5 damaging effects of alcohol on your skin

Even if you are an occasional drinker, you still can t escape the damages that alcohol does to your skin. Alcohol is a toxic, period. We know that regular alcohol consumption can lead to a lot of health crisis liver damage, kidney failure, blockages in the heart, etc. Its ill-effects don t spare your skin as well. Too much of alcohol leads to toxin build-up in the body, oxidative stress and robs the skin of its essential nutrients. This makes the skin look dull, pale and wrinkly, says Dr Soma Sarkar, Medical Director & Dermatologist, Skin Inn Clinic, Mumbai. Talking more about the damages that alcohol can induce on skin she lists down a few of them:.

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1. It leads to premature ageing: Probably when you are sipping your drink or cocktails you don t think of it too much. But your drink, even if it is quenching your thirst is making you dehydrated at the same time. The excess toxic that build-up in your system, thanks to that glass in your hand, robs your skin of its natural moisture and makes it dehydrated. This dehydration is further responsible for those fine lines and wrinkles that habitual and social drinkers end up having. If you don t control your drinking then premature ageing is inevitable. Here are foods that can prevent premature ageing. .

2. It worsens pre-existing conditions: For people who suffer from skin conditions like rosacea, psoriasis, etc, alcohol consumption flares up of the symptoms. At times, it gets so worse that even with help of dermatologists getting the symptoms in control becomes a challenge.

3. It leads to breakouts: We are not just talking about acne over here. Of course, those who suffer from chronic acne, alcohol is not going to help them in any way. But even otherwise, alcohol increases blood flow in the facial area and dilates the blood vessels. For chronic drinkers, this could mean danger as the pressure in the veins on the face can increase and lead to a capillary to break or burst. When this happens it leaves behind red spots on the face making it difficult to treat.

4. It makes face look pale: Of all the blunders that alcohol does to your skin this is the greater evil it robs your face of vitamin A which is essential for skin renewal. This particular vitamin helps in making new cells and getting rid of dead cells from the face. The absence of vitamin A means no skin renewal, no glow on your face. This makes your skin look dull, pale and greyish too.

5. It makes the face look bloated: One mistake that most chronic drinkers do is that they don t drink enough water to get rid of the toxins in the body or replete the lost moisture. Drinking adequate amount of water is a natural way of keeping your skin glowing and healthy. But excess alcohol intake robs the skin of vital nutrients, electrolytes and fluids but it fills up with the toxins instead, which makes the face look bloated. Add to it the excess blood circulation that is influenced due to alcohol your face looks puffy.

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4 amazing health benefits of bearberry

Bearberry is an edible fruit that has been used in traditional healing methods since ancient times. Easily available in various health food stores this fruit has a gamut of health benefits due to its amazing chemical makeup that includes, ursolic, gallic acid, tannic and various flavonoids. It can be used in various forms such as tea, ground powder, decoction or topical ointment. Here are a few health benefits it is very well known for:

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Immunity: Hydroquinones present in bearberries are powerful antibacterial chemical compounds that help in keeping the various systems in your body intact. It also helps eliminate harmful agents from your body. It can help protect your gut, digestive system, skin and many other parts and systems of your body and acts as a great defense against bacteria.

Detoxification: It is a natural diuretic and helps release toxins from your body. It helps to cleanse the bladder and kidneys by eliminating excessive body salts, water, fats and toxic materials from your body.

Pregnancy: According to studies some active components of bearberries have been claimed to prevent miscarriages, and ensures a better overall health of both mother and child during pregnancy. Even post pregnancy bearberries have been known to help the mother recover quickly.

Pain relief: Ointment and salve made using bearberries have been used to relieve pain and inflammation effectively. Topical application of salve made by bearberries are can be applied to burns, bruises, wounds, etc. The natural ingredient present in bearberries help speed the healing process under the skin, reduces pain and soothes inflammation.

This fruit is immensely rich in antioxidants. However, one must always consult a doctor before making it a vital part of the diet especially during pregnancy.

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Golden ways to get bigger breasts naturally

They say you inherit your breast size from someone in your family. So in reality there is little you can do to correct their size, unless you plan to get them surgically enhanced (which again comes with its own set of challenges). Various surveys have proved that women with the ideal breast (or boobs) size have higher self esteem. So what options are women left with if they don't want to get implants done?

There are many ways a woman can naturally enhance her breast size. Exercising, eating the right food and a few changes in your lifestyle may get you the desired results.

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Let's find out what you can do to get bigger breasts

1) EXERCISING

Exercising regularly and in the right way may help you in getting bigger breasts.

a) Push-ups: Not only good for triceps, push-ups also help in strengthening the pectoral muscles that are located below the breasts. Initially, you may find this exercise a bit tiring, so start with 2 to 3 sets of ten push-ups in a day and increase the number as your body gets used to the exercise.

This is how you should do push-ups:

Get into the high plank position and firmly place your hands on the ground, directly under the shoulders. Keeping your back straight, bring your body towards the ground. Make sure your stomach should not touch the floor. Push back up. If you find this exercise too challenging, then you may keep your knees on the floor.

b) Crunches: Crunches trim the belly fat and strengthen ab muscles. Once the abs get in shape and toned, it strengthens breast muscles and you get fuller breasts.

How to do crunches:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands under your head. Lift your shoulders and upper back up away from the floor. You eyes should be focused towards the ceiling. Exhale as you come up, hold for a second and inhale when you return to the original position.

c) Wall ups: Walls ups are especially for women who find push-ups hard and tiring. Just like push-ups, you have to push yourself against a wall. Wall ups too strengthen pectoral muscles, tone breast shape and increase size.

d) Right way to do wall-ups:

Stand in front of a wall and lift your arms to the shoulder level. Firmly place your palms on the wall and push off the wall until your arms are in an outstretched position with elbows bent. Come back to the original positions. Initially, try four sets ten times each.

e) Chest press with dumbbells: This exercise firms up breast tissues and strengthens pectoral muscles. It is important to note that you should do this exercise with easy-to-lift dumbbells.

How to do chest press with dumbbells:

Lie on a bench with dumbbell in each hand. Your feet should be firmly placed on the floor. Push the dumbbells up in a way that your arms are directly over the shoulders and palms up. Bring the dumbbells back to the shoulder level and repeat.

f) Chest contractions: Focusing the isometric contractions of the chest, this exercise is one of the best types of breast-building workouts.

The right way to do chest contractions:
Hold a towel in front of you. Your arms should be stretched up in front of your chest. Each hand should clutch one end of the towel. Now pull both ends of the towel simultaneously, away from each other. While doing the exercise, contract your chest muscles.

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2) Diet for bigger breasts

Diet plays a significant role in shaping up the body. Where breast size is concerned, it requires proper nutrition.

a) Milk: Intake of milk contributes to the growth of breast tissues. Cow's milk is enriched with estrogen, progesterone and prolactin, which are required to produce milk in women, thus enhancing breast size.

b) Green leafy vegetables: For bigger boobs, include green leafy vegetables in your daily diet. These vegetables are also a good source of iron and calcium.

Mostly, green leafy vegetables do not contain phytoestrogens that help in increasing breast tissues, but they tone developed breasts. Another reason to eat green leafy vegetables is they prevent the male testosterone production in women. This balances the hormones in a woman's body and allows natural estrogen level to control the body functioning.

c) Nuts: High in monosaturated fats, nuts are essential for building breast tissues and enhancing breast growth.

d) Soy: Soy contains phytoestrogens, the hormone responsible for breast growth. Soy also contains isoflavones, which fights against free radicals and cancer cells that might grow in breast tissues.

Include foods like flax seeds, fenugreek and fennel seeds in your diet. Some other types of foods that help in toning and increasing breast tissues are legumes and soya bean.

3) Some other ways

For proper growth of your boobs, it is essential to choose the right bra. Bra size plays an important role in controlling sagging and making your breast firm and toned. Another way to get bigger breasts is massaging. Massage your breasts at least once a day. This increases blood circulation, which leads to a smooth flow of hormones and increases breast size.

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5 best ways to lose weight

Behind every intention to lose weight or eat right, there is always a hurdle to cross. In order to resist cracking at the first temptation, find a balance in which habits work for you and determine what changes you need to make. 

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Eat smart

Low-fat cooking can be enjoyable if you apply your mind and make the food taste and look good. For instance, bake, steam, grill or stir-fry foods instead of deep-frying them. Trim off the skin and fat from the meats, so that they are more nutritious and heart-healthy. Enjoy experimenting with different flavours, vegetables, spices, herbs, fruits, seeds and nuts.

Tip: When you eat out, make special requests to get what you want. For example, you can request for baked potatoes instead of French fries, honey and lemon dressing instead of mayonnaise, roti instead of buttery naan.

Eat at regular intervals

You must eat regularly. Skipping meals just simply doesn't work. When the body is deprived of regular nourishment, it gets into the habit of functioning to a minimum - slowing down its metabolism.

Tip: Avoid eating when you are emotionally worked-up. You may tend to reach out to food as a comforter.

Plan your meals

When food craving grips, you tend to make a dash for the fridge or eat whatever you find accessible. Avoid giving into temptation by planning ahead. Keep some ready-to-eat foods such as fruits, cut vegetables, sprouts, a sandwich or roasted savouries, handy. Just make sure they are accessible when you need them.

Tip: Make a list of your requirements, so that you are better organised when you shop for food.

Avoid distractions
If you eat while watching television or while working on the computer, chances are that you won't be disciplined about the foods you consume; the mind is not focused on eating right.

Tip: It is best to eat on the dining table or at the kitchen table where you are mindful of what you eat.

Discipline your mind

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Exercise daily. Control cravings and portions when you eat.

Tip: The easiest way to distinguish between craving and appetite is to wait a while before you eat. Give it 20 minutes, if you are still hungry, your body needs the food.

- Namita Jain is a wellness specialist who has recently authored the book Low Fat Low Guilt
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High salt intake might double risk of heart failure

Doctors say that table salt or sodium chloride is one of the biggest sources of sodium in our diets. It is made up of 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride. Dr Tilak Suvarna, senior interventional cardiologist says, "Sodium is a mineral that is essential for life. It helps to control our body's fluid balance, assists in sending nerve impulses and affects muscle function."

Cardiologists say that while we do need sodium in our diet to help regulate fluids in the body, the amount of salt we actually eat in a day is far more than we require.

"It's the excess of sodium that's the problem in relation to blood pressure. When there's extra sodium in our bloodstream, it attracts water into our blood vessels, increasing the total amount of blood flowing inside, leading to a hike in blood pressure," says Dr Suvarna.

There is very convincing evidence in the form of studies and research done in our country and abroad, which has shown that regularly eating too much salt puts us at increased risk of developing high blood pressure. It is the main cause of strokes and also a major cause of heart attacks and heart failures — the most common causes of death and illness in the world.

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Why you need to stop having excess salt


"Even if one does not have high blood pressure, eating less sodium can help blunt the rise in blood pressure that occurs with age, and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke," says Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, senior cardiologist.

Eating less salt has also been shown to reduce the risk of kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and even headaches. The extra water in our body can also lead to bloating and weight gain.



High salt intake can be very harmful


"So far, high salt intake has been associated with increased risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke. No such association has been seen for heart failure. In fact, there have been conflicting reports with some studies suggesting an association between dietary sodium intake with fluid retention and risk for hospitalisation, whereas other studies, however, have signalled a worsening of heart failure with sodium restriction," says Dr Suvarna.

There is now enough evidence to start taking action to reduce salt intake globally, which could include legislation and education, alongside collaboration with the food industry, say cardiologists in the city.

Beware! Salt ups the risk of heart ailments

"A recent study has found that those who consumed more than 14 grams of salt per day had two times higher risk of heart failure compared to those consuming less than seven grams per day, independent of other risk factors," says Dr Dora.

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Keep in mind...

• About 77 per cent of the sodium we consume comes from packaged or prepared foods. The rest of the sodium in our diet occurs naturally in food (about 12 per cent) or is added by us during cooking or while eating our meals (about 11 per cent). So, even if you are not using a salt shaker, you're probably getting too much sodium.
• Most of the sodium that we eat is in our food before we buy it, so, many people unfortunately don't realise that they are eating too much salt. Thus, it makes it hard for people to limit how much sodium they are eating.
• Dr Suvarna says, "It is recommended that we should eat no more than six gm of salt a day, which is about a teaspoon. For people with high blood pressure, the recommendation is less four gm of salt which is about 2/3rd of a teaspoon."

DID YOU KNOW?

The World Health Organization recommends salt intake to be a maximum of five gms/ day for a normal person. The daily physiological need is around two to three gms/day.

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5 God gifted fragrances to treat the worst of your headaches & more

HAVE FREQUENT HEADACHES? SMELL THESE 5 FRAGRANCES: About 50 per cent of people around the world suffer from at least one type of headache. Women are twice more likely to get headaches as compared to men. Headaches can be due to many reasons including migraines, tension, stress, and many more. These aches are not only painful but disabling. And we are sure not many of you like to pop a pill for frequent headaches. So, here we bring to you five essential oils that will shoo away your headache in no time.

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LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL: The most famous and widely known essential oil, lavender is known to have a calming effect on symptoms related to depression, stress, anxiety and insomnia. A study conducted in 2012 at Iran’s Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, where 50 participants who had a problem of migraine were made to smell lavender oil at the onset of headache. The results were that out of 129 people, 92 responded positively to lavender oil. Allergy triggered headaches can also be best treated by lavender oil.

You can try the inhalation method or apply lavender oil on your temples and back of the neck at the onset of headache.

ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL: Due to its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, rosemary oil has been traditionally used to treat headache and circulatory problems. Similar to lavender oil, it has a calming effect which helps to reduce the headache caused by stress and emotional triggers.

Rosemary oil also helps to soothe an upset stomach and aids digestion. A study published in 2013 in Addiction Health says rosemary oil can withdraw symptoms like insomnia, headache and nausea.

This oil can be used with any carrier oil like coconut or olive and can be applied on temples, forehead and back of the neck.

EUCALYPTUS ESSEBRIAL OIL: Headache developed from sinus pressure can be best treated by eucalyptus essential oil. This is because this oil acts as an expectorant and helps cleanse the body of harmful microorganisms and toxins. This oils also helps to open the nasal passage, thereby reducing the sinus pressure.

A study conducted in Korea in 2013 shows that inhaling eucalyptus oil can reduce pain and lower blood pressure as well. The oil promotes emotional stability and has anti-inflammatory properties. Because of this combination, eucalyptus oil is the best to treat headaches caused by tension.

PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL: Peppermint oil gives you a cooling effect and has the ability to stimulate blood flow and inhibit muscle contraction when applied on the forehead. It is one of the oldest herbs used for medicinal purposes and also smells good. According to studies, this herb is being used since 1000 BC.

This oil acts as a painkiller and muscle relaxant which soothes headaches caused by tension. This is one easy, traditional and cost-effective way to relieve pain. However, do not apply this oil before sleep as due to its energizing effect, it can mess with your sleep.

ROMAN CHAMOMILE ESSENTIAL OIL: Chamomile tea is said to relax and calm you and chamomile oil also has the same effect. Just like the above-mentioned oils, it also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that are said to relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety. This oil is also said to relieve neuralgic pain and thus is effective for stress-related headache. 

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