Finger Length Can Predict Your Risk of Prostate Cancer

Men whose index fingers are longer than their ring, or fourth, fingers run a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer, according to a study published Dec. 1 in the British Journal of Cancer.

 

The chance of developing the disease drops by a third, and even more in younger men, the study found.

 

"Our results show that relative finger length could be used as a simple test for prostate cancer risk, particularly in men aged under 60," said Ros Eeles, a professor at theInstitute of Cancer Research in Britain and co-author of the study.

 

Finger pattern could help identify which men should undergo regular screening, especially in combination with genetic testing or other risk factors such as a family history of the disease, she said.

 

From 1994 to 2009, Eeles and colleagues questioned more than 1,500 prostate cancer patients in Britain, along with 3,000 healthy control cases.

 

For more than half the men, the index was shorter than the ring finger. Compared to this group, men whose index and ring fingers were the same length — 19 percent of the cohort — had a similar prostate cancer risk.

 

But when the index finger was longer, the risk of developing the disease dropped by 33 percent.

 

Men under 60 were 87 percent less likely to be in the cancer group.

 

The relative length of the two fingers in question — set before birth — appears to be a marker of different levels of sex hormones to which a baby is exposed in the womb, with less testosterone correlating with a longer index finger.

 

Earlier research has shown that testosterone promotes the growth of prostate cancer.

 

Underlying the unexpected connection between digits and cancer are two genes, HOXA and HOXD, that control both finger length and the development of sex organs.

 

Other studies have found a link between exposure to hormones before birth and the development of other diseases, including breast cancer and osteoarthritis.

 

Copyright 2010  AFP Global Edition

10 Myths of High Blood Pressure [VIDEO]

How to Deal With Mouth Odour

Most of us have had the odd bad breath day. If we are lucky, our beloved ones have gently pointed this fact out before we meet the wider world. Yet persistent halitosis can lead to significant social embarrassment.

What makes breath smell?
Breath smell only when certain aromatic chemicals dissolve within it. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals are regularly produced when proteins from food are broken down by bacteria in the mouth. Examples are: methyl mercaptan (colourless gas found in found in foods like nuts and cheese; smells like rotten cabbage); putrescine (gas produced when the body breaks down amino acids in food; smells of decaying meat);  hydrogen sulphide (gas produced by bacteria in the colon and when the body breaksdown amino acids in food; smells like rotten eggs).

These chemicals can be absorbed into your bloodstream from the bowel and then circulated around the body until they are excreted via the lungs in the breath. In this way, garlic rubbed into the soul of your feet can later be detected in trace amount in your breath.

Morning Breath
Practically everybody have a degree of halitosis first thing in the morning. when we sleep, saliva flow drastically reduces while our tongue and cheek moves very little. this allows food residues to stagnate in the mouth and dead cells  that would normally be shed from the surface of our tongue, gums and the inside of our cheeks to accumulate. As bacteria in our mouth start to work on and breakdown these residues, they generate an unpleasant smell. Although normal, anyone with nasal congestion who mouth-breathes at night is more likely to be affacted. Morning breath usually disappears after breakfast and daily brushing, because saliva starts to flow again and any leftover residues are washed away and swallowed.

Occasional bad breath
The most common causes of occasional halitosis include smoking cigarettes or cigars, drinking alcohol or eating certain foods. Culprits that are often to blame include onions, garlic, curries, cured foods like salami and cooked foods like kippers. Smoking also reduces the flow of saliva in its own right and so worsens bad breath.

Crash dieting or fasting can also lead to halitosis. when the body no longer have the supply of carbohydrates, i first breaks down its own fat stores. The waste products of their metabolism, known as ketones, give breath of anyone who has vigorously exercised but who have not eaten enough carbohydrates before or after their workout. People on strict high-protein diets experience the same effect for similar reasons.

What are  the medical causes of bad breath?
Most reasons for bad breath are sited in the mouth. Gum disease is the most common reason for bad breath and is caused by plaque. Plaque is a mixture of food residues, dead gum cells and bacteria that forms between the gum and the tooth. The bacteria creates an unpleasant odour and contributes to bleeding gum and loosening of teeth. The cause of gum disease is often bad oral hygiene. if you do not regularly brush your teeth, you will experience bad breath. A coated, furry tongue is often a sign of indigestion, smoking or dehydration all of which can make breath smell.

Any infection around the mouth and throat might be significant. Nasal congestion, sinus infections, tonsillitis and swollen adenoids could all contribute. So could indigestion caused by acid reflux from a hiatus hernia. Even lung disorders such as chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis (where infected sputum is present) may play a part). Consider, too, any medication you might be taking. Any drug that dries up saliva as a side effect, such as amitriptyline (an antidepressant), may add to the problem.

How to know if you have bad breath
Here are some useful pointers, so you do not have to rely on others telling you.

• Lick the inner surface of your wrist, wait a few seconds and sniff the licked area. Is there any odour?
• Do you smoke at times other than meal times when the odour is dilutedby food, drink and saliva?
• Do your gum look swollen or puffyor do they bleed when you brush them?
• Does yourdentist or hygienist comment on your gum disease (gingivitis) and suggest more efficient brushing and flossing?

Remedies

• Start with the dentist and hygienist,  because the root of the problem is usually dental.
• Proper brushing techniques and regular flossing can work wonders.
• Brushing a furry tongue with a tongue cleaner is helpful.
• Avoid smoking, alcohol and spicy foods.
• Clean your mouth aftereating milk products, fish and meat.
• Chewing sugar-free gums helps because it encourages the flowof saliva without contributing to tooth decay.
• Use a mouthwash to getrid of bacteria and bits of food that you may have missed while brushing.
• Deodorising mouth sprays can mask halitosis in the short term, but you need antibacterial and antiseptic preparations with a longer duration of action to make a lasting difference.

Your dentist can advise you on what is appropriate.

When mouth infections are implicated as the cause of bad breath, treatment with an antibiotic such as metronidazole can be effective in getting rid of bacteria that do not need oxygen to survive(anaerobic bacteria), and thereby improves symptoms.

When indigestion or acid reflux are implicated as the cause of bad breath, treatment to eradicate a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori for short)may be effective in improving symptoms.

Before you have the antibiotics, you should be tested to see whether you have the bacteria.  There are several ways of testing for H. pylori: it could be a breath test or it could be a test that is done on a blood sample or a stool sample;  your doctor will be able to explain what is involved.

My Honest and Professional Advice on Sickle Cell Disease

Over the past 3 weeks I have had to see loads of Sickle cell anaemia children (probably cos of my recent change of departments) either coming for their routine clinic follow up or coming in one form of crises or the other.

For those coming for normal clinic follow ups, you see in their parents' eyes that they are feed up of the regular and constant hospital visits.

For those that came in crises, as the child cries out in deep and excruciating pain, you see the parents (usually the mothers) also crying either because they are feed up or because they couldn't bear their child in such agony.

Quite often I am like, you are a SSCE holder, perhaps OND or HND, or even Bachelors Degree holder, some Masters or PHD holders, how on earth were you ignorant of you Genotype or your spouses' genotype before you got married or you just decided to bring a child to this world to come and live a painful life full of agony for both the child and the parents.

I usually feel like telling the parents to their faces that "You are the cause of all these, you could have prevented this trouble if only you had taken the appropriate decision"

Here is my honest advice, its not worth it, you say love covers everything, but after giving birth to a sickle cell disease child, the love will be severely tried & threatened, your marriage will be tried & threatened, the siblings of this child will have a traumatic experience of seeing their bro/sis going through such agony. Its also drains the parents financially, emotionally, spiritually and any other wise.

Please know your genotype, if you are AA, feel free to marry anyone with any type of genotype. If you are AS, you only have one gentoype to marry so as to prevent this which is the AA genotype. And if you are SS, you should only marry AA genotype so your children won't go through what you went through.

Everyone living with HBSS need so much love, affection and care. Do not stigmatize them..

Continue to live Healthy.

Written By: Dr. Safiriyu Isreal

Home Remedies for Migraines

6 Ways You Can Prevent Diabetes

If you are thinking that diabetes is “just a problem of little sugar increase”, then you are in for a real shocker! 

Diabetes causes much more than just a small increase in sugar level; in fact, it’s a cause of major morbidities such as nerve, kidney, eye and heart damage, and making a few simple lifestyle and dietary changes can help you avoid these serious health complications associated with diabetes.

Engage in regular physical activities – You need at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week to enjoy the benefit of regular exercise; and if you can make it 1 hour a day, it’s even better. With exercise, you reduce your risk of diabetes by as much as 50%. Studies have revealed that exercise also lowers blood sugar and keeps it down for several hours after the exercise which also contributes to preventing diabetes. 

And you even stand a chance of staying healthier as exercise have been proven to also enhance your immune system by getting your lymph system moving, it helps build muscle and bones, improves heart and lung efficiency, reduces stress, burns fat, raises your metabolism and generally keeps your body young.

Shed some weight - Studies have shown that overweight adults reduced their risk of diabetes by 16 percent for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight lost. Also, those who lose at least 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight and exercise regularly reduced the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent over 3 years.

No smoking - Smoking is not only associated with the development of diabetes but it also contributes to heart disease and causes lung cancer. Carcinogens in cigarettes have also been proven to have destructive effects on the pancreas (the body organ that produces insulin), thereby reducing the amount of insulin produced by your body; stop smoking today and enjoy a better glucose control.

Cut back on fat and sugar – Processed and fried foods are particularly unhealthy and the fats and carbohydrates found in them undermine your health. Saturated fats have been shown to contribute to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So you should ensure that you get less than 7% of your total fat intake from saturated fats and less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol in your daily diet. Also, avoid eating foods made with sugar, bleached (white) flour and other refined carbohydrates such as white rice and dry cereals in order to help in preventing diabetes.

Foods rich in fiber have more benefits in the prevention of diabetes. Fiber will go a long way in preventing diabetes because it helps to buffer high amounts of sugar or carbohydrates in your diet, keeping your blood sugar even rather than having it gyrate wildly up and down. Foods high in fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, oatmeal or oat bran.

Say goodbye to alcohol - Alcoholic beverages contain refined carbohydrates that are quickly absorbed into the body so they contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes by quickly raising blood sugar to unhealthy levels thus overworking the cells that regulate blood sugar. Besides, alcohol have been shown to increase the risk of stroke and kidney disease; so beside preventing diabetes, you will be doing yourself a world of good by putting a lid on alcohol consumption – if you must drink at all, drink water!

Get support – Family support is very essential in the prevention (even in management) of diabetes. Friends, relatives and support groups can help stick to your new healthy lifestyle which may not be too interesting initially.

Diabetes can be very devastating when complications set in, so prevent it as much as you can.

10 Bad Habits and the Best Ways to Quit Them

It's not too late to reverse your worst habits (stopping smoking, drinking, over-eating, and more) and immediately start living a happier, healthier life.

1. Bad Habit: Snacking non-stop, even when not hungry.

Why It's Dangerous: Losing touch with your body's natural hunger and satisfaction signals can lead to chronic overeating and unhealthy extra pounds that can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions. If it's junk foods you snack on, you're also flooding your body with unhealthy ingredients.

Why You Should Stop: With determination, anyone can fix bad eating habits, and get to a healthier, more natural weight. By paying attention to your hunger signals and switching to healthy snacks, you can boost nutrition, control cravings, lose weight, and avoid energy slumps. Your weight will fall to a healthier level, and you'll replace unhealthy trans and saturated fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and extra sodium with more nutritious fare.

Reverse the Habit:
- Reacquaint yourself with hunger: Wait to eat until your body is physically craving food.
- Stop eating before you're stuffed: Finish when you feel just a little bit full, you'll eat less this way.
- Eat for the right reason: Because you're hungry—not because you're stressed, bored, angry, or sad.
- Stop mindless eating: If snacking is an old, bad habit, ban unhealthy food from your home.
- Replace junk food with real food: Once you've cleared your pantry, stock your kitchen with fruits, veggies, nuts, and low-fat, whole-grain products.
- Plan snacks like you do meals: Eat your healthy snack on a plate, with a glass of water, and sit down at the table to enjoy it.

2. Bad Habit: Spending too much time on the couch watching TV.

Why It's Dangerous: The more TV you watch, the less physical activity you're getting, increasing your odds of being overweight and developing type 2 diabetes. A large-scale study of over 9000 people found that those who watched more than two hours of TV a day ate more, while downing more sugary soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie, processed snack foods than those who watched less. If television is replacing time you'd spend on an old hobby, visiting friends, or exercising your mind, it can also speed up memory loss.

Why You Should Stop: By turning TV time into active time and committing to a healthy TV/activity balance, you can burn more calories, become more fit, and reduce your odds for related health problems quickly. You'll have a fitter body and more time for sleep, plus more energy, a better mood, sharper mind, and more social connections, which can even help you increase your self-confidence.

Reverse the Habit:
- Follow the 2/30 rule: That means no more than 2 hours of TV a day—and at least 30 minutes of exercise.
- Don't channel surf: Only turn the TV on when you have something specific to watch. Get out instead of searching mindlessly.
- Don't snack in front of the TV: It's far too easy to eat hundreds of calories' worth of chips and barely realize it.
- Exercise while you watch: Walk in place, do sit-ups, pushups, or drag your treadmill into the TV room.
- Clean during commercials: Avoid food commercials by emptying wastebaskets, vacuuming a room, or doing a load of laundry. It can add up to 20 minutes' worth of calorie-burning chore time everyday.
- Resolve to leave home more often: See more friends, do more interesting things, and stimulate your mind every day.

3. Bad Habit: Overspending your way into debt.

Why It's Dangerous: Money worries can have serious health consequences. In a Rutgers University telephone survey, responders said financial stress contributed to high blood pressure, depression, insomnia, headaches, digestion troubles, aches and pains, ulcers, excessive smoking and drinking, and gaining or losing weight.

Why You Should Stop: You'll regain a hold on your finances. It's tough, but getting yourself out of debt is a lot like losing weight. It takes time, can be hard on your ego and your lifestyle, you have to be constantly vigilant, and it's easy to revert back to old habits. But for those who succeed, and many people do, the results are stunning. You'll feel more in control of your life with less stress and fewer worries. You'll be able to sleep better, stop overeating, and have fewer headaches. Finding ways to curb your spending and focus on the simple joys in life will also help improve your relationships.

Reverse the Habit:
- Learn about money management: Educate yourself on the the basic rules and methods of personal finance—for credit cards, mortgages, budgeting, and investing.
- Freeze your credit cards: Literally. Put them in a cup, add water, and relegate them to the back of your freezer so you'll stop using them.
- Create a budget: How much money is coming in each month? How much are you spending on essentials, and how much frivolously? Keep track, and discover what you need to cut back on.
- Pay at least the monthly minimum on your bills: Prioritize paying more on the highest-interest credit card. Once you've paid it off, move on to the next worst.
- Automate good monthly habits: Use online banking to transfer some of your paychecks into a savings account, and set your bills to be paid automatically.
- Change money priorities: Stop shopping as a form of entertainment or distraction. Identify important things you'll need in the future and start savings programs for each.

4. Bad Habit: Eating too much fast food.

Why It's Dangerous: A steady diet of double cheeseburgers and fries washed down with an oversize soda or milkshake often leads to a bigger waistline and other related health problems, like heart disease and diabetes. Trans fat, often found in fast food, raises 'bad' cholesterol and blood fats that contribute to hardening of the arteries, as well as firing up inflammation, which contributes to the build-up of fatty plaque in artery walls.

Why You Should Stop: The health benefits of making the switch to healthy food will be immediate and substantial. Making a permanent lifestyle change won't be easy at first. Fast food is super-convenient, surprisingly inexpensive, and thanks to all its fat, salt, and sugar, undeniably tasty. Healthy eating takes more time and thought, and in some cases, more money. It's worth it though. In addition to losing extra weight, slimming your waistline, and protecting yourself from heart disease and diabetes, you'll save money if you prepare your own meals instead of buying fast food.

Reverse the Habit:
- Wean yourself off slowly: Cut back a little per week, and buy a little less each time you go.
- Switch to healthier menu options: Replace soda with coffee or water, burgers with grilled chicken, and fries with a salad.
- End impulse visits: Avoid popping into a fast food joint just because you walked or drove by one, especially if you aren't hungry or it isn't meal time.
- Switch to grocery stores: Hungry and need a fast meal? You can usually find healthier prepared meals at your local grocery store.
- Try a local sandwich shop: Walk into one and order a turkey on whole-wheat with a salad on the side.
- Make your own: Eat with confidence in your own kitchen, preparing yourself a healthy meal with last night's leftovers, adding a side of fruits and vegetables.

5. Bad Habit: Getting sunburned a few times every summer.

Why It's Dangerous: If you love sunbathing or make an effort to maintain a golden-bronze tan, you've unwittingly contributed to the aging of your skin. Sunbathing destroys the elastic fibers that keep skin looking firm and smooth, leading to earlier wrinkles, blotches, freckles, and discolorations. More importantly, sunburns contribute significantly to cancers of the skin. If you've added trips to the tanning salon, it's even worse. Despite what ads suggest, using tanning beds doesn't build up a 'safe' base tan. It actually raises your risk for skin cancer and wrinkles.

Why You Should Stop: Sun exposure, especially if your quest for the perfect tan has left you sunburned, damages skin in ways that can never be repaired or reversed. Avoiding additional burns can at least help you prevent further damage. Protecting your skin also results in softer, suppler skin with fewer wrinkles and less discoloration.

6 Tips for Recovery:
- Schedule an annual skin check by a dermatologist: Your doctor will inspect your skin for any unusual changes, and take a small sample to determine the nature of the growth.
- Always wear sunscreen: Keep high SPF sunscreens near all your exits. It only takes about 30 seconds to apply.
- Stay safe in the sun: Stick to the shade, wear a hat, sunglasses, long sleeves and pants during peak sunburn hours.
- Get your glow with a self-tanner instead of the sun: You'll get the bronzed look without the cancer risk.
- Know a danger sign when you see it: Anything new that doesn't look right to you on your skin deserves to be checked by a doctor.
- Sip green tea: There's some evidence that green tea may protect your cells against cancer-causing sun damage.

6. Bad Habit: Behavior that leaves you angry, worried, or stressed all of the time.

Why it's Dangerous: An unhappy lifestyle releases a cascade of stress hormones that increase your blood pressure and blood sugar, lower immunity, slow digestion, and make you feel downright mean. Nature intended stress to be a short-lived fight-or-flight response to a threat, but modern life can lead to chronic stress and to far-reaching impacts on your health, such as increased risk of being overweight and overeating high-fat, sugary foods. Both raise your odds for heart disease and diabetes.

Why You Should Stop: Stress-reduction techniques have been proven to lower blood sugar, improve immunity, reduce depression, ease chronic pain, lower blood sugar, and possibly protect your heart, too. A regained sense of joy and control is worth its weight in gold, and the physical health benefits will be substantial as well.

Reverse the Habit:
- Learn to stop getting stressed so easily: How you react to triggers determines your stress level. Next time you feel a situation emerging, work hard at managing it and staying cool.
- Learn a formal stress-relief process: Among the most proven are yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.
- Rediscover optimism: Pessimism is a learned behavior. Regaining your sense of hope can go a long way toward stifling stress and regaining a sense of happiness.
- Eat healthy and exercise: A healthy lifestyle does wonders for your ability to manage stressful situations.
- Enjoy a relaxing hobby: Calm down by immersing yourself fully during your down time.
- Rediscover silliness: Remember than in every grown adult resides a young child. You're older, but you spirits doesn't have to be. Stop suppressing your sense of fun and silliness and remember to enjoy yourself.

7. Bad Habit: Skipping breakfast.

Why It's Dangerous: Skipping the first meal of the day can have serious consequences for your weight, your energy levels, and even your blood sugar. Munching a piece of morning toast or crunching a bowl of bran flakes signals to your metabolism that it's time to kick things up a notch. Skipping the fuel keeps your metabolism running on low, which can lead to weight gain and sluggishness. You'll also create a starve-now-indulge-later eating pattern, which is why breakfast-skippers tend to overeat later in the day.

Why You Should Stop: Starting a breakfast routine is easy. The moment you do, you take a major step towards fixing the problems skipping breakfast caused, including excess weight and unhealthy blood sugar swings. Eating breakfast will result in more stable blood sugar, which means fewer food cravings and hunger pangs later in the day. Because you're re-fueling your body early in the day, you'll also have more energy in the morning. You may find that you start to control your weight more easily, too.

Reverse the Habit:
- Work with your body: Not hungry first thing in the day? Wait and hour or two until you're ready to eat.
- Eat foods you like: No need to start the day with breakfast food. Have a sandwich, a bowl of soup, or last night's leftovers—whatever your pleasure is.
- No time? Make a portable breakfast sandwich: Bring along a piece of fruit, and maybe some milk in a coffee mug.
- Grab an energy bar and a cup of yogurt: Both are instantly ready, and together they are the perfect amount of nutrients and calories to start your day.
- Have a smoothie: Whirl low-fat yogurt, frozen berries, half a banana, a little OJ, and some honey in a blender. It's the ultimate healthy on-the-go breakfast.
- Set things up in advance: Prep breakfast the night before, so you can eat it at the kitchen table in 10 minutes or less.

8. Bad Habit: Drinking too much alcohol.

Why It's Dangerous: If you over-drink on a regular basis, alcohol can be a poison. Women who regularly consume two or more drinks a day and men who regularly down three or more are at higher risk for liver damage,  various cancers including those of the liver and mouth, high blood pressure, and depression. Women, who are more sensitive to alcohol, can also develop heart disease, brittle bones, and even memory loss.

Why You Should Stop: Soon after you cut back or quit, your digestion will improve and you'll sleep more soundly. Your blood sugar will be lower and steadier, your blood pressure may fall toward a healthier range, and even your brain will bounce back. You'll have a healthier liver and cardiovascular system. Since you're limiting your alcohol intake, you'll also be cutting your risk of being in a car accident. On top of feeling more energetic, you'll probably have better relationships with your family and friends, if drinking has caused problems in the past.

Reverse the Habit:
- Stick to healthy limits: That's two or less drinks per day for men, one for women.
- Reserve alcohol for meals: You're more likely to sip your drink slowly that way.
- Drink for flavor, not to get drunk: As an adult, you shouldn't drink to escape. Find a healthier coping mechanism.
- Can't stop? Acknowledge the addiction: Talk with your doctor and contact a support group like AA.
- Take screenings for bone density and cancers seriously: Check with your doctor if you should be screened more often.
- Liver damaged? Get a health plan: Talk to a doctor about a high-calorie diet to help your liver regenerate.

9. Bad Habit: Smoking cigarettes.

Why It's Dangerous: As far as health goes, no popular habit on Earth is as harmful. It directly causes 30 percent of heart disease deaths, 30 percent of cancer deaths, and a massive 80 to 90 percent of all lung cancers, not to mention increasing the risk of developing mouth, throat, and, bladder cancer. This bad habit also astronomically raises your odds for heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure, on top of possibly triggering or aggravating breathing problems like bronchitis and asthma attacks.

Why You Should Quit: The health benefits are almost immediate, because your lungs and cardiovascular system begin repairing themselves within minutes of your last cigarette. Within a month, your lungs will work better and you should be coughing less, feel more energetic, and have less shortness of breath. Quitting smoking significantly reduces threat of cancer or heart disease, improves your sense of taste and smell, and gives you better endurance. You'll also reap confidence-boosting rewards like fresher breath, younger-looking skin, and an end to that unpleasant tobacco smell on your clothes.

Reverse the Habit:
- Treat it like an addiction, not a habit: Before you stop, prepare for the tough road ahead. Prepare a strategy,a support team, and a Plan B if your first methods fail.
- Ask your doctor about a stop-smoking drug: Buprion and varenicline have been shown in studies to increase the chance for success.
- Get support: Enlist your friends and family. Counselors, hotlines, and support groups can also help.
- Time it right: Plan to quit during a calm period - not over the holidays or when you're under a lot of stress.
- Try 'nicotine fading': Use a nicotine patch or gum to help you gradually become accustomed to life without cigarettes and nicotine.
- Remember that a lapse isn't a failure: Use slip-ups to discover your personal obstacle to quitting and create a plan for dealing with those needs.

10. Bad Habit: Overusing pain killers and sedatives.

Why It's Dangerous: When they're not taken properly, long-term habitual use can cause more problems than it solves. Using drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin for arthritis or muscle pain can over time increase your risk for ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. Calming drugs and sleeping pills can leave you feeling confused and prone to stumbling and falling if you take them in higher-than-prescribed doses. Since they make you feel good, you may want to keep on taking them, turning them into a habit or addiction before you you know it.

Why You Should Stop: New pain-relief strategies can ease muscle, joint, and head pain with fewer pills and side effects. Kicking the sedative and prescription pain pill habit is possible with commitment and support, and once the pill-taking has ceased, your body will quickly rebound from their effects. You'll spend less money on medications. You may cut your risk for heart and high blood pressure problems as well as gastrointestinal ulcers and bleeding. You'll also be more alert and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you've beaten a drug dependency.

Reverse the Habit:
- Switch to acetaminophen for chronic pain: It doesn't cause stomach irritation, and doesn't raise blood pressure like aspirin and ibuprofen. Save ibuprofen for flare-ups of severe, short-term pain. It's usually safe for up to 10 days, but not more.
- For frequent headaches see your doctor: Migraines can be stopped quickly with the right medication.
- Check out alternate pain-relief strategies: Weight loss, exercise, stress relief and avoiding triggers can help.
- Don't take habit-forming drugs for over four months: Challenge your doctors when they want to put you on pain, mood, or sleeping medication long-term if you think you'll be susceptible to addiction—particularly if the drugs work well.
- Watch for hidden signs: Clues you're taking too much of a tranquilizer include memory loss, excess sleepiness, feeling unresponsive and falling frequently.
- Get help if you can't stop: There's no shame in asking for help from family members, friends, or your doctor.

7 Things That Can Help You Prevent Heart Attacks

Heart disease is a frequent cause of premature death in men over 40 years old. However, the risk of heart attacks also occur in men as young as their 30s. The problem is, a heart attack can come suddenly and be difficult to predict. So it is important to know how to prevent heart attacks, especially for men.

There are many things that can trigger a heart attack. One of them is an unhealthy lifestyle, which is often a major cause of heart attacks. Here are seven things that can help you prevent heart attacks.

1. Physical exercise - You do not need to go to the gym just to drain the sweat from the body. You just need to do a morning jog or leisurely bike ride at the weekend. However, you are strongly advised to do cardio exercise.

2. Garlic - Garlic contains allicin which is an essential nutrient for a healthy heart. Consume raw garlic with bread, salad and soup.

3. Eco-cardiogram - Eco-cardiogram is a procedure performed to map out your heart rate. You need to do the EKG every 6 months to monitor any changes in your heart rate.

4. Sleep - Fatigue and anxiety can be reduced only if you can sleep soundly. Have a regular sleep habit and make sure that you are getting enough rest.

5. Vitamin B Complex - Vitamin B complex is very important for men. This vitamin can enlarge the blood vessels so that blood circulation can be smooth.

6. Happy sex life - Making love is an instant solution to reduce stress. It is also a good exercise to train the heart. So, have a great sex life to keep your heart healthy.

7. Blood pressure - Check your blood pressure regularly. You need to keep your blood pressure stable to prevent sudden heart attack.

8. Say no to cigarettes - Smoking is not at all beneficial to health. As an adult who, you would know that smoking can cause heart disease and several other dangerous diseases.

9. Dark chocolate - Dark chocolate is good for the heart because it contains serotonin that calms the nerves and blood vessels. It will help you relax, which in turn can reduce the risk of heart attack.

10. Check the level of cholesterol -  Levels of blood cholesterol is one of the main reasons of sudden cardiac arrest. So, make sure that you always check your blood cholesterol levels regularly.

Those are ten things that could avoid you from the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Apply a healthy lifestyle from now and feel the benefits.

Habits that Cause Memory Loss

As people get older, one primary concern that can be frustrating for them is their experience of certain lapses in daily activities. On aging, many people find that their memory seems to be less and less. They may forget some items or some important data.

When an individual suffers from memory loss or poor memory, it indicates that their brain cells are not performing too well. Lots of factors are responsible for one’s poor memory. Unluckily, many people have different types of bad habits which lead to memory loss due to irretrievable destruction of neurons. However, decreasing of these bad habits will help you to keep your memory sharp.

Maybe our social habits, diet, or sleep schedule have harmful effect on our memory, either for short term or long term. At present in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death. During the period of 2000 to 2008, death rates of most major illnesses dropped in the U.S. while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease increased up to 66 %. Many people consider Alzheimer’s disease as an “elderly” condition but it is also possible that it affects people younger than 65. So, our main focus must be on how to preserve our memory. If you want to keep your brain healthy and your memory sharp for many years, then avoid these bad habits.

Poor Diet

Everyone knows that diet plays an important role in our health. However, it also has bad effect on our memory and cognition. Consuming the right kinds of food will help us a lot to improve our memory. Conversely, if you have poor food choices then you may have to suffer from some memory problems. Studies have shown that fatty foods can harm cognitive function. In the body, excess fats may block the blood vessel and cause the shrinking of cells. Avoid consumption of too oily foods and try to consume those foods that are high in nutrients and good cholesterol.

In 2008, Tufts University researchers had done study by involving women who were on either a low-carb diet or a diet that meet the recommended guidelines from the American Diabetic Association. The study had shown that participants who were on low-carb diet executed worse on memory-based tasks than those on the ADA diet.

As people get older, many of them don’t think about what they eat. As your age increases, you must concentrate on your nutritional needs for your ability to focus quickly.

Smoking

When a person smokes, not only lungs but also other organs of the body are affected greatly. Smoking can cause a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and destruction of neurons. Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco investigated studies that have link between smoking and Alzheimer's disease. They concluded that a high risk factor for the Alzheimer's disease was smoking cigarettes and it nearly doubles the person's chance of developing disease.

Several other studies have also connected smoking with poor memory, including one study that linked cigarette smoking with earlier declines in verbal memory among 43 to 53 years of age; published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2003.

More than 4,000 chemicals are present in one cigarette and out of them 43 are carcinogenic. Nicotine, the most dangerous and carcinogenic substance found in cigarettes has the ability to kill the brain cells. The smoke of the cigarette enters in the body and brain via inhalation and when chemicals enter the brain, they alter person’s attitude, mood and mostly, his memory. Nicotine affects numerous domains of cognition, including working memory, short-term episodic memory accuracy and response time.

Inadequate Sleep

When we sleep, many cells of our body also sleep; means they also go to a resting state to charge their energy and regenerate themselves. So, on next day, they can perform their activities well. Normally, 8 hours of night sleep is required for the entire body to recover. However, body can able to function normally with at least 4 hours of sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, then the body cells would not be capable to obtain the required nutrients, oxygen and energy for them to function. This will have an effect on one’s memory sooner or later.
Several studies have shown that the change in sleep pattern did not affect the adolescents' memory consolidation. One study showed that people who were sleep-deprived for about 24 hours had decreased levels of visual short-term memory. However, other research recommends that this link might not apply to everybody.

According to Dr. Nelson, an essential thing to remember is that quality of sleep counts rather than the quantity of sleep as certain stages of sleep are more important for memory consolidation.

Drinking Alcohol

Alcohol consumption raises the risk of memory problems and also dementia. Because of poor nutrition, heavy drinking often leads to brain damage. Additionally, heavy drinkers have more risk of developing dementia or memory loss later in life. An alcohol abuse probably appears like a no-brainer.

A study published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism analyzed participants the mornings subsequent to an evening out above a course of some weeks. The study found delayed identification, although blood alcohol levels were at or close to zero at the time of testing. It suggests that memory is affected after a night of drinking.

Some researches are also there which suggests that moderate alcohol drinking can really benefit brain health and decrease the risk of dementia. So, keep your alcohol consumption at the moderate level. That means, no more than 2 drinks for a day; just 1 drink for a day for women.

Lack of Exercise

As we know, exercise is good for health and also good for our brain. A study published this year in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that exercise can prevent memory loss as we get older. More studies are required to conclude whether workout can alter the volume of our hippocampus, a part of brain that involved with forming memories, as we age.

With different type of exercises such as activities and mental exercises, stimulate the brain. For healthy, strong and beautiful body, many people do lot of exercise. Same way, for improved memory, concentration and thinking, stimulation of the brain activity is essential.

One cool thing about this is that it also benefits elder people. The research recommends that by no means it's too late to start exercising and enhancing memory function.

Covering head during sleep

Many people have the habit to cover their head with the blanket or pillow during sleep. They should know that carbon dioxide may be raised by this habit and it can reduce the levels of the oxygen required by the brain. It may harmfully affect the activity of brain if done regularly.

Intellective work while having a disease

Anyone, who suffers from cold or other illness that has already weakened body, actually requires plenty of rest. However, if he/she insists to job persistently, then the brain will create an extra effort that finally leads to a more noteworthy reduce in its effectiveness and long-term worsening of its functions.

If you want to keep your memory sharp or don’t want to continue forgetting things, then avoid these habits as early as possible. You can also make it your aim to improve immediately. Getting the enough amount of sleep, eating right, and avoiding drinks will keep your memory sharp and stronger. Brain is an imperative part of our body so take proper care of it. It is probable to stay physically and mentally active for years and years with some attention to our brain health and overall health throughout the years.

Kiss of Death: 10 Diseases You Can Get From Kissing

Kissing is definitely a step in the right direction if you want to take a platonic relationship to the next level, but a growing number of doctors and researchers warn that indiscriminate smooching can make make you sick or even kill you!

Besides Mononucleosis, which is the prototypical "kissing disease", experts have estimated that up to 500 different germs can be transmitted in a single kiss!

There are different forms of kissing - air kissing, peck on the cheek, kiss on the hand - but the type of kiss that is the subject of this post is the one that involves the exchange of saliva from one person to another (french kiss, wet kiss, etc).

Below is a list of 10 common infections that can be transmitted through kissing:

Cold sores are caused by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1). HSV-1 is spread through open sores (cold sore blisters) on the lips or near the mouth. Though the infection is contagious at all stages of cold sore, the infection is most contagious when the sore is open and leaking fluid. The virus can still be shed to others from the site of blisters even they have healed.

Common cold can be caused by many viruses. It can spread by direct contact with the virus, from airbourne droplets, or from direct contact with secretion from the infected person's nose and throat.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is caused by Coxsackie virus and is spread through open sores in the mouth.

Meningitis is an inflamation of the covering (meninges) of the brain and spinal cord. It is a life-threatening condition and studies have shown that deep kissing is one of the risk factors for meningitis. It can also be spread through direct contact or via droplets.

Tooth decay is caused mainly by a bacteria known as Streptococcus mutans. Direct contact occurs most commonly via kissing. Indirect contact occurs through shared contaminated objects such as eating utensils, toothbrushes, cups and toys.

Glandular fever (also known as the kissing disease) is the common term for a viral infection called infectious mononucleosis, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. The virus is spread through saliva and infections occurs through contact.

Herpes infection is caused by viruses that are considered part of the herpes family which includes Epstein-Barr (causes glandular fever), Varicella-zoster (causes chickenpox) and herpes simplex (causes cold sores). Herpes simplex virus can be spread through direct contact with the virus when kissing. Herpes is most easily spread to others when the blisters are forming  or have erupted. The virus can be 'shed' (spread to others) from the site of blisters even when they are healed. Chickenpox is easily spread from person to person by direct contact, droplets or airborne spread.

Hepatitis B can also be transmitted through kissing although blood has higher level of this virus than saliva. Infection can occur when infected blood and saliva come into contact with someone else's blood or mucous membranes. (Mucous membranes line various body cavities including the mouth and nose). A person is more likely to be infected when kissing if they have open sores in or around the mouth.

Warts in the mouth can spread through kissing, especially if the are areas of recent traumas.

Gum diseases are considered the equivalent of open-wound kissing. Having oral sex when you or your partner had bleeding gums is an invitation for the transmission of unwanted organisms.

There is no need to give up kissing; while disease causing bugs can be transferred during a kiss, most won’t cause the disease and the risk of serious disease is small BUT it may happen. And it’s not all bad. Research into passionate kissing has uncovered many valuable health benefits.

Be conscious to keep your mouth as healthy and germ free as possible everyday. Make sure your partner takes preventive actions too so that you can both enjoy those smooches.

Also don’t forget your pet! When your beloved pet welcomes you home, slobbering your face with kisses, he is also gifting you its germs, and there are many diseases you can contact from your pet. Don’t forget to keep his/her mouth healthy too.

5 Ways to Take Control of Your Blood Pressure

Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs.

Blood pressure is determined on the basis of the force, the amount of blood pumped and the size and flexibility of the arteries.

High blood pressure develops if the walls of the larger arteries lose their natural elasticity and become rigid, and the smaller blood vessels become narrower.

High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and premature death.

2 out of 3 people with high blood pressure are unaware of the condition. This is due to the fact that there are no defined symptoms of blood pressure and it is for this reason that High Blood Pressure is also known as “The Silent Killer”.

 A blood pressure measurement is made up of two parts: systolic pressure (SBP) which occurs in arteries during heart contraction (or when the heart beats is at its highest) and diastolic pressure (DBP) which occurs during the period when the heart relaxes between beats (or when your heart beats is at its lowest).

Both these numbers are important. Generally, blood pressure is written as 120/80 mmHg (measured in millimeters of mercury, a unit for measuring pressure). In the written form, the systolic pressure is the first or the top number and the diastolic is the second or the bottom number.

A guide to blood pressure levels:

·         Normal                              120/80 to 129/84

·         High normal                       130/85 to 139/89

·         Hypertension

o                               Mild                       140/90 to 159/99

o                               Moderate               160/100 to 179/109

o                                   Severe                  >180/110

Symptoms of high blood pressure – Some of the general symptoms noticed in most patients are:

·         Nose bleeding

·         Dizziness and fatigue

·         Bouts of headaches

In severe cases of hypertension, the following symptoms may also be noticed:

·         Vomiting and nausea

·         Drowsiness

·         Confusion

·         Loss of vision

·         Papilloedema

·         Irregular heartbeats

·         Low libido or lack of sexual desire

·         Difficulty in breathing

·         Seizure

·         Restlessness

·         Moderate chest pain

·         Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

·         Blood in the urine

Risk factors for high blood pressure include –

·         A family history of high blood pressure

·         Ethnic group – The black African population has a greater predisposition to hypertension

·         Age – The risk of developing high blood pressure increases with age (it occurs most often in men over the age of 35 years).

·         Being overweight (especially around the stomach area) contributes to a 2 to 6 times higher risk.

·         An unhealthy diet, including a high salt intake.

·         Excessive alcohol consumption

·         Physical activity – lack of exercise

·         Smoking

·         Stress such as financial worries and strain at work may contribute to high blood pressure.

·         Pregnancy

·         Certain medications like birth control pills, steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs

·         Severe kidney disease

The 5 important steps in taking control of your blood pressure are:

1.       Take control of my weight – Being overweight is a condition of abnormal or excessive fat in the body to the extent that it may have a negative effect on your health.

By calculating the Body Mass Index (BMI), we can tell whether or not a person is overweight.

The ‘healthy’ range is 18.5 to 25.

Overweight people score 25 – 30 and obese people, over 30.

These cut-off points are not absolute and people with high muscle mass (such as body builders) may have a high BMI without being overweight.

Being overweight is the result of an energy imbalance where energy intake has been greater than the energy use over a period of many years. Obesity is rarely caused by a slow metabolism or hormonal problems.

Being overweight an increase the risk of the following:

·         Heart disease (extra weight puts more strain on the heart)

·         Certain cancers, arthritis, shortness of breath, gallstones, slower healing and increase susceptibility to infections

·         Psychological problems – the obese person may feel insecure

The apple vs. the pear

It has been fond out that people with an android fat distribution (also called ‘apple’ form, i.e. more fat around the waist than around the hip area) have an increased risk of heart disease than those with the ‘pear’ shape (where the fat is mostly around the hips).

The ‘apple’ form is more common in men.

Body fat distribution is more strongly linked to heart disease than a high BMI.

Waist circumference of over 94 cm in men and 80 cm I women is considered as increased risk.

Over 102 cm in men and 88 cm in women is seen as high risk.

Obesity can be seen as disease of lifestyle. By making small changes in your lifestyle, this problem can be overcome. Even small weight losses have been shown to have significant health benefits.

Dieting does not mean eating small portion, the idea is to eat sensibly and make the right food choices:

·         Have at least 3 meals per day. If you are constantly hungry, rather eat 5 – 6 smaller meals or healthy snacks between meals (e.g. fruit)

·         Eat breakfast. People who skip breakfast are more prone to obesity

·         Join a weight-loss group. Sharing problems/successes encourages people

·         Self motivation is very important. Work at changing your lifestyle to improve health, not just looks

·         Remember that losing weight takes hard work. Weight loss of ½ - 1 kg per week will ensure that it’s fat (not water) being lost.

2.       Take control of what you eat

Remember: 1 gram fat provides 38 KJ compared with 1 gram of protein or 1 gram of carbohydrate that provide only 17 KJ.

·         Reduce fat intake, especially saturated fats, i.e. animal fats and so-called ‘hidden’ fats found in cookies, pastries and processes foods

·         Use healthy cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, grilling and baking – Limit extra fats (cream, butter, mayonnaise, margarine, oil and dressings)

·         Fibre makes you feel fuller for longer. Increase your intake by using whole wheat bread and pasta, brown rice, oats etc

Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day

·         Limit your salt intake. It makes your body retain water

·         Drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water per day

·         Limit alcohol intake to 2 drinks for women and  for men per day, and chose drinks that are lower in energy (KJ) such as dry wine, ‘light’ beers and spirits diluted with soda water

3.       Take control of my exercise

Lack of physical exercise is a risk factor for both heart disease and high blood pressure.

In comparison to those who exercise regularly, inactive people have twice the risk of suffering heart attack and three times the chance of dying immediately after such attack.

The heart is a muscle and needs exercise to stay fit and healthy. The heart of someone who exercises regularly will beat 45-50 times per minute compared to someone who does not exercise regularly whose heart will beat 70-75 times per minute. This means 36,000 extra beats per day and 13 million extra beats every year.

The benefits of regular exercise:

• Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Improves blood cholesterol levels – increases the “good” cholesterol
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes
• Improves the ability to fall asleep quickly and sleep well
• Increases energy, stamina and muscle strength
• Counters anxiety and depression and increases enthusiasm and optimism
• Delays/prevents chronic illnesses/diseases associated with aging
• Reduces risk of bowel and breast cancer
• Help reduce the risk factor of heart disease
• Helps manage high blood pressure
• Helps to deal with stress and releases tension
• Improves the efficiency of the heart and lungs
• Increases resistance to fatigue
• Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children
• Helps reduce symptoms of menopause
• Weight-bearing exercise reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis
• Counters risk conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc) that leads to heart attack and stroke
• Smokers who exercise are twice as successful in their attempt to quit
• Helps reduce and control body weight by decreasing body fat, increasing muscle and increasing metabolic rate

How much exercise do I need?

• To help your heart, exercise should be constant and last long enough to increase the blood flow to the muscles. Start slowly and increase your intensity levels (time and frequency) as your hear gets stronger
• Take three important aspect of exercise:
• Intensity – Start slowly and gradually increase the pace to a level where the heart and breathing rates are increased enough to make you sweat. Another way of monitoring exercise is to use the ‘talk test’ i.e. when exercising, you should be able to talk throughout the workout. Another guideline is to exercise at 60-80% of maximum heart rate.
• Time – Try to keep moving without interruption for at least 15 minutes and built it up to at least 30 minutes OR try to accumulate at least 30 minutes of exercise during the day ( shorter walks are just as beneficial as 1 long walk).
• Frequency – Regular exercise is of extreme importance at least 5 times per week! Try to spread it out throughout the week for the best results.

4.       Take control of my stress

Even though stress alone does not cause heart disease, it may contribute to one’s chances of developing heart disease. Cultivating a more balanced attitude towards life, while reducing other risk factors, is the most sensible approach to reducing your risk of heart disease. Stress is not only caused by negative situations or experiences, but by happy occasions too. As we experience the ups and downs of everyday life and whenever there is a major change in our lives, be a wedding, death, divorce, a birth or a change in work situation stress occurs. If one can cultivate a positive attitude towards stress, one can reduce it instead of letting I ruin one’s life.

• Can stress be healthy? Not everybody has a negative reaction to stress. In fact, most people need a little bit of stress to keep their lives interesting and prevent them form becomes unhealthy; however, stress becomes unhealthy where there is too much stress for too long.

Stress can negatively affect your heart in many ways:

• Can narrow your arteries – This could reduce the blood flow through your coronary arteries, which could cause angina or a heart attack
• Increase your blood pressure – This could increase the workload on your heart and rupture a plaque in your coronary artery, causing a heart attack
• Increases your heart rate – This could cause a potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia); increases your heart’s workload

Stress Busters

• Regular exercise e for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.
• Sleep – we all need to rest in order to cope with stress situations. We have to sleep for at least 5 to 10 hours per night.
• Follow a healthy balanced diet as certain nutrients are used up more rapidly when one is under stress. The body therefore needs extra B vitamins for a healthy central nervous system and vitamin C and zinc-containing foods for resistance to infection. Your diet should be one low in fat, cholesterol and salt but high in fibre. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and avoid too much refined and processed food.
• Turn away from negative stress building thoughts and concentrate on positive stress busting ways of thinking. Combating negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones takes practice but the results are worth it.
• Decrease your intake of caffeine, such as found in cola, coffee, tea and chocolates.
• Keep your perspective. Take a moment to think about what’s bothering you. Ask yourself, “is this really important?” or “is it reasonable to become so stressed out about this?” You’ll find that the answer is usually “no”.
• Identify your stress triggers – Running late? Feeling like no one listens to you at work? Bouncing a check? Coming home to a messy house? Once you identify your stress triggers, you will be able to plan for them. Identify which of your stress triggers are within your control and which are beyond your control and deal with them accordingly.
• You should also recognize activities that have a positive impact on your stress level, such as meeting a deadline, riding your bike, or reading before you go to bed.
• Set aside some time for yourself each day to do something you find relaxing.
• Keep a sense of humour about life.
• Stay connected to your family, friends, and other supportive people in your life.
• Try deep breathing, meditation or yoga. These techniques can help quiet your mind and counteract your body’s physical stress reactions.
• Seek help if you are overwhelmed.

5.       Take control of my salt intake

Even if you have a normal blood pressure levels, you should not consume more than 2,500 milligrams (about a teaspoon) of salt each day. The amount of salt intake for blood pressure patients should be even lesser than this. However, the amount of permissible sodium intake varies from one individual to another.

Though anyone suffering from hypertension needs to reduce the level of salt intake, there are some groups that need to make larger deductions. Here are some of them.

• People who are sensitive to salt. Consuming a diet that is rich in salt can lead to several problems in individuals with salt sensitivity. These include damage to heart, kidneys and the brain.
• People who are overweight. Overweight people tend to absorb more sodium in their bodies than people than people of normal weight.
• People on antihypertensive medicines. Reducing the consumption of salt can enhance the effectiveness of many antihypertensive medicines. Cutting down an salt intake reduces the loss of potassium, which helps the medication work better. This in turn prevents damage to the kidneys.

Everyday tips to lower salt intake:

• Read food labels carefully – Whatever food item you are choosing, you are sure to find a food label on the product. This food label specifies the amount of salt, mentioned as sodium and other ingredients used in the food. The food label also mentions the nutritional value of the food that we eat. When you develop a habit of reading food labels, you will realize that some of your favourite foods such as chips, canned soups, cakes etc contain more salt than you should consume throughout the day.
• Say no to instant food – From two minutes noodles to oatmeal that can be cooked in ten minutes, everything now comes in the instant variety. And considering the ever mounting hectic lifestyles, these instant foods have become an obvious choice. But you must avoid these foods if you want to reduce your salt intake. Go in for the non-instant variety as they contain much less salt as compared to their instant counterparts.
• Go in for low salt versions of the food you choose – If you are opting for processed or instant foods due to time constraints, then make sure that you go in for the low salt variety. All the processed foods of your choice such as chips, cereal bars, canned soups, chocolates, cakes etc offer you a low salt variety of the same product. You can buy these low salt versions at the same price.