10 tips for good nights sleep

10 tips for good nights sleep



Stick to a schedule. Erratic bedtimes do not allow for your body to align to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you’d wake later and feel overly tired.

Sleep only at night. Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.

Exercise. It’s actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.

Avoid eating just before bed. Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.

Avoid caffeine. It keeps you awake and that’s now what you want for a good nights sleep. We all know that.

Read a fiction book. It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it. And then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep. Different for others?

Have the room slightly cooler. I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes. It also saves on the bills as you’re not going to require the heat all night long.

Sleep in silence. I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It’s a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

BAD BREATH

Causes of bad breath ?

Bad breath is a common health problem which greately affects the daytoday activities of somany people. The offenssive odor from the mouth is unpleasent to those who come in close contact with bad breathers. The problem will be doubled by psychological trauma leading to depression. The sufferers from this problem wil be isolated from the society. This can even lead to marital disharmony.

Literally speaking all humanbeings are badbreathres. Oral cavity contains millions of anaerobic bacteria like fusobacterium and actinomyces which acts on the protein of food materials and putrifies them. This process results in the formation of offenssive gases like hydrogen sulphide,methyl mescaptan,cadaverin,skatol,putrescine ect causing bad odor. If oral hygiene is not maintained properly all will suffer from bad breath. Most of us control this by regular brushing,tongue cleaning and gargling. Even after maintining cleanliness in the mouth some individuals suffer from offenssive smell due to various causes which has to be diagnosed and treated properly.

Some common causes of bad breath.

1) Poor oral hygiene:

If oral hygiene is not maintained properly the mouth becomes the seat for millions of bacteria which produce offenssive gases by degrading the food debris. Bad breath is severe in those who do not brush their teeth regularly and clean their mouth after every food. Snacks taken inbetween meals can also produce bad breath because of improper cleaning.
Badbreath is common in almost all people in the morning on waking. During sleep there is less production of saliva .Saliva has got some antibacterial properties which help to keep the mouth clean. Saliva conains oxygen molecules which is needed to make oral cavity aerobic. So the reduction in it's quantity during sleep makes a favourable condition for anaerobic bacteria.

2) Food habits:

The main cause of bad smell is due to degradation of protein by the bacteria and hence all food products rich in protein favours bad breath. Meat,fish,milk products, eggs,cakes,nuts,pear and ect can cause bad breath. Some food articles can produce particular type of smell which may be unpleasent. Raw onion can produce typical bad smell. It is said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away,a raw onion a day keeps everybody away. Eating groundnuts can also produce bad smell. However if proper cleaning is done smell can be reduced irrespective of the nature of food. Irregularity in timing of food can also produce bad breath. Small food articles taken in between the meals can also produce bad smell.

3) Biofilm:

There is formation of a thin sticky coating called biofilm on the tongue and oral mucosa. This coating is thick on the posterior aspect of the tongue where millions of gram negative bacteriae are seen .The thick coating on the tongue is always associated with badbreath. Even a thin biofilm can make anaerobic condition favourable for bacterial proliferation.

4) Dental caries:

This is a destructive process causing decalcification with distruction of enamel and dentine resulting in cavitisation of the tooth. These are produced mainly by the lactobacilli . Food particles are deposited inside these cavities and are putrified by the anaerobic bacteria producing bad smell. Normal brushing will not remove the food debris easily and hence they are putrified completely. Caries are common in schoolgoing children and in those who donot maintain proper oral hygiene .Calcium and vitamin deficiency can also predispose caries.

5) Gingivitis:

Gum is a mucus membrane with supporting connective tissue covering the tooth bearing borders of the jaw .The main function of gum is protection .Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gum .Due to various causes gum tissue get infected resulting in swelling,pain and discharge. If the condition become worse the infection spread towards peridontal area leading to continuous discharge called pyorrhoea. Some times the infection goes deep producing alveolar abscess with discharge of pus. Infection can even reach the bone causing osteomyelitis.All these conditions can produce offenssive smell.

6) Gum retraction:

When the gums retract from the teeth a gap is developed which will lodge food particles and cause bad breath.

7) Dental plaques and tartar deposits; Plaques and tartar is deposited mainly in the gaps between the teeth and gum. This will provide shelter for the food debris and bacteria causing bad breath.

8) Ulcerative lesions& coatings:

Almost all ulcerative lesions of the mouth are associated with bad breath. These lesions may be caused by bacteria,viruses,food allergies or due to autoimmune disorders. Apthous ulcer is the commonest amoung ulcerative lesions. Others are herpes,fungal infections,vincents angina,infectious mononucleosis,scarlet fever,diphtheria,drug reactions and ect. Cancerous ulcers produce severe bad breath. All fungal infections produce white coating(candidiasis). Leucoplakia is a white thick patch on the mucus membrane of the mouth & tongue. It is considered as a precancerous condition. Offenssive breath is associated with these conditions.

9) Diseases of the salivary glands:

Saliva is very useful to supply oxygen to all parts of the oral cavity. Even a thin film of coating called biofilm can provide an anaerobic condition in the mouth. Saliva can wet these layers and make an aerobic condition which is unfavourable for the bacteria .Any condition which reduces the production of saliva can increase bacterial activity. Some times the salivary duct is obstructed by stones or tumors.Cancer of the salivary gland is associated with offenssive odor. In suppurative parotitis purulant dischrge in to the mouth causes bad breath.

10) Tonsillitis:

Tonsils are a pair of lymphoid tissue situated in the lateral wall of oropharynx. Inflammation of the tonsil is called tonsillitis. Bad breath is seen in both acute and chronic tonsillitis. Quinsy or peritonsillar abscess can also produce bad breath.

11) Tonsillar plaques & tonsillar fluid:

If bad breath persists even after maintaining proper oral hygeine there is possibility of this condition. Serous fluid secreated from the folds of tonsil is very offenssive. Some patients complain that they hawk some cheesy materials from the throat;which are very offenssive in nature. These are formed inside the tonsillar crypts which contain thousands of bacteriae. In such conditions tonsillectomy gives noticiable relief from bad breath.

12) Pharyngitis& pharyngial abscess:

Pharynx is a fibromuscular tube which forms the upper part of the digestive & respiratory tract. Inflmmation of the pharynx is called pharyngitis, caused mainly by bacteria and viruses. Bad breath is present in pharyngitis along with other signs like cough and throat irritation. Abscesses in the wall of pharynx can also produce offenssive discharge of pus in to the throat.

13) Dentures:

Denture users may complain about bad smell due to lodgement of small food debris in between. Proper brushing may not be possible in denture users especially fixed dentures.

14) Tobacco:

Tobacco chewing is associated with bad breath. The smell of tobacco itself is unpleasent for others. Tobacco can irritate the mucus membrane and cause ulcers and coatings. Gingivitis and pyorrhoea are common in tobacco chewers. Tartar is deposited on the teeth mainly near the gums. Tobacco chewers get gastric acidity with eructations. All these causes offenssive smell.

15) Smoking:

Smokers always have bad smell. It can also produce lesions in the mouth & lungs causing bad breath.Smoking increases carbon dioxide in the oral cavity & reduces oxygen level,causing a favourable condition for bacteria. Smoking reduses appetite & thirst hence acid peptic disease is common in chain smokers.

16) Lesions in the nose & ear:

Bad breath is occasionally seen in sinusitis(infection of para nasal sinuses). In case of post nasal dripping bad breath is common due to the presence of protein in the discharges. These proteins are degraded by the bacteria. Infection in the middle ear with discharge of pus in to the throat through the eustachian tube(passage from middle ear to the throat)can also cause offenssive odor. Chronic rhinitis(infection of mucus membrane of nose) and forign bodies in the nose can also produce bad smell in the expired air.

17) Diabetes mellitus:

Mostly all diabetic patients suffer from bad breath. Coated tongue,ulcers &coatings in the mouth ,increased sugar level in tissues ect are responsible for bad breath.Bacterial growth in diabetic patient is very faster than non diabetic individuals.

18) Fevers:

Bad breath is common in almost all fevers. Even an acute fever can produce bad breath. Severe bad breath is seen in typhoid .Other infectious diseases like Tuberculosis , AIDS ect produce bad smell.

19) Fasting & dehydration:

Dry mouth favours bacterial activity. So any condition which produce dryness in the mouth makes the breath offenssive. Eventhough the food particles are known to produce bad breath, fasting can also produce the same. Production of saliva is also reduced during fasting. Chewing and swallowing also helps to keep the mouth clean.

20) Bedridden patients:

Bedridden patients suffer from offenssive breath due to thick coating on the tongue. water intake is also limited in these patients. Regurgitation of food aggravates the condition. Since they talk less aeration in the oral cavity is reduced which favours anaerobic bacteria to become active.

21) Diseases of stomach & esophagus:

Eructation of gas and food produce unpleasent smell. Abnormality in the function of lower sphincter can allow the food to regurgitate upwards causing bad breath. Bad breath is also common in gastritis,gastric ulcer and cancer of stomach.

22) Intestinal diseases:

Bad breath is common in patients suffering from ulcerative lesions of intestine like ulcerative collitis..Other diseases are malabsorption syndrome intestinal tuberculosis, peritonitis ect.

23) Diseases of lungs:

Lung diseases like pneumonia, lung abscess,chronic bronchitis,bronchiectasis,tuberculosis, lung cancer ect can produce bad odor during expiration.

24) Liver disorders:

Liver diseases like hepatitis, cirrhosis,can cause bad breath.Gall bladder diseases with vomiting also causes unpleasent odor.

25) Psychiatric patients:

Bad breath is common in psychotic patients due to poor hygiene,irregular food habits,less water intake and ect.


26) Somatisation disorder:

This is a psychiatric disorder charecterised by the presence of a physical symptom that suggest a medical illness .These patients come with physical complaints like pain,nausea difficult respiration, bad smell ect. This condition is diagnosed after detailed examination of the patient with all investigations.Since this is a psychiatric disorder it has to be managed with a psychological approach.

[ THE POINTS MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION. ANY PERSON HAVING BAD BREATH SHOULD CONSULT A QUALIFIED DOCTOR ]

How You Can Stay Healthy With These 13 Reasons to Exercise

Patti Goewey shares her recent article on these 13 Reasons


Patti is Your Personal Training Expert Exercise
and Nutrition Programs for REAL PEOPLE




Lets face it, some days you just dont feel like exercising.

You get too busy, too stressed and quite simply too tired.

Heres a list of 13 of the top reasons to exercise. Pull out this list and read it when youre having one of those days.

1. To Prevent Disease
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from stroke to heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases of our time.

2. To Look Great
Exercise firms your body, improves posture and even makes your skin glow. Looking your best is a wonderful result of regular exercise.

3. To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Exercise burns fat and prevents future fat storage. If you want to have a thinner, healthier body, exercise is the answer.

4. To Have More Energy
Anyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily irritated and are more peaceful.

5. To Sleep Better
Exercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more vibrant during the day and sleep better at night.

6. To Age Slower
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight aging. When you age your body loses muscle and bone, while the loss of both are drastically reduced with regular exercise. Exercise also helps reduce inflammation.

7. To Relieve Back Pain
In most cases, the best thing that you can do for back pain is to move and strengthen those muscles. Consult your physician or physical therapist for guidance.

8. To Ease Depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce depression – sometimes even as effectively as medication. Just chalk this up as yet another amazing benefit to exercise.

9. To Reduce Aches and Pains
By strengthening muscles around your damaged joints youre able to use exercise to reduce joint pain and overall aches. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program, especially if you have chronic joint pain.

10. To Stay Mentally Sharp
Exercise has been shown to improve memory and other cognitive functions, and seems to have a protective effect against dementia. A Harvard University researcher called exercise "Miracle-Gro for the brain."

11. To Enjoy Your Lifestyle
Whatever it is that you love in life – your kids, travel, sports, fashion - it is all more enjoyable when experienced in a fit and healthy body. Exercise so that you are able to enjoy all the great things in life.

12. To Reduce Sick Days
People who exercise regularly are 50% less likely to call in sick to work. A regular exercise program reduces colds and upper respiratory infections.

13. To Boost Confidence
Being fit, feeling healthy and having energy are all building blocks to having great confidence. There is no better confidence booster than sticking with a regular exercise program.

Regular exercise gives you so many amazing benefits, as youve seen from the above list. Call or email me today to get started on the exercise program that will change your life forever.


PATTI GOEWEY,
Las Vegas Nevada,
Join Pattis News Letter here:
http://www.pattigoewey.com/

SOYA BEAN

All of us know that soyabean drink provides good protein to our body...
but many of us dont know that there are certain days we should avoid
drinking it.

Soya bean drinks are best consumed on hot sunny days when the sun is
strong. The soya milk will give lots of nutrients to the body as the
body is able to absorb the protein well.

However, avoid the drink when the weather is cloudy or raining. Taking
the drink in those weather, the body will not be able to take in the
protein and will result in a disease called GOUT or high acidic
urine due to the high protein residue in the body, after a long run.

This disease will cause pain to your knee joints and it will only be in
control when you control your food intake of proteins and medication.
The pain is unbearable and usually you will have no idea what you have
taken to cause the pain. Food like soya beans, anchovies, broccoli,
spinach, peanuts, & n esp animal organs will have to be
avoided to prevent the pain from attacking.

So my friend, pass this to your family, relatives and friends to keep an
alert on the pros and cons of soya bean milk and when it is to be taken
and to be avoided.

Do Not CROSS YOUR LEGS

I bet quite a few of you were like me...started to read this with your legs crossed...so hard to break this bad habit!?
For those who do not understand Chinese, take a look at the photos below:- Those who often cross their legs when sitting for a long period of time, 3 unhealthy things will happen:

1. Their backbone tends to become C shape
2. They will have neck aches and backaches on one side
3. For ladies, the shoulder will tend to slant one side causing the bra strap to slip down the slanted shoulder.

Try not to cross your legs when sitting.

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of “cardiovascular disease,” and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.

In spite of that, in today’s inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.

The Weight of Exercise

Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the United States population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes in the U.S., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.

The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.

However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.

For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.

Start Slow

For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.

Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly “health club memberships,” or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.

The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.

6 Home Remedies You Can Do To Protect Yourself During Flu Season!

  6 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay Healthy During Flu Season!

1.  Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2.  "Hands-off-the-face" approach.  resist all temptations to touch any part of face.

3.  *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you dont trust salt).  *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms.  Simple gargling prevents proliferation.  In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tami flu has on an infected one.  dont underestimate this simple, Inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4.  Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.  *Not everybody may be good at Yoga asanas to clean cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5.  *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in vitamin C.  *If you have to supplement with vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6.  *Drink as much of warm liquids as you can.  *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.