Thursday, 4 November 2010

Quit Smoking Tips: Sure-shot Suggestions

Smoking is injurious to health. This is the statutory tag which anyone can find on the cigarette packet. It is not clearly described what kinds of injury are caused when anyone smokes. Even a school student can find how smoking affects the human lungs. Everyone knows that the physicians advise the patients to give up smoking. The patients suffering from diabetic, blood pressure, nervous, digestive and cardiac ailment should not touch a single cigarette. Smoking of cigarettes, it is now established, can turn one into a patient with ailment of cancer.

Injuries caused by smoking are much more. The smokers do not know how their near and dear ones become serious victims as they are forced to inhale the smokes of burnt tobacco passively. It is said that effect on the passive smokers is more harmful. Millions of smokers have been attacking the environment with unfathomable volume of smokes everyday, and the environment gets polluted more and more.

One important thing is that, despite all that have been stated above, none of the governments have the guts to order the cigarette companies to stop producing cigarettes. Quit smoking tips are to be followed against this spectrum.

Most of the smokers do not believe that they can quit smoking. Some of them hold the view that they will quit this habit gradually. This will not produce any effective result as these smokers do not want to distant them from regular contact of the effect of nicotine. Some others want to tell that they know the ill-effects of smoking cigarettes and that they will quit smoking very soon. This is a promise left to be considered sometime in the uncertain future. Promises of this kind are hardly kept.

The best way to address this problem is motivation. The smokers can be motivated externally and internally. It is possible to organize and run serious and continuous campaign against smoking cigarettes. Campaign against smoking must be turned into a tremendous social movement with active participation and patronage of governments, non-government organizations, offline and online printing media and general health workers. This campaign can create constant pressure on the people who hesitate to take final decision in favor of giving up this bad habit.

Lastly, the smokers can motivate them in this respect and quit smoking immediately. This is definitely the best way to quit smoking.

For more information, visit: http://www.quitsmokingpillcoupons.com/

1931 diet tips still relevant today

“The science of nutrition travels so rapidly that it is almost impossible to keep up with it,” wrote Lenna Frances Cooper in her textbook, “Nutrition in Health and Disease.”

Wow, is she right! Nutrition research findings hit the headlines daily. It’s a lot of information to digest. But, get this: She made that observation in 1931.

Cooper, a nurse and dietitian, was a dean at the Battle Creek Health Care Institution in Battle Creek, Mich. She was one of the co-founders of the American Dietetic Association and was appointed to the staff of the U.S. surgeon general.

You know how most folks think of healthy foods as the ones that don’t taste very good? Well, Cooper was even on the case when she wrote in the foreword of her cookbook, “The New Cookery”: “Many food faddists have attempted to prepare wholesome foods but have neglected the almost equally important requirement — palatability.”

In honor of Cooper’s pioneering diet advice from 1931, here are a few tips to dine out more healthfully today.

● Celebrate the season with a variety of salad greens.

Today: So-called “winter greens,” rich in anti-oxidants and disease-fighting beta carotene and abundant in autumn, include Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, collards and escarole. Chef Joe Schafer at Parish pairs sweet potato ravioli with the pleasingly bitter notes of Swiss chard.

1931 advice: “The quality of lettuce, which can be obtained all the year round in almost all sections of the country, has improved enormously.”

● Choose the whole-grain version.

Today: You can find whole-grain versions of everything from tortilla chips to doughnuts. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee tells us to eat fewer refined grains. Choose brown rice over white and whole-wheat bread over white. Discover the taste of “ancient” whole grains such as quinoa, spelt and amaranth that are showing up on restaurant menus.

1931 advice: “As a class, the whole cereals are rich in minerals, but these are found particularly in the germ and outer layer, which are usually discarded in the milling process.”

● Break the whole egg for breakfast.

Today: Rethink that egg white omelet. The nutrient choline, found in yolks, helps support the brain’s neurotransmitters and is linked to new memory cell production.
1931 advice: “The egg yolk is of much greater value than the white, as it contains the majority of the minerals and vitamins.”

● Eat like a vegetarian.

Today: Eat more plant-based foods such as vegetables, cooked dry beans and peas, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Check out the vegetarian entrees on menus when dining out, even if you’re not a vegetarian, to increase intake of valuable nutrients including fiber and anti-oxidants.

1931 advice: “Where an overindulgence of meat has been the habit, a recourse to a vegetarian diet often brings excellent results.”

● Dine out healthfully when there’s no time to cook.

Today: Whether it’s lower-fat fast-food favorites at Evos or chef Jeffrey Wall’s perfectly tossed orange and fennel salad with orange basil dressing at La Fourchette, restaurants are offering a greater selection of well-prepared healthful options.

1931 advice: “For cookery, lay wood shavings over the bottom of the firebox. When the wood is burning well, fill the firebox with coal. When the coal is burning without blue flames, close the oven dampers and the front door, but leave open the sliding draft in door.”

O’Neil’s advice: Get back in the time machine, use a smart phone to book dinner reservations, check the online menu for seasonal specialties, reapply lipstick and follow car’s GPS to the restaurant. Meet you there, Lenna!

Carolyn O’Neil is a
registered dietitian and
co-author of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” E-mail her at
carolyn@carolynoneil.com.


Tips for good sleep as we approach daylight-saving time

Daylight-Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7 and board-certified sleep physician, Anthony Masi, M.D., with the Sleep Center Institute at St. Mary’s Health Center, offers the following tips for getting a good night’s sleep. He also offers questions to determine if you have a bigger sleep issue that requires medical diagnosis and treatment.

Good sleep tips:
  • Don't eat a heavy meal before bedtime
  • Don't drink a lot of caffeine or alcohol before bedtime
  • Don't nap during the day, or at least keep it brief -- 10 to 15 minutes
  • Stop working on any task an hour before bedtime to calm down
  • Don't discuss emotional issues at bedtime
  • Make sure your sleep environment is comfortable
  • Don't turn lights on at night - use a small night-light instead
  • Don’t fall asleep with the television still on
  • Set a regular bedtime and wake up at the same time every day
  • Fight after–dinner drowsiness by doing something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep too early
Some questions to ask your doctor if you think you might have a sleep disorder:
  • If I snore, does that mean I definitely have a sleep disorder?
  • Is dry mouth a symptom of a sleep disorder?
  • How can I tell if I have insomnia?
  • Should I be concerned if I have trouble falling to sleep at night, lying awake for up to an hour before falling asleep?
  • How do I know if my mattress or another environmental factor is causing my sleep problems?
  • I am always tired despite adequate sleep time. Can this be a sign of sleep apnea?

Tuesday, 2 November 2010

Fennel tips to good health

Apart from it culinary use, fennel is a resourceful, aromatic herb that acts as a breath freshener, relieves dry coughs, relaxes the bloating of the stomach and intestine walls, controls hypertension, clears cloudy eyes, and also aids in slimming down that stomach!! Here are a few tips of fennel to good health.

Tip 1- Drink Fennel Tea
 
To de-puff your stomach before a big event, drink fennel tea, which helps ease digestive woes, says Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, author of The Fat Flush Plan. Start sipping a few nights ahead of time.

Tip 2 – Munch Fennel
 
Munching on 5 to 10 fennel seeds sweetens your breath naturally. In addition to increasing the production of saliva (which washes out bacteria), the herb's essential oil boasts antibacterial properties that may help fight bad-breath germs, says Andrew Gaeddert, an herbalist and the author of Healing Digestive Disorders. Fennel seeds can be carried in a small container and consumed post-meals.

Tip-3 – Chew Fennel to Relax
 
Fennel replenishes your body from a prolonged, strenuous workout. It controls muscle contractions, regulates fluid levels, as it is an excellent source of electrolytes and potassium.  Pair it with an apple (which contains healthy carbs essential for replenishing muscle energy) and pistachios (for muscle-repairing protein) in a salad, suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet.

Tip-4- Fennel for an Itchy Scalp
 
Suffering from an itchy scalp? Fennel seed oil may be the solution—it's a gentle anti-inflammatory that is ideal for treating an itchy scalp, nutritionist Paula Simpson says. Can't stop coughing? Make some fennel tea, says Nancy Arrowsmith, author of Essential Herbal Wisdom. The aromatic and medicinal herb, reduces chest congestion, as well as soothes a sore throat and eases out contractions due to recurring cough. Putting into practice the uses of this herb can facilitate god health, naturally.

Source  http://www.medicaldaily.com/news/20101101/3188/fennel-tips-to-good-health.htm

Monday, 1 November 2010

Five easy tips to rest and refresh for a healthier lifestyle

Living a healthy lifestyle encompasses a plethora of things - it goes well beyond diet and exercise. Working to alleviate stress and getting enough sleep are two major factors to a healthier you.

These five simple lifestyle tips can help improve your overall health and well-being throughout each day.

Establish everyday healthy tips habits: Diet and exercise are essential for a good night sleep. Regular exercise in the morning or during the day, for just 30 minutes, will help you fall into a deeper sleep and wake up with more energy. Avoiding caffeine, nicotine or other stimulants will increase your quality of sleep as well. Also, staying away from heavy, fatty foods at dinnertime will promote a healthier digestive system. By eating at least two hours before bed, your body will be able to digest food more easily, which will help to keep you from tossing and turning.

Just relax: After a long day, it is crucial to get some rest and relaxation to stay healthy. Reducing stress is important for mental stability and ultimately being a happier, healthier person. Performing daily relaxing rituals, like yoga or mediation, will help calm your mind and body from a stressful, busy day. If you don't have the time to spend stretching out in a yoga pose, try reading a book, catching up with your family around the living room, or sipping chamomile tea before bed. Making small changes like these are bound to keep you more relaxed, with plenty of peace of mind and primed for a restful night of sleep. 

Tossing and turning?: If you are having trouble relaxing and falling into a deep sleep, try logging a sleep diary for one week and list the time you went to bed, fell asleep, any night-time awakening, and the time you wake up. Calculate your average hours of sleep and look for patterns throughout the week. By observing what your body is telling you, you can make adjustments to get a deeper rest. Sleep is how the body rejuvenates so it is essential that you get at least eight hours per night. If you are regularly getting more than eight hours of sleep a day and still feel tired, you should consider seeing a physician to determine what your body is trying to say. Keep in mind that staying on a regular sleep schedule will keep you feeling more energized in the morning.

Set the mood: The quality of sleep is as just as important as the number of hours you are sleeping. Without the proper sleep environment, your body becomes more vulnerable to diseases and your immune function decreases. Making simple changes to your sleep environment will help you sleep better; try avoiding bright lights, TV, texting, loud music and computers. Leave your busy day at the bedroom door and reserve your bed for sleep and downtime only, that way your body will prepare itself for sleep mode once your head hits the pillow.

Catch some zzz's: One way to ensure you maximize the sleep you are getting is to determine whether you need a new mattress. If you are waking up with body aches and pains or even some types of unwanted allergies, a new mattress may be the solution to your problems. The new Embody by Sealy mattress is tailored to provide simplicity from the inside out without any extra layers to ensure a better night's sleep. The line provides a choice of clean, breathable products for a healthy sleep environment. In fact, the new Embody by Sealy incorporates Polartec Body Climate fabrics. The Polartec fabric allows air to circulate in and around the mattress to help regulate temperature all night long and wick away moisture to ensure a dry, healthy sleep.

For more information on how to get a simple, healthy rest visit www.facebook.com/EmbodyBySealy. 

6 Tips for Making Healthy Fast Food Choices

It is possible to get out of a fast food restaurant without totally undoing all of your hard work, you just have to make the right choices. 

Cooking your own food offers much more control over your dier than eating out, but if you make smart choices, that trip to the drive thru doesn't have to ruin your whole diet plan. Compiled from Eat This, Not That author David Zinczenko and a recent article from the editors of Men's Health magazine, these simple tips can make your fast food choices much healthier.
  1. Just because it sounds healthy, doesn't mean it is. When you eat at Subway or Panera Bread, you can't just assume that everything on the menu is low in calories. In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, diners were asked to estimate the number of calories in their meals, both at Subway and McDonalds. They both underestimated but Subway patrons were further off. When people eat at a healthy restaurant, they tend to order more food.
  2. Get the fresh fruit. If you're eating a fast food breakfast at a restaurant like IHOP or Denny's, the pancakes covered in fruit and whipped cream and sugary syrup look delicious, but all that extra sugar does you no good. Instead, skip the cream and syrup and ask for a side of fresh fruit instead to put on top of your short stack.
  3. Cappuccino is better than latte. Cappuccinos are made with steamed milk which has more air and fewer calories than the latte. The Grande Cappuccino at Starbucks with 2% milk has 70 calories less than the equivalent size latte. Over the course of a week, that adds up to around 500 calories less.
  4. Ham over Bacon over Sausage. No, this isn't the plan for one meat packed sandwich. When it comes to meats at breakfast, ham is the best choice of the three, then bacon, and sausage comes in last. At McDonalds, the McGriddle with sausage, egg and cheese has 560 calories and 32 grams of fat but the bacon, egg and cheese McGriddle has 420 calories and 18 grams of fat.
  5. Choose sides wisely. Some fast food chains now offer more choices than just fries. You can get a side salad or baked potato rather than french fries which are cooked in oil and covered with salt. Zinkzenko says that at Wendy's, the small chili saves you 320 calories and offers three times the protein over the large fry. Combined with a Jr. Cheeseburger and you have a meal for under 500 calories.
  6. Pass on the drinks. There is no soda that's a good soda. Even if you do opt for the diet variety, you're still not as healthy tips as simple water. Some chains offer bottled water, or you can always get the water from the fountain machine. It can sometimes be hard to find though and is usually a small button found underneath one of the larger soda logos.
If you order smart, you can still have some of your fast food faves without overdoing it. Stay away from the fries and the drinks and stick to some of the core items to keep calories from piling up. 


Simple tips towards building a healthier lifestyle

We all know that being healthy is a vital part of a long and happy life. However, actually taking action to stay healthy can sometimes seem like a chore. After a busy day at the office, relaxing with a packet of crisps and a television programme often seems like a more attractive option than an apple and a trip to the gym. However, if you’re keen to stay healthy and but can’t seem muster up the energy to do so, rest assured that there are plenty of ways to keep fit and eat well without completely giving up on the things you love.

When it comes to eating well, a mix of restraint and purchasing the right food can work wonders. For starters, eating a large, healthy breakfast can help. Choose porridge oats or another a cereal that is high in fibre and low in sugar, and pairing it with a piece of slow energy releasing fruit – like a banana – can ensure you remain full until lunch and don’t snack in between meals. If you’re accustomed to buying pre-prepared sandwiches for lunch, try making your own instead as shop-bought sandwiches can have a surprisingly high sugar and fat content. Alternatively, make a little extra food at dinner and have leftovers for lunch. In general, avoid crash dieting and choose foods with a low glycaemic index to boost your overall energy levels. Low GI carbohydrates include sweet potatoes, brown rice and spaghetti, while broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms and frozen peas are all low GI vegetables.

Remember, however, that eating well is only part of the solution to a healthy  tips for a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is important too and doesn’t need to be difficult. For instance, if the idea of a run doesn’t appeal to you and you live within two miles of your workplace, consider a brisk walk to work rather than driving – that should total around one hour’s exercise each day you make the journey by foot. On the other hand, if you’d like to visit a gym but you’re embarrassed about being seen to be a novice, think about hiring a personal trainer to workout with once or twice a week. Yoga is also worth considering. Usually associated with meditation and stress relief, there are many types of yoga to choose from and some can be surprisingly strenuous, aiding respiration and muscle tone. Some yoga instructors may even pay house calls, if you can organise a large enough group to attend.

Nevertheless, no matter how much we try to maintain a balanced lifestyle, it can be hard to banish small – and often unhealthy – everyday comforts. If you’re worried about the state of your health, you may be able to put your mind at ease by having a medical check-up. Such health assessments usually involve a physical test, an examination of medical history and a lengthy consultation with a doctor to determine health strengths and weaknesses. Though they can be expensive, they’re often worth considering in order to gain a realistic picture of your health situation and may even be covered by a cash plan, if you have one. Ultimately, a check-up offers you valuable peace of mind and your results may indicate whether you’re eating the right number of apples and pears, or whether you should cut back on a few more chips each week.