7 Dangerous Home Remedies To Avoid

We must definitely thank Grandma for all those old home remedies which work wonders in curing our aches and pains. However, not all home remedies are recommended and some can be quite dangerous. According to an article published on the YourHealth website, here are dangerous home remedies which you should avoid.

1. Ear Candling to cleanse ears

Ear candling is often used to cleanse the ear by lighting a candle at both ends of the ear to create suction. However this is dangerous as it can lead to a blocked ear or even an ear infection instead.

Solution: Dr A. B. John, senior ear, nose and throat surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre recommends sticking to eardrops instead.

2. Toothpaste to cure acne

Apart from cleaning your teeth, some people use toothpaste to solve their acne problem as well. However, this is not recommended as toothpaste might exacerbate your acne problem instead by burning or irritating the area.

Solution: Dr Cheong Wai Kwong, consultant dermatologist at Specialist Skin Centre, recommends diluted vinegar or salt water instead.

3. Finger wart cutting

Some people use a blade or other sharp instruments to cut off their finger wart. However this is dangerous as it could lead to an infection or the person might end up cutting himself by accident.

Solution: Dr K. V. Ratnam from Ratnam’s Allergy and Skin Centre recommends a pumice stone or surgery instead.

4. Buttering your burn

One home remedy which people use to treat burns is to apply butter on it. However applying butter on your burn can cause a bacterial infection.

Solution: Dr Ratnam recommends treating your burn with cold water if it is mild.

5. Manually removing a stuck fish bone

t is quite common for people to try to extract a fish bone stuck in their throat by using their fingers. However this is not advised as doing so could result in the bone being lodged even deeper in your throat. Your throat might get damaged as well if you scratch it with your fingernails as well.

Solution: Dr Y. H. Goh, consultant at Y H Goh Ear Nose and Throat, Head and Neck Surgery suggests heading to the hospital where the doctors will take of the problem for you.

6. Needle to combat eye styes

One solution which many people use when they have an eye stye is to use a needle to pierce it. However, as styes are often very near your eye, you may end up hurting your eye.

Solution: Dr Currie Chiang, consultant eye surgeon at International Eye Clinic suggests using antiseptic eye cream instead

7. Applying alcohol on teething baby’s gums

People use alcohol for all sorts of reasons and some people use alcohol to relieve the pain for babies when they are teething. However, alcohol may upset your baby due to the burning sensation it produces. Furthermore some types of alchohol are not fit for consumption according to Dr Warren Lee, head General and Ambulatory Paediatrics Service at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Solution: Dr Lee suggests giving the baby something it can bite to counter the pain.

6 Ways to Create Stunning Before and After Pregnancy Photos

1. The Beach Belly Babe

If you love the beach I have the perfect photo shoot for you. For those of you who were a beach babe before you became pregnant, motherhood is no reason to stop. Allow your baby to get acquainted with the sounds of the beach, and become a real beach babe after birth.

2. The Belly Cradle

While this pose is simple, it is an incredible way to create a great memory of welcoming your baby into the world.

3. The Decorated Belly

Whether you are using letter blocks, or floral décor, this is a great idea to give you belly photo a bit more personality. This simple pose can be done at home or at a photography studio.

4. Baby’s First Outfit

If you want to add a little more pizzazz to buying your baby’s first outfit, do a photo shoot with it. This photo requires a bit more patience as the baby needs to have some head control by the time you are ready to take the second photo. However, this photo is well worth the wait.

5. The Family Belly Photo

A fun way to include a first-time big sister or brother in the pregnancy is to do a belly photo shoot. This photo just oozes with cuteness. When you decide to do your photo be sure to add an extra creative touch.

6. A Kiss for Everybody

This creative photo requires balance and capturing the image at just the right moment. You will definitely need a photographer involved to pull off this shot. Again, this is definitely the perfect shoot for a new sister or brother.

22 Food Hacks You Need To Know

1. Breads

2. Hard boiled eggs

3. Instant Taco Bowls

4. Brownie in a Mug

5. Onions as egg mold

6. Nutella Puffs

7. Nacho Bits

8.  Grapes Popsicles

9. How to Tell If Avocado is Ripe

10. Home-made Double Chocolate Chip Frappe

11. Big MAC Sauce Recipe

12. Turkeys

13. Easy Potato Scrub

14. Cheeseburger Melt

15. Cooking Pasta in 60 seconds

16. Nutella Popsicles

17. Steak Signs

18. Separating egg shells

19. Ham and Cheese Toast

20. Keeping Pizza Crunchy

21. BLT

22. Proper Water Temp for Teas

5 Ways to Use Tomatoes for Rosy Cheeks and Beautiful Skin

Tomatoes have often been called ‘the poor man’s apple.’ They have been called “the apple of love,” by the French. The Germans even called it “the apple of paradise.” In fact, tomatoes are more popular than apples as 60 million tonnes are produced around the world every year. As much as tomatoes are cheaper to buy than apples, they are rich in vitamins and enzymes that can help you achieve radiant health, from inside out. The humble tomato, which we don’t even give second thought to in this day and age, is actually laden with multiple health benefits.

Here are some natural ways to achieve beautiful skin using fresh organic tomatoes:

1. For wrinkle-free skin.

Tomatoes are rich in anti-oxidants. For youthful skin with few wrinkles, make a refreshing juice with 2 tomatoes, 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of organic honey. This juice should be taken on an empty stomach early in the morning. Do not take breakfast until after 30 – 40 minutes.

2. For a youthful glow.

After cutting slices of tomato for a salad, spare one slice for your face (usually the top or bottom slice which you might throw away). Wash your face with a mild soap and dry with a soft towel. Afterwards, rub the tomato slice onto your face in a gentle circular motion. Cover your face entirely with the tomato pulp and leave to dry for 10 – 15 minutes. Do this once in 2 days for soft youthful skin.

3. For Lightening Blemishes.

To lighten blemishes or to lighten the whole face for a bright look, apply a paste of curd (yogurt), turmeric and tomato juice. Do this every morning for a beautiful complexion which is bright and blemish-free!

4. For a Fresh Scalp

If your scalp and hair have accumulated odor, soap or shampoo may not be able to completely neutralize the smell. Tomato juice can help you obtain a fresh scalp. Use the necessary amount of undiluted tomato juice and let it sit on your scalp/hair for 15 minutes. Wash your hair with slightly cold water and dry it naturally in the sun.

5. For Blushing cheeks.

Soft pink cheeks are an indicator of a healthy body. This is why women wear cosmetic blush. Eat a tomato everyday and you can have naturally pink cheeks that signify health and vitality.

Relieve Your Headache and Stress With Acupressure in 30 Seconds

Squeeze the fleshy place between your index finger

and your thumb, known as the Hoku spot in Chinese

 medicine. Applying firm pressure there for just 30

 secs can reduce stress and tension and works wonder 

for Headache.Press and hold the point until pain 

subsides and you feel the muscles relax

Healthy Reasons to Eat Strawberries

Prevent heart disease

Strawberries contain essential nutrients such as antioxidants and flavonoids that help prevent bad cholesterol buildup that can clog the arteries. Moreover, strawberries boast anti-inflammation properties, which are great for your heart. This is one of the top reasons to eat more strawberries.

Improve memory

If you are trying to improve your memory, consider adding some strawberries to your daily eating plan. They contain fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, which stimulates signaling pathways and helps boost your memory. According to a research published in Annals of Neurology, consuming 2 or more servings of strawberries weekly can help delay memory decline in older women.

Boost your immune system

High in Vitamin C, strawberries help boost your immune system and protect you from infections. A cup of strawberries contains 100% of your daily needs of Vitamin C. So make sure you eat enough strawberries during the strawberry season.

Prevent diabetes and constipation

If you have constipation, you should clear your bowel movements by consuming enough fiber. Strawberries are high in fiber and they help control your blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes. Diabetics can eat strawberries without worrying since strawberries have a low glycemic index of 40.

Perfect skin

Strawberries are packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C that help slow down aging process and keep your skin healthy and wrinkle-free for much longer. Strawberries are also a natural source of salicylic acid, a renowned acne fighter. They are perfect for any homemade face mask.

Prevent cancer

As I mentioned above, strawberries are rich in antioxidants that help prevent cancer. They contain antioxidants such as zeathanacins and lutein, which suppress cancer cell growth. The high Vitamin C content helps your immune system fight cancer cells.

Good for your bones

One of the most important reasons to eat strawberries is because they are good for your bones. Strawberries are high in potassium, manganese and a few essential minerals that help promote bone growth and keep them healthy. Therefore, strawberries are good for children.

Help you lose weight

Since strawberries are low in calories (one cup has only 53 calories) they can help you lose weight. Strawberries are high in fiber that helps leave you feeling full longer and help you eat less if you have some strawberries before your meal. Plus, the high Vitamin C content speeds up your metabolism, and helps the body burn more calories quicker.

Prevent hair loss

Strawberries contain folic acid, ellagic acid, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6, which help prevent your hair from thinning and falling out. Plus, minerals such as magnesium and copper help prevent fungal growth and dandruff. Homemade strawberry hair mask is also great for your hair.

Good for pregnant women

Due to the high folate content, strawberries help in the baby’s brain, spinal cord and skull development. Moreover, strawberries contain folic acid that can save the baby from having some birth defects. If you are pregnant, consider including strawberries into your diet. You baby will thank you. Strawberries boast plenty of amazing benefits and there are many reasons to eat them more. I hope this list helped you to find out something new about strawberries and you will add some to your eating plan. Do you like strawberries?

Benefits of Exercise on our Mental Health

Many people hit the gym or pound the pavement to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and of course, get a rockin’ bod, but working out has above-the-neck benefits, too. For the past decade or so, scientists have pondered how exercising can boost brain function. Regardless of age or fitness level (yup, this includes everyone from mall-walkers to marathoners), studies show that making time for exercise provides some serious mental benefits. Get inspired to exercise by reading up on these unexpected ways that working out can benefit mental health, relationships and lead to a healthier and happier life overall.

1. Reduce Stress

Rough day at the office? Take a walk or head to the gym for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress. Exercise also increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. So go ahead and get sweaty — working out can reduce stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. Win-win!

2. Boost Happy Chemicals

Slogging through a few miles on the ‘mill can be tough, but it’s worth the effort! Exercise releases endorphins, which create feelings of happiness and euphoria. Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. For this reason, docs recommend that people suffering from depression or anxiety (or those who are just feeling blue) pencil in plenty of gym time. In some cases, exercise can be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating depression. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly the gym rat type — getting a happy buzz from working out for just 30 minutes a few times a week can instantly boost overall mood.

3. Improve Self-Confidence

Hop on the treadmill to look (and more importantly, feel) like a million bucks. On a very basic level, physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Regardless of weight, size, gender or age, exercise can quickly elevate a person’s perception of his or her attractiveness, that is, self-worth. How’s that for feeling the (self) love?

4. Enjoy The Great Outdoors

For an extra boost of self-love, take that workout outside. Exercising in the great outdoors can increase self-esteem even more. Find an outdoor workout that fits your style, whether it’s rock-climbing, hiking, renting a canoe or just taking a jog in the park. Plus, all that Vitamin D acquired from soaking up the sun (while wearing sunscreen, of course!) can lessen the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. Why book a spa day when a little fresh air and sunshine (and exercise) can work wonders for self-confidence and happiness?

5. Prevent Cognitive Decline

It’s unpleasant, but it’s true — as we get older, our brains get a little… hazy. As aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s kill off brain cells, the noggin actually shrinks, losing many important brain functions in the process. While exercise and a healthy diet can’t “cure” Alzheimer’s, they can help shore up the brain against cognitive decline that begins after age 45 Working out, especially between age 25 and 45, boosts the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.

6. Alleviate Anxiety

Quick Q&A: Which is better at relieving anxiety — a warm bubble bath or a 20-minute jog? You might be surprised at the answer. The warm and fuzzy chemicals that are released during and after exercise can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise (intervals, anyone?) can reduce anxiety sensitivity. And we thought intervals were just a good way to burn calories!

7. Boost Brainpower

Those buff lab rats might be smarter than we think. Various studies on mice and men have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells (aka neurogenesis) and improve overall brain performance. Ready to apply for a Nobel Prize? Studies suggest that a tough workout increases levels of a brain-derived protein (known as BDNF) in the body, believed to help with decision making, higher thinking and learning. Smarty (spandex) pants, indeed.

8. Sharpen Memory

Get ready to win big at Go Fish. Regular physical activity boosts memory and ability to learn new things. Getting sweaty increases production of cells in hippocampus responsible for memory and learning. For this reason, research has linked children’s brain development with level of physical fitness (take that, recess haters!). But exercise-based brainpower isn’t just for kids. Even if it’s not as fun as a game of Red Rover, working out can boost memory among grown-ups, too. A study showed that running sprints improved vocabulary retention among healthy adults.

9. Help Control Addiction

The brain releases dopamine, the “reward chemical” in response to any form of pleasure, be that exercise, sex, drugs, alcohol or food. Unfortunately, some people become addicted to dopamine and dependent on the substances that produce it, like drugs or alcohol (and more rarely, food and sex). On the bright side, exercise can help in addiction recovery. Short exercise sessions can also effectively distract drug or alcohol addicts, making them de-prioritize cravings (at least in the short term). Working out when on the wagon has other benefits, too. Alcohol abuse disrupts many body processes, including circadian rhythms. As a result, alcoholics find they can’t fall asleep (or stay asleep) without drinking. Exercise can help reboot the body clock, helping people hit the hay at the right time.

10. Increase Relaxation

Ever hit the hay after a long run or weight session at the gym? For some, a moderate workout can be the equivalent of a sleeping pill, even for people with insomnia. Moving around five to six hours before bedtime raises the body’s core temperature. When the body temp drops back to normal a few hours later, it signals the body that it’s time to sleep.

11. Get More Done

Feeling uninspired in the cubicle? The solution might be just a short walk or jog away. Research shows that workers who take time for exercise on a regular basis are more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers. While busy schedules can make it tough to squeeze in a gym session in the middle of the day, some experts believe that midday is the ideal time for a workout due to the body’s circadian rhythms.

12. Tap Into Creativity

Most people end a tough workout with a hot shower, but maybe we should be breaking out the colored pencils instead. A heart-pumping gym session can boost creativity for up to two hours afterwards. Supercharge post-workout inspiration by exercising outdoors and interacting with nature (see benefit #4). Next time you need a burst of creative thinking, hit the trails for a long walk or run to refresh the body and the brain at the same time.

13. Inspire Others

Whether it’s a pick-up game of soccer, a group class at the gym, or just a run with a friend, exercise rarely happens in a bubble. And that’s good news for all of us. Studies show that most people perform better on aerobic tests when paired up with a workout buddy. Pin it to inspiration or good old-fashioned competition, nobody wants to let the other person down. In fact, being part of a team is so powerful that it can actually raise athletes’ tolerances for pain. Even fitness beginners can inspire each other to push harder during a sweat session, so find a workout buddy and get moving!

Working out can have positive effects far beyond the gym (and beach season). Gaining self-confidence, getting out of a funk, and even thinking smarter are some of the motivations to take time for exercise on a regular basis.

4-Minute Workout that Burns 600 Calories Guaranteed

Here’s a workout that promises to burn as much as 600 calories in only four minutes.

Created by fitness coach Jim Saret of “The Biggest Loser: Pinoy Edition,” the four-minute workout involves jumping jacks, squats, pushups and lunges.

“’Pag tumatakbo ka for one hour, you lose around 150 calories (Running for an hour will lose around 150 calories)… This one will burn 600 calories in four minutes – guaranteed,” Saret said in an interview on the ANC program “Headstart”.

While it is ideally done in four minutes, the workout is still very much dependent on a person’s fitness level, said Saret, who noted that first-timers may spend two minutes doing only one exercise.

“If you’re in good condition, you can finish this in two minutes. So you go and repeat it [until the four-minute timer is over],” he said. “Some people who are sedentary first-timers, they can only do one exercise in two minutes. You’ll eventually see some progress.”

Saret hopes to encourage people to stay fit and get moving through his four-minute workout, stressing that going to the gym in not necessary when it comes to losing weight.

The workout

Together with his wife and fellow fitness coach Toni, Saret demonstrated how the four-minute workout is done.

Saret begins by doing ten reps of jumping jacks, followed by ten reps of squats.

   

“Squats are one of the biggest fat-burning movements,” he said.

He then proceeds to do ten pushups. Assuring those who think they cannot do a decent pushup on the floor, Saret said: “You can use a wall. Going to the floor is actually an advanced move. You don’t have to go to the floor.”

The workout ends with lunges, ten for each leg.

Do that several times a day whenever you can fit it in. Or repeat the routine four times with 1 minute of rest between each round for a full 20-minute workout.  Noting how a lot of people do not like doing pushups and lunges, Saret said: “The ones you hate are the ones that are actually going to work.”  Those little bits of activity throughout the day boost your metabolism and can really make a difference in your health and happiness.

Easy Ginger Tea Recipe For Cold, Cough And Flu

Try this ginger tea, for cold,cough and flu

Ingredients

Ginger – a one inch piece

Tulsi leaves – 10

Tea powder – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – as needed

Method

Crush ginger and tulsi leaves coarsely.

Boil a cup of water in a pan.

Add tea powder and when it starts boiling,

 add ginger, tulsi and swtich off the stove.

Strain into a cup, add sugar and mix well.

8 Simple Ways To Get Rid Of Belly Fat

It is difficult to get rid of belly fat but we found ways to eliminate belly fat forever.

1. Start your day with lemon juice This is one of the best therapies to eliminate belly fat. Pinch some yellow juice into a glass of warm water and add some salt to it. Continue drinking this every morning to boost your metabolism and to get rid of that paunch.

2. Stay off from white rice Replace white rice with various wheat products. Include brown rice, brown bread, whole grains, oats and quinoa in your diet.

3. Avoid sugary substances Stay away from sweets, sweetened drinks and foods rich in oil. Consuming these foods can increase body fat around various areas of your body like abdomen and thighs.

4. Drink plenty of water If you want to get rid of your belly, then drink sufficient amount of water every day. Drinking water, after regular intervals will help to boost your metabolism and remove toxins from your body.

5. Eat raw garlic Chew two to three cloves of garlic every morning, and drink a glass of lemon water after that. This treatment will double up your weight loss process and make your blood circulation smooth in your body.

6. Avoid non-veg food To eliminate belly fat, it is recommended that one should avoid non-vegetarian food as far as possible.

7. Load up on fruits and vegetables Eat a bowl of fruits daily in the morning and evening. This will fill you up with many antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

8. Spice up your cooking Use spices like cinnamon, ginger and black pepper in your cooking. These spices are loaded with health benefits. They help to improve your insulin resistance and reduce levels of sugar in your blood.