Month: May 2016

Tips for Quitting Smoking for the First Hard Days

Quitting Tobacco might be on your list of goals for many years. But as you know, the first few days are the hardest and probability of relapsing is very high.

Here, you will get to know some unusual but effective ways to handle the first few days after quitting smoking.

No tobacco Day, Tips to quit tabocco

  1. Sip Cold Water: Replace the act of smoking a cigarette by sipping cold water with the help of a straw. Doing this, your body will release dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical that can help you with bad moods and overcome the urge to smoke.
  1. Noting Instant Rewards: Yes, the benefits of smoke-free life are endless and one of them is that your savings will increase instantly. We might not keep a note on how much money we waste on packs of cigarettes and once you decide to finally quit it, you will notice your savings shoot up. Not only this you will feel better, your taste buds will improve and you will feel more energetic.
  1. Brush Often: One of the instant perks of quitting tobacco or smoking is that your mouth will smell better and you’ll be more kissable. That’s right! For that, you need to brush your teeth every time you get the urge of smoking. This way, you will be less inclined to smoking and blessed with clean and white teeth.
  1. Free Yourself from Smoking Partners: It is quite common that the urge of lighting a cigarette increases when you mingle with a group of smokers. Therefore, it is necessary to find a group of non-smokers, especially at your workplace, to ride out smoking cravings.
  1. Be Active: At times, when you feel you no longer can resist smoking, distract yourself and start doing something else. You can go for a walk or a quick run, listen to music and dance to the latest tunes. Go for some kind of exercise since it offers a powerful distraction from the cravings.

Besides these tips, write down some reasons why you want to quit smoking and read it from time to time. It will serve as the reminder to not to smoke. And when the urge comes, just look at these reminders. Put them in places where it is easy for you to see, for instance, make it your phone’s wallpaper, paste it in front of your desk at the workplace, keep a copy at your home etc. Hope this article helps you in leading a healthy and smoke-free life.

5 Home-Made Detox Drinks for Weight Loss and Cleansing

You may have wondered how drinking more water can help you lose weight? See, water is one magical drink and an essential requirement for your body that helps boost your metabolism, cleanses your body of toxins and acts as an appetite suppressant too.

In this article, you will get to know how you can make this habit interesting. Give a twist to water with these homemade detox drinks.

Homemade detox drinks.

  1. Cucumber and Grapefruit – To shed those extra kilos get a cucumber, a medium sized grapefruit, a sliced lemon, and a few mint leaves. To make this drink, simply chop all the ingredients, add them to a pitcher full of water and just set them in a refrigerator for few hours before serving. Drink this five times a day and free your body of all the toxins.
  1. Apple Cinnamon Detox Water – A delicious drink which will soothe your body and since cinnamon boosts metabolism it may help you get slimmer. What you need to do is add a few slices of apple and a cinnamon stick or its powder to a litre sized pitcher of water. Let it sit for at least an hour and you’re ready to get your drink on. And the best thing – you can refill the pitcher three to four times a day using the same apples and cinnamon.
  1. Cucumber and Lemon Water – This one is the best to boost immunity and cleansing the toxins out of your body. Since cucumber is anti-inflammatory, it will also help you keep hydrated. To make this, add sliced cucumber, lemon, and a few mint leaves to eight cups of water in a pitcher and keep it in the fridge overnight. Tasty as well as healthy!
  1. Ginger and Lemon Detox Water – Ginger is a great ingredient which works as a pain killer too. Make this drink by adding grated ginger, a sliced lemon and some lemon juice to about a litre of water. Bye bye toxins!
  1. Apple Cider Detox Water – To make this magic drink, add 2 spoons of cider vinegar, 1 spoon of lemon juice and some sweetener (optional) to the blender with water. After mixing it well, add a few slices of apples to the mixture and your drink is ready.

What Makes You A Mosquito Magnet?

What makes you a mosquito magnet

Do you ever feel you’re one of the special ones being targeted by mosquitoes while they seem to avoid others in a group? Have you ever wondered the reasons behind this loving behavior of mosquitoes towards you?

The following factors have been identified that contribute to making a person more attractive to these mini monsters:

  1. Sweat – Mosquitoes are fond of high humid places as they need water to reproduce. So the people who sweat more, especially after exercising vigorously, make them more attractive to mosquitoes.
  2. Dark clothing – Studies show that mosquitoes are more attracted towards darker colors. As they can see and set their target from a distance, people wearing dark-colored clothes are best target.
  3. Your breath – It’s clear that mosquitoes don’t bite randomly. Instead, they set their victim by following a steady output of carbon dioxide. It’s found that mosquitoes can detect CO2 from more than 150 meters away. And that’s why the higher concentration of CO2 offers an initial temptation to the hungry mosquitoes.
  4. Drinking alcohol – According to a study, alcohol ingestion stimulates mosquito attraction and makes your blood tastier for them. Also, alcohol makes your body temperature rise, which also helps in attracting mosquitoes.
  5. Blood Type – According to studies, people with blood type O are much more attractive to mosquitoes than people with blood group other than type O.
  6. Pregnant women – A study found that pregnant women attracted twice as many mosquitoes as compared to non-pregnant women. There can be many reasons to this. Firstly, a pregnant woman exhales more carbon dioxide than a non-pregnant woman. And secondly, their body temperature is also high as compared to others. And finally, they have more blood circulating through her body than the average person.

 

 

6 Reasons That Indulges You in Overeating

overeating

Do you go crazy whenever you see food? A table full of food brings a smile on your face from ear to ear.  Can’t decide on one thing when you see a food menu? Such situations may indulge you in overeating or binge eating, which is certainly not good for your health.

Read on to know why you could be eating more than you should:

  1. Eating with friends – Hanging out with friends is the favorite pass time for most of us. As the good times roll, we might not take notice on the amount of food we eat. This could easily result in overeating. So the next time you’re with your friends, try to keep track of the amount of food you eat.
  2. Crockery – You would be surprised to know that the size of your crockery is a major contributor for your overeating. Big and fancy plates should be a total no-no for everyday meals since you can indulge in eating more than you are hungry for. Plates should ideally be medium or slightly smaller so that your food intake is less.
  3. Fatigue eating – Sometimes we end up mistaking the symptoms of tiredness for hunger, which is not always the case. Aim for at least 6 hours of sleep and if you still feel hungry, go for healthy snacks instead of junk foods.
  4. Speed eating – Speed eating may lead to overeating as it takes about 15-20 minutes for the brain to realize that your stomach has received enough food.
  5. Boredom – How many times have you walked into your kitchen in search of something to eat when you have nothing to do? It happens in the workplace too, when you are unhappy or not working, you end up munching on some snack. Experts say there are millions who over eat just because either they are bored or have nothing interesting to do. Keep yourself occupied and plan an eating schedule so that you don’t end up overeating.
  6. Dehydration – If your body lacks sufficient amount of water, you might overeat. Make sure you drink at least 8-10 glasses throughout the day.

 

A Guide To Common Dental Problems

A guide To common health problems

Teeth, with the role they play for every one of us, are significantly important. A bi-annual date with your dentist not only ensures you have a bright and healthy smile, but also help you stay on top of your general health too. Research shows that infection in the mouth can travel via the bloodstream to organs and the immune system. Poor oral hygiene and tooth decay have also been linked to a number of illnesses, including heart and respiratory diseases.

Keep them teeth clean and healthy by looking out for common dental health issues:

  1. Cavities – Indulging in too much sugar on a daily basis and neglecting oral health can lead to cavities. Not only this, overload on acidic foods or drinks might also contribute to dental erosion. Get your cavities filled because if left untreated, they can spread to other teeth, resulting in nerve pain and affecting your ability to eat.
  2. Bad Breath – Bad breath is caused by bacteria that linger in your mouth, producing volatile, foul-smelling sulfur compounds. The more bacteria you have in your mouth, the worse your breath would be. The three main culprits of bad breath are:

a) Postnasal drip (as a result of excessive mucus from your nose accumulating in the back of your throat)

b) Gum disease

c) An underlying gut problem, such as dysbiosis

To fix bad breath, it’s advisable to clean your tongue and floss daily along with brushing your teeth.

  1. Gum Disease – If you witness your gums to be red and swollen along with blood spots in your sink after you brush, then you might be suffering from periodontal or gum disease. If left untreated, it may even lead to tooth loss due to the destruction of the tissue that surrounds your teeth. Along with good oral practice, proactive prevention is the key to combat gum disease.
  2. Cold Sores and Cankers – Though these are minor problems and have a short shelf life, however, if you see a lesion changing size or shape and it persists for more than two to three weeks, then you should consult your dentist. In certain cases, these may also lead to oral cancer. So in addition to maintaining a good oral hygiene, ensure you are getting your teeth checked at your dentist on a regular basis.

 

8 Steps towards a Healthy Summer

Summer is already here and you know what that means, we got to be summer healthy.

Check out the tips below and let’s get ready for a healthy summer –

healthy-summer

  1. Get merry with berries – Give your diet a berry boost by having a cup of mixed berries—blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and strawberries every day. These berries are known to top the charts in antioxidant power, protecting your body against inflammation and free radicals. They are also rich in fiber, which helps in lowering the cholesterol level and may even play a role in reducing the risk of some cancers.
  2. Plant a garden to do away with stress – Potted plants around the home and office greatly improves people’s mood and reduces the likelihood of stress-related depression and helps in better concentration.
  3. Floss daily – Most of us forget about flossing or are unaware of its importance. However, flossing improves the overall health of the body by reducing oral bacteria. It helps clean the gap between your teeth so that you’re less likely to get gum infections or cavities from bacteria build-up.
  4. Move out to exercise – Winters are officially over and gone are the days of lazy mornings. Summer is the perfect time to improve your health as you can pick up an interesting outdoor activity to lose those extra pounds which you gained in the winters. You can pick activities like, hiking, swimming, cycling or taking a nature walk.
  5. Taking care of your eyes – Hot summer months and outdoor activities are a favorite treat of the season, but can take a toll on our eyes. A good pair of sunglasses looks after your eyes by keeping the excessive sunlight, dust and heat at bay.
  6. It is vacation time – Traveling the world and exploring new places can definitely change your life. But, it can also make you a healthier and a better version of yourself. It has been found to lower the risk of heart attack and death from coronary disease. And it also creates a great bonding time between family and friends. So, what’s your next destination?
  7. Go light on the alcohol –Too much alcohol can increase the risk dehydration. Swap alcohol with other cool and healthy alternatives for a perfect summer time.
  8. Skin care in summers – Since it’s the season where you would be spending most of your time outside your home, it’s necessary to take care of your skin. Exposure to the sun for long duration can lead to premature aging of the skin, wrinkles and marks. Add a layer of sunscreen whenever you go out accompanied with a hat to avoid direct sun rays.

So, these are 8 simple steps to boost your health this summer. Have a happy and a healthy summer!