May-June-issue

HEALTH
cool water (ensure you use mild soap) the
idea here is to deter germs and to get rid of
lose skin. Vaseline is known to protect the
wound as petroleum jelly keeps it wet and
stops it from getting dry.
It is interesting to note that there are
quite a number of people who prefer to
stay at home and heal rather than spend
days at the hospital. You can in addition,
provide care for a sick person by using
sympathetic words; it is one of the surest
ways to recovery. The way you talk to and
handle a sick person, can yield dramatic
results. If you are commonly stressed out, a
gentle massage, and having proper care at
home as well as being among people you
love and trust can make a big difference.
But feeling a human touch is priceless
when you are ill.
According to parenting.com, (talking
about the benefits of human contact)
touch matters throughout life, but never
more than in the first year. It’s one of the
most profound ways you’ll communicate
with your baby, whether you’re trying to
show him he’s safe, he’s loved, or it’s time
for lights-out.” It states that “Newborn
preemies are often whisked away to spend
weeks or longer in the neonatal intensive
care unit. It’s necessary, of course, but
touch should be part of the healing too.
With “kangaroo care,” first introduced
in the late 1970s and now increasingly
popular, a mom spends several hours a day
holding her premature baby skin to skin
against her chest. (Dads can do this too.)
Studies have shown that a preemie who
gets kangaroo care tends to cry less, sleep
better, breathe more easily, breastfeed
longer, and gain weight faster. And moms
report a deeper bond with their babies,
and more confidence in caring for them.”
This is what Antoinette did to Dorcas;
In addition to touching, she cleaned the
wound often to keep germs at bay and
removed debris from it every day. The
point here is that when you master what
needs to be done when someone is sick,
homecare can sometimes make them heal
faster. In the case of Dorcas, seeing her
mother tending to her, feeling her gentle
touch, having sufficient rest and eating
what she wanted, including the right fruits
and vegetables, and being in a familiar
place, hastened her healing. Unlike the
busy hospital nurses, Antoinette had all
the time to tend to her, taking all the
necessary precautions and measures to
ensure her quick recovery.
No one likes having scars so, when you
get injured, find out from your doctor if
you need a stitch, and apply sunscreen
when you are healed; a broad spectrum
one may be preferable in this case. You
may need to use good quality scar creams
to enable the scar to fade quickly.
You can consult a dermatologist
to help you deal with your scars.
Remember, what you eat can also
aid recovery. You may need to
take pine apple, lean meat, deep
colored fruits, papaws, some
fiber, nut, seeds and cruciferous
vegetables for faster recovery.
Health Tips
So will you consider home care next
time you fall sick?
cananews@gmail.com
Kangaroo Care
An Anti-stroke Diet Prescription
It seems urgent and clear: If you are worried about a stroke, do the
following six things…
• Eat lots of fruits, and vegetables, five or more servings a day. Be sure to
include carrots, and folic acid-rich orange juice and dark leafy greens.
• Eat fish especially fatty fish, at least three times a week
• Watch your sodium intake
• Don’t drink alcohol excessively –no more than a drink or two a day
• Consider drinking tea-either green tea or ordinary black tea brewed
from tea bags or loose tea. Bottled teas and instant tea mixes do not
contain heart-protective antioxidants, according to research at the U.S
Department of Agriculture.
• Eat fat in moderation; don’t go on an extremely low fat diet.
• Remember, such actions could also curb neurological damage and
lower your odds of dying if you have a stroke.
Source - bestselling author Jean Carper – derived from her book: The miracle heart
MAY - JUNE 2018 57