Author: The Metrognome

Categories
Event

Participate: Flamingos and children’s creative competitions

BNHS, in association with the Mumbai Port Trust, is organising children’s creative competitions in three categories to celebrate Flamingo Festival.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Mumbai is truly blessed to annually host beautiful flamingos every year, and making the occasion even more special is this festival.

BNHS, in association with Mumbai Port Trust, is organising three Children’s Competitions in the categories of Painting, Poetry and Slogan Writing. Winners will be felicitated at the time of the annual BNHS Flamingo Festival that will be held on February 28, 2015.

The competitions are open to children residing in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region only. These are the details and rules:

BNHS Children’s Competitions – Flamingo

Categories: Painting, Poetry Writing, Slogan Writing

Language: English, Marathi or Hindi

Age Group: Students of 5th to 8th standards

Eligibility: Those students residing in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban, Vasai-Virar, Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Khopoli, Matheran, Karjat, Uran, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Pen, Alibaug)

Last Date: Entries should reach BNHS before February 21, 2015 by post, courier or hand delivery

Rules:

– Paintings, Poetry and Slogans should be original

– Each participant can send entries in one or more categories

– Each participant can send only one entry per category

– Paintings should be sent on A3 size white drawing paper

– Poetry and Slogans can be sent on any white paper

– Do not send entries on glossy or laminated paper

– Do not stick anything on the paper

– All entries of one participant in different categories can be sent in a single envelope

– For Painting, any medium such as poster colours, colour pencils, crayons, etc can be used – Computer graphics will not be accepted

– Teachers can collate all entries of their students and send together

– Participants should write their name, age, standard, residence/school address, email, contact number and teacher’s name in pencil on the rear side of the paper

– Three winners will be selected from each category and prizes will be given on the occasion of BNHS Flamingo Festival (Sewri Jetty, Mumbai) on 28th February 2015

– Kindly note that no entries will be returned to participants

Interested? Ask your child to participate in the competitions and send entries to BNHS, Hornbill House, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, opposite Lion Gate, Fort, Mumbai – 400001. Contact number: 022-22821811 (Monday to Friday).
(Picture courtesy Siddhesh Surve)
Categories
Event

School children paint to spread cancer awareness

Wockhardt Hospitals organised a ‘Cancer Awareness Day’ on its south Mumbai premises with an intra school drawing competition inviting Mumbai students.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Wockhardt Hospitals, South Mumbai, yesterday organised ‘Cancer Awareness Day’ with an intra-school drawing competition on its premises. The event invited students from different city-based schools to participate in large numbers and was aimed at debunking the myths and fear about cancer and to spread a ray of hope amongst the survivors.

Explained Zahabiya Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt Hospitals,“We set the event theme as ‘Life wins – fight against cancer’, and children in the age-group of 8 to 12 years responded enthusiastically by turning out intriguing and colorful sketches on their drawing sheets. It was such a wonderful experience for both the school children and the Hospital, since children undergoing cancer treatment also participated in the event. We found that the children who had participated in this competition had given a thought and conceptualised with research and read about it.” She added that it is possible that children might not be interested in the subject it it remains restricted to textbooks.

Talking about the Hospital’s preventive and curative program against the cancer, Dr Boman Dabhar,  Medical Oncologist at Wockhardt Hospitals said, “It was an overwhelming experience to witness a huge gathering of students and their schools supporting the noble cause of creating awareness about cancer. As children are the future of the nation, such initiatives create an immense impact amongst the population at large.” He added that cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide today, with an estimated 13 million new cases diagnosed every year. “Numbers are rising and, compared with figures at the start of the new millennium, are expected to double by 2020, and triple by 2030. Yet, according to the WHO, up to one in three cancers can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes” said Dr Dabhar.

The drawing competition was followed by a street play, ‘Suresh ki Kahaani’ by Ameya Mahajan and his team. Subsequently, a corporate film was played for doctors, school principals and teachers on coping with cancer. Students were awarded for their best drawings and trophies were given as a token of appreciation to the participating schools. Similarly, the principals and teachers of each school were felicitated by the Hospital and were handed out the participating certificates for their respective schools.

Schools participating in the event included St Mary’s High School – ICSE, Regina Pacis, St Lady Engineer High School, NMT English Medium High School, Balmohan Vidya Mandir, KMS Shirodkar High School – CBSC, KMS Shirodkar High School, Sharadashram Vidya Mandir High School, Cankid High School, and Banerjee School.

Categories
Wellness

Of prenatal fitness and other matters

Childbirth educator Sonali Shivlani’s new book is a handy guide for expectant mothers wanting guidance before, during and after birth.
by Salil Jayakar | @Salilicious on Twitter

sonali shivlaniMumbai-based Sonali Shivlani (in pic on left) is a childbirth and lactation educator with a certification from Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA), USA. She began practicing as a child birth trainer in May 2004 with BEAMS, a specialty hospital for women. In 2005, she set up her own practice and introduced her prenatal program which covers all aspects of pregnancy, birth and the post-partum period for couples. Since inception, Sonali’s Pregnancy Program has helped more than 10,000 pregnant couples prepare not only for the pregnancy and the birth of their child but also for the months thereafter.

Sonali is the author of Prenatal Fitness 360°: The Way to a Healthy Pregnancy, which draws from her rich experience as a childbirth educator and combines it with her passion for fitness. “Though this is my second book, this is the one I have worked on the longest – 18 months. It is twice the pregnancy gestation period so you can say it is twice the satisfaction,” she says.

In an e-mail interview with Salil Jayakar, Sonali talks about her new book and why it is a must-read for pregnant couples…

Why a book on prenatal fitness?
Fitness is close to my heart and I think I have been exercising for as long as I can remember. When I became the Executive Director for CAPPA India in 2009, it did not have any training program for fitness during pregnancy. I felt strongly that this was an important and crucial area since a fit mom will deliver a fit baby. We had long discussions and they (CAPPA) gave me the green signal to actually pen the fitness educator program. The program was launched worldwide in 2012 and as the Director of the program, I train internationally once a year and spread this knowledge to trainers all over the world. Somewhere along this journey came the thought of writing this book.

How easy or difficult was it to put this book together?
There are many books in the market that talk about various pregnancy-related topics but I could not find any which had it all. So I said to myself: Why not write what I consider the perfect book? I have written the book in simple, easy to understand language making sure that all technicalities are taken care of. I have also included daily meal plans and exercise routines to follow so that moms can follow a variety every day.

The toughest was getting the illustrations right. The book has over 150 illustrations and these are postures so they have to be absolutely correct. Also, placing the images during type setting took days as they would keep getting mixed up. Since I was the only technical person on board, I had to actually go through the book innumerable times to ensure that each exercise was paired with the correct illustration.

What to put in was easy. I would close my eyes and think about what I wanted as a pregnant mom and pen it down. A part of me wanted to write more about the ups and downs of pregnancy, changes in the woman, role of the partner on the emotional front, etc but I had to stop somewhere.

Is prenatal fitness a real issue with pregnant mothers? Aren’t they more worried about other stuff?
A pregnant woman would worry about delivering a healthy baby, a safe and easy birth, the right weight gain, losing weight post birth, etc. All these aspects are related to fitness. Research shows Expectant motherthat if a mom is exercising during pregnancy the baby is also technically exercising and hence, is fitter. Exercise is a mood elevator and hence pregnant women experience less mood swings. It also makes you energetic, improves sleep, prepares the body for a smoother birth experience and of course, helps in the right weight gain and loss. The right nutrition will help as well.

Does this book dispel any myths about prenatal fitness? Please elaborate on some common ones.
This is touched on briefly. Some of the common myths that women have is that it is not safe to exercise, weight lifting cannot be done during pregnancy, eating for two means eating double, any amount of weight gain is normal during pregnancy, and so on.

What can readers expect from your book? Are men expected to participate, too?
There is a section on couples’ exercise. I have actually given women 10-minutes-per-day routines which means there is no excuse to not exercise. Also the book has been reviewed by three prominent obstetricians and they have each written a note as a prelude to the book.

What are your top 3 tips on prenatal fitness?
Be happy, listen to your body and eat healthy.

Sonali signs off with these words: “I want fitness during pregnancy to be accessible to each and every pregnant mom and with this book I hope to bring prenatal fitness to their homes.”

Prenatal Fitness 360°: The Way to a Healthy Pregnancy is available on Amazon, Amazon Kindle and Flipkart. For more information contact Sonali on +91 98212 90090 or +91 22 65068534 or write to sshivlani@gmail.com.

(Pictures courtesy Sonali Shivlani and www.parentingnation.in)

Categories
Achieve

NCC Cadets bring home PM’s banner for sixth time

The Maharashtra Contingent of the NCC romped home with the Prime Minister’s Banner for sixth consecutive time, beating 16 directorates.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Maharashtra Contingent of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) struck gold again – the contingent has created history by winning the prestigious Prime Minister’s Banner for the sixth consecutive year at the Republic Day Camp held in New Delhi recently. Maharashtra NCC was also adjudged the Champion Directorate from out of 17 NCC directorates in the country.

Maharashtra NCC also has the unique distinction of winning the Prime Minister’s Banner and the Champion Directorate Trophy 17 times out of 24 times since its inception. The achievement is particularly remarkable since as many as 17 NCC directorates and 2070 Cadets from across the country had participated in this year’s Republic Day Camp.

Interestingly, apart from the Prime Minister’s Banner, Maharasthra State also stood first in the All India Thal Sainik Camp for Girls, Best Republic Day Parade contingent, Best Directorate in Drill Competition and Best Directorate in Flag Area Competition, among others.

Currently, there are 13 lakh NCC cadets in the country.

The State Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao yesterday hosted tea in honour of the victorious NCC cadets and officers at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. The Cadets presented a cultural programme on this occasion.

Categories
Autism

When less is more and more is less

It took a child on the Autism spectrum to explain life’s true meaning, help evaluate my close association with autism.
Kamini Lakhaniby Kamini Lakhani | saiconnections01@gmail.com

Part 5 of the Autism Diaries – When a 9-year-old explains life to you.

A few years ago, I was working with this student who was around 9 years old at that time. We had spent a wonderful hour together and I had managed to test out some very important hypotheses with him. In that relaxed state of mind, I mumbled, mostly to myself, “You know, in your case, less is more.” I glanced over at him and asked, “Do you know what that means?” not expecting an answer. He answered, “Yes, less is more, and sometimes more is less.” I almost jumped out of my skin! A simple truth, but spoken so sincerely and almost philosophically! Needless to say, I will never forget this statement or the wisdom that it was spoken with.

Since then, I’ve applied the ‘less is more’ philosophy to many aspects of my life. So, recently, Bill Nason (Author of ‘The Autism Discussion Page’) put up a very interesting question on Facebook. He addressed ‘veteran’ parents (with older kids/adults on the Autism Spectrum) about what they would like to share with parents with newly diagnosed kids. There were interesting recommendations, all spoken through experience, and hence all valid.

I did not answer immediately, as I had a hundred thoughts running through my mind. If I had a chance to redo my innings with autism- what would my top 3 recommendations be? What would I do differently?

1. I would take more care of myself when the diagnosis came in. 

The diagnosis of autism is a deadly one. It takes so much from a parent, who, at that point of time, is devastated. I remember crying myself to sleep and waking up crying. This went on for a few days…till there were no tears left. Yet, in that frame of mind, one only wants to help the child and do whatever it takes to somehow ‘throw this diagnosis off’.

I recommend that all parents book themselves for a few sessions with a counsellor or a Mental Health Professional. Work on yourself, strengthen yourself first. You don’t need the guilt. Hand holding is required through one’s own grief too.

And then, get ready for the marathon.

2. Make sure you continue to spend quality time with your other children, too.

If there is one thing that I would definitely redo, it would be spending more time with my daughter. Sometimes, I feel I was so overwhelmed with Mohit’s diagnosis, that I was not a 100 per cent A child on the autism spectrumpresent with my daughter, Tanya. To date, she says that I love Mohit more. Much as I try to explain that I don’t love him more, that he needs me more, it doesn’t quite sink in.

Parents who are working with the RDI (Relationship Development) Programme under the guidance of a consultant are far luckier. The consultant is trained to look at their daily schedules and make valid suggestions with regards to spending time with their other children and leading a more balanced life.

3. Be selective with therapies. 

One size does NOT fit all. Don’t jump on to the band wagon of speech, special ed, OT etc. These are all helpful therapies, but they are more useful with better understanding of your child and what he or she really needs. Take help from an expert who will help you understand Autism better, somebody who will take an objective look at your situation and make the right and useful recommendations. A customised programme is required, not a trial and error program.

There are several permutations and combinations that will apply to your child. There are the Core Deficits and then there are the Co-occurring Conditions. The co occurring conditions are different for every child on the Spectrum, hence you may see this diversity in people on the Spectrum. (See rdiconnect.com for more information)

I was not aware of this at that time and hence I tried everything that the Western World had to offer. Definitely, I could have been more selective. I should have studied more and tried less.

This is where I feel the ‘less is more’ concept really works!

Here is something that really resonates with me-

“Parents have therapists come in their home and tell them what to do.

They give their power away.

Parents need to focus on healing and empowering themselves. They must shift their beliefs  about autism. Once the parent knows who they are….the child will respond.”

– Lori Sheyew

Do you know who you are?

And what resonates with you?

Less is more… or more is less?

At SAI Connections, we follow the RDI technique, which not only helps children on autism spectrum but their parents as well. Feel free to send questions on your mind to saiconnections01@gmail.com and I will be glad to help.

Kamini Lakhani is the founder of SAI Connections. She is a Behaviour Analyst, an RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) Consultant, Supervisor and Trainer responsible for RDI professional training in India and the Middle East. She is the mother of an adult on the Autism Spectrum. She is also a member of Forum for Autism.

Next: The one thing that makes you stronger with time…and it’s not experience.

(Pictures courtesy www.fwdlife.in, www.dnaindia.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Learn

FDA Maharashtra tightens noose around ‘unsafe’ food practices

Recent event on role of regulators in food products industry had the State FDA explain new initiatives in the sector.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Too often, we complain that ‘the Government’ takes no interest to safeguard the food sold across the city and State. Where is the focus on public health and safety, we ask. However, there are several enforcements and rules in place already, but most people are not aware of the same.

“Food Safety Standards Act 2006 has undergone a change since its enforcement on August 5, 2011 with a shift from ‘adulteration’ to ‘safety’. The Act has an educative approach with friendly legislation. It has a penalty system for contamination and substandard foods. Unsafe foods would face prosecution. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra has 7.7 lakh licenses issued, which is the highest in India at 36 per cent. This was possible since FDA Maharashtra organised different camps to bring about awareness of the Act,” explained Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner, Food, Greater Mumbai Division, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra. He was speaking during an interactive session on ‘Innovative Food Products in India – Regulators Role’ organised by MVIRDC World Trade Centre and the All India Association of Industries.

“The first online pilot project was held in Mumbai and Thane offices. On April 15, 2014, [the target of] 100 per cent licenses was achieved,” Annapure said. He added that the procedure for issuing licenses was now available online, providing transparent and time bound activities. On a futuristic note, he said that he was looking forward to working with industries especially with the ‘Make in India’ campaign, in order that consumers get wholesome food, thereby making the people of India healthy.

Added Dr Joseph Lewis, Chairman, Regulatory Affairs Committee, Protein Foods and Nutrition Development Association of India (PFNDAI), “Food regulations are about balancing food diversity with safety practices. India is abundantly blessed with 52 per cent cultivable land (11 per cent world average) with 46 to 60 different soil types and 15 major climates all conducive to producing a variety of agricultural commodities. However, innovation provided the challenge from converting the agricultural commodities to processed foods. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 provided a mere framework for combating adulteration while Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 widened the scope of the law to include a risk framework.” He added that a “harmonisation in the processes of standardisation, adulteration and innovation” was needed. “There must be freedom to innovate while adhering to safety measures. The Indian law does not take into consideration safety of the foods when adulteration is assessed. Propriety foods are not a category of food by itself but represents an enabling ‘provision’ in food law.” Innovating with safety is a provision made in FSSA 2006.

Dr Laxmi Ananthanarayan, Associate professor, Department of Food Engineering and Technology (DFET), Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) spoke on ‘Ensuring Food Safety and Quality through Advanced Technology’. She said that food needed to be standardised, safe for consumption, acceptable from sensory view point and nutritious. Markets for food are now global giving ample scope for contamination with the arrival of genetically modified foods. This gives rise to good manufacturing practices. “Quality of food is not always visible and so food quality and food safety are interdependent. FSSA law should provide specification on consumer protection. There should be production specification and scope for value-addition with changing lifestyle and access to variety of food,” she said, adding that adapting to emerging and advanced technologies was the solution.

(Featured image courtesy www.city-discovery.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

Exit mobile version