Category Archives: HEALTH TIPS

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Muscle Spasm Prevention

Posted on December 22, 2011 by admin| Comments Off

A muscle spasm can be extremely painful and cause a lot of discomfort for quite some time. If you have experienced these muscle spasms then you probably understand what I am talking about. This article will help you understand various ways of muscle spasm prevention and treatment.

While peacefully sleeping in the night, have you suddenly experienced a sudden ‘pop’ in the muscle which was so painful that you woke up with a painful scream. Or while exercising in the gym, did you ever have to stop because of a sudden muscle contraction in your legs? A muscle spasm is nothing but the sudden contraction of one or more than one of your muscles. Though these sudden contractions are absolutely harmless, in the fatal sense, but they can lead to extreme pain which can actually make you stop your movement for quite some time, varying from a few minutes to an hour. What causes muscle spasms? Well, usually the main cause of muscle contractions is considered to be excessive physical movements, or movements that the body isn’t used to. Muscle spasms are known to appear more during hot weather. Which is why you must take effective measures for muscle spasm prevention in order to get rid of the unexpected and obviously, an unwanted discomfort.

How to Prevent Muscle Spasms?

Muscle spasms are easily preventable by some simple and effective self-care measures. Before we discuss on the prevention, let us briefly discuss the more about the causes of muscle spasms as knowing these would help you understand how to prevent the condition. Apart from the physical exertion, other causes of muscle contraction could be inadequate blood supply; may be due to narrowed arteries, compression of the nerves, or certain nutritional deficiencies in the body. It is also important for you to keep your body well hydrated as dehydration can also cause muscle spasms. Mentioned below are some effective tips to prevent muscle spasms. Read on…

Keep Yourself Well Hydrated

As mentioned earlier, dehydration can cause muscle cramps. Therefore it is very important for you to keep your body well hydrated and maintain a healthy balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. Well hydrated muscles contract easily and also stay relaxed. Therefore make sure that you keep on sipping on water and healthy fluids regularly to prevent muscle spasms.

Warm Up Before Exercising

For any physical activity and movement, it is very important for you to prepare your body beforehand. Therefore, it is very important for you to perform some warm up exercises like jogging, stretching, jumping, crunches, sit ups, etc. If you have been experiencing leg cramps at night, then it would be advisable to do some stretching exercises before going to bed.

Have a Healthy and Balanced Diet

It is more or less the key to all your health related solutions. As muscle spasms can occur because of nutritional deficiency, it is important to eat a diet that gives you all the essential nutrients. In fact, there are many foods that can prevent muscle spasms. Food items like beet greens, potassium rich foods like bananas, dried peaches, potatoes, calcium rich foods like yogurt, skim milk etc can actually help prevent muscle spasms. On the contrary, it would be advisable to stop consuming acidic foods like tomatoes, vinegar etc as they lead to calcium deficiency.

Use Hot Packs

Experts also say that applying hot packs on the affected area also helps in preventing muscle spasms. You can also take a hot bath right before going to bed if you get muscle contractions in the middle of the night. It is known to improve blood circulation which in turn helps in preventing muscle spasms.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Studies reveal that an uncomfortable footwear can cause a lot of problems in the body, one of which is muscle contraction. Which is why women who wear heels all the time usually get a muscle spasm after removing their heels. Even while exercising, it is very important for you to wear a footwear that relaxes your foot and not add strain to it.

Live an Active Lifestyle

Though muscle spasms may be associated with physical activity, but even inactivity can lead to muscle contractions. Which is why you should live a healthy and active lifestyle and maintain a balance between too much or too little activity.

Sleep Sideways

Another way to prevent muscle spasms while asleep is to sleep sideways with your toes pointed. Make sure that you don’t tuck yourself too tightly as the pressure may lead to muscle spasms. Sleeping after a brief stretching would also help.

So, these were some of the simple and effective techniques of muscle spasm prevention. However, if self-care isn’t helping and you have been getting muscle spasms more often, with unexplained reasons, this can mean that there is probably an underlying health condition behind it. Conditions like diabetes, anemia, thyroid problems, hormonal changes can also cause muscle spasms. Therefore you must get in touch with your doctor as soon as you find that the self-care measures and home remedies for muscle spasm are of no help at all.

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Posted in BONES & JOINTS, HEALTH TIPS

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Symptoms of Painkiller Addiction

Posted on December 5, 2011 by admin| Comments Off

There exist several symptoms of painkiller addiction which can help you to identify any such addict with ease. Not just that, these signs and symptoms can also help you figure out if you yourself are walking on the same path and make sure that you don’t end up becoming addicted them.

It has become a normal human tendency to pop in a painkiller every time we feel the slightest hint of pain. There exist several different types of prescription painkillers; some of which are simply meant to ease a headache and others, to mitigate pain as severe as that related to cancer. Some of these – especially the stronger ones, are habit forming. While it may come as a surprise that people can get addicted to something as simple as painkillers, it is cent percent true. The stronger ones manage to numb pain very effectively and so, people develop the habit of resorting to these painkillers even after the initial reason for taking them has been resolved. How does one know if he is showing physical symptoms of painkiller addiction? That’s exactly what we will be discussing in this write-up – which is bound to come as an eye-opener for many people out there.

Signs and Symptoms of Painkiller Addiction

Addiction of painkillers can be mainly attributed to a range of drugs – including opiates like oxycodone and hydrocodone, used in them. Studies reveal that 7 percent of those who are prescribed narcotic or opioid analgesics to relieve chronic pain end up getting addicted to them. There are many different signs and symptoms which can help a person to know whether or not he is addicted to pain relieving pills. These signs and symptoms vary from individual to individual in terms of occurrence and intensity. Given below are some prescription drug abuse symptoms which a person addicted to prescribed painkillers is likely to demonstrate.

One of the most obvious signs of painkiller addiction is the fact that the person will have cravings for the drugs. Initially, the painkillers that have been prescribed to alleviate pain, the patient will ask for these painkillers in the same dose even if the pain is not as severe anymore. These cravings will progressively become more and more severe to an extent wherein a person may ask for the drugs several times in a day, which is a clear sign of dependence.
After a while, not only will the addict feel the need to take this drug more and more often, but will also ask for an increase in the dosage of the drug. With time he will become tolerant to this drug – especially the painkillers containing opioids, as a result of which he would require higher doses of the same drug to bring about the same effect.
Due to the constant need of having painkillers circulating in the body, addicts will often show personality changes over time. If he is denied the drug, then he may become very edgy, irritable and may – at times, even become violent and throw tantrums. Frequent mood swings and a change in the concentration ability will also be seen.
As the only thing that an addict is bothered about is getting his next dose, he will often neglect his social duties. He may not bother about going back to work and may not bother about his bills and other such routine work around the house. Also, the addict will become asocial in his nature, and may even withdraw from his family and usual social circle.
The person will not show slightest hesitation to change his doctor if his first doctor is refusing to give him an extension in his prescription. Thus, he will try and switch doctors constantly in an attempt to get his next dose of prescription painkillers.
With severe addiction, the mood swings of a person may become unbelievably unpredictable. He may seem to be perfectly calm and composed at one point, but suddenly become wild and violent at the slightest provocation.
Often, if a person is on relaxing painkillers, then he may even end up sleeping a lot, for more than half a day at a stretch at times.
In severe cases, a person may even end up being subjected to painkiller addiction side effects such as hallucinations and delirium. He may become sensitive to light and other such stimulus. Even normal light and sounds may make the person edgy. Also, if the person has regular blackouts or can’t seem to remember where he was or what he was doing for long periods of time, then rest assured, he is into painkillers big time.

One of the simple ways of cross checking for addictive painkiller signs, is to see if the person has actually realized what is happening and tried to quit habit forming prescription painkillers unsuccessfully. If a person has tried to quit, and eventually came back to it, then there is little need for any other proof to show that the person is clearly addicted to painkillers.

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Posted in HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTH TIPS, HEALTHY LIVING

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Healthy Diets that Work

Posted on November 21, 2011 by admin| Comments Off

Determination and will power, while sweating it out in the gym, are two attributes that play a key role in achieving weight loss or having a fit body. But for attaining a fit body you need to follow a healthy diet. Hence, it becomes utmost necessary to adapt to certain healthy diets that work in order to gain maximum benefits to keep fit and make life enjoyable.

Health is vital and should be well nurtured to avoid any health problems. Good health determines our life and to remain healthy in the long run, focusing on it becomes extremely necessary. Living a joyous life is often mistaken as inculcating improper eating and drinking habits such as drinking alcohol, smoking and binging on street food. Such ways of living bring temporary pleasure, eventually resulting in poor health.

Investing some time in looking after our health can save us from many health risks and make our body strong, strengthen our immunity and keep us disease-free. One of the ways of achieving it is through healthy diets, which involve the right balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Healthy diets that work are designed to inculcate proper food habits, which train our body to consume balanced nutrients and drink adequate amount of water.

Types of Healthy Diets

Dieting does not always refer to depriving ourselves from food. Consumption of all nutrients at proper intervals of time can help in obtaining a healthy body and mind. Our poor eating habits sometimes make it hard to adapt to a healthy diet. Therefore, there are many fad diets that work fast, which aid in weight loss. The effects of these quick, healthy diets give out great results but last only for a short span of time. The healthy diets that work fast for women and men are giving many dieters a wide range of right eating patterns to choose from.

Atkins Diet
Dr. Robert Atkins first introduced Atkins Diet in the book named, ‘The New Diet Revolution’, which went on to become a very popular diet. Atkins Diet has four phases, which include planned intake of all the important nutrients, resulting into quick weight loss.
Phase 1: This is the first step towards weight loss and lasts up to 2 weeks. Atkins termed the first phase as Induction, which means taking an initiative towards weight loss. The objective of this phase is to turn your body from burning carbohydrates to burning fat, ultimately leading to weight loss. With a sudden change in the pattern of eating, weight loss might be quick or slow. In order to achieve the desired body, abide by the rules of Atkins Diet. To begin the process of fat burning, reduce the intake of carbohydrates to 20 grams each day by consuming low carb legumes, vitamins, proteins, minerals and other nutrients.
Phase 2: This phase is called Ongoing Weight Loss, wherein the body begins to adapt to the new diet pattern. Once the difficult phase of induction is over, the second phase allows you to include some more variety of nutrients with a controlled eating pattern. The objective is to keep the appetite in control and continue the weight loss process. This phase permits you to increase the carbohydrate level to 25 grams and includes seeds and nuts in the diet.
Phase 3: With the success of the previous two phases, this pre-maintenance level assesses the amount of carb intake. Here, there is a scope to experiment with some more variety of foods and to know what foods can be consumed. By this stage you will have lost enough weight and must have learned to keep the appetite well in control.
Phase 4: Known as the Lifetime Maintenance Phase, it involves taking care of the new diet and at the same time maintaining the weight. As the body has been successful in adapting to a new diet, it gives you the opportunity to now select the various constituents of food that you might like to add in the diet. However, it is important to keep the food habits in control and stay determined towards the new diet and maintaining a healthy body.

Sonoma Diet
Connie Guttersen, introduced the Sonoma Diet, which is among the popular fad diets that many undertake. It is divided into three stages which are collectively termed as Waves. This diet is specially designed towards healthy eating and lifestyle.
Wave 1: The duration of this first stage lasts up to 10 days. Here, weight loss is quick with a rapid change in the energy level and the overall well-being of a person. Wave 1 helps to reduce cravings for unwanted food and gradually turns us towards eating delicious and yet nutritious food. The Sonoma diet includes almonds, bell peppers, citrus fruits, grapes, olive oil, strawberries, whole grains, broccoli, blueberries, spinach, tomatoes and beans, which play a major role in achieving the target weight. They are known as the 12 power foods of the Sonoma diet. Add more vegetables, whole grains and lean meats to the diet to make it an enjoyable meal.
Wave 2: Once you have observed weight loss in Wave 1, this phase continues with the weight loss process. This weight loss is gradual and healthy. By the time one reaches Wave 2, the body has become familiar with healthy foods making it easier to stick to the diet. This stage brings in more choice of fruits and vegetables, improving the health and making the mind stable. This stage lasts till the time the target weight is accomplished.
Wave 3: After Wave 1 and 2 changes the approach towards eating, Wave 3 coaxes you to maintain the target weight. The body automatically rejects the intake of poor eating habits and welcomes you to the new and well planned eating pattern. Good eating habits have positive effects on the body and nurturing the health of the body becomes easy.

South Beach Diet
Dr. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist, designed this diet for its long term healthy effects on the body. This diet works in three phases, which focuses on proper eating thus pushing towards a healthier lifestyle.
Phase 1: It’s a tough phase where, one can have proper meals, excluding the carbohydrates. It includes eating lean meats and vegetables. There is rapid weight loss in this phase due to a complete change in the type of food and diet pattern.
Phase 2: The weight loss continues while you allow some more food variety in the diet. However, the weight loss is slow. This phase continues till the required weight is lost.
Phase 3: Once the body has adjusted to the balanced diet, it is not hard to maintain the acquired health of body. Slowly introduce other food types but do not deviate from the sensible eating pattern that you have designed for your body.

Zone Diet
One can achieve proper hormonal balance by consuming well planned meals, which include balanced carbohydrates, proteins and fats. It allows us to enjoy three meals a day, including two snacks and yet help to lose weight. It is a low carbohydrate plan, which uses up the carbohydrates to gain more energy. The dieters have to keep a control on the amount of intake of calories which can be consumed at the time of eating meals and snacks. They must restrict themselves to having 500 calories during meals and up to 100 calories during snacks time. This diet has the ability to improve health and raise the energy levels. It helps in controlling cravings for readily available foods. The zone diet targets the excessive fat which is stored due to intake of too much of carbohydrates. Therefore, it includes proteins which help in releasing the carbohydrates, thus resulting in fat burn. Burning of fat results into balancing the intake of carbohydrates and proteins which causes the body to shed the piled up weight. There are many delicious recipes that fall under Zone diet to make it enjoyable and at the same time keep the dieter determined towards the weight loss program.

17 Day Diet
Dr. Mike Mareno developed the 17 Day Diet, which soon became one of the sought after diets among the dieters. This diet includes various adjustments in foods and helps to achieve adequate amount of weight loss. The 17 Day Diet includes four cycles termed as Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. The constituents of food varies as sometimes one has to consume low carb foods or high carb foods during the diet process. This diet promises a loss of at least 10-12 pounds, cleansing the body from toxins and putting it into the habit of consuming healthy food.

The diets mentioned above mostly focus on quick weight loss, which prove to be appropriate for teens or young adults. However, in case of pregnancy, these diets are not recommended as the mother needs to be healthy enough to carry the weight of the baby and provide all the possible nutrients to the unborn child. It is wise to consult a dietitian/doctor in case of any health ailments to prevent from damaging your health further.

Energy is extremely necessary to run our day-to-day activities. To gain this energy, we eat food, which determines our overall health. No matter how complicated our lifestyle is, eating smartly can lead to feeling good, lighter and energetic. Hence, it is essential to choose a healthy and nutritious diet and follow it sincerely. Only dieting does not always prove successful in weight loss. The combination of healthy diets that work and exercise will lead us towards a smart and healthy way of living.

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Posted in DIET, HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTH TIPS, HEALTHY LIVING

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Cayenne Pepper for Constipation

Posted on September 24, 2011 by admin| Comments Off

Cayenne pepper is a spicy red chilly which has high amounts of capsaicin, along with vitamin A, B6, C, E, potassium and manganese.

Cayenne pepper for constipation? Yes, it is often used as a herbal alternative for treating this condition. This herb also has several other miraculous health benefits, which have been mentioned in this article.

 

Constipation is a fairly common ailment, which makes the bowel motion irregular, hard and difficult to pass. A persistent occurrence of this condition, if not dealt in time, can cause a string of health complications. These complications include bloating, excessive flatulence, headaches, heartburn, general discomfort, and fistula in the anal cavity. There are many herbal remedies which focus on alleviating this condition. However, this article will focus on the therapeutic benefits of cayenne pepper for constipation.

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is a spicy red chilly which has high amounts of capsaicin, along with vitamin A, B6, C, E, potassium and manganese. This pepper is also known as Aleva, Bird Pepper, Cow Horn, and Guinea Spice. It is believed to have many health benefits, because of which, it is sold in the form of capsules. These capsules are sold according to their Heat Units (HU) per capsule, and are available in units ranging from 5,000 – 100,000 HU. Cayenne is good for relieving constipation, especially if the condition has resulted from an unhealthy diet routine, medicinal side effect, stress or dehydration.

Using Cayenne to Stop Constipation

  • Cayenne, when consumed either in powdered chilly form or as capsules, causes a slight burning sensation in the stomach. This burning sensation is believed to be an indication that the herb is working, and is thus helping the constipation lessen.
  • The colon is a part of the large intestine, which is situated in between the caecum and the rectum. It is the colon which is responsible for retrieving moisture from the food we eat, in order for the waste matter to be excreted with ease. When there is a fall in the moisture being extracted, it often causes the stool to become hardened, dry and constipated.
  • This medicinal herb stimulates the peristalsis action in the colon and the digestive system, thereby easing the bowel movement and relieving the body of the excessive buildup of flatulence.
  • Cayenne also helps stimulate the enzymes and mucus to work upon the coagulated and hardened stool. This helps soften the excreta, and reduces the pain during bowel movement.

Precautionary Measures

  • However, it is very essential that the individual suffering from constipation drinks a lot of water at regular intervals throughout the day. The water will help provide adequate moisture to the digestive system.
  • The cayenne pepper pills must be taken after normal meals and never on an empty stomach, as that can cause the burning sensation to aggravate.
  • For those who wish to consume cayenne directly, must never eat the seeds, as it is toxic and must always be discarded.
  • Also, it would be safer to have something which will cool the stomach soon after consuming this herb, which could be foods such as cold juices, yogurt, or even a bowl of cold fruit salad.
  • This herb may or may not be recommended for pregnant women, and it would be best to seek medical advice on the administration as well as the dosage of this medicine.
  • Cayenne pepper must never be taken by people who are already on blood thinning drugs, as this herb may cause the blood to thin even further, and fasten the blood circulation.

Other Health Benefits

  • Cayenne helps regulate blood pressure and keeps it at an equilibrium.
  • It lowers high cholesterol levels and prevents plaque formation in the heart.
  • It helps detoxify the circulatory system and regulates the functions of the pulse and nervous system.
  • This herb prevents and heals ulcers in the stomach, and is excellent for killing pathogens.
  • It induces the healing of cells and tissues within the system.
  • It activates the mucus membrane and helps eliminate congestion in the sinus cavity as well as the chest.
  • Cayenne relieves inflammation in the muscles, and alleviates rheumatism and arthritis.

Seek medical advice before deciding on your daily dosage of cayenne pepper for constipation, as it may differ for each individual. Children especially must be administered very less doses of this herb. You may have this medicine after every meal or twice a day, or as per the directions of your physician.

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Posted in HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTH TIPS, HERBAL & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

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Ways to Avoid Cancer

Posted on September 16, 2011 by admin| Comments Off

The risk factor of cancer is more than ever. Here are ways to avoid cancer, that will help you live a healthier life; as prevention is always better than cure, and very much in case of cancer.

Before we start looking at the various ways to avoid cancer, let us discuss why people get cancer…Doctors can’t explain this, as some people just tend to develop cancer, while some don’t. Whatever the underlying cause be, there are certain factors that increase the risk of getting cancer. It is very important to understand these risk factors. The common risk factors are old age, ionizing radiation, alcohol, poor diet, family history of cancer, lack of physical activity, certain chemicals, certain viruses and bacteria, sunlight exposure and tobacco. Certain risk factors should be avoided like tobacco consumption, poor diet and sunlight exposure. There are many natural alternative cancer treatments, but many of these remedies can also be used as preventive measures. Here are the best ways to avoid cancer, and live a more healthy life.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Cancer

Keep in mind the below best ways to avoid cancer, and stick to healthy habits. You can go through, what is an antioxidant, to understand what it is and how it helps in cancer prevention. As antioxidant containing foods are the important foods that avoid cancer.

  1. The first thing you need to do is change your diet. Throw away the junk food you eat, and substitute them with healthy foods. Fresh fruits and veggies contain antioxidants which are top anti-cancer foods. Also, the more the colorful the foods the higher it has antioxidants in it. Go for organic foods, as they are not treated with pesticides, thus preventing any chemicals entering your body. So, once or twice in a week go for shopping of fresh fruits and veggies, and eat them as much as possible.
  2. Next is to start your daily detox. A simple way to do this is by drinking plenty of water. Have around 2-3 liters of water throughout the day, to flush out any toxins in your body. You can also have 2-3 cups of green tea, which is the richest source of antioxidants as your daily natural detox at home.
  3. As mentioned above lack of physical activity is also a risk factor contributing to cancer, participate in a physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day.
  4. If you tend to smoke, then quit smoking, as it is a high risk factor contributing to cancer. Drinking too much of alcohol also tends to contribute to cancer. So, reduce your alcohol consumption.
  5. One of the risk factor contributing greatly to skin cancer, is sunlight exposure. So, how to prevent skin cancer? Apart from the above measures, cover your skin properly with appropriate head wear and clothes and use a good sunscreen when out in sun. Also, try to avoid sunlight exposure, if possible.
  6. It is important that you practice safe sex. Unsafe sex can cause HPV (human papillomairus) infection, which is a risk factor to cervical cancer. This is a common sexually transmitted infection.
  7. One of the best ways to prevent cancer is to get your cancer screening regularly done. These are not just useful for detecting cancer, but also to prevent it. Educate yourself about the various cancer screening tests.
  8. Certain families tend to have more risk of developing particular type of cancer. Know your family history and your medical history, and get a proper assessment. Consult your doctor to plan out a proper screening plan, to figure out the risks.
  9. Obesity and being overweight is a risk factor contributing to certain cancers. So, follow a good diet and exercise plan, to combat overweight.
  10. Stress tends to weaken our immune system. To strengthen your immune system, a balanced body and mind is important. Apart from following healthy diet and exercise plan, one of the anticancer measure is to perform some type of meditation to reduce your stress levels.

These were the various ways to avoid cancer. So, apart from following the above top ways to avoid cancer, keep educating yourself to learn about the risk factors of cancer, and how to reduce them to live a healthier life.

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Posted in CANCER, HEALTH & WELLNESS, HEALTH TIPS, HEALTHY LIVING

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