8 secrets to a good night's sleep\Health

8 secrets to a good night's sleep\Health

1. Exercise

Going for a brisk daily walk won't just trim you down, it will also keep you up less often at night. Exercise boosts the effect of natural sleep hormones such as melatonin, Dr. Carlson says. A study in the journal Sleep found that postmenopausal women who exercised for about three-and-a-half hours a week had an easier time falling asleep than women who exercised less often. Just watch the timing of your workouts. Exercising too close to bedtime can be stimulating. Carlson says a morning workout is ideal. "Exposing yourself to bright daylight first thing in the morning will help the natural circadian rhythm," she says.

2. Reserve bed for sleep and sex

Don't use your bed as an office for answering phone calls and responding to emails. Also avoid watching late-night TV there. "The bed needs to be a stimulus for sleeping, not for wakefulness," Dr. Carlson advises. Reserve your bed for sleep and sex.

3. Keep it comfortable

Television isn't the only possible distraction in your bedroom. Ambience can affect your sleep quality too. Make sure your bedroom is as comfortable as possible. Ideally you want "a quiet, dark, cool environment," Dr. Carlson says. "All of these things promote sleep onset."

4. Start a sleep ritual

When you were a child and your mother read you a story and tucked you into bed every night, this comforting ritual helped lull you to sleep. Even in adulthood, a set of bedtime rituals can have a similar effect. "Rituals help signal the body and mind that it's coming to be time for sleep," explains Dr. Carlson. Drink a glass of warm milk. Take a bath. Or listen to calming music to unwind before bed.

5. Eat—but not too much

A grumbling stomach can be distracting enough to keep you awake, but so can an overly full belly. Avoid eating a big meal within two to three hours of bedtime. If you're hungry right before bed, eat a small healthy snack (such as an apple with a slice of cheese or a few whole-wheat crackers) to satisfy you until breakfast.

6. Avoid alcohol and caffeine

If you do have a snack before bed, wine and chocolate shouldn't be part of it. Chocolate contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Surprisingly, alcohol has a similar effect. "People thinks it makes them a little sleepy, but it's actually a stimulant and it disrupts sleep during the night," Dr. Carlson says. Also stay away from anything acidic (such as citrus fruits and juices) or spicy, which can give you heartburn.

7. De-stress

The bills are piling up and your to-do list is a mile long. Daytime worries can bubble to the surface at night. "Stress is a stimulus. It activates the fight-or-flight hormones that work against sleep," Dr. Carlson says. Give yourself time to wind down before bed. "Learning some form of the relaxation response can promote good sleep and can also reduce daytime anxiety." To relax, try deep breathing exercises. Inhale slowly and deeply, and then exhale.

8. Get checked

An urge to move your legs, snoring, and a burning pain in your stomach, chest, or throat are symptoms of three common sleep disrupters—restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. If these symptoms are keeping you up at night or making you sleepy during the day, see your doctor for an evaluation.

10 Ways to Protect Your Eyes\Health

10 Ways to Protect Your Eyes\Health

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take good care of your eyes now, and you'll see clearly for a long time to come.Your eyes can process 36,000 bits of information every hour. That's why it's so important to protect your vision with good eye-health habits. If you want to see clearly for years to come, follows.

 

1. Know Your Family's Eye Health History
Does glaucoma run in your family? Does anyone have cataracts? Many eye problems are hereditary. If you know you have a high risk for developing an eye disease or eye condition, you can take steps to prevent it.

2. Schedule an Eye Exam
It's important to have an eye exam to make sure your eyes are healthy and seeing their best. A visual acuity test will help your optometrist determine if you need eyeglasses or contact lenses for vision correction. A dilated-eye exam should also be done to check your eyes for any damage or signs of disease, such as glaucoma, cataracts, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

3. Eat Right to Nourish Your Eyes
It's true that beta carotene in carrots is good for your eyes, but so are ample amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids. They all help reduce your risk of AMD, a common eye disease that can lead to blindness. Fill up on oranges, strawberries, and leafy greens for vitamin C. Add turkey and chicken for zinc. Eat almonds and peanut butter for vitamin E, and salmon, tuna, or halibut for omega-3s.

4. Wear Your Sunglasses
Sunglasses help prevent cataracts and crow's feet. Ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your eyes in any season, and in morning and late afternoon, too -- not just midday. Choose sunglasses with large lenses -- or even wraparound lenses -- that offer 99% to 100% UVA and UVB radiation protection.

5. Exercise for Better Vision
Vigorous exercise, such as running, can protect your eyes from cataracts and AMD. Not a runner? Any workout that pumps up your cardio fitness, such as biking, roller skating, swimming, or lifting weights, can protect your eyesight by reducing inflammation in your body that can negatively impact your eyes.

6. Take Care of Contact Lenses to Prevent Eye Infections
Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling contacts, and follow the instructions for cleaning, disinfecting, and storing them to reduce your risk of eye infections. Also, wear and replace contact lenses as recommended by your eye doctor.

7. Treat Dry, Irritated Eyes
Are your eyes itchy, scratchy, burning, or dry? As you age, normal tear production decreases, which can lead to dry eyes. To prevent dry eyes, eat more foods with vitamin A (like cantaloupe, carrots, and mangoes), use a humidifier to moisten dry air, and wear sunglasses to protect your eyes on bright or windy days. Some prescription and over-the-counter meds, such as antihistamines and pain relievers, can reduce your eyes' ability to create natural tears, so ask your doc for alternatives.

8. Prevent Computer Eyestrain
Most of us forget to blink and take breaks as often as we should while working on the computer or watching TV, which can make eyes tired and dry. It might even give you a headache. Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eyestrain: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.

9. Check Your Eyes for Signs of Other Health Problems
If your optometrist notices that blood vessels in your eyes look stiff, form kinks or loops, or look bronze or gray instead of red, it could be a sign of high blood pressure or diabetes, which can harm your eyesight. Blocked blood vessels or inflammation in your eyes may signal autoimmune disease that can cause vision problems, pain, sensitivity to light, and red, itchy eyes.

10. Use Protection to Prevent Eye Injuries
Whether playing sports or doing chores around the house, protect your eyes to reduce your chance of eye injury. If you normally wear eyeglasses while playing tennis or baseball, be sure your frames are made of polycarbonate -- a super-strong plastic. When using household cleaning products, wear safety goggles to shield your eyes from chemical splashes, turn the spray nozzle away from you, and wash your hands thoroughly after using cleaning chemicals

Top 10 Reasons People Should Laugh More - Health

Top 10 Reasons People Should Laugh More - Health

The daily routine and the various problems you encounter at work and at home are no laughing matter, but rather stressful, frustrating and overwhelming. In fact, the statistics indicate that adults laugh 80 times lesser than children. Perhaps this is why most people associate childhood with a carefree and happy time when the world was yours to discover and conquer. Nonetheless, regardless of what life throws at you, you have plenty of reasons to laugh. Following is the top 10 reasons why people should be encouraged to laugh more.

1. Laughter is the best pain medication

It is said that there is no better medication than laughter: while you laugh, the brain releases a high amount of endorphins that induce an overall happy feeling. At the same time, laughing is the best distraction from pain and it leads to a pleasant muscle relaxation. Therefore, next time your head or belly aches, you should try laughing at it.

2. Laughter prevents cardiovascular diseases

A study at the University of Michigan shows that patients who suffer from various cardiovascular diseases are 40% less likely to laugh compared to perfectly healthy individuals. The research on the matter indicates that laughter not only lowers blood pressure, but it also affects the blood flow in a positive way. According to specialists who conducted the study, 15 minutes of laughter per day can compensate for a regular working out program.

3. Laughter improves inter-human relationships

Without a doubt, laughing is a very contagious gesture: if you smile at a person, you will immediately observe that he/she will smile back at you. At the same time, laughter is perceived as an universal phenomenon that happens in every culture with the same goals: connecting, bonding and establishing a rapport with somebody.

Besides, nobody feels comfortable or enjoys being around a person who is always sad, depressed and has an overall grim vision of the future. The best place to clearly observe this issue is at stores, where the vast majority of customers prefers to wait in line in order to interact with the happy, smiling shop assistant and will only work with the grumpy ones if they are forced to. In general, people prefer the company of happy individuals as the overall mood of is elevated and the relationships gain more quality and consistency.

4. Laughter is the best way to counter the harmful effects of stress

According to clinical research when you laugh, your body is more prone to releasing T cell antibodies that boost and protect the immune system. To put it simply, happy people are less likely to get sick compared to individuals who prefer to see the empty half of the glass. Furthermore, laughter is also proven to reduce the levels of four types of hormones that are currently being linked to stress. Even if laughter provides a short period of happiness, its long term effects against stress cannot be denied.

5. Laughter promotes losing weight

Have you ever laughed so much that your tummy ached? Well, this is because this activity is known to act like a 15 minute intense workout. Laughing means working out the diaphragm, contracting the abdominal muscles and exercising the shoulders, all at the same time! In addition, laughter is known to raise the heart rate and metabolism. As a consequence, if you engaged in a weight losing program, you will get faster results if you surround yourself with happy people and make a habit out of watching comedies and sitcoms daily.

6. Laughter improves breathing

Out of all the positive physical effects laughter has on the body, this is by far the most interesting one: during laughter, the lungs release more air than they take in, hence resulting in a cleansing effect for the respiratory system. In a way, laughter has the same positive effects on the body as deep breathing techniques. Due to this fact, some physicians believe that laughter can be especially helpful for people suffering from chronic respiratory conditions (E.G. Asthma).

7. Laughter endorses creativity and learning

Statistics indicate that students are more likely to learn easier from a teacher who is able to break the classroom routine with humorous stories. A teacher who enjoys laughing manages to create a more relaxed and positive environment in the classroom. Moreover, if the information presented can be associated with jokes or a humorous part, there are better chances that the students will remember the main points of the class. On a side note, studies also indicate that laughter helps students see things from a different perspective.

8. People who laugh live longer

You have probably heard that optimists have a longer life expectancy than pessimists. According to a study conducted on the elderly, the seniors who expect good things to happen and think of the future with optimism are 55% less likely to develop conditions or die from causes that typically affect the pessimists. The study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry also point out that seniors who engage in physical activities, do not have unhealthy habits and are overall optimistic are 71% less likely to get sick or die unexpectedly.

9. Laughter is one of the best coping mechanisms

As previously mentioned, laughter is a good distraction from various pains and aches. At the same time, research shows that laughter is also an excellent coping mechanism that is able to take people’s focus away from negative emotions, anger, stress, sadness and other unpleasant sentiments cause by the events of everyday life. In other words, laughing will divert your mind from the problem that is bothering you, will make you happy and will induce a positive state of mind. Because it is associated with reduced tension and stress and because it is known to diminish irritability and anxiety, laughter can also decrease the levels of sadness proprietary to depression.

10. Laughter helps keep hormone levels under control

Laughing increases the production of health enhancing neurotransmitters, while decreasing the levels of the hormones associated with stress; especially cortisol, adrenaline and dopamine.

Top 10 Most Popular Soft Drinks in the World 2012

Top 10 Most Popular Soft Drinks in the World 2012

Nowadays soft drink plays a major role in our daily expenses and it won’t be wrong to say that in every second 15,000+ beverages of different kind are sold throughout the globe. The current generation is specifically more addicted to various types of soft drinks and treats them as a mark of latest trend. These soft drinks are mainly carbonated drinks and are available in different types of taste and zest. Here we will be discussing about the top ten most popular soft drink brands in the world.

 

List of Most Popular Soft Drink Brands 2012

1. Coca Cola

2. Pepsi

3. Diet Coke

4. Mountain Dew

5. Diet Pepsi

6. Dr. Pepper

7. Sprite

8. Fanta

9. Caffeine – Free Diet Coke

10. Diet Mountain Dew

 

1. Coca Cola

Produced by the Coca Cola Company of Atlanta, Coca Cola is a soft drink which is popular in almost 200 countries. It was the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic Games in 1928. Brought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, today Coca Cola is also one of the most valued soft drink brands.

2. Pepsi

Created and developed in 1893, Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink which originated in United States and is manufactured by Pepsi Co. It is well distributed across the globe and in 2011 the Brand Trust Report in India included it in the list of the most trusted brands of the country. Pepsi has official sponsorship deals with three of the four major North American professional sports leagues.

3. Diet Coke

First introduced in United States on 9^th August, 1982 Diet Coke is a sugar free soft drink which is produced and distributed by Coca Cola Company. Diet Coke does not use a modified form of the Coca-Cola recipe and had become popular among people who require low sugar regimens, such as diabetics and those concerned with calorie intake. It is also available in many exciting flavors which retain the great taste and add a new zing to the drink.

4. Mountain Dew

The citrus flavored Mountain Dew was launched for the first time during 1988 in United States and since then it has remained as a popular soft drink brand. This Pepsi owned brand is associated with thrill and dangerous sports and has a few different variations like Grape flavors (Japan) to the X-treme taste (Gulf Countries).

5. Diet Pepsi

Brought out in the market during 1963, Diet Pepsi is a no-calorie carbonated cola soft drink produced by Pepsi Co. It was the first diet cola to be distributed on national scale in United States and since its introduction in UK it has caught the global market in a shot span of time. Additional variations of Diet Pepsi have been introduced over the years, in which other flavors such as wild cherry, vanilla, lemon, and lime have been added along with a caffeine-free version of it.

6. Dr. Pepper

Created for the first time in 1880s by Charles Alderton of Texas and served in 1885, Dr. Pepper is a soft drink available with a unique flavor  The drink was first nationally marketed in United States in 1904 and currently has markets in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South America. The exact flavour of the drink cannot be described since it is flavoured with many fruits.

7. Sprite

Another well accepted name in the list of top ten most popular soft drinks brands in the world is the transparent, lemon-limed flavored Sprite. This soft drink is caffeine free and produced by Coca Cola Company which was made public in 1961 in United States. The zesty bubbly taste of this drink is quite refreshing and is enjoyed by people from all age groups.

8. Fanta

With more than hundreds of various taste, Fanta is a globally accepted brand of fruit flavoured carbonated soft drink from the Coca Cola company. It originated in Germany and was marketed only in Europe in its initial stage. Orange juice is its original zest and is mostly liked by young people and women.

9. Caffeine – Free Diet Coke

Caffeine- Free diet Coke showed up in the market in 1983 as a caffeine-free variant of Coca Cola to compete against Caffeine Free Pepsi. It contains zero caffeine and lesser sugar than the regular version and is gradually becoming more popular among individuals.

10. Diet Mountain Dew

Diet Mountain dew became everyone’s favorite especially in US as soon as it was launched in the market in 1964. It is owned by Pepsi Co and is one among the fifteen variations of the brand. It has the same taste of Mountain Dew but is has most quantity of caffeine as compared to other diet sodas.

The 10 Must-Have Vegetables|Health

The 10 Must-Have Vegetables|Health

Must have vegetables are as necessary to a man as water is necessary for a dying bird. Man cannot live without basic nutrition and vitamins which are considered compulsory for health and power. God has blessed us with every thing which we needs, demands and wish. It is our duty that what the method we adopt to be peaceful and strong. Vegetables are very important part of our regular meal. Let’s narrate the qualities of must-have vegetables individually.

 

1. Tomatoes

This is one of the kids’ favorite among all the vegetables being served to them. It is always partnered with any burger and sandwiches along with lettuce, and meat. It is known for its strong source of lycopene which is good for the heart, fights all forms of cancer, and it neutralizes free radicals that the body has.

 

2. Broccoli

It is known as cruciferous veggie because of the high amount of antioxidants which is good in fighting rectal, lung, and stomach cancers. It is also rich in folate, beta-carotene, and Vitamin C. It contains phytonutrients and enzymes that avoid heart diseases.

 

3. Carrots

It is commonly eaten raw, combined as well in salad, but could also be cooked along with other meals. It is known for its carotenoids and Vitamin A which are good defense against cancer forming symptoms, and good for the eyesight. It has high level of folate, Vitamin B, C, and K, potassium, and magnesium.

 

4. Bell Peppers

It is packed with folic acid and lycopene which is good for the heart. Bell Peppers are best in avoiding any risk of cancer in bladder, colon, lung, and pancreas. It is also found mixed in salad. They are also good source of potassium, Vitamins A, B, C, and K, manganese, and fiber.

 

5. Eggplant

Among all the vegetables which are included on this list, eggplant is the only veggie that has a property that protects brain from any damage. It is all because of an antioxidants called nasunin. It is also loaded with potassium and fiber which prevents dementia and any risk of stroke.

 

6. Allium Foods

On this group you could find onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, and shallots. This group is known for its antibiotic properties that boosts immunity, reduce infection, and inflammation. They could be eaten raw, mixed with your favorite meal and of course known for flavoring.

 

7. Sweet Potatoes

Aside from the fact that this is inexpensive, not unless price triggers that would affect the market price of the primary products, nonetheless, it’s available anywhere you go, and its naturally delicious. The primary health benefits that it could give to individuals are its Vitamin B6 that avoids degenerative diseases; second, it has Vitamin C that fights cold, and flu. It also has Vitamin D to strengthen the immune system, Iron for sufficient energy, and magnesium which decreases stress and anxiety

 

8. Squash

It is a good source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. In fact,  there are specific type of squash that could also prevents birth defects like the winter squash, and could treat various type of diseases like asthma, arthritis, and other cardiovascular diseases.

 

9. Spinach

It is the powerful food of the legendary cartoon character, Popeye which contains Vitamins A and C aside from the 20 calories per serving. Just like lettuce, it can be eaten cooked or raw. It could be mixed in all kinds of salad. It is good for digestion because of the 20% dietary fiber that it has which is good in lowering blood sugar, and pressure. It has antioxidants, Vitamin A, Anti-inflammatory, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.

 

10. Lettuce

It is part of the leafy green vegetables which has a bland taste. It is commonly found in most of the burgers and sandwiches while taking snacks, and even a regular meal. It is also mixed in most of the salad mixes. It can be eaten cooked or raw. It has properties that could prevent diseases. It is rich with phyto-nutrients, beta-carotene, Zeaxanthin, vitamin K, Folates, minerals, and Vitamin C.