www.womanthismonth.com letters 6 March 2016 February 2016 | Issue 156 | BD1 / SR10 www.womanthismonth.com BEAUTY | FASHION | HOME | WELLBEING | PARENTING | LOCAL ISSUES Bahrain Edition Food PARENTING Learning Apps TRAVEL Lights Camera Action ANKE BRANDT New Record Attempt Part two of our wellness campaign Fitness THE HEALING POWER OF MASSAGE HOME MATERIAL WITNESS A Very High Tea BEAUTY Write Here Write Now We want to hear your thoughts on Woman This Month. Write to us at [email protected] Get in touch by email, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram! Bring on the Superfoods or Not! This article actually came at a great time as I have been trying to put together a new diet plan for the family, incorporating the various superfoods that frequently appear online. I was not very convinced about sausages actually being a ‘healthy choice’, and had reduced buying them. I have however spotted a deli that makes good quality ones and I guess some sausage for breakfast on Saturdays will be a big hit with the kids. Bone broth is another surprise for me. The combination of minerals in it seems to make it just perfect for cold winter days. It was great to see how the fashionable superfoods aren’t the only nutritional powerhouses available. I’d like to thank Liz O'Reilly for sharing such valuable information. Dalya Playing Safe Whether it is team sports or just a run in the park it is really important to do some sort of physical activity, especially now since our lives have become excessively sedentary. But with sports, come the inevitable injuries and Behnaz Sanjana’s article was a crash course in understanding them. This extremely informative piece illustrated how to protect ourselves from getting injured. I am a lot more careful now, about how I run on the treadmill or do my squat routine. I mean, just by being cautious we can avoid many trips to doctor. Reem Let’s Move, Baby I would like to thank WTM for providing me with such immensely helpful information regarding pregnancy. One of my friends is in her first trimester and has started feeling quite fatigued already. I have been really worried for her. But after reading and sharing this article about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy, she is now open to the idea of incorporating a mild workout and even yoga to strengthen her body. There is a lot of information available on the subject on the Internet, but getting it from a credible source is really important. Nirmal www.womanthismonth.com showcase February 2016 36 Pregnancy might seem like a good time to relax and put your feet up but it's important to be active and keep moving. If done correctly, exercise does wonders during pregnancy. Becoming active and exercising at least 30 minutes most days can benefit your health during pregnancy in multiple ways. Exercise can help reduce backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling. It may also help prevent or treat high blood sugar. Regular activity increases energy, improves mood and posture and promotes muscle tone, strength and endurance. It even helps you sleep better. The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier you will find adapting to your changing body shape and weight gain. It will enhance your ability to cope with labour and to get back into shape after childbirth. Initiation of pelvic floor exercises in the immediate postpartum period may also reduce the risk of future urinary incontinence. Certain sports are safe during pregnancy, even for beginners, such as walking, swimming and aquanatal classes. Low impact aerobics and pilates are a good way to keep your heart and lungs strong. Reasonable goals of aerobics in pregnancy should be to maintain a good fitness level throughout the term without trying to reach peak fitness. Yoga induces flexibility and helps breath control and pain management. Also, moderate exercise during lactation does not affect the quantity or composition of breast milk or impact infant growth. Activities in which there is a high risk of falling such as gymnastics, water skiing, and horseback riding as well as racquet sports, should be avoided. Pregnant women should not engage in contact sports such as hockey, basketball and soccer. And scuba diving can put your baby at risk of decompression sickness. Exercise is contraindicated if you have high blood pressure, low placenta, twins or triplets, ruptured membranes, preterm labour, an incompetent cervix, bleeding at any stage or any serious medical problems in present and past pregnancies. It is also prudent to contact your obstetrician before attempting exercises. Adequate hydration and proper ventilation are important to prevent the possible effects of overheating. Always warm up before exercising and cool down afterwards. The intensity, duration and frequency of exercise should start at a level that does not result in pain, shortness of breath or excessive fatigue. Exercises performed in the supine position are inadvisable after the first trimester, as are prolonged periods of motionless standing. Whether you were active before pregnancy or not, it is wise to start some sort of moderate activity regularly to keep fit in pregnancy and afterwards. Call BSH on 17 812-000. Obstetrics and gynaecology specialist Dr Vandana Kumar explains the benefits of exercise both in pregnancy and postpartum. BAHRAIN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL LET’S MOVE, BABY Dr Vandana Kumar www.womanthismonth.com February 2016 33 FEATURE | health & fitness BRING ON THE SUPERFOODS – OR NOT! Over the past few years we’ve been bombarded with lists of, so called, superfoods whose health benefits have been extolled. But what is a superfood and what’s next on the list? In the second part of our three-month fitness focus, Liz O’Reilly itakes a look at the store cupboard must-haves for 2016. The term superfood, a bit like supermodel, is bandied about quite regularly but what exactly are superfoods? According to livescience. com, they are foods, mostly plantbased but also some dairy and fish, thought to be nutritionally dense, nutrient rich and, thus, considered to be beneficial to health. In the past few years we’ve been instructed to eat avocados, blueberries and virtually everything coconut, whether we’re drinking the water, eating the flesh, spooning the oil into our food or rubbing it onto our skin and hair. And, to be honest, the idea that any of these things would be good for us is not all that suprising. But sometimes new additions to the list come as a bit of a shock such as black pudding, the much-loved British blood sausage, without which no ‘Full English’ would be complete. Apparently the humble sausage is rich in protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc as well as being practically carb free. It’s just typical that the one ‘healthy’ ingredient on that oh-so-sinful breakfast plate is the one I usually leave on the side, but maybe in the future I’ll try and stomach just a little of the rich pud for its health benefits. And then there’s bone broth! Yep, sounds pretty unpleasant but some experts swear by it for its combination of protein, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium and potassium as well as collagen and gelatin – both of which are lauded by anti-aging experts. You can make it by simmering bones, veggies and herbs for six to 12 hours. Some drink it for breakfast to get the day off to a healthy start but if you haven’t got the stomach for that, try using it as the base for a soup. The UK’s Glamour magazine predicts that 2016 will be the year of the Brussels sprout. These little green bundles of goodness are packed with vitamin B and glucosinolates that protect our DNA from damage, as well as vitamin K, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium and magnesium. Brussels are a bit like Marmite, they provoke a strong reaction and people seem to either love them or hate them. I’m a big fan and, for anyone who’s not keen, I’d say try them sautéed with a bit of bacon and onion – yum. Another rather odd one is Betonite Clay. Yes, you read that right, some sources are now suggesting we should eat mud (though, to be fair, some have been consuming diatomaceous earth for years). According to bodyandsoul.com.au the clay is praised for its cleansing and detoxifying qualities, it’s “highly absorbent, negatively charged and beneficial both internally and externally”. However, made from volcanic ash, there are those who caution against its use claiming mineral levels could be potentially toxic. And that brings us to an important consideration when looking at superfoods. There is no official classification for these trends; they’re hardly, if at all, recognised by nutritionists and, a bit like fad diets, they are often not all they’re cracked up to be. At the end of the day, if you eat a balanced diet, with a few treats along the way, take some exercise and get enough sleep and hydration, you’ll be doing fine. February 2016 www.womanthismonth.com 40 FEATURE | health & fitness A round of tennis, golf or basketball or even just cycling by the beach after a long day at work can be a great stressbuster. Being active goes a long way towards keeping your circulation from getting sluggish, your ticker healthy and your bones in top condition. Not to mention the rush of endorphins that puts you on a happy high and the sense of achievement and heathy competition that come with it. This holds true for children as well. But, as with all things in life, this has a flip side to it – injuries. Dr Maik Priester, orthopaedic consultant at the German Orthopaedic Hospital, specialises in arthroscopic surgery and sports medicine. He tells us how we can continue playing and keeping healthy without the danger of injury. “Sports injuries are injuries related to playing sports or exercising. Sometimes they happen when people are not fit enough for the activity they choose or did not warm up properly before playing. Sometimes they happen even to the fittest of athletes due to trauma or interaction with other players,” says Dr Priester. Sports injuries vary in forms and grades of severity such as sprains and strains, muscle tears, dislocations and fractures. They can be classified as acute or chronic. An acute injury happens suddenly while playing sports; it is usually associated with a traumatic event. A chronic injury can also be defined as an overuse injury. It normally develops slowly, is persistent and lasts for a long time. The pain is less compared to an acute injury – one of the reasons it is often ignnored. Dr Priester warns that, over time, the symptoms build up to a point where they could restrict a normal lifestyle. So what can a sports enthusiast do to avoid injuries? “Prevention is an important part of sports medicine. The risk of getting injured can be reduced by warming up properly before doing exercises,” says the doctor. He also goes on to warn that one must not push the body beyond its current fitness level. Incorporating strength training and stretching into your exercise programme helps to prevent injury. Adequate hydration maintains health and minimises muscle Playing Safe Many of us resort to a favourite sport to pack in some fun and a cardio-like workout. For a safe game or workout, Behnaz Sanjana looks at how to dodge and tackle sports injuries. Sports injuries vary in forms and grades of severety; like sprains and strains, muscle tears, dislocations and fractures WTM Feb Cover was the most liked picture on Instagram. The Most talked about Picture on WTM’s Instagram Follow us on: Instagram: @woman_this_month Twitter: @WomanThisMonthB Facebook: Woman This Month Letter Sheraton Hotel Bahrain #BTM Contest was the most favourited and retweeted post. The following #WTM post got favourited and Retweeted on Twitter most #WTM Cover Contest asked the fans on social media to Tweet about Sheraton Hotel Bahrain Chocoholic brunch on #WTM FB, Instagram & Twitter and 2 lucky winners won a free Chocoholic Brunch at Sheraton Hotel Bahrain. The winners are Nisha Punjabi and Shareen Parveen Congratulations! WOMAN THIS MONTH CONTEST WINNER WTM Cover post on #WTM is the most liked post on FB. Bahrain International Airshow contest post was the most liked post on FB The Most Liked Post on Facebook
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