6 Ways Water Makes You Beautiful

Have you ever noticed how you feel tired and cranky, and your hair and eyes are dull when you haven’t had enough water? This is because the human body is roughly 70% water and it is an essential nutrient for your body to function. You should be drinking a minimum of 8 glasses a day in order to replace the large amounts you lose through skin evaporation, sweating, breathing, and urine. If your water intake doesn’t match your output then you can become dehydrated, which is unhealthy and potentially dangerous, especially for small children. Water loss is even more rigorous in warmer clients, so for us Pakistani’s drinking water is a priority.
Although you might be aware of the health reasons for water, you might not be informed about its beauty benefits. Read further to learn about ways in which water makes you beautiful from the outside:

Pore Cleanser

Our skin and body is exposed to a number of pollutants and toxins throughout the day. If the body accumulates more toxins than what the liver and kidneys can handle, then the skin takes over. Excessive toxins then leave through the skin and if the body is even slightly dehydrated then the pores become clogged. To help your skin remove toxins and keep your body and pores clear, drink water and stay hydrated.

Toned Skin

One of the numerous benefits of drinking water is that it gets stored in our cells, which expand when properly hydrated with essential H2O causing our skin to look tighter and toned. So instead of visiting the dermatologist for a jab, drink up and help smooth out the appearance of wrinkles, cellulite and flappy skin.

Shiny Hair

You can be getting a weekly protein treatment at your local parlor, but if you hair is dehydrated, there aren’t enough hair treatments to bring it back to life. Our hair is made up of 5% water and 95% protein so when you drink lots of water your hair looks more alive and bouncy. Not only can water make it shiny, but it can help stimulate hair growth, so put down the Rogaine and drink up!

Fight Acne

Like we said before, water is your body’s way of getting rid of toxins and if you’re dehydrated then your pores become clogged. When ridding itself of toxins, your skin’s pH can change. When combined with clogged pores, this is an acne breakout waiting to happen! When you have acne, look at it as a sign that your body chemistry is imbalanced and your detoxification system is backed up. Before begging for harsh retinoid creams from your dermatologist start by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water and see the magic happen.

Sparkling Eyes

Dull, lifeless and bloodshot eyes can be due to many factors, such as illness, diet and dehydration. If you’ve crossed out any medical reasons then it’s time to pretty up those peepers by treating them internally by drinking water.

Weight Loss

Have you ever had a full meal, felt stuffed and then craved food soon after? This might be because your body is dehydrated and is sending you signals to drink up but you’re confusing it with eat up.   Although eating will give you the necessary fluids your body is craving, it’ll also give you unnecessary weight gain.  So next time you feel hungry try having a glass of water instead and see if it kills the craving.

The Takeaway

After reading about the numerous health and beauty benefits of water, we hope you’re chugging away as you read this last paragraph. With benefits like clear skin, sparkling eyes, shiny hair and a smaller waist line, there is nothing keeping you from going above and beyond your minimum eight glasses a day.

7 Things You Should Know About Heart Health

You should know the importance of the heart as an organ. Without a heart, you can’t live! With that said, you need to take care of your heart. Here, I’m going to talk about the vital things you must know to make sure your heart runs like a horse. Well, not exactly like a horse, but here are 7 things you should know about heart health.

Check Your Cholesterol Level

You can only find out information about your blood cholesterol via a blood or cholesterol test. Otherwise, you can be skinny and fit and still have high cholesterol. Don’t make the mistake of assumption and put yourself at a risk of cardiovascular disease!
It is imperative to keep a track of your blood cholesterol every now and then due to the strong impact of high cholesterol on your heart health. Too much cholesterol leads to its deposition in the walls of the arteries in the heart, leading to a condition known as atherosclerosis. In this disease, the arteries are narrowed because of the cholesterol build up and blood flow throw them is impaired.

Check Your Heart Rate

Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. This is crucial to your heart health. The normal heart rate varies from one age group to another. The average heart rate (in resting state) of an adult is 60-100 beats per minute. The most common place for finding your pulse is the wrist.
If your heart rate is increased by a great margin or irregular, it’s imperative to go see a doctor!

Blood pressure: Key to Heart Health

You often hear doctors saying ‘blood pressure’s dropping’ or ‘BP’s shooting!’, but do you know what it really means? Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls of the heart, while the blood is being pumped out.
Normal blood pressure is below 120/80. When blood pressure is consistently higher than that, it hints towards hypertension. Hypertension is a silent killer – it doesn’t come with symptoms.
It is therefore necessary to monitor your blood pressure frequently. You can do it yourself at home using a digital blood pressure device.

Know Your Numbers

Blood pressure and heart rate aren’t the only numbers you need to keep track of. Another measurement you need to be monitoring is your waistline. Obese people are multiple times greater at risk of heart attack, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Keep a track of your BMI. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. If your BMI is above 25, you are over-weight.

Quit Smoking!

Of course, smoking as you should know, affects your lungs and can cause lung cancer. But, did you know that smoking also increases your risk of a heart attack? An estimated 1 out of 5 deaths from heart disease is directly linked to smoking. The nicotine in cigarette raises your blood pressure and shoots your heart rate.

Stress

Stressing out does not only mentally frustrate you, but also has an impact on your heart. Stress is an established risk factor for heart disease. Stress leads to persistently high levels of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol and has also been linked to changes in the way blood clots.

Exercise More to Keep Your Heart Young

Make exercise a part of your life. Take a walk or go for a run every day, join the gym or do an easy cardio work-out at home! It strengthens your heart, helps maintain you blood pressure, and also helps regulate your weight!

7 Bad Habits for Mental Health

An especially bookish definition of mental health is ‘emotional psychological and social wellbeing which affects the way we feel act and think.’ However, mental health covers a broader range than that. It affects every aspect of one’s life from childhood to adolescence till finally adulthood. It alters the ability to manage and control stress, complete daily chores and maintain healthy relationships. Your approach to common everyday events can affect your mental health and lead to unhappiness, depression and unsatisfied life. Here is a list of habits that you might be doing that keep you from functioning to your best ability.

Bad habit no. 1: Bad Posture

Often people slouch while walking or sit with their back bent and stomach loose.  This gives an aura of exhaustion, sleepiness and untidiness. To look smart is to feel smart. Having a bad posture gives a negative impression and also attracts negativity. According to a study published in the “Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry,” subjects who were asked to walk in a sloppy manner with decreased hand movements and hunched over had worse mood swings and remembered more negative things than positive. Therefore, always keep your chin up, shoulders rolled back while you are walking for a better outlook to life.

Bad habit no. 2: Snap Happy

Here is one aimed at all the Instagram addicts, according to a study published in “Psychological Science” subjects took a tour of a museum while taking pictures of some of the objects while simply observing others. They had difficulty remembering the ones they had taken pictures of where as the ones they observed were remembered easily. Camera lens actually forms a veil in front of our eyes which takes away the ability to observe things while we are focusing on taking a picture. Hence, individuals more intent on taking pictures to ‘create memories’ actually lose focus of what is a precious memory. Instead of taking a picture, next sit back and soak up the beauty of the moment and have more fun participating in it.

Bad habit no. 3: Couch Potatoes

All the bed lovers and couch potatoes need to get up and get moving for the sake of their mental health. There has been plenty of research showing the correlation between physical activity and depression and inactive individuals are known to have higher risk of depression. Inactivity can lead to a build-up of toxins and when they accumulate in the body they effect mental health in a way that can lead to depression. Introduce exercise and physical activity in your life for a better you.

Bad habit no. 4: Toxic Relationships

In some cases, an individual can spend the majority of their time and effort trying to unsuccessfully satisfy their partner and failure to do so means they’re made to feel incompetent, selfish and boring. Relationships such as these that negatively affect your well-being are toxic relationships. Majority of the people do not realize that the sadness that’s seeping into their life is because of their spouse. If that’s your case you need help, either through a psychiatrist or friends and family, who can help you create coping mechanisms and change the situation or leave your toxic partner for good

Bad habit no. 5: No Laughter

Something’s in our life are meant to be laughed off instead of clinging to them and making them bigger than they are. If you are not laughing enough, you may be standing on the first step of the staircase to depression. Find out what gives you joy in life, whether it be a light hearted friend, surrounding yourself with kids or even a funny TV show, so that you can regain a balance and see the lighter side of life. Laughter is known to be the most rapidly acting medication for depression and anxiety.

Bad habit no. 6: Lack of Zzzz

Sleeping is a mechanism of nature that has provided us to repair and regenerate system breakdowns. A proper sleeping routine leads to better emotional and mental handling and a better metabolism. If you are not able to sleep properly or are suffering from insomnia you might need mental attention along with help from family members in creating a restful environment.

Bad habit no. 7: Not Enough ‘ME’ Time

Between your struggle to keep up with the office, housework and your family you might be missing out on important YOU time. Spending time on yourself is important because you need to connect with yourself and make sure your needs are being met. If you spread yourself too thin and never feel like what you want is important, bitterness, anger and depression can creep in. Make regular spa days, visit the gym, go out with friends or sit quietly with a book and enjoy time that’s just for yourself. The concept behind ‘me time’ is making an appointment with yourself and keeping it.

5 Ways to Have Healthy Hair

Imagine a world in which every day was a great hair day. Does it seem like something from your dreams? Well, we’re here to tell you it IS possible. No matter what your hair type is, your locks can still look sleek, shiny and flaunt-able in any situation. Find out what you can do to rejuvenate your hair. Read on!

Avoid heat

Avoiding heat doesn’t just apply to straighteners and blow driers, but also avoid showering with hot water. If the water that comes into contact with your hair is too warm, it will dry it and make it brittle.
Tip: Brush your locks in different directions to promote circulation of the scalp.

Blow driers can be more beneficial than air-drying!

If used correctly, blow driers do a better job at drying than air-drying. Put it on a cool setting and hold it some distance away from your locks for protection from any heat. Holding it too close to your hair will cause the water to boil; hence the stereotypes against blow-driers.
Tip: Avoid wringing your locks in a towel right after a shower. Wet hair is fragile, and wringing it will cause it to fall and break. Also, use heat protection sprays when you blow dry your hair, or in case you use flat irons, or curlers.

Massage your locks and scalp

Massaging your mane and scalp with oil or a protein cream stimulates blood circulation, rejuvenates cells and nourishes dry hair, all promoting healthy growth. Using oil, slightly warm the oil of choice and put it in a bowl. Part your locks, and apply oil with your fingertips to your scalp. Make sure your fingers are moving in a circular motion. Continue this process until you’ve covered your entire scalp and the entire length of your hair. Leave the oil for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you desire. Shampoo it out, making sure you apply shampoo BEFORE wetting your locks to sufficiently remove all the oil. Try not to wash more than once, since over washing can strip your locks of nutrients and healthy oils. Basically taking away all the hard work the oil and protein just did.

Try home-made remedies for healthier locks

Make your own conditioner at home for chemical free conditioning:

• One great source of protein is mayonnaise. Apply it your hair until entirely coated and leave it on for an hour. After you wash it out you’ll love the silky feel and the shiny look.

• Another splendid source of protein is yogurt. It’s good enough to substitute with your regular conditioner.

Tip: Mix one egg with shampoo and create a “shampoo omelet.” It might smell, but good news is that you don’t need to leave it on for more than five minutes. The mixture will help enhance the protein in your hair.

Wash your locks correctly

• Massage your scalp with shampoo (NOT conditioner) and continue to do so for about 40 seconds before washing it out. Massaging your scalp with conditioner stimulates blood circulation which also helps prevent dandruff.

• When applying conditioner, make sure you’re doing it right. The right way to apply conditioner is to pour conditioner in your hand and rub it from the roots to the tips of your locks. If you want silkier softer hair, leave the conditioner on for a minute or two before washing it out.

• Try to wash your hair in a cool setting. As we already mentioned, exposure of warm water will dry it out. At least give your locks a cool final rinse to seal the cuticles.

6 Foods for Kidney Health

Just like the heart, brain, lungs and liver, the kidney is also an essential organ of the body without which human survival is difficult. Fortunately, unlike the heart, liver, lung and brain, we have two kidneys. So, if one of them fails, the other is there to rescue the body. It is known that people with one kidney have many problems in their lives as they cannot exert their bodies in exercise.
Kidneys function to form urine and henceforth, regulate the body’s fluids. The main function lies in the excretion of urine- a metabolic waste product better outside the body than inside.

Foods for Kidney Health

Chronic kidney diseases are common and must be taken proper care of. Whether or not you have kidney disease, susceptibility may differ from one individual to another due to the part played by genetics. If your family has a long history of kidney disease or failure, it is best to take precautionary measures and avoid complication rather than waiting for the disease to intervene.
What other way than to naturally make the body stronger? Read further to find out which foods are kidney-friendly and make sure to add them to your diet.

Cabbage

Cabbage is crammed with phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds which fight free radicals before they can cause harm to the body. Many phytochemicals also promote cardiovascular health and provide protection from several types of cancers.
High in vitamin B6, folate, vitamin K, C and fiber, cabbage is a worthy investment for your kidney. Low in cost and low in potassium- the vegetable is quite kidney-friendly, not to mention pocket-friendly too.
Cabbage is a great food for a dialysis diet. They make great additives in salads and as toppings for tacos as well.

Cauliflower

Yet another nutritious vegetable, cauliflower is absolutely great for the kidneys. Their high vitamin C, folate and fiber content have earned them the status. They are jam-packed with indoles, glucosinolates and thiocyanates-compounds that aid liver in neutralizing toxins and preventing any cell membrane and DNA damage.

Garlic

Garlic is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It also helps to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Note that cooking garlic will not rid it of its anti-oxidant properties, and that is exactly what we want.
The protection against harmful and deteriorating effect of free radicals and easily battled by the antioxidant components of garlic making it a superfood for kidney health.
If you are a dialysis patient sick of the same old garlic salt, use garlic powder instead.

Apples

Not surprised apple made it to the list, because apple a day keeps a doctor away, duh. The high fiber and anti-inflammatory properties of apple protect the kidneys and other organs of the body including the heart. To consume apple’s health benefits, have fresh apple juice every day or eat a raw apple.

Egg whites

Were you aware that egg whites are all proteins? Another note-worthy fact if you’re on a kidney diet is that egg whites are low in phosphorus. Make a sandwich out of the egg whites or boil the eggs and consume the white part.

Fish

Fish is another storehouse of protein. It is highly recommended to include fish in your meal plan at least twice a week. Besides protein, fish makes a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory fats thus making great foods for chronic kidney disease. They are also great for the heart because they lower the bad cholesterol LDL and elevate the good cholesterol HDL.
Kidneys are integral for normal body function. It is therefore of utmost importance to make sure that they are as healthy as possible.