Health

There is a common belief that pregnancy is the time for indulgence. This, however, is a myth. Not only can overeating make it harder to lose the excess weight after delivery, but also increases the risk during pregnancy for gestational diabetes (diabetes that can develop during pregnancy) and high blood pressure, which leads to the risks of poor fetal growth and a complicated delivery.

Pregnant women require more calories and nutrients than others to provide for their growing baby. To achieve this, a pregnant woman should consume an extra 300 calories per day during the second and third trimester of their pregnancy. This is about a 15-17% increase in calories. However, healthy pregnant women need few or no additional calories during the first trimester. On the other hand, a woman should gain enough weight during pregnancy; otherwise she could put her baby at risk of being born prematurely or underweight, which could result in life-threatening problems. The following are recommendations most doctors follow for how much weight you should gain during a normal pregnancy, based on your Body Mass Index (BMI):
 If you are underweight with a BMI less than 18.5, you should gain 13-18 kg.
 If your weight is normal with a BMI 19-24.9, you should gain 12-16 kg.
 If you are overweight with a BMI 25-29.9, you can gain 7-12 kg.
 If you are very overweight with a BMI of 30 or above, you can gain up to 7 kg.

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and obstructs the absorption of nutrients from food. People who have Celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, which is a type of protein found in barley, rye, oats and wheat. Gluten may also be found in products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms. Celiac disease is also known as Celiac sprue or nontropical sprue. The disease is genetic, meaning it runs in families. It is sometimes triggered right after a surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.

Ala Takidine

Lose weight while you sleep! Lose 15 kg in 20 days! Eat the foods you love and still lose weight! You will never feel hungry!  Do these claims sound familiar?

Although most fad diets can provide weight loss in the short term, few people can lose weight and keep it off permanently. There are many types of fad diets. Some limit certain macronutrients, such as fat or carbohydrates; others limit types of food such as starchy carbohydrates. Some promote specific foods such as grapefruit, while others attempt to regulate your intake according to a strict formula, such as 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein, 30% fat.

Children’s health is usually a high priority in public health. Providing children with adequate care and medical attention enable them to become healthy adults. Infant mortality is one of the major public health concerns towards children. Infant mortality is defined as the death of babies within their first year of age. Infant mortality is a valuable indicator to assess a community’s development, and overall health status. The lower the infant mortality is, the healthier society is and the better are a nation’s economy and social conditions. Reducing infant mortality is one of the declared seven millennium development goals of the United Nations. In Syria, UN agencies, especially UNICEF, are concentrating on combating infant mortality as part of their human development plans. Infant mortality rate in Syria has de-creased significantly over the past 15-years according to the Syrian Family Health Survey (known as the PAPFAM study), which was conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics in 2001 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the Youth Union, the State Planning Commission and the Pan Arab Project for Family Health. This study revealed that infant mortality dropped from 24‰ in 1986-1990 to 18.1‰ in 1996-2000. Noticeably, boys had higher mortality rates than girls. For boys it stood at 20.6‰ while it stood at 15.5‰ for girls. Despite this promising improvement, disparities occurred between urban and rural areas in Syria. Rural areas scored significantly higher rates of infant mortality (19.2‰) than urban areas (16.9‰). Many researchers are addressing the issue of infant mortality, trying to determine its risk factors and determinants. Most studies showed common risk factors, although with very different emphasis, depending on the country being studied. In Syria, the PAPFAM study showed that several factors contribute to the occurrence of infant mortality. These included demographic factors, such as maternal age at delivery, parity and birth intervals among siblings, socioeconomic conditions (such as maternal educational level), in addition to other factors like medical care (prenatal care, post natal and during delivery). The age of the mother at delivery affects the infant mortality rate. The PAPFAM study in Syria revealed that infants born to mothers aged 25-34 had better rates of survival than those born to older mothers, aged 35-49, or younger ones, aged 20 and below. Also, infant mortality rates were affected by the maternal educational level.

Weight loss is becoming a big business in the Middle East, and only recently—during the last decade—has the concept really impinged on Syria. After all, according to WHO’s 2002 re-port, obesity has been rated alongside diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer in terms of major attributing factors of death in Syria. Moreover, international media stations have drastically influenced and altered people’s perceptions of what their bodies should look like. People have been trying to lose weight for years, but only recently have we been introduced to herbal tea products; “natural” appetite suppressants and brands like Xenical, known to pre-vent the absorption of fats. Speaking to FW, pharmacist Bassam Abousaud said, “Over the last two years there has been a dramatic increase in the production, sale, and popularity of weight loss products in Syria.” When asked to asses the risk associated with such products, Abousaud organized them into three major groups: appetite suppressants, lipase inhibitors, and laxatives.

The Ministry of Health tries to ensure quality control within kitchens of hotels and restaurants in Damascus. Have these measures succeeded? Or is there still much to be done?

Competition is on the rise in the Syrian food industry. As end users, we ask ourselves: ‘what do we look for in restaurants and what makes a restaurant distinctive?’ We have quality in Damascene restaurants that offer a delicious variety of Syrian cuisine. We have wholesome meals, since Arab food is famed for being nutritious and diversified. We have competitive prices, where one can ‘ill the table’ with a wide variety of dishes while paying minimum charge when compared to similar restaurants around the world. We have a kind and warm staff serving customers, and most importantly, safety when eating in these places.

It makes you wonder whether the problem lies in our conventional Syrian cuisine, or in the direction in which our traditions, habits and lifestyles are developing.