HARIAN PADANG: Health

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Sabtu, 07 Mei 2011 | 17.51 | 0 Comments

Why eating for the seasons is important

HarianPadang.com-Discover how seasonal produce improves your health.

Before we started the mass import and exportation of goods a few decades ago, we had no choice but to eat seasonally. That’s all that was available. We had watermelons in summer, when it was hot, and root vegetables in winter. It makes sense, as watermelon will cool us down in the heat of summer and root vegetables are made into soups or roasted – keeping us warm in the cool.

These days though, you can pretty much buy anything you want all year around in a supermarket, as it’s more than likely been imported. But learn from farmers’ markets: if it’s not available, chances are it’s not in season – a good sign you’re not meant to be eating it then anyway.

Understanding what your body needs will not only improve the health of our planet, but yours as well. Eastern medicine and philosophies have understood the interconnectedness of the body, mind and spirit for centuries, but only recently has it found its way into Western lives.

What to eat in autumn

Just as the leaves start to lose their moisture so do we, both internally and externally. We will likely experience drier skin, coughs, dandruff and constipation. To prevent or reduce these symptoms, eat foods that nourish and moisten, such as nuts and seeds and their oils (tahini, olive, almond and flax oil), wholegrains like barley and millet, and apples, pears and avocado. Foods that build up our blood in preparation for winter are figs, pears, pumpkin, and beetroot. The flavour associated with the lungs is pungent so ginger and wasabi are especially helpful during this season.

Seasonal eating guide

Our organs will be sensitive in a particular season: each has a related taste and emotion.

Harian Padang.com-Meet four very special mums and their unique family units.

Four inspiring women share their thoughts and experiences on being a mum and reveal their plans for Mother's Day.

Amanda Green is mum to Robbie, 24, who has autism, and Camilla, 22

When you have a child with autism, every day can present different challenges. I try to rejoice in what Robbie can do rather than focus on things he finds difficult. He is an amazing photographer, has an interesting perspective of the world and a great sense of humour.

Camilla is academically strong with a creative side as well. One of her biggest achievements though, is being a generous, caring sister. A great joy for me is seeing my children interact with each other.

Robbie needs special care and management but these challenges pale into insignificance when I consider the challenges he confronts every day. Being calm and patient is key. Humour helps enormously.

People tend to judge parents when they see a child exhibiting inappropriate behaviour. I would like them to spare a thought that the behaviour may be due to the condition and have nothing to do with parenting skills.

This Mother's Day Camilla and David have arranged a special lunch and I am hoping Robbie will make one of his chocolate cakes for dessert.

Melanie O'Shanassy is a single mum to twin girls, Frances and Tully, aged three

Being a mum is a gift. I am constantly amazed at the things my kids do and say. They are strong little independent women and it's fascinating to watch them grow.

It's taken a few years, though. I was so tired as a new mother that I can honestly say I wasn't that gone on motherhood. I struggled with so much of it. To say I was overwhelmed would have been an understatement. But now, I get so much pleasure from hearing the girls giggle together, or seeing their artwork, or listening to the funny little comments they make.

This Mother's Day I am going to start making a cubby house for my girls, then we are all going to Grandma's for tea. Should be good.

Harriet Moutsopoulos has been a foster mum for just over a year. In this time she has cared for 25 children

Being a foster mum is about helping children in crisis and it's very gratifying to be able to make a difference. The assistance we offer is so simple - we just give them food, safety and love.

The biggest challenge is trying to provide them with skills in a short space of time. We build their confidence and help them understand the difference between right and wrong. When they leave us, we always send them off with puffa jackets so that wherever they go, they're warm.

Foster children are no different to any other children. All children are innocent and need the same things. Sometimes people's first instinct is to blame the parents, but you can't pass judgment.

We have three kids with us at the moment and our plan for Mother's Day is to go to my mum's house and make a mess over there! The kids have made pictures and posters for her. They can't be with their own mum this Mother's Day so it will be all about them and making sure they're happy.

Donna Rackley is a mum of six; Simone, 21, Kimberley, 19, Bethany, 8, Karla, 6, Ethan, 3 and Brayden, 2

It's a lot of fun having a big family. The more children you have, the more confidence you gain as a mother. I always wanted to have children from a young age and having the last two in my late thirties, I can really feel the difference. I haven't got the patience and energy I did when I was younger.

People often ask how I can afford to have so many children, but it's not that hard. I love to cook at home and really, what's a few extra potatoes or carrots? Going out for dinner is expensive but the financial aspect is not as big a burden as you'd think.

For me, being a mum is about developing love and friendship with my kids. You do have to learn to speak on different levels, though. The way you speak to a 21-year-old is very different to the way you speak to a two-year-old.

My daughter Kimberley is about to have a baby, so I will be spending Mother's Day celebrating the birth of my first grandchild. I can't wait.

Sabtu, 13 November 2010 | 09.40 | 0 Comments

Boy, 3, died from meningitis 'three days after doctors refused to give him urgent appointment'

Harian Padang.com-A family claim their sick three-year-old son died three days after he was turned away from a medical centre without being seen by doctors.

Obed-Edom Bans was simply offered Calpol - even though he had an emergency card as a sickle-cell sufferer.

He became seriously ill and three days later he was rushed to hospital, where he died from meningitis.

Obed-Edom's parents took the shivering youngster to a medical centre, but said they were not seen and were given a appointment for a week's time

Now health officials in Croydon, South London have launched an inquiry into the death of Obed - who had been due to celebrate his fourth birthday with his twin brother Benjamin this month.

A spokesman for NHS Croydon said: 'We are treating this case as a serious untoward incident.'

The boy's grieving family took Obed to Fieldway Medical Centre in New Addington on October 19 after his temperature rose and he began shivering. But staff could not make him an appointment for seven days.

His mother Akua, 45, said: 'It was obvious something was wrong, but they would not see him - even though I was showing his emergency card.

'If he was checked that day, they could have saved him, but he died before the appointment they gave him.'

She added that a nurse phoned later to say they could issue a Calpol prescription, but they 'still would not see him,' Mrs Bans said.

Three days later, Obed was found unconscious at his New Addington home.
He was rushed by ambulance to St George's Hospital in Tooting, but died there on October 23. A post mortem found he died from meningitis.

A spokesman for Battersea Coroner's Court said: 'This child died at St George's Hospital on October 23. There is not going to be an inquest.'

Dr Richard Bamgboye from Fieldway Medical Centre said: 'We have been advised by the NHS not to comment on this case.'

Amelia Lyons, a spokeswoman for NHS Croydon, said: 'NHS Croydon wishes to extend their deepest sympathy to the family of three-year-old Obed-Edom Bans following his sudden death last month.

'NHS Croydon is treating this case as a serious untoward incident and a thorough investigation is currently underway.

'It would therefore be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.'

Senin, 08 November 2010 | 15.57 | 0 Comments

Chaitanya Stem Cell Center

Harian Padang-Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a part of Chaitanya Hospital, an ISO 9001/2008 accredited organization. We have already treated more than 92 cases with the help of Stem Cells, out of which 70% cases have shown clinical improvements. We use cells of highest purity, viability and integrity from world quality laboratory. It has been proved that more transplantation cycles give better results. Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a charity based organization and thus we provide the treatments at economical rates.

Following are some of the highlights of Stem cell therapy:

Stem cell therapy has shown significant positive results worldwide in conditions like Cerebral palsy, Mental retardation, Autism and many diseases over the last 3 -6 years.

Stem cell therapy is used to treat incurable diseases like Cerebral Palsy, Brain Hemorrhage and Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury & Paraplegia, Autism, Parkinsonism and more than 75 diseases. Preliminary studies at our center have shown encouraging outputs.

It is our aim to facilitate further scientific research of clinical application of Autologous Bone marrow Derived Mononuclear Stem Cells Therapy in economical rates.

The stem cell therapy done at our center is from your own bone marrow and hence acceptability of the human body is more with no adverse effects.

The exact treatment can change from patient to patient and is prescribed after a thorough analysis of the patient’s condition by our panel of expert doctors.

Harian Padang-Sasha Browne's parents say they have seen improvements in their daughter's motor skills since she had the stem cell treatment

Posing for the camera with a broad smile across her face, there is little sign of the difficult start to life Sasha Browne has endured.

It is a scene her parents believe owes much to Sasha's involvement in a pioneering stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy.

The three-year-old is believed to be the first British child to be infused with her own umbilical cord blood cells, and her parents told yesterday how they believe the controversial procedure has improved the toddler's ability to walk, see and speak.

Sasha took part in the first trial to treat cerebral palsy, an umbrella term for a range of different conditions where the brain doesn't work properly, causing problems with movement, posture and co-ordination, by injecting patients with stem cells harvested from their umbilical cords after birth.

Doctors injected the stem cells into Sasha's bloodstream through her ankle in the hope that they would travel to her brain to help repair some of the damaged tissue.

After the procedure, physiotherapist told parents Tania and Richard, both 43, that Sasha's progress had been faster than that of her other patients with the condition.

The news is likely to be met with caution by British experts in the field. Although unregulated foreign clinics have long offered stem cell therapy for a variety of conditions such as blindness and multiple sclerosis, the therapy is not permitted for use against in Britain and no scientific clinical trials have yet been published to prove that stem cell therapy has helped.

Mrs Browne said: 'Sasha's therapists would turn around and say, 'Look at the difference in her - her walking is streets ahead of what it was before; look at her hand - last time I saw her hand it was really closed and now it is moving more'.

'We feel there has been some general improvement in her motor skills and perhaps some improvement in her vision and cognitive ability.

'We can't categorically say this is attributable to the stem cell infusion. However, we and Sasha's therapist feel the improvement has potentially been at a faster rate than it may have occurred, or in comparison with other children with similar abilities.'

More...

Need some blood? Soon you could grow your own as British scientists hail skin-cell breakthrough

Mrs Browne admitted that although her 'gut instinct' is that the stem cells are responsible for Sasha's improvement, she cannot prove this because her daughter has also received other treatments such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy.

But Sasha's all-round progress has been so great that a planned operation to correct a squint has now been postponed and may no longer be necessary at all. Her ophthalmologist could not rule out the possibility that the stem cell transfusion was responsible for her improvement.

Cerebral palsy is generally treated through a combination of physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy to improve movement and co-ordination, although there is no cure.

The Brownes live in Dubai, where Mr Browne, from Solihull, West Midlands, works as an operation manager for a British construction firm. Sasha was born in the city.

The couple paid £1,900 to store Sasha's umbilical cord blood with Smart Cells, a British firm with a branch in Dubai, as an 'insurance policy', hoping the blood may prove useful to treat any future illness. They did not known she would be born with cerebral palsy.

Sasha took part in the trial, by Dr Joanne Kurtzberg, at Duke University in North Carolina, USA, a year ago.

Although Dr Kurtzberg observed improvements in many of the children, she is now carrying out a second phase trial to establish whether these advances were caused by the stem cells or a placebo effect.

Stem cells - master cells with the ability to divide and morph into different types of cell throughout the body - have been collected from the umbilical cord and used to treat blood disorders such as leukaemia and anaemia for around two decades.

Doctors have recently started to investigate whether the cells can also be used to regenerate cells to repair tissues. Experiments in animals have shown the cells can migrate to the brain and repair damage, while British scientists discovered that injecting cells into the eyes of blind mice enabled the rodents to see again.

But critics of so-called 'regenerative medicine' accuse the private clinics offering the treatments of offering false hope to desperate patients with incurable conditions.

Shamshad Ahmed, chief executive of Smart Cells, welcomed the field of regenerative medicine and said Sasha's case 'confirms my long-held view that we do not know
what these stem cells could be used for (in the future).'

Scope the disability charity which focuses on helping those with cerebral palsy, reacted cautiously to news of the trial.

A spokesman said 'Each person with cerebral palsy is an individual who will respond differently to one treatment compared to another person. There are lots of therapies out there but we never endorse one over the other for that reason.

'We would advise patients to seek medical advice before embarking on any course of treatment.'

HARIAN PADANG