6 Plants For Your Bedroom to Help You Sleep

Have trouble in sleeping at night??? Insomnia can be a very disturbing condition, as after a long and tiring work day all you want to do is get a good night’s rest. But sometimes this just isn’t possible, because half of the night passes and you are still turning around in your bed wondering when will you fall asleep? Prescribing medication is not the best option, as there are always alternative and natural solutions. Such a home remedy is to fill your home with plants as they will have a very positive effect on your health and well-being. Plants have some amazing healing features, can reduce anxiety and purify the air inside your home, a perfect combination that will reduce the amount of sleepless nights in a year. But in order to take a full advantage of the healing power of plants, you have to be informed about which type of plants can help you reduce insomnia. 

The Center for disease control and prevention stated that insufficient sleep is major health problem lot of people are suffering from and spent thousands of dollars to get the solution.If you have done meditation,relaxation techniques and other remedies but still did not find a proper solution to get sleep at night then this article will help you.

Lavender - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

LAVENDER

It’s also probably the most well-known of all plants when it comes to inducing sleep and reducing anxiety levels. Research backs up these claims, with lavender scents shown to slow down heart rate, lower blood pressure and levels of stress.

In one study, the smell of lavender reduced crying in babies, sending them into a deeper sleep; while simultaneously reducing stress in both mother and child – something all new mothers will be happy to hear!

In women, lavender has been shown to increase light sleep, and decrease rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to wake after first falling asleep, with opposite effects in men.

While there are a host of lavender scented products on the market to help you get a full night’s rest (from scented sleep masks to lavender mattresses) why not go for the most natural and cost effective option – a beautiful lavender plant placed on your nightstand.

Jasmine - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

JASMINE

Who doesn’t love the scent of lavender? Jasmine is a colorful plant whose smell helps in improving the quality of sleep and alertness and keeps you to be refresh next day.Just by smelling this plant it helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

Snake Plant - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

SNAKE PLANT

What’s great about this plant is that it emits oxygen at night time whilst simultaneously taking in carbon dioxide – something we naturally produce when breathing.  All this leads to a purer quality of air and a better night’s sleep.

The Snake Plant also filters some nasty but common household toxins (namely formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and benzene) from the air.

Aloe Vera - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

ALOE VERA

Aloe Vera plant is an excellent indoor plant because it has lot of benefits and is easy to keep alive.Aloe Vera is listed as NASA’s top most air improving plants and also shown to emit oxygen during nights.Increase in oxygen supply may help with insomnia and helps in  improving the quality of sleep.

Aloe Vera is also known as the ‘plant of immortality’ and can be reproduced easily.Keep this excellent medicinal plant all over you home for maximum benefits.

Golden Pothos - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

GOLDEN POTHOS

Golden pothos plants need bright, indirect light. Don't overwater or you'll end up with a case of root rot, reports Wisconsin Horticulture.

Those with a busy schedule will particularly welcome this ivy-like vine. Not only will you have a better quality of sleep but you need not worry too much about nurturing it – a couple of hours of morning sun and a little water once a week is all it requires.

It makes a great hanging plant too – which curbs its invasive nature and keeps its mildly toxic leaves out of the reach of pets and children.

English Ivy - healthmagweb.blogspot.com

ENGLISH IVY

English Ivy plant is a classy and easy to grow.NASA has named it the NUMBER ONE air purifying plant.This plant is particularly beneficial to those who suffer from Asthma and breathing problems at night.. Studies have shown that having English ivy in the home helps to reduce airborne mold up to 94%. Since contaminants in the air are a major trigger of allergies, asthma and other breathing problems, this affordable plant may help to significantly improve the quality of sleep.

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5 Easy Ways to Burn Fat Fast Without Exercise

The human body is a remarkably adaptable machine. Even if years and years of neglect have allowed pound after pound of fat to fill out your frame, you can rid yourself of that lard at a much faster rate than you brought it on board. In that sense, time is your side!

Take these five easy-to-implement tips to heart, and progress will come in a hurry!

Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids

1. DRINK MORE WATER.

Water is the medium in which most cellular activities take place, including the transport and burning of fat. In addition, drinking plenty of calorie-free water makes you feel full and eat less. Drink at least 1 ounce of water per 2 pounds of bodyweight a day (that's 100 ounces for a 200-pound person). Keep a 20-ounce water bottle at your desk, fill it five times a day, and you're set.

2. EAT A FULL, BALANCED BREAKFAST.

"Your body has been starving all night long, and it needs nutrients to rebuild itself," says Matarazzo. "If you just catch something quick on the run instead of eating a full meal, it negatively impacts your workout, and everything else you do during the day." Eat sufficient protein (30-40 grams), a complex carbohydrate, like oatmeal, and a piece of fruit to start your day off right.

3. EAT 5-6 MEALS A DAY.

Dieters often decrease the number of daily meals in an attempt to reduce calories—a big no-no. "If you eat six meals a day versus three with the same total calories, you can lose more fat because more meals burn more calories [by increasing thermogenesis, the production of heat, in the body]," says Aceto. Calculate how many calories you want to consume per day (see tip 3), and spread them evenly across 5-6 meals.

4. INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN.

Increasing protein intake will increase your metabolism and help to maintain your muscle mass, all of which helps with fat-burning. In fact, your body burns more calories when you eat protein than when you digest either fats or carbs.

This may explain why the fat-burning effects of eating more protein were confirmed in a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. One group was fed a high-protein diet (just over 1 gram per pound of body weight per day) while the second group consumed an amount closer to the lower recommendation of the RDA (recommended dietary allowance). The group eating the higher-protein diet burned the most fat.

5. INCREASE VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION.

Vegetables are nutrient-dense, meaning they pack maximum nutrition value with minimal calories, leaving you more full on fewer calories. Consume five servings a day of veggies, whether as a snack, on a sandwich or on the side of a chicken breast. Order your next burger with fresh vegetables instead of french fries.

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9 Signs Of Mouth Cancer

Oral cancer kills as many Americans as skin or cervical cancer and is rising among women, young people, and nonsmokers. Over 25% of oral cancer victims do not smoke or abuse alcohol.  The National Cancer Institute estimates that about 40,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with mouth or throat cancer in 2012.

Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can also affect a patient’s dental health. Common symptoms include dry mouth; difficulty chewing, swallowing, tasting or speaking; tooth decay; a burning feeling in the mouth or throat; mouth sores; and infections in the mouth.

According to the National Institute of Dental Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), over half of those in the U.S. survive from oral cancer after five years. If this condition is caught early enough, the chances of successful treatment are high.

Dentists look for early signs of mouth cancer during regular checkup appointments, but it's also important for you to recognize these warning signals so you can bring them to the attention of your dentist right away.

Signs and Symptoms

Mouth cancer can occur anywhere in the mouth, including the lips, tongue and throat, as well as the salivary glands, pharynx, larynx and sinuses. And because early detection is crucial in overcoming this disease, you'll want to visit your doctor immediately if any of the following symptoms persist for more than two weeks:

• Sores, swellings, lumps or thick patches anywhere in or around your mouth or throat
• Areas of red or white lesions in your mouth or lips
• The feeling of a lump or object stuck in your throat
• Swellings that make wearing dentures uncomfortable
• Numbness, pain or tenderness anywhere in your mouth, including your tongue
• Pain in one of your ears but without any loss of hearing
• Trouble moving your jaw or tongue, or problems with chewing, swallowing or speaking
• Loose teeth with no apparent dental cause
• Lingering sore throat or hoarseness
• 
  

How It Occurs

Although the exact cause of oral cancer is unclear, there are certain lifestyle factors that can put someone at risk for this disease. Tobacco of any kind – cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco – increase your risk for oral cancer. In fact, the Mouth Cancer Foundation reports 90 percent of those with oral cancer consume tobacco. Heavy use of alcohol also increases a person's chances of developing oral cancer, and the NIDCR says your risk is even higher when using both tobacco and alcohol.

In addition to tobacco and alcohol, age and eating habits can influence your risk as well. Most oral cancers occur in people over the age of 40, and a diet that is deficient in fruits and vegetables can make it easier to contract. Keep in mind sun exposure can cause cancer on the lips. More recently, there has been a rise in a subset of oral cancers associated with the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV 16).

Oral Cancer Screening and Treatment

Oral cancer examinations by your dentist are quick, painless and crucial to detecting it in its early stages. The American Dental Association (ADA) explains that during a routine checkup of your teeth and gums, your dentist also visually checks your lips and face for signs of spreading beyond your mouth. He or she may also palpate the neck and jaw area, and examine both the top and underside of your tongue. These oral cancer screenings should be done every six months.

A dentist who suspects cancer will recommend a biopsy of the area, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). With a positive diagnosis, surgery may be needed to treat the affected area, and often this surgery is followed by radiation and chemotherapy treatment.

The oral cavity includes your lips, cheek lining, gums, front part of your tongue, floor of the mouth beneath the tongue and the hard palate that makes up the roof of your mouth. The throat (pharynx) starts at the soft part of the roof of your mouth and continues back into your throat. It includes the back section of your tongue as well as the base where the tongue attaches to the floor of your mouth.

Your Best Option

When in doubt, seek prevention! You should already practice daily oral hygiene to prevent tooth decay and gum disease: brushing regularly with a fluoride toothpaste, flossing daily and limiting sweets. But by regulating certain lifestyle choices – smoking, alcohol use and sun exposure, for example – you can significantly lower your risk of developing oral cancer.

Ultimately, if you know what to look for and see your dentist for regular screenings, early signs of mouth cancer can be identified and taken care of before they become a serious problem.

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8 Tips How to Eat to Manage Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise, yet most cases are preventable with healthy lifestyle changes. Some can even be reversed. Taking steps to prevent and control diabetes doesn’t mean living in deprivation; it means eating a tasty, balanced diet that will also boost your energy and improve your mood. You don’t have to give up sweets entirely or resign yourself to a lifetime of bland food. With these tips, you can still take pleasure from your meals without feeling hungry or deprived.

Eat regular meals Plate

1. Eat regular meals Plate

Spacing meals evenly throughout the day will help control your appetite and blood glucose levels – especially if you are on twice-daily insulin.



 

Opt for slowly absorbed carbohydrates

2. Opt for slowly absorbed carbohydrates

All carbohydrates (carbs) affect blood glucose levels, so be conscious of how much you eat and opt for carbs that are more gradually absorbed. Try pasta, basmati or easy-cook rice; granary, pumpernickel or rye bread; new potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams; oat-based cereals, such as porridge or natural muesli.






 

Cut the fatcarbs

3. Cut the fatcarbs

Eat less fat – particularly saturated fat. Try unsaturated fats and oils, especially monounsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil and rapeseed oil, as these types of fat are better for your heart. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and other low-fat dairy products, while grilling, steaming or baking foods is healthier than frying. Remember that all fats contribute similar amounts of calories, so limit your overall intake if you are aiming to lose weight.

 

Five portions of fruit and vegetables every day

4. Five a day

Aim for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day to give your body the vitamins, minerals and fibre it needs. A portion is: 1 piece of fruit, like a banana or apple, 1 handful of grapes, 1 tablespoon (30g) dried fruit, 1 small glass (150ml) of fruit juice or fruit smoothie, 3 heaped tablespoons vegetables.



 

Eat plenty of beans

5. Eat plenty of beans

Beans, lentils and pulses are all low in fat, high in fibre and cheap to buy. They don’t have a big impact on blood glucose and may help to control blood fats such as cholesterol. Try kidney beans, chickpeas, green lentils, and even baked beans. Include in soups and casseroles, cold in salads, in falafel, bean burgers and low-fat houmous and dahls.

 

Eat more fish

6. Eat more fish

All types of fish are healthy, provided they’re not coated in batter or fried, but oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon and trout are particularly good for you. They are rich in omega-3 (polyunsaturated fat) which helps protect against heart disease, which people with diabetes are at higher risk of. Aim to eat two portions of oily fish a week.,

 

Cut back on sugar

7. Cut back on sugar

Having diabetes doesn’t mean you need to eat a sugar-free diet. You can include some sugar as part of a healthy, balanced diet, provided you don’t over do it. Just aim to have less of it. You can also use other sweeteners as an alternative to sugar. Some easy ways to cut back on your sugar intake include choosing sugar-free drinks, buying canned fruit in juice rather than syrup and reducing or cutting out sugar in tea and coffee. But remember, sugary drinks are an excellent treatment for hypos (hypoglycaemia – low blood glucose level).

 

Reduce your salt

8. Reduce your salt

Having too much salt increases risk of high blood pressure. This in turn increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, which people with diabetes are already at higher risk of. Reduce salt in your diet to 6g or less a day. Try cutting back on processed foods which account for about 70 per cent of our salt intake. You can also try flavouring foods with herbs and spices instead of salt.

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4 Easy Steps to Prevent Zika Virus

A child born in Brazil with microcephaly. Her mother was infected with the Zika virus while pregnant.

If you’ve heard about the Zika virus and are wondering what it is, you’re not alone. Cases of this emerging infectious disease are soaring in the Americas and "spreading explosively," according to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, MD. Many U.S. states are reporting cases of travelers bringing the infection back with them. Although usually spread by mosquitoes, Zika can also be transmitted through sex. One case of sexual transmission was confirmed in Texas in early February, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently investigating 14 additional reports of possible sexual transmission of the virus.
For most people, the Zika virus causes only a brief, mild flu-like illness. But in pregnant women it has been linked to an alarming increase in the rate of the birth defect known as microcephaly — a debilitatingly small head and brain size. The clusters of birth defects linked to the Zika virus are an international public health emergency, according to the WHO. Dr. Chan characterizes the situation as an "extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world."
The CDC posted a travel alert advising pregnant women to delay travel to areas where Zika is active. The travel alert list continues to expand and now includes 34 countries or territories, most of them in the Americas.
The CDC's newest guidelines recommend that pregnant women coming back from these areas get tested for Zika. Two pregnant women in Illinois tested positive for the virus after recent travel, reports the Illinois Department of Public Health, as well as three pregnant women in Florida. In addition, the CDC advises men who have a pregnant partner to use condoms if they live in or travel to areas with Zika infection.
A baby born with microcephaly in Oahu, Hawaii, had been infected with Zika, according to a press release from the Hawaii Department of Health. The child's mother had previously lived in Brazil — a Zika hot zone with up to 1.3 million cases of infection. More U.S cases among pregnant travelers are under investigation by the CDC.
With the 2016 summer Olympic Games coming up in Rio de Janeiro, public health experts are worried that the virus may spread far beyond Latin America. The World Health Organization expects Zika to spread to all but two countries in the Americas: Canada and Chile. Athletes who are concerned about Zika should consider skipping the games, the U.S. Olympic Committee now says.
Given the possible link to birth defects, preventing the spread of Zika is critical, especially for women in their childbearing years.

Mosquitoes, including Aedes aegypti, spread Zika virus

1. Wear long sleeved shirts and pants

Because there is no vaccine to prevent Zika, the "best way to prevent diseases spread by mosquitoes is to avoid being bitten," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote on its site. In areas with active Zika cases, you can lower your risk of infection by layering up and giving mosquitoes fewer chances to come into contact with your skin.
"Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites," the CDC states. "Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants."
If you have a child, dress your offspring in long sleeved clothing that covers a lot of their skin. Also be sure to cover your crib, stroller, or baby carrier with mosquito netting, the CDC states.

2. Use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents

The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents and following these simple directions:

• Follow the product label instructions.
• Reapply insect repellent as directed by the repellent.
• Avoid spraying repellent on the skin under clothing.
• Apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent if you're using both

The virus can be can also be "readily controlled through effective mosquito control procedures, such as destroying the infected insects and larvae, or insecticide use," as reported by the Guardian.
The CDC recommends not using insect repellent on babies younger than two months old. It's also crucial to avoid applying insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cut, or irritated skin.

3. Treat clothes and materials with permethrin or buy permethrin-treated items

Permethrin is widely used as an insect repellent and is on the WHO's List of Essential Medicines. The CDC recommends treating your clothes with permethrin as a Zika prevention method.
"If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully," the CDC states. "Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing."
Permethrin products are available for purchase on Amazon, at REI, and at Walgreens, among other stores.

4. If you're pregnant, avoid regions where Zika is active

The CDC is advising pregnant women to stay away from the 22 countries that have experienced Zika outbreaks. Experts have warned that the Zika virus may cause children to have microcephaly, a rare condition that is categorized by an abnormally small head. The CDC has also advised women who are considering becoming pregnant to visit a doctor before going to active Zika regions, according to The New York Times.
"Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing," the CDC states. "Pregnant women who do travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip."
The CDC adds that it's safe to use an EPA-registered insect repellent if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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