6 | March 2013 www.womanthismonth.com A Frame of Mind was an enlightening read that should have been given more prominence in your magazine. I was surprised to see that the piece was not featured in your cover page. Dementia is an illness that is often ignored by the family. Depression, moodiness, the occasional ‘misplacing items’ and forgetfulness are all attributed to “growing old.” As a result of this, dementia is often left undiagnosed, leave alone untreated, for several people. Hopefully, when people are made cognisant, the illness can be detected and treated at an early stage. Also, the article should have stressed more on the patience and compassion that is required from close kin while dealing with the person suffering from dementia. Aside from this, the item was full of useful information. In future, please encourage more of such articles, which will help us careeroriented individuals to stop and take a look at maladies of those near and dear to us. Rao, by email. Letters Parenting done right STAR LETTER Write Here Write Now www.womanthismonth.com 37 February 2013 | | February 2013 36 www.womanthismonth.com Wellbeing Mind Dementia in all its forms is one of the most pressing problems of the world. Woman This Month sits down with experts to find out the truth about the personality stealing disease. By Maryam Toorani T here is probably no more a dreaded illness associated with getting older than any type of dementia. Millions of people around the world suffer from this identity-destroying condition and the numbers keep on increasing year by year. Far too often we hear about cases where parents can’t even remember their children’s names or find their way back home from the neighbourhood store. The real question we try to tackle is, why is it caused and are we all really helpless in the hands of this mind-robbing horror? Dementia 101 Our expert: Dr Shahid Khan, internal medicine, American Mission Hospital Dementia is not a disease in itself, but rather a general term used to describe a decline in mental ability. Any kind of damage in the brain cells interferes with the capacity of the brain to communicate with the rest of the body. When this line of communication breaks (because of old age or a disease) normal actions like thinking and feeling can be affected. Symptoms vary depending on the cause or type of dementia. These include memory loss where the patient may forget his way back home or may forget names and places. Moodiness where the person cannot control their emotions can also be noticed sometimes. Communicative difficulties are usually sure signs that something is wrong and as the disease progresses, their ability to carry out everyday tasks diminishes. “Diagnosis requires a complete medical and neuropsychological evaluation. After a patient is brought in by their family, the doctor first needs to determine the severity of their cognitive problem,“ explains Dr Khan. A detailed history is taken while a physical examination is carried out along with a few mental status tests and laboratory exams. Among them is the Minnesota Mini-mental Status Examination where a multiple questionnaire test is given to the patient. The score of the questionnaire evaluates the cognitive deficit of the patient, ranging from mild to severe. “A Brain CT scan or MRI can help us in determining the cause, which could be a stroke for example. Knowing the cause allows us to recommend the right treatment plan,” he adds. Can it be treated? Some medications can be used to help slow down the process but most treatments can neither reverse nor stop dementia. There are, however a few cases that are caused by medical conditions that can be treated. In these cases, most or full mental functionality can be restored. Thyroid disease or Vitamin B12 deficiency can be treatable if diagnosed in early stages. Alzheimer disease is one type of dementia that can be treated by some medications to only slow down the process and prolong a person’s brain control. alzheimer’s 101 Our expert: Qusai Al Haddad, specialist neurologist at Bahrain Specialist Hospital The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), increases with old age, but developing it is not a part of normal ageing. The exact cause of AD is yet to be clear. Studies show that genes and environmental factors seem to play a role. Risk factors, although not well proven, include having high blood pressure for a long time and a history of head trauma. Some studies even suggest that women are more likely to suffer from AD than men. Symptoms include difficulty with many areas of mental function like emotional behaviour or personality, language, memory, perception, thinking and judgment. The early symptoms can include difficulty performing tasks that take some thought, but used to come easily, such as balancing a cheque book, playing complex board games or learning new information or routines. “Getting lost on familiar routes and misplacing items as well as loss of social skills can be signs to look out for,” says Dr Qusai. As AD worsens, symptoms become more obvious and interfere with a person’s ability to take care of themselves. This can then result in a change in sleep patterns, delusions, depression and even something as simple as preparing meals or choosing proper clothing to wear. In the most severe case, a person can no longer understand language or recognize family members. A Frame of Change your perspective This month’s star letter will win a bag of goodies from Ford’s ‘Warriors in Pink’ collection. So, to receive these fantastic products, send us your views and options on this month’s edition either by email to [email protected], by fax to 17 813-700 or by post to PO Box 20461. Your article this month on ‘teaching your children to take their time’ was a fantastic one. With technology having taken over our everyday lives, we have such little time to actually spend with our kids. We see parents in the park, toying with their mobiles and children sitting with their iPad. Entrepreneurial parents are now even giving classes as basic as learning to hula hoop or jump rope! All it actually takes is watching a five-minute self-help video on YouTube. Technology needs to be used for its benefits and somehow most people are not able to draw the line. We need to counter the advent of the misuse of technology with common sense. If you could add more articles, which share ideas on fun stuff to do with kids, it would be great. Let’s encourage parents to give space and time, in return for priceless years well spent. Best wishes, A mom, by email. WRITE IN AND WIN I usually let my kids choose one recipe from your magazine so we can have some fun together in the kitchen over a weekend. We had a great time following James Claire’s recipes to baking red velvet cupcakes this month. However, it was obvious that the girls chose that because it was the one recipe that wasn’t green. I’m sure many mothers face the hassle of getting their kids to eat their veggies. Would it be possible for you to share some recipes that could perhaps ‘trick’ them into getting their daily dose of greens? Annie, by email. 42 | February 2013 www.womanthismonth.com www.womanthismonth.com 43 February 2013 | Parenting Teach Your Children to Take Their Time What can we do about this problem? One answer is to live by the rule of quality as opposed to quantity. Slow down and savour the moment as opposed to being fast and ferocious, wanting it all. There are so many activities that are improved by taking things a little slower. Exercising, eating, speaking, that extra coffee in the morning and the dreaded homework that young people have to endure can all benefit from an unhurried, more focussed attitude. Simply breathing slowly before you begin a task or when things get tricky can help you centre your thoughts. Try breathing in for six seconds and exhaling for 10 a few times; it really does help and is very calming too. Teach your children this simple technique because results of many substantial research reports prove that a calm and relaxed mind is the best state to learn new things and solve problems. Think of times when you were trying to juggle too many tasks; there is clutter in your mind. Errands may get forgotten and work may not be completed to the standard you wish whilst energy and time is wasted. In comparison, think of tasks you do when you are focussed. They are completed methodically, enabling you to achieve quality. How does this make you feel compared to the irritable voice of a parent who tells their children to hurry up? Of course, there are deadlines to meet and school bells to beat, but take some time to think about the impact you want as your child enters their classroom. Consider a scenario when the traffic was unusually slow and there was nothing you could do and your child got dressed relatively quickly that morning. What is the use in stressing and exasperating in such a situation? Is it not better to say, “...oh well...” and then they arrive at their class without shame and anxiety? It’s a choice. All your thoughts, actions and words are a choice. Life balance Creating a better life balance is a fundamental strategy for wellbeing. Yes, speed does have a place but it is very different to rushed or flustered. What exactly should we focus on when speeding up? When it comes to making decisions, which we make all day every day, choices can be faster and less torturous if you set yourself and your children some rules. For instance, say that we will only be in this shop for only 10 minutes, focus on buying certain items and will select what we want from only three shops. Adding structure, boundaries and focus makes decision-making so much easier. The Internet provides you with the myth that you should search everywhere; look at several brands and compare prices. It even has tools to help you with this. You can compare gadgets and quality reviews. As great as this might sound, it has a downside. You may wish to spend your time doing something different and, on occasions, good enough can be enough. Decide in advance how long you want to search or how many options you want to explore and then be disciplined. Stop browsing by consciously ignoring other possibilities as they can go on forever; so ignore ‘what ifs’. Ignore the trivial It is a very clever and useful tool to be able to consciously and actively ignore things. We are persistently bombarded with information, a great deal of which is out of our control and irrelevant. This skill has a whole host of applications. For example, just because you have a phone, it does not mean that you have to answer it or carry it with you. Of course, there are times when this is essential, when things are urgent and important, but on other occasions, think about what you really want to do at that time. Do you want a quick chat with a friend about nothing in particular or do you want to read or play with your child? Choosing here really will mean that you are focussed on what you are doing instead of doing two things half-heartedly. The same applies to emails. Do you open every email just in case? Do you read emails that you know are not important to you just because they were sent to you? Do you reply immediately? Are you compelled to reply at all? If you delete or do not answer to a mail that is not important to you, rather than letting yourself be intimidated into dealing with it, you are making yourself so much more time for more important things. Again, this skill can be shared with your child as they begin to send and receive their own texts and email messages. Technology tries to convince us that fast is better, easier and more effective. Nevertheless, remember the passion and effort it takes to write a handwritten note or letter which is also usually more memorable to the receiver. It’s 2013. People want to live longer, achieve beyond expectations, do things faster and carry out more things simultaneously. The result? Life passes you by with a fair share of depression, anxiety, and ill health. Dr Clare Beckett-McInroy 52 | February 2013 www.womanthismonth.com www.womanthismonth.com 53 February 2013 | Food Chive, Cheese and Asparagus Soufflé Green Pea and Chive Soup For the Love of Cooking In my mid-forties and still single, I find Valentine’s Day is a time of greater love for the one woman who has remained at my side for four decades and still only has nice words about me — my mother, the woman who during my childhood cooked our every meal. Yet, even despite all that cooking, I don’t recall her eating with us and when I do, I remember her eating sparingly. For a long while I presumed that she was too full from nibbling as she cooked; but I see it clearly know, she just loved cooking more than she did eating. I love food and I adore cooking it. Having given 30 years to cooking as my primary career I still adore the process; finding delicious ingredients, contemplating how they work together and finally preparing the meal. Often though, when I am done and sit before the meal, I am just not desirous of eating it. This is not because I don’t like my own cooking, but because I adore the process more than the result. If you truly love the one you’re with, go out for dinner, allow someone else to enjoy the process and you enjoy the company of each other. Take the time to talk and reminisce; remind yourselves why you fell in love in the first place. If the funds don’t allow, or if you’re flying solo, then find love and comfort in the art and joy that cooking a meal can give. Just remember how good the food tasted when the time comes for doing the dishes. Happy cooking! Cooking is a procedure of marrying the right ingredients to produce something better than its parts, a complete dish. It is about love for the art and the culinary adventure; not just for “the one”. By James Claire 500g frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well drained 100g finely shredded cheddar cheese 75g mayonnaise (store bought) 2 tbspns chives, freshly chopped 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic 4 egg whites pinch cream of tartar pinch salt l In a hot fry pan, sauté the onion and garlic until coloured. l In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, cheese, mayonnaise, chives and onion/ garlic mixture. Using a spatula, fold all these ingredients together. l In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. l Fold into asparagus mixture. l Fold the egg whites into the asparagus mixture in 2-3 batches. With each batch, it is advised to be more and more careful while folding the egg whites in. l Transfer the finished mixture into a greased large ramekin or soufflé dish or individual dishes and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. l Serve immediately. 200g potatoes, peeled and cut into fine cubes 1 tbspn garlic paste 2 tbsns unsalted butter 1 1/2ltrs vegetable stock (or 1.5ltrs water and 4 vegetable stock cubes) 400g frozen peas, thawed 2 tbspns chives, finely chopped pinch salt pinch black pepper, freshly ground Ingredients: 120g unsalted butter 300g caster sugar 2 eggs, large 250mls laban 30g red food colour 1 tspn white vinegar 250g plain (all-purpose) flour 1/2 tspn salt 15g cocoa powder 1 tspn bicarbonate soda For the icing: 100g unsalted butter 500g icing or confectioners’ sugar pinch salt 1 tspn vanilla essence 65g milk Red Velvet Cupcakes l To make the red velvet cupcake batter, place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until the mixture is light in colour. l Add the eggs one at a time and combine well after each addition. l In a bowl, mix together the laban, red food colour and the white vinegar and whisk. l Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate soda and salt. l Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and start the blender while slowly adding the liquids. l When all ingredients are added, scrape down the bowl and ensure everything is thoroughly combined. l Spoon the mixture into cupcake paper- lined cupcake tin and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-35 minutes until baked. l Allow to cool before icing. l To make the icing, cream together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. l When the butter is completely incorporated add the milk slowly to the mixture and increase the speed of the mixer and beat the icing for 2-3 minutes before removing and using on the cupcakes immediately. l In a large sauce pan, heat the butter and when hot sauté the chopped potatoes and the garlic paste until lightly brown. l Add the vegetable stock and bring the mix to a boil. l Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender. l Add the thawed peas and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the peas are tender. Cool slightly. l Use a hand wand mixer or a stand up blender and process the soup until smooth. l Add the chopped chives, salt and black pepper to taste and serve immediately with a small spoonful of sour cream in the centre. Eating healthy
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