should be cleaned often. Do not allow any employee or visitor to enter the office, worksite, or company without screening. Those who have symptoms when they arrive at work or fall sick at work should be immediately isolated from others. If they test positive for corona, disinfect the area used by the worker and the employer must inform the fellow employees of the possible coronavirus exposure. Also, it is suggested to have split lunch timings in batches if the establishments have more employees to avoid crowding. Encourage staff to use stairs instead of lifts. Simple measures like contactless logins(biometrics), restricting people from stepping out of office unless absolutely necessary is very crucial to contain the spread of the infection.

Other supports:

All the companies and offices must have a Covid 19 plan on how the risks are assessed, mitigated, how to implement the new guidelines issued by the government from time to time, and other information. Workers should be educated on the plan and it is also crucial to receive their feedback on safety, reducing the risks and their worries. Staff might need other supports as is it common for them to experience fear, anxiety, and poor mental health during the pandemic. Always be open to the employees if they want to switch shifts or take leave in the event of them or their family members turning positive of Covid 19. Being self-disciplined & following COVID appropriate behavior all the time, all the places is the need of the hour.

Keep a close track of the standard operating procedures and guidelines issued by your respective governments and modify your plans accordingly. Do not ignore the symptoms suggestive of COVID – feverishness, chills, loss of taste and smell, pink eye, unusual cough, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, heart palpitations, and body pain.

Finally, ensure that all the eligible staff is vaccinated at the earliest.

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Having a nutritious and balanced diet is the most important way to keep ourselves healthy. This will support and boost our immunity. A healthy lifestyle always helps in building a healthy and immunized body. Specific to our diet, a well-balanced diet may help in reducing the risk of dealing with life-threatening diseases like cancer, especially blood cancer.  Blood Cancer is among the common type of cancers that affect people of all age groups, and India stands 3rd in number when it comes to blood cancer. 

Blood cancer usually occurs when DNA is faultily altered. It happens when there is a fault in the development of blood cells, which leads to improper functioning of cells. As per many experts in the field of leukemia (blood cancer), 90% of the types of blood cancer can be cured. And almost 30-35% of people deal with these types of diseases only due to improper diet. This genetically occurring blood infection is among those diseases which can be prevented or delayed if your lifestyle and food patterns are healthy. And a balanced and healthy diet includes all types of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, and low-fat proteins, such as fish, lean meats, and poultry.

Ways to lower the risk of blood cancer 

Genetics and the environment, are few risk factors for cancer. These factors cannot be avoided, but as per research, about 70% of lifetime cancers can be preventable only through lifestyle changes, such as – 

• Proper/right body weight
• Staying hydrated
• Zero usage of tobacco
• Exercising regularly 

These changes in lifestyle can play a vital role in having a healthy body. Eating vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil also known as the Mediterranean diet, can lower the risk of a variety of common cancers. And this effect is more on people who have a history of cancer in their family. These changes in the long term can bring a huge impact on health. And for people who are already dealing with cancer, a rich nutritious diet will provide immunity to them in their challenging times. 

One of the other ways to prevent blood cancer is through consuming antioxidants, more specifically plant-based foods. These foods have naturally occurring anti-oxidants in them, this will help in boosting your immunity system and help in fighting against cancer cells. Some foods that are rich in anti-oxidants are 

• Carrots, Brussels sprouts, and squash 
• Broccoli, spinach, and beans (non-starchy vegetables) 
• Tomatoes, guava, watermelon lycopene high foods
• Oranges, berries, peas, bell peppers, dark leafy greens, and other foods high in vitamin C
• Add ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, and coriander to your foods, this will boost your immunity to fight cancer-producing cells.  

Avoid practices like – 

• Consuming apple juice, instead eat the whole apple 
• Trans – fat, fried, foods should be avoided pizza, French fries, fried chicken, cookies, muffins 
• Limit the saturated fat-based foods like red meat and dairy products
• Consume more unsaturated fats like fish, olive oil, nuts, avocados, flaxseeds

It is said that “a healthy and balanced diet, builds and strengthens a person from their core.” Put a tab on your unhealthy habits, make them occasional and strictly follow a totally nutritional diet. Make sure that your diet includes all the energy and immunity-building foods. Follow a proper diet plan, consult a dietician if required.

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Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye. A gluten-free diet is generally helpful for a person suffering from celiac disease which is an autoimmune condition. Where gluten damages the lining of the small intestine causing mal absorption.

Excluding gluten-free food for such kind of a person may help resolve diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and flatulence problems.

For others who wish to cut gluten in their diet, it’s important to understand the effects on the nutrient part.

Avoiding foods containing gluten can lead to some nutritional deficiency like iron, folate, vitamin B12 like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, zinc and fibre.

People on gluten-free diet should include some amount of probiotic either in natural form or supplements for beneficial gut and to reduce abdominal issues.

So what are the foods which are allowed and restricted for gluten-free diet are:

Here are a few handy tips to help you out:

• Firstly, have a positive attitude towards the diet. Think about all the food you can eatinstead of dwelling on those which are no longer suitable.
• To ensure a good supply of iron include pulse, lentils, nuts and green vegetables.
• Avoid drinking tea with meals. Instead have a fruit juices rich in vitamin C like orange, lemon with your major meals.
• Whenever buying any product, check on the ingredient list for hidden forms of gluten. Simple words like malted barley and wheat solids will give you clues to avoid the product

RAJGIRA PARATHA RECIPE

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rajgirakaatta (Amaranth flour)
• ½ teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
• 2 Green chilies chopped finely
• 1 medium or ½ cup Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped finely
• 1 ½ tablespoon Ghee + more for cooking paratha
• 1 tablespoon Plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons Water or more or less
• Rock Salt (sendhanamak) to taste

Method of Preparation:

• First, boil the potato. Let it cool to touch. Then peel it and mash it well. make sure there are no chunks of potatoes.
• Take rajgiraatta in a bowl. Add salt, ginger paste, chopped green chilies, cilantro, and mashed potato.
• Mix well. It will look crumbly.
• Then add ghee and yogurt. Mix it and start to knead the dough. It will almost come together.
• If needed, then use water to knead a dough. I used 2 tablespoons of water. And make a ball. The water quantity may vary depending on how much moisture is present in your potato. This dough is crumbly.
• Cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, divide the dough into 5 equal portions and make smooth balls.
• Roll it very gently. Because of its crumbly texture, you cannot make smooth edges. Keep rolling, keep sealing edges, and make 5-inch diameter paratha.
• Heat the Tawa or skillet on medium heat.
• Apply some ghee on it and flip it press gently using a spatula and cook until you see some brown spot on bottom side.
• Apply some ghee again on the other side and flip and cook on that side.
• When done take it out from skillet and put in insulated container to keep it hot. Repeat the same procedure for rest paratha.

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Bangalore: While we as parents worry about the nutrition content of the food of our kids, we rarely think about how food can also affect our child’s brains.

The feeding of children, the right way, has to be well monitored by their parents for their proper physical and mental growth of children. Healthy eating can stabilize children’s energy, sharpen their minds, and even out their moods.

Children who don’t get proper nutrition during their first three years may be losing ground in intelligence to their better-nourished peers and hence children should be encouraged to eat healthy foods from an early age, and to avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar, as far as possible.

Nutrition has been called the single greatest environmental influence for children, and it remains essential during the initial years of life and during examination for their memory.

WHAT ARE NOOTROPIC FOODS

Nootropics are brain booster they are drugs or supplements which help to improve cognitive function, memory, creativity or motivation particularly executive functions that are beneficial for the human brain.

The foods which are rich in nootropics are:

Eggs: are rich in choline, which helps transmit signals across neuronal membranes. Body uses the choline in eggs to produce acetylcholine, which aids the body in achieving deep sleep to retaining new memories.

Spinach: Dark greens leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are the best source of brain-boosting nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin these nutrients helps in quicker mental recall, and increased capacity for memory.

Turmeric: turmeric which belongs to ginger family helps stimulates neurogenic cellular creation, and is used in the treatment of depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and strokes.

Blueberries: contain Anthocyanin, an antioxidant that prevents the brain from aging. Anthocyanin helps improve memory and cognitive function and even helps intra-cellular communication within our brains.

Dark chocolate: Flavanol-rich cocoa beans actually increase blood flow to the brain and can even trigger the production of new brain cells.

Oily fish: the long-chain omega 3s in oily fish may improve learning and memory and reduce inflammation in the brain which helps in decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other mental health conditions.

Red wine: nootropic benefits in red wine are in its high levels of resveratrol, an antioxidant compound that targets the free radicals associated with some forms of cancer.

Nuts: walnuts have a high amount of vitamin E that forms a protective layer around the brain cell membranes and ward off free radicals.

 Coffee – caffeine content in the coffee shows cognitive performance by blocking the activity of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. This neurotransmitter can reduce mental stamina and make one feel drowsy.

Green tea –contains catechin and L-theanine which promote relaxation without sedation which is favourably promote brain function.

Water – When we are dehydrated, we are more likely not to be able to think clearly. around two litres of water a day is recommended but it also depends on body weight, and level of physical activity of a person.

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