Most of us are always too involved in work and other tasks, and we ignore the most important parts of our lives- our health. This can lead to devastating consequences especially if we ignore small aches and pains that suddenly develop into serious problems. Mentioned here are a few tips to give your lifestyle the healthy boost that it needs:

1. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet:

Get rid of all the processed fast food in your diet and add healthy fruits and veggies. Fruits and vegetables are packed full of all the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function optimally.

2. Drink more water:

Drinking water is the best way to get rid of all the toxins from your body that fizzy and caffeinated drinks build up. At least 8-10 glasses of water are ideal for an average person.

3. Add an exercise regimen to your daily life:

Exercise is the best thing that you can do for your mind, body and soul. This is the best way to boost your immune system and release natural endorphins in to your blood stream. Not only does it help you stay fit, but it also helps in making you stay happier and more relaxed.

4. Quit unhealthy habits:

Try to quit or limit your intake of alcohol and cigarettes. These are the two most deadly vices that can cause more problems than anything. When you light up that cigarette or make that drink ask yourself first – is it really worth it?

5. Work hard and play hard:

Work during the week but try to take the weekend off to simply enjoy with friends and family. Go on more picnics and barbeques with your loved ones and simply try to relax and de stress in a safe and healthy way.

What is cord blood?

Cord blood is the blood taken from the umbilical cord of the baby just after the birth of a baby. This blood is a rich source of stem cells, which are the precursors of all the blood cells of the body. Stem cells are being researched and studied all over the world and may be able to provide us with treatments and cures of several diseases.

Why is it important to bank cord blood?

These days we keep hearing about banking Cord Blood and its importance. More and more couples are opting for this option as they feel that by banking the cord blood of the umbilical cord, they are getting a kind of insurance against diseases. “Banking” means storing the cord blood of your baby in a bank, for future use by either yourselves, or for the general public. This depends on whether you opt for a private or public cord blood bank. In a public bank, the cord blood can be used by the general public if a match is found, and in a private bank the blood is stored for your use only.

Uses of cord blood:

This blood can is a source of stem cells and is being highly researched to cure diseases such as type 1 diabetes, brain damage, cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and many more. Stem cells have successfully cured several types of blood cancers, and studies have also revealed that some improvements have been noted in children diagnosed with type I diabetes when treated by stem cells.

Future Cures:

Stem cells have the potential to cure diseases like AIDS, Heart damage, spinal cord injuries, blindness, deafness, neural birth defects, neurological diseases and many more. The future may hold potential cures for all these diseases through stem cells obtained from cord blood.

How to lose that belly fast: Tips and belly fat exercises

Losing belly fat is not as difficult as most of us may feel. All you require is a healthy diet, and a regular exercise routine, and lots and lots of persistence. Most people feel that the belly is the hardest part to tone in their body, here are a few tips that will help you lose that belly fat and keep your abs toned:

Eat a healthy diet:

Avoid junk foods that simply offer empty calories and no health benefits. Try to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Avoid carbonated beverages and beer:

The biggest contributing factor to belly fat is carbonated drinks like sodas and beer. These simply make you bloat and gain excessive belly fat. Drink lots of water instead of these unhealthy drinks.

Suck in your belly:

You will be surprised how well this works. Throughout the day when you are doing your daily chores, try to suck in your belly, and hold it in for 15-30 seconds. This helps tone the transverse abdominus muscles and gives your waist line a shape.

Start a cardio routine:

The best way to lose belly fat is to start a regular cardio routine. Try doing cardio exercises like jogging, biking or aerobics 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Brisk walking is another great way to lose belly fat but you must do this for 45-60 minutes at least 3 times a week.

Do abdominal exercises:

Right after your cardio routine, do sets of different types of crunches and leg raises. These will help tone your abdominal muscles and also the muscles of your lower back and sides. Try doing these at least 3 times a week, and give a day’s gap in between to let your muscles rest and recover.

Vitamin D is a highly essential vitamin for the health of our bones and teeth. Most people, especially women suffer from vitamin D insufficiency or even deficiency and don’t even realize it. Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D and its importance cannot be stressed enough. Just fifteen to twenty minutes a day spent in the sun are enough to keep the body’s levels of vitamin D up.

Benefits of vitamin D:

Vitamin D has been linked with preventing many types of cancers. Not only is it essential for the health of our bones and teeth, but it can actually fight cancers, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis (painful inflammation of the joints), multiple sclerosis and even type 1 diabetes. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption from the gut. Its deficiency causes rickets in children and painful bone disease called Osteomalacia in adults.

Benefits of Sunlight:

Sunlight has been used for its healing powers by man since the dawn of time. These days too much sun exposure has been linked with malignant skin cancers, especially in light skinned people. This is also a fact, but limited exposure is very good for health and for such cancers to develop, there have to be many predisposing factors like familial history, pigmentation, unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking and over excessive exposure to the sun. The sun plays a vital role in the manufacture of vitamin D in our body, and limited exposure is essential for our health. You can partake in a healthy activity like gardening, or take a ten minute stroll down the street in the sun to get ample amount of sunlight that you need to manufacture vitamin D.

Why do some people lose hair?

In the normal hair growth cycle, it is normal for some hair to shed, while most of the hair is growing on you scalp. Some people lose more hair than others, and this can be a cause for concern in most people. Men and women both can suffer from this condition. A number of contributing factors are responsible for hair loss, mentioned here are a few of them:

Stress and illness:

Stress and illness can cause some hair loss in a person, but this is usually temporary. When the body goes though an illness, it becomes weak and takes time to recover. During this period hair loss can occur but this usually stops once full health is regained.

Hormonal imbalances:

If a person suffers from an underactive or an overactive thyroid glad, hair loss can occur. Hair loss can also occur if the female hormone estrogen or the male androgens are imbalanced. For hormone related hair loss, usually hormone imbalance treatments may stop such hair loss.

Hair loss after pregnancy:

Many women feel that they are losing their hair around 3-6 months after their pregnancy. This is the hair that would’ve been lost normally over the 9 month period and it falls off as soon as the normal cycle of growth and loss resumes.

Medicines:

Some medicines can also contribute to hair loss. Usually this kind of hair loss stops once you discontinue the medicines. Some medicine that cause hair loss are: blood thinners, high blood pressure medication, Vitamin A excess, Birth control pills, anti depressants and medicines used to treat gout. Chemotherapy is a well known reason for hair loss, and hair usually grown back once the treatment stops.

Infections and diseases:

Certain fungal infections of the scalp can also cause hair loss, and this kind of hair loss stops once the infection is treated.