FOODS THAT FIGHT FLU

Symptoms of Cold Or Flu...

cold

Sometimes a low fever(less than 101°F).You have a sore throat and a mild headache.Tired, but can manage
everyday activities.Comes on gradually over a few days.

fl u

Fever above 102°F.Body hurts all over.Feeling extremely fatigued and bedridden.Starts suddenly.

“Fresh fruits, veggies, lean meats and fish will do a body good year-round, but adding certain foods to your diet will give your body’s infectiondefeating abilities an extra boost,” says US-based diet and nutrition expert Bonnie Taub-Dix. Try some—or all—of these.

carrot 

A diet rich in betacarotene—also found in bell peppers, broccoli, sweet potatoes and pumpkin—protects the liningof the nose, which traps germs before they can infect you








.green tea 

Science backs up what tea drinkers have known for centuries: Going green keeps you healthy. In a study at the University of Florida, people who consumed two cups of green tea daily for three months had 32 percent fewer colds than those who didn’t imbibe. “If you aren’t crazy about the flavour, add a splash of100 per cent fruit juice,”

yogurt

 Research suggests that probiotics found in yogurt  increase overall immunity and help ward off pesky colds and the flu. Scientists theorize that they increase the number of disease fighting cells in the body; the good bacteria may also actually destroy pathogens invading the body. In addition to its immunity-boosting properties, yogurt is also known to be a great source of calcium and protein.

salmon

 No doubt you have heard this food is a great source of heart strengtheningOmega-3 fatty acids,
but one serving also contains up to1,000 IU of vitamin D; a University of Colorado, Denver, study found
that upping your intake of thevitamin staves off colds.

garlic 

Garlic is long known forits immunity-boosting properties.A compound called allicin in garlichelps you fi ght against bacterial,viral and fungal infections.

How To Help Your Baby's First Cold...

There’s plenty you can do to speed up recovery


KEEP BABY HYDRATED

 A little one who is under the weather may not take in as much milk a teach session. In that case, feed her more frequently. She should drink enough to have at least one wet diaper every six hours. If she doesn’t, call your paediatrician.

EASE STUFFINESS 

Give your tot saline drops to liquefy mucus in her nose and help it drain. Lay Babyon your lap and tilt her head back slightly. Plug one nostril with your finger and squirt two drops in the other. Aft er a few seconds, use a bulb syringe.

GRAB THE BULB SYRINGE 

Press the bulb between your thumb and index fi nger and insert it into her nose. Don’t worry you’re in sertingtoo far; the tool is designed t prevent this. Release your thumb and finger to draw out the mucus.


KEEP THE AIR MOIST 

Use a cool mist humidifi er in the room where your baby is sleeping. The humidity will moisten her nasal passages and clear mucus. Change the water and clean the machine daily; bacteria and mould can quickly grow inside.


ELEVATE BABY’S HEAD 

Your sweetie might find it easier to nod off in her lounger or car seat occasionally.Strap her in securely and put the seat on the floor. As she snooze supright, gravity will help







Winter Sleep Secrets for Your Cuties...




The winter can be harsh on your sweetie’shealth and skin. Learn how to keep Baby snugand soft this winter



You want to keep your little love warm, especially at night, but babies can’t regulate their temperature as well as adults do, and they can quickly get too hot. Find your cutie's night-time comfort zone:It’s important to shield Baby against the whipping winter breeze and the cold bugs this season usually brings. But in abid to protect, parents often end up committing several mistakes that do even more damage. To set matters straight, we got experts to tell you what you should avoid and what to do right.

MISTAKE 1

over cladding

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN

That Baby needs to be bundled upall the time.WHY Babies are not able to regulate their body temperature as efficiently as adults. So chances are high that over cladding will make your baby way too hot; it may even
lead to fever.
THE RIGHT MOVE 

Layering your little squirmer is the best way to keep him warm. “Cotton is best for Baby’s tender skin. So build the base layer with cotton inners,”“One of the common mistakes that parents make during the winter is to keep the baby’s head,hands and feet bare,” points out Dr. Ugra. “An infant’s head covers a larger surface area than an adult’sin proportion to his body. So babies lose a lot more heat if the head is bare,” he explains. Hoods or knit caps with side flaps (to keep the ears insulated) are good.

MISTAKE 2

neglecting fluid intake

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN

Baby doesn’t need too much water during the winter.WHY Winter has a dehydrating effect on your little one’s body.While it’s true that his body doesn’t lose as much water in the winter
as in the warmer months, it’s also a fact that Baby doesn’t get enough moisture as the air tends to get
drier with dropping temperatures.

THE RIGHT MOVE 

Your munchkin may not feel that thirsty but his fluid intake shouldn’t reduce. “The daily fluid requirement of an infant is 100ml per kg of his weight,’’“A healthy2-year-old weighing about 12kg will need about 1.2 litres of fluid every day,” she adds. Off er water to your child every time you get yourself a glass. Try to do this every hour. Make him sip from his bottle each time he wakes up at night. Fluid intake also gets a boost from fruit juices and other foods such as milk, soup, yogurt and dal.But water is still the best option.You can give him lukewarm water during winter.

MISTAKE 3

home remedies

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN

Asafoetida (heeng), basil (tulsi),aniseed (saunf ), and other such condiments and plants will stave off the cold or fl u.WHY These can cause gastritis and a tendency to vomit. “They may even spread the infection internally,”
THE RIGHT MOVE “Consult your paediatrician if a fever doesn’t recede after two days. Watch out for signals like breathing troubles and inability to eat,”  In case of severe chest infection and an asthma attack, your doctor may suggest antibiotics, nebulizers or inhalers.

MISTAKE 4

oiling baby’s nose and ears

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN

Pouring oil in her nose and ears will keep Baby warm.WHY While oil massage boosts your child’s blood circulation, the wrong application may lead to health hazards. “Instilling oil into her ears may result in an ear druminfection and rubbing it on her
nose may lead to pneumonitis,”
THE RIGHT MOVE 
Avoid pouring oil into her ears and nose. Make sure that you massage your baby in a warm place. Wash off the oil well while bathing her. She may develop skin rashes due to the residual oil. “Keep a baby over 6months
warm with foods rich in complex carbohydrates like oats. Also sprinkle crushed almonds on food such as dalia,”


MISTAKE 5

room heaters

WHAT YOU SHOULD UNLEARN

A room heater keeps the baby insulated from the cold.WHY Heaters suck the moisture from the air. This can dry your baby’s skin and nasal passages too.
THE RIGHT MOVE
 “Do not use a room heater for long; when using it, also use a humidifier simultaneously to retain moisture
in the room

Life is beautiful if you simplify it...Tips For Simplify...



The tendency of life in our society, 'business life' in particular has become more complicated: Internet, television,shopping, work , family commitments,possessions, eating, debt … these things pile on top of each other endlessly.This is a rather bad formula, as our days have a limited capacity, and so do we as humans. We can only do so much, only handle so many tasks and possessions and social commitments, and filling ourselves to those limits means we stress our breaking points.It takes a bit of conscious effort to simplify, but it’s one of the greatest things that anyone should master to enjoy 'life'.Simplify everything. That might sound hard, but with practice it’s actually fairly easy, and leads to a quiet, content, lovely life full of space for so many things you can do and live to the hilt.

So how do you simplify your life?

Get rid off dis connected time.

The Internet and cell phones are amazing, but always being connected means you’re always pulled in a thousand directions at once. It’s hard to focus, hard to connect with others, hard to get out into nature and be active. So schedule sometime every day for disconnection: maybe a block in the morning where you get your best work done, and a block in the afternoon when you get out and active, or connect with friends or family.

Be free from unnecessary commitments.

List your commitments, and pick one to eliminate today. It’s a simple matter of making a call or sending an email explaining that you can’t do the commitment. Trust me, they’ll find a way to live without you. You’ll start to free up time for what’s more important to you.

Start to share possessions.

Every day, find 5 things to donate or give to friends. Or clear an entire shelf or counter top,leaving only the things you actually use, getting rid of the rest. Slowly your possessions will be simplified to just the essentials.

Ban unnecessary shopping.

. You can do this. Don’t buy anything except the essential. If you think you really need it, put it on a list to be evaluated after a few days.

Pause before moving to the next.

When you’re done with anything, get in the habit of pausing before moving onto the next thing, For example, Put your clothes where they belong. Put your keys in one spot.Clean the sink before you leave it. This simple
habit will keep you organized and systematic.

Effective time management

What’s most important to you? Your spouse or kids? Reading novels? Cooking, gardening,crafts, carpentry?Make the time for it.

Karkkidaka Month...



The  bunch consisting of 10 exotic flowers of medicinal value during the Karkkidaka month has been popular with the women of Kerala. This is based on the concept that these 10flowers represent 10 different Godesses. Besides,it also gives many medicinal benefits. The belief isthat each flower when worn, brings different blessings to the person. Most of the time, it is such science that turn-out to be customs, that lastor generations. Even wearing of flowers on hair is based on a clear-cut health science principle thathas been passed-on from generation to generation.The transit of the Earth around the sun createschanges and influences in the atmosphere and the health and well-being of all life forms on thisplanet. The sun slowly shifts its path from south to north, and this season is called ‘Utharayanaseason’. Likewise, the path from north to southforms a season called ‘Dhakshinayam’. January-February to June-July is ‘Uthrayana’ season, and from July-August to December-January is 'Dhakshinayana’ season.
Utharayana season which starts in winter and ends in summer. It has adverse effects on the strength and immunity of the human body. This season is also called ‘Aadhana season’. During the season from the rainy season to winter time, thestrength and immunity of the human body willincrease. That is why this season is called ’Visarga’season; as it suggests the restoring of health. The beginning and end of each season makes thebody weaker due to the energy expended by thebody to cope with the extreme variations in the nature of the climate. This is why and how the Ayurveda rejuvenation treatments and the‘Dasapushpa’ wearing during the monsoon season gets its relevance.
Take 60 grams of ‘ Dasapushpa cluster, mix them in 600 ml water and boil raw rice for one person to make a rice gruel. When the rice gruel is cooked and ready, put a few fenugreek seeds, a pinch of cumin seeds, milk squeezed from half a coconut,bring to a boil, turn off the flame, cool down. Add rock salt to taste and moong dal thoran’ as a side dish. Your target is your health safety for the next season.
Poovankurundhila, Muyalchevy, thathra dhurva,
Kayoonniyum panayumadharavodu Vishnu,
Nalpul lathal i Cheruvoolayuzhinjakut t i
pushpangal Pathumiva Koodumithi Kramena.
[Sarvaroga chikitsa ratnam]

Poovangurunnila-
[ Lakshmi Devi]

Scientific name: Vernonia Cineria
Benefits: Reduces body heat. Purifies blood. Improves immunity. If Sirovasthi is done with juice extract of this flower, it will cure the fever and bronchial congestion of children. Other actions: For conjunctivitis, grind and extract the juice of poovankurunnila, mix it in pure sterile cow’s milk and use it as eye drops.

Muyalchevi
[ Shiva]

Scientific Name: Emilia sonchifolia
This is called so, because the leaf looks similar to the ears of a rabbit. This is excellent to fight tonsillitis. Also good for eye diseases. Besides, it gives cooling to the eye.
Directions: Wash the Muyalcheviyan leaves, dry, add rock salt and grind. Squeeze the juice out and apply it on the outside of the tonsils area to get relief from throat pain. It also gives good results when these leaves are chewed along with scallion onions.

Karuka
[Surya Bhagavan]

Scientific name: Cynodon dactylon
Benefits: Reduces phlegm and congestion. Reduces bleeding. Remember, an overdose can cause loose motion.
Direction for preparation: For bleeding associated with piles, mix Karuka in milk,bring to a boil, cool down.

Kayoonyam
[Varunan

Scientific name: Eclipta Alba.
Benefits: This is excellent for a thick hair growth. That is why it has become an active ingredient in all effective hair fortifying oils. It also improves the functions of the liver.
Direction for preparation: Grind and squeeze the juice out of the Kayyunyam including its roots. Take 2 teaspoons daily with honey or sugar 3 times a day for 7-11days. This will protect the liver.

Nilappana
[ Kamadevan]

Scientific name: Curculigo Orchioides
Benefits: Normally known as Musli; this is a potent natural remedy to improve sexual health. Also ideal to treat diseases of the urinary system and vaginal infections. Other
benefits: Grind the Musli roots in Goat milk to use as a face application. It improves the complexion upon regular use.

Basic norms and Tips on Investing in STOCK Market


Stock Market is a place where lot of money is made and lot of money is lost. Nobody wants to lose money. Here are some basic norms and tips, to make sure that you don’t lose your money in the stock market.

Be careful about the stocks you pick because there are always some right stocks to picK

  • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Old adage; yes same for the stock market.Never invest all your money into one company. Diversifying into different companies and sectors means that you are reducing the risk.
  • Don’t invest for short term. You should have a long horizon when investing in the stock market. Invest only your long term money into stocks. If you invest your short term money into stock market you are at a very high risk
  • The basic logic of business should be observed, buy stocks when they are a low price and sell when they are high. There are various finance portals where you can research on stocks.
  • Invest in fundamentally strong companies. Look for the company performance,business and integrity. Invest some time to learn the basic concepts of investment like the P/E ratio, the internal rate of return etc. Then analyze the finances of the company you want to invest into.
  • Have patience with your stock, stock prices fluctuates all the time. Look for long term results rather than making shot term gains.
  • Keep a track of your trading and your profit. As someone gets into active trading, it will be difficult to track your investment, profit and brokerage once you lose track. Spend some time everyday to track your finances.
  • Analyze market trends. Market trends are good indicators of the way market is progressing. Market experts provide insight into market trends.
  • Research before you invest; sound research is the root to success. It is always best that you yourself do the research, if you don’t have time, get it from somebody who does it professionally.
  • Be ready to lose something to gain something. Ideally the stock market return should be considerably higher than returns from a term deposit. Otherwise there is no point in investing in the stock market.
  • There is no right time or wrong time to enter the market. Markets keep fluctuating and there is no upside and downside. Be careful about the stocks you pick because there are always some right stocks to pick. Fundamentally strong companies are prone to less fluctuation.

How to Make Your Period Lighter



Periods can be a pain in the - well, you get it. Heavy periods (also known as menorrhagia) can be a sign of your luck in the genetic draw, a result of what you're experiencing in life (giving birth, giving up the pill, etc.), or they can be something more serious from a health perspective, such as a disease, disorder, or a miscarriage. When seeking to lighten a period, it's important to deal with the possible health or lifestyle issues involved first, just to be reassured that there's nothing wrong with you. 

Heavy or prolonged periods can be uncomfortable, but for some women they may be downright disabling, making it difficult to do everyday activities. If you experience heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, you may have wondered what could be causing your condition, known as menorrhagia.

What Is Menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia is the medical term doctors use to describe heavy menstrual bleeding or periods that last an unusually long time. It's normal to lose about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood during your period. And the average woman's period lasts 4 to 7 days. But losing twice as much blood as normal or having a period that lasts longer than 7 days may be a sign of menorrhagia.


What Are the Symptoms of Menorrhagia?

  • Women who suffer from menorrhagia may experience one or all of these distressing symptoms:
  • Blood clots in menstrual flow
  • The need to change tampons or pads every hour for several hours
  • The need to get up at night to change tampons or pads
  • The need to double up on products (e.g., wear a tampon and a pad at the same time)
  • Fatigue from anemia due to excess blood loss

What Causes Heavy Periods?

  • Menorrhagia can be caused by a variety of factors, many of which aren't serious. Causes of menorrhagia may include:
  • Hormone imbalances
  • Implantable birth control devices
  • Disorders of the reproductive system, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, uterine polyps, endometriosis
  • Pelvic infections or tumors
  • Liver or kidney problems
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Thyroid disease
  • Bleeding disorders (rare)
If you try to see lightening your heavy period as being about making it more bearable, and managing it well, then it might be a bit easier for you to cope with heavy periods. While there are a number of things you can do try and lighten heavy periods, sometimes it may be about changing your approach to it.

How to Make Your Period Lighter

No woman enjoys having her period, but having a heavier period generates an even larger groan from women across the world. The medical term for a period that entails excessive bleeding is menorrhagia. A heavy period is one that lasts longer than a week, interferes with your daily life and includes blood clots. Luckily, there are some things a woman can do to lighten her menstrual flow.


Visit your doctor to rule out other health problems that may be causing heavy bleeding during your cycle. Fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are some conditions associated with heavy periods.
Talk to your doctor about going on birth control. Birth control pills help to regulate your period and cause you to have shorter, lighter periods.
Exercise consistently. The healthier your body is, the more regular and lighter your period will be.
Take vitamins. Vitamins will also make your body healthier, and in turn regulate your period.
Change your pad or tampon every 2 to 3 hours. While this will not actually make your period lighter, you will feel as if it is lighter.
Consider a hysterectomy. Some women with heavy periods opt for this surgery to eliminate their period. However, this surgery is for women who are finished having children or do not wish to have any.








7 Weight Loss Challenges and Tips for Women



Men and women were created equal, but they are different. Especially when it comes to weight loss. Women face some unique challenges in getting the bathroom scale to budge. And these challenges are both medical and emotional in nature. So whether you're trying to lose 5 pounds or 50, it’s important to understand your weight loss challenges. 

7 Healthy Permanent Weight Loss Tips for Women


Is healthy permanent weight loss possible for you? Do you know what it takes? Are you willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes?

In our super-size, eat-on-the-run, death-by-chocolate society, healthy permanent weight loss can be a real battle. And winning the battle of the bulge takes weight loss strategies that work and die-hard commitment.

By now, we all know that nobody wins with fad diets and quick fixes. So, what are healthy permanent weight loss strategies that work? Here's the strategic battle plan you need to stick with it through thick and thin.

Healthy Permanent Weight Loss for Women in 7 Simple Steps 


These healthy weight loss strategies that work are based on studies of people who lost weight and kept it off to maintained healthy permanent weight loss for at least seven years.


  1. Start keeping good records. To face the challenge, you need to know what's going on. Mindlessness will get you nowhere. Write down everything you eat and drink and exercise times. At first you won't like what you see, but clarity and awareness can gradually move you forward.
  2. Make a long-term commitment. "Permanent" means you won’t be done in twelve weeks or even twelve years. Healthy permanent weight loss is about making a commitment to lifestyle changes for the long haul.
  3. Plan your strategy and do it. What are you going to eat tomorrow? How can you handle family meals, work lunches and travel? What about emotional cravings? List your challenges and create solutions.
  4. Pay attention to your calories. To lose a pound a week requires cutting about 500 calories a day. Almost everyone who achieves permanent weight loss counts calories – usually by writing them down.
  5. Increase your physical activity. Exercise burns calories. Most people who lose weight and keep it off exercise between 30 minutes and an hour a day. If you're squirming over those figures, realize you can start out slowly. Any amount of exercise is better than none at all
  6. Keep yourself motivated. Maintaining motivation is the biggest challenge. You can't be at the affect of your moods, failures or the numbers on the scale. Take time to nurture yourself, get enough rest and find healthy entertainment that doesn't involve food indulgence.
  7. Eat a healthy high fiber diet. People who lose weight and keep it off tend to eat a healthy, moderately low-fat (25-30% of calories) high fiber diet. Here are more eating guidelines for healthy weight loss.Eat early and often. A healthy breakfast and 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day will jumpstart your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar and ward off hunger pangFocus on vegetables. The low calories and high fiber, water and nutritional content of most vegetables make them more fulfilling and nutritious at a lower food calories cost.
  • Upgrade your carbs. Switch from refined carbohydrates to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. They provide sustained natural energy and have much more fiber, so you feel fuller longer.
  • Pad with protein. High protein foods help keep you feeling full, so include some with every meal. Choose omega 3 fish, lean poultry, beans, whole grains and nuts.
  • Drink more water. By replacing soda, coffee and alcohol with water, you can easily reduce your calorie intake.
  • Take a multivitamin. Good quality supplements (not weight loss products) can fill the nutritional gaps in your diet and contribute to better natural energy and health.Success in using these healthy permanent weight loss strategies will make you look and feel better and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, some cancers, diabetes and many other health problems.

7 Weight Loss Challenges

1.Do you feel stressed?

Almost everyone feels stress at some point in the day. But research shows that women are more prone to feeling stress as they juggle the demands of their work commitments, their family lives, and their social ties.


She kicker in all of this? Research shows that high levels of a stress hormone called cortisol increases appetite. Uh-oh. And cortisol makes people crave foods high in fat and sugar. Double uh-oh.

The solution: To help keep stress from sabotaging your waistline, one of the best weight loss tips for women is to spend at least a few minutes every day practicing a simple stress reduction strategy. Like one of these:
Walk for 10 minutes. 
Breathe deeply 10 times.
Tense and then relax each muscle group. 
Find a quiet place to meditate for 10 minutes. 

2.Are you getting enough sleep?

Most people don't get enough sleep. But women have more sleep struggles than men do. In fact, about 70% of women get fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night. Women have more trouble falling and staying asleep, and they also suffer from more daytime sleepiness compared with men. Some of the top factors in women's sleep troubles include work and family stress, health problems, and uncomfortable beds.

The solution: Sleep in. Go to bed early. Makeover your bedroom until it resembles a veritable sleep-fantasy suite. Do whatever you need to do to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours a night. Especially if you're trying to lose weight.

3.Feeling sluggish

A sluggish thyroid -- also know as an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism -- is much more likely to develop in women than in men, especially after menopause. And that spells trouble for waistlines. Here's why: In addition to fatigue and sluggishness, an underactive thyroid can also cause weight gain.


The solution: If you have unexplained fatigue and weight gain, have your thyroid levels checked. An autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's disease is a frequent cause of hypothyroidism, and it's more common in women than in men. Another underlying cause of hypothyroidism in women: pregnancy.

4.How much muscle do you have?

Blame this one on Mother Nature. Women's bodies are built differently than men's -- women have more fat and less muscle. And less lean body mass means they have lower resting metabolic rates compared with men. Women burn fewer calories on a baseline level.

The solution: Avoid super-low-calorie diets that'll put you into starvation mode and make it harder for your body to burn calories and lose weight. Eat small meals throughout the day so your metabolism stays fired up. Also, focus more of your workout on strength training -- to help you keep the muscle you have.

5.Feeling hormonal?

As women age, estrogen levels drop and metabolism slows down. And, as a result, women lose muscle and gain fat, especially around the abdomen.

The solution: Amp up your activity. Research shows that as women reach the age of menopause, they tend to exercise less. Make it a priority to walk at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week, rain or shine, year in and year out.

6.Got a craving for cookies?

Studies suggest that women cave into food cravings more easily than men do. Women are also more likely to eat when they are sad or depressed and, in those moments, tend to reach for comfort foods that are high in fat and sugar. It's a recipe for disaster when it comes to trying to lose weight.

The solution: Relying on sheer willpower to curb cravings may not be the way to go. Instead, research suggests you might be better off using a practice called mindfulness meditation -- where you actually spend time acknowledging the craving. By recognizing, experiencing, and feeling the craving, you may be more likely to resist it than if you'd tried to suppress or ignore it.

7.Feeling bad about yourself?

Those pretty magazines with the skinny models? Get them out of your house. Those TV shows with the preternaturally preserved faces? Turn them off. Those success stories about women who lost 20 pounds in 1 month? Ignore them. Media images of stick-thin women and unrealistic weight loss goals cause many women to become frustrated and give up their own diet and exercise plans when their results don't match up.

The solution:Be kind to yourself, and don't beat yourself up if you have an occasional treat. Give yourself time to see results. If it took 3 years to put those extra pounds on, it's not unreasonable to give yourself 3 years to get them all off. And if you fall off the wagon, don't throw in the towel. Slips are bound to happen occasionally. Feeling guilty about it is only going to make losing weight harder






















































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