How to Prevent and Treat a Dry, Bloody Nose This Winter

As the coldest months of the winter begin to make their ominous approach, so too does the impending threat of a dry, bloody nose. The threat is much worse for those who spend most of their time in a warm climate and make trips to have recently moved to a cold weather climate, as well as those who venture high into the mountains to make use of the snow for a skiing or snowboarding adventure. Thankfully, there are ways to combat it and treat it so as to have a pain-free and comfortable winter season.

The first step is preventative measures. These tips are especially important for those coming from warm climates, especially those that are humid, as the change from warm and wet to cold and dry can immediately turn a comfortable nose into a painful one. One of the best ways is to invest in a humidifier, which can keep the room moist enough to prevent the dry air from drying out your nose, which can lead to nose bleeds and pain. Humidifiers can be cheap or expensive, though you don’t need to spend a ton of money to find an effective one.

Other possible ways to prevent the nose from drying out is to purchase a saline nose spray that can be used several times throughout the day. This will keep your nasal passages moist and lubricated, which helps to prevent nasal mucus from drying out and hardening, which can lead to pain, discomfort, and a bloody nose. If your nose has already dried out, the nasal spray can be used to moisten the nasal mucus and allow you to more efficiently blow your nose and expel it.

Other simple tips include taking a hot shower (as hot as you can tolerate), which allows the room to fill up with steam. If you’d prefer to not take a shower, you can use a tea kettle or boil some water and breathe in the fumes. The extra humidity and heat will loosen the nasal mucus, allowing you to blow your nose and clear your nasal passages.

When you sleep at night, using the humidifier in conjunction with nasal spray can be helped with the use of nasal strips. These small pieces of plastic or fabric are placed on the outside of the nose and hold the nasal passages open while you sleep. This not only increases your ability to breathe but can prevent frequent snoring as well.

Spring and summer may be horrible seasons for allergy sufferers, but winter doesn’t discriminate. If you have yet to acclimate yourself to cold weather, it is best to follow the aforementioned steps to prevent yourself from having an uncomfortable and painful winter season.

More great winter health tips can be found here!

Simple Ways to Get Healthy

Contrary to popular belief, getting healthy or, conversely, remaining healthy, is really not all that difficult. Even if you’re overweight, have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc, reversing these potentially damaging health hazards does not have to be a monumentally life changing event, and can in fact happen with only a modicum of effort. This article will highlight some tips on how to get healthier without making huge life-changing decisions.

First and foremost, the best way to get healthier is to gradually change your diet. This does not mean that you have to give up all the foods you love you just have to practice moderation. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains is essential, and while the bulk of your diet should include these items daily, occasionally having a piece of cake or some pizza will certainly not kill you. The key is moderation. Yes, you should avoid certain things, such as sugary, empty calorie-filled sodas and most processed food, but one Coca-Cola every once in awhile is definitely ok. If making such a drastic change is difficult, gradually weaning yourself off these items will make it a much easier process.

Supplementing your diet with moderate exercise is essential. Now, this does not necessarily mean you have to devote one to two hours a day at the gym. Adequate exercise can be obtained through something as simple as a walk around the block after dinner. If you lead a busy life and don’t have time to exercise, taking the stairs on a daily basis instead of the elevator, or utilizing your lunch break to go for a walk or even go to the gym for a half hour can be just as effective. Not only will it help keep you healthy, but it will help keep you energized throughout the day.

In some cases medication may be required to reverse damage that has been caused by years of unhealthy eating habits and little to no exercise, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Beyond this, little changes made daily will eventually lead to new habits that can lead to an overall healthier, happier you.

More great health tips can be found here!

New Years Resolution: Quitting Smoking

With the New Year approaching, it’s time to begin thinking about resolutions. A common resolution that many individuals make but fail to keep is the complete cessation of smoking. What better way to start off the new year than with a healthier set of lungs? Here are some great ways to kick a nasty smoking habit once and for all.

1. Nicotine gum or patches These smoking-aids provide the nicotine that makes cigarettes so addictive and thus satisfy your cravings. The gum comes in a variety of flavors and is often preferable over the patch due to it satisfying the oral fixation many smokers have. Unfortunately, nicotine gum has the potential to cause serious side effects, such as hiccups, gum disease, hair loss and birth defects. In addition, the American Cancer Society suggest nicotine patches be used primarily for withdrawal symptoms.

2. Weaning Many people feel that quitting cold turkey is too difficult, as withdrawal symptoms can be a real struggle to deal with. As a result, a tried and true method is reducing the average number of cigarettes you smoke on a daily basis until you’re down to zero. This allows you to avoid withdrawal symptoms, which can cause you to reach for a cigarette to quell them, and eventually the desire to smoke will subside.

3. Cold Turkey If you can deal with the withdrawal symptoms, which can include headaches, dizziness, irritability, and even depression, then quitting smoking entirely and all at once might work. This often goes hand-in-hand with using nicotine patches or gum, which can help quell the cravings. As was noted above, however, you should be informed of possible side effects, as the withdrawal symptoms may be preferable.

4. Money While this isn’t exactly a WAY to quit smoking, it certainly is motivation. Smoking is expensive, and with the recent hike in cigarette prices, quitting smnt.com/lifestyle/oking is not only a great way to improve your health, but to save money as well. A pack of cigarettes costs on average $5, and for those who smoke excessively, the cost can really add up. A good tip is to take the money you were going to use for cigarettes and stick it in a jar somewhere. Then, at the end of the month, use that money to buy something you’ve always wanted.

In the end, the reason you’re quitting smoking is for your health, and whatever way you decide to do so is the right way. Before quitting you should discuss with your doctor the potential for side effects and the possibility of withdrawal symptoms. He or she can thus help you formulate a plan to quit smoking once and for all.

Medline Plus

Cancer.org

Associated Content

At-Home Spa Services

A recent report estimated that American women spend approximately 7 billion dollars a year on beauty products alone. Now imagine the amount that is spent on various salon services, the thought alone is astounding. With these tough economic times our country is in, many people are trying to find more and more ways to cut back and spa services may just be one area. In fact, there are many beauty tricks that you can use from the comfort of your home that not only cost a whole lot less but have the same effect as some of its pricey counterparts. Also, with many of these tricks expensive products are not even needed, these essentials can simply be found in your cabinet or refrigerator.

Seeing as it is winter and many of us are lathering up to keep our skin moisturized and flake free, this homemade facial recipe will also do the same. Before the recipe is disclosed, however, there is a simple facial procedure that you can follow to get best results. First cleanse your skin, massage an exfoliate into it to remove dead skin, splash some warm water over your skin to open pores, then apply the mask for 10-15 minutes and wash off gently. Now, these two recipes are the best at keeping your skin moisturized and vibrate looking all winter long. The first is an avocado yogurt mask; puree one ripe avocado with four tablespoons plain yogurt and apply to face. The next is an egg honey mask; mix one egg yolk and two tablespoons honey until a light paste is formed then apply to the face.

The next station for our home spa is hair. While it is difficult to say cut or color your hair at home, since it really is an expert’s job, the least we can do is maintain healthy, beautiful hair. This service will not only allow to cut back on costly moisturizing techniques your stylist may use, but it will also allow you to go longer in between haircuts. With the following recipe you should wash your hair as usual, apply mixture thoroughly through hair and do NOT rinse. The first recipe is a lemon and honey rinse; mix together two teaspoons honey, one quarter cup lemon juice and four cups warm water. This next recipe is a hot olive oil treatment; you put one to two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil in a zip lock bag and run under hot water until it is hot. The next step is to apply thoroughly through the hair, and then you apply a plastic cap for 10-15 minutes, rinse and style as usual. Both of these recipes will add moisture, sheen and softness to your hair.

Next, to create soft, silky smooth skin you can immerse yourself into a relaxing and oh so good smelling tea bath. This at home service can replace other expensive ones such as mud baths and has the same effects. For this bath you will need, two tablespoons green tea, two tablespoons loose peppermint tea, two tablespoons chamomile tea, one piece of cheesecloth with a 15 inch diameter, three tablespoons oat flour, five drops lavender essential oil, five drops neroli essential oil and aloe vera. The first thing you need to do is combine the herbs, place them in the cheesecloth and tie off. Then fill your bath and immerse the tea bag for a few minutes, then add the flour and the essential oils. Next, submerge yourself in the tub, relax and let out any stress. After the bath is complete dry yourself and apply the aloe. For a more relaxing setting turn off the lights and lights some candles.

The final process in your at home spa day is a hand treatment. Your hands go through a lot everyday from doing the dishes to changing the oil and beyond so it is important to take of your hands and make sure they stay moisturized. To make this at home hand moisturizer you will need to combine a few spoonfuls of cold cream, two drops tea tree oil, five drops lavender oil, a spoonful of olive oil and a banana in a blender. When the consistency is smooth slather liberal amounts of the concoction on your hands and slip them into a pair of yellow rubber gloves (yes the ones you clean with!). To enhance to moisturizing properties of this mixture place your hands under a heating pad.

After your at home spa day is complete you will feel a hundred times better and will have the satisfaction of knowing you didn’t just drop hundreds of dollars at a spa. To make the experience even more fun make it a girls night and try out these techniques on each other!

More info can be found here!

Treat Yourself! Why Massages Are Good For Your Health

Billions of dollars are spent each year by people who want to make themselves feel better. Whether this money is spent on beauty, fashion, or gym memberships this money goes towards making our ever stressed out population feel just a little bit better mental or physically. Well now studies show that getting a massage has some great health benefits that will make you want to indulge! In fact, research shows that getting messages can ease insomnia, boost immunity, prevent PMS, and more.

With regular massages you can effectively say goodbye to pain. This may seem like somewhat of a no brainer but rubdowns can be especially effective for back pain. Some researchers have even found that getting a massage actually works better than other treatments such as chiropractic therapy and acupuncture. This happens because get massaged boosts the feel good hormone serotonin and dopamine which block’s your nervous system’s pain receptors.

If you struggle for insomnia you can say hello to dreams with massages as well. Studies have found that getting massages increase delta waves which are linked with deep sleep. No wonder you find yourself drifting whenever you are on the table!

It has also been found that getting massaged actually helps prevent you from getting sick. It boosts your natural fighting cells, which is the immune system’s first line of defense against invading germs and bacteria. Researchers have known that cortisol destroys fighting cells and since they also found that getting massaged decreases cortisol levels it automatically gives your immune system a boost. In fact, massage has even been found to boost immunity in those people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients.

Decreased levels of cortisol and more serotonin and dopamine also mean less stress, anxiety, and depression in general. This increased sense of relaxation is one reason why some hospitals offer massage to anxious patients awaiting surgery and cancer patients going through chemo.

Finally, it is no big surprise that if you are an active person, massage can cause less cramps and pain due to the improved blood circulation that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells. So when you start to feel guilty about treating yourself to a massage just remind yourself about all of these awesome health benefits you get from them!

More great info can be found here!

Healthy Holiday Baking

We all know that baking is a huge part of not only Thanksgiving but of Christmas as well. There are few people who abstain from baking cookies, pies or cakes during the holiday season. Unfortunately, baked goods usually mean unwanted calories, fat and sugar. Lucky for us though there are many ways to make our holiday baking healthier. Here are some of those tips!

The first thing to remember when it comes to changing a baking recipe is to make small changes and to limit the number of changes. Making all of the following changes can make for some interesting baked goods so take all of these suggestions with a grain of salt.

The first thing you can do to make your baking a little healthier is to include some wheat flour instead of using entirely all purpose. The standard ratio for this change usually half and half. Depending on the baked good though this can make for a rather dry good so make sure you play with the recipe to see what works best with all of your recipes.

Another easy change that can be made is to reduce the amount of sugar within a recipe. Sugar makes for both unwanted sugar and unwanted fat. Most of the time recipes actually call for more sugar than is really needed so using less sugar is okay. The standard deviation for this suggestion is about one fourth, which also means one fourth the fat and sugar.

In order to sustain flavor in your recipes while changing the amount of sugar you put in you can add other flavors. Tasty baking flavors that offset the reduction in sugar include cinnamon, vanilla or nutmeg.

Also, to reduce the fat within your baked goods you can often times use vegetable oil in place of butter or shortening.

So remember this holiday season if you are looking to reduce your caloric intake while still indulging in all the delicious holiday dishes, making your baked goods healthier with these tips is a good way to do so. More great, healthy cooking tips for the holidays can be found here.

How to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under the Eyes

At some point or another everyone has had those unsightly dark circles under their eyes. The reason these dark circles appear is because the skin below the eyes is thin and does not have many oil glands like the rest of your face. Because of this, the veins appear more prominent resulting in dark circles under the eyes. There are a number of things that cause these circles such as heredity, lack of sleep, bone structure, sun exposure, medication, nutrition and hormonal changes. There are also many ways that you can help your body combat these unattractive dark circles.

There are a few things you can do daily that will help your dark circles look more radiant. These things include drinking nearly 10 glasses of water every day, getting get rest and adequate sleep, eating vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A and consuming a nutritionally balanced diet.

If you are doing all of the above things and still seem to be getting dark circles or if you had a rough week, there are also some home remedies you can try. The first remedy is to apply slices of raw potato or cucumber over the eyelids for 15 minutes. Almonds are also considered a great skin food and an almond paste placed on the eye area for 10 minutes will help, alternatively almond oil can also be used. Another oil that has been found to fight dark circles is Vitamin E or olive oil. Another popular home remedy is to place cool tea bags under the eye. And lastly, applying fresh mint leaves around the eyes will also reduce dark circles.

If you aren’t one to apply food all over your face there are also some creams that have been found to help. Topical creams that have Vitamin K are most commonly prescribed to help with dark circles. Antioxidant products containing Vitamins C and E are also known to stimulate fibroblast activity in the dermal layer which firms up skin. There are also some over the counter products containing kinetin or AHA that reduce both the color and sagging. Chemical peels have also been known to help with chronic dark circles.

Finally, if all else fails, wear make up! Applying under the eye cream will certainly help conceal that ghastly dark color. Just make sure that when you are choosing your concealer that it matches your skin properly. A too light tone will only accentuate the dark circles. You can also avoid wearing eyeliner and mascara that may draw more attention to the lower part of your eye.

More skin care tips and tricks can be found here!

Health Benefits of Peppermint

With Christmas nearing you are inevitably seeing delicious peppermint candy canes being sold in your local grocery store. Candy canes are one the best selling candies during the holiday season and are have multiple uses, including being used as Christmas tree decorations. Obviously eating them as a treat is the most popular use, but did you know that ingesting peppermint actually has health benefits for you?

Foremost, peppermint soothes the human digestive tract which in turn limits indigestion and results in less flatulence. Peppermint also helps alleviate stomach conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and has been found useful in treating stomach cancer and gallbladder disease.

Peppermint has also been shown to stunt the growth of many different types of bacteria and fungi. This in turn has been found to help relieve symptoms of allergies and asthma.

Finally, while many of you are probably not going to go around rubbing candy canes all over yourselves, peppermint oil has been found to help relieve tension headaches. And the mere smell of peppermint has been known to relieve stress.

So when you’re trying to decide what to have as a treat this holiday season reach for that candy cane and you who knows you may feel better after consumption than before!

For more health tips, click here!

A Glass of Wine a Day Will Keep the Doctor Away

Have you ever heard the saying “an apple a day will keep the doctor away”? Well now studies are beginning to show that moderate alcohol consumption, such as a glass of wine an evening with dinner may in fact have positive health effects. Now this article isn’t to suggest that prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption will be detrimental to one’s health, because it will, it is merely to suggest that indulging in a regular glass of wine is not harmful to your health.

A study called the “French Paradox” has confirmed that moderate wine consumption can be associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer among men. The study also found that moderate wine consumption was associated with a 30% reduction in the death rate from all causes; a 35% percent reduction in death rates from cardiovascular disease; and an 18-24% reduction in death rates from cancer.

In women, moderate alcohol consumption can cause fewer kidney stones. This study found that in all there was an approximate reduction of kidney stones of 39%.

Moderate wine consumption can also be associated with a reduced risk of stroke, a recent study says. Researchers believe that wine’s protective effects may be linked to disease fighting compounds other than alcohol. The study explicitly found that those who drank wine in moderation either daily, weekly or monthly had a 16%, 34%, and 32% reduced risk of stroke, respectively.

A glass of wine each day has also been found that create a lower risk of atherosclerosis than either abstainers or heavy drinkers. Atherosclerosis is a gradual build up of fatty deposits in arteries and is the leading contributor to coronary disease and fatal heart attacks. The study suggests that a glass of wine with dinner delays the absorption of harmful lipids.

Overall, researchers around the world have found that moderate alcohol consumption can be associated with a longer life. Moderate drinkers, they say, appear to be at a lower risk for all causes of death including cancer and other chronic disease. Ultimately, scientists say that the lowest mortality rate occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day. So for all you wine drinkers out there raise your glass and cheers to a longer and more fruitful life!

For more health tips click here!

Ways to Watch the Waistline this Holiday Season without Going Outside

Many people find it difficult to maintain their diets or keep from putting on a few pounds during the holidays. This is due not only to the temptation that constantly surrounds you in the forms of food and drink, but the lack of exercise one typically gets as a result of the holidays being the busiest times of the year. Even if you don’t have the time to exercise, however, there are ways to keep yourself looking trim and fit without ever going outside.

One of the best ways to keep in shape is to play with your kids! If you’re a parent and have one or more young children in the house, a mere thirty minutes of goofing off and playing with them can provide substantial benefits to your overall health. You may not break a huge sweat, but your heart will get pumping and remain that way for a short period afterward. This is especially helpful if you go back to cooking the holiday dinner.

When cooking, you might be tempted to snack. Trying all the foods you’re making to ensure they’re cooked properly can add up, especially given the overall unhealthy attributes of conventional thanksgiving foods. They may be tasty, but those candied yams, mashed potatoes and greasy turkey pack quite a caloric punch. Your best bet to prevent this, aside from playing with the kids beforehand, is to chew on a piece of gum or, alternatively, have a filling breakfast packed with protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. This will keep you full until the Thanksgiving feast is complete, and if you ate enough, prevent you from overeating when the meal is finally served.

Other ways to watch the waistline boil down to what you prepare for the Thanksgiving meal. Since many of the standard items are loaded with butter, salt and other unhealthy ingredients, you can substitute items such as sour cream, real butter and salt with alternatives. Many cookbooks will provide alternatives, as will the boxes of packaged food. For example, some items that call for several tablespoons of butter can taste just as good by using olive oil instead. This is a much healthier alternative, as olive oil in moderate amounts can provide plenty of benefits for the heart.

This is just a small sample of some of the way to remain fit and looking good during the holidays. At times you may be tempted to splurge and eat half a pie, but that’s ok. Just don’t do it again. Experiment with ways to cut back on calories and to get the most out of what little exercise you can squeeze into your stressful holiday season. For more health holiday tips, go here!