Hypertension

Hypertension strikes an individual without giving any indication, hence, it is termed as as ' silent killer'. Since the definite cause for hypertension is not known, the disease could be controlled by taking care of the risk factors such as:
* Wrong eating habits
* Smoking and alcohol
* Excess salt intake
* Lack of exercise
* Physical  and mental stress
* Obesity

One should try to maintain the blood pressure within the safe range of 110/70 - 130/80mm/hg.

Diet:
* Calories should be restricted, if one is overweight.
* Diet should be low in cholesterol amd maximum allowable cholestrol is 300mg per day.
* Diet should be free from saturated fatty acids. Instead, polyunsaturated fatty acids are to be preferred.
* Fatty foods such as oil, butter, ghee should be restricted to 2-3 tbsp a day.
* Dietary fibre should be increased.
* All fried foods, sweets, sugary foods such as jams, marmalades, pastries, cakes should be avoided.
* All salted nuts, salted chips, pickles, preserved foods should be avoided.
* At least 8-10 glasses of water should be drunk daily.
* Salt should be restricted to 1gm/day.
* More fruits which are rich in potassium, such as sweetlime (mosambi), orange, muskmelon, peaches, plums and sapota should be taken.
* Natural diuretics like tender coconut water, barley water, buttermilk, dhania (coriander) water can be taken to increase urine output and to reduce high BP.
* If the patient is diuretic, care should be taken that the blood sugar level should not exceed the normal levels.
* Eat plenty of raw salads, fruits and vegetables to maintain the consistency of blood in order to flow easily in the vessels.
* Avoid salt while cooking vegetables. Use salt on the table.

Chronic Amoebiasis

Vague abdominal discomfort, nausea, flatulence, pain in abdomen, occasionally loose motions with or without mucus and a feeling of ill-health are all characteristic features of chronic amoebiasis.

Dietary Guidelines:-

* Fasting on buttermilk for 2-3 days or depending more on the endurance and individual capacity of the patient under the supervision of an expert.

* After the fast, softer fruits such as banana, papaya, custard apple and sapota can be used.

* A diet with curd rice and well ripened banana, both for lunch and dinner, is an excellent measure to reverse the condition.

* All other guidelines given for constipation hold good for this also.

Urinary System

Kidneys are very important in maintenance of general health and elimination of waste. The accumulated wastes not eliminated by other excretory organs enter the blood stream and are filtered by the kidneys and eliminated as urea, uric acids, salts.

Diet plays a very important role in maintaining the health of the kidneys. A diet where meat, fish, eggs, cheese, starch, sugars and fat are predominant, causes strain on the kidneys, resulting in a high incidence of kidney disorders. Common disorders of the urino-genital organs are urinary tract infection, inflammation of the kidney, prostate gland enlargement (among aged).

Another common urinary problem one suffers from is kidney or ureter stones obstructing the urinary flow. Stone generally comprises of calcium, uric acid or oxalic acid.

Dietary measures to be followed:

* Stop completely non-vegetarian food.

* Avoid all foods made out of refined flour, ghee, vanaspati.

* Avoid deep fried foods.

* Fasting 2-3 days in liquids is advantageous.

* Drink plenty of water to maintain normal urinary output.

* Drinking 2 glasses of water before going to bed in case of people with tendency to renal stone is advantageous.

* Use of plenty of tender coconut water, whey water, barley water, dhania (coriander) water or buttermilk is very useful since they act like a diuretic.

Glucose Tolerance Test

Oral glucose tolerance test is a confirmatory test. Expert committee on diabetes of the WHO recommends for the test that 75g to be used as the glucose load for adults and 1.75g/kg body weight for children with maximum of 75g.

All medications should be stopped for atleast three days before the test.

* The fasting blood sample is drawn.

* 75g of glucose dissolved in 250-300ml of water is given.

* Lemon juice may be added for flavour and to prevent nausea.

* Blood and urine specimens are collected every 30 minutes for 2 hours after the administration of glucose.

Potable Water

Water, which is free from pathogenic bacteria and is palatable, is known as potable water. The necessity of a potable water supply in the home and place of work can never be over-emphasized. It is also important in institutions preparing, processing and serving food.

Apart from the primary precaution to ensure that water be free from harmful bacteria, it is also necessary to make it palatable. For example, water may contain dissolved salts or minerals, which may give it a brackish taste. For specific uses such as chemical analysis water may have to given special treatment wih resins to remove dissolved impurities or salts.

Plans for Food Budget

* Buying the staple foods, dhals and pulses in bulk, when the prices are competitive, just after the harvest.

* Buying milk and milk products from government dairy outlets.

* Buying fruits and vegetables from main markets at competitive rates.

* Buying seasonal vegetables and fruits.

* Buy sugar, jaggery in bulk from wholesale dealers.

* Buy oil from wholesale depots in bulk.

* Make ghee and butter at home.

* Buy spices in bulk and prepare the spice mix at home.

Iron Deficiency Anaemia

The age groups affected are women in of reproductive age, pregnant women and pre-school children especially from low income groups. Its prevalence ranges from 60 to 70% in women and children and 30 to 40% in among adult males and older children in most parts of the country.

Deficiency of iron causes anaemia, a condition in which there is a decrease in the haemoglobin content of the red blood cells (erythrocytes) and there is an alteration in their size and shape.

The major cause of anaemia in our country is iron deficiency due to inadequate intake of dietary iron and/or its poor absorption, from the cereal based diets consumed by people. Iron intake in the diets of low socio-economic groups has been found to be around 20mg per day in adults and 6mg per day for pre-school children. These amounts of iron intake are considered to be marginal due to the high phytate content of the diets, which render part of the iron unavailable to the body.

Food Contamination

* Water used for washing or cleaning is not potable.

* Soil adhering to foods grown close to ground is not completely removed.

* Containers or utensils used for storage and preparation are not clean.

* Personnel handling food have unhygienic habits.

* Personnel handling food suffer from communicable diseases.

Bland Diet

INDICATIONS:

This diet is used to prevent stimulation of peristalsis and flow of gastric juice by mechanical or chemical irritation and to reduce inflammation.

* Gastric and duodenal ulcers

* Gastritis (hyperchlorhydria)

* Gastric atony

* Diarrhoea

* Ulcerative colitis

* Fever

* Severe jaundice

FOODS INCLUDED:

Milk, cream, buttermilk, cheese, eggs, tender meat, fish or fowl, plain desserts, cooked and strained fruits and vegetables, strained citrus juice, enriched white bread, fine cereals, white potato, macaroni, rice

FOODS TO AVOID:

Coarse cereals  and breads, rich cheese, tough meats, rich desserts and pastries, raw coarse and strongly flavoured vegetables, raw fruit (except juices), excessive seasoning, pickles, strong coffee

Sodium Restricted Diet

INDICATIONS:

To prevent edeme in

* Nephritis

* Nephrosis

* Cardiac disease

* Cirrhosis of the liver

* Toxemia of pregnancy

* ACTH therapy

* Hypertension

FOODS IN SPECIFIED AMOUNTS:

Milk, meat, eggs, fish, poultry

UNRESTRICTED FOODS:

Unsalted cereals or breads, fruits, vegetables, unsalted fats, sugars

FOODS TO AVOID:

All salted foods canned fish, vegetables, pickles, relishes, salted butter, bread, nuts. Foods containing baking powder or soda, cakes, cookies, prepared mixes, spinach, aginomoto, dry fish, wafers



High Fibre Diet

INDICATIONS:
* Atonic constipation
* Atherosclerosis
* Obesity
* Diabetes
FOODS INCLUDED:

All long fibre vegetables such as greens, amaranth, cabbage, lettuce, celery, spinach. Special stress on raw vegetable salads. All fruits, with skins when tender, whole grain cereals and breads with bran in fine division. Milk, meat, fish.

FOODS TO AVOID:

Highly refined and concentrated foods, fried foods, excessive amounts of coarse bran, excessive amounts of seasonings.

Peptic Ulcer

The term peptic ulcer is used to describe any localised erosion of the mucosal lining of those portions of the alimentary tract that come in contact with gastric juice. The majority of ulcers are found in the duodenum, although they also occur in the oesophagus, stomach or jejunum. Usually there is a balance between acid pepsin secretion and mucosal resistance. As a result of excess acid production or weakening in the integrity of the stomach membrane or both, the mucosal lining is broken and the underlying layers of the stomach are exposed to the effect of the concentrated acid resulting in peptic ulcer.