Benefits of Beet Root

Beet root has natural property of cleaning the kidneys and gall bladder. The potassium present in it helps in providing nourishment to the body for daily functions while chlorine organically cleans the liver and kidney. In addition, it has positive effects on one’s digestive system as it helps in the treatment of digestive disorders and problems like jaundice, nausea and vomiting due to dysentery or diarrhea. Beet root combined with carrot juice can prove extremely beneficial in building the red corpuscles thereby helping in treating low vitality and anemia. Being an excellent solvent for inorganic calcium deposits, beet juice helps in the treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders. It is also extremely beneficial for women as it aids in the regulation of menstruation.
Along with having numerous health benefits, beet root is also beneficial for the skin. The water in which beet roots have been boiled proves effective for the treatment of boils, inflammation and even for skin breakouts like pimples. Similarly, the decoction of beets mixed with little vinegar can be used for the treatment of dandruff. Though beet root has various health benefits, it should be avoided by diabetic patients since it is high in sugar content.

Beetroot soup provides taste with health and it can be easily prepared at home. It has a stimulating effect on liver’s detoxification process and its fibers help in promoting healthy cholesterol levels and bowel function. Being rich in folic acid, fiber, manganese, potassium and phosphorus, beetroots are a healthy and a nutritious form of food item which can be easily made into soup to experience taste with health .Simple, healthy yet delicious beetroot soup can be made at home by following the given recipe.

Tips to avoid Back pain

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in this country. Eighty percent of the population will have some sort of serious back pain in their lives.

Good posture and regular exercise helps minimize chronic back conditions. Regular exercise is good but it is important not to strain your back.

Back Pain Tips

Lifting. 

Avoid bending from the back or twisting while lifting objects. Instead, hold the object close to your body with a good base of support and your legs apart. Then, bend from the knees, lift and turn your entire body from the feet to move objects and avoid putting stress on your back. 

Build up muscular strength and flexibility.

Your abdominal muscles and back muscles work together in order to give your spine support and strength. Strength and flexibility in your hips and thighs help towards maintaining good pelvic bone alignment.

Build strength as you stand. 

Try standing on one leg when standing while doing the dishes or brushing your teeth. This will help build strength in the core muscles of your lower back and abdomen. Use the sink to stabilize yourself if needed and alternate your legs every 30 seconds.

Regular exercises 

such as swimming walking and cycling allow your muscles to function better.

Remember, consult your doctor if you are at all worried about new forms of exercise.

Avoid prolonged stand

Try to avoid standing or bending down for long periods.

Change your position. 

When standing for long periods of time, such as cooking or cleaning, widen your stance or alternate your position to avoid repeated stress on the same muscles. 

Seating and back problems

Chairs need good back support. Use chairs that are at the right height. Straining to get on or off a chair , especially if you have to twist the spine into strange positions, can cause discomfort and injury. Ergonomically designed chairs are best.

Good bed mattresses for back problems

It is important to get a mattress that provides enough back support. Get a medium-firm mattress rather than a very firm mattress. Use pillows to support the neck, but not to the extent they push your head neck into odd angles.

Lifting, load carrying, and your back

Poor lifting and carrying techniques are the most common and most avoidable causes of back injury and pain.Never carry loads that are too heavy.Work places are legally obliged to provide appropriate equipment for you to carry out your work. See your boss if you feel you are at risk.Make sure that when you do lift you keep your back straight and bend at the knees to weight-bear.If you think you may have trouble lifting something get help. Don't risk back injury.

Weight gain and back problems

Maintain a healthy weight.If you are overweight it puts a tremendous strain on the back muscles. Losing weight can make a dramatic difference to back pain and discomfort.

Losing weight makes you more energetic.

Smoking and back problems

Smoking causes diminished levels of oxygen levels to spinal tissues. Diminished oxygen levels can hinder the healing processes if you get a spinal injury.

Wear comfortable shoes.

High heels, and flip flops can throw off your body alignment.  High heels will create an anterior pelvic tilt, which pulls on the muscles of the low back.  Flip flops do not lend enough support for the feet.

TIPS TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.

There are two main types of breast cancer:

Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.

Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.

In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast.

TIPS TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER

Take a Walk

Women who spend a little more than an hour a day walking may reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by 23 per cent, compared to their non-active peers.

Eat fruit

You can't go wrong with this – almost all dietary advice comes down to the single instruction to eat more fruit and veg. Diet is thought to be a key factor in one in four cancer deaths – and animal fat in the diet is the suspect ingredient in breast cancer. The Japanese, who eat a diet of fish, rice and vegetables that is extremely low in animal fat, also have low rates of breast cancer.

A high-fat diet increases the levels of the female hormone oestrogen in the blood, which encourages the growth of cancer cells. In populations with a high-fat diet, women tend to start their periods earlier and reach menopause later so they are exposed to high levels of oestrogen for longer, increasing their risk of breast cancer.

Studies into what effect eating fruit and vegetables has on breast cancer have produced mixed results. One study found that, when combined with taking exercise, the results were dramatic. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology last June, it showed that women who ate their five portions a day and walked briskly for at least 30 minutes halved their risk of breast cancer.

Avoid less drink .

It may be unpopular, but it works. Every alcoholic drink a woman consumes on a daily basis increases her risk of breast cancer by 6 per cent. Drinking has been rising, especially among young women, and researchers estimate it accounts for 2,000 cases out of the 40,000-plus diagnosed every year.

Cutting down on drinking could be a wise move for the 18 per cent of young women aged 16 to 24 who consume more than three drinks a day.

But going teetotal may be a step too far. Moderate drinking is good for the heart, especially in middle age, and this could outweigh the higher risk of cancer. The dull but true reality is that moderate drinking is best for all-round health.

Protect yourself from the sun

Avoid peak radiation hours.

The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Minimize or avoid being outside during these hours.

Stay in the shade.

If you go outside, minimize your sun exposure by staying in the shade.

Cover exposed areas.

Wear light-colored, loosefitting clothing that protects you from the sun's rays. Use tightly woven fabrics that cover your arms and legs, and wear a broad-brimmed hat that covers your head and ears.

Don't skimp on sunscreen.

Make sure your sunscreen has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.

Don't use indoor tanning beds or sunlamps.

These can damage your skin as much as the sun can. There's no such thing as a healthy tan.

Give birth

Having children, especially before the age of 30, helps protect against breast cancer. It is down to those hormones, again. Over the last century, economic progress has led to delayed childbirth and smaller families as women with their own careers have sought to balance the demands of work and home. But researchers estimate that delaying childbearing increases the risk of breast cancer by 3 per cent for each year of delay.

Breast-feed

Breast-feeding protects against breast cancer, as well as being best for the baby. But smaller families and the rise in the number of working mothers has meant the time spent breast-feeding has reduced. Breast-feeding for six months reduces the risk, experts say. Yet many women never get that far. In England, 77 per cent of mothers start breast-feeding but more than a third switch to bottle-feeding in the first six weeks.

Increase oxygen contain in your body.

An underlying cause of cancer is low cellular oxygenation levels. Poor oxygenation comes from a buildup of toxins within and around cells, causing red blood cells to clump up, slowing down the bloodstream, and restricting flow into capillaries. Increasing oxygen into your body will lower your acidic level to alkaline. Cancer cells do not survive in a normal alkaline environment.

You can increase oxygen in your body by doing breathing exercises as explained in The Yogi Science of Breath.

HAIR STYLING TIPS

Style your hair with care with these tips:

1. Never use a blow dryer on dry hair.

2. Cut your hair frequently. It is better to trim a minimal amount of hair often, than it is to cut off a whole lot once a year, as your hair stays in healthier condition. 

3. If you want a change of style but want to keep the length, get your hair cut in long layers. This also helps remove spilt ends. 

4. Use rubber bands that are covered with fabric when you want to tie up your hair. This reduces breakage. 

5. Natural bristle brushes are preferable to plastic and polyester bristles. They are gentler on the hair.  Unless your brush has natural bristles, you should never brush wet hair, as wet hair tends to snap easily. 

6. If you blow-dry your hair right, there is no reason why it cannot look as good as salon-blow-dried hair. The trick is to blow-dry your hair in sections. 

7. If you section it well, you should be done after 11 or 12 sections, and it should not take you more than fifteen minutes. However, if you randomly section your hair, it may take a lot longer, so be systematic about it.  Another reason to stick to systematic sections is that you will not be blow-drying hair that is already dry, and in this manner you will reduce damage to your hair. 

8. Stick to making sections with the help of horizontal and vertical partings to your hair, and doing blocks at a time. 

9. Make a horizontal parting two inches above the back of your head. Part the rest of the hair in the center, and pile up each side on top and clip it up, using one clip for each side. 

10. Divide the loose hair into two sections, and blow-dry each section with the help of a round brush. 

11. If your hair is very curly, it helps if your blow dryer has a flat nozzle attachment to better direct air. 

12. Move the blow dryer along the length of your hair along with your brush. 

13. After you have got the bottom done, keep moving upwards in sections, until you have finished all your hair. Simply use horizontal and vertical partings to section your hair.  

14. If you are using a straightening iron to straighten your hair, use it with care, and use it sparingly. It can be very damaging if used often, and if you do not follow up with extra care for the hair. 

15. On the other hand, if you are using a curling iron, don�t place the iron at the ends of your hair. Place it around four inches above the ends, and then feed the ends into the iron. Hair ends are the most fragile part of your hair, and in this manner you reduce the damage to the hair ends as you avoid prolonged high heat exposure. 

16. Wearing a leave-in conditioner at all times keeps the hair moisturized and also helps prevent damage caused by exposure to sunlight. 

QUICK HERBAL TIPS

Skin Cleanser: 
Found in your own kitchen is a simple, chemical free cleanser good ol� unboiled milk. All you need to do is dip a piece of cotton wool in milk and wipe your face with it. It also cleans unseen dirt and goes down into your pores. Another fine cleanser is almond oil, especially effective in protecting the delicate skin under the eyes.

Skin Moisturizer: 
For normal skin care, you can take 1 cup of yogurt, 1 tablespoon orange juice and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and mix it into a paste.  Apply it on your face as a mask and keep it on for 15 minutes.  Then clean it off with a wet tissue watch your complexion glow.  For dry skin, you could use a mixture of cooked oatmeal and honey; it will not only help moisturize the skin but also acts as a good cleansing agent.

Skin Nourishment and Bleach: 
For nourishing your face try a protein mask.  You can prepare this mask by first soaking 1 tablespoon urad dal and 4 almonds in water overnight and then grinding them into a paste. You can then apply this protein mask to your face and wash it off after half an hour. This exceptional protein mask will not only nourish the skin but also bleach it. 

Wrinkle Prevention and Softer Skin: 
To prevent wrinkles and soften your skin, you could try pure castor oil; it is known to slow down the aging process of the skin.

Skin Conditioner: 
Another simple and excellent skin conditioner that can be made out of 1 tbsp. honey blended with 2 tbsp. cream (of milk). Leave it on for a few minutes and wash it off. It works like magic. 

Skin Blemishes: 
For skin blemishes, you can try rubbing a raw potato on your face.

Sun-Protection Lotion: 
Its summer time. Time to cool off. So lets wind up with a good home-made sun-protection lotion. Take cucumber juice and equal amounts of glycerine and rose water and make a concoction. This should be refrigerated. Try it, its really cool.

Fitness & Exercise Tips for Women & Men

As we age, our bodies lose muscle tissue and our metabolism slows down. Exercise is the best way to get physically fit and lose weight. Starting an exercise regimen at any age is extremely beneficial and can add years to your life.

Working out takes discipline and should not be painful. "No pain, no gain" is just a myth and is not good advice to follow. Exercise should make you feel healthy and fit, not looking for the ibuprofen and ice packs.

Experts advise that 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week is beneficial for both men and women. Select the best plan that is favorable to your lifestyle, whether it is at home or a fitness club.

Opt for a form of exercise you will enjoy the most and start out slowly, increasing your activity and work out-time gradually. Consider adding basic weight training to build muscles, burn calories and control body fat.

Aerobic Activity Training
Bicycling

Brisk walking

Dancing

Jogging

Jump Rope

Roller-skating

Skiing

Swimming

Tennis

For beginners, try increasing personal fitness in your everyday life by walking more, doing some yard work, painting, and parking your car further from your destination. Not only will you have the satisfaction of getting things done, you'll enjoy the benefits of being physically fit.

You don't need to lump your exercise all in one session. Try it in 10 minute increments if this is easier for you and as time allows. While there's no plan or guarantee for everyone, get started and find out what works for you.

Consult your physician before starting any exercise routine and understand that diet and nutrition will play a big factor in your overall results.

Fitness & Exercise Tips
Get busy at home. Clean your house more frequently, do more gardening and yard work.
Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise, and for a reason. It's easy to do and comes naturally.
Begin exercising at least 20 minutes a day. Start slow.
Take it one day at a time, with realistic goals.
You don't need to invest in fancy fitness equipment. Buy yourself a $5 ab-roller, this is very easy to travel with.
Treadmills and exercise bikes are great aerobic activity tools for cold months indoors.
Add entertainment such as music or tv to your indoor activity.
The more muscle you gain, the higher your metabolism.
Get family and friends to exercise with you.
Take multi-vitamins.
Don't allow yourself to watch your favorite TV show unless you do it on a treadmill or exercise bike.
Add hand weights gradually to your routine.

Homemade Skin Care Tips

For Glowing skin

A facemask of egg white and honey gently removes the tan from your face.
Mix oats with honey, yogurt and ground almonds. Apply this in your face, leave it for five minutes and wash with lukewarm water.
Cucumber is a natural cleanser. Mix cucumber juice with milk and use it instead of a cleanser.
Take 1/3-cup cocoa, three teaspoons of heavy cream, 1/3-cup ripe papaya, 1/4-cup honey and three teaspoons of oatmeal powder. Mix it all together. Apply on your face. After 10 minutes, wash your face with warm water. This is best for oily skin
For oily skin, apply a mixture of grapes, lemon and egg white. Leave it for 20 minutes and rinse with warm water. While lemon acts as a natural cleanser, grapes will soften your skin and egg whites will tighten it. Don’t be alarmed if your skin tingles.
Cut the lemon and rub the wedge all over your face. Leave it for about 20 minutes, then rinse off with cold water. This will refresh your face. Avoid doing this if you have dry skin.
Mix honey, lemon and vegetable oil .This mixture is a good moisturiser for dry skin. Apply this mask for 10 minutes.
Apply the mixture of honey and milk on the face . This will make your skin glow.
Prepare a mask by mixing a slice of pumpkin with egg yolk and milk. Let this mask set on your face for 30 minutes for a glowing skin.
Mix half-a-cup honey to your bath water for soft and smooth skin.
For a soothing body pack, prepare a paste of mint leaves and almonds. Mix it with warm water and apply all over your body. Leave it till it dries and rinse with warm water.
Buttermilk dabbed on skin for 15 minutes will soak up oil from your skin without drying it.
Carrot juice applied daily fades blemishes.
For dark underarms and neck apply lemon juice mixed with cucumber juice and a pinch of turmeric daily. Leave this on for 20 minutes.
For removing facial hair.. Apply a sticky paste of egg white blended with sugar and corn flour. When it dries, gently peel it off. Repeat this three to four times a week.
Thin apple slices rubbed onto oily skin will help in controlling oily shine.
For supple skin, apply a ripe smashed banana on your face for 20 minutes daily.
Cauliflower juice applied on warts regularly will make them fall.
For a fair skin, try this natural bleach. Mix orange peels (sun dried and powdered) with milk. Apply this paste for 25 minutes and wash off.
Mix half teaspoon dried curry leaf powder with multani mitti (fullers earth) and apply on the face. Wash it after it gets dry.
Apply the mixture of tomato juice and honey on the face and neck , wash it after 15 minutes.
Apply the mixture of carrot juice and basin. Leave it till it dries and wash the face.
Add two teaspoon of tomato juice with 4 teaspoon of curd and apply on the face.
Add a pinch of yeast with 2 teaspoon of cabbage juice and apply.
Mix 1 table spoon of barley powder with half teaspoon of lime juice and 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply it on the face and wash after 20 minutes.
Mix pineapple juice and carrot juice together and apply it on the face and wash it after 15 minutes.
Mix vinegar and rose water in equal quantities and apply.
Mix curd and cucumber juice and apply it on the face.
Apply the mixture of coconut water and thick pineapple juice.
Make a paste with 1/2 teaspoon of milk powder, 1/4 teaspoon of egg white and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and apply on the face.
For dry skin, Make a paste with egg yolk, olive oil and lemon juice. Apply it on the neck and face, wash it out after 10 minutes.
For oily skin, take a mixture of oatmeal and egg white and apply it on the neck and face
For glowing skin, use basin or green gram powder mixed with milk instead of soap.
Apply the mixture of raw turmeric and cream of milk on the face and wash it after 20 minutes. It will make your skin fair.
Apply the mixture of honey, basin, cream of milk and olive oil as a face pack.
Apply the paste of fenugreek with milk on the face and let it dry. Wash off with luke warm water.
Make a paste of red sandal wood and apply it on the face every day for glowing skin.

Make a paste with red sandal powder and coconut milk and apply on the face for soft skin.