5 Healthy Habits that Keep Disease Away

Prevention is better than cure. Everyone has heard this many times. But we forget the fact behind it.

The only person who can take care of our health is actually you. In today’s world diseases and health related problems are at their peak. To keep these diseases away and have a healthy life we need to slightly modify our lifestyle and adapt some healthy habits.

Find here the tips and tricks to have a healthy lifestyle.

Have a Nutritious Breakfast:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast actually means ‘breaking the fast’. It is the first meal of the day after a long gap. To start our day on a fresh note, eat nutritious breakfast. By eating a healthy breakfast, you set a positive tone for the day. Also, it will give you good energy for whatever you need to do later.

We all have a habit of skipping breakfast which is not at all healthy. Avoiding breakfast will lead to various digestive problems and also make you feel tired throughout the day.

Hydrate Properly:

You hear it always. Drink plenty of water. This is one of the best ways to keep us healthy and fit. Water is an all-purpose wonder substance. It’s great for your skin, digestive system, circulatory system and also aids in weight loss and cellulite reduction.

Drink minimum of 8 cups of water every day to stay hydrated. Some people may say that this much is not necessary. But definitely it doesn’t hurt. Try to keep water on hand all the times and sip it throughout the day. 

Add Veggies and Fruits in Your diet:

Healthy diet is important when comes to healthy living.

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet. They are low in calories and nutrient dense. Fresh vegetables are rich source of fiber, essential nutrients and minerals. Have these in the form of salads or juices which will help to flush out the toxins from your body and give us a healthier glow.

Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day and with every meal—the brighter the better. Colorful, deeply colored fruits and vegetables contain higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—and different colors provide different benefits, so eat a variety.

Squeeze in Physical Activity:

Getting regular physical activity is a wonderful way to keep us healthy. It is not only helpful to have a healthier body but also for living long and healthier life. Regular physical activity helps prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression, and premature death.

Aerobic exercise, including something as uncomplicated and low-impact as walking, has variety of benefits for the body and the brain, including a reduced risk of chronic diseases, anti-anxiety and mood-enhancing effects. Aim for a total of about 30 minutes of brisk walking every day.

Sleep Well:

People often underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep, and getting the right type. However, lack of adequate sleep has many negative consequences--they're subtle, but significant.

Experts suggest that we require at least eight hours of proper uninterrupted sleep.

Sleep has the ability to optimize mental and physical energy, and optimal levels of sleep (about eight hours a night) are linked with reduced risk of chronic disease and improved longevity. One simple strategy that can help ensure you get optimal amounts of sleep is to go to bed earlier.

These are the most popular changes to make, and the ones that, in my opinion, bring the best results to have a healthy Life style.

6 Easy Ways to Gain Weight

We have been talking about weight loss and getting slim always. But what about gaining weight for those who are underweight.

If overweight is undesirable, so is underweight. A thin and lanky body is not only unappealing, but also quite unhealthy. There are certain easy tips that can help boost up the weight gaining process.

Have right Perspective on weight gain:

Weight gain should be taken in a right perspective. Just getting any weight is not good. Going from skinny to fat won’t make you look good and it will not be healthy as well.

You want to gain weight in the right proportion. If the extra weight is on muscle rather than just the fat it will look good and you will be healthy as well.

To achieve that you should eat right food and exercise properly.

Provide sufficient Calories and nutrients:

Your main should be to increase your body weight in a healthy way. Also you should be aware of how much weight you should increase.  Focus on healthy foods to gain weight. Weight gain requires eating calorie rich but also nutrient rich foods.

Choose the foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and calories so each bite leaded with good nutrition.

Opt for a balanced diet, which includes four parts carbohydrates, four parts of protein and two parts of fat in your daily diet.  This combination helps to stimulate the weight gain process faster.

Eat often to Gain weight:

Eating often can increase the gaining of weight. Eating on right schedule can help you make sure you’re getting enough calories every day. Aim to have generously portioned breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as two snacks in between.

Eat often and choose wisely, and you can expect to gain weight in healthy way.

Eat Healthy Fats:

Sufficient protein is essential, but so is sufficient healthy dietary fat.  Even if your protein and calorie intake are sufficient, if you don’t have sufficient dietary fat you are not going to grow much of any muscle.

Eat plenty of healthy fats. Eat your egg yolks, meat with animal fat, coconut oil and other healthy fats. Increase calorie intake.

However, you must very conscious about healthy fats. You should understand the difference between harmful fats like trans-fat and healthy fats. While harmful fats poses risk your heart, the latter is good for your body.

Fat present in fish, olive oil, banana and almonds are healthy for your body.

Exercise the right way:

Not exercising or exercising the wrong way is useless for stimulating healthy weight gain.

Even if the volume and frequency of your training are fine, if you use the wrong exercises you won’t make much if any progress. Conversely, even the right exercises won’t help you much, if at all, if the volume and frequency of your training aren't right.

You must use the right exercises, correct exercise techniques, sufficient intensity and enough volume and frequency of training without over training.

Provide right sleep and recovery time:

Even if you try everything like sufficient nourishment and training it may not work if you are not providing enough sleep and rest.

Get at least eight hours of sleep every day.

The right combination of healthy food, exercise, right breathing, rest and sleep go a long way in a happier and healthier you.

It is not necessary that you gain weight within a week. However, by following a regular exercise and diet regime, your muscle mass develops and you put on weight.

So, be consistent in your efforts. Give it a month or two. You are sure to experience some healthy bulk in the right places.

Once you've gained the right amount of weight that you desire to gain, you'll realize that your naturally thin body will look far more toned and curved at the right places, than you ever thought possible!

The 5 Best Foods to keep you Warm this Winter

It’s the winter time. Winter doesn't mean that you should be living on a steady diet of hot coffee or cookies. It’s about making healthy food choices which will do well for us.

Winterizing your diet can be healthy — and tasty — if you add a few favorite cold-weather foods. Start with these.

Whole Grains and Legumes:

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy to our body. Both Whole grains and legumes are rich source of these carbohydrates. This energy is used as fuel to keep our body warm during the cold winter days. Whole grains are a rich source of a number of vitamins, especially vitamin B and they help your thyroid gland to function optimally. Thyroid gland helps to regulate your body temperature and keeps you toasty warm in winter.

Oatmeal is one of the best whole grains during winter.

Citrus:

Citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit are at their juiciest in the wintertime and can add sunshine to the dreary winter. Citrus fruits are loaded with Vitamin C and a great source of flavonoids.

Oranges are mostly available during winters and are a must add to your diet. Loaded with vitamin C and anthocyanin, they keep the skin smooth as well as our heart healthy. They protect us from cold and flu

Grapes, these delicious healthy winter fruits are good for skin, heart, and other illnesses during winters. As they contain high amount of anti-oxidants and are rich source of vitamins A and B1, B2 and potassium, they are very popular as winter fruits. They make our immune system stronger during winters.

Pomegranates:

Another of the best healthy winter fruits in season is Pomegranates, which are consumed raw. It is a very rich source or iron, phytochemicals, antioxidants, polyphenols and Vitamin C. Pomegranates are rich in high fiber content help fight cardiovascular diseases. Pomegranate juice is very helpful for anemic patients and protects our body from damaging free radicals. Pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants; just a cup daily might help to keep free radicals from oxidizing “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Broccoli and cauliflower:

Broccoli in general is good for us. It is rich in the fiber and nutrients associated with all green veg, but it has another value. The florets are packed full with glucoraphanin, a compound used in the plant's defense system that is especially beneficial for our health. The only other vegetable it is found in is cauliflower. Eat broccoli and you are likely to reduce your chances of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. With most varieties, you'll need to eat platefuls to derive the benefits, but now a newly bred form, broccoli, contains more than twice the level of the good stuff.

Beside from getting the flu shot and washing your hands regularly, these cruciferous vegetables may be your top defense against winter sickness. Broccoli and cauliflower are both high in vitamin C, which is associated with enhanced immune function. 

Ginger and Garlic:

Ginger and garlic wards off cold and flu viruses. Both not only have warming properties but also help strengthen our digestive system as well as boost our immunity.

How to Color Your Hair Naturally?

To get a dashing look everybody is ready to try different types of colors in our hair. But when we go behind these techniques of hair coloring we forgot that there are lots of chemicals in these colors which can not only harm the natural shine of our hair but also can cause harmful effects to our body which might lead to even cancer.

Not to worry, there are still options for us to color our hair naturally without the use of chemicals.

Here are four best ways to color our hair naturally.

Henna:

Henna is one of the best ways to color our hair naturally. It transforms our tresses from the boring black to light brown. It conditions the hair giving it shine and body, in addition to a rich color. The recipe is simple, make a paste of henna with water, tea, coffee or lemon juice. Mix a paste that is the consistency of yoghurt.  Keep the mix to set overnight for best results. Leave it applied on your hair for about an hour and wash it off with mild color lock shampoo and conditioner.

There you go with a stylish look in your hair.

Beet Root:

Beetroot juice is a natural hair dye that can add red tints to your hair. Apply the juice to your strands and leave on for good one hour. Wash off with a mild color rescue shampoo and conditioner. Using this will help you to retain the color for longer time. So, don’t you feel great to know that beauty parlor is not always required for dazzling look?

Walnuts and Black Walnuts:

This is another best way to color our hair naturally. You can use either the walnut hulls or walnut powder. For the hulls, you would need to crush them and then cover them with boiling water and let them “soak” for three days. Or if you are using black walnut powder, boil water and pour a couple tablespoons of the powder in the water. Let the mixture steep from for a few hours or longer if you are looking to achieve a darker color.

Lemon:

The method of using lemons to lighten or add highlights to hair has been known of for a long time. This all natural hair dye works more slowly over several uses.  The lemon juice acts as natural bleach and its lightening affects can be intensified by exposing the lemon treated hair to sunlight. Using lemon can help to avoid dandruff in your hair as well.

5 Simple Tips for Teeth that Last for Life

A big bright smile is the best accessory we can wear always. It always attracts people. So it is so crucial to keep out teeth healthy always.

Get a sparkling smile by following simple daily habits like brushing your teeth regularly, cutting down on sugar intake between meals and limiting your alcohol intake and smoking. 

Brush your teeth regularly:

In order to keep your teeth healthy and white brush them regularly. You should brush twice a day and remember not to brush immediately after eating as acids can soften the outer layer of tooth enamel which you might wash away.

Another easy tip to keep your teeth white is rinsing your mouth thoroughly with water after each meal.

Replace your Tooth brush:

To help keep your smile bright, replace your manual toothbrush every 2 or 3 months; for electric toothbrush follow the manufacturer’s advice. A worn out toothbrush cannot clean your teeth properly and may even damage your gums. So changing your toothbrush is very important for healthy teeth.

Brush your teeth the right Way:

It is very important to brush your teeth the right way. Avoid brushing your teeth very hard. Brush your teeth softly, using short circular motions to protect your enamel, don’t forget to reach between your teeth and also brush your tongue for 30 seconds. Finish by rinsing with either water or your mouthwash. Floss your teeth at least once a day.

Eat the right Foods:

Grazing on sweet treats and sugared drinks can cause dental caries since your mouth takes around an hour to neutralize sugar attacks. Citrus fruit can be very acidic, just like pickle and fizzy drinks. Remember to swill your mouth with water afterwards to buffer their harmful effects. Also, use a straw when drinking fizzy drinks.

Reduce Your Bad Habits:

Smoking can prevent you from having gleaming, healthy teeth as it can turn your teeth yellow as well as increase your risk of developing gum disease and mouth cancer. Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased risk of developing mouth cancer.

Top 10 Winter Hygiene Tips

The winter is here and along with it come sweaters and heaters. We take enough precautions to keep us warm all through the season. But with all these measures it also comes with diseases like cold, cough, lung infections, chest congestion , asthma and other communicable diseases.

Why it happens? Most of the seasons come with these diseases. But winter the rate is very high. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that common hygiene practices tend to get ignored during this season.

Follow these basic hygiene practices and keep you healthy all through the winter.

Wash your hands:

The most basic of all, washing our hands. We might feel it a difficult process during winters due to the cold icy water. But do not forget it is the most important one. Try washing the hands in warm water.

Communicable diseases are common in winter. Washing our hands in the right way is the key to avoid getting sick.

Air the Room:

It is biting cold outside and we prefer to have a closed room to warm ourselves. But, we forget to think whether it is good for us to be inside a closed cozy room, especially in cold weather. There can be a millions of microbes inside a constantly closed room which gets multiplied in warm and damp spaces. Also, a closed room has low circulation of fresh air, leading to it getting filled with unhealthy air.

So, this is exactly the reason why you should keep your windows open for some time daily. Leaving the windows and doors open on a daily basis helps ample air circulation in the room getting rid of bad odors, harmful bacteria’s and mould. Opened windows will allow the sun rays to fall on your room which is a natural and best disinfectant.

Having a clean and accelerated room helps to reduce the chances of diseases like asthma, allergies, cold and cough.

Wash your woolens:

Another important habit to hygiene during winter is washing our woolens. This is the most importantly used cloth and we forget the importance of washing them. Woolen cloths are very attracted to dust. Washing them on a regular basis is very essential to keep you healthy.

Washing woolens might be difficult part due to its heaviness but it softens them, and also helps reduce the amount of dirt you carry around; protecting you from infections you might otherwise suffer from.

Sun your mattress:

Our mattress is one of the main carriers of dust and bacteria’s in our house. It is very essential that we need to disinfect it as well.

Washing mattress might not be possible but there is a better way, allow it to be in the sun for some time. Put the mattress out in the sun for few hours which will help to kill the bacteria’s in it and make it fresh.

Laying out your mattress in the sun has other benefits as well –they are lovely and warm when you get them back indoors, perfect for sleeping in.

Clean your heater:

After the woolen clothes the most important aspect of staying warm is heater. No matter whatever type we use there is lot of chances that it attracts dust and dirt, especially when it is switched off. So it is important to clean it regularly.

Cleaning regularly will help us to prevent from spreading allergens and the awful smell it cause.

Have a bath, regularly:

I know this is the laziest of all times to take bath. It is so chill out there and we don’t sweat as well. So our thought will be in less favor for taking bath. But that is not the case. Not bathing is not only unsanitary but is very bad for your body. Contrary to general belief that we don’t sweat, this is the time we sweat as well as chances of producing lot of dead skin cells in the body. So to wash away the dirt we should definitely take bath. 

Bathing helps us to clean the dirt from our skin and avoid getting skin infections. And most importantly it beats body odor.

Use lukewarm water to bath:

When we talk about bathing, the best is to take bath in lukewarm water. It is not suggested to take bath in hot water. The sudden change of your body from the room temperature is lot for the body to handle. It can cause excess drying of the body. So it is always advisable to take bath in lukewarm water. 

Taking bath in lukewarm water can help the body to keep it healthy.

Wash your hair:

Washing your locks during winter season regularly can keep it healthy, clean and free of fungal and bacterial infections. So if you want healthy hair, don’t feel lazy about washing it regularly.

During winter season dandruff is likely to be in full stake, so regular wash can reduce this and prevent from fungal infections.

Get some sun:

Waking up from bed during winter season? Not really tempting? Might not, but it is very essential to get some sunlight. Sunlight has a major role to play in how the human body functions. One of the most important is Vitamin D. Deficiency of it can cause many diseases. So get up and get some Sun!

Sunlight is one of the important aspect which helps to boost our immunity, keeping those common winter diseases at bay. As per experts, one must get at least twenty minutes of early morning sun. Beware not to expose yourself to harsh sunlight as it can lead to diseases as well. So, sit out in the sun once every day, it will not only help warm you up it will also keep you healthy.

Eat the right foods:

Whatever be the season it is important for us to have the right healthy food. Winter it is very important as there is drop in temperature and prevalence of infections. So keep your immunity strong by taking healthy food during winter.

Fresh foods, root vegetables and whole grains are rich in immunity boosting properties and are sure to keep colds, coughs and other communicable diseases at bay. 

Top 10 Foods for Healthy and Beautiful Hair

You know the phrase “You are what you eat”. While eating healthy for good skin is a known fact, did you know that your hair can also reap the benefits?

Just like every other part of your body, the cells and processes that support strong, vibrant hair depend on a balanced diet.

Here are some foods that can do wonders for your tresses.

Salmon:

Protein is the key for the health of our hair fibers; salmon got a lot of it. It also boasts omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D which helps out with scalp health. If you can get wild salmon – not farm raised – that will be the best.

Eggs:

Eggs of course have protein; they also have important minerals such as iron. Iron is a crucial mineral for hair, if you are not getting it enough, can lead to hair fall. Eggs are also rich in biotin, which helps to improve luster.

Lentils:

Vegetarian? Don’t worry! Add lot of lentils in your diet. These are an excellent source of protein, as well as iron, zinc, and biotin which is essential for transporting oxygen from your blood to scalp and hair follicles. Good scalp circulation means quicker, stronger hair growth and faster cell renewal. So these are very solid options for vegetarians.

Sweet Potatoes:

You will be pleased to know that sweet potato is wonderful for maintaining lustrous locks. This orange root veggie’s got beta-carotene, which your body converts to vitamin A when digested. That vitamin A promotes hair health at the cellular level by improving the circulation of oxygen to the hair follicles through scalp.

Spinach:

Spinach is considered to be a super food. It contains a good source of vitamin A, C , folic acid zinc and strengthening natural collagen among other nutrients. So don’t forget to include this super food in your diet to have strong and beautiful hair.

Broccoli:

Broccoli is a real hair hero as it is full of essential vitamins and minerals. This includes folic acid , zinc and calcium which is important for growth and strength.

Carrots:

I am not sure how many benefits I will tell you when it comes to carrots. Not only for your hair it’s an overall beauty tonic. The vitamin A contains in carrots helps the carrots to produce sebum oil, an important fluid that will provide natural hydration to dull, dry locks.

Bananas:

For a quick, lock-boosting snack on the go, make sure you pack yourself a B-vitamin and zinc-rich banana. Low in calories, high in hair beautifying vitamins and minerals.

Walnuts:

Nuts in general are fantastic sources of hair-enhancing vitamins and minerals, but walnuts are considered among the very best for nourishment. This is because they contain a potent blend of omega-3 fatty acids, biotin, protein, vitamin E and copper, which protects hair against the harmful rays of the sun by acting as a sort of shield. You don't need to eat cup full of walnuts to enjoy their many benefits: smoother skin, healthy hair, brighter eyes, and strong bones. Get your daily dose of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E by eating a handful by themselves or throwing some in your salad, or dessert.

Swiss chard:

It is a good source of vitamin C and iron. When it comes to beautiful hair Swiss chard is one of the best options. The magnesium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and sulfur in Swiss chard pack a powerful punch, activating the production of keratin, elastin, and collagen. This makes hair resilient, glossy, and less likely to tangle.  

Shampoos and conditioners can do only so much — what you eat is even more important. Experts say that the nutrients you consume help fortify your hair follicles as well as your scalp.

10 Reasons why you should be Reading a Book Every Day

 My reading habit was very limited before. But a couple of years back I started reading books regularly and found it is very interesting and has number of benefits as well.

Do you remember the last time you read a book or a substantial magazine article? Most of our reading habits center around tweets or Facebook updates.

Reading has a significant number of benefits; if you are one who doesn't make a habit of reading, you might be missing out.

Mental Stimulation:

We are ready to go for anything to keep our body healthy and beautiful. Just like any other muscle in the body brain also requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy. Reading gives our brain a different kind of workout than watching TV or listening to the radio. Reading is one of the best ways to keep our brain stimulated. Even studies have shown that mental stimulation can slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s.

Doing puzzles or playing games such as Chess can also keep our mind stimulated.

Reading can chill you out:

We all face lot of stress in our life, be it in work or relationship or any issues we face in our day to day life. Reading can help you from this stress. When we start reading an interesting book, it takes you to an imaginary world which will make us to forget about present moment and let our tensions to drain away and allows us to relax.

Knowledge:

Reading is knowledge. Everything you read is new information for you. Sometimes information which you read might be helpful after many years, we will never know when it will be useful.

Anything can be taken away from you but not knowledge.

Vocabulary Expansion:

Reading books is vital for learning languages. The more you read, the more words you gain exposure to , and they will help you improve your language.

Reading will be very helpful when you learn a new language.

Memory Improvement:

Reading is one of the beast ways to improve your memory. When you read a book, you need to remember a variety of characters, their history, significance and nuances in the entire story. More you read more you remember and your brain will develop new pathways and strengthens the existing ones.

Stronger Analytical Skills:

That ability to analyze details comes in handy when it comes to critiquing the plot; determining whether it was a well-written piece, if the characters were properly developed, if the story line ran smoothly, etc. Should you ever have an opportunity to discuss the book with others, you’ll be able to state your opinions clearly, as you’ve taken the time to really consider all the aspects involved.

Improved Focus and Concentration:

When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story—the rest of the world just falls away, and you can immerse yourself in every fine detail you’re absorbing. In this world of multi-tasking the ability to concentrate lessens since the stress levels are high. By reading books we can reduce the stress and improve our concentration power.

Better Writing Skills:

You have better writing skills we need to read every day. This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing, as while reading we unconsciously absorbs the grammar and style of the author.

Reading may help to sleep Better:

Reading a book before bed can calm your mind and cue your body for shut eye. Many doctors suggest reading book before we go to bed. Reading just takes away all the stress and makes you go into a good sleep.

Reading Improves Empathy:

Getting wrapped up in the lives of characters strengthens your ability to understand others’ feelings. Seeing the world through the eyes of Characters in the book will take us to understand better about real life persons.

So go ahead, let yourself get caught up in a particularly compelling story, or swept away by a powerful character -- it's good for you!

Reading is the best way of entertainment with number of benefits for our way of life.

There’s a reading genre for every literate person on the planet, and whether your tastes lie in classical literature, poetry, fashion magazines, biographies, religious texts, young adult books, self-help guides, street lit, or romance novels, there’s something out there to capture your curiosity and imagination. Step away from your computer for a little while, crack open a book, and replenish your soul for a little while.

Top 5 Basic Winter Body Care Tips

 December is here, a season of Love, Joy and Happiness. It’s the season of chill air also. As the weather gets colder, skin usually gets drier. In this season we need to take extra care of our body to make it healthy and beautiful.

As always, remember to take time out for yourself every day to care for our body.

Short and Sweet: One of the basic skin care tip, when it comes to keep our body clean it is always good to keep it short and sweet. Be it showers or bath avoid staying in hot water for too long.  Keep batch and showers warm, and regardless how good it feel avoid socking in hot water for long time so you don’t dry out the skin natural oils.

Stay Hydrated: As always it is so essential to keep our body hydrated. Most people tend to drink less amount of water as the temperature drops. This should not be the case. If our body is hydrated, our skin shows it. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially plain water. Try to minimize alcohol and caffeine consumption.

Exfoliate:  Make sure you exfoliate your skin at least once in a week .It is an important step in body care to give yourself an all-over scrub. From your feet to your lips, it all needs an occasional scrub to get rid of dead skin cells and reveal fresh, new skin. When you don’t exfoliate your skin, all the moisturizers and lip balms are just sitting on the surface and not getting to where they need to be!

Use Protection: We’re usually encouraged to use sunscreen on our face but we really need to apply it all over. Our neck and hands are frequently exposed to the sun but don’t get much love when it comes to sun protection. Our hands and neck are some of the first places that show the signs of aging and it’s very visible. Remember to apply sunscreen to other parts of your body that are exposed to the sun to keep it looking youthful!

Exercise: Be it winter or summer, exercise benefits just every part of our body to keep it young and healthy. Working out consistently helps tone muscles, increases blood flow to keep our skin looking healthy and eases stress and anxiety to keep those glares and worry lines at woof!

These basic body care tips can help you keep your body looking and feeling beautiful!