Getting into the Christmas spirit

Surviving the Christmas Holidays

It’s been a long year – especially for parents, teachers and children. On the one hand, it was like one long holiday, but on the other, school has been disrupted and children have spent more time at home than ever. In a way, this makes the Christmas holidays a bit of an anti-climax.  But, with a bit of effort, some imagination and planning, you can make it the Best Christmas Eva!

Start by helping your children write a list of things they can do and what they’ll need. Some items can be found at granny’s house, tucked away in cupboards or from thrift or charity shops, craft, stationery and haberdashery stores, second-hand book shops, party-supplies, and Crazy stores. Under 10s love dressing up and giving concerts; big cardboard boxes can give hours of creative fun as can old curtains and blankets turned into tents or garden theatres. When the weather is sunny, children should play outside. Collect small balls and empty cans as targets, plastic bottles make jaunty ‘skittles’, bean bags to throw, cardboard rolls make mock-swords or puppets, make a skipping rope or a hobby-horse with an old sock on a broom-stick. When it’s indoor weather, get your children to help you make pancakes (recipe included) or teach them handcrafts e.g. Pinterest and Suzelle DIY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhXt436oh2o)  are jam-packed with amazing ideas. Bubbles are ideal when the air is moist and cool. Old socks make ideal puppets and good old-fashioned board games like snakes and ladders or snap can keep children entertained (at least for a while).

Get into the Christmas spirit by putting up the tree and getting the children to make the decorations e.g. threaded popcorn or fruit-loops on a string. Children can help you bake biscuits or make Christmas cards for family and friends. TV and video games should be kept as a treat for good behaviour.

When choosing Christmas presents, make sure that most of the play comes from the child. Check the age for choking hazards and double-check cheap toys for lead paint. Avoid balloons – they’re a serious choking hazard. When choosing a musical toy, avoid cheap imitations because their tone could spoil a naturally musical ear. When braaiing or using candles, cooking, boiling and frying make sure little children are well out of the danger range of getting burned. This can happen so quickly.        

For the pancakes you will need:

500 MLS Dewfresh Cultured Buttermilk

2 cups cake flour

4 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

(option) 1 tsp ground ginger

3 table-spoons sugar

3 table-spoons cooking oil

1 egg

You do:

Mix dry ingredients together

Beat egg with the oil, add the buttermilk and blend with the dry ingredients.

Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and melt a pat of butter to prevent sticking. Put one spoonful batter evenly spaced (about 3 pancakes) and put the lid on for a few minutes – or until the batter bubbles. Then turn the pancake over and cook the other side (no need to use the lid for the second side). Spread with honey, molasses, jam or syrup while hot and enjoy! Yum!

 

 

 

 

 

Talk to your daughter about breast cancer

 

Think Pink this October

Here we are into the second week of October and I have neglected my blog. It’s true. The more time you have on your hands, the less you do.

October is the ‘Pink Month’ – the month we focus on Breast Cancer Awareness. I know this topic may make you want to skip this blog, but I listened to an interesting webinar yesterday afternoon presented by Dr. Johnathan James from Nottingham Breast Institute (UK) made me sit up and pay attention to a topic we hear about so often. Many women (including me) may be blasé when it comes to breast cancer and lumps, but this type of cancer is one of the easiest malignancies to detect, and treated early, it is often possible to spare women an early and painful death.

The webinar conducted by Doctor James was about CESM or Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography reading, and consisted of a variety of case-studies where lump detection by the women was followed-up with diagnostic tests conducted at the clinic. Most of the women were in the 30 – 50 age group, with a few in their early sixties. Most of the lumps were found in the left breast, and for the lucky few, their lumps were found to be non-malignant or simply cysts or an abscess that could be drained. Closer examination and CESM screening sometimes found sinister, hidden lumps or additional lesions and a biopsy confirmed their malignancy. While some women only had the lump removed, others received extensive chemotherapy or had a total mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

My maternal grandmother had breast cancer. She had a mastectomy when she was in her early 60’s. Ouma had given birth to five daughters and never used contraceptive hormones. She lived a healthy and vigorous life, ate healthily (she and Oupa owned a poultry farm) and she hardly ever needed to see a doctor which means, in essence, that she was low risk. Yet, where did those cancer cells come from and what precautions should I be taking? What should I be telling my daughters?

Dr. James reminded me to book another mammogram the next time I go to the hospital. It must be at least two to three years since my last mammogram. It’s a procedure I don’t particularly enjoy, depending on the radiographer. Some are kinder and gentler, but there have been occasions when it feels as though my breasts are being ‘snack-witched’ between those machines, or that woman behind the screen is doing her best to pop them. Once I cried it was so painful, but that may also have been my Lupus talking.

It’s always a relief when your test comes back negative. Remember, you’re more at risk when there is a family history of breast cancer, if you don’t have children, if you had your first baby over 35, and if you did not breast-feed. Oestrogen overload from hormonal contraceptives puts women more at risk, especially if she started these as a teenager. Girls who start their periods very young (some girls start as young as nine) and go through menopause after 50 also have extra oestrogen. Before booking a mammogram, find out from your medical aid what costs are covered. If you don’t have medical aid or these costs are not covered, you can go to a government hospital. You may have to wait longer to get an appointment (up to six months) and you will have to get to the hospital early and wait in a queue, but it’s worth getting the test done. If you’re taking out a life insurance policy, consider including a dread-disease cover.

   

 

 

Coping with Covid-19 and pain associated depression

 

When Pain + Stress = Depression

It’s been shown that ongoing pain can lead to depression. Add stress (as has happened during Covid-19) and life can become very miserable. Bloemfontein-based psychiatrist, Dr. Fanie Meyer, warns that when this happens and is not treated, BDFN or Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor become blocked, and the brain literally begins to shrink.  

Is this is reversible?

Depression and Covid-19 are friends. Even Pollyanna’s and the most resilient optimists are beginning to wilt under the pressure of non-pharmaceutical interventions (wearing a mask, hand washing, and social distancing), job losses and economic meltdown. Add stress hormones, and these can block proteins that help the brain to grow and develop new connections that feed nerve cells to the brain and spinal cord. This is BDFN.

Living with pain can begin with unresolved physical and emotional childhood traumas. Over the years, these can become exaggerated, especially when they’re ignored or treatment is unsuccessful. Pain issues can resurface when there’s unresolved stress. Pain also goes hand-in-hand with surgery and even the aftermath of childbirth. It can begin with work and sport-related overuse of joints and muscles. Pain is associated with many chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia and is the trophy of old age.

As if pain, stress and depression are not enough to deal with, other problems like sleep issues (too much or too little), nausea and appetite changes leading to weight gain or loss, compromised immunity – which means getting sick more often – IBS or irritable bowel syndrome (constipation and diarrhea) and brain dysfunction – forgetfulness and memory loss – are often added to the mix.

The good news is that there IS something you can do about this. 

How to get started:

Pain and depression:

·        See a doctor. You are likely to be prescribed antidepressants, and other medications for annoying discomforts like constipation or insomnia

·        Be patient because it takes at least three months before you will see results

·        Keep a pain-score-chart to monitor pain levels, grading 1 for minimal pain to 10 for severe pain. This will help to monitor your progress.

Manage your stress:

·           Only use social media platforms and information you can trust

·           Find your ‘power-person’ or mentor

·           Get help from an occupational therapist/pastor/psychologist/reflexologist and other complementary interventions like yoga, hypnosis or acupuncture

·           Don’t neglect yourself – when you look good you feel great

·           Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night

·           Never underestimate the power of prayer and meditation.

 

Improve your BDNF levels by:

Eating healthy, avoiding synthetic sugar and taking Omega 3 supplements

Have a daily routine: make sure you’re eating, sleeping, working and giving yourself

time off regularly throughout the day

Spend time outdoors in the sunshine

Listen to music

Use heat and Panado to keep your pain under control

Take all medications as prescribed

Stimulate your brain cells – playing cards, sudoku, crosswords, scrabble, quizzes, reading and writing

Make time for your children, family and friends.

Is Covid-19 wearing you down?

Is Covid-19 waning your resilience?

With Spring in the air here in South Africa, we should be looking forward to sunny days and holidays. Sadly, many of us may be wondering how we’re going to cope with the last quarter of the year and how much longer we can deal with burn-out and emotional stress. The question is; where Covid-19 is taking us? Will it get better – or worse?

What we need right now is a good dose of resilience. In other words, we need to find a way to ‘bounce back’ and adapt to the ‘new normal’. While some people do this quite easily, others get stuck along the way, especially when doubt begins to creep in and we second-guess ourselves and the world around us. This includes organisations, institutions, work, government and leadership.

South African psychologist and economics fundi, Rod Warner, talks a lot about resilience. It’s a topic he’s studied and written extensively about for the last eight years. Here’s an idea of Warner’s summary of how we react, both negatively and positively, in times of trouble.

Negative response:

1.       Immediately after the event, confidence levels drop and people feel overwhelmed saying: “I can’t cope with this.”

2.       When adjusting to change, some people just can’t adapt and adjust

3.       Over time, they lose hope and become dysfunctional and withdrawn

4.       Finally, they get ‘stuck’ and feel helpless. They don’t find any meaning or purpose to what’s happened.

Positive response:

1.       At the start, confidence levels begin to erode when people feel overwhelmed and unsure whether they can cope

2.       As they adjust, their weakened ability to cope begins to strengthen. They begin to identify hope and find the strength to persevere and adjust to new circumstances

3.       They become pro-active and try new things. Their confidence levels go up

4.       Hidden talents are discovered and some people even thrive when these are put into good use. Resilient people learn what’s really important in their lives.

Resilience is not dependant on whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist. Resilient people are survivors who endure the same struggles, disappointments and heartaches that everybody else does, the difference being that they have ‘character-strengths’ and tools.

What are these tools?

1.       Family

Covid-19 has taught us the importance of family. We identity with family. Bonding with family is our strength because we don’t want to let them down. This is a great deterrent when people feel suicidal because they think about how this will affect their family

2.       Finding a purpose in life

Life is pointless unless there’s purpose. Finding purpose is a life-long journey that often only becomes evident in times of trouble and tragedy

3.       Faith

People don’t have to be religious to have faith. Faith is connecting with the universe and your inner soul. Faith can come from people around us

4.       Perspective 

Over time, humans have been programmed to survive despite their greatest odds. Finding perspective in difficult times builds character and often defines or who we are

5.       Generating positive feelings

This is possible by momentarily moving away from the situation by meditating, deep breathing, prayer or distraction. It’s a great way to cope, recharge your batteries and motivate the people around you

6.       Realistically optimistic

Planning the way forward needs to be ‘doable’, otherwise people will set themselves up to be disappointed

7.       Reaching out to others

When we put others first, our returns are doubled. A concept many people find it difficult to grasp.

John Locke, an English philosopher and physician from the seventeenth century believed that “each individual deserved to be accepted as a rational, responsible, talented, self-directed being until proved otherwise. An individual grew from experiences and awareness rather than being in the grip of instincts” and “The incentive can be a positive reinforcer like candy or a negative reinforcer like a whack from a stick.” He called it ‘behaviour shaping’.

To learn more about Rod Warner, go to: http://buildingresilience.co.za/author/rwarner

 

More about magical breastfeeding

The best protection for your baby during Covid-19

(and other times too!)

Have you thought of giving your baby antibodies? What are these are where do they come from?

Antibodies are immunoglobulins made by the immune system to help the body fight germs and disease. When a woman is exposed to disease-causing germs (called pathogens), her body makes antibodies or immunoglobulins to fight these. During pregnancy, IgM or ‘passive immunity’ is passed on to her baby. IgA antibodies are fed to her baby during breastfeeding – especially colostrum or ‘first milk’. This is very important because new-borns cannot make their own antibodies and can only get these from MOM (Mothers Own Milk).

This is good news, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when babies need all the protection they can get.  

Professor Bruce German, chemist of food science and technology at the University of California, explains: “The mother transfers her immune system to her baby for ‘transient protection’. What a great idea!” Transient means protection during the time when a baby does not make his/her own antibodies.

German’s research into breast milk has shown that this precious ‘first food’ for babies is a product of evolution and the only bio-material which ‘has evolved as a food which nourishes, sustains and promotes healthy infant mammals to grow and be healthier’.

German continues: “When a baby is born, the baby has a ‘porous intestine’ which means that there are ‘open spaces’ between the cells in the gut. These 'open spaces' allow the antibody IgA and other large molecule immune components found in breast milk to pass through and become absorbed by the baby.

“This helps to provide ‘passive immune protection’ (like immunising your baby), whilst the baby’s immune system is still developing.

“Then as the baby’s own immune system matures - the open spaces in the infant gut need to close.

“This happens when special sugars (called oligosaccharides, HMOs or ‘good’ gut microbes found in breast milk), send signals to seal the infant gut.”

Wow!

In a nutshell, breast milk is alive with ‘good’ bacteria that colonize the infant's gut, and this helps to establish the baby’s immune system. Besides antibodies, breast milk also contains:

Immune cells called leukocytes. These white blood cells also kill microbes, ingest bacteria and kill infected cells

Besides oligosaccharides, mucins prevent bacteria from entering cells

Bifidus factor helps your baby grow 

Fibronectin repairs tissues.

These are good enough reasons to breastfeed your baby from the start, and to pull out all the stops to continue nursing for as long as possible – ideally a year, or six months at the most. If you’re hesitant, tell yourself you’ll feed your baby colostrum (first milk in the first few days). This may kick-start breastfeeding, something you may enjoy after all!  

Illustration: Colette Edmonds from my booklet 'Childbirth Education Is Fun!'