5 ways to stop snoring

Snoring is often linked to lifestyle, and there are some simple changes you can make to help prevent it.

Try these five self-help tips:

Maintain a healthy weight and diet. Being overweight by just a few kilos can lead to snoring. Fatty tissue around your neck squeezes the airway and prevents air flowing in and out freely.

Try to sleep on your side rather than your back.
While sleeping on your back, your tongue, chin and any excess fatty tissue under your chin can relax and squash your airway. Sleeping on your side prevents this.

Avoid alcohol before going to bed. Alcohol makes your muscles relax more than usual during a normal night's sleep. This may encourage the back of your throat to collapse as you breathe, which causes snoring.

Quit or cut down on smoking. Cigarette smoke irritates the lining of your nose and throat, causing swelling and catarrh . This means airflow is decreased and you're more likely to snore.

Keep your nose clear, so that you breathe in through your nose rather than your mouth. If an allergy is blocking your nose, try antihistamine tablets or a nasal spray. Ask your pharmacist for advice, or see your GP, (General Practitioner)

Source: nhs.uk

What makes you Snore?

Snoring is a common condition that can affect anyone, although it occurs more frequently in men and people who are overweight.
Snoring has a tendency to worsen with age. Occasional snoring is usually not very serious and is mostly a nuisance for your bed partner.
However, if you are a habitual snorer, you not only disrupt the sleep patterns of those close to you, but you also impair your owns sleep quality.

What makes you Snore?
Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is physically obstructed. Air flow can be obstructed by a combination of factors, including:

1. Obstructed nasal airways:
Some people snore only during allergy seasons or when they have a sinus infection. Deformities of the nose such as a deviated septum(a structural change in the wall that separates one nostril from the other) or nasal polyps can also cause obstruction.

2. Poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue:
Throat and tongue muscles can be too relaxed,which allows them to collapse and fallback into the airway. This can result from deep sleep, alcohol consumption, or use of some sleeping pills.

3. Bulky throat tissue: Being overweight can cause bulky throat tissue. Also, children with large tonsils and adenoids often snore.

4. Long soft palate and/or uvula:
A long soft palate or a long uvula (the dangling tissue at the back of the mouth) can narrow the opening from the nose to the throat.
When these structures vibrate and bump against one another the airway becomes obstructed, causing snoring.

Credit: WebMD

What are the signs & Symptoms of Kidney Failure?

Kidney failure refers to the inability of the kidney to perform its basic functions. Some major signs and symptoms of kidney failure are listed below:
- Passage of excessive urine at night
- Passage of frothy or foaming urine
- Facial swelling usually around the eyes on waking up in the morning.
- Body swelling (belly, legs and arms)
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Dry scaly skin
- Sleep problems
- Body weakness
- Tendency to bleed easily
- Sexual dysfunction
   
Kidney failure requires serious medical attention, avoid self medications , visit a standard medical centre /Hospital if you notice any of these signs.

Major causes of a weakened immune system

We weaken or compromise our immune system when we:
- Malnourish our bodies
- Stress ourselves
- Do not sleep and rest enough
- Do not exercise
- Allow toxic emotions, such as anger, worry, anxiety, depression, bitterness, rage e.t.c
- Abuse our bodies with a immune system suppressants such as refined sugar, caffeine, high fat foods, transfats, drugs, alcoholic beverages, hard drugs, tobacco e.t.c
           To boost our immune system, we simply need to avoid the above listed causes of a weakened immune system. Here are few more tips; 

Drink adequate clean water daily - at least 8 glasses daily. 

Laugh and indulge in recreational activities to calm your nerves and relax you and also learn to have an appropriate amount of sleep.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Skip Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal that we must not skip in order to stay healthy, and not to gain pounds.
The school or work schedules of many people have made them to perpetually skip breakfast.
Our body, just like any other organism, needs a fuel to be able to work properly. But those who skip breakfast tend to eat more portions of food than usual at the next meal.
There are so many reasons why people shouldn’t skip breakfast, but here are the main ones:

1. It helps to maintain a healthy weight
Various studies have shown that people who eat breakfast have a much better chance of losing pounds. When you skip meals, you feel so hungry by lunch that you eat too much food.
While you might think the easiest way to cut calories is to skip a meal altogether, eating throughout the day helps maintain and speed up your metabolism. If you eat a healthy whole grain breakfast paired with fruits, your body will feel more satisfied and you will not feel the urge to reach for that mid-day snack to help curb your hunger.

2. Keeps your heart healthy
People who don’t eat breakfast are going to be hungrier later in the day and eat more food than necessary.
Those meals mean the body must process a higher number of calories in a shorter time period. That can lead to clogged arteries and cause spike sugar levels in the blood.
Most breakfasts are nutritious, low in cholesterol, low in fat, high in protein, and high in vitamins. These are all the stepping stones needed to maintain a healthy heart and an overall healthy lifestyle.

3. Breakfast improves metabolism
Your blood sugar level drops down in the morning, so you need food that can provide you energy to get through the day. Our body needs fuel to keep it running, and the nighttime is the longest time in the refueling process. To keep your metabolism in a good shape you need to eat breakfast at least 2 hours of waking up.

4. Increased energy level
If you skip breakfast, it is possible that your organism may be up to 12 hours or longer without any food taken. By this point, your muscles need more glycogen, for energy, so the longer you don’t eat, the more glycogen your muscles use, and the less energy you have.
Skipping breakfast is a common factor among those who have sedentary lifestyles, and in order to change that lifestyle you must keep your energy level high, eat a healthy breakfast each day.

5. Better concentration
When you feel hungry for a longer time, besides feeling the physical effects, such as headaches, weakness,and stomach discomfort, you can have mental effects too.
Hunger affects your mood, concentration, and alertness, which can be very frustrating. Eating a healthy breakfast that mixes fruits and vegetables, low-fat protein food and whole grains, helps improve your concentration and focus, and allows you to stay productive through lunch.

- happydieter.net

Why Do My Breasts Hurt?

It is difficult to pinpoint the main cause of breast pain, but it may be due to one or a combination of these factors:

*.Hormonal changes-
Changes in reproductive hormone levels are strongly related to the menstrual cycle. These in turn coincide with the occurrence of breast pain which may disappear or decrease when the woman gets pregnant or undergoes menopause. However, there are no studies which have linked these hormonal changes to breast pain.

*.Anatomical changes-
Noncyclic pain in the breast may occur as a result of anatomical factors like breast trauma, breast surgery, breast cysts, or other localized changes in the breast.
This type of breast pain can also originate from the chest muscles, joints or the heart, and can radiate to one breast.

*.Imbalance in fatty acids-
Another theory proposes that the breast tissues are sensitive to hormonal levels which are affected by imbalances in fatty acid levels.
This is the reason why some women use evening primrose oil, a source of gamma-linolenic acid (a fatty acid).
It is believed to reduce breast tissue sensitivity to hormones by restoring balance in fatty acid levels.

*.Effect of medications-
Hormonal medications like oral contraceptives, infertility medications and hormonal therapy for menopause can cause breast pain. Other medications that can affect the breasts include antidepressants like sertraline (Zoloft) and fluoxetine (Prozac).

*.Large breasts-
Breast size can bring about constant breast pain that may be accompanied by discomfort in the neck and shoulders, as well as back pain. These may be relieved by breast size reduction.

What causes Night Blindness?

The term night blindness may paint a picture of an individual’s inability to see at night. This is incorrect. Night blindness is technically referred to asnyctalopia, and is regarded as a visual impairment. People who battle this impairment experience poor vision in dimly lit rooms or at night. Some causes of night blindness are treated below.

1. Cataracts:-

Cataracts are basically described as debris that builds up on the lens of the eye. This buildup is attributed to the turnover of cells over the entire lifetime of an eye. Cataracts are painless, but they are progressive. It goes without saying that such a buildup will eventually impair vision, and one manifestation of this is poor night vision.

2. Vitamin A Deficiency:-

Vitamin A is the life blood of the retina.

 It is found in carrots and green vegetables, and in its absence, the retina becomes unhealthy. In developed countries, vitamin A deficiency is attributed to the inability of the body to absorb vitamin A from the gastro intestinal tract due to diseases such as celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, etc.

3. Zinc Deficiency:-

Zinc combines with vitamin A in the eye to ensure that the retina remains healthy. 

One of the richest sources of zinc is bananas. When one doesn’t include zinc in their diet, then they are courting poor night vision, or as called night blindness.

4. Retinitis Pigmentosa:-

This is a rare genetic disorder that normally afflicts young people who are below 30 years. It is marked by a progressive loss of sight although those it afflicts retain some degree of sight. The first symptom that an individual could be battling this condition is worsening night vision.

5. Diabetes:-

This is a prime cause of poor night vision because of the increased levels of sugar in the blood stream. 

This is toxic to the blood vessels and nerves in the eye. The major casualty of this buildup in the eye is the retina. One indication that the retina could be taking a beating from the body battling diabetes is poor night vision and the long duration it takes the eye to readjust to changes in light after coming outdoors from bright light.

See why you should avoid Junks completely

Junk foods are easily accessible, some of them are even cheap but the number of harm they do to the body is infinite. There is nothing as good as well cooked home made foods and fruits. Fruits are very essential to the body. Most junk are enriched in sugar which probably make you want to eat more but before you buy the next one, read this very well.

Risk of cancer
Lack of fibre is the main reason why junk food consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancers of the digestive system.
A study published in European Journal of Cancer Prevention revealed that consuming too much of fast food that are high in sugar and fat can increase your chances of developing colorectal cancer.
Another study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle showed that men who ate fried foods more than twice in a month had increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

Risk of type 2 diabetes
One of major contributing factors for the emerging diabetes epidemic is unhealthy diet full of junk and fast food.
When you eat a healthy diet, your body gets a steady supply of glucose, which helps maintain insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, when you eat only junk food, the excessive stress exerted on your metabolism affects the ability of your body to use insulin properly. Since junk food lacks fibre content, its consumption directly results in a spike in sugar levels.
Further, junk food consumption leads to obesity, one of the main reasons for insulin resistance and development of diabetes.

Risk of digestive problems
Those who are addicted to fatty junk food are bound to suffer from digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s because junk food is deep fried. The oil soaked in junk food gets deposited on the walls of the stomach lining, increases acid production. Spices loaded in them irritate the stomach lining, worsening GERD and digestion.
Lack of fibre in them hampers digestion, increasing problems like constipation and haemorrhoids.

Risk of kidney disease
The reason why you can never say no to fries and chips is because they contain high amount of finely processed salt which increases salivation and secretion of enzymes that enhance your cravings for these foods.
High amount of bad fats and sodium from salt disrupts the sodium-potassium balance of the body and causes hypertension. Since the kidney have to filter all the toxins from the blood, eating a lot of junk food has a direct effect on the kidney functioning.

Risk of heart disease
Junk food items are loaded with saturated fats and trans fats that directly increase triglyceride and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the blood, contributing to plaque formation and heart disease.
Further, causing a sudden spike in blood sugar level increases, junk food damages the linings of the blood vessels causing chronic inflammation. This inflammation causes bad cholesterol to stick to the walls of the arteries, blocking blood flow to the heart. When they’re blocked enough,heart attack occurs. Fats from junk food can accumulate over a period of time in your body to make you obese.
The more weight you put on, the higher your risk of suffering from heart attack.

Causes fatigue and weakness
Junk food lacks most of essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins required for maintenance of overall health and functioning of all the systems in your body.
Although it makes you feel full and satisfied, it fails to provide you with instant energy, making you feel weak and tired after a while.
If you eat junk food items for all your meals of the day over a period of time, you could be suffer from chronic fatigue. Junk food can lower your energy levels to an extent that it may become difficult for you to even perform your daily tasks.

Causes depression among teenagers
A lot of hormonal changes occur in teenagers, which makes them susceptible to mood swings and behavioural changes. And a healthy diet plays an important role in maintaining that hormonal balance.
Because junk food lack those essential nutrients, the likelihood of teenagers to suffer from depression is increased by 58percent.

Causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels
Junk food is high in refined sugar which exerts stress on your metabolism. Refined sugar causes the pancreas to secrete more amount of insulin in order to prevent a drastic spike in your blood sugar levels. Because junk food lacks sufficient levels of good carbohydrates and proteins, the levels of blood sugar drop suddenly after you eat.
This makes you feel irritable and further increases you craving for more junk food.

Affects the Brain
A study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity shows that one week of eating junk food is enough to trigger memory impairment in rats. Recent research suggests that bad fats (trans fats) from junk food tends to replace healthy fats in the brain and interferes with its normal signalling mechanism.
Studies in animals have also shown that fats from junk food slow down the ability to learn new skills.

Spoils your liver
Surprisingly, junk food consumption over a period of time can have similar harmful effect on the liver as alcohol consumptions does.
A study reported that people who ate junk food and shunned exercise showed changes in liver enzymes within four weeks. These changes were similar to those observed in people with alcohol abuse.
According to some studies, it’s the high level of trans fats found in a number of junk food which cause liver dysfunction due to deposition in the liver.

Health Benefits of Bananas You Need to Know

Regulates Bowel Movements
Irregular bowel movements are an irritating health problem that can be easily solved with regular consumption of bananas.
Bananas contain a good amount of insoluble fiber that travels through the digestive tract, sweeping up waste and producing bowel movements that are soft and easy to pass. However, eat bananas in moderation as consuming too much banana but too little water may contribute to constipation. Moreover, eating bananas that are not completely ripe may also give rise to constipation and gas. At the same time, bananas help treat diarrhea as they contain pectin, a water-soluble fiber which acts as a gelling agent and helps absorb fluids in the intestines.

Provides Natural Energy
Bananas have a unique blend of vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates that provide a quick supply of natural energy. In addition, bananas have a healthier blend of three natural sugars: glucose, sucrose and fructose. The combination of these sugars have great energy potential.
Bananas are one of the few fruits that contain both complex and simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates give you endurance energy and simple carbohydrates give you quick energy. Eating just two bananas will give you enough energy to exercise for 90 minutes.

Soothes Stomach Ulcers
Bananas are beneficial for your stomach health in two ways. First, several substances in bananas help produce a thicker protective mucus lining in the stomach that serves as a barrier against stomach acids.
They also help neutralize acidity from foods, which can contribute to the formation of ulcers.
Secondly, bananas contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate bacteria in the stomach, which is one of the main causes of stomach ulcers.

Supports a Healthy Heart

Bananas are rich in potassium, a mineral electrolyte that is essential for your heart. Potassium travels to cells throughout your body and helps the circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain.

This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. People who eat diets high in potassium-rich foods like bananas can also substantially reduce their risk of stroke,regulate blood pressure and prevent various heart diseases.

Aids in Weight Loss

If you are looking for a food that can help you lose weight, bananas are a perfect choice. They are low in fat while high in fiber and vitamins.

The dietary fiber in bananas absorbs water and takes up a lot of space in your stomach, thereby keeping you feeling full for longer time period. Plus, they boost metabolism, thanks to their several B vitamins.

The naturally sweet taste also will curb your sweet tooth when you feel the urge to eat something sweet.

Treats Anemia

Bananas are a good source of iron for people suffering from anemia. Iron deficiency is a key factor in this health condition and eating foods rich in iron will help replenish this essential mineral.

Regular consumption of bananas along with other iron-rich foods can gradually reduce symptoms associated with anemia including fatigue, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat.

Heals Mosquito Bites

Mosquito bites cause a lot of itchiness and are sometimes painful. You can treat these symptoms with banana peels.

Rub the inside of the banana peels on the bite for about five to ten minutes. This will help reduce the itching and swelling. 

In fact, this simple remedy often works better than the creams or medications you find at the drugstore.

Do You Sweat Alot? Control your Excessive Sweating!

Sweating is a natural process and it eliminates toxins from your body. However, if sweating is more than normal or deviant, it is embarrassing.
Over sweating is known as hyperhidrosis, where the sweat glands are hyperactive.
This condition is not harmful in any way for your body, but you may feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Excessive sweating occurs due to many factors like heredity, hormonal issues, infection, stress, anxiety and some medical issues, including heart problems, obesity and diabetes. 

Along with an uncomfortable situation, excessive sweating may leave an unpleasant odour.
The symptoms like visible sweating that even drenches your dress, foot odour, discolouration of the area, cracking and scaling of the skin tells you it's high time to deal with it.
Checkout some of the natural ways of managing hyperhidrosis, which are as listed below:-

* Drink more water.

Sweating happens when your body temperature gets too high and your body secretes water in order to cool it down again. Drinking plenty of cool water throughout the day helps to regulate your body temperature and prevent it from getting too high in the first place, thus preventing theneed to sweat.

In addition, drinking lots of water allows toxins to be flushed from the body through urine, which would otherwise be sweated out through the skin.

* Reduce stress.

Feeling stressed, nervous or anxious is a major sweat trigger for some people, so it makes sense that by controlling your stress levels, you can control your sweating.

* Cut back on bad habits.

Things like smoking, drinking alcohol and excessive caffeine consumption can all lead to increased sweating, so it's a good idea to cut back on these things where possible.

* Change your diet.

The quality of your sweat is influenced by what you put into your body. Eating processed, artificially sweetened foods will increase the number of toxins in your system. These toxins can then clog up the pores and mingle with sweat to produce unpleasant body odor.

You should avoid any kind of fast food, processed ready meals, soda, artificially colored or sweetened candy, as all of these foods will aggravate sweating.

* Choose clothing wisely.

Wearing the right clothing can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping sweating under control. 

Firstly, wearing breathable clothing can prevent you from sweating excessively in the first place and secondly, making clever clothing choices can help to mask sweat stains and stop you from feeling self-conscious.