These eight practical tips below can guide you in regaining your health effectively.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness that affects thousands every year, especially during the monsoon season in India. Recovery from dengue can take time, and fatigue often lingers even after the fever subsides. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), proper hydration, rest, and supportive care are essential for complete recovery, as there is no specific antiviral treatment for dengue. Ignoring post-dengue care may lead to complications like low platelet count, weakness, or secondary infections. Here are eight expert-backed tips that can help you or a loved one bounce back faster and regain strength after dengue infection.

Tips to recover from dengue infection

The days after a dengue infection demand attention to nutrition, hydration, and overall health. Platelet levels and energy reserves need to be replenished naturally. Dengue weakens the immune system, so your focus must shift to recovery and preventing relapse. These eight practical tips below can guide you in regaining your health effectively.

1. Hydrate intensively

Dengue leads to severe dehydration. Drink water, ORS, coconut water, and homemade soups. Hydration helps maintain blood volume and supports organ function.

2. Include papaya leaf extract (only under medical advice)

Some studies suggest papaya leaf juice may help improve platelet count. Always consult your doctor before trying this remedy.

3. Eat immunity-boosting foods

Consume fruits rich in vitamin C (like oranges, amla, guava), vegetables, and protein sources to aid recovery and boost immunity.

4. Get enough rest and avoid overexertion

Rest is critical during recovery. Avoid strenuous activity and allow your body to heal fully before returning to routine tasks.

5. Monitor platelet and WBC counts

Regular blood tests help track your recovery. Follow up with your doctor to ensure your platelet and white blood cell counts are improving.

6. Avoid NSAIDs and self-medication

Do not take ibuprofen or aspirin, as they may worsen bleeding. Stick to paracetamol as prescribed by your healthcare provider.

7. Practice good hygiene and mosquito control

Post-recovery, avoid reinfection. Use mosquito repellents, nets, and wear full-sleeved clothing to protect yourself and others.

8. Focus on gut health

Dengue and its medications can disturb your digestive system. Include curd, buttermilk, and light meals to soothe the gut and aid nutrient absorption.

Recovery from dengue requires more than just rest, it’s about restoring your immune strength, monitoring vital counts, and preventing future infections. By following these simple yet effective tips, you give your body the best chance to heal fully. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India, awareness and prompt post-infection care are key in reducing dengue complications and recurrences.

To create a calorie deficit, you can either reduce your caloric intake, increase your physical activity, or do a combination of both.

A calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume. This difference forces your body to utilize stored fat for energy, leading to weight loss. Some studies suggest that a 500-calorie deficit may help with weight loss. However, the amount of calories you need and burn depends on many factors such as age, sex, gender, height, weight and body composition.

To create a calorie deficit, you can either reduce your caloric intake, increase your physical activity, or do a combination of both. If you want to lose weight sustainably, here are some practical ways to achieve a healthy calorie deficit.

How to achieve a healthy calorie deficit

Diet

Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods than calorie-dense. Consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet can help you achieve your goals. Add plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, protein and low-fat dairy to your diet. These foods can help you feel full while providing essential vitamins and minerals.

Start by monitoring what you eat and how many calories are in those foods. Avoid extreme deficits, as they can lead to health issues and nutritional deficiencies. Also, eliminate sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods and foods/drinks with empty calories.

Exercise

Incorporate regular physical activity into your routine. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, along with strength training exercises.

Weight loss is just one of the many benefits of staying physically active. Regular exercise can keep your heart healthy, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and boost your mental health.

Other tips

Portion control

Be mindful of portion sizes. Even healthy foods can contribute to weight gain if consumed in large amounts. Using smaller plates or measuring servings can help control portions.

Stay hydrated

Sometimes, thirst can be confused with hunger. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day to stay well-hydrated.

How many calories should you be in deficit?

A safe and sustainable calorie deficit is usually around 500 calories per day. Start slowly and set realistic goals. Cutting too many calories can contribute to some side effects including:

• Weakness
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Poor mental health
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Muscle loss
• Nausea
• Hair loss

For healthy weight loss, focus on creating a balanced approach that includes not only a calorie deficit but also a sustainable lifestyle that can help you maintain desired weight in the long run.

Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho highlights the importance of portion control, which is to regulate how much food is served and consumed during a meal.

Lifestyle Guru On How To Deal With Food Cravings During Weight Loss

Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho highlights the importance of portion control, which is to regulate how much food is served and consumed during a meal.

• NDTV Health Desk
• Health
• May 23, 2025 14:07 pm IST
  • Published OnMay 23, 2025 14:07 pm IST
  • Last Updated OnMay 23, 2025 14:07 pm IST

Read Time:3 mins

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Portion control helps in readjusting your hunger cues without starving

Losing weight isn’t just about hitting the gym. It is a mix of things like moving more, tracking your steps, getting good sleep, and eating right. Let’s be real, though, cravings can really mess with your progress. A lot of people get stuck worrying about giving up their favourite foods, which makes it tough to stick to a plan. Lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho has shared a simple but powerful trick: portion control. Basically, it means paying attention to how much you are putting on your plate and eating. It is a smart way to keep your calories in check without feeling like you are starving yourself. Keeping an eye on portion sizes can make a big difference when you are trying to shed those extra kilos, and still enjoy the foods you love.

Luke Coutinho often hears people say, “I know what to do, but I just can’t do it.”

He explained that it is not that they don’t want to lose weight, but because they are stuck in a vicious loop of feeling guilty, filling emotional gaps, losing their willpower, experiencing emotional stress, and being afraid to give up their favourite food.

Luke Coutinho has shared a smart approach to eating in his recent Instagram post, where you should limit your intake of desserts if you have trouble losing weight because of your fondness for them.

“If you have three desserts in a week, each time you have a dessert, have half of it,” he said.

“If you’re having your favourite food, let’s say it’s a biryani or whatever it is. Have half of it,” Luke Coutinho added.

Importance of portion control

• It is safer than ending things abruptly.
• It respects your connection to food.
• It lessens the overload so that consistency can be developed.
• It enables you to stay mindful while still enjoying your favourite things.
• It prevents the cycles of binge-restrict that often accompany guilt-driven diets.
• It helps in readjusting your hunger cues without starving.
• It is sustainable in daily situations, such as social gatherings, family feasts, and office holidays.
• It helps you develop self-confidence, which is essential for long-term development.

Luke Coutinho added that cutting back on portions is an easy method to start burning fat if you struggle with food. This entails getting enough sleep, managing difficult emotions, and focusing on cardio, weight training, muscle, flexibility, and mobility.

According to the lifestyle guru, thousands of people he has worked with did not require strict diets, juice fasts, or complete abstinence from sweets. All they needed was a “compassionate and realistic entry point,” such as eating half of what they typically would.

In short, controlling your portions makes losing weight easier and helps you enjoy your food without giving it all up.

Many serious diseases begin with subtle or common symptoms, such as fatigue, mild discomfort, or changes in daily habits. For example, ovarian cancer often presents with vague gastrointestinal complaints or bloating, leading to delayed detection until advanced stages.

Symptom awareness helps individuals recognise early warning signs, seek timely medical evaluation, and ultimately improve diagnosis rates and outcomes across various conditions. These subtle or non-specific indicators enable the healthcare systems to shift from reactive care to proactive intervention, reducing morbidity, mortality, and cost burdens.

The Invisible Alarms

Many serious diseases begin with subtle or common symptoms, such as fatigue, mild discomfort, or changes in daily habits. For example, ovarian cancer often presents with vague gastrointestinal complaints or bloating, leading to delayed detection until advanced stages. Similarly, cardiovascular disease in women may manifest as nausea, back pain or shortness of breath rather than classic chest pain, contributing to later diagnoses and poorer outcomes. When these low‐grade signals go unrecognised, treatment options narrow and prognosis worsens.

Evidence Linking Symptom Awareness and Early Diagnosis

Research repeatedly demonstrates that symptom awareness programs lead to early physician consultations. A WHO review found that focusing on symptomatic patients as early as possible increases chances for successful treatment and lowers overall costs. Early diagnosis of nonverbal indicators and social communication impairments in autism spectrum disorder leads to treatments that improve long-term developmental outcomes. The CDC’s “Learn the Signs” program applies to childhood developmental problems. The “Act Early” program increased parental milestone tracking from 51% to 66% in three years, speeding referrals to early intervention services.

Strategies to Boost Symptom Awareness

Public Health Campaigns

Well-designed campaigns use simple, memorable messages like “Know Your Lemons” for breast health or stroke-specific acronyms (e.g., FAST) to illustrate symptoms and prompt action. Digital and community outreach efforts should prioritise local languages and culturally appropriate visuals to effectively engage diverse populations.

Healthcare Provider Engagement

Clinicians play a pivotal role by discussing potential symptom profiles during routine visits and encouraging patients to report new or persistent changes. Hospital diagnostic excellence frameworks promote open communication about diagnostic uncertainty in order to foster trust and encourage early follow-up when symptoms emerge.

Technology and Screening Tools

Mobile apps and decision aids can prompt users to track and report symptoms. For example, apps that log menstrual irregularities have facilitated earlier referrals for endometrial or ovarian evaluation. Integrating AI algorithms into primary care electronic records can flag symptom clusters that warrant further investigation.

India‐Specific Context

In India, awareness gaps remain a barrier to early diagnosis. Only about 30% of rural women recognise cervical cancer symptoms, and urban breast cancer awareness hovers around 53% for early signs. Recent initiatives, such as Trichy’s cancer screening program across 254 health centres, combine symptom education with onsite evaluations for oral, breast, and cervical cancers, aiming to screen over 30 lakh individuals and create community profiles for targeted follow‐up.

By elevating symptom awareness through integrated public health messaging, clinician engagement and technological innovation, early diagnosis rates can significantly increase by converting quiet warnings into actionable notifications. Well-informed individuals may advocate for their own health, and healthcare systems can deliver at the optimal time for greatest efficacy.

In this article, we share a list causes behind bowel cancer in youngsters and signs for the same

Bowel cancer cases are on the rise among youngsters, even though it has traditionally been considered a disease that affects older adults. This unexpected increase is believed to be driven by a mix of changing lifestyles, poor dietary habits, rising obesity rates, and environmental influences. Furthermore, many are unaware of the risks or ignore early symptoms, which delays diagnosis and makes the condition harder to treat effectively. Keep reading as we share a list causes behind bowel cancer in youngsters and signs for the same.

Causes of bowel cancer in youngsters

1. Poor dietary habits

One of the major contributors is the shift towards diets high in processed meats, sugary foods, and low in fibre. Fibre plays a crucial role in maintaining digestive health by promoting regular bowel movements and supporting beneficial gut bacteria.

2. Sedentary lifestyle and obesity

Physical inactivity is another key factor. A lack of regular exercise slows down the digestive process and increases the likelihood of weight gain and obesity, both of which are linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer.

3. Altered gut microbiome

Changes in the gut microbiome caused by poor diet, antibiotic overuse, or stress may also increase the risk. A healthy gut microbiome helps in protecting the colon lining and regulating the immune response.

4. Environmental and chemical exposure

Young people are increasingly exposed to environmental toxins, microplastics, and chemicals in food packaging and personal care products.

5. Genetic and epigenetic factors

While most cases in young people are not linked to inherited conditions, genetic mutations and epigenetic changes from early life exposures or lifestyle factors can play a role.

Symptoms of bowel cancer in youngsters

1. Changes in bowel habits

One of the earliest signs is a persistent change in bowel movements, this could mean diarrhoea, constipation, or a feeling of incomplete evacuation.

2. Blood in stool

Noticing blood, either bright red or dark and tarry, in the stool is a significant symptom. While it can sometimes be due to haemorrhoids, persistent or unexplained bleeding warrants medical investigation to rule out serious causes like cancer.

3. Unexplained weight loss

Sudden and unintended weight loss can be a warning sign of bowel cancer. As tumours grow, they may consume more energy or affect digestion and nutrient absorption, leading to significant weight changes.

4. Abdominal pain and bloating

Cramping, discomfort, or bloating that doesn’t go away and isn’t explained by diet could be caused by a tumour blocking or irritating the intestines. This may also be accompanied by nausea or vomiting in more advanced stages.

5. Fatigue and weakness

Cancer can cause chronic fatigue due to blood loss (which may lead to anaemia) or because the body is constantly fighting inflammation. Feeling tired despite adequate sleep and nutrition should be evaluated if other symptoms are present.

6. Feeling of urgency or incomplete emptying

A frequent urge to pass stool or a feeling that the bowel doesn’t fully empty can indicate a tumour in the rectal area. This symptom is often overlooked but can be a subtle early warning sign.

Rising awareness, early screening, and lifestyle changes are critical to combating this growing health concern among the youth. If any of these symptoms persist, it’s important not to delay medical consultation.

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