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7 SIMPLE FOOD SWAPS TO REDUCE CHILDREN'S SUGAR INTAKEPublished: October 07, 2020 │ Tabitha Barda Sugar is linked to a host of health problems - here's how to help your child cut down SPICE IT UP WITH CINNAMON: Sprinkle ground cinnamon to snacks or meals for taste. Considered safe for kids from 6 months up, it is a natural spice that is packed with antioxidants and assists in lowering blood glucose levels. Its warming, aromatic flavour also lends a taste that many kids love. WISE UP TO YOGHURT: Yoghurt is packed full of bone- and muscle-building calcium and protein, and it also contains probiotics, which can help with immunity by boosting your child's microbiome, These benefits are can...

EXPERTS AT THE DHA SHARED SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO COPE WITH STRESS IN THE NEW NORMAL. As the Covid-19 outbreak takes a toll on mental health globally, experts at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) shared some advice on how to cope with stress in the new normal. While the world has now come to terms with the pandemic situation, carrying forward with a healthy state of mind is a priority, the DHA said. Dr. Khawla Ahmed Al Mir, consultant psychiatrist at Rashid Hospital, said: "The initial shock period is over and we are clearly in the adjustment phase. We need to learn to live with the current realities, we need to adapt in order to stay fit mentally." In the current situation, there are s...

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK? Written by: Lauryn Feil WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE FEELINGS OF ANXIETY AND STRESS? • STAY INFORMED, BUT SET BOUNDARIES While it is important to stay informed during an outbreak, limiting the amount of time you spend reading or watching the news can help reduce fear and uncertainty. Consider muting news or social media notifications on your phone and set aside a certain amount of time per day to catch up. This will give you time to focus on the things in your life that are going well and that you can control. If you are feeling overwhelmed, find people and resources you can depend on for accurate health information...

Almost all parents in new study say they listen to music together as a familyPublished: September 30, 2020 by Faisal Masudi, Senior ReporterDubai: Music could be “an underutilized tool in the fight for normality” by families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic, Dubai-based psychologists have said. Dr. Upasana Gala, founder and CEO of Evolve Brain Training, said: “Music can improve learning, memory, attention and social behavior in children.” Her comments come as data from global streaming platform Spotify show that families cherish the ability to listen together, whether in the car or while cooking dinner together, for example. The research says 98 per cent of parents say they l...

Written by Joe Leech A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. In fact, it’s just as important as eating healthy and exercising. Unfortunately, there’s a lot that can interfere with natural sleep patterns. People are now sleeping less than they did in the past, and sleep quality has decreased as well. Here are 10 reasons why good sleep is important. 1. POOR SLEEP IS LINKED TO HIGHER BODY WEIGHT Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain. People with short sleep duration tend to weigh significantly more than those who get adequate sleep. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity. In one extensive review study, children and ad...

By: Saman Haziq │ September 12, 2020 Mothers and caregivers should not put their hand inside the baby's mouth.   Choking can be a life-threatening emergency, especially in children younger than three years old, as it blocks respiration and cuts off the oxygen supply to the brain, said doctors. And if it happens, parents and guardians should know what to do.   Dr Sudarshan Shetty, a paediatrician at Burjeel Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, stressed that mothers and caregivers should not put their hand inside the baby's mouth to try to pull out the obstruction. "They may end up pushing things further inside and cause the baby to choke further." Instead, they must rush the child to a hospit...

From diet and exercise and sleep, there are many factors in boosting brain health Published by: Kamakshi Gupta, Dubai Health Authority Like millions of people around the world, you and I probably jotted down our New Year’s resolutions. After more than a month into the New Year, hopefully, we can keep going strong or pick up where we left off. Apparently, tracking your goals is key to staying on top of them. Now, if diet and exercise are on your list, you have ticked off two important aspects for better brain health, says Dr Suhail Al Rukn, Consultant Neurologist at Rashid Hospital. “The link between brain health and exercise is getting clearer with each passing day as more research throws...

From superfoods to sugar-free, we explore the truth behind marketing terms You are what you eat, the old chestnut goes — but what you eat may not be what you think it is. Supermarket shelves are crammed with foods proclaiming their apparently healthy credentials with labels such as fat-free, natural or sugar-free — but while these claims may offer a sense of confidence, they rarely reflect the actual nutritional quality of the food. Reduced doesn’t mean a healthier product, say researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, after studying data that included more than 80 million food and beverage purchases from over 40,000 households from 2008 to 2012. “In many c...

Diseases can come in any form and shape. However, there are a few of them that we assume only affect adults. Although arthritis has been a problem more evidently found in adults, children too are seen affected by it. More commonly known as Juvenile Arthritis, this condition is caused by the inflammation of the joint (where two or more bones meet). If your child has been complaining of pain, swelling, stiffness or loss of motion lately, it is advisable to seek help from a doctor at the earliest. TYPES OF JUVENILE ARTHRITIS Several types of arthritis affect children; however, the most common type is called Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (idiopathic means “from unknown causes”). It includes s...

By: Peter Feely   The disorder can affect children in profoundly different ways In 2013, the pre-eminent psychiatry handbook, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, redefined how healthcare professionals should approach autism. The different autism-related disorders, such as Asperger’s syndrome — where children suffer from social interaction deficit but no language impairment — were dismissed in favour of the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children are now diagnosed as either mild, moderate or severe. Critics of the new definition were concerned it would mean that children suffering from certain mild autism-related disorders would fail to meet the diagnosis criteria...