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The harmful effects of Covid-19 infections are not limited to the lungs and respiratory tract of the human body. Numerous cases around the world have shown that the multifarious impact of Coronavirus can damage other organs, including the heart, nerves, kidneys, and skin. Apart from these, Covid-19 causes major damage to the brain. The problem may persist in patients with mild Covid symptoms or who have recovered already. For many COVID survivors, the problem might emerge late. In some cases, Covid-19 leaves a long-lasting impression on the brain. The most common problem patients face is brain fog. Let’s discuss some basic issues about post-COVID brain fog. What is brain fog? Brain fog is one of the critical problems in the brain. This problem weakens the cognitive capacity of the brain, which makes the patients mentally exhausted. As a result, the brain becomes hesitant to do anything.  While an individual suffers from brain fog, the normal functioning of his/her brain gets disrupted. In this situation, the memory becomes weak, and the way of thinking also changes. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the patient to concentrate. As a result, the person loses his/her regular efficiency at study, professional work, and/or other regular activities. Read Covid-19 Antibody Test: What You Need to Know What is Covid-19 Brain Fog? Experts have found that about 20% of the covid survivors return to the doctor after a few weeks of recovery with brain fog symptoms. Reportedly, these patients did not have any issues with memory or brain before the Covid infection. Post-Covid brain fog may lead to diverse health conditions like strokes, mental disorders, delirium, delusions, fatigue, anxiety. In fact, scientists have found that coronavirus-induced neurological problems are limitless. What does brain fog feel like? If someone is affected by brain fog, s/he might experience some common signs and symptoms such as loss of memory, failure to understand any subject easily, failure to pay full attention to any matter, repeatedly falling into confusion, being hesitant for a long time in making a decision, losing patience, etc. Read Long COVID Syndrome: Long Term Effects of COVID-19 How does Covid-19 affect the Brain? According to researchers, this 'brain fog' is usually seen immediately after being discharged from the hospital. However, it does not stay too many months if proper measures are taken. Since the first emergence of Covid-19 infection in the human body in December 2019, the disease has turned into a pandemic. Still today, the virus is new to the human body's immune system. This is why the brain becomes overactive after the arrival of this new virus inside the body. Now the question is, how does the Covid-19 reach the brain? The virus can pass through the hematogenous space or blood as well as the olfactory space (middle of the nose). The body contains certain receptors called angiotensin-converting enzymes, which are found in endothelial cells in the brain and the Coronavirus can easily get attached to that. The covid affects both sides of the brain. The virus also affects veins and arteries in the brain. When the blood vessels constrict, it hinders the natural flow of blood circulation in the human body. As a result, the supply of oxygen also decreases. Nevertheless, coronavirus has a rapid effect on the brain. The amount of paralysis is much higher in stroke with covid. Read COVID-19 Third Wave: Things We Need to Know Improve memory power and brain health after Covid Following are some of the ways to improve memory and brain health after covid. Adequate sleep Daily sleep is very effective in protecting and improving the brain. It is because the brain gets to rest in the middle of sleep. Usually, adults need eight hours of sleep daily, and good sleep makes the brain more efficient. The brain stores the latest information during sleep. And sleep is called a memory charger. During sleep, the memory becomes ready to capture the next memory. However, some patients might face sleeping disorders after Covid. In that case, the doctor's consultation is needed. Playing memory games Since the virus damages memory cells, the patient should invest some time each day in memory games, and related activities to recover lost attention and memories. Moreover, the patient should create ways that can stimulate the mind.  However, it is also recommended for a healthy person. All the nerves of the brain, including the memory part of the brain are activated during the play. Which eventually combats the problem of memory loss and helps in increasing the memory power. Read How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? Exercise for brain The more the patient uses the brain, the more the brain will work. The human brain has a wonderful ability; this ability is known as nerve flexibility. With the right stimulus, the human brain is capable of forming new neural pathways and changing existing connections. That is why the patient should work on learning something new. Thus the brain will get something new to work on.  The new information eventually helps to increase the cognitive ability, which will increase the strength of nerve flexibility. In this case, puzzle-solving, scrabble, and sudoku can be good exercises for the brain. Possibly those tasks will greatly help to improve the brain activities like focusing, concentrating, power of thinking, memorizing, decision making, etc.  Healthy diet 20% of the sugar and energy from the food goes to the brain. The brain functions totally depend on its glucose levels. If the level of glucose-intake changes, various cognitive problems might arise. When a person eats his/her favorite foods, it releases the chemical dopamine into the 'reward area' of the brain resulting in a happy feeling in the mind. Brain cells are made up of fats. So one should not remove oil and fat from the food list. Furthermore, almonds, oilseeds, fish, etc., are good for brain health. Read Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? Aerobic exercise The hippocampus area of the human brain works to retain memory in the brain. According to scientists, exercise increases the memory of the brain along with the body. And new cells are born in the brain. Exercise makes the hippocampus excited and swollen which eventually improves the process of retaining memories. Avoid drugs and alcohol Drugs and alcohol adversely affect the brain. For Covid-19 survivors, consumption of alcohol and drugs is strictly prohibited. So, avoiding these substances will provide the brain a chance to heal. Meditation It is harder to find a more beneficial practice than 'meditation' to keep the brain well. It helps the mind to increase concentration. Moreover, meditation is a very powerful way to deal with stress. Apart from these, listening to music, vacation, reading books, and cognitively stimulating activities can help brain development after Covid-19. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19?  Bottom Line As the Covid-19 is a comparatively new disease, adequate research initiatives have not been done yet. Covid-19 infection might affect the brain, memory, and cognitive abilities in diverse ways. The type and level of damage caused by post-covid brain fog might be different for different patients. However, following a proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle the Covid survivors are expected to retain their memory and cognitive abilities. However, the recovery period may vary from person to person.

Terms like antigen, antibody test, Covid-19 test, plasma, RTPCR, rapid test kit, ventilator, lockdown, social distance, etc., have become part of our daily word choice in this Covid-19 pandemic. While these words have become a part of daily life, people tend to get confused between the antibody test and the Covid test. Usually, the antibody test is done to check if the body has developed antibodies against certain diseases. Let's discuss some basic facts about the Corona Virus antibody test. Basics of antibody The human body produces antibodies to fight off the infection when it senses the presence of an external invader, such as a bacterium or virus. Antibodies are basically Y-shaped proteins and white blood cells produce them. This protein helps to fight against harmful germs and get cured. Read: Long COVID Syndrome: Long Term Effects of COVID-19 IgM and IgG antibodies are produced in the body of an infected person who has normal functioning of the immune system, which can be detected by serologic tests or antibody tests. IgMs are usually formed within one to two weeks of infection, but these are lost very quickly. IgG antibodies, on the other hand, take about 6 weeks to form, but they last longer. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some Covid-19 patients may detect antibodies in the first week of infection. In other Covid-19 patients, it may take up to three weeks for antibodies to be produced against the coronavirus. That is why the patient should wait up to three weeks after the symptoms to test for the Covid-19 antibody. Further, the CDC report states that testing for antibodies three weeks after coronavirus infection can detect both IgM and IgG antibodies. Read: COVID-19 Third Wave: Things We Need to Know What is the antibody taste for Covid-19? Covid-19 antibody test, which is also known as serology test, is a way to measure if someone had been infected with coronavirus in the past. However, the antibody test cannot identify if someone is currently infected or not. To check the present condition, one should do the antigen test diagnostic test for Covid-19. However, a positive antibody test will not ensure that the person will not get infected again. If someone has an antibody in the body, it is very difficult to say how long the antibodies against coronavirus will last. According to the CDC's website, it is still rare for Covid-19 to be infected twice, but people are also getting infected twice or more than that. However, the CDC suggests that coronavirus antibodies may provide immunity, at least in the short term. So, after a certain period, the antibody test may not show a positive result. Read: How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine suggests that coronavirus antibodies may not provide protection in the long run. The researchers found that antibody levels decreased within two to three months of curing Covid-19, especially in asymptomatic Covid-19 patients. However, it was a small study, analyzing only 36 symptomatic cases and the same number of asymptomatic cases. So, an antibody test after two to three months may not locate the antibody in the body. What is the purpose of Covid-19 antibody testing? Antibody testing lets the researchers and doctors know how the body reacts to the virus as well as collect the symptoms. Furthermore, it also gives data on the frequency of the infection. However, the antibody test should not be done to decide if anyone can take the vaccine or not. Who is eligible for the Corona Virus antibody test? If someone is infected with Covid, the antibody may take time to build in the body. So, testing on the most recent patient will not be wise. If someone is just diagnosed with corona or treated in two to three weeks, it will give positive results on an antibody test. So, it is suggested that antibody tests can be done four to six after being cured. Read: Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? How to do the Covid-19 antibody test? This test is very easy to do by taking a few drops of blood from the tip of the finger. Moreover, it does not take much time; the test can be done in 15 minutes. Nevertheless, this test is to be used in different countries to find people who are free of infection, and those people can be out of the house. Antibody tests will be very effective, especially for health workers. But making the test kit is not so easy. The US FDA approved antibody tests last year. Types of antibody test                                             So far, two types of antibody tests are available, binding and neutralizing antibody tests. The binding test uses the purified proteins of SARS-CoV-2. In this method, individual antibody types, like IgG, IgM, and IgA can be identified. Hence, SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies can be found at the same time through the binding antibody detection system. Read: What we know about Covid-19 booster shots On the other hand, the neutralizing antibody detection tests find the functional ability of antibodies. These kinds of the test monitor the inhibition of viral growth in the cell when raised with plasma or serum. The neutralizing antibody is categorized into three types, virus neutralization tests (VNT), Pseudovirus neutralization tests (pVNT), and Competitive neutralization tests. Antibody test result Usually, the Covid-19 test result is explained in four ways. If there is a positive IgM, then the patient may be considered infected at the moment; if there is only IgG, then it may be that he is recovering from the infection, and it is possible that he will not be infected in the future. If both are positive, it can be assumed that the patient is at the end of the infection. And if none shows up, the patient is not infected. Sadly, this last statement is not always correct. It may be that the antigen used in this test does not recognize the patient's antibodies. Again, the patient may have been infected, but not enough time to make antibodies. Read Liquid Medical Oxygen and Covid-19 Treatment: Things we need to know Is the coronavirus antibody test easy? The health care workers have a mixed response to this question. Even if the kit works, there is a possibility of false-positive and false-negative results in the COVID-19 antibody test. If a small number of people in the population (say 4.5%) are infected, there is a 50% chance that they will actually be positive. On the other hand, if 30% of the people are infected, and positive results are obtained, in 90% of the cases, it will be true. It was also thought that people who had been infected would have enough antibodies in their blood to fight the virus if they were given to an infected patient. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19?

When the body and mind get tired after endless work all day, at that time, there is no alternative to shower to strengthen the body and mind. When it comes to showers, usually two options are there, a cold shower and a hot shower. Studies have shown that whether it is a cold shower or hot shower, both have multiple benefits. Let's get to know the details.  Benefits of Shower There are many benefits to a regular shower. It increases the performance of the lungs and brain; various physical problems, including controlling the level of blood sugar, are solved through bathing.  Many people support taking a shower in the morning and at night. Actually, time doesn't matter; taking a shower once a day is recommended, especially for those who go out to work.  Read: Long COVID Syndrome: Long Term Effects of COVID-19 However, People who stay at home or do normal activities from home may not need to take a shower regularly. Because no sweating keeps the skin normal, dirt accumulation in the body is less, and the risk of spreading a bad smell is also limited.  The benefits of a shower precisely depend on taking a shower in cold or hot water. Benefits of Cold Shower Regular bathing in cold water is helpful for the human body, which can cure multiple diseases. Not only that, but it also increases the overall performance of the body. The benefits of taking a cold shower are given below. Boosts lung activity While taking a cold shower, or dipping in a cold bathtub, swimming pool, or even in the pond, humans usually stop breathing for a moment. The moment the oxygen is running out, the person immediately tries to pull in oxygen. In this way, the performance of the lungs increases significantly. Read: COVID-19 Third Wave: Things We Need to Know Beneficial for each organ As soon as the body comes in contact with cold water, the lymph vessels begin to compress. As a result, blood flow in the parts increases. Whenever this happens, the body's overall performance begins to increase as more oxygen reaches each organ through the blood. Eventually, this process reduces the risk of contracting various diseases. Keeps mental exhaustion away Taking a cold shower in the morning increases the secretion of certain hormones in our body, which remove mental fatigue and bring the stress under control in an instant. In addition, two chemicals called endorphins and noradrenaline are secreted from the human body during the cold shower. When these two chemicals are released from the body, tiredness is eliminated. As well as the body's performance begins to increase. Read: How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? Weight loss There are two types of fats in our body, brown fat, which helps keep the body warm and white fat, which is not good for the body. Doctors always suggest this second type of fat melting. Incidentally, brown fat becomes very active when bathing in cold water.  As a result, as the body's energy deficit is eliminated, calories begin to burn. Eventually, the excess white fat accumulated in the body is reduced, and the body becomes fat-free. However, this will be done overnight. A regular cold shower can start the process. Increases muscle strength Bathing in cold water not only increases muscle strength but also reduces any pain. That is why doctors recommend taking a bath in cold water after a workout. Read:Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? Benefits of a hot shower The most frightening thing during winter is taking a shower, and many people run away from bathing for fear of the cold. However, bathing in any season is useful for staying healthy and beautiful. Hence, a hot shower becomes the savior in the winter. But, anyone can take a hot shower in any season. Bathing in hot water is quite beneficial for the body. Alternatively, it is harmful if the water is too hot. The water should not be overheated; bathing should be done in comfortable, warm water at a tolerable level. If the temperature is right, a hot shower may bring peace. Read on to know the top benefits of a hot shower.  Calorie loss Bathing in hot water burns calories. Studies have shown that if anyone remains under tolerable, hot water for one hour, it will burn 130 calories; the same amount can be burnt within minutes 30 minutes of walking. But, burning calories through the hot shower should not be an alternative to exercise. Lowers blood sugar Research from Loughborough University says that bathing in hot water can lower blood sugar levels. As per the study, participants were asked to take a bath in hot water after taking a meal. It has been found that submerging the body in hot water for one hour lowers blood sugar levels by 10% compared to cycling.  One of the possible reasons for low blood sugar levels during the hot shower is the release of heat shock protein. But this should not be a way to reduce blood sugar instead of exercise. Read: Bodybuilding Supplements to Avoid when Gyming Good for sinus problem If the sinuses are dry or closed, taking a bath with hot water can be beneficial. The vapor from hot water weakens the mucus and opens the sinuses. Regular bathing in hot water is important if anyone faces sinus problems. Reduces the risk of stroke Research published in the journal Heart suggests that bathing in hot water may reduce the risk of stroke. Researchers analyzed the lifestyle and health data of 30,000 people and found that taking regular hot water baths reduced the risk of stroke by 26%.  Researchers believe that the heat coming from the hot water can reduce blood pressure and eventually increase heart rate. As a result, it maintains the perfect blood flow to different parts of the body. Reaad Hand Sanitizer Fire Risk: Precautions for Handling Sanitizer Safely Reduce the blood pressure If anyone has high blood pressure, they can consider taking a bath with hot water because the warm temperature of the water can lower blood pressure. Cold vs. Hot Shower: Which is the better option? While cold and hot showers are both beneficial for the human body. So, it will not be wise to signify one over another. Hence, it is better to take a shower, depending on the situation. For example, take a hot shower during the winter and take a cold shower in summer. Ultimately, taking a shower every day should be the decisive goal.  Read: Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding

Although most patients with COVID-19 recover slowly within a few weeks, some people may have symptoms and complications of COVID for a long time. Many can suffer from a few weeks to a few months. Besides lungs, corona virus damages the patient's heart, kidneys, liver, circulatory system, and nervous system. There is hardly any organ left in the patient's body where the coronavirus does not carry out its destruction. This article will discuss the signs of Long COVID and long term effects of COVID-19. Symptoms of Long COVID Even after being COVID-19 negative, some symptoms of long COVID can last for several weeks to a few months. The commonly known symptoms of long COVID include: weakness, breathing problems, cough, bone or joint pain, chest pain, muscle aches, headache, palpitations, odor and tastelessness, loss of appetite, amnesia, inattention, sleep problems, stomach problems, hair loss, body rash, etc. Read: Knowing your Covid symptoms can help to make informed decisions Although COVID initially attacks the lungs, the lungs are not the only target. It can also affect the other parts of the body. Depending on which organ is affected, the signs of Long COVID will be different. What are the long term effects of COVID-19 infection upon health? Heart Coronavirus infection can damage the heart. Even after recovering from COVID-19 infections, tests may show damage in the heart. In the later stages of COVID, numerous cardiovascular complications might occur, including rapid heartbeat, heart failure, and heart attack. According to a report from June 2020, 20-30% of COVID patients were admitted to the hospital with the effect on their heart muscle. Therefore, it behooves upon the COVID-19 survivor patients to take care of their heart's health through regular medical checkups as per consultation of heart specialists. Read COVID-19 Third Wave: Things We Need to Know Lungs In COVID, the lungs are damaged to varying degrees. If a healthy lifestyle is maintained, the lungs start healing after COVID recovery.  It is almost completely cured most of the time. However in some cases, the damage in lungs is aggravated when the affected area is wide. This is called lung fibrosis. It means that the patient may suffer from long-term complications of the lungs. Several days after the COVID has healed, even a few months later, a CT scan of the lungs shows evidence of fibrosis or hardening of the lung tissue. These patients suffer from various problems ranging from shortness of breath to poor health, weight loss, lack of oxygen, etc. Read How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? Brain COVID-19 can cause bleeding problems in the brain (stroke), convulsions, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and other issues, which is now proven by research. Scientists predict that the incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's will increase in those affected by corona. Furthermore, the probability of dementia or amnesia will increase among COVID survivors. Scientists have named some of the problems of post-COVID patients as brain fog. It means that the patient will never get back to the old memory. However, this kind of health condition is rare. Read: WHO calls for more research into post-Covid complications Problems with blood vessels and blood clots COVID increases the risk of blood clots in various blood vessels in the body. This is one of the major complications of COVID. For that, people at risk are given blood thinners in the hospital. But even if the patient gets better from COVID, this risk can stay for a long time. So, we see many people being hospitalized again with heart attack and brain stroke as post-COVID complications. In addition, blood clots in the lungs, kidneys, and leg veins can cause various health issues. Weakness and mental problems Physical weakness and fatigue are not uncommon for many, even patients whose symptoms were mild and who were in isolation at home. However, the problem is more common among the people who required a high-dependency unit (HDU) or intensive care unit (ICU) for corona and whose symptoms were severe. Read How Long Will Your COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccination Protection Last? Most patients with coronavirus face a variety of psychological problems and disasters after recovery. Depression, restlessness, posttraumatic stress syndrome, tendency to forget, mild temper tantrums, irritable mood, etc. are some of them. Various digestive problems After recovery, many people suffer from various stomach illnesses for a long time. Some of them include flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, loose stools, loss of appetite, etc. However, suffering from loose stools is most common. This happens due to the impact of COVID-19 infection and eating habits. However, in most cases, the consumption of additional antibiotics creates digestive problems. Read Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? Kidney and liver problems Especially those who are already suffering from various kidney and liver diseases may experience further health problems. Kidneys or liver can get damaged or become dysfunctional due to the temporary or long-term effects of the COVID-19 infection. Therefore, liver or kidney patients need to be careful during the post-COVID period. Sleeping problems Corona sufferers may experience health problems in their lungs, heart, brain, or other organs of the body, which can have a temporary or long-term effect on their sleep. They might face problems in falling asleep easily or waking up repeatedly. Many COVID survivors can have nightmares in their sleep. Besides these, Sleep disturbances may occur due to stress. Again, lack of normal sleep increases physical and mental problems. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? Who suffers most? Surprisingly, Long COVID Syndrome does not depend on the severity of the patient's COVID-19 infection. From acute COVID to mild COVID patients, anyone can have it. However, the elderly and those with other chronic diseases are more likely to have long COVID. However, young, fit, and healthy people are also seen facing the long COVID effects. Final words Recovering from COVID-19, or tested corona negative, or getting discharged from the hospital does not mean the end of all suffering. The patients are experiencing multifarious health issues such as, Post-COVID diabetes, surprising fluctuations in blood pressure, problems in body-organs like thyroid, pancreas, etc. Many people are suffering from Long COVID, many are dying of new complications even after tested COVID-negative. COVID patients can fall into complications before they understand anything well. Corona Virus constantly astonishes scientists. As the days go by, something new is being learned. Since COVID-19 is still a comparatively new disease, enough research hasn't been done yet. To date, it is not entirely clear what the consequences of this disease will be. Therefore, prevention is still the main weapon. During the post-Covid recovery stage, each patient need to be extra careful about the health and stay under the supervision of regular doctor. Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention

Coronavirus outbreaks have disrupted public life around the world. Further, the second wave of the corona has hit again this year, which is not gone yet. And the third wave has already started. Concerns have also been raised about just how terrible the third wave of Covid is going to be. The COVID-19 cases are rising all over the world; hence the third wave has approached us already. Even the vaccinated people are being affected. The highly contagious Indian Delta variant is mostly responsible for the third wave.  What is COVID-19 third wave? The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned about the third wave. The world is already in the early stage of the third coronavirus wave amid the surge and spread of the delta variant. As the variant born in 2019 is continuously mutating in more transmissible variants, WHO shows concerns about the third wave. However, India is expected to face the worst condition of the third wave in the next few months, experts say. Previously, India experienced the worst condition in the second wave compared to the other countries in the world.   The reason behind the third wave is the new variant's quick mutation as well as the ineffectiveness of the vaccine. Vaccinated people are also affected by the new variant, but it is less deadly for the vaccinated person. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? We are not following the COVID-19 health protocols, and we are gathering anywhere without maintaining the proper health guideline. As a result, the infection is rising upfront. When the rate of infection decreases and rises again significantly, a new wave is determined. And the COVID-19 cases are rising again all over the world; hence the third wave is detected.      Third-wave is risky for the children During the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the youths were the most affected. Experts fear the third wave could be risky for children and teenagers. The Head of the Department of Wadia Hospital of Children in Mumbai, Dr. Sudha Rao, expressed her views on why the third wave of corona could be dangerous for children. She said experts around the world fear the third wave of the Coronavirua would infect more children. The first wave affected 1-2% of children, the second wave raised the contraction level to 4-6% percent, and the third wave is expected to affect about 12-15% of children. However, it will take more time to be sure about this estimate. There are also plausible reasons why children and teenagers are at higher risk in the third wave. The most common and obvious reason is that people under the age of 18 are not being vaccinated. If the body is infected with corona and antibodies are made, then there is no need for vaccination. But there is no information about the percentage of antibodies in children. So in terms of immunology, it can be said that children are weak. In addition, newer strains of the coronavirus can infect more children. As well as opening schools and colleges, children are more likely to be infected with the virus. Read Digital Healthcare Startups in Bangladesh: An Overview How to fight the third wave? Since the research shows that the children are likely to get affected by the third wave, experts suggest taking the step for the children and teenagers. According to Dr. Sudha Rao, hospitals have covid care for adults, but from now on, we need to focus on pediatric care. There is nothing to concern when older people are hospitalized with COVID. However, if someone is in an oxygen bed or ICU bed, it does not take 24 hours attendant. But if a child with COVID is in an oxygen bed or ICU, he/she will always want his parents by his/her side. Therefore, special steps are needed to be taken to ensure that parents are vaccinated. A huge percentage of people are yet to take vaccines, especially in third-world countries. Therefore, it is important to take equal care of children in pediatric care as well as the parents who have not been vaccinated. They also need to be monitored and have a physician in care. Read COVID-19 Delta variant explained: Things to know about this Coronavirus strain It is important to train health workers from now on to manage children's medicine, treat children with moderate illness, protect them from serious illness, and identify serious conditions. Apart from this, several other steps should be taken to counter the third wave. Sustained surveillance and sharing of data Sustained surveillance, as well as the share of the data, is highly necessary as these can help in decision making. The sharing of data includes systematic testing, compilation, collection, and analysis of laboratory and clinical data. In this context, WHO Chief Scientist Sowmya Swaminathan indicated that countries need to "strengthen its surveillance and closely monitor key Covid indicators to reduce the impact of a possible third wave." The proper observation and monitoring of the viral epidemiology, as well as the genetic diversity, will help to determine the evolving nature of the pandemic. This eventually helps the authorities to make the right decision on time. Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention Prepare a robust healthcare infrastructure While the first world countries' strong healthcare structures are destroyed by the coronavirus, the third world countries are facing the worst. There is no alternative to building a solid healthcare structure. Although there is not enough time to improve the healthcare infrastructure in third-world countries, they can take some steps. They can work on increasing the COVID care centers with beds, ICUs, prompt accessibility of the medication, and increase the oxygen supply. Post-COVID care rehabilitation Many COVID-19 recovered patients face long-term residual effects both mentally and physically. The current healthcare structure in most of the countries doesn't offer any post-COVID care for the recovered individuals. And it is more needed for the third wave caused by the delta variant. So, there is a dire need to work on post-COVID care units and offer the service to these requirements comprehensively. Last but not the least, a mass vaccination program is the only way to fight any upcoming variants as well as waves. Read Liquid Medical Oxygen and Covid-19 Treatment: Things we need to know

Mass vaccination programs have been launched around the world to control the Covid-19. As of August 28, 2021, 5.13 billion doses have been given globally, and 36.21 million doses are given each day. So, 33% of the world population got at least one dose of the Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine. It is often heard that many people are suffering from coronavirus even after taking two doses of the vaccine. However, it was hoped that the risk of Covid-19 would be greatly reduced after vaccination. Therefore, a new question was raised, how long the Covid-19 vaccine protection will last? Though there has not been any specific answer to this question, and research is still going to find that. But we often see new variants of coronavirus being invented in different countries. Some of these variants spread the infection at a deadly rate, and the severity of the disease is also high. The recent outbreak of the delta variant is a prime example of this. The delta variant is now available in more than 130 countries. Countries around the world are worried about the increasing number of infections and deaths due to the new Covid-19 variants. In this situation, the question arises again, how effective are the current Covid-19 vaccines against the newer variants? Read Coronavirus: How to get your smell and taste back after COVID-19? Usually, vaccines give us complete protection, but the reality about the Covid-19 vaccine is, it can't provide complete protection, and Covid-19 can attack the vaccinated person too. But there may be some relief from the risk of too much damage. How long does the Covid-19 Vaccine take to Build Immunity? After vaccination, the human body takes some time to recognize the genetic components of the coronavirus and to make antibodies and T-cells. These then begin to block the virus from entering the body's cells or kill the infected cells. So, it takes at least two weeks or more for the vaccine to become fully effective. How does the Covid-19 Vaccine Work in the Human Body? The COVID-19 vaccine usually works on developing Immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19 without making us sick. Several types of vaccines work on providing protection in several ways, but commonly the vaccines provide the body with "memory" T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes that will recall how to fight the virus in the future. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? It normally takes a few weeks for the vaccinated body to make T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes after vaccination. Thus, a person may become infected with the Covid-19 virus just before or immediately after vaccination and later become ill because there was not enough time for the vaccine to fight against the virus. After the vaccination, the immunity building process can raise symptoms such as fever. These symptoms are normal, and it is a sign of increased Immunity of the body. Types of Covid-19 Vaccines Currently, there are four main types of COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA vaccines, whole virus vaccines, protein subunit vaccines, and viral vector Covid-19 vaccines. Read  Clive Wearing: The Man with the 30 Second Memory - Forever Today mRNA vaccines are normally genetically engineered mRNA that provide instructions to your cells to make S protein available on the Covid-19 virus' surface. After our cells replicate the protein, they destroy the genetic material from the vaccine. Our body understands that the protein should not be there and should make T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, which can make the vaccine to fight the virus in the future. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are examples of mRNA vaccines. The whole virus vaccine includes Sinopharm and Sinovac, which work on weakening or deactivating the form of the pathogen that is responsible for the Covid-19. These types of vaccines use inactivated pathogens. So, they cannot replicate or infect the cells but can work on triggering the immune response. Therefore, a booster dose might be needed for complete safety. Read  'India likely to have Covid shot for children by September' The protein subunit vaccine has purified pathogen instead of the whole pathogen to trigger the immune response. Once vaccinated, our immune system realizes that proteins are not included in the body and begins to produce T-lymphocytes and antibodies. If we ever become infected in the future, memory cells will recognize and fight the virus. Novavax is an example of a protein subunit vaccine. Viral vector Covid-19 vaccines put a new and modified version of the virus known as "the vector," which ultimately delivers genetic code for antigen. Once the viral vector enters into our cells, the genetic material instructs the cells to make a protein that causes the virus-19. Using these instructions, our cells replicate the protein. Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention Further, it induces our bodies to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, which will remind the body how to fight the virus if we become infected in the future. Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V are examples of viral vector vaccines. Coronaviru Vaccine Efficiency As you already know, several types of vaccines have been given to prevent coronavirus. However, how long the Immunity of any corona vaccine will last is still unclear. According to a recent report, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and modern vaccines is 80 percent effective, and the second dose is 90 percent effective. People who have been vaccinated have a lower risk of corona than others. Read  Knowing your Covid symptoms can help to make informed decisions People who have taken Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will have Immunity for at least 6 months. It is 100% effective for CDC-listed sick people and 95.3% for FDA-listed patients. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is also known to be effective in South Africa. Also, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has an efficacy of up to 90 percent when given two doses. Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines Like all other medicines or vaccines, Covid-19 vaccines have some side effects. But, in most cases, the side effects are very mild, such as pain at the injection site, swelling, redness, weakness, muscle and joint pain, nausea, fever, fatigue, etc. However, no serious side effects have been reported so far. But, if there is any problem after the vaccination, you must go to the nearest hospital and seek doctor's advice. Read What we know about Covid-19 booster shots

One of the symptoms of coronavirus infection is loss of taste and smell. Losing taste and smell at the same is quite uncomfortable. Fortunately, after recovering from being infected with the deadly virus, it takes a long time to regain smell and taste. In many cases, the taste and smell do not return even after recovery from the corona. While other symptoms have subsided, this problem persists in many. As a result, many people are losing their normal amount of hunger. Many are also emotionally broken due to this. But how will the taste and smell return? No effective cure has yet been found for the symptoms. But there are some domestic methods and foods that can bring back the smell and taste. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? What is the reason for the loss of smell and taste in the corona? Doctors say the smell and taste can be reduced not only by coronavirus but also by other respiratory infections. That feeling may return slowly after the infection has healed. But, after recovering from corona, it may take a week in some cases, a month in others, and more in some cases to regain the sense of taste and smell. Even if the fever or cold is not very high, this feeling of taste and smell go away within five days of being infected. In medical science, its name is 'Anosmia.' Coronavirus can attach itself to the nervous system very quickly. The virus easily travels through the nose and attaches itself to the small nerves. Various studies have shown that the cells that keep our sense of smell active are attacked by the Covid virus. After that, the cell remains busy, preventing other infections. Read  Clive Wearing: The Man with the 30 Second Memory - Forever Today As a result, they have to move away from their main job, and sensitive information about smell does not reach the brain. That's why the recovered person cannot differentiate the taste and smell of foods or something. It has also been seen that the person gets confused with one smell with another. According to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, 95% of patients regain their sense of smell within 6 months. In most patients, the coronavirus cannot permanently damage the olfactory neural circuits. Those who have stronger immunity can get back the sense of smell and taste quickly. Read:What we know about Covid-19 booster shots Getting your smell and taste back after Covid-19 Among all the Covid-19 symptoms, the sense of smell and taste take longer to recover. But no matter how late, the sense of smell and taste must return to normal. However, there is no 'proven' remedy for these symptoms. However, it is important to know a few food options that can help you regain your sense of taste and smell. Garlic Garlic has its own unique smell, and it is a powerful anti-viral. Further, it also helps in increasing immunity. Garlic may also have properties that reduce inflammation, ease breathing and help restore smell and taste more quickly. Heat 2 to 3 cloves of garlic in water and eat a little cold. Eat twice this way regularly. The olfactory cells will work properly, and the taste will return in a short time. Lemon Lemon contains vitamin C, and the smell of lemon is very refreshing. The good thing about the lemon is that it has the ability to fight viral bacteria. Eating lemon will be helpful for the closed nose, colds, and coughs. Corona sufferers can benefit from drinking lemon and honey in warm water every morning. However, the patients may need to eat for 2 consecutive months. Besides, the patient can also eat lemon pickles with rice or bread. Read:Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding Mint Mint has a very nice smell, which keeps the mind and body fresh and keeps the nerves calm. It also helps to restore the taste. Drinking mint tea works on restoring both taste and smell. It works even better if the patient can drink green tea with mint. Take Vapor Taking vapor works great on recovering from cold or sneezing. For that, boil the water pot; when the water boils, turn off the gas and cover the head with a towel. Open your mouth, breathe well and exhale through your nose. Do this several times. All the blockages will be opened, and you will be able to breathe well. Continuous vaping will bring back the smell as soon as the cold is gone. This habit is very good even for a healthy person. Red Chilli Red chilli or chilli powder can be helpful in getting back your lost sense of smell. It contains powerful ingredients that can effectively 'clean' a stuffy nose. As well as activating the senses and helping to improve the effectiveness of olfactory sensations. Drinking a small amount of honey or sugar in a cup of pure water with red chilli powder more than once a day will be effective in getting back the smell. Read  Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention Drink warm water Whenever you drink water, try to drink lukewarm water instead of cold water. But it is not advisable to drink too hot and drink a certain level of hot water that the body can tolerate. However, if you have difficulty drinking hot water, you can drink plain water. But drinking hot water at least twice a day will surely accelerate resolving the problem. Smell training Smell training is a process to sniff different scents every day over a period of months. This can help to enable the brain to recognize different smells. Taking smell for 20 seconds for each scent lets you concentrate on your smell training. This eventually helps you to recognize different smells, and you can smell everything correctly gradually. Is there any medication? Although there is no medication for this, you can contact your doctor if your smell or taste doesn't go back to normal within a few weeks. However, you may find many suggested medications on the internet. But taking the medication without the doctor's advice can be deadly sometimes. Read Liquid Medical Oxygen and Covid-19 Treatment: Things we need to know

With the world being turned upside down due to the pandemic, many have been forced to work at home and have not gone back to the office for a year now. Depending on the leniency of the area, some companies have been overly guarded with their procedures and have just made working from home the default. With that, many workers are under confinement with limited ways to exercise. Thankfully, the epidemic arrived in the midst of a digital age, which means all is not lost if you just have a phone with you. Are you are looking for an app to give you workout pointers while stuck at home? Here are some of the best fitness apps for Androids and IOS.  Top Mobile Apps to Assist You in Workouts at Home Map My Run It’s no surprise that Under Armor has become a mainstay in the fitness community due to its quality products, meaningful collaborations, and extremely aggressive marketing. What is a surprise, however, is how good their Map My Run app is. If you’re all about the running/jogging life, there are few apps out there that can compare to this one. The app tracks your running route and accurately measures the duration of your jogs. If your running is consistent, Map My Run also gives you a breakdown of your performance and even has an online feature that lets others know about your running routes and progression. This running tracker is one of the few out there that understands the weight of establishing an online community and looks to be one of the best choices for veterans and novices alike. This app is free to download.  Read Bodybuilding Supplements to Avoid when Gyming Fitness Buddy What Map My Run does in running, Fitness Buddy does for weightlifting. The app is critical for those who are looking to take their weightlifting routines to the next level. Fitness Buddy is rather contemporary and has recognized the importance of providing regimes that are designed around home-based exercises. The name this app has chosen wouldn’t be fully accurate if they didn’t factor in diet plans as well. Fitness Buddy also zeros in on elaborate meal plans and an array of recipes to help fitness enthusiasts keep themselves accountable to every aspect of this lifestyle. Diets like Keto, Paleo, and more are available for your reference. There are over 400 exercises on the app, that include videos, step-by-step photos, and detailed instructions so that even the newest member of the fitness community can get a good sweat in. This app is free to download.  Read: Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding JEFIT Workout Planner The app’s name says it all. JEFIT Workout Planner will be best suited for relatively seasoned fitness buffs who are thrilled to mix up their workout routines ever so often. The software functions more like a digital journal rather than a workout instruction manual. The currently has over 8 million users and also has trackers and programmes available, but serves more as an assistant to your design, rather than the main feature. If you’ve taken a shot at personalising your own workouts, but want some inspiration, the app has got your back on this too. Beginner, Advanced, Sports, Equipment-based, Bodyweight and so many more options are available at your fingertips. The best part is that its jack-of-all-trades approach may not be for those who are leaning heavily towards a specific fitness style but is great for anyone confined at home. This app is free to download.  Read Kettlebells: The Best Equipment for Home Workouts Workout for Women Women have their own types of workouts that are better suited for them and many apps only provide a general guide that doesn’t quite factor body type in. Workout for Women puts its purpose in its name and provides some of the best workouts for ladies who are either tight for time or would gladly commit hours into it. The interface is cleverly compartmentalised and everything you could want is easily accessible. The app won the award of being Google’s best Free Female Exercise app in 2020 and Google’s Best Health and Fitness App in 2019. If you’re a woman who wants to keep fit, this app is an absolute must to try at the very least. This app is free to download! Read Pandemic Yoga: How to strengthen lungs, ease breathing problems with yoga 30 Day Fitness Challenge - Workout At Home The community giving this app a 4.8 out of 5 stars should show you how wonderfully packed the 30 Day Fitness Challenge app is. While not the most elaborate of programmes, the 30-day challenge does provide coaching tips and training plans that focus on home-based workouts. This app has more than kept up with the times and will do you good. The interface is extremely easy to use and the exercises suggested are predominantly bodyweight; meaning that you won’t be caught off guard halfway through the routine, realising that you need to run out to buy some dumbbells. If you don’t need a workout for your entire body, you could also commit an entire month to their butt and abs challenge. If you’re happy with the results, there is an inbuilt online platform that can let your friends know that the home is just another gym for you. This app is free to download. Read: Arm Exercises: Why Beginners Don’t Need Them For Bulking Nike Training Club It’s nice being included in things, especially when it’s the community of one of the world’s leading fitness brands. Nike has transcended the status of being just an apparel/equipment brand for fitness but has become a name that holds the highest status in fitness knowledge as well. The app houses workouts led by professional trainers and explore all forms of workouts, including yoga and HIIT. The lessons can be studio-based, meaning that the instructor on the app will do the actual workout with you, such as one would in a class. This application has everything and is reflective enough to know that there will always be novices who are in need of more guidance for fitness. This application is free to download. Read Tips to Get Marathon Level Endurance and Stamina

Every guy wants to have a muscular physique. Not everyone will think it’s ideal to be a hulking giant, but regardless, putting on muscle is a testament to hard work and dedication. To do so, there are often many supplement brands who adamantly try to suggest that shortcuts are indeed possible. While some bodybuilding supplements like protein are generally considered positive, there are others that are highly questionable and make promises they can’t keep. They risk nothing by marketing their product that way, but you risk everything if your health takes a turn for the worst after committing to the wrong supplement. If you are starting your muscle-building journey, these are the supplements you need to avoid when gyming.  Pre Workout  Pre Workout is so popular nowadays that calling it out would be controversial in its own right. Pre-workout serves as an energy booster that will get you going for your entire workout; supposedly giving you extra energy that translates into strength and overall efficiency. It’s no surprise that caffeine is thrown into the mix, but an overload of that can be extremely harmful to the body. Read Kettlebells: The Best Equipment for Home Workouts Artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols are included as well and a surplus of this can lead to bloating and diarrhea. Ultimately, taking a pre-workout isn’t a nutritional supply agent per se, but more of being a “luxury” that gives you energy. With the correct meals, your body should have enough energy and strength to go about doing your workouts properly.  Test Boosters Test boosters aren’t for everyone as they truly only help those who generate a lower amount of testosterone than the average count. Having a surplus of testosterone can be very harmful to the body. Test boosters are seen as a cheap alternative to growth hormones that are supposed to be natural. While that may be true for some brands, the harms of a surplus of this hormone include prostate swelling, oily skin, decrease in sperm count, and fluid retention, just to name a few. READ: Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding The consequences are difficult to identify short term, but these symptoms will show up gradually, and that’s when test boosters would have done more harm than good. There are plenty of natural ways of using a healthy amount of this hormone, and the side effects are not worth it for just a few extra points of muscle. Fat Burners We get that cardio is a chore to most people; but if it was easy, more people would be in shape. Fat burner presents itself as a “shortcut” to traditional dieting by claiming to help the body metabolize faster. It’s common knowledge that fiber is healthy and is a primary nutrient that helps with metabolism, but fat burners don’t use fiber. Instead, the supplement relies on caffeine. Read Olympic Exercises Anyone Can Do A regular cup of coffee increases metabolic rate between 3-4% every 2 hours, which amounts to about 12.5 calories burnt. Fat burners may dump a lot more caffeine into your body than a standard cup of coffee would, but your body has a capacity of the speed at which it can metabolize at its fastest. This supplement gets sold on the name itself, while the ingredients beyond caffeine do next to nothing with boosting metabolic activity. Definitely a hard pass on this; there are far cheaper alternatives that can provide caffeine to the body in safer quantities.  Protein Powder (Kind Of)  Protein powder is NOT bad in its own right but can be consumed poorly which will lead to severe consequences. Protein powder generally suggests one or two scoops of protein, mixed in with a bit of water - which is fine. READ: Arm Exercises: Why Beginners Don’t Need Them For Bulking What is not fine, however, is how many consumers perceive this supplement. The keyword in supplement means to “supply”, not replace. This means that protein powder should never act as a replacement, but only to provide additional aid if your meals generally lack protein. This could be due to work, inconveniences, or cost; which is why this supplement is by far the most popular in the weight lifting industry.  While protein powder can be safe if you go for the traditional whey and soy options and adhere to the guidelines, problems can start to surface when your workouts do not optimize the added aid. If you do not have enough of a workout to let your body metabolize the protein, you could gain unnecessary weight. Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)  This supplement has been getting a lot of attention in the market recently and is known to have been advertised by professional athletes for its effectiveness. Ultimately, BCAA gives the body leucine, isoleucine, and valine - amino acids that trigger muscle growth; however, these amino acids can be acquired elsewhere and the actual BCAA formula does absolutely nothing. The only added benefit of BCAA is the reduction of soreness which isn’t something worth spending on every month. Overall, BCAA doesn’t suffer from being bad for the body by any means, but its effectiveness has no scientific backing and could be a huge waste to spend on. READ: Heat Stroke: Symptoms, First Aid, and Prevention Glutamine Glutamine is the same shtick as every other gym supplements out there, to help your body increase its muscle mass. This name hasn’t been used among regular gym goers recently, but it is good as it suffers from a similar problem as BCAA. Athletes have used Glutamine to showcase the ability to gain healthy amino acids while keeping the immune system healthy and maintaining large muscles all at once. Even if there is some truth to Glutamine’s effect, it does not have enough advantages to warrant a regular commitment. Read Pandemic Yoga: How to strengthen lungs, ease breathing problems with yoga

It is such common knowledge that fruits and vegetables equal good. Regardless of lifestyle, the two have been the face of healthy eating, but that’s about where it ends for some. Differentiating different fruits and vegetables isn’t the main priority for many - as long as it isn’t a milkshake or cake, it’s better. With the right guidance and diet plan, certain fruits can help to optimize the results you are looking for when on a fitness pursuit. Here are some of the best fruits to improve fitness or put on muscle.  Fruits To Avoid Before looking at the ones you do need, it’s important to first establish why not all fruits are the same and how alternative choices will sabotage your fitness progression. The avocado is one of the biggest culprits of this and not because it’s bad, but mainly because it does not compliment many bodybuilding diets out there. Most plans involve a strict reduction of fat and sugar, with simple carbs being the primary energy source. Avocado is the antithesis of this principle and primarily contains fat. General strength-based exercises don’t involve much cardio, and fat is the least preferred energy source if your exercises focus on static.  Read Avocado: Is it overrated? Know the benefits, alternatives Durians are another type of food that has a high amount of both carbs and fat, which is a lethal combo that can do more harm than good. While avocados at least have the reputation of dominating anything that’s Keto-related, Durian is off-putting too many and offers too few health benefits to substitute other fruits that are both delectable and nutritious.  Coconuts are the final options for fruits to avoid. While coconuts are nowhere near as controversial, the difficulty would be steering clear away from this delicious fruit. Coconuts are more versatile than the two other fruits on this list, which means that some foods you may think are harmless may secretly have coconut oil in them. Coconuts are also commonly turned into shavings and could spell disaster for your waist if they are cleverly used with your favorite desserts. Out of all fruits, coconuts have the highest amount of saturated fat and is deceptively heavy for how light it can taste.  Read How to heal lungs naturally and improve breathing after recovering from COVID-19? Best Fruits for Muscle Building Oranges As children, oranges were possibly the signature citrus fruit to go for when pursuing a life of healthy eating -and for good reason. Oranges are jam-packed with Vitamin C and are particularly viable before your workout due to the nutrient preventing nitric oxide from being broken down. Alternatively, you could consume the fruit after your workouts and enjoy the fruit for its stellar antioxidant properties. The fruit is tasty and easily made into juices - so having it anyway you like wouldn’t stray too far away from its natural nutritional value. Apples If fruits had a mascot, apples would be it. From nursery adages to in-depth nutrient charts, none can deny how versatile and valuable this fruit can be. Apples contain polyphenol which helps to increase your body’s strength. While this effect may seem enticing, it is important to note that the fruit still is extremely high in sugar and should not be consumed in excess. Like almost any other fruit, juicing it naturally is a good option, while baked apple paste isn’t too bad of an idea either. Be warned that apple crumbles or apple pies don’t count as progress! Read How to Eat Red Meat Without Jeopardizing Your Health Cherries For such a small fruit, cherries have some of the strongest flavors among all fruits. This is why taking more than a handful of them can make it a chore to consume. With the correct amount, cherries are a treat and contain anthocyanin, which is responsible for muscle recovery and helps to reduce inflammation. As we know, muscle hypertrophy is all about recovery and this fruit fits the bill in every way possible. Cherries work best on their own and should be eaten sparingly.  Watermelon This tropical fruit isn’t as straightforward as the rest when it comes to nutritional benefits. Watermelons help regulate blood flow and contain citrulline, which is responsible for being converted to arginine and nitrous oxide. Watermelons are a good source of fruits if you ever consume them as an assortment, but are not the most vital to have on a daily basis. Once more, be careful about how much sugar you are consuming when feasting on this fruit.  Read Ketogenic Diet: Know the benefits and risks Bananas Bananas are perfect for carb-heavy diets and are best before workouts to resupply your body with glycogen. The fruit is renowned for its ability to help muscles maintain their size. Bananas come packing with an incredible amount of potassium which is good for muscle contractions and is a critical electrolyte for the body all around. Bananas are possibly one of the most common fruits to be consumed with a protein shake, but going full natural with it works too.  Managing Your Intake While sugar cravings can partially be satisfied with fruits, it is important to note that sugar is still sugar and should not supersede the number of carbs taken. It is good as a snack for pre and post-workouts, and never functions as a meal substitute or a snack to be eaten throughout the entire day. Ultimately, gauging the amount of how much you should consume each day depends on your calorie intake cap. Balancing your fruits with oats, nuts, and even vegetables can make for a far more fulfilling role if you are not the type to snack.  Read Sweet Danger of Sugar: know the side effects of consuming too much sugar