Healthy Infant Feeding Education Integrated in Traditional Indian Practices

In the Indian culture, there is a celebratory tradition called Anna-Prashan (food feeding or initiating of food other than milk), which marks the first time that an infant eats cereal/semi-solid food. On Tuesday July 17, 2012, mothers and their six month old infants from the Basti (slum) New Jagdish Nagar gathered together to part take in this rite of passage. For families living in slum neighborhoods under poor conditions, there is very little education or awareness about the importance of nutrition and supplementary feeding after six months of age. This community event serves as an example of how education and tradition can come together to motivate appropriate nutrition behaviours. Sampoorn Mahila Samiti, is a networked federation of 16 groups formally linked with 28 other groups newer groups that are less formally linked. Sampoorn, with guidance and support from Urban Health Resource Center (UHRC) and in close partnership with basti-level women’s groups, organize such “Annaprashan” events periodically in different clusters of Baanganga area in order to utilise this traditional ceremony into an educational and behavior promotion event for the young children of that cluster of bastis.

                                              

The topics discussed during the event is focused on weaning practices and how to properly feed their children, what kinds of foods are vital when weaning, hygiene, sanitation, proper hand washing, and general suggestions for maternal health. 

With their children at hand, mothers were seated in a circle with a bowl of kheer (boiled rice, milk & sugar) in the center ready to feed their children solid food for the first time. Before the children started eating their delicious kheer, Shabnam Verma a UHRC staff member, discussed the importance of proper nutrition practices that were imperative for these mothers to take into consideration. She was actively engaging with these mothers by showing them pictures, asking questions, and making sure they were included in the dialogue.  All of the mothers were sitting eagerly to learn the proper ways to take care of their children. This sparked interest in the eyes of these women because it brought clarity to their traditional somewhat unclear ideas about infant feeding.

  

Similarly, this initiative has the capacity to help many women in need that are not able to obtain the proper knowledge otherwise. In particular, there was one mother who was able to gain information to potentially save her child’s life. She was new immigrant to the Basti New Jagdish Nagar and was unfamiliar with what was going on. Her one year old child was severely malnourished and was in dire need of care.  With great concern and care, all of the other mothers turned to her and gave her advice on how to help bring her child back to normalcy. The gathered women and UHRC staff members spoke to her about the proper infant feeding practices as well as providing her with helpful information for her child’s immunizations. She didn’t have the necessary information to keep her child in a healthy state and this event helped create an internal awareness for herself as well as for her infant. One of the mothers offered to help her by making frequent visits and UHRC has made sure to have an eye out for her.  She was open to learn about her child’s condition and with the new learned information and guidance she will now be able to help her child.

This cultural event was a successful combination of traditional forethought and educational guidance. The messages given to these women reinforce healthy behaviors, in turn, leading to better health outcomes for mothers and their children. These children were not only given real food for the first time, but they were given the knowledge that will support a lifetime of healthy upbringing. 

Namaste from India,

Farah 

Me in pink playing with a very cute Indian baby!

Healthstyle by Darya Pino

By: Darya Pino
http://summertomato.com/
When I was 18 few things were further from my mind than health. Sure I enjoyed my status as a thin, relatively fit teenager, but there was virtually no connection in my brain between what I put in my body and how long or happily I would live.

At that time I saw healthy eating as a fringe activity, for granola crunching hippies or men over 60 with beer bellies. I had no reason to worry about heart disease at my age and organic food was way more expensive, so why bother?



But that wasn’t the only reason I avoided the issue. As a self-conscious girl from Southern California, I was very concerned with my weight. People considered me thin, and I had every intention of staying that way. I knew that my obsession with my body image and constant dieting was considered “unhealthy,” but I didn’t care.

From my perspective the message from the media was clear: healthy is the opposite of thin. And when you’re young and think you’re invincible, the choice is obvious. Getting kids to worry about something in the distant future is difficult enough, but when you set it up as the antithesis of their immediate goals you make it nearly impossible.



It wasn’t until years later that I started to appreciate the value of health as an objective. I now understand that healthy is beautiful, and that thin and healthy are not mutually exclusive. Your ideal size is determined largely by genetics, but if you eat well, exercise and take care of yourself not only will your body look the way you want, you’ll also have nicer hair, a clear complexion and brighter eyes. You’ll likely have more energy and feel happier as well.

Sadly, body size is still the focus when most people talk about health. When you’re “too thin,” healthy means eating more regardless of quality. When you’re overweight, healthy means losing weight no matter how you accomplish it. But in the long term health is a reflection of your daily habits and is determined by things like the quality and diversity of your diet, how often and vigorously you exercise, exposure to environmental toxins and other factors.

While body weight can certainly be an indicator of health problems and sometimes reflect improvements, it’s important to understand that the message we send about health can backfire if these two things are inextricably linked.

How do you define health?

Sleep is awesome!!!

What's your Intention?

KFC recently started a new (sorry to be so blunt) stupid campaign. "Buy a HALF-GALLON of soda – with 800 calories from 56 spoonfuls of sugar – for $2.99 and a buck goes to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation."

How could they do such a thing? I am absolutely appalled by their hypocritical marketing.
 

"The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation defends it thus: "JDRF supports research for type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that results when the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, therefore requiring a child or adult with the disease to depend on insulin treatment for the rest of their lives. It is a common misconception that type 1 diabetes is caused by obesity or eating too much junk food or sweets."

FAIL

Now thats what I like to call, SELFISH GIVING.

-Farah

New Study: Mistletoe extract can help stabilize colon and lung cancer...

New Israeli study at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa reveals that mistletoe extract is effective in stabilizing patients suffering from advanced stages of colon and lung cancer.


 Mistletoe has unique properties,” said Dr. Maurice Orange, a United Kingdom General Practitioner who has administered mistletoe extract treatments for the past ten years. “It has been shown in labs and with patients to both have anti-cancer properties and a powerful stimulating effect on the immune system.” According to Dr. Orange, mistletoe can counteract tumor growth, while in other instances stimulating the immune system.

The plant was also found to improve the quality of life of the cancer patients suffering from advanced stages of the disease and who were not benefiting from regular cancer treatment. Twenty-three patients who were previously regularly required to undergo an intrusive procedure draining fluid from their abdomen through a needle began to receive injections of mistletoe extract. After receiving the mistletoe treatment, the interval between requiring draining procedures significantly increased, therefore increasing the patients’ quality of life.


Quoted from this article by ShalomLife.



Shavoa Tov,
Farah

Hidden Eating Disorders in Orthodox Jewish Communities

Pressure mixed with cultural expectations has lead to a very serious Public Health issue among many young Orthodox Jewish girls. Israel has one of the highest rates of eating disorders in the world which contributes to staggerring rate of weight loss. Although this is such a prevalent problem, girls do not want to discuss this issue with friends or family members because having a 'mental health' problem is a stigma in the Jewish community.
Experts say the Orthodox community is sending mixed messages to young women. If a girl is associated with any type of irregularity then she is subject to a deffered marriage.


"Parents, matchmakers and potential mates want svelte brides, but may shun women who divulge an eating disorders because of the stigma of mental illness."

"As eating disorders have become less taboo in mainstream US culture, they remain widely ignored in Orthodox Jewish communities, as families worry the stigma of mental illness could ruin arranged marriages for the patient and even her siblings. Strict food rituals of fasting and remaining kosher can also exacerbate the problem."

Israeli vs. Mc Donalds

Israeli man sues Mc Donalds for false nutritional claims and not revealing the proper amount of nutritional information.

"The McDonald's Israel franchise owner has settled a class-action motion against it, including through a pledge to fund a study on children's eating habits." 


"Aloniel, the company that owns the McDonald's franchise in Israel, will pay compensation to the lead plaintiff, pay his lawyer - and pay NIS 450,000 for a study on eating habits of children up to age 18. The study will be conducted at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa."

Read more about this here. 

-Farah 

Live from Israel

Dearest Readers,

I am currently living in Israel and would like to start writing more about Israeli health. I will share experiences and articles that are relevant to life here in Israel. I hope to cover some of the main public health issues such as AIDS, Abortion, Nutrition, Tobacco Use, Terrorism, and many other similar topics. I am currently working at the Hebrew University's school of Public Health as a researcher. I hope to write about my experiences with that as well.



Most Israeli meals come with fresh, delicious, and healthy salads.



Many can vouch that coffee is the cornerstore of Israeli culture.

FACT:

• Israel's percentage of the total number of scientific articles published worldwide is almost 10 times higher than its percentage of the world's population.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Look OUT Israel, Farah's here!

Thrilled to hear someone is DOING something about Childhood Obesity

Students need guidance and need to be nurtured in an educational manner throughout all spheres of life. Nutrition education is not intrinsic, rather, it is an informative tool that can, with the right teachers and mentors, help children thrive. In the United States measures have been made for change but not on a grand scale. Surprisingly, officials in Mexico City seem to care more for the well being of their children.

The New York Times article explains that the nation’s health and education officials stepped in last year to limit what schools could sell at recess.

“We managed to do the most important things, which was to pull out the soft drinks and to get the composition of foods changed,” said Dr. José Angel Córdova, Mexico’s health minister. He estimates that one-third of Mexico’s health care spending goes to fight diseases related to obesity.

It seems to be working at her school. Verónica Cruz Hernández now sends her 6-year-old daughter, Fatima, to class with a packed lunch of a ham sandwich, sliced mango, cucumber sticks and water. No more soft drinks. “She doesn’t want to be fat like me,” Ms. Cruz said.
 

 
“Almost all of the girls eat fruit,” said Leticia García Gutíerrez, 11. Then she added: “Sometimes we eat candy. But that’s because we’re kids.”

Fruity Frenzy- Do you think you've tried them all?

Fruit is an integral food group that our bodies thrive on. A diet that consists of fruit and vegetables contributes to ones overall health. Within the past couple of years, I have researched the beneficial aspects of fruits and the benefits are surely fruitful!  They supply us with the special vitamins, minerals and fiber that protect us from chronic diseases. Behind each fruit lies a special collection of nutrients which means that no two fruits are alike in nutrients. SO, that means each individual fruit is jam packed with beneficial biologically active substances just for you!  I thought I've tried them all... guavas, apples, berries, pears, plums, cherries, grapes, to say the least. Boy was I wrong! There are thousands upon thousands of fruits and vegetables around the world. My co worker introduced me to a new fruit called kava kava, which is said to have double the Vitamin C and antioxidants of an orange. Kava Kava among thousands of unrecognized fruits are ready to be tasted. I know I am going to go an adventure trying exotic fruits while learning about their hidden medicinal effects.

Kava Kava

go ahead, enjoy natures disguised "candy."

Finally, Some Good News: Obama Signs Child Nutrition Bill

Once President Obama's pen signed the Nutrition Bill, I yelped pure joy! This is the single most thing I have looked forward to in the White House and I am thrilled about the progress that is going to be made. This bill has been in the works for some time! Finally, children all over the world are able to receive the proper balanced nutrition so they can thrive. First Lady, Michelle Obama has been working rigorously trying to bring awareness about this issue and now her hard work has prevailed. Prior to the Bill being passed Michelle Obama exclaimed, "We can all agree that in the wealthiest nation on earth all children should have the basic nutrition they need to learn and grow and to pursue their dreams," said Mrs. Obama. "Because in the end, nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Nothing," 
Bravo. Bravo. 

Here's what AP has to say...

"The $4.5 billion measure increases the federal reimbursement for free school lunches by 6 cents a meal at a time when many school officials say they can't afford to provide the meals. The bill will also expand access to free lunch programs and allow 20 million additional after-school meals to be served annually in all 50 states. Most states now only provide money for after-school snacks."  

President Obama immediately after signing The Nutrition Bill 

To read more on this or to watch a video of The President go here. 
So what does this new law really entail? 
Here are some facts from the actual bill posted on the White House's website: 

• Improves Nutrition and Focuses on Reducing Childhood Obesity 
• Gives USDA the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools  during the school day, including vending machines, the “a la carte” lunch lines, and school stores. 
• Provides additional funding to schools that meet updated nutritional standards for federally- subsidized lunches.  This is an historic investment, the first real reimbursement rate increase in over 30 years. 
•  Helps communities establish local farm to school networks, create school gardens, and ensures that more local foods are used in the school setting. 
• Builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods that schools receive from USDA and use in their breakfast and lunch programs. 
•  Expands access to drinking water in schools, particularly during meal times. 
•  Sets basic standards for school wellness policies including goals for nutrition promotion and 
• education and physical activity, while still permitting local flexibility to tailor the policies to their 
• particular needs. 
• Promotes nutrition and wellness in child care settings through the federally-subsidized Child and Adult Care Food Program. 
• Expands support for breastfeeding through the WIC program. 

Menu Template made for new lunch food

Now thats what I call "change" ...


FDS 

What Matters Most?

FOODMATTERS.  "Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food" - Hippocrates. 

Food Matters is a feature length documentary film informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your family's health. In a collection of interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.'s and Medical Journalists you will discover...

• How to use food as medicine
• Who needs vitamins?
• Is organic better?
• How safe is our food?
• Natural treatments for lowering Cholesterol
• Foods that fight Anxiety and Depression
• Natural therapies for Cancer
• Which drugs might do more harm than good?
• The best ways to detox, lose weight and keep it off!

This wonderful  films focus is "helping us rethink the belief systems fed to us by our modern medical and health care establishments. The interviewees point out that not every problem requires costly, major medical attention and reveal many alternative therapies that can be more effective, more economical, less harmful and less invasive than conventional medical treatments."  










Who is the wealthiest of all? he/she who is healthy. 
FDS 

Phatty Fat.

This is why.....

"youarefat" ( AHEM Americans) 

"Warning: Don’t eat before, during or after you’ve seen this blog.”

- TIME magazine

"If you dare to eat any of these, make sure you have a cardiologist on speed dial."

- CNN.com

Where Nutrition Is Needed The Most....

Children, in my opinion, is the most important age group that needs to be targeted within the obesity craze. The statistics are absolutely staggering. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%(CDC.) Many researchers even believe that at this rate children wont outlive their parents. Statistics on childhood obesity also indicate that over 70 percent of overweight adolescents will be overweight or obese as adults. 

Ok, this scares me. Actually, it really scares me! 

You might be thinking and asking yourselves all kinds of questions like, who is to blame? why haven't we done anything about it? When are people going to learn that unhealthy food is contributing to their ill-health? 

These are many questions that have been lingering around my head for years. Is there any chance that we can see change? We can never loose hope! 

Change can be determined by two important factors: education and environment. 

Education can be formed in the household and in school. Many do not have the proper education and training to raise their children and teach them the importance of healthy eating. 

On the other hand, the environment is another imminent factor. The government can contribute greatly in helping provide the necessary resources to prevent obesity from spreading. For example if a family lives in an unsafe environment that lacks proper lighting for walking in the night time, this family wont be able to go walking because their safety can be at risk. 

So, what is being done now... 

Well, there is a lot of contention on this issue going on in Washington. Lobbyists are trying to pass the child nutrition bill. Now that congress is back from their recess they have stacks and stacks of important bills to look over. Is child nutrition on top of the stack? Sadly, no. 

An article I read recently offered several reasons Why Congress Should Pass Child Nutrition Now. 

Read away! 

I will touch on this issue further, for it is something that I have a true passion for. Resolving this issue wont be an easy smooth process, but eradicating childhood obesity will take time, patience, and guts. 

Pass it on,

FDS 

'Hear all about, hear all about it- Man sues McDonald for becoming obese'

No, I'm not kidding.

So an employee of McDonald in Sao Paulo, Brazil sues for $17,500, for becoming obese.Yes, he won and here is his reasoning:

The Truth Behind Cosmetics...

The time has come for people all over the world to know about the truth. What is really in our cosmetic products? how is it regulated? are there carcinogens in baby products?

I recently wrote a very long research paper on this topic and boy are the facts staggering.
Here is a recent documentary made, which will explain exactly what I am talking about.
http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/

If you want to check how toxic your cosmetic products are(this can include anything from contact solution, lipstick, and mens deodorant)  go to http://cosmeticdatabase.com/

Why can't we all just live salubriously?
FDS

Ban on Soda and caloric soft-drinks-- YIPEEE

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/05/BAMU1E8QKR.DTL

Under an executive order from San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, sodas such as Coke, Pepsi and Fanta Orange are no longer allowed in vending machines on city property. Some of their diet counterparts are still allowed.

The ban includes non-diet sodas, sports drinks and artificially sweetened water.

Juice must be 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners, and diet sodas can be no more than 25 percent of the items offered.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

"It's all part of Newsom's effort to combat obesity and improve San Franciscans' health, similar to a national effort being championed by first lady Michelle Obama.

The mayor's administration points to studies linking soda to obesity, including a UCLA one released last year that found adults who drink at least one soft drink a day are 27 percent more likely to be obese than those who don't".

To read more about this topic click here.