health
How to Stay Physically Active during Pregnancy
When you are pregnant, it is important to stay healthy and active. This is the time when you need to take care of both your body and baby. But how much should you be active? It basically depends on what your doctor recommends. Keep scrolling to know some practical and effective ways to stay active during your pregnancy period.
Benefits of Staying Active during Pregnancy
When a foetus develops inside a woman's womb or uterus, this period is called pregnancy. It generally lasts about 40 weeks or 9 months. This period is measured from the last menstrual time to delivery. According to health care providers, pregnancy has three segments that are called trimesters. Let’s checkout why it is essential to stay physically active during the months of pregnancy.
Importance of Increasing Blood Flow in Early Pregnancy
The first trimester is a time of rapid physical changes in the body and baby. One of these changes is increased blood flow to the uterus. This increased blood flow is important for establishing a healthy pregnancy. Some risk factors that may interfere with this healthy increase in blood flow are:
- Obesity
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease
- Diabetes
To prevent these health concerns the pregnant mother should stay active.
Read Postpartum Depression, Mood Swings: How can new moms deal with these issues?
Importance of Physical Activity during Pregnancy
Some benefits of being active through exercises and healthy diet are as follows:
- Prenatal fitness is essential to confirm the long-term health of your baby.
- Your baby may grow up smarter
- Prepare your baby for the demands of labour
- You don't gain unnecessary weight
- Boost mood
- Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
- Prep to push
- Reduce aches and pains
- May reduce prevalence of diastasis recti
- Get things “moving”
- Put a pep in your step
- You will be a fit mom
- You’ll feel more confident & fresh
- You may experience a shorter labour
- You’re less likely to experience swelling
- May help with morning sickness
- With the accomplishment of something will positively affect other areas of your life
- May reduce premature Birth
- Keep your blood sugar levels normal
- You’ll be able to control your body more
- Fight off germs and boost immunity.
Read Postpartum Weight Loss: How to lose baby weight fast after pregnancy
10 Best Tips for Staying Active and Healthy during Pregnancy
Let’s find out how to stay healthy and active during your pregnancy period.
Get enough sleep
Sleeping is not just for the sake of feeling refreshed and rested in the morning. It is a necessary component of your health and productivity, which should be factored into your daily schedule.
Eat healthy food
Eating healthy, nutritious and light food can lead to a more active lifestyle. Eating a diet high in protein, vegetables and fruit can give you the energy you need to get through your day. A diet low in fat and processed foods will lower risk of disease and promote weight loss.
Read Pregnancy Care Tips for Summer: How can pregnant mothers beat the heat?
Exercise three times a week
Many people are struggling with a lack of time and motivation to exercise. With the introduction of high-tech fitness trackers and wearable technology, people can now monitor their activity levels 24/7. This data can be used to create personalized workout routines that suit an individual's needs.
Drink plenty of water every day
Drinking plenty of water every day is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy. It's important to stay active and hydrated to prevent common pregnancy symptoms like nausea, headaches, and constipation. A pregnant woman's body needs more fluids than usual because it's working hard to keep the mother and baby healthy.
Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol are not only harmful to the mother but they have a detrimental effect on the growing foetus. The risk of miscarriage increases as does birth defects. There is also a chance that the baby will end up with an addiction to caffeine or alcohol.
Read Pregnancy Anxiety? How to reduce the stress of pregnant mothers?
Take prenatal vitamins
Prenatal vitamins are crucial to the healthy development of a baby. However, they also benefit mom in many ways. For example, they can help mom maintain her energy levels and keep her mood stable. They can also reduce the risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and neural tube defects.
Take medications recommended by your doctor
Medication is a necessary part of someone's healthcare - but it can be difficult to remember what each medication does, and how it interacts with other medications. This article contains a list of medications and side effects that may help you stay on top of your meds.
Stay away from sick people
People who are sick or have been recently sick can cause the flu to spread. Never shake hands with them, sit next to them on public transportation, or let them enter your home. If you have already been infected, stay away from other people for at least 24 hours after your fever has disappeared.
Read 10 Post- Pregnancy Skincare Tips: Get Your Glow Back
Wear loose clothing and avoid high heels
Wearing tight clothing or heels can cause back and neck pain. Wearing loose clothing that is comfortable to move around in will help you maintain your posture and avoid these pains.
Stay away from smoking
Smoking is a major risk factor for many diseases and health issues. Just like smoking, vaping releases harmful chemicals into the air that are toxic to humans. Studies are showing these chemicals can enter the bloodstream or be inhaled by bystanders, which may cause adverse health effects.
Cautions
Pregnant women should take care to move around and exercise as much as possible. If you won't be active during your pregnancy, the foetus is not developed enough to provide its own warmth, and the mother's body temperature can drop to dangerous levels. However, you should also avoid standing for long periods of time, which can cause your blood flow to slow down and circulation to decrease.
Read Effects of Air Pollution on Unborn Children, Neonates, Infants
The pregnant woman's body needs more oxygen than usual, so she should make sure that she breathes deeply and is always active.
Bottom Line
If you are pregnant and active, then congratulations! You are doing a great job and your baby will love the benefits too! Staying physically active during pregnancy can help you to stay in shape and can help you to have a healthy pregnancy as well. Besides, staying active can even make labour easier. However, make sure you consult your doctor before starting any new activities to get a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Step up efforts, invest in breastfeeding support policies, progs: UNICEF, WHO
United Nations Children's Fund – UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called on governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to step up efforts to prioritize investing in breastfeeding support policies and programmes, especially in fragile and food insecure contexts.
“As global crises continue to threaten the health and nutrition of millions of babies and children, the vital importance of breastfeeding as the best possible start in life is more critical than ever,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a joint statement on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week.
World Breastfeeding Week is an annual celebration which is held every year from August 1 to 7 across the world.
This World Breastfeeding Week, under its theme “Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and Support”, UNICEF and WHO are calling on governments to allocate increased resources to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding policies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable families living in emergency settings.
During emergencies, including those in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ukraine, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel, breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious and accessible food source for babies and young children.
It offers a powerful line of defense against disease and all forms of child malnutrition, including wasting, according to the UN agencies.
“Breastfeeding also acts as a baby’s first vaccine, protecting them from common childhood illnesses,” reads the joint statement.
Read: Bangladesh ranks 'first in the world' for breastfeeding
Yet the emotional distress, physical exhaustion, lack of space and privacy, and poor sanitation experienced by mothers in emergency settings mean that many babies are missing out on the benefits of breastfeeding to help them survive.
“Fewer than half of all newborn babies are breastfed in the first hour of life, leaving them more vulnerable to disease and death. And only 44 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life, short of the World Health Assembly target of 50 per cent by 2025,” according to the joint statement.
Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding is more important than ever, not just for protecting our planet as the ultimate natural, sustainable, first food system, but also for the survival, growth, and development of millions of infants.
“That is why UNICEF and WHO are calling on governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to step up efforts to equip health and nutrition workers in facilities and communities with the skills they need to provide quality counselling and practical support to mothers to successfully breastfeed.”
Read: Children want govt investment in education, health, protection: UNICEF
UNICEF and WHO called for protecting caregivers and health care workers from the unethical marketing influence of the formula industry by fully adopting and implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, including in humanitarian settings.
They called for implement family-friendly policies that provide mothers with the time, space, and support they need to breastfeed.
Manchin, Schumer in surprise deal on health, energy, taxes
In a startling turnabout, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin announced an expansive agreement Wednesday that had eluded them for months addressing health care and climate, raising taxes on high earners and large corporations and reducing federal debt.
The two Democrats said the Senate would vote on the wide-ranging measure next week, setting up President Joe Biden and Democrats for an unexpected victory in the runup to November elections in which their congressional control is in peril. A House vote would follow, perhaps later in August, with unanimous Republican opposition in both chambers seemingly certain.
Just hours earlier, Schumer, D-N.Y., and Manchin, D-W.Va., seemed at loggerheads and headed toward a far narrower package limited — at Manchin’s insistence — to curbing pharmaceutical prices and extending federal health care subsidies. Earlier Wednesday, numerous Democrats said they were all but resigned to the more modest legislation.
The reversal was stunning, and there was no immediate explanation for Manchin’s abrupt willingness to back a bolder, broader measure. Since last year, he has used his pivotal vote in the 50-50 Senate to force Biden and Democrats to abandon far more ambitious, expensive versions. He dragged them through months of negotiations in which leaders’ concessions to shrink the legislation proved fruitless, antagonizing the White House and most congressional Democrats.
“This is the action the American people have been waiting for. This addresses the problems of today — high health care costs and overall inflation — as well as investments in our energy security for the future,” Biden said in a statement. He urged lawmakers to approve the legislation quickly.
Tellingly, Democrats called the 725-page measure “The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” because of provisions aimed at helping Americans cope with this year’s dramatically rising consumer costs. Polls show that inflation, embodied by gasoline prices that surpassed $5 per gallon before easing, has been voters’ chief concern. For months, Manchin’s opposition to larger proposals has been partly premised on his worry that they would fuel inflation.
Besides inflation, the measure seemed to offer something for many Democratic voters.
It dangled tax hikes on the wealthy and big corporations and environmental initiatives for progressives. And Manchin, an advocate for the fossil fuels his state produces, said the bill would invest in technologies for carbon-based and clean energy while also reducing methane and carbon emissions.
“Rather than risking more inflation with trillions in new spending, this bill will cut the inflation taxes Americans are paying, lower the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, and ensure our country invests in the energy security and climate change solutions we need to remain a global superpower through innovation rather than elimination,” Manchin said.
Schumer called the bill Congress’ “greatest pro-climate legislation.” He said it would also cut pharmaceutical prices and “ensure the wealthiest corporations and individuals pay their fair share in taxes.”
The measure would reduce carbon emissions by around 40% by 2030, Schumer and Manchin said. While that would miss Biden’s 50% goal, that reduction, the measure’s climate spending and the jobs it would create are “a big deal,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., an environmental advocate who had been upset with the absence of those provisions until now.
The overall proposal is far less aspirational than the $3.5 trillion package Biden asked Democrats to push through Congress last year, and the pared-down, roughly $2 trillion version the House approved last November after Manchin insisted on shrinking it. Even then, Manchin shot down that smaller measure the following month, asserting it would fuel inflation and was loaded with budget gimmicks.
In summaries that provided scant detail, Democrats said their proposal would raise $739 billion over the decade in new revenue, including $313 billion from a 15% corporate minimum tax. They said that would affect around 200 of the country’s largest corporations, with profits exceeding $1 billion, that currently pay under the current 21% corporate rate.
Read:Fed unleashes another big rate hike in bid to curb inflation
The agreement also contains $288 billion the government would save from curbing pharmaceutical prices. Those provisions would also require Medicare to begin negotiating prices on a modest number of drugs, pay rebates to Medicare if their price increases exceed inflation and limit that program’s beneficiaries to $2,000 annual out-of-pocket expenses.
The deal also claims to gain $124 billion from beefing up IRS tax enforcement, and $14 billion from taxing some “carried interest” profits earned by partners in entities like private equity or hedge funds.
The measure would spend $369 billion on energy and climate change initiatives. These include consumer tax credits and rebates for buying clean-energy vehicles and encouraging home energy efficiency; tax credits for solar panel manufacturers; $30 billion in grants and loans for utilities and states to gradually convert to clean energy; and $27 billion to reduce emissions, especially in lower-income areas.
It would also aim $64 billion at extending federal subsidies for three more years for some people buying private health insurance. Those subsidies, which lower people’s premiums, would otherwise expire at year’s end.
That would leave $306 billion for debt reduction, an effort Manchin has demanded. While a substantial sum, that’s a small fraction of the trillions in cumulative deficits the government is projected to amass over the coming decade.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., was still reviewing the agreement, said spokeswoman Hannah Hurley. Sinema backed Manchin last year in insisting on making the legislation less expensive but objected to proposals to raise tax rates, and the spokeswoman referred a reporter to her comments last year supporting a corporate minimum tax.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the Democratic agreement would be “devastating to American families and small businesses. Raising taxes on job creators, crushing energy producers with new regulations, and stifling innovators looking for new cures will only make this recession worse, not better.”
But if Democrats can hold their troops together, GOP opposition would not matter. Democrats can prevail if they lose no more than four votes in the House and remain solidly united in the 50-50 Senate, where Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tie-breaking vote.
“This agreement is a victory for America’s families and for protecting our planet,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “In light of the discussions of the past year, this agreement is a remarkable achievement.”
The bill lacks increased tax deductions for state and local taxes, which some Democrats from high-tax states have demanded as the price for their support. A spokesperson for Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., a leader of that group, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
In the Senate, Democrats are using a special process that will let them pass the bill without reaching the 60 votes required for most legislation there. To use that, the chamber’s parliamentarian must verify that the bill doesn’t violate the chamber’s budget procedures, a review now underway.
Schumer and Manchin said leaders committed to revamp permitting procedures this fall to help infrastructure like pipelines and export facilities “be efficiently and responsibly built to deliver energy safely around the country and to our allies.”
Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce said her group wanted to read the agreement’s details but was glad Biden and Schumer “remained resolute in finding a path to pass once-in-a-generation investments in our communities, our economy, and our future.”
Manchin just last week said he would only agree to far more limited legislation this month on prescription drugs and health care subsidies. He said he was open to considering a broader compromise on environment and tax issues after Congress returned from a summer recess in September, an offer that many Democrats considered dubious because of lawmakers’ abbreviated pre-election schedule.
Global Covid cases top 557 million
The overall number of Covid cases has now surpassed 557 million amid a rise in new infections in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
According to the latest global data, the total case count mounted to 557,522,144 and the death toll from the virus reached 6,366,784 Thursday morning.
The US has recorded 89,930,463 cases so far and 1,044,557 people have died from the virus in the country, the data shows.
India reported as many as 16,159 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, taking the total tally to 43,547,809, as per the data released by the federal health ministry Wednesday.
A total of 454,465 Covid-19 tests were conducted across the country in 24 hours, added the ministry.
Besides, 28 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Tuesday morning, taking the total toll to 525,270.
Covid in Bangladesh
Bangladesh registered four more Covid-linked deaths with 1,728 cases in 24 hours till Wednesday morning amid a rapid surge in new infections.
Read: Fake Covid testing scam: Shahed denied bail
The fresh numbers took the country's total caseload to 1,984,700 and fatalities to 29,185, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The daily case positivity rate rose to 16.89 per cent from Tuesday’s 16.74 per cent as 10, 175 samples were tested during the period, said the DGHS.
The country last reported 13 Covid-linked deaths with 368 cases on March 5 this year.
The mortality rate remained unchanged at 1.47 per cent. The recovery rate declined to 96.23 per cent from Tuesday’s 96.28 per cent as 526 patients recovered during this period.
In June, the country reported 18 Covid-linked deaths and 20,201 new cases, according to the DGHS.
The country reported its first zero Covid death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 cases, since the pandemic broke out here in March 2020.
Walton scoops up RoSPA Health and Safety Gold Award
Walton has bagged the UK-based Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Health and Safety Gold Award.
RoSPA honoured Walton with the award for ensuring a well-developed work environment, occupational health and safety management systems and culture, outstanding control of risk and low levels of error, harm and loss.
Walton is the first Bangladeshi organisation in its industry to receive the prestigious award.
The RoSPA Health and Safety Gold Award was handed over to Walton at a function in London on June 23.
Read: Walton sets up research centre in South Korea
Mohammad Liton Molla, head of Walton's Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Department, received the award.
The UK-based organisation grants the awards in three categories – gold, silver and bronze.
The RoSPA Awards is one of the most prestigious and recognised schemes in the world, receiving almost 2,000 entries every year.
Bangladesh, EU to work for improved health, safety at Ctg port
Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) have agreed to accelerate the removal of idle containers from the Chittagong Port premises in order to increase cargo-handling capacities and improve health and safety situation in the port, which is the largest gateway for Bangladesh's trade with the EU.
In addition, approval would be issued for interchange of empty containers between Dhaka rail and river terminals.
Bangladesh has agreed a few months ago as suggested by the EU to launch a survey to assess the costs and benefits of up to 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh's logistics sector.
The issues were discussed at the 7th plenary meeting under the EU-Bangladesh business climate dialogue held in a city hotel on Thursday.
The dialogue aims to jointly facilitate trade and investment from the EU, Bangladesh's number one trading partner and the second largest source of FDI to Bangladesh.
Read: EU’s new Global Gateway strategy offers new opportunities for Bangladesh-EU relations: Envoys
Bangladesh's exports to the EU amounted to around €16 billion in the 2021 calendar year, while the EU exports to Bangladesh were to the tune of €3 billion, according to a joint statement.
The plenary was co-chaired by the senior secretary commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh and EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley.
It was attended by EU Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Dhaka - Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden.
Representatives of the numerous Government authorities including the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Ministry of Shipping, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Bangladesh Bank participated in the dialogue, as well as some representatives from the EU private sector.
Both sides took stock of discussions in three priority fields, namely: tax and customs, shipping and logistics, and green business practices.
Read: EU contributes to strengthen social security in Bangladesh with EUR 24mn
They agreed a joint committee will be constituted to examine the challenges and opportunities to simplify the customs clearance process for both express and non-express air cargoes.
The "green business practices" is a new topic in the dialogue, under which the EU side informed the government of Bangladesh about the upcoming supply chain due diligence requirements in Europe and encouraged adaptive actions with a view to ensure smooth trade with the EU as the number one market for Bangladeshi exports.
The EU side informed the meeting about two upcoming initiatives - the "EU-Bangladesh Meaning Business", which is conceived in the context of the 50th anniversary of the European Union (EU's) diplomatic relations with Bangladesh established in 1973.
It aims to showcase commercial sectors which are underexplored and where closer collaboration between Bangladesh and Europe could be mutually beneficial.
“Eurocham” in Bangladesh, a European Union (EU) Chamber of Commerce, will also be established.
It aims to build bridges between the Bangladeshi and EU private sectors and serve as a centre of excellence connecting Bangladeshi public and private sectors with investors from Europe, to the benefit of smooth and sustained business relations between Bangladesh and the EU.
It would also help to navigate Bangladesh's transition to a post-EBA trade regime in the EU, according to the joint statement.
The Heads of Mission expressed their desire to continue working constructively in improving trade and investment relations with Bangladesh. The next plenary is scheduled for the first semester of 2023.
Health budget must increase to reduce ‘out of pocket health expenditure’
Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) Professor Dr. Atiur Rahman on Tuesday said that of the total health expenditure in Bangladesh, 73 percent comes from the pockets of the citizens and the remaining 27 percent is borne from the health budget.
He believes that to relieve the citizens from this burden of ‘out of pocket health expenditure’, the government needs to increase the share of the health sector in the national budget.
Usually upto 5 percent of the national budget is allocated for the health sector. Dr. Rahman has urged to increase this to 7 to 8 percent in the coming fiscal budget and to set a target for raising this ratio to 10-12 percent in the medium term.
He said this while speaking at an online discussion session titled ‘National Policy Dialogue on Health Budget’, organized by non-government think tank Unnayan Shamannay.
The parliament members present at the discussion were- A. F. M. Ruhal Haque, MP (Satkhira 3), Pankaj Nath, MP (Barisal 4), Md. Amirul Alam, MP (Bagerhat 4), Lutfun Nesa Kan, MP (Reserved Women Seat 48), and Aroma Dutta, MP (Reserved Women Seat 11).
READ: People now safe from Covid-19: Health Minister
Specialist discussants at the event were- the BIDS Director General- Dr. Binayak Sen, Dhaka University Professor Dr. Syed Abdul Hamid, and eminent sociologist Khondoker Shakhawat Ali.
On behalf of Unnayan Shamannay, Dr. Atiur presented proposals about increasing budget allocation for the health sector along with specific proposals about increasing allocations for development projects, allocations for primary healthcare and for medicine provided free of cost at government-run healthcare facilities.
Dr. Binayak Sen, in his remarks, drew attention to the idea of health insurance schemes for poor and lower-middle income households not being viable enough at the moment, and urged them to start planning about a universal healthcare program for these segments of the population.
The online dialogue session was moderated by Unnayan Shamannay’s Senior Project Coordinator Shaheen Ul Alam.
How to Improve Your Central Nervous System?
The central nervous system is the command center for your body. It coordinates voluntary movements, interprets sensory information, and controls vital bodily functions. One of its most important jobs is to regulate emotion and mood. Nearly one in six of the world's population suffers from a neurological problem, which is somehow connected to the nervous system. Being attentive to the way you live can strengthen your central nervous system, making you more resilient in facing life's challenges.
Many people have never had a chance to take care of their central nervous system. The benefits of taking care of your nervous system are numerous, and the effects last for years. Take this informative article as a guideline to teach you more about improving your central nervous system.
Read How do thoughts and emotions affect your health?
Central Nervous System Elements and How they Work
The first step to improving your central nervous system is knowing how it works and what exactly makes up the human central nervous system.
The human central nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and all of their connecting nerves. The brain is considered the most complex organ in our body, as well as the largest. The spinal cord happens to be 17-18 inches long in an adult native; this is where all of our senses are located from sight, feelings, hearing, touch, etc.
Read Childhood Cancer: Risk factors and causes of cancer in children
The human central nervous system (CNS) is the body's control center. It controls our whole body and allows us to move, think, speak, and do everything we're able to do. The brain is the part of the CNS that makes sure we are able to move as well as think and speak just by sending impulses throughout the body. The spinal cord helps send these impulses to other parts of our body that tell it what it should be doing.
Some Effective Ways to Strengthen Your Central Nervous System
Eat Healthy
One of the best ways to strengthen and improve the central nervous system is by eating right. Almonds, walnuts, green leafy vegetables, garlic, soybeans, and oats are all good for strengthening the brain's neurons which make up your central nervous system.
The neurotransmitters that help send signals and information throughout our brain are made out of amino acids, and these can be found in soybeans, brown rice, tofu, and kidney beans. Avocados and bananas are great for the central nervous system because they contain magnesium. Magnesium helps with the health of our central nervous system by helping with sleep, relaxing muscles, and improving our neurological function.
Read Panic Attacks: Symptoms, Causes, Remedies, and Treatment
Seeds such as chia, flax, or hemp will keep you feeling full for longer periods of time so that you can avoid unhealthy snacks, which often lead to weight gain. Taking vitamin B-12 can also improve your central nervous system because it helps with making red blood cells that carry oxygen to the brain.
Exercise and Meditation
Exercise is another important way to strengthen your central nervous system. Regular exercise may improve your ability to concentrate and learn faster at school or work, as well as reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.
If you like getting your exercise in on a daily basis, it can actually help you sleep better at night. This is because your body gets used to the routine and feels more comfortable going to bed as well as staying asleep throughout the night.
Read Pregnancy Anxiety? How to reduce the stress of pregnant mothers?
Meditation is a form of therapy that works to improve mental well-being by helping you focus on the present moment rather than on worries about the past or future. Moreover, it is an excellent way to relax and clear up your mind.
Diet, exercise, and meditation are three of the best ways to improve your central nervous system. Remember that what we eat is what we put in our bodies. So if you want to make sure your body has enough vitamins and minerals, take supplements or eat organic foods that are rich in those nutrients.
Getting Plenty of Sleep
Make sure you sleep well and are getting enough sleep at night. A lack of sleep can hinder the function of the central nervous systems on cognitive tasks that require mental effort or brainpower, such as memorizing terms or solving puzzles. Studies show that sleep is necessary for learning. If you are worried about having trouble concentrating at work or school, consider taking a daytime sleep medication that allows you to fall asleep faster than usual. Avoid caffeinated beverages, which can interfere with sleep and may have linked to an increase in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease!
Read Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?
Walk Barefoot
Walking barefoot outside is another way to strengthen your central nervous system. This is because walking will get your body moving, which promotes the production of endorphins helping with natural pain relief.
Not only will walking barefoot make you feel better, but it will also work on your central nervous system and increase neurogenesis which increases the production of new neurons in the brain, which can help make you feel better.
Expose to Sunshine
Walking in the sunshine is also a great way to keep yourself fit and healthy. Just be sure to wear sunscreen, especially if you have fair skin or are fair-haired. Walking in the sunshine helps your body produce vitamin D, which is necessary for maintaining normal levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects moods and feelings. Besides being a great exercise, sunbathing helps to increase the circulation in our bodies.
Read Effects of Passive Smoking on Children’s Health
Drink Green Tea
When you are feeling sluggish, try a cup of green tea. Green tea contains L-Theanine, which is an amino acid that will help boost your short-term memory and help clear out the stress that's in your brain. This can increase alertness and better your central nervous system.
Final Words
Strengthening your central nervous system is necessary for your own benefits. Research has shown that people who strengthen their central nervous system on a regular basis are less likely to develop Alzheimer's or Parkinson's diseases.
Read How to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia?
Bagerhat's shining success in vaccinating students
Students in Bagerhat have raced ahead of most members of their cohorts in other parts of the country, when it comes to getting vaccinated against COVID-19. This has put them in a strong position to fully resume in-person schooling with pre-pandemic schedules ahead of most other districts, given the government's mandate that only the students who are vaccinated could attend schools.
Driven by this challenge, all the students aged 12-17 in 9 upazilas of Bagerhat, have successfully completed their first doses of the vaccine. They are now up for the second dose.
Already this week, long queues of students were seen forming during a visit to the Bagerhat Sadar Hospital - all belonging to the same group, lining up now for their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Read: All students to be vaccinated by Jan 31: Dipu Moni
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Azizur Rahman said, "We have successfully brought all students aged 12-17 under the vaccination programme. Now efforts are being made to bring all students aged above 18 under vaccination by January."
Bagerhat District Education Officer Kamruzzaman said that a list of students above 18 in the district have been made. According to it, in Bagerhat district there are 33,112 students above 18. Of them 29,531 got their first dose. Remaining 3,531 have registered through the app.
Both the parents and the teachers are happy that the district administration managed to bring all the students under vaccination. They have highly praised the efforts made to make the students aware of the importance of vaccinating.
Bagehat Civil Surgeon Dr Jalal Uddin said, our target was to vaccinate a total of 1,36,651 students aged 12-17 but we have administered the first dose vaccine to 1,41,308 students within this age range. This took the vaccination rate in the district to 103 per cent. The additional 4,657 students were dropouts.
Students received vaccines in 14 booths in 9 upazilas of the district; they came to the centers with enthusiasm and received the vaccines, Dr Jalal Uddin said.
So far, 11,669 students have received the second dose of vaccine, he added.
India logs 90,928 new COVID-19 cases
In India, the third wave of the pandemic seems to have set in.
On Thursday, the country reported a whopping 91,000 new Covid cases and as many as 325 deaths in 24 hours. The Indian capital alone recorded over 15,000 cases of coronavirus -- a 41% spike in just a day.
Of the 90,928 Covid cases logged pan-India in 24 hours that took the total case count to 351,09,286, as many as 2,630 were of the Omicron variant, as per the official figures released by the Indian Health Ministry.
Delhi, on the other hand, recorded its biggest single-day spike in eight months, as 15,097 fresh infections were recorded in 24 hours. The infection figure was 10,665 on Wednesday.
Read: India-made RT-PCR kit to detect Omicron gets approval: Centre
The national capital's positivity rate also surged past 15%, as per the government statistics.
Just a day before, the country reported its first Omicron death in the northwestern state of Rajasthan's Udaipur city, as the country recorded 58,097 fresh Covid cases and 534 fatalities in 24 hours.
The Omicron victim -- identified as 73-year-old Laxminarayan Nagar -- tested positive for Covid on December 15. A subsequent genome sequencing of his blood samples confirmed that the man had contracted the Omicron strain, according to health officials.
The man who had comorbidities but was doubly vaccinated, succumbed to the Omicron strain of the coronavirus in the early hours of December 31, according to the officials.
Omicron has been classified as "a variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation.
Alarmed by the rising Omicron cases, India's federal government two weeks ago warned states that "the variant is three times more transmissible than the Delta" and directed them to take action to rein in its spread.
Read:India reports first Omicron death
Earlier last month, India's civil aviation regulator backtracked on its decision to resume regular international flights from December 15.
The government put curbs on all flights in March 2020 following the Covid-induced lockdown. However, it allowed domestic flights from May 2020, and the entry of foreigners except tourists from October.