Probiotics for healthy stomach and healthy mind

Probiotics for healthy stomach and healthy Mind

Probiotics

There are two types of bacteria found in your body 

Good bacteria

Bad bacteria

Obviously Good bacteria are good for your health and bad bacteria are harmful for the body.

To kill the bad bacteria in your body doctors often recommend use of antibiotics and sometimes antibiotics are offered for long term course. Preterm child, child with frequent pneumonia, bronchitis, patients of asthma etc. are kept in long course of antibiotics.

No doubt antibiotics kill bad bacteria but they also kill good bacteria along with it. To overcome the side effects antibiotics choice of probiotics are the best. 

Probiotics are living bacteria or good bacteria that gives a lot of benefits to your health.

If the number of cells in your body is x then number of probiotics is 10x. Probiotics helps your body protect these cells from becoming bad cells. So, you can imagine how beneficial they are for your health.

Probiotics does not live only in your stomach but they are present in your entire body. The largest number of probiotics live on colon and present in the whole body. They live in the mouth, nose, esophagus, gums, lungs, stomach, intestines,urinary tract and in the sexual organs also.

Malignant tumors can grow anywhere in the body and probiotics protect your body cells to become malignant.

Studies have shown that there are hundred of health benefits of probiotics. They are responsible for developing immunity and fighting cancer. Antibiotics can kill bad bacteria and make you better. But use of antibiotics also kill good bacteria in your body making your immune system weak.

Chemotherapy drugs kill malignant cells but they also kill thousands of good cells making immunity too weak. Probiotics are the best source of providing good bacteria in your body. Good bacteria produces 'Good cells' or 'Harmless cells' in your body providing good immunity.

The person having lactose intolerance can take a great help from probiotics as they are lactose free. The most common probiotic is lactobacillus which you can find in yogurt or sour curd or other fermented food. This is the best option for the person who have lactose intolerance.

Studies shows that Probiotics also produces Vitamins and Minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin K, Vitamin B, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium etc. They are also enriched with proteins, fats  and carbohydrates.

Probiotics for children 

Probiotics could also be good for your child and could be given to infants.

Probiotics could give many health benefits to your child.

Probiotics can increase your child's immunity.

Children get frequent cold, cough and colic. They need the complete course of antibiotics many times in a year. So, to reduce the use of  antibiotics probiotics could be given to them.

Probiotics can help your child's disturbed stomach, gastrointestinal problems, loss of appetite etc by providing a lot of minerals and vitamins needed by your  child to fight with the diseases.

But if your child is born preterm or having some birth defect or having frequent urinary tract  infections due to some internal problems then they need long term antibiotic course to be completed. So before providing Probiotics to such child or infant you should take suggestions from your doctor.

According to the recent studies there are two best Probiotics

Lactobacillus

Bifidobacterium

Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria. There are different species of lactobacillus bacteria.

Lactobacillus is present in fermented food like yogurt and sour curd. The bacteria present in lactobacillus are friendly bacteria.

Many dairy products are good sources of  Lactobacillus. Yogurt and Kefir are fermented milk products.

Lactobacillus is mainly known for the treatment of diarrhea.

They are quite good for your stomach health. They relieves in irritable bowel Syndrome and gastrititis.

Bifidobacterium

Bifidobacterium is another best and common Probiotic like lactobacillus. So it is also known as friendly bacteria.

It is also helpful for the person who have lactose intolerance or milk allergy.

Being a Probiotic these bacteria are also helpful for those who have taken antibiotics very often.

Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium both are helpful in irritable bowel syndrome, colic, unhealthy stomach.

They can't be taken in replacement of medication what your doctor has suggested. First try a little dose whether you have any allergies with Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium.

Don't take these if you are pregnant because unborn baby may have some complications as they are not FDA approved.

Probiotic Allergy

If number of good bacteria decreases in your body they could be responsible for many diseases including cancer. No doubt that Probiotics are quite beneficial for your health. Mainly Probiotics are suggested for stomach problems and to reduce the harmful effect of antibiotics.

Probiotics could be called as foe of antibiotics.

There is 'no' or 'a little' side effect of taking probiotics so they could be consumed daily. It should be taken empty stomach for its best result.

It is quite unclear whether probiotics help you lose weight or gain weight. It depends on many factors such as age, sex and your overall health. Probiotics are not medicines. They are healthy food and healthy food doesn't make your excess belly fat. So they could be considered as making your belly flat.

No doubt  that Probiotics gives hundreds of benefits to your health including urinary and vaginal problems. Although probiotics have no side effects but if you have allergic reaction with that then you can consult your doctor. Food allergy is quite common problem. It depends on individual's body that how a food reacts inside the body. Allergy can trigger symptoms in the lungs, nose, throat or stomach. Sometimes allergies can cause runny nose, sneezing, itching, rashes etc. So consult your doctor if you have probiotic allergies. Major problems with probiotic allergies are rare.

Fermentation

Fermentation is a process of preservation which allows many friendly bacteria to come and give its benefits to the fermented food. After fermentation the food becomes more digestible and more nutritious. It becomes highly enriched with proteins, minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Our body needs Vitamin B12 as one of the essential vitamins which is produced by bacterial fermentation.

Probiotics may include

Yogurt

Kefir

Kimchi

kombucha

Buttermilk

Sauerkraut

Bacterially fermented cheese

Yeast, mold and fungi fermented wine and soy sauce

Yogurt

Yogurt is the food product by bacterial fermentation of milk. A lot of lactobacillus bacteria is found in yogurt due to the presence of lactic acid.

Yogurt could be mostly made from cow's milk and buffalo's milk. Rarely goats, camels and yaks' milk could be used.

Yogurt or curd could be made easily in home and preserved for 2-3 days and if fermented better they could be preserved for some more days.

Yogurt have all health benefits but many yogurts don't contain live bacteria due to high level of pasteurization and sterilization and that may not be beneficial to your body.

Coconut milk yogurt is a good choice for those who are allergic to yogurt made from cow's milk or Soy. Coconut yogurt is more healthy as comparison to  milk yogurt. It gives many essential minerals and vitamins to your body. It is  quite rich and creamy providing a lot of energy , protein and fiber also.

You can get soy yogurt in grocery stores and you can also make it in home with your own process as the qualitative values are same.

Kefir

Kefir is also the probiotic made up of cultured milk products. It is similarly made like Yogurt but only Kefir grains are used. Kefir is made of Kefir grains in milk mostly.

Milk kefir contains vitamins, proteins, minerals and of course friendly bacteria due to its probiotic quality.

Kefir grains are the rich source of fiber and if you have problem  in digesting milk, kefir is not suggested.

Mainly cow's milk and goat's milk are used to be added to the kefir grains.

Kefir is also a good source of vitamin B12.

As discussed earlier Kefir should be taken in low quantity as it may cause constipation due to its rich fiber quality. So if you are suffering from chronic constipation yogurt should be your first choice instead of kefir. Kefir may worsen the condition of constipation.

Kefir can treat diarrhea or the harmful infections by E.coli.

Coconut water Kefir is also produced  like Coconut Yogurt.

Coconut water is added to Kefir grains which helps in digestion, good health, good mood, colic, bowel irritability syndrome etc.

As other probiotics, Kefir has also many health benefits including promoting your immunity.

If you are taking any probiotics either yogurt or kefir to improve your stomach health you should avoid these things

Alcohol

Spicy foods

Cold drinks

Caffeine

Acidic foods

Junk food

Fruit juices

Although fruit juices are healthy but if you are taking probiotics you should consume them in low quantities as a lot of fiber could be responsible for irritable stomach and constipation.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is also a type of fermented milk drinks. After churning the butter or left over milk cream, the cream is fully separated from the whole milk. This process is also known as traditional buttermilk or 'Chhachh.' Now the fermented buttermilk is produced by lactic acid present in it. This buttermilk is also available in supplements after pasteurization.

We can also make cheese or paneer by acidifying milk.

Buttermilk is highly enriched with vitamins, minerals and fats.

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is mainly German food.

In India you can say Sauerkraut as 'Bandha ka Aachar.'

Sauerkraut is made from the cabbage. Finely chopped cabbage is fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has many health benefits as cabbage or brussel sprouts are quite healthy.

It contains many vitamins and minerals.

It is sodium rich as the fermentation is done with salt or vinegar to preserve for long.

In making Kimchi and Kombucha also mainly fermentation of cabbage is done. Onion. garlic etc. are also added.

All of these have probiotics qualities due to the presence of good and healthy bacteria.

Pickles

Pickles are taken in small quantity with food. They could be called as food that are made for long time preservation. The things which preserve them for long are salt, vinegar or anaerobic fermentation. In India pickles of unripe mangoes are a lot famous. They are mainly known for their delicious taste.

Probiotic for mood and stress

Many protein rich food like nuts and seeds, beans, eggs etc. and avacado, coconut oil, olive oil, vitamins enriched food fights depression and improves mood.

why?

Because they have many qualities like antioxidants, immunity booster, helps in stomach and brain health.

Probiotics also have many health benefits as they are enriched with minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, lots of vitamins, fatty acids and fiber.

Earlier studies have shown that probiotics are good for your stomach health including acidity, gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome etc. But recent studies revealed that probiotics are also good source of your overall health including brain health.

Probiotics are good to fight with depression improving your mood relieving stress harmones.

Earlier people were not known to that but recent studies revealed that stomach health totally depends on your brain health. Stress can cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel  movement, loss of sleep etc. And all these conditions can worsen your digestion.

Sleep deprivation with mood disorders can give a lot of stomach problems.

The web of stress and anxiety is affecting the whole world and increasing the number of cases of depression every year. Depression could be treated for long under medication but curing is a little tough.

Probiotics improves mood providing its good gut bacteria quality to your body. They can reduce stress harmones like cortisol and balance them in your body.

Many junk foods, excessive use of processed foods, caffeine, alcohol and other unhealthy foods doesn't affect only your stomach health. It affects your overall health giving rise to depression and anxiety. Probiotics could again be a good choice to overcome many problems of your body which arises from unhealthy diet.

Major depression sufferers lies between the ages of 17-50 all over the world. It means that the working and most energetic age group is mostly suffering from anxiety and bad mood. Unhealthy food could be one of the major reason behind that.

Women are more likely to be the sufferers of bad mood and depression may be due to their daily routine, level of anxiety or emotions, anger, stress level etc. Probiotics in women can help fight with depression and they could also support their healthy vaginal health.

Depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, digestive issues, sleeping disorders all are the genus of the same family as one is concern with another.

Probiotics in supplement form could be quite better for the person with depression and mood disorders as they could be recommended in the perfect dose what your body need on the daily basis to reduce the stress harmones.

Factors that affect depression and anxiety depends on your age, gender, daily routine, diet and previous medications. Long term treatment of any big diseases including cancer could be the reason of developing stress and mood disorders.

Probiotics and memory loss

Brain development is not only gaining a lot of knowledge but also depends on your behavior, thinking and level of stress you are living with.

Probiotics can also help you improve your memory loss. you may have memory problems or you suffer from Alzheimer's disease , studies says that certain vitamins specially vitamin B12 and fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids are quite helpful.

As probiotics are rich source of Vitamin B 12 and many other vitamins, proteins and minerals so they are helpful in memory loss also.

Memory loss could also develop from depression and anxiety.

Studies in animals about probiotics are quite satisfactory. It shows quite good result in animals which reveals the hundreds of benefits of probiotics. In mice, probiotics studies have shown a vast improvement of memory, anxiety and depression. Confirmation in humans is yet to be done. Mice study shows that probiotics helped mice develop their lost memory upto 51% which is quite good result.

Probiotics help you improve your overall health including brain health.

They flush out bad bacteria from your body inserting good bacteria in replacement.

They improve digestion, flush out toxins, boost immunity, synthesize essential vitamins, proteins and minerals.

Probiotics are mainly suggested to the sufferers of digestive issues but you can freely take them for other issues also.

Probiotics are treated as food not as medicine and they don't need any FDA approval.

Probiotics is equally beneficial in either form i.e, supplementation or you can get them from food sources like yogurt, sour milk or buttermilk.

Probiotics are also helpful in maintaining women health. They help in maintaining and balancing a healthy pH for vaginal health.

Don't add or add a little of sugar in fermented foods like coconut milk kefir, yogurt, buttermilk because a lot of sugar can worsen the condition of depression and  can develop other health issues. Refined sugar or any sweetener are also responsible for deploying good bacteria.

Mood boosters: Best natural supplements for depression

Mood boosters: Best natural supplements for depression

How are foods concern with mood? 

  

What is mood?

Mood is a temporary state of mind or feelings like emotions, humor, temper, low spirit, depression etc.

What is food? 

Food is what people eat to get energy and nutrition. Besides giving energy, the consumption of food is enjoyable to humans. 

  

The food which gives energy as well as you enjoy while eating it and feel good after eating it is known as mood food as it boost up our mind and body both.

Can your food effect your state of mind? 

Can food be responsible for mild depression?

Can your diet make you happy?

Can dietary changes bring changes in our brain? 

What are the foods that boost up your body and mind?

The entire happiness which boost up our mind depends on our harmones. Harmones such as estrogen, testosterone, insulin are extremely important because they affect many aspects of your overall health. 

Harmones are secreted by various glands such as thyroid, adrenal, pituitary, pancreas etc. 

The entire endocrine system works together to control the level of harmones in the body and if one or more is slightly imbalanced it may be responsible for the major health problems. 

Harmonal imbalance may cause: 

Infertility

Weight gain/ Weight loss

Irregular periods

Depression

Fatigue

Insomnia

Loss of appetite

Reproductive problems

Digestive issues

Hair loss

Osteoporosis

But the good part is that you can keep control on harmonal disbalances  by making some dietary changes in our diet. If harmones are balanced in our body they work as a chemical messenger of happiness for the brain. So what we eat is totally concern with our mood.

Never use contraceptive pills as they may be responsible for the raise of estrogen levels to such dangerous levels that it may give rise to many complications.

The biggest bad mood culprits are refined sugar or carbohydrates. Fruit juice, syrup, jams, white rice, bread, sweets can cause your blood sugar to go up and down and could be responsible for breaking mood stability.

Alcohol is again a depressant which can damage your liver as well as can disturb sleep.

Foods which improve mood and fights depression

Protein rich food

Soaked or sprouted nuts

Beans

Seeds

Quinoa

Eggs

Poultry

Sea food

Yogurt

Lentils

Grass fed chicken

Beef

Fishes

Egg yolks

Oils

Coconut oil

Avocado

Raw butter/ ghee

Olive oil

Cod liver oil

Hemp seed oil

Flax seed oil

 

Soaked or sprouted nuts

Sprouted nuts have both nutritional and digestive benefits.

Nuts are rich source of protein, omega- 3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin B and E, minerals like magnesium, calcium, copper, selenium, zinc and iron. You can make nuts salad also to improve its taste.

Beans and seeds

Nuts, beans, legumes and seeds all come from the same family. Grains are the seeds of grasses, beans are the seeds of legumes,nuts are the seeds of trees.

All are highly nutritious and a great source of protein.

Many structures commonly referred to as seeds are dry fruits.

Pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious and fights insomnia. It should be consumed daily for a few months to observe its health benefits.

Quinoa

It is rich source of protein and contain all essential amino acids. It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B-vitamin, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin-E, antioxidants.

Eggs

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods. It contains Vitamin A, folate, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B 12, Vitamin B2, minerals like phosphorus, selenium, calcium, zinc. Some eggs are Omega-3 enriched. Eggs are high in cholesterol, but that is not bad cholesterol and it does not have adverse effect on our body. Eggs are protein rich which contains all the essential amino acids. They may reduce the risk of stroke as having good cholesterol is beneficial for your heart.

Eggs also contain many vitamins and minerals that are quite essential for your healthy diet.

Sea food

Seafood includes fish, shellfish etc. Shellfish includes molluscs,crustaceans. Salmon is a popular healthy food. Salmon is considered as quite healthy food because it is protein rich,contains high omega-3 fatty acids, high vitamin-D. It is also a source of good cholesterol. Farmed Salmon is healthier than wild Salmon.

Yogurt

Yogurt functions as a probiotic which contains additive living bacteria. It is most popular fermented dairy product. Yogurt is a rich source of protein. They are enriched with essential amino acids. They are mainly given to improve digestion. Yogurt contains fats but amount of fats depends on the type of milk i.e, whole milk, full creme, low-fat milk or half creme. 

Yogurt are rich in  Vitamins and Minerals. They contains Vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin B2, phosphorus. 

Yogurt have probiotic qualities (living bacteria) which make them more beneficial. It enhances immune system, lower cholesterol, improves digestion, treats constipation.

Grass fed chicken

Grass fed meat is much higher in omega-3 which is quite healthy. 

So it fights with bad cholesterol and much higher in other nutrients. Grass fed meat contains more beta carotene than others.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains lauric acid. They are quite beneficial for harmonal production and balance of harmones in your body. It is quite healthy for your skin.

Coconut oil is quick source of energy and quite easy to digest. It enhances metabolism in your body and is an immunity booster.

Avocado

Avacado contains all important vitamins for maintaining harmonal balance. It is incredibly nutritious.

They contain Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus. Avocados are very high in potassium which reduces the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and kidney failure. Avocado is very rich in healthy fatty acids and fiber so it is beneficial in weight loss as well as depression.

 Raw butter/ Ghee

Earlier doctors used to tell the heart patients to say 'goodbye' to ghee or butter but recent studies have shown that raw butter or pure ghee( cow's ghee) is quite good for your healthy heart due to the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids. It contains all fat soluble vitamins i.e, Vitamin A, D, E and K2. Some people have milk allergy due to the presence of lactose sugar so ghee is good for them as it is lactose free. Ghee contains Vitamin K which is essential for your health and helps in blood clotting, healthy heart and brain function. It keeps bones healthy and strong.

Ghee fights with constipation, inflammation such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease and fights depression. It tastes good to eat so gives pleasure to our mind and body.

Olive Oil

Due to the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids or monosaturated fatty acids olive oil is quite beneficial in hypertention, heart diseases, inflammation and fights bad cholesterol. Cooking food in olive oil is tastier and reduces the risk of heart attack. People whose diets are high in olive oil are at a very low risk of depression. Many recent studies have shown that olive oil may reduce the risk of some cancers including breast cancer. It is also useful for brain health. It is rich with a lot of energy and fats boosted with a high level of nutrition.

Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement obtained from liver of cod fish. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It enhances immunity making a healthy heart and brain. Cod liver oil is a high nutrient which contains Vitamin D, Vitamin A and anti- inflammatory omega-3  fatty acids.

Omega-3 and Vitamin D are good for preventing inflammation, heart diseases and depression. Cod liver oil is used for preventing and treating diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, heal wounds, arthritis, osteoporosis.

Hemp seed oil

Hemp seeds are rich in protein, fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid, fiber, Vitamin E, minerals like potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus etc. Hemp seed oil  maintain a harmonal balance and help to control bad cholesterol due to the presence of omega-3and omega-6 fatty acids. It is good for diabeticsand boost your immunity. Besides some health benefits it has some bad effects also as it is an anticoagulant. So ask your doctor before using it.

Flax seed oil

Flax seeds are again a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids and so it is good for healthy heart and healthy brain. It is quite offered for better moods, to decrease inflammation, and healthy skin. Both the essential oils omega-3and omega-6 are present in flax seed oil. It fights with inflammation and certain types of cancer.

Eating probiotics like yogurt or some kind of pickles enhances your taste to make you feel happy and make your mood good.

DHEA

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a harmone that your body produces and the good fact is that it is also found in food. Increase or decrease in DHEA levels may give rise to many complications. DHEA decrease in your body by aging.

DHEA can help to fight with osteoporosis, depression, arthritis, increase muscle mass, improves energy level, helps in menopausal problems, boost up your mood.

So balancing DHEA is crucial for developing mood or fighting with depression.

What you should avoid

Alcohol: Alcohol is a high level of depressant which effects brain a lot. Being drunk brain doesn't functions well and it damages liver and not good for the whole body. 

caffeine: A little of beverages is good for your mood refreshment and depression but intake of caffeine in large quantity is responsible for many complications in your body like insomnia and anxiety which may cause depression. 

Processed foods : Processed foods include bread, snacks, cheese, cakes, biscuits, rolls, pastries, crisps, chips, meat products such as bacon, sausage, ham and drinks like soft drinks and packed juices. Ready meals or microwave meals come under processed food.

Not all processed foods are bad to eat but it's true that they are loaded with sodium for its preservative properties which make them unhealthy. In recent studies researchers have proved that processed food is somehow linked with cancer, heart diseases and depression. Highly processed foods like instant noodles, pizzas, chicken nuggets may raise cancer risk due to the presence of MSG (mono sodium Glutamate) salt. 

There are few more foods which are instant source of energy and doctors could recommend them as a an anti- depressant.

Banana

Bananas are rich source of potassium, magnesium and fiber. 

They are anti-cancerous, fights asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. Don't consume bananas if you have any kidney problems as they are highly enriched with potassium. 

Bananas are good for digestive problems.

Being rich source of magnesium, they work as an anti- depressant and fights insomnia. To fight with insomnia you can also try banana tea. 

Figs (Anjeer)

Figs are nutrient rich food. They contains minerals, vitamins, fiber, Vitamin A, B1, B2, calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, potassium and chlorine. 

figs helps in cough, constipation, indigestion, asthma and weight gain. They give instant energy and can work good for depression.

Blueberries

Blueberries are extremely nutritious food. Due to their high antioxidant properties they are anti-cancerous. 

Quite good for your brain health.

supports digestion and improves heart problems. 

Plums

plums have high nutritious value. They are rich in VitaminA, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B1, B2, B3, B6 and Vitamin E. It contains minerals like potassium, fluoride, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc and fiber.

Tryptophan

High tryptophan food includes nuts, seeds, fresh cheese, red meat, chicken, fish, oats, beans, lentils, eggs etc. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which promotes the growth of serotonin and body uses to create proteins and vitamins. Consuming too much of tryptophan in the form of supplements can cause many complications instead of curing anxiety. So ask your doctor about the doses otherwise it may cause dullness and agitation. 

chocolates

chocolates is one of the most popular flavor among all of us. they include milk chocolates, candy bars, chocolate brownies, chocolate cookies etc. 

chocolates are also somehow treated as an instant anti- depressant or mood making food as they gives pleasure while eating.

Dark green vegetables like asparagus, brocolli, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers, kale, red cabbage, onions, tomatoes, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, turnip, oatmeal, oranges etc. are quite healthy for your health but does not act as an anti- depressant.

You can add some spices to your food which gives flavor as well as health benefits also like
Cinnamon
Turmeric
Cumin
Garlic
Ginger
Remember the spices and herbs should be added in very low quantity.

If you eat healthy diet and gives proper nutrition to your body harmones would be balanced and you would experience glowing skin, stable moods, fertility and high energy levels. 

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Treating kids' Cough with raisins and nuts

Kids' Cough: Treating with raisins and nuts

Barky cough? 

Whooping cough?

Whistling sounds?? 

Night time cough? Here's the solution......

Which type of cough is your kid suffering from?

Let us talk about the remedies.

Can raisins and almonds cure cough in children?

Is ginger effective for children in any kind of coughs?

What is cough?

A cough is a common reflex action that clears the foreign particles or mucus from the throat. The foreign particles may be dust, irritants or perhaps fluids. 

Cough is a very common symptom in any child. If a child coughs while eating once or twice then no need to worry about it but frequent coughing is a symptom of disease. Most of the time irregular coughing is caused by infection in the respiratory tract but children could also suffer from Asthma, Gastroesophageal reflux disease and the most common now-a-days is air pollution. 

A child's cough mostly sounds awful but it is not serious ailment if the condition improves after 48 hours. This awful sound could remain for 2 or 3 weeks.

There are mainly two types of cough for common people i.e,

Dry cough and  Wet cough

Dry cough

It is caused by viral infections or allergies.Dry cough means it does not produce mucus. Common cold is the most important reason of viral infections in children. When small children aged 3 or more starts schooling, the number of infections could increase due to dusts and pollutants in the air or if any other child in her surrounding is suffering from infections, she may get infected.  

When non-smokers get sudden contact with the smokers then they may get effected as passive smoking is more dangerous than active smoking. In the cases of children, they get infections very fast due to their low immunity. There are many immunity boosters present in the market for your child but healthy food is the most important among them. 

Acid reflux  

Acid reflux is very much responsible for dry cough. It is a digestive disease in which stomach acid irritates the food pipe lining. This is very common in infants. One of the most important reason in case of small babies is that they always lay down on the bed. In acid reflux, a child feels a burning pain that may move from his stomach to his abdomen or chest, or even up to his throat. A bitter or sour tasting acid backing up into a kid's throat or mouth. Other symptoms could be bloating, vomiting, burping, hiccups, weight loss and the most important is dry cough.

 If your child is born with some birth defect like Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF orTOF), he may take a long time to recover from Gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Tracheosophageal fistula is an abnormal connection in one or more places between the oesophagus and the trachea. Oesophagus is the part of the alimentary canal which connects the throat to the stomach. Trachea is the windpipe so it is responsible for allowing the passage of air.
Babies born with such birth defects start recovering from frequent coughs after the age of 5. Doctors suggest them to use inhalers and nebulizers to give relief from extreme cough. Nebulizers and inhalers are tools of asthma medicines to be given out to your kid. These tools are very much effective but you should know to use it properly and measure the appropriate medicine to be filled in as prescribed by your doctor. There are some side effects also while using these tools so you should not use unless prescribed by your doctor. Don't allow your child to play with these tools as they may get damage and in case of inhalers your kid may use more puffs which could be dangerous. Nebulizers work with electricity so never allow little children to switch it off or on. All the processes should be done with precaution.

          Nebulizer

Wet cough

Wet cough is also known as productive cough as it produces mucus. The difference between dry and wet cough is only that dry cough produce a little of mucus. 

Wet cough is also caused by viral infections and may be responsible for common cold, bronchitis or pneumonia.

 Symptoms of Wet Cough

Breathlessness

Common cold

Flu

Chest pain

Mild cough

Awful sound

Body pain

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a lung infection with a number of possible causes. It could be due to extreme cold and cough, allergies, bacteria, viruses, aspiration. One or both the lungs could be infected. Your child's X- ray would show the white patches nearby the area of infected lung. After completing the whole process of treatment i.e. a complete course of antibiotics these white patches remains for longtime in your X-rays.  So doctors take X-rays after a week or more to confirm the difference with the previous X-rays. 

In the case of pneumonia your child becomes very sick and looks unhealthy. 

Symptoms of pneumonia

Cough (may be persistent) 

Fever

Trouble in breathing

Loss of appetite

Looks unhealthy

 Aspiration pneumonia

Aspiration pneumonia is a type of lung infection which is caused by the amount of substance entering into the lungs from the stomach or mouth. The main symptoms are fever and cough. You can give paracetamol to your child if fever is above100 degrees of thermometer scale. Aspiration pneumonia is rare in case of normal child but children with low immunity, prematurely born and birth defects like tracheoesophegeal fistula suffers a lot from this disease and tackles a frequent number of infections. Since there is abnormal connection between the food pipe and windpipe in tracheoesophegeal fistula so food offered  often reflux and enters the lungs of the child to aspirate. 

Different types of coughs according to doctors

Barky cough

Whooping cough

Cough with whistling sounds

Night time cough

Daytime cough

Cough with a fever

Cough with vomiting

Persistent cough

Barky cough 

 Barky coughs are usually caused by swelling in the upper airways. It means that barky cough is the swelling of the larynx and the trachea. Voice box is called larynx. Kids younger than 3 are more at risk for barky cough as their airways are so narrow. Croup is the main reason for barky cough. Croup is a condition that irritates your child's upper airways and causes them to swell. So it becomes difficult for your child to breathe. Breathing becomes noisy and while coughing it sounds like a dog barks. This harsh noise is called stridor. Stridor is a noisy harsh breathing that happens when the child inhales. 

Symptoms

Mild cough that sounds like a dog barks

Low fever

May or may not be runny nose or sneezing

Whooping cough

 Whooping cough is also a type of cough having low grade fever with deep breathing. Your child wakes up at night more often.

The most important thing to be notice is DTap vaccines ( Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis). The kids should get the vaccine in time as it is very contagious.

Symptoms

Runny nose

Sneezing

Mild cough

Low grade fever

Cough with whistling sounds

It is also called wheezing cough. It may be due to asthma or viral infections. Asthma is the disease which causes your airways to become inflamed or partially blocked. This condition worsens the child's health. Your child may need inhalers and nebulizers in such condition but only if doctor prescribes. Asthma is not easy to diagnose as symptoms vary from child to child. Such children are more concerned to allergies. In some cases, your child is prescribed anti-allergic like Allegra, Leveta- M etc for a long time. If the case is worst your child is prescribed with a low dose antibiotics like Septran or Bactrim for a long term course.

Symptoms

Trouble in breathing (asthma)

Cough

Fever

Night time cough

As the name suggests this type of cough gets worsen at night. When your child has a cold, the mucus from the nose and sinuses can drain down the throat and triggers a cough during sleep.

Symptoms

More coughing at night
Breathing distress
Mild fever
Vomiting

Day time cough

During the day time it effects more and nights are a little better. Don't use air fresheners in front of the children because it may be responsible for the infections. Dusts, pollutions, smoke etc. could effect the lungs of the babies. Pets are also responsible for infecting kids. So be careful if you have pets.
At the day time nasal drainage is reduced because your kid is active and almost in the standing or sitting position. When your child lay down the body becomes less active and during sleeping nasal congestion increases.

Cough with a fever

The common symptoms of cough are fever, runny nose, mild cold. Most of the infections come with a low grade fever to the children. But coughs with high fever could be due to pneumonia, especially if your child is weak and having trouble in breathing. In such situation call the doctor immediately.

Cough with vomiting

Kids often cough so much that it triggers their gag reflex, making them throw up. But vomiting is not a serious ailment as it can recover after few hours of medication.

For all type of coughs treatment and recovery depends on child's age, health and other issues. Medication can't cure cold and flu but a complete course of antibiotic (7 days  or more) can give relief to your child so that the recurrence of infection for a few days or months could be prohibited.
Never give cough medicines to children under the age of 4 as they are not approved. High dose of cough syrup can cause child's death.

What to avoid

Chocolates
Peppermint
Fried, spicy fatty foods
Caffeine and carbonated drinks

You should use  cow's pure ghee to make the food of your child as it is not harmful to health.

When to call a doctor

Trouble in breathing
Persistent vomiting
Face turns red or blue while coughing
Problem in swallowing
Seems fatigue
Chest pain
Stomach pain or irritation
High fever

Home made remedies are always best if they give best results.
There are home made medicines which give best results in cough.
It could also prevent cough to recur shortly.

Raisins, walnut and almond

Raisins are rich source of vitamin B, iron and potassium. Besides nutrients, raisins are also a good source of carbohydrates. They are best for gaining weight. Raisins are dried grapes with high nutritional value. 

Walnut

Walnut are rich in omega-3. They boost health and improve metabolism. They are also beneficial in regulating sleep and prevent cancer.

Almond

Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E. They are quite beneficial in reducing blood sugar level and high blood pressure.

Soak raisins overnight. Mix soaked raisins with almond and walnut and grind the mixture in your mixer. You may require few drops of water while grinding. Let the child eat half spoon of this mixture everyday in the morning. You can also mix this mixture into their milk. This is very beneficial in improving your child's cough which occurs frequently.

Ginger and honey

Take few drops of ginger and warm it. Mix it with half tea spoonful of honey and let the child take it. Don't give this mixture to the infants as honey is prohibited to the babies less than 1.
You can also add jaggery (Gur)  in this  mixture to get best results and it would tackle the bitterness of ginger.

Milk and turmeric

Mix turmeric powder (pure) in  your child's milk to reduce cough. You can give this to your child for a long time. Turmeric can also be consumed with warm water. If cough is chronic use turmeric directly but the direct use of turmeric is not for children.

Jaggery and ginger

You can add jaggery with a few drops of ginger without honey. It also gives the best result.

Raisin and ginger

Raisins are always best in cough. Munakka is dried form of grapes. It is larger in size than normal raisins and gives more benefit.
Take a few drops of ginger and warm it. Mix munakka with it and give your child to eat. You can also give munakka by warming it in the pan with a little salt. It is quite tastier. It is especially for dry cough.

Things beneficial in all types of cough

Turmeric
Munakka (raisins)
Cinnamon
Ginger
Basil leaves
Fenugreek seeds
Grapes juice
Apple cider vinegar
Pepper
Eucalyptus oil

Mix turmeric, cinnamon and fenugeek seeds(powder).
Add few drops of ginger.
Boil basil leaves and take the remaining water(a little) to it.
Give your child to take this medicine in cough. This is the best of all the medicines. You can give this medicine twice a day.

Good thoughts

Spirituality Vs Good Thoughts

Spirituality is directly proportional to Good Thoughts.

perhaps Good thoughts may not be directly proportional to spirituality.

one who is truly spiritual his level of standard rises from the inner core i.e, his thoughts becomes pure. Once thoughts attains purity your actions becomes pure. 

so no need to do good, just think Good............. you will be all Good.
Good thought is one of the keys to Good health
And Good health is the biggest wealth in the world.