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The Alphabet Of Wellness

Your ultimate A to Z guide to health and wellbeing

Anxiety

Anxiety is an unpleasant state of mind usually accompanied by nervous behaviour including panic attacks in extreme cases.

According to Dr Vinod Thampi, head of neurology at LLH Hospital Mussafah, anxiety has a broad spectrum of symptoms from restlessness and sweating to phobias and a sense of helplessness.

If you are suffering from anxiety, it’s important to visit your doctor to rule out diseases or psychiatric disorders. After excluding these, a doctor can help determine the right way to combat your anxiety – whether that’s with lifestyle changes or medication.

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Blood pressure

“Blood pressure is the pressure in your body’s system which maintains the blood supply to the various organs,” explains Dr SM Sachdeva from LLH Hospital Mussafah. “If we can control blood pressure, we can reduce the effects of things like strokes. High blood pressure – exceeding 140/90 – can affect our brain with strokes and our eyes with loss of vision, or lead to kidney failure.”

Dr Sachdeva recommends that you have your blood pressure checked every two to three months.

Coronary disease

The most common heart disease is coronary artery sclerosis, which can be caused by a number of factors such as a lack of physical activity, smoking tobacco and an unhealthy diet.

Dr Sachdeva says: “It is really important that people take part in physical activity at least one hour a week. Along with a healthy diet it will improve your body’s fitness dramatically.”

Chest pain is one of the biggest signs so if you feel this you should contact a hospital immediately.

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Diabetes

Diabetics have high blood sugar because their body’s cells don’t produce or respond properly to insulin – the hormone that controls glucose metabolism.

Research from the International Diabetes Federation suggests that 19 per cent of the UAE population is living with diabetes. The Ministry of Health suggests the disease affects one in five adults.

According to Dr Suchitra, a specialist of internal medicine at LLH Hospital Mussafah, at least 50 per cent of diabetics are unaware they have the disease. A simple blood test can detect it.

There are two types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2. The exact cause of type 1 is unknown, but genetic factors can play a role.

Type 2 diabetes has been linked to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and age (typically in adults over 40), with a lack of physical activity and bad eating habits being leading factors in the UAE.

Maintaining a healthy body weight, healthy diet and regular exercise can vastly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Dr Suchitra suggests activities such as walking, swimming or jogging for 20 to 30 minutes each day while eating a diet that’s low in fat and calories and high in fibre.

Energy

“In general, simple sugars which are quickly absorbed give the body high amounts of energy directly after ingestion,” says Right Bite’s dietician, Hala Abu Taha. “But no healthy body will accept high sugar levels, so it will secrete hormones to drop the sugar level. This leads to low blood sugar levels, fatigue and low energy.”

Hala recommends not skipping any meals and maintaining three main meals and two healthy snacks a day.

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Fitness

“A common saying is ‘your healthy lifestyle is 30 per cent exercise and 70 per cent healthy food,’ says Hala. “So changing someone’s lifestyle usually includes major changes in food and their exercise.

“If your target is weight loss, you should have an hour’s break after exercise before the next meal. If the target is to increase your body’s lean mass, eat a pre-workout snack of lean protein combined with low glycaemic index source of carbs, followed by a post-workout snack that contains a simple sugar source with a lean protein source.”

Genetic diseases

“There are certain diseases which tend to run in families such as diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, or senile dementia,” explains Dr Nazura Siddiqi from LLH Hospital Mussafah. “These are genetic.”

Genes are small structures in your body cells which you inherit from your parents. “Sometimes these genes are defective or undergo changes or mutations and when inherited can cause genetic disorders,” says Dr Siddiqi. “It is very important to take the family history into consideration – even if you are apparently healthy you may still have be at risk.

“But it does not mean that all family members will be affected,” continues Dr Siddiqi. “Lifestyle habits and environmental factors also play a major role in the development of diseases. Weight, physical activity, diet, smoking and stress all increase the risk of developing heart disease, for instance.”

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Hygiene

“Hygiene is a set of practices performed to reduce the spread of germs and disease,” says Dr Ahmed Mohamed Sayed Mohamed Marzouk from NMC Healthcare. “Hygiene can include cleaning your home and possessions, observing food safety principles, ensuring that the water you use is clean, and safely disposing of waste accumulated in your home.”

One of the most important and basic aspects of hygiene, however, is hand hygiene. Dr Marzouk says: “Proper hand hygiene should be practised regularly when going about your day, before and after eating, using the washroom and
also after performing routine activities. Hand washing using water and antiseptic soap should be done for around 60 seconds to ensure cleanliness when your hands are visibly soiled. If water is not available, rub your hands with a gel sanitiser for 20 to 30 seconds.”

Infants

“Most parents are concerned about their infants’ weight,” says Dr Sanchita Bhattacharya, a specialist in paediatrics and neonatology at Brightpoint Royal Women’s Hospital. “From birth to six months a baby may grow about 1.5cm to 2cm per month and gain about 140 to 200g a week. A baby could double his or her birth weight by five months of age, and could triple their birth weight by the time they are one.

“A paediatrician will probably track the baby’s growth on a standard growth chart.”

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Joints

Joints are the essential regions where movement occurs, and it is important to take care of them. There are a host of problems that can be associated with joints from congenital deformities to traumatic ligament and cartilage injuries.

“Movement is the essence of life,” says Dr Ansari, a specialist in orthopaedics at LLH Hospital Mussafah, “and prevention is better than cure.”

Kidneys

“Common kidney issues people face concern stones, infection and cancer, which constitutes more than 90 per cent of all kidney disorders,” explains Dr Rishikesh Ramesh Pandya, a specialist in urology at NMC Urocare. “People from tropical and dry climates and those who work outdoors and regularly get dehydrated are more prone to stone diseases and urinary infections.

“People who do not maintain proper body hygiene are at a higher risk of urinary and kidney infections. Diabetic patients and patients with low immune resistance are also more susceptible to such infections.”

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Lifestyle

According to the World Health Organisation, health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. “Interestingly, health is not simply defined as just the absence of disease,” says Dr Amal Elsayed from NMC Heartcare. “The actual definition of healthy living is the steps, actions and strategies one puts in place to keep you physically, emotionally and socially fit. Eating right, getting physically fit, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness and prevention are all part of creating a healthy lifestyle.”

Maternity

Dr Razia Sharafudeen Kutty, a specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist at Brightpoint Royal Women’s Hospital, says: “The most common deficiency in pregnant women is anaemia due to iron deficiency. Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) affects up to 25 per cent of all pregnancies and can be detected during routine screening.

“IDA can be prevented by eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of iron-rich foods like beans, lentils, raisins, dates, prunes, figs, apricots, potatoes (skin on), broccoli, beets, leafy green vegetables, whole grain breads, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, iron-fortified cereals, red meat, poultry and shellfish. Iron absorption is increased by combining them with foods that are good source of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits and strawberries.”

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Nutrition

“The foods you eat provide the energy that your body needs to function, just like when you put fuel in your car,” says clinical dietician Vaishali Patil from LLH Hospital Mussafah. “Nutrition is the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy.”

Good nutrition can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases and promote your overall health.”

Obesity

“Obesity is rapidly becoming the world’s leading cause of premature deaths as it can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease and many more life-threatening conditions,” says Hiba Abultaif, a dietician from Harley Street Medical Centre. “It is a common problem in the Gulf. Due to weather, food and other conditions more than 62 per cent of UAE residents are obese.

“We can avoid it by limiting fats, increasing our vegetable and fruit intake, drinking more water, choosing whole grain food and increasing our physical activity to at least 30 minutes per day.”

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Preservatives

“Food preservatives are added to prevent foods from spoiling,” says clinical dietetics supervisor of Al Noor Hospital, Amani Kamal. “They can be found in almost everything we eat. Common natural preservatives include salt, sugar, vinegar, honey and oil. Artificial preservatives include benzoates, sorbates, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate.

There are maximum permitted levels of preservatives but they vary from one product to another and from country to country.

Quality of life

The capital arguably offers one of the best environments for a decent quality of life. Apart from the weather, the city offers plenty of recreation, healthy food options and some of the best gym facilities and trainers available.

Many of the topics in this article are all related to quality of life and it’s worth considering adopting a few to help improve your health. With many of us making New Year’s resolutions for 2015, why not take one or two ideas from our list and make them part of your life – for good!

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Rehydrate

Despite all the warning signs, many people are admitted everyday to the UAE’s hospitals suffering from dehydration.

The average adult is made up of 60 per cent water and H2O regulates body temperature to keep us operating. This happens through sweating and respiration. Water helps with our digestion, lubricates our joints and protects vital areas such as our spinal cord and our brain. Water also flushes away body waste along with helping our body cells grow.

Sleep

We spend around a third of our lives sleeping and the length and quality of sleep are essential; anything more or less than eight solid hours of sleep can be detrimental to your day.

Doctors recommend a pre-sleep ritual to help prepare your body and mind for sleep; try taking a hot bath, listening to calming music, drinking caffeine-free herbal tea or meditating.

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Teeth

Dr Ziad from Awazen, a medical and cosmetic clinic, spoke to us about the importance of keeping our pegs perfect from a young age. He says: “Many children in the UAE suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, bad hygiene and high sugar intake which increase the production of bacteria.”

“Tooth damage causes infection and leads to halitosis, or bad breath, which of course affects a child’s self-esteem. By having a good relationship with your dentist, your child is likely to feel more comfortable when visiting and keep their teeth well maintained.”

UV rays

“Long term exposure to sunlight – UV rays – is the main cause of premature skin aging, skin damage and the development of skin cancer,” says professor Zbigniew Rusczak, consultant and head of dermatology and allergy department at Al Noor Hospital. “Sunscreen needs to be applied liberally, particularly to the back of the neck, the ears and areas of the scalp with thin hair. Sunscreen should be applied 15 to 30 minutes prior to exposure to allow sufficient time for a protective film to develop, and it must be reapplied after prolonged swimming or vigorous activity.

“Ideally, outdoor activities should be scheduled before 10am and after 4pm to avoid solar exposure at times of peak intensity.”

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Vitamins

“Almost 78 per cent of the UAE population is suffering from vitamin D deficiency,” says Ola Mezher, a clinical dietician from Awazen. “This is unfortunate because the climate and the hot weather make it difficult for people to spend their time outdoors and get enough sunlight, which promotes vitamin D production.

“Diet also plays an important role especially when people consume their meals from restaurants that lack nutritious, healthy and rich-vitamin foods.

“It is advisable that people expose themselves to sunlight three times a week for 15 to 20 minutes. You should also increase the intake of high vitamin D food sources such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, swordfish, tuna and canned sardines), mushrooms, eggs, cereals fortified with vitamin D, and fortified dairy products such as yogurt, butter, buttermilk and milk.

“Avoid vitamin supplements or
injections unless recommended by a doctor, because excessive vitamins taken from supplements may cause problems such as an abnormal heart rhythm and kidney stones.”

Wheezing

Dr SM Sachdeva from LLH Hospital Mussafah explains: “Wheezing is a noise made from within the chest and throat area, which is normally heard when breathing out.

“One of the causes of wheezing is asthma; another is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), caused mainly by smoking though it can also occur in children.

“If wheezing comes on all of a sudden, it is best to visit your doctor as soon
as possible.”

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X-ray

An X-ray is a quick, painless test that produces images of the inside of your body — particularly your bones (which show up as white), fat and muscle (shades of grey) and air (black).

Because of this, X-rays are widely used for a whole range of diagnostic tests – to show fractures and infections, arthritis, osteoporosis, tumours in the bones and lungs, chest infections, breast cancer (a mammogram is a special type of X-ray), an enlarged heart and blocked blood vessels.

There’s nothing better to show whether your child has swallowed something like
a key or a coin.

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Yoga

Yoga increases your flexibility, muscle and core strength. It can also help with weight loss and tone you up. The internal benefits are just as attractive. Improved respiration, energy and vitality, along with reducing your chance of getting injured during sport,
make yoga a go-to exercise for millions across the world.

It’s no wonder Manchester United football legend Ryan Giggs swears by it,
even saying it prolonged his career.

Zumba

Looking for a cardio workout that isn’t running, and a step class that isn’t a step away from monotony? Then give Zumba a try.

Combining a variety of dance styles, Zumba is fast, fun and a serious calorie burner. Your arms and legs will become more toned;it’s a great stress reliever and it can also improve coordination.

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