The COVID-19 Pandemic has been a significant burden upon the population since its beginning, with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Coronavirus disease estimated to have infected at least 606 million people and caused at least 6.51 million deaths worldwide, as of September 2022. Statistics such as these are critical, as they account for the most important and serious of short-term ...

Introduction Bacopa monnieri, more commonly referred to as Bacopa, is a herb traditionally used in the Ayurvedic medicine paradigm. Preparations containing Bacopa are commonly used as brain tonics to support memory, learning and concentration in addition to relieving anxiety. Bacopa has also been used to promote healthy digestion, cardiovascular and respiratory function. In the setting of modern medicine, Bacopa has ...

What causes eczema in babies? Eczema is a disease characterized by atopic dermatitis (scaly, blistered skin), which is a response of the skin to common allergens (such as soaps, as an example).  In modern times, the incidence of allergic diseases such as eczema has risen. Investigations into the reasons behind this increase are often propelled by the “hygiene hypothesis”, though ...

Things are getting uncomfortable Over the last few weeks, baby has had a big growth spurt and my belly has grown quite large. I’m now feeling pretty uncomfortable and sleeping at night is becoming a challenge. From 28 weeks, it’s recommended to sleep only on your side, and not on your back to reduce the risk of stillbirth. I’m finding ...

The beginnings of some uncomfortable symptoms Around 26 weeks the heartburn begins. I remember this from my last pregnancy. Around the same time, shortly after 20 weeks, I suddenly developed heartburn in the evenings. I have found that it is worse when I eat fatty foods. For example, in my first pregnancy, I had terrible heartburn after eating pizza. It ...

The second trimester is the easiest, as the baby bump is not yet large enough to be causing discomfort, and daily life is relatively normal. My eating patterns are close to resembling my pre-pregnancy diet, although around this time the body does need an extra 300 calories a day to fuel baby’s rapid growth. A typical day’s food intake looks ...