RO water of low TDS is harmful for Health

A few days ago i was watching a video claiming that RO water, which is now common in most households, is decreasing the immunity. Immunity power is that power that makes us capable to resist from different types of virus and bacteria and keep our body healthy. That video claimed that the purity of RO water makes our body loose its resistance power and we become prone to more diseases. In this article we will try to figure out if there is some truth in such claims or not.

When we researched on internet and the official website of WHO (World Health Organisation), we came to know that the claims about low TDS and its effect in decreasing immunity were correct. If you want to know how then read further.

How do water of low TDS impact negatively ?

• It is a tendency of water to extract the minerals from nearby substances to increase its TDS and become less reactive. When a RO decreases the TDS value of water, it become highly reactive. If that water is stored in plastic container of a bottle then it can become severely harmful. Even if it is not stored and just used for drinking purpose, then it will try to add minerals into it from the mineral reserves in our body and drain them out through urine. 
• TDS is Total Dissolved Solids. TDS measures the amount of solids, both organic and inorganic, dissolved in the water. It also contains soe essential minerals for human body. When a RO purifier reduces the TDS value of water, several essential minerals are also lost along with the micro-organisms that are harmful for us. Water with low mineral content is harmful for our body. 
• According to a research published on WHO website when some rats are given water of TDS less than 75mg/L then it increased the water intake, diuresis, extracellular fluid volume and serum concentration of sodium and chloride ions and their increased elimination from body. Overall it is a very negative effect on rats. The reduced amount of minerals in water can't be compensated by balanced diet which is adequate in caloric value, nutrients and salt.
• A similar experiment was done on human volunteers as they were given water of TDS value less than 100mg/L. They reported the same results as rats and increased the elimination of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium ions from the body. It confirmed that water of low TDS is severely harmful for human body.
• Some symptoms that are often seen in people consuming low TDS water for short duration are tiredness, weakness and headache. If it is done for prolonged duration then more severe symptoms are muscular cramps and impaired heart rate. Low TDS water leaches the essential minerals from body and function of some of the vital organs of human body is affected.
• Those who are familiar with Water Poisoning, know that if very high amount of water is consumed in a short time then it can be poisonous sometimes. Chances of water poisoning is quite high with RO water due to it low TDS value.
• Minerals such as sodium and potassium are very important for nervous system to work properly and their deficiency can result in problems in brain functioning.
• Deficiency of these minerals not only make us sick but also unable to fight diseases due to weaker immune system.
• Lack of minerals can also create hormonal imbalance in body.
• You may visit this link of WHO if you want to confirm the facts written above. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf

In our next articles we will tell you how much TDS is considered good for health and how low mineral water can act as poison for you. 

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Onion Juice and Hair Fall Treatment

99% of hair loss treatment don't work at all. Hair loss treatment is a complete industry working side-by-side with medical industry. This industry is worth 4 billion dollar. It is a large amount and growing continuously. Stress level is increasing day by day and  nutrition level is decreasing which is causing more hair fall and thus more demand for treatment. Different people have different reasons for hair fall ranging from heredity to some particular skin disease. But fun fact is that commercial advertisements offer the same remedy for all of them without diagnosing the problem. It is the reason that 99% of the treatment don't work at all and people spend more and more money on different products with the hope of getting their hair back.

There is a myth popular among the bald that hair once lost can't get back, however the remaining hairs can be saved with correct treatment. This myth made millions of people around the world go for hair transplant which has its own risks. Such myth can only give profit to hair transplant industry. The truth is that if the hair loss is due to lack of some particular nutrient then availability of that nutrient can make those hair grow again. If it is due to some skin disease the treatment of that disease can help you in getting your hair back.

What causes hair loss ?
The factors listed below are the major reason behind hair loss.

• Heredity
• Hormones
• Stress
• Poor diet/missing nutrients
• Chemical hair styling services
• Certain medications
• Surgery or high temperature

Most of the people suffer hair loss due to a combination of these factors. Most common of them is stress. When stress combines with lack of nutrients then hair fall occurs at a high pace.

While doing research for the hair fall treatment we found an interesting fact that some people use onion juice to treat it. The usage is onion juice is still under research but we found some interesting facts worth sharing.

Onion Juice and Hair Fall Treatment

• Sulphur is a main nutrient in Onion, which plays a major role in production of keratin, a protein found in hair.
• Onion Juice can check the scalp infections (if any) and also promotes hair growth.
• Methylsulfonylmethane is a form of sulphur which is highly absorbable and found abundantly in Onion.
• Onion juice can be used with allopathic medication.
• Onion juice on scalp can also fight with lice and dandruff as onion is a natural antiseptic and antibiotic.

How to apply Onion Juice on Scalp

Extract the juice of onion by using a juicer, mixer or grinder. Apply it thrice a week for 20-40 minutes on the scalp before taking a bath. If you find the smell of onion a little irritating then you may mix honey and powdered fenugreek seed and keep it overnight before applying on scalp. Olive oil can also be mixed in it before application.
Note: Aspirin,  NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and beta blockers can increase sensitivity to onions. So if you are using such medication then consult your physician.

Those who oppose the usage of Onion Juice to treat hair fall have got following points.

• Onions can be quite caustic to the skin.
• Side effects may include redness and itching of skin.

Final thought: Using onion juice to treat hair fall is usually safe if you are not allergic to onion. But the actual result is under research. There is no harm in treating yourself by using this low cost treatment. After all it is safe and affordable. Even if there is a little chance to get your hair back using a few kilograms of onions then it is better to wait before spending a fortune on hair transplant.

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Does body hair tell something about your health !

People of different ethnicity have different amount of body hair. An average adult male body have 5 million hair follicles, out of them one million are on scalp. The color and thickness of hair on scalp and body changes as we age. This change is an indication of your overall health. Some changes such as graying of hair is normal as we age. But some changes indicate lack of some nutrients or some underlying medical condition. Here some facts about your hair will make you look again at them.

We will start with some fun facts about our hairs. Most of you will be amazed to know them. These facts will also make you understand the importance of hairs for human body.

• Hair is the fastest growing tissue of human body.
• Hair cells in the inner ear convert sound wave into electrical signals to send them to brain.
• In a life time the nose hair can grow up to 6 feet (2m) .
• The body hair stop growing in length after reaching certain length while the hair on scalp continue to grow.
• A single human hair can support up to 100g of weight.
• An average human shed 50 to 100 strands of hair on each day.
• Beard is the fastest growing hair on human body. It can grow up to 30 feet in a lifetime.
• Some researches found that higher amount of body hair means more intelligence.
• In women the sense of beauty and self esteem is found connected to their hair.
• Hair color is used by 11% men and 75% women in America.
• Shaving does not increase the thickness or hardness of hair, as some people believe.
• Goosebumps in humans is an ancestral property which made them look bigger in size when they get scared of something. The only difference is that now we have shorter body hair, which makes us incapable to look bigger.

Facts for better Hair Health

• Sulphur is the third most necessary mineral for body after Calcium and Phosphorus. Sulphur is necessary for our hair. Its deficiency can cause brittle hair. The protein keratin is made by body by using sulphur in our diet. Dietary sulphur can save your hair and make them strong.
• Hair can also stop growing as a result of lack of blood circulation. So if you keep your weight / fat / cholesterol in check then you may have better hair.
• Lack of vitamin B-12 can cause early graying of hair.
• Rough or dry hair can result due to lack of lack of thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism).
• Too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) can also cause early graying of hair.
• Iron deficiency can also lead to hair loss.

Body Hair and IQ are connected

Dr Aikarakudy Alias, a psychiatrist, researched on relation between a hairy body and intelligence for past 22 years and concluded that people with more body hairs are comparatively of higher intelligence. A similar study done in Kerala, India concluded the same, where hairy people were in higher proportion among the doctors and engineers while in less proportion among the labor class. Those who have more hair on back as well have comparatively higher IQ. Garry Kasparov and Charles Darwin were most famous hairy men of higher intelligence. But that does not mean that people with less or no body hair will have low IQ. Albert Einstein had no body hair.

The above information must have increased your knowledge about body hairs including the hair on your scalp. The present condition your hairs tell a lot about the nutrients that you might be lacking. Feel proud of your hairs even if they are on your back and do comment in the comments section on what you feel about body hairs.

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Your Feet and overall Health are heavily interconnected !

Usually people take care of their whole body ranging from hairs on their head to nails of their toe, but most of us never look under the feet, especially the sole, which is responsible for bearing all the workload throughout the day. Health issues such as back pain that comes with age is often misunderstood as an age related issue while most of the times it occurs due to negligence of feet. Most of us don't even try to wash the sole properly while taking a bath. This negligence often lead to some diseases as we grow. Here betterhealthfacts.com will try to put some light on your sole and make you look at them.

Why are our feet so important ?

Our feet bear our weight for most of the day. Even a slight problem in your feet can make you feel paralyzed and incompetent to do anything in proper way. Health of our feet impact our overall health. Our feet not only helps us in burning calories to remain healthy but also supports our whole body structure. Fun fact is that such an important organ is farthest from our heart, so it needs extra care. Till we reach our 30s the heart remains powerful enough to take care of foot. As we grow we not only need to take care of heart but our feet as well. Acupressure is a healing science that tell us how much our feet is connected to our whole being. There are various points in our foot that deals with different parts of body and pressing them can heal several medical conditions.

Some facts about feet health

• Choose your footwear wisely. It should have ample space for your toe. Heel should never be too high as it can affect your spinal chord and cause back problems as well.
• Moisture in feet cause serious infections in your feet. So wash them regularly and dry them properly. Moisture due to sweating can also harm them so a good footwear with enough space for air and high quality cotton socks can help you in that.
• Proper cleaning of your feet is also necessary as it not only removes the dirt and dead skin but also saves you from getting cracks in feet.
• Choose your footwear wisely. Different footwear should be used for different activities. You can't use a slipper to run on a track. A correct footwear not only makes it comfortable for the activity but also saves your feet from excess pressure and risk injury.
• Nicotine in Cigarette can decrease blood circulation in your skin by 70%, which is very harmful for your feet. 
• High sugar content in your diet can harm your feet by causing tissue inflammation. Refined grains and trans fat in junk food also encourages inflammation. Diabetes or high blood sugar can also harm you, so diabetic people need to take extra care of their feet and diet.
• More weight means more burden on your feet. Try to keep your weight in check by having healthy lifestyle and balanced diet.
• Peripheral Artery Diseases caused due to buildup of plaque or cholesterol in arteries reduces the blood flow in feet and leads to lack of nutrition for your feet. So take care of your fat / cholesterol level in a timely manner and make the necessary corrections by adjusting your diet and physical activity level.
• If you use to have cold feet and losing hair on your toes then it is better to get your feet examined.
• If you use to have heel pain in the morning the it might be due to strain in muscles which may be due to tight shoes, flip flops or some worn out footwear.

Diabetes and feet care

• Neuropathy occurs in 70% of diabetic people which is responsible for lack of feeling / sensation in your feet or hand due to damage in nerves. It makes it harder to feel the sores and cracks on your feet. Keeping yourself away from diabetes can save you from this condition.
• Diabetic people should use their elbow to check the temperature of water before taking a bath or going inside a pool, as sometimes the nerve damage makes their hand and feet unable to feel the temperature.
• Diabetic people should always wear some comfortable foot wear, even inside the house as it saves them from any minor cuts that they can't usually feel.

Next time you go to buy a pair of shoes, keep in your mind to give the best to your feet as they are responsible for your whole being. Don't take your feet as granted. They will lead you for all of your remaining life.

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Decide the sex of your upcoming pregnancy yourself ?

Sex determination of fetus is crime in various countries and should not be encouraged. It can help in creating an imbalance in sex ratio that naturally occurs. But what we are going to tell here comes far behind the range of sex determination. Some old knowledgeable persons of  old civilizations provided some ways to get child of the desired sex. Not even that some of them also provided the knowledge to get the desired qualities in them. We don't have any research findings to support their findings but still they are worth reading. Some people may believe them while some may not.

• Some people claim that Ayurveda has remedy to get child of preferred gender. If the pair indulge in the act after the 4th day of menstrual cycle and before 16th day of menstrual cycle then chances of fertilization are more. The day of successful intercourse decides the sex of fetus. Impregnation on even days of menstrual cycle results in boy while on odd days results in girl. The quality and characteristics of the boy or girl becomes better if they are conceived on final days of cycle (i.e 15th or 16th day).
• One old Sanskrit text Sarvodaya says that if women is inhaling and exhaling through right nostril at the time of intercourse then it results in female child, while the opposite results in male child.
• According to Aristotle, if the egg cell and the sperm are from the right ovary of woman and right testicle of man then male child will be produced. If the respective things are from left the female child will be produced. While writing this article i am thinking, "what if egg and sperm are from opposite directions ?". Aristotle knows.

It is good to have faith in your religion and sculptures but if believing something can create and imbalance in nature then it is a stupidity to do so. Nature has not provided us with the ability to decide the gender of fetus due to some reason. Being god can sometimes create bigger problems. If you indulge yourself in judging the gender then most probably you will ruin your love life. Health of the upcoming baby should be the first priority of parents not the gender.

Note: We don't support the knowledge provided above because it can create imbalance in sex ratio. One more reason is there to not support it, it is the impractical nature of the implementation of these techniques. Some methods are really hard to implement for both men and women, especially when they are in mood to make babies. It is really hard to decide through which nostril you are going to breathe at that particular time. Hardest thing in the above described method is to know from which direction the egg cell or sperm is coming.
We have not researched if the information provided above is really a part some ancient texts or it is just a hoax spreading on internet. So it is better not to take these information seriously. Our motive is to let you know what type of information is available out there to misguide those who really want a baby of desired gender.

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Smoked Food - Just Delicious or a Carcinogen !

You must have seen people going crazy for different types of smoked food such as smoked cheese, smoked meat, barbecued food or grilled food. But do you ever try to know if its healthy or just tasty. Making a grilled or barbecued food may be matter of few hours but really smoked food takes days to make, so that the smoke enters to most interior part of food (not just the outer layer). But is this hard work really worth doing ? If you are dying for the taste then YES. But what if we ask in terms of health. Here we are trying to get an answer to that.

Most of the delicious things are not healthy
It is a natural fact that most of the delicious things contain too much of something to make it taste so. Either its too much of sugar, too much of spices, too much of fat or too much of grilling. No matter what you are eating, too much of cooking degrades its nutritional value. Similarly too much of smoke in food may provide taste to your tongue, but it is not healthy especially if you are going for it daily. Occasionally having smoked food might not harm anybody.

Both Smoked and Grilled food contain Carcinogens
Carcinogens are that content in our food and environment that are found responsible for causing cancer. Smoked and Grilled food are prepared using different methods of cooking, so both of them contain different types and level of carcinogens. Grilled food is put directly above the flames which created heterocyclic amines (HCA). HCA is a carcinogen and created when animal fat is directly by flames. HCA is not formed in smoked food as the temperature is quite low there. But smoked food is surrounded by wood smoke for most of the time, which contain other class of carcinogen called polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). PAH is formed when wood is burned. The level of these carcinogens in these food also depend on their making process. The level also depends on either its made commercially or at home.

Does liquid smoke also contain these Carcinogens ?
However liquid smoke is made by adding filtered smoke in water, but still some amount of PAH gets into it. The level of PAH differs from manufacturers to manufacturers. The liquid smoke flavor is used widely to make smoked food is lesser time. The food made by using liquid smoke is not put into smoke for days but the PAH level may still be the same as it is directly poured onto it in the form of liquid which can be easily absorbed by the food.

How bad are HCA and PAH?
However it is know that HCA and PAH are bad for human health, American Cancer Society is still unsure about the role of HCA and PAH in causing cancer in humans. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has revealed in some of its studies that PAH can cause pancreatic, colorectal and prostate cancers in animals. Our suggestion to the user is that occasionally having smoked food may not have any serious health concerns and your body may handle it, but don't go for it too much. Too much of anything is harmful, especially when you are ingesting some carcinogens with your food.

Smoked food can cause Breast Cancer
A study published in May 2007 in the journal "Epidemiology" found that smoked food increases the chances of breast cancer by 47% in postmenopausal women if they eat smoked or grilled meat at least once in a week.

Apart from the presence of carcinogens in smoked and grilled food, such food also contain higher amount of sodium and fat which is itself responsible lifestyle disease like hypertension and diabetes. 

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There was a time when Cigarettes were Healthy !

There were days when cigarettes were healthier than today. We are persuaded to say so when we collected some old cigarette advertisements. If you see them you will either start laughing or start thinking that how man can be so foolish. Some of them said that it will sooth your throat to make you a better singer, some said that its smoke will attract women (just like perfume ads of today). One of these ads is unimaginable, where a kid is getting a pack of cigarettes for his parents.

The fact that surprised us is that these ads contain reference to scientific researches to make people believe that these are healthier. They will make a man more manly and a lady more feminine. No just that, some of them even said that they are safe for babies. Even doctors use to smoke and prescribe it to others (as per these advertisements).

Enough reading now ! Please go through these advertisements yourself.


However these ads surprised us, but one thing that don't surprise us is that businessman were still same as today. They leave no stone unturned to earn money, even if one of those stones was blocking the way to hell. They published false researches and made people believe that its good for them. Today we are fighting the smoking addiction only due to these ads. God knows if still some of these companies are in business and earning money by selling quit smoking techniques.

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World famous Celebrities who Quit Smoking

Smoking is something that even some celebrities can't resist from. Its easier to be a smoker but its harder to quit it and be role model for other. We at betterhealthfacts.com think that those celebrities who quit smoking, not only did something good for themselves but also for the society. Whatever celebrities do and don't do become a trend among the common men. So if your quitting smoking can inspire others to do the same, then it is worth getting some publicity. We have collected a list of some world famous celebrities who quit smoking and choose live a healthy life.

World famous Celebrities who Quit Smoking

• Barack Obama:  The former president of USA was a smoker since teenage. He quit smoking in 2007 and chewed Nicorette to help himself with the withdrawal symptoms. He says that now he smokes occasionally, but never in front of family. In 2009 he passed an anti-smoking bill in order to protect future generations from this addiction.
• Matt Damon: This star worked in movies like The Bourne Identity and The Departed. He quit smoking by using hypnosis.
• Ben Affleck: The Hollywood star who worked in movies like Argo, Good Will Hunting, Gone Girl and The Town was a smoker for 20 years. He finally quit smoking by using hypnosis.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones: The famous actress used electronic cigarettes to quit smoking in 2013.
• Cameron Diaz : She used to smoke upto 20 cigarettes in a day but quit the habit during the shoot of Charlie’s Angels, but got addicted again. She succeeded in quitting it again in 2003 for the sake of her parents, as they don't want her to set a wrong example.
• Anthony Hopkins: This academy award winner actor quit smoking decades ago. However he complains of some occasional craving for smoking but he restricts himself by the reading "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr.
• Jennifer Aniston: The "Friends" TV Star quit smoking in 2012.
• Sir Richard Branson: His testimonial on Allen Carr's website says that many of his friends are benefited by Allen Carr's method but we are not sure if he is also among them.
• Ashton Kutcher: This movie star also quit smoking by using Allen Carr's methods.
• Ellen: This star of TV recently announced that she quit smoking after many failed attempts by using Allen Carr's method.

There was a famous dialog in movie Spiderman that "Power comes with great responsibilities". Being a celebrity is a power in itself and if you utilize that power to inspire others for a good cause then you have performed your responsibility as well.
Don't smoke and inspire others to do the same to make earth a better living place for coming generations.

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Hypnosis to Quit Smoking ! Does it work ?

Most of us have seen hypnosis in movies in a negative way, where a person hypnotizes others to get some bad task done. Funny part is that the victim of hypnosis don't even remember what happened to him/her. Real hypnosis in medical terms is not like that. It is just passing of some thoughts to subconscious mind, to make you believe in something or to forget something. Hypnotherapy is being used for speech disorders, weight loss and pain control. It can help in getting rid of some addiction. We will tell you "How", later in this article.

Before you opt for hypnosis treatment to quit smoking, it is better to know some facts about hypnosis and smoking.

• Hypnosis doesn't work for everyone: Everybody is not hypnotizable, but those who are can undoubtedly get benefit from it. Only 25 out of 100 can be hypnotized.
• Intensity of hypnosis differs: Everybody can't be hypnotized up to the same level. Intensity of hypnotism varies from person to person. So the results may vary from person to person among the 25% who are hypnotizable.
• High Chances of again being a smoker: Those who remain successful in quitting smoking through hypnosis are often advised some self-hypnosis method to keep themselves away from smoking, which they don't follow and again become a smoker in some stressful moments.

Some researchers who spoke to some ex-smokers gave a mixed review of hypnosis treatment. Some think that they don't believe that it happened due to hypnosis. However there are some who believe that it worked for them. Some say that it worked for them as long as they attended hypnosis sessions and they again got the smoking habit after some time. Cancer Institute of America don't recognize hypnotherapy as an effective treatment for quitting smoking.

How does hypnosis treatment works for quitting smoking?
Hypnotherapy breaks you thinking pattern associated with smoking. Even if you already believe that smoking is unhealthy, hypnosis will empower that thought and motivates you quit it. During hypnosis you are put in a deep relaxed state, as your mind becomes more open to thoughts and suggestions at that time. Thoughts like "Cigarette is bad for health. It's smell will make you through up or feel sick" are told you again and again. Once your mind starts believing it, you will find that you start disliking the smell of cigarette in real life. For some people just a single session of hypnotherapy is sufficient but some may need follow-up sessions. In the end the hypnotherapist might teach you some self hypnosis methods to help you further in your life

Why do people fail by using hypnosis treatment ?

• Most important reason was said earlier. It is that only 25% people are hypnotizable and intensity of their hypnotism differs among them.
• If you don't want to quit from inside then most probably hypnosis won't work for you.
• If you don't continue the self treatment using the self hypnosis them most probably you will regain the habit that you had quit.

Should one use hypnotherapy to quit smoking ?
It depends on your personal choice and you compatibility (either you are hypnotizable or not). But the good thing about hypnosis is that, it passes just some positive thoughts into your subconscious mind about the merits of quitting and demerits of being a smoker. Even if it is not sufficient as a treatment alone, it can benefit with some other quitting treatment. Positive thoughts are necessary in every form of treatment. So you may go for it along with gradual reduction method to quit smoking.

Note: One thing that i learned while writing this article is that if you think that it is harder to quit then it will be harder, but if you start thinking of it an easy task then it will be easier. Hard or Easy is just a thinking process. This is hypnosis.

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How to Quit Smoking by reducing number of Cigarettes

Gradual Reduction method to quit smoking is not considered best as its success rate is quite low. We provided some facts about it in our last article. But still some people prefer to quit smoking by gradually reducing the number of cigarettes over a period of time. Most people fail in this attempt either due to lack of will or due to lack of preparation. Yes, preparation is necessary to quit smoking. Most people don't prepare and just start the quitting process and get failed. You might think, "what kind of preparation is required to quit smoking ? ". We will tell you further in this article about the required preparation to quit smoking by reducing the number of cigarettes.

There are two types of preparation necessary: Mental and Physical.

Mental Preparation to Quit Smoking

Mental preparation is most necessary. Unless you fill yourself with positive thoughts and will power to quit smoking, you can't succeed. Here are some points that can help you in this preparation.

• You Mind is the Key: Unless you yourself want to quit smoking, you can't do it. If you are doing it under pressure from somebody then most probably your mind will find a way to cheat. So do it for your good.
• Fill your mind with positive thoughts: Positive thoughts include thinking about a better life as an ex-smoker. That better life may be playing without getting tired with your kids or grand kids. Thinking about running a mile without stopping in middle. Thinking of being a role model for others who also want to quit but can't do it due to some reasons.
• Read positive things: Today everybody has got internet access. You may find something positive to read there, such as testimonials of some ex-smokers on different website, where they tell about the positive changes in their life. Some points in such articles will definitely increase your will power.
• Greed for a better health: Sometimes greed is a good thing if done in a positive way. Even if you don't feel lesser than anybody, but still quitting smoking will make your health much better. Greed for that better health. Greed for lesser diseases at an old age.
• Keep your mind engaged: It is better to keep your mind busy for a few weeks when you are quitting smoking. Sometimes a mind with no job to do starts thinking about negative things, such as one puff won't make any difference. Don't fall into such tricks of your mind by preparing in advance. Plan something in advance to do during the quitting process, which can keep you engaged. Something creative will benefit you more as it will keep you mind more busy.

Physical Preparation to Quit Smoking

• Plan you days ahead: It will give you less time to waste in the coming days. The free time during the quitting process may make it harder to spend.
• Make a Smoking Chart: Use a diary, chart or notebook to make a smoking schedule. It should be made in a way where you decrease the number of cigarettes on daily/weekly basis and the interval between cigarettes is increased. One such chart is given at the end of this article. 
• Use a timer: Use a alarm clock or timer to keep track of the interval between cigarettes. It is one of the most important preparation. If you don't have it then your mind may try to fool you by saying that it is almost time for next cigarette while it might be not so. You may use your smartphone for that purpose. The main thing is sticking to the schedule.
• Plan some exercise schedule: It is a good way to quit smoking and getting healthy quickly. Get some equipment that you can afford, as it will motivate you to exercise. You may get some dumbbell and weights. You can also do some free-weight exercise such as push-ups or sit-ups. Some other physical activities such as running, jogging, cycling or swimming can also be included in schedule. Whatever schedule you make, just stick to it.

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How to Quit Smoking ! Instantly or Gradually

There are two ways to quit smoking. First is "Cold Turkey", which means stopping it instantly all together and second is quitting it by gradual reduction, by cutting down the number of cigarettes you smoke daily. The method of gradually quitting by cutting down number of cigarettes seems easy with less withdrawal symptoms. But what seems can't always be true. The cold turkey method of quitting is famous for more withdrawal symptoms and no addicted person want to face those symptoms. Before you choose any of these methods to quit smoking, it is better to understand the pros and cons of these methods and then make an attempt. It is necessary to know because out of every 100 only 50 succeed in quitting and failure rate of one of these methods is quite high.

Quitting Smoking Gradually

Lets tell you the truth. In very rare cases the person trying to quit smoking by gradually decreasing the number of cigarettes get any success. To be precise, out of those 50 people who succeed in quitting on 2 adopted the method of quitting  gradually. It means that its success rate is just 2 to 4%. There are some reasons behind failure of this method. 

• The very important reason behind its failure is the prize that you get for quitting it for few hours. The prize is cigarette itself. You keep waiting just to get one puff.
• Another reason is that the reward value keep increasing. As you increase the time interval between each cigarette, the value of the same cigarette increases in your mind.
• Instead of do doing something creative and utilizing your time, your mind thinks about the next cigarette and you keep watching the clock tickling.
• The continuous thought of cigarette itself is the reason behind the failure of this method.
• No one can always has someone to watch over him/her. If you decide to cheat then no one can stop you. The chances of cheating in this method are quite high as you have access to your addiction.

Who can succeed in quitting smoking gradually ?
Those who succeed by using this method either prepared well or had strong will to quit their addiction. Only if you really want to quit and have some emotional reason to quit then you can quit by using this method. The only benefit of choosing this method is the less occurrence of withdrawal symptoms as your body don't crave much for smoking. By slowly increasing the interval between two cigarettes you fool your own body. If you have a scientific mind, some emotion reason and strong will to quit then you can succeed in quitting smoking gradually.

Quitting Smoking Instantly

This cold turkey method is more successful and more than 95% of the successful candidates choose this method. Some of the features of this method that make it a better method to quit smoking are given below.

• It takes less time. Quitting Smoking Instantly makes a person struggle for a few days but within a week his/her dependency on cigarettes in gone. Withdrawal symptoms may irritate you for 2 to 3 days, but after that you become an ex-smoker who is just making his/her health better. On the other hand it takes months to quit smoking gradually.
• You can utilize your time more easily without cigarettes in your mind. In this method there is no reward for not smoking cigarette for a day, so you don't think about it. Instead you think about a better health and try to concentrate on your work which makes it easier for you to quit smoking.

If you really wish to get rid of smoking addiction the get rid of it instantly. If you go for gradually decreasing the quantity then most probably you won't succeed. Whatever method you choose ! Strong will power is the key. Unless you wish to do it, you can't succeed. So do it yourself.

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Is it impossible to quit smoking after a certain age ?

Some of the smoker senior citizen never had any health issue due to smoking and they feel that leaving this habit now may make some drastic changes in their life and they may not be able to cope up with the withdrawal symptoms. Senior citizens often have a point when they say "what will they get if they quit smoking now ". It takes our body 15 years to fully recover from the negative effects of tobacco smoking. Who knows weather they will survive that long or not. Some of them often say that they are not sure about the physical capacity of their body in dealing with quitting smoking. This thinking can easily ring bells in the ears of their closed ones and they may stop asking them to quit. This thinking creates a confusion ! Is it impossible to quit smoking after a certain age ?

Answer to this question depends on your will. According to doctors there is no age limit to quit smoking. You start getting the benefits of not smoking from the day when you stop smoking. You don't need a strong body to quit smoking. What you need is strong will. If you start believing in yourself then you can do it.

Those who say that they never face any negative consequences due to smoking, they must know that even if they don't get any life threatening disease till now but they may get it soon. Smoke degrades your body from inside. You can't see your body from inside but doctors can tell you how much of your breathing capacity has reduced. You might seem healthy from outside but now you can't run as much as a nonsmoker of your age. Even if you feel healthy, your health might be better than this if you don't smoke. Even a small difference in your health can increase your life span by years, that too with a good health.

What changes can happen in the life of a senior citizen if they quit smoking?

• you can run longer.
• you can watch a movie or drive without need for a smoke break.
• you won't feel dependency on smoking to wake up or to get relief from stress.
• a pack of cigarettes won't remain your lifeline anymore.
• you will enjoy life more without any smoking intervals. 

Some other facts related to your age and quitting smoking.

• According to daily mail if you stop smoking by the age of 44 then you may live the same lifespan as a non-smoker.
• Even if you quit smoking after 60, you will get some add on years in your life. You may spend those extra years watching your grand children grow or getting married.
• Your running stamina starts increasing with a few weeks after quitting smoking, so don't think that it will take years to be healthy again.
• You blood pressure may return to normal within a few days after quitting smoking if it is not attributed to any other medical condition.

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Quitting smoking really worse than Death !

Most of the smokers know it that smoking is degrading their health and making them prone to worst diseases on this planet, but still they continue to smoke with a fear that quitting smoking will be worse than death for them. Is it really so ? Can quitting smoking be really so much painful ? Will that pain continue for whole life ? To know the answer to these questions we need to know what chain smokers think about quitting smoking and what are their fears.

Quitting Smoking : The Fear

A chain smoker is not made is a single day. It takes years of practice. His/her body adapted itself to the nicotine, a very addictive drug. Cigarette becomes a part of their life from waking up in the morning to getting to sleep in the night. Every task in their life become dependent on cigarette. When the get up from sleep in the morning, they feel a little headache and dizziness. A cigarette or two makes them fully awake. All works either its physical or mental need support from cigarette. Even the thinking process become dependent on cigarette. A chain smoker can't think or analyse something in absence of cigarette. Cigarette becomes an extra hand for them, without which they feel handicapped or paralyzed. You will be surprised to know that most of the workplace accidents occur on a No-Smoking Day.

A feel good chemical is released in the brain when a chain smoker smokes a cigarette. They feel more alive with that feeling. They feel that if they quit smoking that feel good feeling will be gone and they won't be able to do anything just like a handicapped person. There will be no meaning to their life and this feeling will continue for whole life. Their thirst for cigarette will always be their on their lips and they might die due to that thirst. This is what an addiction is. Most of the chain smokers are aware of withdrawal symptoms and they don't want to feel those symptoms for their whole life. Therefore most of them don't quit and decide to live a shorter life full of pleasure of cigarette.

Quitting Smoking: The Truth

The truth is that most of the withdrawal symptoms reach their peak with 2 to 3 days and after that they are start to diminish and completely gone in a few weeks. Most of the ex-smokers feel more alive and full of stamina, which they never felt while smoking. The addiction makes your mind believe that you won't be able to survive without cigarette. It is how addiction plays with your mind and makes you believe that you are incomplete without it. But the truth is that addiction is something not only unnecessary, but something that can easily enslave your mind. Only a strong will can make you get rid of that addiction. Getting rid of an addiction can never kill you, instead it makes you life full of freedom, where you can enjoy life playing with your grand children without the fear of giving them secondhand smoke. Quitting smoking increases your physical stamina and increases your lifespan up to 15 years.

Be sure that quitting smoking won't ever kill you and you will feel more alive as an ex-smoker.

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Quitting Smoking : Physical and Emotional Effects Timeline

Quitting Smoking is not just a challenge for your body, it is also a challenge for your mind. When you decide to quit smoking then it becomes both a physical and emotional challenge for you. The very first thought that comes in your mind is that you won't be able to survive without smoking for a longer duration. This is a trick that your mind plays with your emotions and mostly people fall prey to it. There are various physical and emotional effects of quitting smoking which are both short-term and long term. We will discuss these physical and emotional effects in this article.

Emotional effects of Quitting Smoking

During the first 48 hours after quitting smoking the person goes through a lot of emotional changes. However these emotional changes are a result of physical changes in body but a strong will power is necessary to handle those emotions. Unless you have positive attitude towards quitting and believe that quitting smoking will benefit your health, you won't be successful. If you remain successful during first 48 hours, then the period of actual stress is gone. After 48 hours you won't need to go through the emotional stress as the withdrawal symptoms will start to come down. Some common emotional quitting symptoms are given below.

• Anger: You might feel irritated and get angry on small issues. But keep one thing in mind that this anger is not due to issues, but due to irritation your body is feeling due to quitting.
• Mood Swings: Mood swings may occur. At one moment you might be happy and at the next moment you might feel sad.
• Boredom: If you don't engage yourself then you might feel boredom and urge to smoke. So it is better to remain busy and keep some work for you, so that you get much time to think.
• Craving for Cigarette: It is a common symptom, but if you keep waiting for 3 to 5 minutes then it will pass on.
• Depression: It is a common symptom. Think only about success not failure. Only positive thoughts and positive talk can help you during this time. Keep yourself away from those who smoke or ask them to not smoke in front of you.
• Frustration: Deep breathing exercises can help you in dealing with frustration. Some talk with a close one can also help in it. Make sure that the close one know that you are quitting smoking and need emotional support at that time.
• Avoid Loneliness: It is not a symptom, but it is better to avoid being alone. Your mind might provoke you to smoke saying that nobody is watching. Only your strong will or being with someone can help in such time.

Note: You can't quit smoking unless you yourself want to quit. If you are quitting only due to pressure from doctor or spouse then you may get fail.

Physical effects of Quitting Smoking (Timeline)

• Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking your pulse rate and blood pressure will begin to drop.
• Within 2 hours your pulse and blood pressure will be normal and your circulation system will begin to improve. If you had stopping feeling warmth at fingertips then you will start feeling that warmth again. Withdrawal symptoms may also begin to show at this time. These symptoms are craving for smoking, anxiety, increased appetite and sleeplessness.
• In chain smokers carbon-monoxide bonds with blood cells instead of oxygen which reduces the amount of oxygen in blood. After 12 hours of quitting the blood oxygen level will return to normal.
• In 24 hours your risk of getting a heart attack starts decreasing which is quite high in smokers.
• Regular smokes damages the taste buds which are nerve endings on tongue. Such nerve endings begin to regrows after 48 hours of quitting smoking. You might feel increase in your taste and smelling sense.
• In three days the level of nicotine will be severely depleted in your body and your body starts craving and showing some withdrawal symptoms.
• In 2 to 3 weeks your body starts to regenerate itself and you will feel more stamina and ability to run and exercise will be better than before.
• Between one and nine months your body will repair the damaged cilia in lungs which throws out the mucus from lungs and makes you less prone to infections. It increases the capacity and performance of lungs.
• For a few weeks you might feel constipated. So drink plenty of water and roughage to your diet.

According to American Heart Association an average non smoker lives 15 years more than an average smoker. Only due to this reason WHO has labelled smoking as an early ticket to death. The choice is yours, either live a long and disease free life or live a short life being a slave of an addiction.

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Smoking Hypertension and Heart Diseases

If you are a smoker and also a patient of hypertension then it may be due to the cigarettes that you smoke. Some medical researches found that nicotine inhaled due to tobacco smoke can increase your blood pressure up to certain level. So quitting smoking can definitely help you in lowering you blood pressure. However smoking is not the only factor responsible for hypertension, so if you think that quitting smoking will completely correct your blood pressure readings then you might be wrong.

Heart Attack Risk Calculator

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Effect of smoking on Heart and Blood Pressure

• Walls of arteries get hardened due to long term effect of smoking as the elastic tissues are damaged. It makes a person incapable of handling sudden hike in blood pressure even in normal circumstances like running.
• Lining of arteries is damaged by smoking which causes a buildup of atheroma (a fatty material). It narrows the artery which can cause angina, heart attack or stroke.
• Nicotine in cigarettes makes our body to produce adrenaline hormone, which increase our heart beat and raises blood pressure, thus making excess work load on heart. 
• Carbon monoxide inhaled through smoke reduces the proportion of oxygen. Due to this reason our heart pumps faster to provide adequate amount of oxygen to body.
• Normally clotting occurs on wounds to stop bleeding but in smokers blood clot may get formed inside arteries which blocks or reduces the blood supply. If such clot happens in brain then it can cause stroke. If such clot is formed in some coronary artery then it may cause heart attack.

Nicotine found in cigarette smoke can instantly increase your hear beat and blood pressure and addicted smokers can continuously keep their blood pressure up due to chain smoking. So if you quit smoking then you instantly reduce your blood pressure up to some level.

Some facts about smoking and heart health

• Smokers are twice more prone to heart attack compared to a non-smoker.
• Smokers are three times more susceptible to angina than non smokers.
• 20% of all deaths related to heart diseases in US are due to cigarette smoking.
• The risk of heart attack increases with the number of cigarettes a person smokes per day.
•  The risk of heart attack and stroke increases significantly in those women who smoke and also take birth control pills. 
• As soon as you quit smoking the risk of heart diseases decreases significantly.
• Quitting smoking can increase your life as a result of better heart health.

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How does exercise improve your Cardiovascular System

Regular exercise is a good lifestyle habit to stay away from diseases and get a good looking body. Those who are suffering from some heart diseases often come to know the importance of exercise once they got affected by it. If you make exercise a habit from the very beginning of your adulthood then most often you won't ever by affected by any cardiovascular disease or any other health issue. In this article we will discuss the effects of exercise on your cardiovascular health and how it saves you from hypertension.

• Exercise makes your heart stronger: Regular exercise makes your heart stronger and its ability to pump blood increases. When we exercise on regular basis, our heart starts to adapt and left ventricle enlarges to store and pump more blood per beat. It is the reason why professional athletes have low resting pulse rate compared to an average person. Their blood pressure also remains on lower side. 
• Exercise improves quality of Blood: Exercise stimulates our circulatory system and enhances the removal of toxins from blood. It also increases the flow of oxygenated blood in body.
• Exercise lowers Bad Cholesterol:  LDL Cholesterol, which is considered bad for human health is found more in obese people or those who live sedentary life. Exercise on regular basis triggers some enzyme activity in body which helps in transfer of that bad cholesterol from blood vessels to liver which later converts it into bile and further excreted from body.
• Exercise makes you arteries flexible: There are some flexible tissues in the arteries which usually diminishes as we age. But we exercise regularly then these flexible tissues remain there for longer duration and arteries remain flexible. Flexibility of arteries helps our body in dealing with sudden elevation in blood pressure due to some intense physical activity, such as running.
• Exercise lowers blood pressure: Resting blood pressure of a person who exercise regularly will be lower than a person who don't exercise. It is because of the facts explained above. Exercise makes heart stronger, arteries flexible and improves quality of blood by removing toxins and bad cholesterol. All of these things help in lowering the blood pressure. Low blood pressure means less chances of stroke or heart attack.
• Exercise Reduces Inflammation in Body: Regular exercise reduces C-reactive protein (CRP) in body which indicates inflammation in body. Inflammation is body is also responsible for Coronary Heart Disease.   
• Exercise can help in quit smoking: Some researches found that regular exercising can help those who want to quit smoking which can save you from heart diseases.

How much exercise is enough for cardiovascular health ? Know more


All of the above facts about exercise and cardiovascular system are for those who understand human anatomy. Very simple fact about exercise is that it reduces your weight and keep it under control. If you have your weight in control then you are automatically saved from those diseases that are directly connected to obesity. Hypertension and diabetes are most common diseases found in overweight people. So even if you don't know more about human anatomy, you may get sure that you won't get hypertension of diabetes if you exercise regularly.

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How much exercise is enough for your Cardiovascular Health ?

The answer to "how much" depends on the exercise that you prefer to do. Exercise regime of differing people differs from just jogging to power lifting, as it depends on your present health and interest level. All exercises are not meant for every person. A person who has never done any exercise can't directly jump for power lifting, thinking that it will benefit him/her more. If you want to go for intense exercises than it is better to increase your exercise level gradually with the help of a professional fitness trainer.

How much exercise is enough for your Cardiovascular Health ?

When we discuss exercises for your cardiovascular health then keep it in mind that these exercises are not meant to make you a bodybuilder but to increase the health of your heart and keep you away from cardiovascular diseases.

Here are some points that can help you in making an exercise schedule.

• 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week is sufficient for heart health. It means 30 minutes per day for 5 days in a week.
• If you can't exercise continuously for 30 minutes due to some health reasons then you may divide the time in 2 or 3 segments of 15 or 10 minutes.
• If you prefer vigorous exercise then you may save 50% of your time. 75 minutes of vigorous exercise is sufficient, which is just 15 minutes per day for 5 days in a week.
• If you want to do a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise then anything between 15 to 30 minutes per day is sufficient.

Below we have mentioned some moderate and heavy exercises to give you an idea about them. Even if the exercise that you prefer is not listed in it, you will get an idea if it is moderate or vigorous. So you may decide a exercise schedule.

List of Moderate Intensity Exercises

• Walking at a pace of faster than 3 miles per hour
• Cycling slower than 10 miles per hour
• Ballroom dancing
• Light Gardening
• Tennis doubles
• Water Aerobics

List of Vigorous Intensity Exercises

• Running or Jogging
• Swimming laps
• Aerobic dancing
• Jumping Rope
• Heavy Gardening (like continuous digging)
• Cycling faster than 10 miles per hour
• Hiking uphill

Note: Before making an exercise schedule it is better to take your present health into consideration. If you already have some medical condition then decide your exercise schedule after consulting your physician.

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