We Bet You Didn't Know That Potatoes Are This Useful!

Potatoes are a hardy staple of numerous dishes across a whole range of cultures. You can eat them mashed, roasted, fried, baked, sautéed, or as part of a salad or soup and they are the fourth most consumed crop in the world, after rice, wheat and corn. But as it turns out, potatoes have many other uses outside of your cooking pot. Some of them are remarkably useful, others are great fun to try, but all of them are bound to surprise you! Here are some ways you can employ your potatoes outside of the dinner table.

Surprising - Uses- Potatoes

1. Remove Stains

Foods like turmeric, berries, and beets are fabulous additions to any meal, but they have a habit of leaving their traces all over your hands. It can take a lot of scrubbing with normal soap to remove these stains, and it's really hard to reach underneath your nails. Don't fear though, just keep half a potato back when preparing the dish and rub it over the affected area to magically remove the blemish! Make sure you get right under your nails too. This will work well on grass and ink stains as well.

2. Make a Hot or Cold Compress

This is one you might have read about in books, and it's been used for centuries. Potatoes retain their temperature for a surprisingly long time so if you are out and about on a cold night, keep a couple of hot potato slices in your gloves or pockets. Similarly, if you need to keep cool, use a frozen or chilled potato. If you want to ease aches and pains, then make a hot or cold compress using potato slices inside a sock.

3. Clean Your Windows

Potatoes make for a terrific non-toxic glass cleaner. Take a raw, uncooked potato and rub if over your windows, car windscreen, or even eye glasses, before wiping away the juice with a clean cloth. You will be left with gleaming glass, without damaging your hands or leaving the smell of chemicals up your nostrils. This works well on clear plastic like swimming or ski goggles as well.

4. Use Potato Juice for Your Ailments

Okay, so potato juice might not sound like the yummiest mixture in the world, but it has been used for centuries to fight various ailments. It is considered effective against ulcers, sprains, gout, sciatica, heart burn and bruising. The juice is rich in vitamins and it's dead easy to make. Just put a couple of potatoes in a blender, zap them for thirty seconds and you're done. Add carrot or cinnamon juice to improve the taste and you have your own home made medicine.

5. Remove Warts

Warts are a rather unsightly annoyance, and if you get one, you will want to get rid of it. There's no need to go and have it lazered off though, just treat it with a raw potato. Carefully rub the cut end of the potato across the wart, and leave the juice on. Repeat the process every day until the wart is banished for good!

6. Remove a Broken Light Bulb from a Socket

This use of potatoes is trumpeted by numerous sources! At some point in your life, you've probably faced the annoyance of a light bulb breaking as you attempt to unscrew it. You might be wondering why companies can't design bulbs that don't do this, but in the mean time, you have a trusty potato to help you deal with the problem. Cut the potato in half, and gently press the flat side on to the remainder of the bulb. When the bulb is firmly inserted, you can simply screw it out.

7. Shine Your Silverware

If your cutlery is cloudy and your trinkets are tarnished, why not use a potato to restore their sparkle? You can rub a raw potato over the items if you like, but I find it best to soak them in potato water. This also means you don't have to use extra potatoes to perform the task, simply use the water from the batch you have boiled for your dinner. Add any peeled skins into the water for great results.

8. Feed Your Geraniums

The nutrients in potatoes will help your pot plants grown. You can either carve a small hole in the potato and plant the stem of the flower inside it, before putting the whole thing into the soil; or you can sprinkle some potato shavings into the soil around your already growing flowers to give them a fantastic, natural boost.

9. Sort Out Your Skin

Potatoes are great for your skin, so making yourself a potato face mask once a week can reap rewards. You only need to use mashed potato mixed with water, and leave the resulting paste on your face for 30 minutes. A couple of slices of potato can also be used to reduce the appearance of puffy eyes and black circles, and are a great alternative to the more widely used cucumber. The ability of potatoes to clear up minor rashes and acne have been known for centuries!

10. Soothe a Headache

Potatoes have been used to help ease headaches for centuries, and you will only need a few slices. You can rub them into your temples, or for more sustained relief, fix them against your forehead using a head band or bandage.

11. Make Some Great Personalized Art

We all remember making potato stamps and dipping them in paint in art class at school. But don't for a second think that this practice is just the preserve of children. Just draw the shape you want on to the cut potato, carve out the shape and dip it in fabric paint before dabbing it over your canvas. Personalize bags, cushions, walls - whatever you like! It's a really fun and easy way to personalize your home, and is great for kids too.

12. Relieve a Burn

If you burnt your fingers on a hot pan, or clipped your arm against the stove while it was still on, reach for a potato. Just 1 slice of raw potato should do the trick - apply it to the burn and fix in place using whatever you have handy.

13. Absorbs Excess Salt from a Soup or Cooking Pot

If you have over-salted your pot of soup or pasta by mistake, then throw in some potato slices or cubes to restore the balance. Leave the potatoes in while the mixture simmers for ten minutes or so, and then scoop them back out.

14. Banish Rust from Metal

Are your old tools or kitchen utensils starting to look like antiques? Restore them to their former glories by chopping a potato in half, adding a liberal amount of soap or salt to the cut end and rubbing it over the affected surface. Rinse and dry the object thoroughly afterwards. This works great along the edge of large carving knives!

15. Power a Light Bulb

Okay, so we expect this one is more for fun that anything else, but it's still fascinating and great for entertaining the kids/grandkids. Did you know that potatoes contain lots of energy, and the chemical reactions that take place between the potato juices and a couple of dissimilar metals create enough voltage to power a small electrical device?

To try this for yourself, you will need: 1 large potato, two small coins, two zinc-plated standard nails, three small pieces of copper wire and a small, low wattage light bulb:

1. Cut the potato in half, cut a slit in each half. Wrap the coins in the copper wire a few times, using different wire for each coin. Then slide the coins into the slits.

2. Take the remaining piece of copper wire and wrap it around one of the zinc plated nails. Stick the nail into one of the potato halves.

 3. Take the wire that's connected to the coin in the half of the potato that also contains the nail, and wrap it around the second nail. Stick the second nail into the other potato half.

4. Connect the two loose ends of the copper wire to the light bulb and it will light up.

Be careful when allowing children to handle the copper wires as they contain a small electrical charge, and don't perform the experiment near to an open flame.

 Elm Belle <elm2belle@gmail.com>

Health Benefits of Pistachio!

Every diabetic out there knows the second your doctor gives you a diabetes diagnosis, your life changes forever... No more indulging that sweet tooth… no more skipping days at the gym… and no more heading out to shop, golf or do lunch without toting a painful syringe or a bulky bottle of pills with you.

If diabetes has you feeling like you're living life on a leash, Indian researchers are finally giving you permission to go nuts! Just make sure those nuts are pistachios.

In a study, just completed by India's National Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation, researchers found that just a handful of pistachios a day may be all it takes to help you start enjoying your best blood sugar control in years — completely drug-free.

Scientists recruited 500 pre-diabetic volunteers between the ages of 25 and 65 and asked them to follow restricted-calorie diets and exercise daily (sound familiar?). The only difference was that half of the volunteers also got to snack on delicious pistachios daily.

After just six months, those pistachio-eating volunteers had lost weight, reduced their belly fat, and improved their bodies' reaction to insulin. The results were so positive that researchers say you could safely eat a couple of hundred calories worth of pistachios a day!

Imagine that — doctors telling us to eat MORE of something that tastes great! Plus, pistachios are cholesterol-free, loaded with fibre and healthy fats, and in just one serving deliver as much potassium as an orange.

It's no secret that nuts are nutritional powerhouses that could help you tackle everything from diabetes to heart disease. In fact, we told you just a couple of weeks ago how a handful of nuts a day could even slash your risk of premature death by an amazing 20 per cent.

If you're struggling to get your blood sugar under control, grab yourself a bag of delicious pistachios and get cracking.

Disease-fighting omega-7 getting mainstream recognition

A full year after we first shared with you the amazing health benefits of omega-7 fatty acids, it looks like the mainstream is finally getting on board. Even the most traditional mainstreamers are saying disease-fighting omega-7 may be one of the greatest health breakthroughs.

And for once, they're getting it right.

If you're serious about battling age-related diseases and if you don't want to look at yourself in the mirror 10 years from now and see a zipper scar down your chest or two swollen, arthritic knees… omega-7 could be the answer to your prayers.

Many of today's most common ailments, such as heart disease, arthritis, or even Alzheimer's, have the same root cause — inflammation. Omega-7 works naturally with your body to help keep that inflammation in check, while keeping a host of deadly diseases from EVER taking root.

But that's not all omega-7 does. In two animal studies — one from the Cleveland Clinic and another from Harvard University — omega-7 proved it could lower cholesterol and even improve the insulin response in muscles.

 Sun seeker   sunseekertoo@gmail.com

Good news, Esp. for the Elderly affected by Alzheimer's.🎀

After the age of 50 one may experience many types of illnesses.  But the one I am most worried about is Alzheimer's.

Not only would I not be able to look after myself, but it would cause a lot of inconvenience to family members...

One day, my son Rahul came home and told me that a doctor friend has taught him an exercise using the tongue.

The tongue exercise is effective to reduce the onset of Alzheimer's and is also useful to reduce / improve

*1* Body weight

*2* Hypertension

*3* Blood-Clot in Brain

*4* Asthma

*5* Far-sightedness

*6* Ear buzzing

*7* Throat infection

*8* Shoulder / Neck infection

*9* Insomia

The moves  are very simple and easy to learn...

Each morning, when you wash your face,  in front of a mirror,  do the exercise as below :

*stretch out your tongue and move it to the right then to the left for 10 times*

Since I started exercising my tongue daily,  there was improvement in my Brain Retention.

My mind was clear and fresh and there were other improvements too...

   1 Far sightedness lesser

   2  No giddiness

   3. Improved wellness

   4. Better digestion

   5. Lesser flu / cold

I am stronger and more agile.

🎀 Notes

The tongue exercise helps to control and prevent Alzheimer's...  Medical research has found that the tongue has connection  with the BIG Brain. When our body becomes old and weak,  the first sign to appear is that our tongue becomes stiff and often we tend to bite ourselves.

Frequently exercising your tongue will stimulate the brain,  help to reduce our thoughts from shrinking and thus achieve a healthier body.

 SIVASBRAMANIAM BALAJI <siva.rect72@gmail.com>

A Green, Delicious Diet

If you or your kids have an aversion to green, leafy vegetables, yet you know how beneficial they are to your health, then there are ways to add them to your diet with ease. These 12 recipes will show you how to add healthy greens spinach and kale to your diet, as part of a delicious dish.

1. Mashed Potatoes with Kale and Cauliflower

When cooking the potatoes, add kale and leek to the last 5 minutes, then mash the potatoes as you would, and add the kale and leek to the mash. It's as easy as it is delicious.

2. Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips.

If you love salt and vinegar chips, why not opt for the equally-delicious kale version? Mix olive oil, vinegar and salt in a bowl, add kale leaves and marinate them for a few minutes. Spread the kale on a baking sheet, add a little bit more salt, then put it in a preheated oven to 350°f (175°c) for 20 minutes and enjoy!

3. Sweet Potato and Kale Veggie Burgers

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup almond meal, 2 tbsp. rice flour, 2 tsp. flax, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Add 3 eggs and mix until it combines. Stir in 3/4 cup of chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves, then form small burgers. Fry each burger until lightly brown,

4. The Bright Eyed Green Juice.

5. Amazing Avocado Ice Cream.

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup/honey/agava nectar

1 avocado

1 tbst. vanilla extract

2 cups ice cubes

Blend all the ingredients, then place in the freezer for about an hour.

6. Kale and Spinach Pesto.

Ingredients:

kale & spinach leaves

⅓ cup soy nuts

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

4 tbsp. olive oil

salt & pepper

Blend the ingredients until the mixture is to your liking. Enjoy.

7. The Best Breakfast Kale Smoothie,

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped kale leaves

3/4 cup milk (or milk substitute)

1 banana (preferably frozen)

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup pineapple pices

2 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. honey

1 cup ice cubes

Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy.

8. Kale Powder.

Buy dehydrated Kale, run it through a blender or food processor and add to anything you'd . It goes great with pasta sauce, soups, etc.

9. Avocado Chocolate Mousse.

This might sound an odd combination, but the avocado's creamy texture works wonders with the cocoa powder, creating a delicious mousse that's also packed full of nutrients.

What you need:

2 avocados, cubed

1/2 cup agave nectar/maple syrup/honey

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. coconut oil

2/3 cup cocoa powder

Preparations:

Blend the avocados, sweetener, soy and coconut oil until the mixture is smooth. Add the cocoa powder and blend again. ENJOY!

10. How to Make Frozen Spinach.

If you don't want to use all your spinach now, simply run it through a blender or food processor and freeze it using an ice tray.

11. Spinach Chips.

Preheat the oven to 300°f (150°c), bake the spinach leaves on a baking sheet until they are crispy (15-20 minutes). Add salt and enjoy.

12. Add Spinach to ANY Smoothie.

Blueberry and banana smoothie? Just add fresh spinach for fiber, iron, and vitamins.

 Manek Chowk  <pothinudehlu@gmail.com

Gastric Obstruction – Causes, Symptoms Treatments

Your bowels are tasked with removing waste and toxins from our body, as well as absorbing salts, liquids, nutrients, indigestible vitamins. They do it to extract all possible nutrients that weren’t digested in the stomach and maintain the balance of electrolytes in our system.

When your bowels are not functioning well, they collect the waste and toxins they’re supposed to get rid of, resulting in various diseases and health issues. If left undiagnosed and untreated, obstructed bowels lead to kidney and liver-related health problems. In this article, you’ll learn all you need to know about bowel obstruction, symptoms that should serve as warning signals, and the natural home remedies needed to fix and prevent it.

What causes gastric obstructions?

The reasons for obstructed bowels are plentiful, such as hernias, cysts, tumors, etc. Another reason is overeating foods that are harmful to our bodies, such as food rich in preservatives and other chemicals. These chemicals lead to a buildup of mucus in the guts, which releases toxins that can damage the body. Another cause is a buildup of fecal matter or foreign bodies in the lower intestine.

Bezoars can also cause gastric obstructions. Bezoars are a fibrous lump that forms in the stomach, and the most common type is formed of undigested pieces of food. They are mainly composed out of plant cellulose, most common in unripe fruit and persimmons.

Men are in a higher risk group for contracting phytobezoars in their stomachs, with symptoms that include upper gastric pains, feeling full soon after beginning to eat, nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite and loss of weight. Symptoms only appear in 10-25% of the cases, making phytobezoars hard to diagnose, and can lead to gastric obstructions.

When the small intestine is blocked, it will begin contracting in order to move its content beyond the obstruction, which can lead to frequent diarrhea. In later stages, it will become less effective, causing a buildup of water and electrolytes that can lead to dehydration.

The obstruction will also create pressure on the intestinal walls, and if left untreated – will only get worse. This can lead to venous drainage obstruction, a rising of the diaphragm, and a suppression of the lungs’ function. The obstruction itself will aid in the bacterial buildup, in particular, E-Coli, Klebsiella, and Enterococcus Faecalis. The bacteria colonies will grow very quickly, increasing the chances of gangrene and intestinal punctures.

Patients lose their ability to pass feces and gasses along the intestine, causing swelling and increasing stomach pains. The large intestine will expand due to the buildup of bacterium, liquids, feces and gasses.

Which symptoms can indicate an obstruction?

Symptoms can be evidence of obstruction caused be stomach cramping or phytobezoars. Once you notice these symptoms, it is recommended that you pay a visit to your family doctor, to evaluate the nature of the obstruction. Not all symptoms may appear, but they will appear in these general groups:

Constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, lethargy and swelling.

Headaches, memory loss, blurred vision.

Burning sensation in the upper digestive system.

Weight gain, lack of energy and indigestion.

Ulcers in the stomach and Duodenum, ulcerative colitis and stomach inflammation.

Urinary tract infections and inflammation of the kidneys.

Constant colds, allergies, joint pains and chronic diseases.

Treatments:

The most basic treatment is hooking the patient up to an IV, which can only be performed by a doctor. In some cases, the obstructions can be relieved by using a nasogastric tube, and in severe cases, an operation will be required. An enema may help in some cases, but if performed incorrectly – can lead to internal bleeding.

The simplest, natural treatment for intestinal obstruction is eating 1-3 tablespoons of flax seeds, combined with 100-15ml of Kefir (a type of fermented milk drink) for three days. Flax seeds help the body dispose of fecal matter, mucus and parasites. Additionally, flax seeds can help prevent several forms of cancer, heart diseases, diabetes, and even help lower cholesterol levels. Kefir contains many probiotic bacteria, enzymes, vitamin B12 and proteins, all of which are good for your body. Kefir also helps in restoring the gastric biome and is lactose-free.

To clear your intestines from obstructions, add kefir and flax seeds to your breakfast in this manner:

1st week: 100ml of kefir and one tablespoon of flax seeds

2nd week: 100ml of kefir and two tablespoons of flax

3rd week: 150ml of kefir and three tablespoons of flax seeds

Additionally, drink at least two liters of water every day.

Prevention:

The best way to unblock a phytobezoar obstruction is by eating food that is high in protein and low in fiber. Once the blockage is gone, follow these dietary tips to heal and prevent reoccurrences.

Beverages: It is advised that you keep your body well hydrated. Drink fruit-shakes, water, and sports drinks that are rich in electrolytes. Avoid high-fat dairy.

Dairy: Stick to low-fat or fat-free products.

Grains and bread: Fiber from whole grain tends to slow down the digestive process. Focus on plain white bread, pasta, and regular grain.

Fruits and vegetables: Boiled or canned fruits and vegetables are the way to go. Avoid eating the skin. Watermelon, melons, and bananas can be consumed fresh. Avoid high-fiber fruits and vegetables.

]Meat and meat substitutes: Protein is essential to the healing process. Stick to skinless chicken or turkey meat. Other kinds of lean meat, such as fish, eggs and tofu are also good.

Other: Avoid fried foods and use as little butter as possible. Boiled or steamed foods are the most recommended. Minimize the use of seasoning and fatty sauces and dressings.

a Dak Laya <daki_1987@outlook.com

How to Identify and Treat Glaucoma Naturally!

Glaucoma is a medical condition of the eye where the optic nerve becomes damaged, and worsens over time. The build-up of pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure, is the eye's inability to drain out the aqueous humor fluid properly. Optic nerve damage can lead to loss of vision and permanent blindness within a couple of years, if left untreated.

The two main types of the disease are 'open-angle glaucoma' and 'angle-closure glaucoma'. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common of the pair. In the open-angle, the eye structures appear normal, but the fluid doesn't flow properly through the drain of the eyes, known as the trabecular meshwork.

The latter of the diseases, angle-closure glaucoma, is categorized by poor drainage of the eye, due to the angle between the iris and the cornea, which then becomes obstructed by the iris and results in blurred vision.

There are numerous ways in which the eye disease may be treated. The treatments are prescription eye drops for less severe problems, microsurgery to thoroughly drain out the fluid of the eye, or through various laser surgery procedures.

Editor's note - Please consult your physician if you are suffering from any of the symptoms listed below, or if you have a history of glaucoma in your family. It's important to have a complete eye exam to minimize the risks at an early stage.

External Causes:

• Blockage of blood vessels in the eye

• Blunt injury to the eye

• Chemical damage to the eye

• Severe eye infection

• Inflammatory conditions of the eye (Uveitis)

Symptoms:

• Seeing halos around lights

• Vision loss

• Redness in the eye

• Sudden hazy or blurred vision

• Nausea or vomiting

• Pain in the eye

• Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)

• Flashes of light or black spots

• Double vision

• Seeing spots, ghost-like images

People Most at Risk:

• Are over the age of 40

• Have a family history of glaucoma

• People of African ancestry

• Have poor vision

• Have thin corneas

• Have diabetes

• Have had trauma to the eye or eyes

• Take certain steroid medications, such as prednisone

7 Preventative Measures Against Glaucoma:

Glaucoma remedies and treatment.



1) Healthy Diet - Maintaining a healthy diet is essential for preventing diseases of all sorts. Green leafy vegetables are high in chlorophyll, which is a vital component that improves vision and protects against glaucoma. Make sure you add spinach, kale, beetroot, and carrots, to your salad and dietary intake. The omega-3 fatty acids of cold water fish are also beneficial for healthy eyesight.

2) Eye Exercises - You can practice from a wide assortment of eye exercises to maintain optimal vision. Eye exercises prevent strain and sharpen concentration. Here are a few exercises you can perform at home:

The Pencil Exercise - Hold a pencil at arm’s length and focus on it, slowly bring it closer to your nose. Move the pencil farther from your eyes until you can no longer keep it in focus. Perform this exercise about ten times a day.

The Eye Rolling Exercise - Roll your eyes in a clockwise direction for a few seconds, and then counter-clockwise for a few seconds. Repeat the process four or five times, and blink your eyes in between each set.

The Eye Blinking Exercise - Try blinking your eyes in quick spurts, 20 to 30 times without squeezing your eyes shut, which is known as eyelid fluttering. Close your eyes and let them rest for a while after you are done.

The Concentration Exercise - Focus your vision on a distant object for a short period. Try staring at the moon outside for a few minutes to avoid straining of the eyes.

3) Sunning and Palming - The Bates Method of sunning and palming, helps flex and reactivate the lens of the eye. Here's how to perform each technique:

The Sunning Process - Let the sun shine directly onto your closed eyelids, while breathing in deeply. You can sun in the morning for a couple of minutes.

The Palming Process - Rub your palms together to generate heat and then gently cup them over your closed eyes without applying any pressure. Keep your eyes covered so that no trace of light can enter.

4) Wild Asparagus - You might not have liked asparagus when you were young, but you will certainly appreciate the benefits this spring vegetable has for maintaining healthy vision. Eating a few sticks of asparagus can help prevent eye disorders such as glaucoma and cataracts.

Glaucoma remedies and treatment

Here is an interesting recipe you can prepare:

Mix 1 teaspoon of wild asparagus with 1/2 teaspoon of honey.

Consume twice daily with a glass of warm milk for a few months.

5) Ginkgo Biloba - The Chinese have relied on the Ginkgo Biloba for over 5,000 years to treat a variety of medical conditions. Ginkgo Biloba affects ocular blood flow and protects the optic nerve from damages. It is also used to improve memory, relieve stress and even help treat Alzheimer's disease. Take 120-mg standardized capsules once a day, or in two to three divided doses. Make sure you consult your doctor before taking any Ginko Biloba capsules.

6) Bilberry - The powerful bilberry herb is ideal for treating night blindness and protecting against macular degeneration of the eye. It contains a chemical called anthocyanoside, which supplies the bloodstream with anti-inflammatory properties. Eat 1/2 a cup of them per day, or in supplement form as an alternative. Take 160 mg of bilberry extract (with 25 percent anthocyanidin) twice daily, or several times per week. Consult your doctor beforehand if you are planning to take the herb in capsule form.

7) Almonds - Almonds are a great snack alternative to sugary candy bars and high in sodium potato chips. They help improve vision with their powerful omega-3 fatty acid components, and provide you with a much-needed boost of energy during the day. A handful of almonds can increase brain function and even save you from fatigue. Try this quick and easy almond paste recipe:

• Take about 5 to 10 almonds and let them soak in water overnight.

• Peel the skin off and grind them the following morning.

• The mixture will turn into an almond paste, which you can consume with a glass of warm milk for breakfast. Repeat process for a few months.

A Few More Important Tips...

~ Visit your eye doctor for regular check-ups.

~ Don't spend too much time watching T.V. or sitting directly in front of a computer screen, since both contribute to straining of the eyes.

~ Keep a safe distance (about 18 to 24 inches) away from the screen while you are working.

~ Purchase an anti-glare screen to avoid glare on your computer.

~ Wear a pair of UV sunglasses when you're outside to protect your eyes from the beaming sunlight.

~ Avoid reading in areas where the lighting is dim, since it adds strain to the eye muscles.

~ Use good quality eye cosmetics to shield the eyes.

~ Do not wear glasses that have the wrong prescription.

~ Take frequent visual breaks from your computer, resting your eyes every 20 minutes or so.

~ Get a good night's sleep to prevent eye discomfort and blurry vision.

Posted by: Elm Belle

<elm2belle@gmail.com>

3 Ways Scented Candles Can Harm Your Health!

With harsher weather and shorter days few things set a comforting atmosphere as the gentle flicker of a candle's flame. But, you may want to think twice before lighting scented candles, as health experts agree that some may contain unhealthy chemicals and irritants. Though before you throw all your scented candles out, using them sparingly - lighting a candle once or twice a week in a well-ventilated room - need not have you worrying about your health.

Nevertheless, if you're firing up multiple scented candles on a daily basis, especially in a small space with doors closed, here are three health reasons that will convince you to change the habit:

scented candles.

1. Most emit some level of toxic chemicals

Many scented candles are made from paraffin, derived from crude oil, coal or shale. Adding to this, paraffin can also contain chemicals like benzene and toluene, both of which make the American Cancer Society's list of probable or known carcinogens. But that's not all. The fragrance added to scented candles contains phthalates - a category of endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may cause or promote cancer and fertility issues. Burning several candles also expose you to levels of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde that exceed the agency's safety limits when it comes to cancer risk.

2. They could trigger severe asthma and allergy symptoms.

A study conducted at the American Chemical Society found that chemical pollutants in paraffin wax candles may cause problems with allergies or asthma. But, just when you thought that you're safe with unscented paraffin or soy-based candles, a study from South Carolina State University found that such candles can also produce pollutants that could worsen indoor air quality and cause breathing problems.

3. Using older candles could lead to Lead Poisoning.

Candle wicks contain lead, which when burned for more than two hours, could cause lead poisoning in adults. The smoke produced from lead wicks can also coat furniture or carpets, which similarly to tobacco smoke, could also harm kid's health. Thankfully, new public health regulations have banned the use of lead in candle wicks. To be on the safe side, scour your cabinets and check whether your candles were made prior to October 2003 - as these candles may contain lead.

The safe way to use candles'

Opt for pure beeswax candles as opposed to paraffin wax. Beeswax candles provide the same ambience and warmth as paraffin without the health risks. They also emit a natural, sweet smell without the fragrance. If you'd rather opt for paraffin, keep them on in a well-ventilated room.

Posted by: Elm Belle

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5 Signs that Indicate Your Body Wants You to Cut Back on Salt!

If you've just been diagnosed with high blood pressure, this is one clear sign that you may be overdoing it on the salt. Yet, while salt may be the culprit of such a disease, it turns out that having too much salt in your meal may leave you feeling uncomfortable. Here are five, surprising, short-term symptoms that may occur within your body if you consume too much salt.

1. Your ring finger feels too tight

If the ring on your finger suddenly feels two sizes too small, it could very well be caused by water retention, which can happen when you load up on salt. The body works in a complex way. It must maintain the balance of fluids and electrolytes. Therefore loading up on sodium may trigger your brain to release hormones that tell your body to hold onto as much water as possible.

2. Your mouth is dry.

One of the reasons why your mouth may feel dry is because of salt. After loading up on foods that are rich in sodium, your body will start to sense that your salt and water levels are off. Consequently, your brains sends out thirst signals as drinking more water will have things returned back to normal.

3. You have a headache.

A study published in the British Medical Journey found that there's a strong link between high blood pressure and headaches. It was found that heavy salt eaters were more likely to get a headache, even if their blood pressure was normal. In the study, adults who ate 3,500mg of sodium per day had nearly a third more headaches in comparison to those who only took in 1,500 mg. So, if you do feel a throbbing headache coming on, try cutting back on the salt.

4. You feel a need to keep going to the bathroom.

Drinking too much water may be the reason you need to urinate so often. Yet it is not the only cause. Eating too much salt can have the same effect. When you include too much salt your kidneys have to work overtime in order to clear the extra salt out, which may cause you to pee more than usual.

5. Your brain is in a fog.

If you are overdoing it on salt, you may end up dehydrated. As a result, dehydration may affect your ability to think clearly. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, mildly dehydrated women performed worse on cognitive tests measuring concentration, memory, reasoning and reaction time compared to when they were hydrated. The study also found that the dehydration sent their moods plummeting too.

Quick Fix Tip

No matter what symptoms you are dealing with, one of the best ways to slash your sodium is to cut back on processed foods and drink more water. This will allow your body to catch up and get back into balance. Once your sodium is back to normal again, try to keep your salt intake under control. The U.S. dietary guidelines recommend eating less than 2,300mg per day.

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Posted by: Elm Belle

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