Tag: Self-Care

*Best Diwali Wishes I GOT TODAY! I feel elated!*

This Diwali is extremely satisfying, as I have now a good number of patients saved from getting cancer! The #SAVEtheyouth campaign with its components #knowtobacco & #chotadaana is off-course when a person gets cancer we can still save them, but it would be associated with morbidity, and compromised quality of life.

1. From a Lady Doctor, whose husband was a smoker for the last 22 years. They were celebrating their first No Cigarette Diwali. It had been a frustrating journey for her since her marriage, cajoling, persuading, quarreling, and nagging her husband to quit cigarettes. Not that her husband had not tried, he had but failed multiple times, and lost confidence that he would ever be cigarette free. In one of the meetings, she met me, and with difficulty we got her husband enrolled in the ICanCaRe Tobacco Cessation program. In the first intervention, he reduced the intake but could not sustain it and had a relapse. But the second intervention cycle was successful with intensive sequential therapy and regular motivation. Now it is going to be 4 months and he had not smoked a single cigarette. Feels stronger than before, less stressed, more stamina, more docile, and happier!

2. Second was from Mr. Satyabhan, 42 years old, a security guard, whom I had met at Qutub Minar around 2 years back. During the conversation, I found that he was chewing tobacco. And as a routine, I told him about tobacco and related cancers. Unexpectantly, he was convinced and he came over to the unit at MAX, Vaishali. On check-up, he was found to have a small cancer lesion on the lip, Submucous fibrosis, and dental lesions. He was treated in OPD. Excision of the lesion was done and medicines started. Today, he called me to wish me a happy Diwali, more than that, he was blessing me for saving him and his family.

When people call me back for what I might have done as my routine process, is the greatest gift for me. Their wishes and blessings motivate me to continue to do good for society. My SAVE the youth campaign is saving life, family, and money. I am happy many families will light happy diyas today!

*Dr. Pawan Gupta M.Ch.* Cancer Surgeon.

*Director, MAX* – PATPARGANJ, VAISHALI, NOIDA

Founder – ICanCaRe – TOBACCO #SaveTheYouth

9811290152

For Quitting Tobacco – Call 011-43077695

#icancare #winovertobacco #pawangupta #QuitTobacco #quitsmokingtoday #knowtobacco

Are You Your Own Remote Control?

Gain back self-power and become your own masters!

Last week, my friend was very anxious. He was about to be promoted in 4 years’ time and was still not confident he would through. In that stress, I could sense fear, loss of hope and struggle to cope with it. He washed out a couple of times, but was back soon. He smoked twice as many cigarettes he usually smoked on a regular day.

Every time his boss would call, his heart thumped and sank down fearing that his promotion might be at stake. So he would smoke even harder to manage with his anxiety. There was a lot of change in his behavior. He would get angry quickly, burst out on his children without reasons and have regular fights with his wife.

This made me think, was he the person I really know? A promotion changed his behavior and actions to a large extent. He could not control his thoughts, emotions, actions or even the number of puffs he took.

Friends, this is the case with many of us today. Financial pressures and responsibilities of a family, creates a lot of stress in the minds of an individual. One might get sick or go down into depression if not realized and corrected on time.

Studies have shown that people smoke more to relieve their stress. That implies that more stress would cause more smoking which again implies increased expenditure, more diseases due to smoking, and adverse impact on family’s health due to second-hand-smoke thereby leading to increased medical bills. This leads to limited savings and again increases the stress levels due to financial burden and then the cycle continues.

Does more smoking lead to more stress or more stress leads to more smoking?

Can’t the chain be broken? We know the adverse effects of smoking and the stress it causes in the family. Then why can’t we control our own cravings? Why can’t we be determined and be our own masters and control our brain the way we want? Are we so fragile in this most comfortable era that we do not even want to rule ourselves and be driven by a petty and trivial thing called cigarette?

I have often heard smokers say that the cravings are so strong that they cannot manage it. The after effects, the so called “withdrawal symptoms” are so worse that they cannot cope with it. But let me tell that your cravings are not stronger than your thoughts and determination. If you decide tenaciously to be stress free, then you will be and the entire universe will help you.

All you have to do is take back your control from the hands of cigarette and give it to yourself and drive your actions as per your will. I’m sure that all of you can become your own masters and be your own “Remote Control”. Don’t lose it. Because once the control is lost beyond repair, the damage will be severe and irreversible. Life is no video game that can give you multiple lives if you make a mistake and die in the game. So think smartly and act firmly and vigilantly.

Indians are Deficit in these 5 Essential Nutrients

Indians are Deficit in These 5 Nutrients

A myriad of micro-nutrients and macro-nutrients are required for a healthy human body. Deficiency in one or more nutrients can lead to multiple disorders including a few chronic diseases. It is therefore essential to maintain a balanced diet so that all the essential vitamins and minerals are supplied to the body for its smooth functioning and to keep fit and healthy.

In one of the reports published by The Asian Age dated 23rd August 2019, it was mentioned that climate, region and geography of a country decides the type of nutrition available in the plants grown. It was also stated that the Indian diet is considered to be the healthiest of all the diets which means that India has the right topography and climate to produce healthy and nutritious food.

Despite this, a nutrition report by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found that Indians are deficit in the following 5 vitamins and minerals:

Iron

Iron is extremely essential to maintain the right hemoglobin levels in the blood. Deficiency in iron will lead to anemia. A study by WHO found that adolescent girls in India are highly deficit in iron. 50% of 200 girls surveyed were found to be anemic.

Iron deficiency can be prevented by in taking iron rich food or external supplements. Foods rich in iron are shellfish, spinach, liver, offal, legume, red meat, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, tofu, banana and dark chocolate. Introducing these foods in the diet will improve the iron in the blood.

Iodine

Iodine is another essential mineral required for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, secretion of the growth hormone and maintaining our body weight. Deficiency of iodine can lead to goiter, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, cretinism, decreased fertility rate, increased mental retardation and mental retardation.

It is very alarming that 263 districts out of 325 districts surveyed, were found to be severely iodine deficit in India. It is important to introduce iodine rich food like cod, tuna, seaweed, shrimp, eggs and dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese to meet the iodine needs of the body. Iodized salt is the most common and easy way to supplement the iodine deficiency in the body.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is required to have a normal and healthy vision. It is also essential for our immune system and reproduction. It helps for the proper functioning of the vital organs like heart, lungs and kidneys. Deficiency in Vitamin A causes causes Nyctalopia (Night Blindness), Xeropthalmia, Keratomalacia, and in acute deficiency it can lead to complete blindness. It increases the risk of respiratory and diarrheal infections, decreased growth rate and slow bone development in children.

The Asian Age stated that breastfeeding a child for at least 6 months can eradicate the risk of Vitamin A deficiency in children. Foods like apple, carrots, bell peppers, butter, salmon, cheddar, sweet potato, winter squash, kale, collards, etc. are rich source of Vitamin A.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is indispensable for healthy skin and boosting immunity of the body. It protects against cardio vascular diseases, prenatal health problems, eye disease, skin wrinkling; reduces stress; helps in formation of collagen; iron absorption; quick wound healing and maintenance of cartilages, bones and teeth. Deficiency of Vitamin C can lead to scurvy, gum disease and skin problems. It is very frightening to hear that studies in India found 73% of people with more than 60 years of age were found deficit in Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is richly found in cantaloupe, orange, broccoli, red cabbage, green pepper, red pepper, kiwi, tomato juice, lemon, etc. These fruits should be introduced in the diet without fail to replenish the loss of Vitamin C.

Vitamin D

The sunshine Vitamin D is the most common nutrient deficit in the global population. It is obtained mainly through sunlight and is also abundantly found in milk, fish, fish liver oil, egg yolks, and fortified dairy and grain products. It is required to build strong bones, form myelin sheath around the nerves, boosts immunity against common infection, reduce allergies, perform cell growth modulation and neuro-muscular functions.

Its deficiency can cause Rickets, osteoporosis, falls, cancer of prostate, colon, breast, lung marrow/lymphoma, hypertension, sclerosis, type 1 and type 2 diabetes. IT is therefore important to go out in the early morning sun at least twice a week for 5 to 40 minutes.

Having the balanced diet of all these essential nutrients will make the body healthier and fit. It is better to self-care and adapt preventive care to delay getting a disease than getting a disease due to the above mentioned deficiencies.