Home Remedies for Common Cold / Running Nose - Part 1

COMMON COLD / RUNNING NOSE

A common cold, also known as acute coryza, is an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract caused by infection with common cold viruses. A common cold occurs more often than any other disease - hence, its name. A person may suffer from a common fold several times in a year. A cold usually lasts from three to ten days. The patient feels miserable for the first three days or so.

Common Cold Symptoms

Soreness of throat, congestion of nasal passages 

The initial signs of a cold are a feeling of soreness of the throat and congestion of the nasal passages. Although the disease normally begins in the nose and throat, it affects all parts of the body.

Running nose, Sneezing, headache, chill

Its usual symptoms are a running nose, sneezing, a rise in temperature, headache, sore throat, chill, aches and pains in the body, and loss of appetite. The skin around the nostrils may become sore.

Causes of Common Cold

Exposure to the virus

A common cold results from exposure to the virus. Its intensity, however, depends upon the state of health of the person and environmental factors.

Exposure to cold, low vitality, dust, changes in temperature

Low vitality, exposure to cold, lack of sleep, mental depression, fatigue, and factors such as sudden changes in temperature, dust, and other irritating inhalations are important contributory causes.

Common Cold Home Remedies

Common Cold treatment using Lemon

Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.




To Be Continued....




Source : DSDG

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Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following 

instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.

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Natural Ways to Lighten Your Skin

Make a Mask 

A homemade mask is a great way to lighten your skin and a good excuse to kick back on the couch. Try using one once a week. Use one tablespoon of each of the following: sandalwood paste, lemon juice, tomato juice, and cucumber juice. Mix them all together to form a paste. Spread the mixture on your face and wait until it dries. Rinse and moisturize for a natural glow. 

Licorice Extract 

Licorice extract contains glabridin, a component that acts as a natural skin whitener. Apply a thin layer of the extract morning and evening, after you wash your face and before you moisturize. Licorice extract can be found at any health food store or ordered online. Be sure to store the bottle in a cool, dark place to maintain freshness. 

Note : test a small amount on the back of your arm before using on your face to be sure you do not have an allergic reaction. 

Remember to love your skin no matter what color it is. It's a part of who you are and that's what makes you beautiful and unique.

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Warning : The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Never use any home remedy or other self treatment without being advised to do so by a physician.

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Calcium - Important Need of our Body !

Calcium Guide

Our bones and teeth contains 99 percent of total calcium of our body and only 1 percent goes in the rest of the parts like muscles, blood, cells etc. 

We need very good care of our bones and teeth and should take that diet which is full of calcium supplements. Do not ever hesitate to take those food items, which contain calcium in excess. Some people wrongly assume that some food items like drinking milk make us fat. If we will finely drain the cream and reduce the calorie level from milk then it will not make as fat. 

Any food item having calcium in it actually helps our body to reduce the fats level. Calcium increases our digestion process and helps to reduce or finish fats. If we will make calcium one of the necessary elements of our everyday life, then it will help us in reducing extra weight. 

We have so many sources to get calcium, like green vegetables, almonds, oranges, some other fresh fruits, and especially dairy products, milk, yogurt, cheese, ice-cream etc. 

So if you will eat & drink any source of calcium in a balanced way, you will not face any problem.

Source : forum.abfun.net

Benefits Of a Raw Food Diet !!

Raw food is food that is uncooked and unprocessed. It still contains important enzymes which assist in the digestion and absorption of food. 

Only this kind of food has functional live enzymes, which die when food is cooked over 118 degrees F. 

Foods that have been changed from their original state, by processing, additives, heating, preservatives, salt, sugar or colorings, are not raw. Raw foods are any fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains, sprouts, and other organic foods that are in their original state, that have not been processed. As a general rule, anything that comes in a package from the grocery store is probably not a raw food. 

Our bodies absorb raw foods and can utilize their maximum nutritional value, according to Raw Foodists and Scientists, because they haven't been destroyed by cooking or chemical additives. 

Eating raw foods increases energy, reduces weight, detoxifies the body and boosts the immune system. Less energy is consumed in the body in attempt to break down and digest cooked foods, freeing up energy to focus on cleansing, rebuilding and overall health. Eating raw food can protect against the onset of serious chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. Many Raw Foodists say they feel more in touch with themselves, grounded and healthier, and focus better, after switching over to a raw food diet. 

The raw food diet is also environmentally friendly. There is less waste because no energy is needed for preparing the food and the waste left over after preparation can go straight to a compost pile to be used for organic fertilizer. Cooking time and energy is greatly reduced, leaving time and energy for other things that matter in life. 

There really isn't any food healthier than raw food.

Source : forum.abfun.net

Everyday Health Triggers Series - Long Working Hours !!

Long Working Hours

Yoga : The issue is not so much working hours as the package deal; deadlines, competitiveness, etc. For every hour, take two minutes off to stretch, go for a small walk.

Cardio : Long work hours (upto 10 hours) are fine as long as you enjoy your work; 14-15 hours is overwork. If you dont enjoy your work, change your job before a heart attack.

Endo : Can be counterproductive because typically such jobs encourage sedentarism with high mental stress, which increases metabolic stress. For optimum heart health, two good four-hour sessions is the maximum allowed, anything more is risky for heart health.

Psych : its a package deal. improve your time management skills, delegate, intersperse work with recreation or fitness activities, have a support system at the workplace.

Source : TOI

Stretch Marks and Ways to Remove Stretch Marks - Part 3

Lisa Giannetto, M.D., does not have a single stretch mark on her body. ( Continued ... )

Her advice to pregnant women who want to avoid stretch marks: "From the moment you begin to show at about 6 to 12 weeks, apply vitamin C fluid to your abdomen every day. After your bath or shower, dry off, then put enough fluid in your hand to cover your hips and abdomen; rub your hands together and smooth the cream over your belly."

Do 20 inner-thigh exercises. To firm your inner thigh, lie down on the floor just as you did for the leg raises, says Dr. Garber. But this time, instead of raising your top leg, bend that knee and place your foot in front of your bottom leg, then try to raise the bottom leg up about six inches. Then lower the leg to the floor.

Begin with 8 to 10 bottom-leg raises on each side at least three times a week, says Dr. Garber.  Then, as each exercise begins to seem easy, add a couple of bottom-leg raises until you've worked your way up to 20 bottom-leg raises three times a week.

Swing your legs. One incredibly simple exercise that firms the whole thigh is to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, hands either by your sides or in your lap, then swing both legs up so that they're extended straight out in front of you at seat level, says Dr. Garber. 

Then swing them back down.

You can swing your legs whenever you feel like it--when you're on the phone or watching television, for example--or you can incorporate the exercise into your workout. Whichever you choose, your goal should be 20 swings three times a week.

Lift off. If you get bored with swinging, put your hands down at your sides to hold on to your chair and swing your legs up until they're fully extended. Then lift each leg, from foot to hip, about three to six inches, says Dr. Garber. Finally, lower your leg until both legs are straight out in front of you once again.

Start out with 8 to 10 lifts, then work your way up to 20 lifts three times a week. Firm your butt. To firm your bottom, lie face-down on the floor, arms out at your shoulders, elbows bent and palms flat on the floor, says Dr. Garber. Now lift one leg, heel first, off the floor about three to six inches, then lower it back to the floor and repeat the lift with your other leg.

Start out by lifting each leg 8 to 10 times three times a week. Add a couple of lifts to each workout as they get easy. Your goal is 20 lifts three times a week.

Keep the scale steady. Since extra pounds create stretch marks, try to keep your weight on an even keel, says Dr. Weiss. To control calories, avoid high-fat foods, watch your portions and get more physically active. Walk instead of drive, take the stairs instead of an elevator, do 

your own yard work instead of hiring the neighbor's kid.

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/19/220.cfm

Concluded

Warning : The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.

Stretch Marks and Ways to Remove Stretch Marks - Part 2

Pregnancy is one of two causes of stretch marks. The other is weight gain.

"Stretch marks occur on the breasts, hips and stomach during pregnancy, plus other areas such as the thighs when you gain weight," says Margaret A. Weiss, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore.

They're triggered when skin is stretched to the max, which occurs when growth is so rapid that your skin's elastic fibers break. And though it occurs less often, stretch marks can also be 

caused by some hormonal problems, certain diseases and medications, says Dr. Weiss.

WHAT WORKS

"Moisturizers, wrinkle cream and massage don't get rid of stretch marks," says Dr. Weiss. (For a possible exception, see "Vitamin Cream Works Wonders" on page 526.) And makeup doesn't cover them very well).

The best you can do is to minimize stretch marks, says Dr. Weiss. Firming any areas that have stretch marks--usually the thighs, hips and abdomen--makes stretch marks less apparent, she says. Women doctors suggest these exercises. (You can expect to see results in about two months.)

Start with 20 leg raises. One of the best exercises to work the hip and leg area, which is where stretch marks are most likely to occur, is a straight leg raise exercise, says Carol Garber, Ph.D., director of the Human Performance Lab at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

To begin, lie down on the floor on your side, legs straight, one on top of the other. Then extend the arm that's floor-side down over your head and rest your head on your arm. Put your other hand flat on the floor in front of your waist. Keeping both legs straight and toes pointed straight ahead, raise your top leg from hip to toe as far as it will go, then lower it back to the floor.

"Don't just jerk your leg up in the air and let it fall back down," says Dr. Garber. "You can get injured if you raise it too quickly. Instead, raise and lower your leg in a slow, controlled motion.

"Begin with 8 to 10 leg raises on each side at least three times a week," says Dr. Garber. 

Then, as each exercise begins to seem easy, add a leg raise or two until you've worked your way up to 20 leg raises three times a week.

Lisa Giannetto, M.D., does not have a single stretch mark on her body. Yet the diminutive 35-year-old associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has carried two babies to term within the past five years.

Not any stretch marks?

"Not one," she says cheerfully. "And since I'm only 95 pounds, I really stretched. I had a significant belly both times."

Her secret: a nonprescription fluid containing vitamin C, called Cellex-C Serum, formulated based upon research conducted at Duke University Medical Center. Research suggests that the fluid will promote the development of collagen, a substance that gives your skin its elasticity, says Dr. Gianetto. And the result, as she can attest, is smooth, unmarked skin.

To Be Continued....

Warning : The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.