7 Ways Restaurant Food Can Kill You Slowly but Surely

Nowadays, people just don't feel like cooking at home. Ordering takeout is the way to go today. It has become a regular part of your diet. But it is extremely detrimental to your health. You may lick your fingers and savor the moment after that lip smacking bucket of fried chicken or the burger you just polished off, but in the long run, a whole lot of health problems are going to follow suit.

1. Restaurant food is extremely fattening and can raise your cholesterol levels sky high. Obesity is now a major modern health problem, which is affecting children since the young age. In adults, it increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. To our brain, this food is often very rewarding, and we tend to overeat as a result.
2. The meat in your burger is so laden with artificial chemicals, that it is hardly nutritive. It is essentially scrap meat that is fattened up and flavored to suit your taste buds. It contains high amounts of ammonia, a chemical that is found in your bathroom cleaning liquid and that is hardly fit for human consumption.
3. It is extremely addictive, where the more frequently you eat it, the more you crave it, until you lose all self-control. If you eat restaurant food more than once a week, you have fallen prey to the most common trend of today.
4. Restaurant chains are nowadays trying to lure customers with healthier options like salads or soups, but they're hardly healthy and are instead full of preservatives
5. The desserts and sodas that you love are full of artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is hardly nutritious and only adds to energy levels, which when not burnt off lead to all the oodles of fat in your belly. It can also increase your resistance to insulin.
6. A lot of the ingredients in restaurant food are processed foods that contain artificial chemicals like colorants, preservatives, artificial flavors and textures. Its harmful nature can never be stressed upon enough.
7. Eating refined flour on a regular basis is a big no-no. Its carbohydrates are difficult for the digestive tract to break down, once again leading it to being accumulated. Don't get mislead by promises of 'whole grain' items; for even they are whole grain, they are broken down to finer flour that hardly retains its nutritive value.

No wonder it's called 'junk food', it only brings harm to your body. Make a conscious effort to replace it with real, fresh food that actually contains nutrients and not artificial chemicals.

MONSOON--CARE--FOR--YOUR--LITTLE--ONES

·                                 Clothes

·                                 Hygiene

·                                 Food and Drink

·                                 Keeping your home and surroundings clean

·                                 Pre-monsoon check

·                                 Child safety and other tips

·                          

We all have fond memories of the rains from our growing up years - impromptu holidays from school, splashing about in muddy puddles, or maybe simply getting wet in a pouring shower. Like you, your little one will love the rains, the fresh new leaves on the trees, the smell of the damp wet ground, and perhaps a little scared of the thunder and lightening which accompany the rain many a time. But will all the joyous moments, the monsoon also brings with it humid weather,flooded roads, mosquitoes, diseases, and lots more. With a little care and forethought you can let your child enjoy this beautiful season and also keep him safe from illnesses. 

Clothes 

Rainy days bring with it sweat and heat that is different from the hot summer days, but are nevertheless as uncomfortable. Make sure your child is not wrapped in layers just because the weather has cooled down a bit after the rains. Avoid synthetic clothes and make him wear loose cotton clothes that will absorb the perspiration when he plays around allowing the skin to breathe easily. Keep his skin dry to avoid prickly heat. Pick up a few extra underclothes for him since clothes take a lot of time to dry in this weather; making him wear damp clothes or socks can lead to fungal infections. 

Once he has begun to walk and prefers to move around on his own most of the time, get him well-fitting closed rain shoes or gum boots which will keep his feet dry. Don’t buy cheap plastic rain shoes as they can cause skin allergies. Look for shoes made of good quality vinyl or rubber with skid proof soles so that he doesn’t slip and fall. Some raincoats which are of inferior quality can also causeallergies, so choose his raincoat with care. Dry him off as soon as he comes home after getting wet in the rains, and change him into dry clothes while you wait for his hair to dry. 

Hygiene 

The monsoon brings with it a host of diseases. Drains that have not been cleaned can overflow and cause flooding. The water which flows on the roads not only gets mixed with sewage and muck, but also contains rags, paper, vegetable and fruit waste, and even broken glass. Make sure your toddler wears covered shoes while walking outside and doesn’t stay bare-feet even in your own garden or balcony because they can be breeding grounds for infections. Slugs, leeches, earthworms, and other insects often come into the house during the monsoon, so make sure he doesn’t try to pick up or play with any of them. 

Bathe him twice a day if possible; especially if he goes outside to play, or at least ensure he washes his hands and feet thoroughly with soap and water after he is back in the house. Wash his clothes in hot water with rinse them with water mixed with a few drops of disinfectant mixed in it. Clean his footwear, socks, umbrella, and raincoat and ensure they are dried immediately and free of all moisture, else they might become a breeding ground for germs and moulds. 

Incidences of waterborne diseases increase during the monsoons. Hence, apart from other things you will need to take special care that your food is prepared hygienically. Make sure your babysitter/maid washes her hands and feet thoroughly as soon as she enters your home. If you have a cook, ensure she washes her hands before handling any food and check regularly if her nails are trimmed. Ensure that all cooked food is covered to keep away flies and other insects. 

This is the time when contagious diseases are on the rise. Ensure that you and your family are not in close contact with someone who is suffering from a flu, viral infection or conjunctivitis. Children are especially vulnerable to weather changes and infections, so keep them at home for a few days if you know that their playmates are suffering from an illness. Cut their nails regularly and do not allow them to put their hands into their mouths. Make sure they wash their hands with soap before eating anything and after visiting the toilet. 

Food and Drink 

Contaminated food or water is the most common way many diseases spread in the monsoon. Make sure your toddler drinks only filtered or boiled water. Carry a bottle of water from home or rely on branded bottled water when you go out. Avoid giving him “fresh” fruit juices, drinks with ice, food and drinks from street vendors like chaat, pakodas and ice lollies (golas or chuskis). If you eat outside, choose a restaurant which is clean and hygienic and opt for dishes which are boiled and served fresh. 

Use filtered water for cooking, kneading the dough and for washing vegetables,dals and meat. Clean leafy green vegetables several times over in filtered boiled water and steam them to get rid of any germs and bacteria. Soak green leafy vegetables as well as vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli in warm water containing 1 tsp of salt for about 10-15 minutes to get rid of insects. Don’t keep raw meat and fish products at room temperature for a long time, always refrigerate or freeze. Bacterial growth increases rapidly during hot and humid weather. 

Frequent power cuts, a common occurrence during monsoons could spoil food in the refrigerator easily, exposing it to bacteria. As far as possible, ensure that you eat fresh food; prepare it in small quantities so that you do not need to store it in the refrigerator for very long. Food stored in the refrigerator needs to be heated thoroughly before eating. Tap water may be contaminated by overflowing ground water that gets mixed with it during the monsoons; rinse your plates and dishes with filtered water before use. 

Keeping your home and surroundings clean 

The monsoon season is marked by the outbreak of many diseases; most of which are either waterborne or are spread through mosquitoes. Your child is especially vulnerable to infections because he is still developing his immune system. One precaution to protect him would be to keep your home and surroundings clean and germ-free. 

Air your home frequently and keep windows open for maximum cross ventilation. Avoid collection of stagnant water in open vessels, flower pots or coolers as these are a perfect breeding ground for mosquito larvae which cause malaria, dengueand chikungunya. Dispose garbage hygienically in garbage bags that will not open and spill out. Keep the kitchen dustbin covered at all times so that wet garbage like vegetable peels and food waste are not left exposed. 

If you have indoor plants, ensure that there is no water logging and change water in the flower vases everyday. Use herbal insect repellents like citronella based oils or sprays to get rid of mosquitoes and other insects. Use mosquito nets over your child's bed or install wire meshes on the windows. Dress him up in long-sleeved shirts and trousers, especially when he goes to the park to play. 

Keep your home fresh and clean and use a good disinfectant to clean the floors and bathrooms. Get pest control for your home to ward off flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites, and other disease carrying insects. Many choose to burn camphor or dry neem leaves which are said to purify the air. Keep a small mesh bag of cloves near your window or in your cupboard for a fresh natural scent. 

Pre-monsoon check 

Ensure that your home is clean, germ-free and safe before the monsoons arrive. Be watchful of any seepage especially on the roof and walls and near electrical fittings, as it may cause electrocution. Carry out thorough pre-monsoon checks in your home and get an electrician to fix all faulty wiring and switches. Have your plumber fix any leaking fixtures and get your drains cleaned and de-silted well before the rains. Check and repair cracks or fissures in the house. 

Child safety and other tips 

• Ensure that your child is always supervised when he goes out, even to the neighbourhood park, especially while walking on roads that usually have deep potholes and many open manholes during the monsoon. 

• Your toddler can get pretty bored sitting at home when it's raining outside; think up some indoor games that can keep him occupied, such as hide and seek, carom, and dancing to some fun music. Puzzles and books are also a good way to keep your toddler busy. More ideas in our Let's play! Games for toddlerssection. 

• Invite children from your apartment block for a play date at your house so he can have some company. Help them make paper boats, put on their gum boots and raincoats and float the boats in the puddles outside your building. And after they run out of things to do at indoors, make some onion pakoras or hot chocolate