Today millions of people are addicted to smoking and find that they are unable to get rid of it. The reason being that, a cigarette puff gives you amazing pleasure, greater energy and a feeling of being refreshed, all in the matter of a few seconds. The negative consequences of this habit much far outweigh the pleasure you derive from it. Most smokers know that smoking is bad for their health but they often fail to realize the extent of it.

The chemicals present in a cigarette are known to have carcinogenic properties. Smoking is the major cause for throat, mouth and lung cancer. Studies and data have shown that smoking can also lead to cardiovascular diseases, asthma, renal failure, hemorrhages and irregularities in your metabolic and endocrine functioning.

Active regular smoking by a pregnant woman can lead to disabilities in the child or death of the fetus. So, say no to smoking and yes to good health & long life.

Let us face it, one of the most common problems that everyone especially girls keep facing is skin problems. You either have too oily skin or too dry skin. You might be suffering from an outbreak of acne or visible signs of ageing have been plaguing you before their time. So the eternal question lies, how to fix these problems. The most important skin care tip is to keep it healthy internally. You need to ensure that your blood is entirely purified.

For that you should have a good and balanced diet. It is essential for the health of the skin that you include a generous amount of fresh foods in your diet. Having lots of water helps in cleansing the system as well. Nuts and dates are quite good for the skin. Try to have it as much as possible. There are some leafy vegetables which are quite good for the blood and help purify it. Try to include those in your diet more and more.

Adolescence is a challenging stage to deal with, for both parents and kids alike. A child’s body goes through various hormonal and other changes, be it a boy or a girl. If you are an adolescent who is having a difficult time, here’s how you can cope with puberty.

Accept the physical changes, internal as well as those related to external appearance. Everyone has to undergo this phase, therefore do not consider it is as something abnormal. Whenever you are gripped by fear or discomfort or find yourself struggling with any changes, discuss it openly with your parents, elder siblings or close friends. It is also advisable to go through books or online material on the subject and familiarise yourself with pubertal changes.

The hormonal changes bring along with it mood swings and disturbances on an emotional level. You can learn how to effectively manage these with the help of your parents, counsellor or a psychiatrist.

Importance of a balanced diet is known to one and all. It is one thing that everybody starting from your paediatrician to your mother must have told you again and again since your childhood. It has been medically proven that milk, rich in essential vitamins and minerals can be a fantastic balanced diet for infants.

Milk contains lactose, which is a good source of carbohydrate. Milk is also regarded as a good source of retinol or vitamin A. Rich in almost all kinds of vitamins except vitamin E, milk can provide all necessary nutrients to an infant.

It is also rich in calcium, phosphates, sodium and potassium and is very good for bone development. Milk is known to be a good source of fat too and contains essential fatty acid. It is also good for adults, but not considered as a balanced diet for them. Thus make sure that your child has a glass of milk everyday to stay fit.

Bleeding is a serious call for help by the gums. People tend to ignore bleeding gums thinking that they are temporary problems. If you think that once the gum stops to bleed your problem is solved then you are very wrong. A bleeding gum is a sign of weak gum that needs special care. If you notice that your gums are bleeding you need to take some immediate action.

Check immediately the kind of bristle your toothbrush has. Ensure it is soft bristle. Hard bristles tend to damage your gums. In case there are a number of cuts then you can rinse your mouth regularly with a solution of warm water with salt in it. This helps you deal with the already existing injury. Never use a mouth wash with alcohol content in it. Instead use a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide.

Visit the dentist regularly. Do not ignore the problem. It might lead to serious cases of gingivitis or the like.

Rashes, skin-eruptions, allergy… do these words sound frequent companions to your skin? If yes, then you have been blessed by delicate sensitive skin which is perhaps the most difficult to maintain. I say blessed because the problems can be dealt with and you could accentuate its translucent beauty just by following these simple tips:

• Get rid of all the skin products that do not specify the words “gentle”, “mild” or “sensitive skin”. Cosmetics you use should be non-alcoholic and preferably aloe-based.
• Never sleep with makeup on, always use a mild cleanser on cotton-wool to gently wipe off the makeup, followed by a moisturizer.
• Use a mild sunscreen at least half an hour before stepping out.
• Never use granular scrubs for exfoliation, they are harsh products, if required go for products with salicylic acid as an ingredient.
• Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water daily, eat a lot of fresh fruits and sleep well.

Beauty may not be skin-deep but it surely includes all of it. Take care of your skin, and see it glow with happiness!

People generally tend to take hypertension very casually. They think medication is all they need to ensure. However, you need to pay proper attention to your diet. You must consult a doctor and make a diet chart in order to avoid harming your heart to an extent which might be irreversible.

There are some food items which, in all cases, you must stay away from, in case you have high blood pressure. Here I will tell you about a few of them:

• Salt or Sodium: Sodium accentuates your heartbeats. It affects your heart and arteries very badly and your blood pressure shoots up.
• Fat: Food containing saturated fat or hydrogenated oil like fast food and red meat must be out of your diet chart.
• Alcohol: Alcohol is very much detrimental for the walls of your blood vessels. It elevates your blood pressure to a great extent. Consume it in controlled measures.
• Sugar and other extra calories: Avoid too much of sweet and try to avoid obesity as it decreases the speed of blood flow in your body.

You must exercise regularly and check your blood pressure now and then.

If you are too wary to start a regular workout regime because you think it is too boring then think again. Have you considered splashing in the water? One of the most effective and yet fun workout regime is swimming. Apart from learning essential life skills it totally helps your body in getting a healthy makeover. During swimming your blood circulation is improved, timed breathing required for swimming gives you enough cardiovascular exercises. This ensures you have a healthy heart beat rate.

Moreover it helps you burn fats and lose calories. It has been calculated that 3 calories per mile gets lost during swimming. Which means you can deal with your weight issues while having fun. During swimming, each part of your body is fighting against the water which means that all of your muscles are getting workouts and your entire body is getting toned. Swimming also increases concentration and endurance level which means it is not only a physical exercise but a mental one too. So go have fun and take a plunge!

The medical community is slowly getting concerned about the spurt in Vitamin D deficiency amongst infants. Vitamin D is required by the body for maintaining balance of calcium and phosphate. The main source of Vitamin D is exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency leads to respiratory infection, rickets cardiovascular diseases diabetes and even Cancer. Therefore Vitamin D is needed to ensure proper growth as it helps to develop stronger bones. So you would obviously see why it is so important for babies.

However there is an irony in the baby’s situation. While it is a baby who needs Vitamin B the most, breast milk considered to be the complete food does not have enough amount of it to prevent its deficiency disease! While sunlight may be a source of the vitamin exposing your child’s sensitive skin to sunlight might make the child vulnerable to other skin diseases. Thus the medical community has come with Vitamin D supplements to ensure your baby does not miss out on this essential nutrient.

If you are suffering with psoriasis, then do not fear as you are not the only one.  There are many people who are having the same problem and feel just like you. All of you should be together, make a community and support each other. Psoriasis is a skin ailment, where you have dry and flaky skin, rashes and wounds that itch terribly. These might be embarrassing in public but that should not keep you confined to your house, you equally have a right to your enjoyment, your social life and work too.

So go out and have fun just like any other individual, but make sure to take special medical help for treating psoriasis, although it is incurable, ensure to at least try to reduce the pain of it. Go out and make sure that people are aware about it, because most people are not. People who are suffering from this also might not know that these symptoms might lead them to psoriasis. So cope with psoriasis just like you never had it.