10 Tips to Beat the Cold

So, you’re down for the count. You have body aches, the chills, an achy head, a runny nose, and a fever.

We’ve all had it at least once. And many of us get sick with it on a regular basis, even if we do get a flu shot and take multivitamins on a regular basis.

The good news is that there are plenty of at-home flu remedies you can try before hitting the doctor’s office.

1. Think Steam

When you have a cold or the flu, steam is your friend because it helps open your airways

You can loosen up your stuffy nose if you breathe in some steam.

Boil water and pour it in a large bowl containing at least two teaspoons of shaved ginger. Drape a towel over your head, lower it until you’re right over the bowl, and breathe in the gingered steam.

You can also do this with Vick’s Vapor Rub. Simply drop a heaping spoonful of the balm into the boiling water and stir it until it dissolves. Again, breathe in the steam.

2. Blow Your Nose

It's better than sniffling mucus back into your head. But make sure you do it the right way. If you blow hard, you'll send germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, which can lead to an earache.

The best technique? Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other.

3. Eat Homemade Chicken Soup

Why does chicken soup help heal you when you’re sick? Well, doctors and scientists aren’t really sure. Some think that the hot chicken soup can improve the function of cilia, which are the tiny projections on your lungs that help protect you from foreign bacteria. The soup can also help strengthen your immune system which helps fight the disease. The broth also gives your body much-needed hydration.

4. Drink Ginger Tea

Ginger helps stimulate the nerves that lead to mucus production. If you have a scratchy throat, or dry, irritated nasal cavities, then slice some fresh ginger and put it in a tea strainer. Pour in some boiling water and let the ginger steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Humidify

Remember when I said steam is your friend? Well, this goes for your entire house.

The reason why the influenza virus spreads like wildfire during colder months is because it loves dry environments. And our homes, with the heat running all the time, are really, really dry during the winter. This means that once it gets in, it’s easy for the virus to live longer on doorknobs and other surfaces.

Keep your home as humid as possible during the winter months. And when you get sick, run a humidifier wherever you’re resting. This will also help your nasal cavities feel better.

6. Gargle With Warm Salt Water

It moistens your sore or scratchy throat and brings temporary relief. Try a half teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces of warm water four times a day.

To calm the tickle in your throat, try a gargle made from tea. Or use one that's got honey in it.

7. Stifle That Cough

If you have a persistent, dry cough, reach for the honey. Mix a tablespoon of honey with fresh lemon juice and half a cup of hot water. This can also help a sore throat feel better.

Remember though, you should only try to stifle a cough if it’s dry and persistent. If you’re coughing up mucus, then don’t try to stifle it. The more junk you can cough up, the quicker you’ll get better.

8. If You Can Stand It, Reach for the Garlic

So, you might only want to try this one if you’re home alone, but garlic is a well-known natural remedy for colds and flu. Why? Garlic has strong antiseptic and antispasmodic properties.

This means that garlic is a natural antibiotic and will help you stop coughing. Its oil will also help open up your respiratory passages and can even help lower your fever. When you’re sick, garlic is good.

To make a soup, chop 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and boil them in one cup of water. After it has boiled, strain off the garlic and drink the broth.

9. Drink, Drink, Drink

When you have the flu, you often get a fever. Although you may curse your high temperature, keep in mind that the fever is your body’s way of trying to kill the virus that has made you sick. The hotter you are, the harder it is for that virus to thrive.

Having a fever means that it’s that much easier for you to get dehydrated. You need to drink water and fruit juice constantly. Having enough moisture in your system will also help ensure that your coughs are productive (that is, the liquids can make mucus easier to cough up).

10. Reach for the Mustard

This remedy is going to sound positively medieval, but the Discovery Channel claims it works because mustard is loaded with anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Plus, people have been using mustard to help cure colds as far back as Ancient Roman times.

Make a mustard plaster by mixing 1 tablespoon of mustard with 2 to 4 tablespoons of flour. Then, mix in one egg white and enough warm water to form a paste.

Next, on a clean handkerchief or cotton cloth (big enough to cover the chest area) smear on the mustard just like you’d smear it on a sandwich. Then, put another piece of cloth on top of it.

Now, rub some olive oil on the patient’s chest and lay the mustard cloth sandwich on top. Leave the wrap on the chest for a few minutes, but make sure you check on it. Believe it or not, mustard burns the skin. After a few minutes take off the wrap and wipe off any mustard residue.

Do you have any other natural home remedies for the flu that work for you?

Share them in the comments below!

Are you Diabetic ? Its time for you to check your Eyes

Diabetic is one of the major Non Communicable disease affecting almost all types of population in the World. Many with Diabetes do not consider it as a major health problem and take it casually.

If you are one of those people it's time to wake up!
People suffering for long duration need to have frequent Eye checkup as long term diabetes can adversely affect the Eye.

Diabetic Retinopathy is a complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina in the back of the eye. A healthy retina is necessary for good vision.

You may not have any symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy initially, But it will gradually progress further and can ultimately lead to Blindness of both eyes.

How does Diabetes affect the Eye?


Diabetes Damages the Blood vessels and manifests by two mechanisms.

1. Fragile, abnormal blood vessels can develop and leak blood into the center of the eye (Called the Vitreous), blurring vision. This is proliferative retinopathy and is the fourth and most advanced stage of the disease.
2. Fluid can leak into the center of the macula, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is called macular edema.

On visiting your doctor he or she will look at the retina for early signs of the disease, such as:

• leaking blood vessels,
• retinal swelling, such as macular edema,
• pale, fatty deposits on the retina (exudates) – signs of leaking blood vessels,
• damaged nerve tissue (neuropathy), and
• any changes in the blood vessels.

As it is easier to treat if this is found in the early stages, it is recommended that you visit your ophthalmologist for Eye checkup at regular intervals.

Skipping breakfast, A Bad Idea for diabetics

Diabetes patients, who tend to skip their breakfast, face risk of dangerous blood sugar spikes, and lose their sugar control . 

Researchers have found, fasting until noon triggers major blood sugar spikes (postprandial hyperglycemia) and impairs the insulin responses of type-2 diabetics throughout the rest of the day .

According to researchers, pancreatic beta cells, which produce insulin lose their memory due to the prolonged period between dinner and the next day's lunch. In other words, they forget their vital role. Therefore, it took additional time after lunch for the beta cells to recover, causing small and delayed insulin responses and resulting in an exaggerated elevation of blood glucose levels throughout the day .


Another factor is that fasting until lunch increases fatty acids in our blood, which renders insulin ineffective in reducing blood glucose levels.

High blood sugar peaks are also linked to earlier development of heart disease complications

In a study, the researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who ate a big breakfast and a light dinner had blood sugar levels that were 20 percent lower than people who had a small breakfast and big dinner.

Some Myths about Diabetes Control:

One Important factor for unstable blood sugar is that people have a misconception that if they can skip the meal, they can combat diabetes.

• This is a Completely wrong concept and it could lead to serious consequences if continued.

People think, One can skip their anti diabetic drugs since they skipped their meal. 

• Skipping a meal does more harm to a Diabetic than to a normal person and avoiding the anti-Diabetic drugs further deteriorates the condition

So, Next time your friend says some weird technique to control Blood sugar naturally, do some surging and get an idea about it before practicing it.

And, Don't skip your BreakFast.

Combat Backpain

Back pain is one of the most common problems people face these days. It is commonly a message your body says to you, indicating you are becoming Lazy. Here is how you can avoid having a back pain.

Correct your posture
Crouching or bending forward on your chair or any unusual position is something which should be avoided. Sit straight, move often and keep your shoulders upright. A correct posture is something that can help immensely. Even Spider-man can get it if he continues to sleep cramped up without fighting crimes.

Loosen up the muscles
Back pain can result from stiff muscles. Loosen them by lying flat on your back and stretching each knee with respective hands towards your chest. Stretching the legs help in loosening up the muscles and help in the back pain.

Also, Lie on your stomach and try to lift both your lower limbs without bending your knees as much as possible.

Follow the below Excercise to get relief from Back pain

Low Back Pain Excercises

Hot and cold treatment
Treat your soar back with hot and cold massage. Take a bag of ice and massage your back with it one day. The next day for a hot massage.

Be active
Being physically active is the key. If yours is a job that requires you to sit for long hours, then do some basic exercise, do a 5 minute walk every 1 hour while at work, go jogging or early morning walks. They surely help.

Warning signs of brain stroke

Many might have heard about your neighbors or relatives had an attack of stroke or died of stroke.
Some even consider that Stroke is a type of Heart attack !

So, for all those who have queries about stroke or don't know what it is, continue reading to know more about it.

Stroke is the loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain.
This could occur either due to ischemia (lack of blood flow) due to blockage or due to hemorrhage or due to blood Clot in the blood vessels supplying the Brain. However, an ordinary person is not aware of what stroke is, what it's manifestations are, what the immediate course of action should be and how stroke patients should be rehabilitated.


The Causes of Stroke are multi-factorial and no single factor can be the only cause. 
Diabetes & Hypertension, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol level, and heart diseases are the important risk factors of stroke.
Thus it is essential that you maintain a healthy lifestyle practices and take care of your health

Warning signs of brain stroke
Fainting attack: Before you get an attack of stroke, some people can experience sudden fainting attacks and momentary loss of Consciousness. Though this can be associated with other conditions, but it is very essential for you to be evaluated for its cause as one of the most common cause is vessel occlusion which can later lead to Stroke.



Throbbing headache: One can suffer a severe throbbing headache suddenly without a reason, this generally points towards hemorrhagic stroke.

Face drooping: If the face of the patient droops to one side or there is numbness on one side of the face, go to Hospital immediately. Also ask if the person can smile and see if both side of lips move equally.

Weakness in the arm and Lower Limb: A stroke patient will experience numbness or weakness in one of both of his/her arms. You can ask him/her to raise her hand, in a stroke patient the hand will fall downwards.

Difficulty in speaking: During a stroke patients generally have slurred speech. Ask them to repeat simple questions, generally they won't be able to reply it correctly.

Loss of balance: A stroke patients finds it difficult to balance his body, he may suffer from difficulty in moving and lack of co-ordination.


Other symptoms include: 

- Loss of short-term memory
- Neck stiffness can be present. 
- Episodes of black-out or visual impairment
- Giddiness/ imbalance
- Pain behind the eye

Act Fast:
If you suspect a person to be having an attack of stroke, act fast as Brain is one of the most vital organ which cannot survive long without inadequate blood supply. Immediately call the emergency service and Prompt treatment can a person almost completely recover from it.

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Adopt Power walks

Power walks the way you go !!

Hypertensive patients who went for fitness walks at a brisk pace lowered pressure by almost 8 mmhg over 6 mm Hg.

Exercise helps the heart use oxygen more efficiently, so it doesn’t work as hard to pump blood.

Get a vigorous cardio workout of at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Try increasing speed or distance so you keep challenging your ticker.

Be salt smart

It has been found out that Hypertensive patients usually have family history of hypertension. This has been recently found to be due to family sensitivity to salt.

Watch for sodium in processed foods, That’s where most of the sodium in your diet comes from. Try seasoned foods with spices, herbs, lemon, and salt-free seasoning blends.

Breathe deeply

Slow breathing and meditative practices such as  yoga, and tai chi decrease stress hormones, which elevate renin, a kidney enzyme that raises blood pressure.

Try 5 minutes in the morning and at night.

Inhale deeply and expand your belly. Exhale and release all of your tension.

These stress-busting yoga also helps to relieve tension.

Potassium for sodium

Aim for potassium levels of 2,000 to 4,000 mg a day.

Loading up on potassium-rich fruits and vegetables is an important part of any blood pressure-lowering program.

Top sources of potassium-rich produce include sweet potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, potatoes, bananas, kidney beans, peas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and dried fruits such as prunes and raisins.

Indulge in dark chocolate

Dark chocolate varieties contain flavanols that make blood vessels more elastic.

Studies have shown eating dark chocolate have shown to decrease Blood Pressure.

Have 1/2 ounce daily (make sure it contains at least 70% cocoa).

Drink Alcohol

Don’t get excited !  Drinking a little Alcohol is good ( Beware: Only LITTLE”). Studies have found that light drinking (defined as one-quarter to one-half a drink per day for a woman) may actually reduce blood pressure more than no drinks per day.

One “drink” is 12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.

Other studies have also found that moderate drinking—up to one drink a day for a woman, two for a man—can lower risks of heart disease. But moderate alcohol is protective of the heart. If you are going to drink, drink moderately.

Switch to decaf coffee

Scientists have long debated the effects of caffeine on blood pressure. Studies found that caffeine consumption of 500 mg—roughly three 8-ounce cups of coffee—increased blood pressure by 4 mm Hg, and that effect lasted until bedtime.

Caffeine can raise blood pressure by tightening blood vessels(Vasoconstriction) and by magnifying the effects of stress.

When you’re under stress, your heart starts pumping a lot more blood, boosting blood pressure and caffeine exaggerates that effect.

 If you drink a lot of Coffee, it is better that you switch over to Decaffeinated Coffee.

Take up tea

Lowering high blood pressure is as easy as one, two, tea.

The phytochemicals in hibiscus are probably responsible for the large reduction in high blood pressure, says studies.

Many herbal teas contain hibiscus-  look for blends that list it near the top of the chart of ingredients—this often indicates a higher concentration per serving.

Work (a bit) less

Putting in more than 41 hours per week at the office raises your risk of hypertension by 15%, according to a University of California.

Overtime makes it hard to exercise and eat healthy.

It may be difficult to clock out early in today’s tough economic times, but try to leave at a decent hour—so you can go to the gym or cook a healthy meal—as often as possible.

Set an end-of-day message on your computer as a reminder to turn it off and go home.

Take a break of few minutes between work so relax your mind.

Music Therapy

Want to bring down your blood pressure a bit more than medication or lifestyle changes can do alone?

The right tunes can help, according to researchers at the University of Florence in Italy. 

Listening to soothing classical, Celtic, or Indian music for 30 minutes daily while breathing slowly lowers systolic pressure by 3-4 mm Hg after a month.

Seek help for snoring

It’s time to heed your partner’s complaints and get that snoring checked out. Loud, incessant snores are one of the main symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

University of Alabama researchers found that many sleep apnea sufferers also had high levels of aldosterone, a hormone that can boost blood pressure.

In fact, it’s estimated that half of all people with sleep apnea have high blood pressure.

If you have sleep apnea, you may experience many brief yet potentially life-threatening interruptions in your breathing while you sleep.

In addition to loud snoring, excessive daytime tiredness and early morning headaches are also good clues.

If you have high blood pressure, ask your doctor if OSA could be behind it; treating sleep apnea may lower aldosterone levels and improve BP.

Jump for soy

A study from Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found for the first time that replacing some of the refined carbohydrates in your diet with foods high in soy or milk protein, such as low-fat dairy, can bring down systolic blood pressure if you have hypertension or prehypertension.

20 Chocolaty facts about Chocolate

 Chocolate is certainly the most popular confectionary flavour on the planet. We consume it with a passion, in extraordinary amounts but just how much do we know about Chocolate. Here are 20 facts that I find quite interesting.

 

Chocolates !! hmmm ......

1. Research studies show that chocolate was originally used more than 2,500 years ago, beginning in Central America. It was used ceremoniously and sometimes as a form of currency.

2. The name chocolate comes from the Aztec word xocalati meaning bitter water. Not surprising, considering they made a drink, by mixing cacao beans with chillies, achiote, cornmeal, and some reports suggest the inclusion hallucinogenic Mushrooms (probably helped to get over the taste).

3. More than 66 percent of the worlds cacao is produced in Africa and 98 percent of the worlds cocoa is produced by just 15 countries.

4. Women eat and crave more for chocolate than men.

5. Crave for chocolate can only satisfied by Chocolate only ( No Substitutes).

6. Chocolate produces the effects of a mild anti-depressant by increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Most depressed women consume more chocolate

7. Chocolate contains a small quantity of caffeine emulates a mild amphetamine.

8. Although not scientifically proven, chocolate is believed by many, to be an aphrodisiac. The theory is supported by the fact that chocolate does contain among many chemicals the stimulants: caffeine, theobromine, and phenylethylamine.

9. Cocoa butter is a by-product produced from the crushing of roasted cacao beans, and although used in the chocolate making process, it is also used in a number of cosmetic products including massage oils and skin cosmetics. It is one of the most stable, highly concentrated natural fats known. It melts at just below average body temperature and therefore it is easily dissolved into the skin, making it the ideal foundation in moisturising creams and other such products.

10. About 40 percent of almonds produced in the world are made for chocolate products. Without chocolate, the almond is nothing!

11. Do you eat dark chocolate every day? If so, you’re effectively reducing the risk of heart disease by one third.

12. Chocolate melting in one’s mouth can cause a more intense and longer-lasting pleasure than kissing.

13. Despite being high in fat content, chocolate doesn't appear to raise blood cholesterol levels.

14. Allergies to chocolate are uncommon.

15. Almost half the world's chocolate is consumed in America.

16. Napoleon always carried chocolate with him, which he ate as a pick-me-up whenever he needed an energy boost.

17. A cocoa pod contains an average of about 42 beans. It takes up to 270 cocoa beans to make a pound 

of chocolate.

18. More than 7 billion chocolate chips are eaten annually.

19. Ninety percent of the worlds cacao is grown on small family run farms, no larger than 12 acres.

20. A single chocolate chip can give you enough energy to walk 150 feet.

These are some of the facts which I found useful about chocolate! Though there are much more benefits, I’ll limit myself to 20.

P.s. Why not take a chocolate break before I post  another article