Why Exercise in Morning?

It is true that one can exercise at any time of day as long as you're burning those extra calories. However, there are many added benefits to choosing morning time to any other. Even if you manage to fit in just 15 minutes of strenuous exercise, it will help you stay happy and healthy all day. Here are some reasons why exercising first thing after waking up is beneficial.

Benefits of Morning Exercise

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When you exercise in the morning, you'll find that because of the increased intake of oxygen and circulation of blood in your body, you'll stay energized for the whole day. It will automatically put you in a healthy frame of mind. Whatever other things you may have on your schedule, you will notice that you will be eager and energetic to handle them.
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Morning exercise is a great way of waking up your brain, thus helping you to be alert to plan out your daily, weekly, even monthly schedule. It will help you organize your thoughts and make mental lists of what the day holds for you.
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Exercising in the morning can help reduce stress that has built up due to work, family and other life situations. One of the reasons this is true is because morning time is the quietest and most peaceful time of day - before the daily routine begins. It gives you alone time, time to think and work things out for yourself, without being disturbed.
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Increase in morning activity levels (exercise) helps increase metabolic rate. This means that you end up burning calories throughout the day, no matter how often you may choose to eat. However, you still need to take care about what you put into your body. Exercising goes hand in hand with sensible eating.
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Research has proven that people who exercise in the mornings tend to be the ones most consistent in their fitness regimes and diets. So if you choose morning time for your exercise program, then chances are that you'll stick to the plan for the long term. And that's a good thing!
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Waking up at about the same time everyday and exercising daily at the same time conditions your endocrine system and circadian rhythm to "know" when to wake up and prepare your body for the rest of the day. The human body is a learning machine. You can train it to be on schedule with your exercise program.
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By exercising in the morning, you make sure that you won't miss it out for the day. A lot of times other things can crowd out exercise - work, meetings, social events etc. Thus, exercise tends to get pushed to be the last priority at times.
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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Most people eat a light breakfast before they exercise in the mornings. This is a double bonus. For one thing you actually get to eat breakfast which will keep you going the whole day. Secondly, you exercise and thus, energize yourself.

So there you have it. If you're not a morning exerciser, try switching over for a couple of weeks. In that time you will be able to tell whether mornings work for you or not. Keep those calories burning!

Health tips

Health - Very Very Important Tips
Answer the phone by LEFT ear.
Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.
Do not take pills with COOL water.
Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.
Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.
Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night.
Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.
Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.
Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.
Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.
When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the phone as the radiation is 1000 times.

Are Soups Healthy?

As we all know, the first dish of a meal is the most important one. Even today, with all the debates going on about right and wrong food, nobody doubts the good effects of soups in our body. Hot soup in particular has numerous health benefits.

Soup is made by boiling ingredients in water or broth until the ingredients become tender and the flavor is extracted. Drinking this liquid, the body can then absorb and assimilate these nutrients quickly without having to digest and break down the meat and vegetables. It is an ideal way to obtain loads of nutrients minus the calories!

A big advantage of soup is that it can be made from almost anything and that too in minutes. Thus, making soup is a good way to get rid of leftovers. You can toss nearly any kind of meat or vegetable into a pot of boiling water along with some onions, sliced potatoes, add some salt and pepper; and in 30 minutes or less you will have a nice pot of soup. Another advantage of soup is that it does not require a sense of timing. Once it is made, it can set on the stove for hours to be devoured at any time. For those of us who are continuous eaters, this is a great advantage.

Soups have many health benefits like:

• They are the most nutritive method of consuming vegetables because the vitamins and nutrients in the soup are retained unlike the overcooked vegetables.
• Soups are excellent for many diseases like asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and many others. The reason being that the soup are packed with the nutrients of the vegetable plus while making the soup we also tend to add ginger, garlic, black pepper which are responsible for making the mucus and phlegm thinner and hence it can be easily coughed/drained away. The antioxidants present in vegetables and garlic are excellent for decreasing the high cholesterol levels. Diabetics would also benefit from drinking soup as the high antioxidant content of soups helps rectify the damage by the high blood sugar levels.
• Soups are filling and very low calorie, therefore they are great for someone trying to decrease the quantity of food.
• Soups are a great substitute to excessive tea/coffee and now many companies offer soups in the workplace besides the coffee/tea vending machines.
• Kids often enjoy soups and it is far tastier than cooked vegetables.

Different ingredients used to make soups determine what the soup can do for the body. Some good soups include:

• Onion soup: Good for clotting disorders.
• Spinach soup: Prevents anemia.
• Lentil soup: Great for growing children.
• Mixed vegetable soup with chicken: A complete and nutritious meal.
• Cabbage soups: Great to lose those extra pounds.

The list is endless and open to creativity...

Points to keep in mind while making soups:

• Do not add milk or cream to the soup, not only does it add calories to the soup but even more important is the fact that it binds and locks the vitamins in the soup which are then not available to the body.
• Avoid adding cornflour or maida (plain white flour) to the soup because it prevents the decongestant benefits of soups.
• Do not always have packet soups because only the fresh soups have the antioxidant properties.
• Add herbs like coriander, lemon grass, ginger, garlic etc as they add to the healing properties of the soup.
• To make the soup a complete meal you can add chicken, vegetables, tofu or boiled and mashed mung dal (green gram) or channa dal (skinless black chickpeas) OR you can also make lentil soup.

Take soup to drink away the problems. Preparation of soup can be carried out at home as well. It is better than going to restaurant. Methods of preparation can be obtained from kitchen booklets available in the market or by surfing on the internet. You can even switch on to cookery show in TV. Many people believe in blind faith that having soup actually doesn't yield any good to health. Throw away this belief and drink soup.

How to Eat Out and still Stay Healthy?

Whenever you are out and have forgotten to carry lunch or if you are a bachelor/bachelorette and do not have the time to cook, you will frequently find it difficult to find a wholesome healthy meal outside in the market. To top that, eating out everyday has its own perils.

Eating out is becoming a bigger and bigger challenge. Sticking to your guns away from home is hard for many reasons. Plus you never know what's in your food especially when the kitchen is behind closed doors. The way out of this dilemma is to know what to choose when eating out.

So you want your cake and want to eat it , well you can! Eat out and stay healthy, how you ask? It's easy, just follow these tips:

When Eating:

• At market grocery store or at roadside vendors, GO FOR:
  • A banana (no fear of infection thanks to the natural packaging) with packed curd or bottled cold coffee.
  • Packet of roasted channa plus nariyal pani (Coconut water).
  • Packet fruit juice plus pop corn (for chubby friends, avoid butter).
  • Whole wheat biscuits plus a packed juice or a cold coffee.

• At a Fast Food joint, GO FOR:
  • Whole wheat sandwiches plus ice tea.
  • Veggie salads with less cheese and cream OR non-veg salad with lot of greens.
  • Garlic bread plus a salad with very little mayonnaise or cheese.

• At a Budget joint, GO FOR:
  • Upma plus chaach (Cultured Butter Milk).
  • Idli OR plain dosa plus mint chutney and light sambhar.
  • Whole wheat sandwich with lots of green veggies plus cold coffee.
  • Lassi (Sweet Butter Milk) plus dhokla OR khandvi.
  • Salad plus ice tea.
  • Whole wheat roti plus palak paneer (avoid all other green vegetables which have too much oil).

• At a hotel, GO FOR
  • It is good to stick to light food without too much oil and cheese.
  • Potato salad OR fruit salad and rice noodles with lots of green vegetables.
  • Whole wheat pasta with a tomato base with lots of green vegetables.

5 Reasons To Have Salads

Winter has arrived which means the marketplace will be flooded with fresh fruits and vegetables. It is great time to eat fresh refreshing foods. And what could be more refreshing than a fresh bowl of salads.

Salads mean different things to different people; for some it is rabbit food, for others it is a mantra to achieve a perfect figure, some even contest that what is the point of living a young healthy life if all the fun out of eating is taken away. Whatever they say, salads are one of the most popular dishes be it a restaurant, a dinner party or any other occasions. This is because salads are healthy dishes with an abundance of different ingredients and there are many salad recipes readily available. Salad recipes can encompass so many different ingredients including regular everyday fruits and vegetables to exotic ones. Salad recipes can also include different meats, seafood, and even tofu.

The popularity of salads is already pretty big and will continue to grow as the obesity problem continues to grow. But weight loss isn't the only reason why you should have salads there are many more, like:

1. Salads are simply delicious. Anyone who has eaten salads knows that it is a great way to mix completely different kinds of foods, textures and flavors in one meal. In salads one can mix green crunchy leaves (spinach, lettuce, cabbage, etc), nuts (almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, etc.), cereals (boiled corn, beans, peas, etc), boiled lentils (black channa, rajmah, etc), herbs (basil, oregano, mint, holy basil, etc), even some  proteins like boiled eggs or chicken and toss it with a salad dressing of honey, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar. For those who have a sweet tooth you can also add raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, etc. There are so many online recipes that will help you make salads that are delicious and out of this world!
2. Salads are very filling. Once you add ingredients like potato, pasta, beans, corn or egg, it is a complete meal in itself. Eating a salad besides being very refreshing is also very fulfilling.
3. Salads are healthy! It has fiber to keep the constipation and diseases away. It is loaded with enzymes which keep you looking like you have just passed out of college. It has truckloads of vitamins and minerals due to the nuts and greens. It has medicinal properties due to the fresh herbs. Dry fruits like raisin, apricots prunes, and figs, when added to salads, can help you make your body alkaline which according to Ayurveda is a healthy state. The added health benefit of green salad is that they are raw which can help you reduce cancer risk.
4. Salads are ideal for people who do not like to eat a heavy lunch or dinner because it makes them feel bloated, lethargic or plain lazy. Therefore, they can make a great choice by having salads as it would at least keep them awake after eating to conduct the business.
5. Salads are incredibly easy to make. Even an amateur chef  can whip up a great salad within minutes! Men and women who hate toiling in the kitchen should surf the net for some great recipes to make salads. 

Because of all these reasons, next time at a restaurant or even hosting a party at home, definitely go with the salad as a side or main dish.

Tea - A Healthy Drink

The story of tea begins over four and a half thousand years ago. According to Chinese mythology, the Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar and herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. A leaf from the tree above dropped into the water and he decided to try the concoction. The pleasant aroma and refreshing taste enchanted him and soon everyone in the realm was drinking tea. Tea soon became renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. Its soothing, healing and invigorating effects have been appreciated throughout the world for hundreds of years. Tea is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world exceeded only by water. India is one of the most prolific tea drinking countries, after some south eastern countries like Japan, China.

There seems to be some debate by various lobbies regarding whether tea is good for one's health or does it end up harming us?

When tea harms

It is alleged that tea can actually decrease the amount of iron which is absorbed by the body. People who are habituated to drinking tea after meals, are the worst affected since tea consumed right after meals can indeed lead to the above allegation. Studies done on this hence advice people to avoid tea after meals and say it is not to be used as a digestive.

Like anything that's done in excess, too much tea also has negative effects on one's health. In other words excessive consumption of tea can over stimulate the nervous system, which is a fact. Too much tea can lead to restlessness lack of concentration.

On the same frame the other talked about ill effects of tea seem to be acidity and gas; although this is true but only in cases of strong tea, which is richly brewed and had with milk or lemon. Light green tea does not have this effect

Goodness in a cup of tea

It is truly believed that tea has many beneficial affects like an increase in concentration levels, good memory, alertness and stamina to work. It has the ability to shake us out of our afternoon lethargy! It is essential to remember nevertheless that moderation is in our best interest.
Tea also is very rich in antioxidants that clean the whole system and are responsible for the process of aging or the cholesterol deposits which cause the hardening of the arteries, skin pigmentation and also kidneys becoming weak..

Tea is said to be rich in fluorides which protect the gums and teeth and are also good for one's oral health. Another wonderful benefit is that tea is also a mood elevator.

Diet Mantras for Working People

Most working people have the same complaints these days - no time to eat , rushed office time , long office hours and inadvertent eating out leading to acidity , gas , bloating , nausea , and obesity. Many people woefully complain that they hardly eat and yet they are gaining weight. What could be going wrong? The problem is that the food, instead of energizing, is sapping them away of all the energies.

If you are a working man/woman, here are a few mantras for you that can help you stay healthy and feel energized:

Don't skip the most important meal of the day (breakfast)

Missing the most important meal of the day tends to set a trend for the rest of the day. People skip breakfast for various reasons; it could be due to eating late at night therefore they don't feel hungry in the morning; they have no time because they're running late or even that they believe that skipping breakfast will keep them slim. What ever the reason, the problems one faces are ten times worse. Out of the many reasons to eat breakfast in the morning, some are:

1. Eating breakfast first thing in the morning is very important for the brain and the body. For people on the go, a ready to eat cereal topped with fruits and yoghurt is one of the many easy options.
2. Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels (also known as blood sugar) after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack.
3. Breakfast is also important for weight loss and management as it helps curb your hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day.

Eat at regular intervals

Our bodies need food (that equals energy), at regular intervals. Denying food to our bodies is like not greasing a piece of machinery, how will it thus function? Here is why meal timings are important:

1. The best way to avoid acidity, gas, bloating is to eat small meals several times a day. Frequent mini-meals supply a steady stream of insulin to preserve muscle, but less of an insulin release (and thus less fat gain) over 24 hours than if you ate three big squares.
2. Along with sleep and coffee, food has a huge impact on how energized you feel during the day. So keep handy some healthy snacks if you're going to have a late lunch/dinner and when you finally get to your meal, just eat a small potion instead of gouging on it.
3. Regularize your eating patterns so body knows there's steady supply of food, this in turn, will ensure that it doesn't store fat.

Pay attention towards healthy food options

When hunger strikes, you eat chocolates, chips or fried foods. All these are contributory factors towards obesity, constipation etc. Some things to keep in mind:

1. Read up on healthier options such as dry roasted nuts which taste great and yet pack 1/3^rd of your daily needed calories. Keep them with you when you're on the go or even in your office drawers.
2. Breakfast should consist of fruits and milk products e.g. papaya, apples, bananas, oranges, cottage cheese, yoghurt etc.
3. For lunch/ dinner, make sure there is a balance between carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Dals, vegetables and lean meats are a good option as well as non starched rice and wheat roti's etc.

Avoid Eating outside food

With a busy and long day at work and other commitments, we tend to take the easy way out by just grabbing some junk food. Here are a few suggestions -

1. Don't leave home with a satisfying breakfast under your belly.
2. Carry fruits and nuts with you, instead of cookies and chips.
3. Pack lunch as and when possible or get the famous dabbawallas to send you a home cooked meal.

Reduce intake of aerated and caffeinated drinks.

Feeling thirsty? With all the choices of many drinks we end up consuming lots of fizzy drinks thus feel no hunger. Fizzy drinks of any brand cause excessive bloating, palpitations, inability to concentrate and lead to reverse hypoglycemia. Here are a few suggestions -

1. Always keep water on your bedside and on your work stations.
2. Choose packaged coconut water, nimbu pani (lime drink), fruit juices or herbal drinks.
3. If you need to have coffee or tea, restrict the amount you drink in a day to not more than 2/3 cups.

Avoid Stress and long working hours.

High stress jobs, lots of late night parties, alcohol, fizzy drinks, smoking etc. accelerate the side effects of poor dietary habits. Some ways to alleviate the harmful effects are -

1. Intake of foods that cool your system such as yoghurt, cucumbers, tomatoes etc keep us hydrated.
   
2. Intake of high-fibre foods such as oat bran, woody vegetables etc. keep your energy levels high.
   
3. A balanced diet and regular meal timings will ensure your health can cope with such physical stress.

How Bad Are iPods for Your Hearing?

Hearing loss is more common than ever before. About 16% of American adults have an impaired ability to hear speech, and more than 30% of Americans over age 20 — an estimated 55 million people — have lost some high-frequency hearing, according to a new study published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The finding has got experts — and concerned parents — wondering anew: Does listening to loud music through headphones lead to long-term hearing loss? Brian Fligor, director of diagnostic audiology at Children's Hospital Boston, explains how much damage your headphone habit might cause — and how to mitigate your risk.

Q: How much hearing loss does an iPod cause?

A: It depends on the person, it depends on how long you're listening, and it depends on the level at which you're setting your iPod.

If you're using the earbuds that come with an iPod and you turn the volume up to about 90% of maximum and you listen a total of two hours a day, five days a week, our best estimates are that the people who have more sensitive ears will develop a rather significant degree of hearing loss — on the order of 40 decibels (dB). That means the quietest sounds audible are 40 dB loud. Now, this is high-pitched hearing loss, so a person can still hear sounds and understand most speech. The impact is going to be most clearly noted when the background-noise level goes up, when you have to focus on what someone is saying. Then it can really start to impair your ability to communicate.

This would happen only after about 10 years or so or even more of listening to a personal audio device. One patient I had used his headphones instead of earplugs when he was on his construction job. He thought as long as he could hear his music over the sound of his saws, he was protecting his ears — because he liked the sound of his music but didn't like the sound of the construction noise. He had a good 50 dB to 55 dB of noise-induced hearing loss at 28 years old. We asked a few pointed questions about when he was having difficulty understanding people, and his response was classic. "When I'm sitting at home with the TV off, I can understand just fine," he said, "but when I go out for dinner, I have trouble."

There is huge variation in how people are affected by loud sound, however, and this is an area where a number of researchers are conducting studies. Certainly a huge part of this is underlying genetics. We know how much sound causes how much hearing loss based on studies that were conducted in the late '60s and early '70s, before employers were required to protect workers' hearing in noisy work environments. What was found is that when people are exposed to a certain level of noise every day for a certain duration, they're going to have a certain degree of hearing loss on average. But the amount of hearing loss might differ by as much as 30 dB between people who had the toughest ears and those with the most tender ones — a huge variation. Unfortunately, we don't know who has the tougher ears and who has the tender ones until after they've lost their hearing. So, as a clinician, I have to treat everyone as if they had tender ears.

Particularly with noise-induced hearing loss, the primary area where the ear is damaged is not the eardrum, not the part of the ear that you can see and not the bones that are inside the middle ear — it is actually deeper inside. It's where the nerve that brings the sound message up to the brain connects with the inner ear, and it involves some very specialized cells. These are hair cells, and specifically we're looking at the outer hair cells. When they're overexposed or stimulated at too high a level for too long a duration, they end up being metabolically exhausted. They are overworked. They temporarily lose their function, so sound has to be made louder in order for you to hear it. These cells can recover after a single exposure, but if you overexpose them often enough, they end up dying, and you lose that functional ability inside your inner ear. The cells that die are not replaceable.

As far as a rule of thumb goes, the figures we got in our studies were that people using that standard earbud could listen at about 80% of maximum volume for 90 minutes per day or less without increasing their risk for noise-induced hearing loss. But the louder the volume, the shorter your duration should be. At maximum volume, you should listen for only about 5 minutes a day.

I don't want to single out iPods. Any personal listening device out there has the potential to be used in a way that will cause hearing loss. We've conducted studies of a few MP3 players and found very similar results across the MP3 manufacturers. Some in-the-ear earphones are capable of providing higher sound levels than some over-the-ear earphones. That said, studies we've done on behavior show that the type of earphones has almost nothing to do with the level at which people set their headphones. It's all dictated by the level of background noise in their listening environment. When we put people in different listening environments, like flying in an airplane — we used noise we'd recorded while flying on a Boeing 757 commercial flight, and we simulated that environment in our lab — 80% of people listened at levels that would eventually put their hearing at risk. On the subway system here in Boston, the ambient noise levels are very comparable to the level on an airplane, although it sounds very different. The noise is sufficiently high that it induces people to listen to their headphones at excessively loud volume.

I'm a self-professed loud-music listener. I use my iPod at the gym, and I love it. I think it's one of the greatest inventions ever. I even advocate that people listen to music as loud as they want. But in order to listen as loud as you want, you need to be careful about how long you're listening. I would also strongly recommend that people invest in better earphones that block out background noise. Some of the research we did studied earphones that completely seal up the ear canal. These are passive sound-isolating earphones, as opposed to the ones that are active noise cancelers that block out some of the noise. As far as I can tell, both would allow people to listen to their headphones at their chosen level — and more likely at a lower volume than if they were using the stock earbuds.

Bad breath (Halitosis)

What causes bad breath?

Most people suffer from bad breath occasionally. However, if it becomes permanent you should consult your dentist. Bad breath is usually due to the breakdown of proteins by bacteria somewhere in the mouth. However, there are several other possible causes in the airways, oesophagus and stomach that can also lead to bad breath.

1. What you eat affects the air you exhale. Certain foods, such as garlic and onions, contribute to objectionable breath odour. Once the food is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is transferred to the lungs, where it is expelled. Brushing, flossing and mouthwash will only mask the odour temporarily. Odours continue until the body eliminates the food. People on a diet may develop unpleasant breath from infrequent eating.

2. If you do not brush and floss daily, particles of food remain in the mouth, collecting bacteria, which can cause bad breath. Food that collects between the teeth, on the tongue and around the gums can rot, leaving an unpleasant odour. Dentures that are not cleaned properly can also harbour odour causing bacteria and food particles.

3. One of the warning signs of periodontal (gum) disease is persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth. Periodontal disease is caused by plaque, the sticky, colourless film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. The bacteria create toxins that irritate the gums. In the advanced stage of the disease, the gums, bone and other structures that support the teeth become damaged.

4. Bad breath is also caused by dry mouth (xerostomia), which occurs when the flow of saliva decreases.

5. Tobacco products cause bad breath, stain teeth, reduce one's ability to taste foods and irritate gum tissues. Tobacco users are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease and are at greater risk for developing oral cancer.

6. Bad breath may be the sign of a medical disorder, such as a local infection in the respiratory tract (nose, throat, windpipe, lungs), chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment.


Factors in the mouth that cause bad breath:

* Dental decay
* Gum disease
* Food stagnation between the teeth
* Dry mouth
* Excessive bacterial activity on the tongue, possibly due to postnasal drip (catarrh coming down the back of the throat from the sinuses and nasal passages)
* Throat or tonsil infection


Factors in the airways that cause bad breath:

* Sinusitis
* Polyps
* Dryness
* Foreign body
* Hindered air or mucus flow
* Bronchitis
* Pneumonia


Factors in the oesophagus and stomach that cause bad breath:

* Gastritis and food reflux
* Food stagnation
* In rare cases, bad breath can be a sign of a significant general health problem, so it should not be ignored. However, the usual cause is oral, which can often be treated to resolve the problem


How is the diagnosis made?

Regular checkups will allow your dentist to detect any problems such as gum disease, a dry mouth or other disorders that may be the cause. Schedule regular dental visits for a professional cleaning and checkup. If you think you have constant bad breath, keep a log of the foods you eat and make a list of medications you take. Some medications may play a role in creating mouth odours. Let your dentist know if you have had any surgery or illness since your last appointment. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy and that the odour is not of oral origin, you may be referred to a specialist to determine the cause of the odour and for treatment. With regular dental checkups, your dentist can detect and treat periodontal disease early.

What is the treatment?

Maintaining good oral hygiene, eliminating gum disease and scheduling regular professional cleanings are essential to reducing bad breath. Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste to remove food debris and plaque. Brush your tongue, too. Once a day, use floss or an interdental cleaner to clean between teeth. If you wear removable dentures, take them out at night. Clean them thoroughly before replacing them the next morning.

Mouthwashes are generally cosmetic and do not have a long-lasting effect on bad breath. If you must constantly use a breath freshener to hide unpleasant mouth odour, see your dentist. If you need extra help in controlling plaque, your dentist may recommend using a special antimicrobial mouthrinse. A fluoride mouth rinse, used along with brushing and flossing, can help prevent tooth decay. If you suffer from dry mouth, your dentist may prescribe an artificial saliva, or suggest using sugarless candy and increasing your fluid intake.

What can you do for yourself?

* Maintain a high level of oral and dental hygiene. In addition to brushing, it is important to clean between the teeth using dental floss.
* Use a tongue cleaner and clean right to the back of the tongue.
* Use a mouthwash recommended by your dentist or pharmacist. The best time to use it is just before sleeping
* Drink plenty of fluids, avoiding too much coffee
* Clean your mouth after eating milk products, fish and meat
* Chew sugar-free gum, especially if your mouth feels dry
* Eat fresh, fibrous vegetables
* Visit your dentist regularly and have your teeth professionally cleaned as required.

Brain Damaging Habits

Without Breakfast

People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.
This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.


Overeating

It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.


Smoking

It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.


High Sugar consumption

Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing
malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.


Air Pollution

The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air
decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain
efficiency.


Lacking of Sleep

Sleep allows our brain to rest.. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.


Head covered while sleeping

Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and
decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.


Working your brain during illness

Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of
the brain as well as damage the brain.


Lacking in stimulating thoughts

Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.


Talking Rarely

Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain.

Tips for caring Eyes

Its very hard to manage time without computers and internets. Such a role computers and internets playing in our day to day activities. Most of our work is done on computers, and there is usually no escape from it. It is a visually intensive task and, unfortunately, our work pressure and lifestyles do not give us the opportunity to be kind to our eyes.

Tips for caring Eyes:


i. Know your eyes

Tears: The first line of defence, they also serve as lubrication by keeping the eyes moist and nourished; they also have a corrective lens function.Eyelids: Their main job is to protect your eyes from dirt, dust and harsh light.

Eyelashes: A protective net for your eyes.

Cornea: A refractive zone that guides light to reach the retina.

Pupil: Controls the amount of light that enters your eyes.

Lens: A refractive zone that also guides light into the retina.

Retina and Optic Nerve: A bunch of intricate wiring that carries vision signals between your brain and eyes.

ii. Exercise your eyes

“First, blink your eyes several times. While you keep your eyes closed, roll your eyeballs both clockwise and anticlockwise and take a deep breath. Gradually open your eyes while releasing your breath. This exercise lasts for a minute and you can repeat it three times before getting back to work.” It serves as a good workout for the eyes.

iii. Look away

While working for long hours, look at distant objects either in your office or outside. Looking at a distant object and then returning to your task helps your eyes focus better. Try taking such visual breaks for about five to 10 minutes every hour.

iv. Palming

Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

v.Splash water on your face

During breaks, splash water on your face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

vi. Take a walk

After you’re done with lunch, take a stroll outside your office for a few minutes. This will give your eyes a much-needed break and get them some fresh air.

vii. Use tea bags

Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

viii. Drink water

Drink plenty of water. It helps reduce puffiness. When a person is dehydrated, especially in an air-conditioned office, the body starts storing water as a defence mechanism. This adds to puffiness around the eyes.

ix. Eat healthy

Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

x. Know your contact lenses

“Ideally, a person who uses lenses should wear it for not more than 10-12 hours a day and occasionally for 14 hours a day,” suggests Dr Belvi.

Never wear your contact lenses while swimming. The pool water houses various micro-organisms as there are several people using it. This may lead to fungal infections in the eyes. In addition, the chlorine in the water can damage your contact lenses.

“Lenses are like sponge, making them susceptible to attracting dirt,” says Dr Belvi.

xi. Eye dos and don’ts


Visit your doctor


“One should ideally visit their ophthalmologist once a year, but if there is a problem with your eyes, visit sooner,” suggests Dr Belvi.

In addition, before buying an eye-care product such as eye drops, always check the expiry date and don’t forget to check the prescription. It is always advisable to visit your ophthalmologist prior to visiting your optician. Remember, your ophthalmologist is trained to detect several other eye related diseases, apart from the reading of your eye power.

~ Wear antiglare glasses while driving or at work

“Antiglare glasses are mainly used for focused light — such as full beam car headlights — and serve well for night driving. These can also be used while working on the computer,” says Dr Belvi.

Using a pair of antiglare glasses while working on a computer can reduce the strain on the eyes to a certain extent. If you wear contact lenses, wear a pair of zero powered antiglare glasses for the same purpose.

~ Use re-wetting eye drops

An office environment that is predominantly air-conditioned, coupled with a computer intensive job, this is the perfect combination for dry eyes.In such cases, you can use re-wetting eye drops to give relief to your eyes. Why? “When dry eyes occur, the aim is to get the tears back into our eyes — whether it is naturally (by simple blinking exercises), or artificially (if the problem aggravates),” says Dr Belvi.“Re-wetting eye drops have a similar in composition to natural tears. One should go for eye drops that do not have any preservatives. Eye drops with preservatives are toxic to the eyes in the long run. You can use re-wetting eye drops as and when required, but preferably span it to a minimum of four to six times a day. If the problem persists, visit your ophthalmologist as soon as possible.”The two most commonly used preservatives in all eye drops are Benz Alkonium Chloride and Chlorbutol. Read the contents of the bottle carefully and avoid eye drops with these preservatives.~ Reduce your smoking and alcohol intake“Smoking and alcohol consumption (either alone or combined) causes irreversible optic nerve damage. As both nicotine and alcohol are nerve toxins, they affect the nerves in the long run. Over a period of time, this can lead to poor or weak eyesight,” warns Dr Belvi.~ Never rub your eyes

If dirt enters your eyes, do not rub as this may cause the dirt to stick inside. “Blink several times to start your tears flowing; this will help flush out the dirt,” advises Dr Belvi. “If you rub your eyes, the dirt particle will keep disturbing your vision and irritate your eyes. In such cases, seek your ophthalmologist’s help immediately.”

Quick tips for eye care

~ Shelf life

Preservative-free re-wetting eye drops have a shelf life of about a year, if the seal is unopened. Those with preservatives last around two years, if unopened.

~ Discard

All eye drops should be discarded within a month after opening their seals. Once opened, the medicinal properties tend to deteriorate due to exposure to the external atmosphere, making it unsuitable for your eyes.

~ Protective eye gear

While driving, wear protective eye gear — especially if you are wearing contact lenses (for night driving) or sunglasses with UV protection (for day driving). Make sure the gear covers the sides of your eyes as well.

Being healthy is a personal choice and one has to work hard at it. A balanced diet, regular sleep habits, a balance between work and rest, ad exercises — all play a vital role in restoring our health and helping us maintain our eyesight