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20 Ways Your Body Heals After You Quit Smoking

The habit of smoking has never been healthy as it can lead to the development of serious chronic diseases. Smoking also raises your risk of aging and dying young. Needless to say, there are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking if you value your health.

A single cigarette is composed of over 5,000 chemicals that can poison your body, experts at the Cancer Research UK told The Independent. But here are some different ways your body heals if you choose to quit smoking for good.

Here Are 20 Ways Your Body Heals After You Quit Smoking

“You’re always better off if you quit smoking; it’s never too late.” – Loni Anderson

1.    Your body’s oxygen level normalizes.

When you smoke, you inhale poisonous carbon monoxide that overtakes the level of oxygen in your bloodstream.

  • Smokers who have a pack a day have three to six percent of carbon monoxide in their blood. The ideal level is less than one percent.
  • This makes it harder for your body to distribute oxygen that is vital to the functions of your organs, especially the heart.
  • When you quit smoking, your oxygen level normalizes within eight hours as your body slowly clears out the toxic level of carbon monoxide.

2.    Your sense of smell and taste return to normal.

You will start to recover your normal sense of smell and taste within 48 hours after you’ve gone cold turkey. This happens because you are no longer ingesting poison from the nicotine. This addictive substance contained in tobacco impedes your senses as it is toxic to the blood vessels.

3.    Your circulation starts improving.

Once you quit smoking, your blood circulation improves and properly reaches the vital organs, including the tips of your hands and feet. This positive effect greatly cuts your risks of a stroke because your blood vessels are now clearer and your blood pressure is lower. This improvement, however, may have a gradual effect and will depend on how long you’ve been smoking.

4.    You may have some coughing fits.

There are smokers who will experience some coughing fits a few days after they quit the bad habit but this isn’t something to be worried about. It is the body’s way of healing itself as the coughing helps the lungs grow clearer. However, if you find the coughing uncomfortable, you can use air purifiers and engage in deep-breathing exercises to speed up the process of recovery for your lungs.

5.    You may have sleep disturbances.

You also may have a difficult time sleeping within the first few days after you’ve quit smoking.

  • As with the coughing fits, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Your body is simply withdrawing from the nicotine.
  • Consider this your body’s way of adjusting to a normal sleeping pattern as an ex-smoker.
  • You should likely only experience sleep disturbances for two weeks. From then on, you should be able to sleep more soundly once the nicotine is no longer in control of your body’s functions.

6.    You’ll feel more energetic.

Two weeks after you’ve quit smoking, you’ll start having fewer episodes of fatigue and tiredness. Instead, you’ll feel more energetic to walk, run, or do other activities that encourage a good cardio workout as your body heals from the nicotine.

7.    Your heart will finally get a break.

With the carbon monoxide clearing and oxygen leveling off, your heart will finally get a break from all those toxic chemicals. You, therefore, cut your risks of developing heart diseases and other cardiac issues. Do you know that it takes 15 years for a smoker’s heart to be truly free of the risks?

8.    You’ll start breathing better.

Your lungs will bear the positive effects of cutting the smoking habit the most. It will start improving within a few weeks as the cilia – those hair-like airways in the lungs – will no longer be paralyzed. So, you’ll start breathing better. You may also be motivated to exercise more since you will have an easier time inhaling and exhaling when doing physical activities.

9.    Your lungs will start to finally repair.

Nine months after you’ve quit smoking, you will begin to feel the effects of your lungs naturally healing. You’ll notice your smoker’s cough is gone and you won’t have shortness of breath anymore when you climb stairs.

10.  Your immune system will improve.

Smokers are prone to develop a cough, cold, or fever because they have lowered immune systems. If they quit the habit, the chemicals start to diminish from their body. Additionally, their immune system will get a boost. Once this happens, their body will be able to fight off germs, bacteria, and viruses better.

11.  Your breath will smell better.

According to a study in Journal of Natural Science Biological Medicine, bad breath or halitosis is prevalent among people who smoke. The cigarettes bring different kinds of bacteria to the mouth. Smoking also causes dryness that enables these bacteria to thrive. But if you quit smoking, you will slowly eliminate this social handicap as the saliva will begin to flow continuously and clean your mouth, as it should.

12.  Your mouth and teeth will look better too.

You will definitely have more reasons to smile when you quit smoking because you will no longer have stained teeth.

  • Did you know that those nicotine chemicals can turn your teeth yellow, brown, and black? No matter how you many times you brush your teeth, the stains will remain as long as you smoke?
  • More than this, you’ll lessen your risks of developing periodontal diseases if you quit smoking.
  • Your lips will also improve because you will not have mouth sores from sucking cigarettes anymore.

13.  You’ll have better-looking skin

The chemicals from cigarettes easily deplete the skin of important components like collagen and elastin. Smokers usually have more skin dryness and wrinkles. If you quit smoking, you’ll restore your skin’s natural luster. With clearer blood vessels, your skin will properly absorb the nutrients it needs to prevent premature skin aging.

14. Your breast won’t sag.

Hard as it is to believe, your breasts will also reap positive benefits when you quit smoking. You’re more prone to breast sagging if you’re a smoker, since cigarette chemicals may cause the skin to lose elasticity. In addition, smoking has been tied to breast cancer, as per the BreastCancer.Org. So, you’ll improve your breasts’ appearance and health if you kick the habit for good.

15.  Your fingers will get a natural manicure.

A few weeks after you quit smoking, you will be able to notice a line across your fingernails. This signals the growth of new and healthier nails to replace the stained, yellow ones. You’ll get a natural manicure when you quit smoking because your body is no longer filled with toxic chemicals.

16.  Your hair will grow beautifully.

It’s no coincidence that smokers have unhealthy hair. In fact, a study in the journal Dermatology linked hair loss problems to this bad habit. But if you quit smoking, your hair will begin to grow fuller, thicker, and a lot more lustrous because it is finally getting enough nutrients that now freely circulate in the body.

17.  You might have weight gain.

Unfortunately, weight gain happens for many people who have kicked the habit of smoking.

  • This usually happens because there are no more chemicals that prevent the hunger pangs. Your blood sugar may also shift and cause those cravings.
  • While this is normal, it’s important to still be careful about your diet.
  • As you fight the addiction to nicotine, you must also learn to eat the right kinds of food to keep your body healthy.

quit smoking

18.  Your risk for cancer drops.

Within two to five years after you’ve quit smoking, you reduce your risks for mouth and throat cancer by as much as 50 percent. You also significantly cut your bladder cancer risk. If you’re a woman, you’ll lessen your risk of cervical cancer.

19.  You cut your risk of death from cancer.

Over 480,000 smokers die annually, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But within 10 years of quitting, you’ll reduce your risk of death from cancer that has been induced by cigarette smoking. In other words, you’ll prolong your life if you stop this bad habit.

20.  Your heart will function as if you’ve never smoked before.

So, as you add more years to your life again if you quit smoking, your heart will greatly improve. After 15 years, the heart will return to the way it functioned earlier, as if you’ve never puffed a cigarette.

Final Thoughts On Ways Your Body Heals After You Quit Smoking

A smoker may average some 200 hits of toxic nicotine every day. This is one reason why this habit is so addictive. When you’ve puffed a few times, your brain craves more nicotine. Several studies have proven over the last few decades that this substance is indeed addictive. A withdrawal might be hard for some smokers because they become anxious and irritable, develop cravings, and have headaches.

  • If you want to quit smoking, you have to understand that it will be very challenging. It might help to let other people know that you’re giving up the habit so you can gain their support.
  • If you have a friend who smokes, you may have to avoid hanging out with them for a few weeks or ask them not to smoke when you’re around.
  • You’ll have a more successful and positive result if you follow a step-by-step plan.
  • You also need to prepare yourself and stock up on supplies like candies, carrot sticks, gum, and other items that you think will help you manage the withdrawal symptoms better.
  • Get rid of everything that may trigger you to smoke, such as ashtrays, lighters, and any unopened packs of cigarettes you’ve been keeping in your house.
  • It may also be helpful to clean your house and car of the cigarette smell to reduce the chance of cravings.

The first two weeks after you’ve stopped smoking for good are very critical. You should also try to keep yourself busy and distracted so that you won’t be prompted to light a cigarette.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbCcRc2CwKg

Yoga for Beginners : A Complete Guide to Get Started

Practicing yoga assists in offering a foundation and tools for creating excellent habits like non-attachment, self-inquiry, and discipline. This exercise also provides a way of empowering you to make conscious options to live a fulfilling and healthy life. Yoga is derived from the word yuj, which means better internal states like happiness, peace, and clarity.

Why Start Yoga?

The current culture involves constant stimulation of your nervous and mind systems. Yoga for beginners creates the opportunity for you to decelerate your mind and maintain a sense of balance. According to a 2016 study, 36.7 million people have practiced this meditative exercise; a fifty percent increase since 2012.

Here’s a complete guide for yoga for beginners to get you started:

spiritual benefits yoga

1. Yoga Assists your Physical Body

The postures of this exercise can aid to boost balance, mobility, strength, and flexibility. These advantages are the reason athletes include this exercise in an effective cross-training program.
As you do Yoga for beginners, you go through various motions that can counteract poor postural habits and tension. In addition to boosting your body awareness, it lets you correct these imbalances and boost your general athleticism.

2. Reduced Stress and Improved Relaxation

An excellent advantage of Yoga for beginners is the reduction of stress. This is because when stress accumulates, your nervous system can go on overdrive, making it hard to sleep, focus, and unwind. The breathing exercises undertaken can assist in lowering the heart rate and relaxing the nervous system. It also boosts your focus and promotes better sleep.

When it comes to individuals with a deeper spiritual history, its impacts are realized off the mat and beyond the physical. The exercise can aid in linking you more deeply to the sense of awareness and purpose of your current living. As you begin your journey, what you derive out of it can additionally change depending on your requirements.

Getting Started

Yoga is not one exercise that can be done by everybody, but has a variety of exercises for everyone. If you are a beginner, it is ideal to attempt various exercises to figure out the one that is perfect for you. The main types are:

1. Iyengar

This is a mixture of seated and standing postures using props for individuals who need to focus on a range of motion and increase muscular strength, posture, and alignment.

2. Viniyoga

A class that concentrates on meditation and breathing for individuals willing to work meticulously from within or with limited mobility, to experience improved posture, body awareness, and relaxation.

3. Jivanmukti

This is a predetermined sequence which incorporates deep listening, chanting, compassion, and meditation, for persons who need to incorporate ancient teachings and spiritual elements of this exercise in their practice as they gain improving relationships, body awareness, and knowledge of Sanskrit.

4. Hatha

This type of yoga for beginners makes use of breathing techniques and poses to calm and align the body, spirit, and mind as you prepare to meditate. Classes have a slow pace, but it can demand a lot of physical strength to hold the poses.

5. Vinyasa

This type of yoga for beginners is dynamic and may also be called “flow class.” It synchronizes motion with breathing, and you expect your movement to be quicker than in a Hatha class.

6. Ashtanga

Ashtanga takes you through a physically challenging and fast-paced series of poses done in a single order with a great emphasis on breath. Traditional Ashtanga classes do not allow drinking of water and participants can only proceed to the next pose after the previous one has been achieved.

7. Bikram

Bikram is made of twenty-six poses and two breathing techniques repeated in a single order for one and a half hours. It is typically done in a room that is heated to forty degrees Celsius.

8. Kundalini

This type of yoga for beginners consists of repeated movements (that are called kriya), meditation, chanting, dynamic breathing, and mantras. It is believed to have the ability to awaken the energy present at the spine’s base and move it upwards via the chakras.

9. Yin

It consists of poses done for three to five minutes in a seated or lying down position. The lengthened stretches focus on releasing tension and restoring motion range to connective tissue and muscle. It is essential to people suffering from chronic pain, stress, and tight muscles.

10. Restorative

Very relaxed positions are made for at least ten minutes. It consists of numerous props for relaxation and support like straps, bolsters, and blankets. Similar to Yin, it is significant to persons suffering from stress and chronic pain.
Through the various styles of yoga for beginners, self-healing is a consistent and common theme. Whichever style you pick, it will allow you to learn more about yourself to become a better person.

yoga for beginners

A Guide to Basic Poses

It is crucial to learn some of the basic poses that a majority of the practitioners use. They are simple and can be done from your home. Here are a few:

1. Downward-Facing Dog

Go on your knees and hands. Then make your hands straight and make your upper back relax between your shoulder blades. Maintain bending on your knees, lengthen them, and lift your hips.

The objective is to create the shape of a “V” that is upside down. If your hamstrings are flexible, make your legs straight and push your heels toward the ground as you maintain the spine’s length. In case you see that your spine is curving as you make your legs straight, slightly bend your knees to maintain the length of your spine. Hold the position for five breaths.

2. Cobra

Go down on your tummy and straighten your legs. Make your leg muscles firm and spread your feet to the width of your hips as your toes point behind you. Use the pubic bone to push down to prevent collapsing of the spine’s lower portion. Support your body with your forearms as you pull up your torso from the floor. Ensure you lengthen your neck as you focus straight ahead. Hold the position for five breaths.

3. Warrior 1

Maintain an upright posture and put your right foot back. Have your front foot point straight forward and set your rear foot at an angle of forty-five degrees. Ensure your feet are apart for the width of your hips to enable squaring of your hips to the mat’s front. Bend your body into the front knee. Be sure to have your knee behind or above your ankle.

Maintain strength on your back leg. Put your arms up straight on top of your head and have your shoulders relaxed. Breathe a few times before changing sides.

4. Warrior 2

Maintain an upright posture and have your right foot step back as your front foot points forward. Position the back foot at slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Your front heel should be aligned with your back foot’s arch.
Turn your hips toward the mat’s side. Bend into the front knee to ensure the knee is above or behind the ankle as the kneecap tracks over the middle toe. Maintain strength on your back leg. Put up your arms so that they are parallel with the floor and have your shoulders relaxed. Hold for five breaths before shifting sides.

5. Tree Pose

Maintain an upright posture and move your load onto your left foot, having your left foot’s inner part firmly on the ground. Then have your right knee bent. Lift your right foot and put the sole on the inner left thigh.
Put your hands on the pelvis’s top rim to ensure it’s parallel with the ground. Make your tailbone long toward the ground. Firmly push on the inner left thigh with your right sole and use the outer left leg to resist. Put your hands up straight above the head. Be sure that your shoulders are relaxed. Hold the position for five breaths and shift sides.

6. Seated Forward Fold

Sit on the floor with your lower limbs straight out before you. Bend your knees in case your hamstrings are tight. Flex your feet and point your toes up. Lengthen your spine and sit up tall. Maintain the length of your spine and fold forward as you lead with your chest.

Put your hands on your legs comfortably. Hold the position for five breaths.

7. Bridge Pose

Go on the floor on your back. Spread your feet for the width of your hips as you bend your knees and stack them above your ankles. Put your arms on both sides of your body and place the palms on the ground as you widen your fingers. Lengthen your tailbone’s skin toward your mat’s front. Lift your hips and hold the position for five breaths.

8. Supine Twist

Lie with your back on the floor. Hug your knees in toward you as you lift your feet off the floor. Put your upper limbs in a “T” pose as your palms face the ceiling. Allow your knees to go down on the mat’s right side. Maintain an upward or opposite gaze as you drop your knees. Hold the position for five breaths before shifting sides.

Conclusion

If you want to have mental, physical, and spiritual improvements, yoga for beginners is perfect for you. It will offer you these benefits and more.

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Top 10 Quick and Healthy Dinner Ideas That Take Less Than 30 Minutes

Many people assume that cooking a healthy dinner takes a lot of time due to the effort it takes to get and cook the right ingredients. However, cooking a healthy meal can be simpler than preparing regular meals.

Here are the top ten quick and healthy dinner ideas that take less than thirty minutes:

1. Pizza in a Bowl

Ingredients:
• Three cups of raw rigatoni
• A three-quarter pound of ground beef
• Half cup of chopped onion
• One can of pizza sauce
• Two-thirds cup of thick and undiluted cream of mushroom soup
• Two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• One package of sliced pepperoni
• Chopped fresh arugula or basil.

Cook rigatoni according to the instructions on the package and drain. Then use a big skillet to cook onion and beef over medium heat for eight minutes or until the beef’s pink color disappears. Then, crumble the beef and drain it.

Add cheese, soup, and pizza sauce. Cook while you stir over low heat to melt the cheese. Then, add pepperoni and rigatoni to the beef mixture. Mix the food further by stirring while you heat. Then, add basil as toppings before serving. This is one of the best healthy dinner ideas.

2. Grilled Garden Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:
• One medium red onion that is sliced crosswise into half-inch cuts
• One large sweet red pepper that is seeded
• Stemmed, and halved
• One small zucchini that is sliced lengthwise into half-inch cuts
• One yellow summer squash that is sliced lengthwise into half-inch cuts
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Half teaspoon of salt
• A quarter teaspoon of pepper
• One prebaked twelve-inch thin pizza crust that is whole wheat
• Three tablespoons of jarred roasted minced garlic
• Two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• A third cup of torn fresh basil.

Mix the vegetables with oil and sprinkle pepper and salt on it. Cover the vegetables and grill over medium heat for five minutes on each side of the pepper and onion and four minutes on each side of the squash and zucchini.
Then, slice the pepper into small pieces and separate the onions into rings. Spread the garlic on the pizza crust and sprinkle one cup of cheese on it.

Then, use the grilled vegetables to top it and add the remaining cheese on top. Now cover the pizza and grill over medium heat for seven minutes until the cheese melts and the bottom turns golden brown. Add basil as toppings. This is one of sweetest healthy dinner ideas.

3. Pork Chops with Honey-Garlic Sauce

Ingredients:
• Four bone-in chops of pork loin
• A quarter cup of lemon juice
• A quarter cup of honey
• Two tablespoons of soy sauce with reduced sodium
• One minced garlic clove.

Use cooking spray to coat a big nonstick skillet and cook the pork chops over average heat until the temperature is 145 degrees Celsius. Cook for six minutes on every side. Remove from heat and let it cool for five minutes as you mix the remaining ingredients.

Add them to a pan and heat medially for four minutes as you occasionally stir. Serve them with your pork chops. It is one of the most delicious healthy dinner ideas.

4. Bruschetta Steak

Ingredients:
• Three medium tomatoes that are chopped
• Three tablespoons of fresh basil that is chopped
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One teaspoon of fresh and minced oregano or half teaspoon of dried oregano
• One minced garlic clove
• Three quarter teaspoon of salt
• One top sirloin steak or beef flat iron that is sliced into four parts
• Four teaspoons of pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese.

Mix the first six ingredients and stir in a quarter teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper on the beef.
Cover it and grill over medium heat until it is well done. The temperature of the grill should be at 140 degrees Celsius, and each side of the beef should be grilled for six minutes.

Then, top with the cheese and tomato mixture and serve. It is one of the tastiest dinner ideas.

5. Beef & Spinach Lo Mein

Ingredients:
• A quarter cup of hoisin sauce
• Two tablespoons of soy sauce
• One tablespoon of water
• Two teaspoons of sesame oil
• Two minced garlic cloves
• Quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes that are crushed
• One pound beef top round steak that is thinly sliced
• Six ounces of uncooked spaghetti
• Four teaspoons of canola oil
• One can of sliced and drained water chestnuts
• Two sliced green onions
• One package of coarsely chopped fresh spinach
• One thinly sliced and seeded red chili pepper.

Mix the first six ingredients in a bowl. Put a quarter cup of the mixture into a big bowl, include beef, and toss for coating. Marinate the beef for ten minutes at room temperature. Use the package directions to cook the spaghetti. Then, use a big skillet to heat one and a half teaspoons of canola oil. Put half of the beef mixture into the skillet and stir-fry until the beef’s pink color disappears. Then remove from pan. Repeat the same procedure with the other half of the beef and one and a half teaspoons of canola oil.

Stir-fry green onions and the water chestnuts in the remaining canola oil for thirty seconds. Stir in the remaining hoisin mixture and the spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts. Then, return the beef to the pan and heat through. Now drain the spaghetti and add to the beef mixture and mix. Sprinkle chili pepper and mix. The vegetables make it one of the most nutritious dinner ideas.

6. Fresh Corn & Tomato Fettuccine

Ingredients:
• Eight ounces of raw whole wheat fettuccine
• Two medium of ears sweet corn with removed husks
• Two teaspoons + two tablespoons of olive oil
• Half cup of sliced sweet red pepper
• Four chopped green onions
• Two medium chopped tomatoes
• Half teaspoon of salt
• Half teaspoon of pepper
• One cup of crumbled feta cheese
• Two tablespoons of minced fresh parsley.

Cook fettuccine in a Dutch oven according to package instructions. Include corn in the last eight minutes. Then use a small skillet to heat two teaspoons of olive oil medially. Then add green onions and red pepper and stir until soft. Now, drain the corn and pasta and transfer the pasta into a big bowl. Cool corn a bit and cut it from the cob before adding to pasta.

Add the pepper mixture, remaining oil, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and toss into mix. Then, sprinkle with parsley and cheese. It is one of the ideal dinner ideas.

7. Chicken Thighs, Shallots, & Spinach

Ingredients:
• Six boneless and skinless chicken thighs
• Half teaspoon of seasoned salt
• Half teaspoon pepper
• One and a half teaspoons of olive oil
• Four thinly sliced shallots
• Third cup of white wine or chicken broth with reduced sodium
• Ten ounces of trimmed fresh spinach
• Quarter cup of teaspoon salt
• Quarter cup of sour cream that is fat-free.

Sprinkle salt and pepper into the chicken. Cook the chicken with oil over medium heat for six minutes on every side.
Remove it from the pan and use the pan to cook shallots until soft. Then boil it with wine until the wine reduces by half. Then add salt and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts.

Then mix with sour cream and serve with chicken. The sour cream makes it one of the most delicious dinner ideas.

8. Feta-Dill Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:
• One lightly beaten large egg
• One minced large shallot
• Two tablespoons of crushed Ritz crackers
• Two tablespoons of minced fresh dill
• Three minced garlic cloves; quarter teaspoon of salt
• Quarter teaspoon of pepper
• one pound of ground chicken
• Half cup of finely crumbled feta cheese
• Two tablespoons of canola oil
• Four split hamburger buns
• Sliced tomato and refrigerated tzatziki sauce.

Mix the first seven ingredients. Add chicken and stir thoroughly but slightly. Then stir gently in cheese.
Shape into four half-inch thick patties and brush them with oil. Cover and grill over medium heat for six minutes on each side.

Serve on the buns and top with tomato and tzatziki sauce. It is one of the ideal dinner ideas.

9. Mediterranean Pork and Orzo

Ingredients:
• One and a half pounds of pork tenderloin
• One teaspoon of coarsely ground pepper
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Three quarts of water
• One and a quarter cups of uncooked orzo pasta
• Quarter teaspoon salt
• Six ounces of fresh baby spinach
• One cup of halved grape tomatoes
• Three quarters cup of crumbled feta cheese.

As one of the best dinner ideas, cook this meal by rubbing pepper on the pork and slicing it into cubes. Heat oil in a big nonstick skillet medially and add pork.

dinner ideas

Cook the pork until its pink color disappears. Then boil water in a Dutch oven and add salt as well as orzo. Cook for eight minutes while uncovered. Add spinach and cook for one minute until the spinach wilts and the orzo is soft. Add tomatoes to pork and stir with orzo mixture together with cheese.

10. Spaghetti & Meatball

Ingredients:
• Twelve ounces of frozen cooked Italian turkey meatballs
• One tablespoon of olive oil
• One can of broken up and undrained tomatoes
• One can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans.
• One can of quartered artichoke hearts that are water-packed and drained
• Half teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• One can of chicken broth with reduced sodium
• Four ounces of raw spaghetti
• Quarter cup chopped fresh parsley
• One tablespoon of lemon juice
• Grated Parmesan cheese.

Heat oil in a big skillet medially and add meatballs until a bit brown. Add Italian seasoning, broth, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and beans and boil. Mix with spaghetti and continue to boil. Simmer for twelve minutes until soft. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and serve with cheese. It is one of the top dinner ideas.

Conclusion

If you are looking to adjust to a healthy lifestyle, look no further than these dinner ideas. These ten delicious, healthy dinner ideas have sufficient nutrients to keep you healthy and full.

Asthma Symptoms And Causes + 10 Top Home Remedies

According to research, more than 26 million Americans have asthma. However, many patients and people living with such patients are unaware of full information related to this inflammatory condition.

Here are symptoms, causes, and home remedies for asthma:

Symptoms of Asthma

Asthma can be a very tricky disease. You may face all these signs and discover you lack this inflammatory condition or you could miss all of them and find out that you suffer from the condition. For instance, wheezing, a symptom of the inflammatory condition, is also a symptom of congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, cystic fibrosis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If you suspect you are suffering from this condition, it is best to visit a doctor for your symptoms to be checked.

1. Wheezing

This is the most common symptom of this inflammatory condition, and it’s the most common reason parents and patients look for care when worried about it. During breathing out or exhaling, a high-pitched whistle is typically heard. But wheezing may also take place when breathing in or inhaling and normally signals poor control of the condition.

However, wheezing has to be distinguished from stridor, which refers to lower airflow as a result of obstruction outside your lungs. During wheezing, inflammation leads to narrowing of the airways inside the lungs causing lessened air flow through the lung. You should note that wheezing can take place with some other conditions.

2. Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath refers to the inability to catch breath or breathlessness that you may undergo when you are suffering from the inflammatory condition. This can be a symptom of poor control of the infection or can be experienced prior to diagnosis.

This is very normal, and it is expected when you go to high altitude areas or undergo extreme exercises. Moreover, the average level of exercising by an obese patient may also result in breathlessness with little exertion.
This breathlessness may be called dyspnea by your doctor while others may call it “air hunger” or the feeling of being unable to catch your breath. Different people may experience the symptom differently. Hence, they may describe or name it differently.

Some patients may be unable to undertake as many activities as they used to undertake in the past. Also, the symptom could appear abruptly in some patients and more slowly in others.

3. Coughing

Coughing is a primary complaint patients give when visiting a doctor, particularly during flu or cold season. It can also be a symptom of a grave condition such as lung cancer if a patient faces a risk of getting it. It can be a sign of a simple virus or even bacterial infection.

Additionally, coughing is a part of the defense mechanism of the body. A chronic cough can signify poor control of the infection. If a physician is concerned about this inflammatory condition, there is a high likelihood that they will ask whether you cough while exercising or at night. If you are suffering from the disease and you cough each night for over two times a week, this may mean that you need to increase your medications.

4. Chest Tightness

Chest tightness could take place alone or together with all the other symptoms. Patients describe the symptom as an uncomfortable feeling of air resisting movement in their lungs. For a majority of the patients, this leads to a lot of anxiety due to the thought of difficulty in breathing.

Causes of Asthma

Causes of this condition are unknown. However, what is known are the causes of the symptoms of the disease. Here are various triggers:

Indoor Triggers

Most people in the US spend about 90 percent of their lifetime indoors. Consequently, indoor allergens can play a vital role in making this inflammatory condition worse. Knowing the indoor allergens impacting the infection could result in crucial improvements by either avoiding them or creating a plan to handle them. Indoor triggers include:

1. Nitrogen Dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is a gas that originates from a gas stove, gas space heater, or fireplace and can lead to lung irritation and breathlessness.

2. Pets

Allergens from the saliva, urine, dead skin, fur, and droppings of your pet can trigger this inflammatory condition. The ideal way to avoid pets from making the infection worse is to keep them away from your home. If you can’t live without them, have an area free from pets like the bedroom, and clean the house regularly, particularly stuffed animals and toys, upholstered furniture, and rugs.

3. Pests like Cockroaches

Droppings, urine, and body parts of pests like cockroaches have certain proteins that can trigger asthma symptoms. It is vital to eradicate places that pests hide and keep exposed areas such as countertops free from water and food.

4. Mold

Molds can grow on any moist surface. They typically grow on damp or wet surfaces in places such as basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. If your home is plagued by molds, reducing moisture could lead to better control of the disease.

5. Dust Mites

These are small insects that are present in every home but cannot be visible to the naked eye. They feed on skin’s tiny flakes found on carpets, stuffed toys, upholstered furniture, and beddings. Dust mites can trigger symptoms of this inflammatory condition in people with and without the infection.

6. Secondhand Smoke

This smoke is also called the environmental tobacco smoke, and it’s a combination of smoke irritants breathed out by smokers of cigars, pipes, or cigarettes as well as tobacco itself. This smoke consists of over 250 various chemicals that cause cancer like arsenic, vinyl chloride, and benzene that may cause irritation of your airways and lead to asthma symptoms.

Outdoor Triggers

1. Pollens

Pollens are tiny, powdery granules, which are vital to fertilization of plants. The amount of pollen that goes airborne is affected by weather. Pollen season adjusts with your geographical location. But generally, it takes place between February and October. Pollens from various kinds of trees, grasses, and plants may cause symptoms of asthma.

2. Molds

There is a lot of mold outdoors that can get into the air. However, unlike pollen, they are all year round and not restricted to a certain season. Many outdoor molds are present in outdoor vegetation and soil.

3. Weather

Weather is a common trigger for asthma symptoms. On days that are windy, dry, and hot, there will be higher counts of pollen that cause asthma symptoms. Rain could also cause an increase in molds that could make asthma symptoms worse. Also, cloudy days with minimal wind may lead to fewer symptoms of asthma. Since you can’t avoid allergens caused by weather, it is best to carry your treatment at all times.

Home Remedies

1. Mustard Oil

A mixture of camphor and mustard oil is a great treatment for this condition. Massage the mixture on your chest until you feel relief from the respiratory illness. Warming the oil prior to massaging will ensure that you feel a warmth that offers quick relief.

2. Figs

Figs are some of the best remedies for the condition. Soak dried figs in water for a whole day. Consume the figs and the water in the morning.

3. Coffee

Caffeine in coffee aids in the treatment of the respiratory illness. It allows easy breath through clearing the nasal passage. You can also substitute coffee with black tea. However, drink a maximum of three cups in a day.

4. Evening Primrose Oil

The oil has a fatty acid that can offer a positive anti-inflammatory impact. It is a traditional treatment for this respiratory illness in some cultures.

5. Butyeko Breathing Exercise

The objective of the technique is to reduce the breathing volume or the breathing rate. It involves upright sitting with relaxed belly muscles and chest while breathing. Concentrate, close your eyes and gaze up. Breathe slow and shallow via your nose with your mouth closed. Then breathe out slowly until there is zero air in the lungs. Hold your breath for the longest time possible and repeat the exercise.

6. Eucalyptus Oil

One handy measure to control asthma is to use eucalyptus oil. Put a few drops in a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam. This aids in the opening of any blockage in the nasal passage to facilitate breathing.

7. Ginger

Considering the numerous benefits for your body and health, it is not surprising that ginger is deemed a superfood. It is very effective in combating this respiratory illness. Make a mixture of equal amounts of pomegranate, honey, and ginger. Take it three times a day.

8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial in the management of this inflammatory condition. It is also crucial in conditions like seasonal affective disorder, heart disease, and depression.

9. Belly Breathing Technique

This technique aids to maximize the distribution of air in your lungs. You can sit up or lie down as you focus on your breathing. It is preferred that you breathe slowly via the nose. During breathing in, your abdomen has to go out and not your chest. Then breathe out slowly as your abdomen pushes inward. Breathing out should take two times longer than inhalation.

asthma

10. Pursed Lip Breathing Technique

This technique is essential when you are experiencing this inflammatory condition. Because air is trapped inside the lungs during an attack, this technique gets air out, making breathing simpler. It involves breathing in slowly via the nose and breathing out via pursed lips.

Conclusion

This condition can be fatal if appropriate treatment is not sought out in advance. Common treatments include an inhaler that can assist with your breathing whenever you have an asthma attack. However, continuous intake of these natural treatments will ensure you are healthy and asthma-free.

31+ Keto Breakfast Recipe Ideas For Energy And Quick Weight Loss

If you are looking for breakfast recipes that will give you lots of energy and help you reduce your weight, then you are in the right place.

Here are 31 Keto breakfast recipe ideas for energy and quick weight loss:

1. Burger with Avocado Buns

This Keto breakfast recipe is filled with healthy fats, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. The recipe is low in carbohydrates and replaces the typical burger bun with dual halves of avocado. It then includes a fried egg and crispy bacon.

The meal is prepared by slicing the avocado width-wise into two pieces. Eradicate the pit and peel the skin off the avocado. Start making your burger by including the toppings of your choice and ending with a slice of cashew cheese or a dollop of Paleo mayo. Then sprinkle the top with some sesame seeds.

2. Lemon Raspberry Sweet Rolls

This Keto recipe will aid you to begin your morning right. It includes sweet and delicate dough layers that are slathered with a gooey, sweet raspberry sauce and lemon cream cheese filling. The toppings include a tart lemon glaze that is sprinkled on top of the rolls, which gets into the creases. The consequence is a satisfying and decadent breakfast that is full of tart lemon and sweet raspberry flavors.

3. Creamy Cauliflower with Ground Beef Skillet

For this Keto breakfast recipe, use a heavy skillet to melt some ghee over medium heat. After the fat gets hot, add jalapeno peppers, garlic, and onion and cook till they are tender and fragrant. Then add ground beef, pepper, and salt and keep heating until the beef turns fully brown.

Reduce the heat and add grated cauliflower, and cook for three minutes. Then put mayo, sunflower seed butter, fish sauce, cumin, water, and coconut aminos into a bowl and mix. Then add the mixture to your cauliflower and ground beef and stir. Cook for five more minutes and remove from heat. Now make four shallow dips and crack an egg into each dip and sprinkle pepper & salt, and cut jalapeno peppers. Broil in the oven for ten minutes. Then remove and add apple cider vinegar, mayo, freshly chopped parsley, and sliced avocados.

4. Salmon Stuffed Avocados

This Keto meal is full of saturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids that decrease inflammation. Slice an avocado in half and eradicate the seed. Then mix lemon juice, a pinch of salt, olive oil, tender goat cheese, and smoked salmon in a blender. Then put the mixture in the pits of the avocado halves.

5. Keto Taco Breakfast Skillet

Regarding this Keto breakfast recipe, grate some ground beef in a skillet till it’s brown and drain the extra fat. Stir taco seasoning and water in the skillet. Simmer and let the sauce thicken to coat the meat. Set aside part of the seasoned meat. Mix eggs, heavy cream, and cheddar cheese in a bowl. Put the mixture in the skillet and mix with the remaining beef. Bake for half an hour until the eggs are fluffy. Then top with the other beef, cheddar cheese, salsa, sour cream, olives, tomato, green onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and avocado.

6. Breakfast BLT Salad

This meal is healthy, savory, and delicious. To prepare it, mix salt, vinegar, kale, and olive oil in a bowl. Massage the kale with your hands until it softens. Then boil the eggs. Separate the kale into two bowls and top with avocado, bacon, halved eggs, and tomatoes. Season with pepper and salt.

7. Protein Coffee

This is the ultimate Keto breakfast recipe. Mix six ounces of espresso, one tablespoon of coconut butter, two tablespoons of heavy whipping cream, one scoop of protein powder, and one tablespoon of cocoa powder in a blender. Then serve in a mug.

8. Cheesy Broccoli Muffins

Ghee is used in this Keto breakfast recipe to add rich, buttery flavor and moisture to the muffins. Ghee is essential in increasing heart health and boosting metabolism. To prepare the meal, mix ghee, one cup of chopped broccoli florets, two cups of almond flour, two eggs, one cup of almond milk, nutritional yeast, baking powder, and sea salt in a bowl. Put the mixture into muffin tins and bake for half an hour.

9. Coconut Flour Pancakes

For this Keto breakfast recipe, mix two large eggs, two ounces of plain cheese cream, three tablespoons of coconut flour, two tablespoons of heavy cream, one tablespoon of Erythritol, half teaspoon of baking powder, and a half teaspoon of vanilla extract in a blender. Fry the pancakes over average heat for two minutes each side.

10. Meat Bagels

Cooking this Keto breakfast recipe requires that you heat your onions over medium heat with butter. Add them to your pork after they cool. Then mix them with eggs, tomato sauce, paprika, sea salt, and pepper in a bowl. Separate into six parts and shape them like a bagel. Bake the bagel-looking pork until it cooks fully. Slice the meat bagel similar to a typical bagel and fill it with toppings like onions, lettuce, and tomato slices.

11. Keto Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich

Mix two cups of almond flour, two cups of cheddar and mozzarella cheese, two eggs, half a cup of heavy cream, four tablespoons of butter, a quarter tablespoon of baking powder, onion and garlic powder, rosemary, and paprika in a bowl. Make into six small balls and bake until firm. Then cut each biscuit in half and layer with arugula, bacon, and fried eggs.

12. Eggs Benedict Casserole

To cook this Keto breakfast recipe, put aside some slices of Canadian bacon and chop some. Put the Canadian bacon in a skillet with heated butter over medium heat. Cook until the pink color disappears. Crack ten large eggs in a bowl and whisk. Then add black pepper, salt, onion powder, Dijon mustard, paprika, garlic powder, and heavy cream. Mix with three-quarters of the cooked bacon. Line the sliced bacon on a baking dish and pour the egg mixture on top of it. Bake for twenty minutes and sprinkle the remaining bacon. Bake for ten extra minutes and use hollandaise sauce to top it.

13. Keto Creamy Kale with Baked Eggs

In this meal, kale is tossed in some coconut milk and cooked with peppers. There is also use of mozzarella cheese and halved cherry tomatoes. Dips are made where two eggs are cracked, and the food is baked until the egg whites are set.

14. Avocado Egg Wrapped with Prosciutto

This savory Keto breakfast recipe has delicious layers of crispy prosciutto, followed by a creamy avocado layer and poached eggs. To cook poached eggs requires a food-safe plastic wrap.

15. Cinnamon Roll Waffles and Cream Cheese Icing

This meal is full of creamy icing and sweet cinnamon as well as low carbohydrates and zero gluten. Use some cottage cheese as the foundation for your waffle.

16. Breakfast Pizza

This meal is made with a coconut egg crust while cracked eggs and veggies are used as toppings. It is filled with proteins and vitamins.

17. Cinnamon Rolls

To make these rolls, sweetener, nutmeg, coffee powder, lemon juice, cinnamon, cheese, and almond flour are mixed and baked in an oven for ten minutes.

18. Bacon and Eggs

Weave a lattice to create the base of the bacon. Make bacon weaves with a cavity and crack an egg in each weave. Bake for half an hour and serve with freshly chopped parsley.

19. Liver Sausage with Eggs

Ground pork, beef liver, and grass-fed beef with seasoning are combined to make the liver sausages. The liver sausages are then fried with eggs in a pan.

20. Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Combine almond flour, whipping cream, eggs, butter, stevia, baking powder, blueberries, lemon extract, and lemon zest in a bowl. Then pour the mixture in baking cups and bake for half an hour.

21. Eggs, Ground Beef, and Avocado

Cook ground beef and eggs and serve in one bowl with avocado, meaty mushrooms, and black olives. Drizzle your meal with parsley.

22. Strawberry Avocado Smoothie

Mix strawberries, almond milk, avocado, and sweetener in a blender. Serve in a mug.

23. Zucchini Fritters

Grate zucchini with the peels on and squeeze them in a paper towel. Mix with nutritional yeast, salt, basil, and onion. Then add blended broccoli, eggs, and flour to the mixture and stir. Form patties and fry in a pan until brown.

24. Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

Boil eggs gently for six minutes so that the whites are set but the yolk is runny. Then wrap your asparagus with prosciutto and cook lightly.

25. Brussels Sprouts with Eggs

Cook Brussels sprouts, bacon-garlic, shallots, butter, salt, and pepper in a skillet. Then pour some eggs on top and heat for two minutes.

26. Chocolate Pudding

Mix coconut milk, cocoa powder, stevia, honey, gelatin, and water in a bowl and heat. Then, store in a fridge in pudding cups for half an hour and serve.

27. Dijon Pork Skillet

Cook ground pork, mushrooms, and zucchini with garlic powder, olive oil, pepper, salt, basil, and Dijon mustard. Serve.

28. Sheet Pan Eggs

Whisk twelve eggs with pepper and salt in a bowl and add pepper, chives, spinach, onions, sausage, and bacon. Bake for fifteen minutes and cut into squares for serving.

Keto breakfast recipe

29. Coconut Flour Porridge

Mix coconut flour, flax, eggs, butter, heavy cream, and honey and boil. Serve with avocado and apple slices.

30. Steak and Eggs

Cook steak with oil, salt, and pepper. Then cook some eggs with olive oil and salt. Serve with avocado slices.

31. Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Boil eggs and extract the yolks. Combine yolks, avocado, shallot, lemon juice, bacon bits, pepper, paprika, salt, and garlic in a bowl. Put the mixture in the boiled egg whites and serve.

Conclusion

These breakfast recipes will offer you numerous nutrients for your healthy lifestyle. They are full of flavor and quick to prepare.

33 Beauty Benefits of Baking Soda Most People Don’t Know

Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is an ingredient you probably have in your cupboard or refrigerator right now. It is also one of the most versatile beauty products. No matter what you are missing from your collection, bicarbonate of soda might work for the same beauty problem.

Not only can bicarbonate of soda fill in for beauty products that you are missing, but it also does so in an all-natural way. This saves your skin and hair from toxic chemicals that some products contain.

Some baking soda benefits are not well-known and may be surprising to you. With so many different uses for it, you may be able to eliminate many of your other daily beauty products.

33 Baking Soda Benefits

baking soda

1. Removes blackheads and reduces the production of oil

Baking soda exfoliates your skin, which helps to remove blackheads. By gently scrubbing away dead skin cells, you will produce less oil as well.

2. Helps whiten teeth

Adding a little to your toothpaste can help with teeth whitening. Instead of using chemicals to whiten your teeth, you just have to sprinkle a little of this on top of your toothpaste each day.

3. Make an all-natural face mask

It is a key ingredient in many homemade all-natural face masks. There are several different types of masks you can create with it. These masks include:

  • Brightening mask

By mixing it with grapefruit juice and olive oil, leaving it on your face for 15 minutes, rinsing, and moisturizing your face, your face will appear brighter.

  • Blackhead removal mask

By mixing it with lemon juice, the homemade mask will harden on your skin. Once it has hardened, rinse it off with cold water to help get rid of blackheads.

  • Acne treatment mask

Combining it with honey creates a mask that helps treat and prevent acne.

  • Under-eye mask

When mixed with chamomile tea, baking soda can be placed underneath your eyes and left for 15 minutes. This will help with getting rid of dark circles under your eyes.

4. Smooth and soften skin

By soaking in a hot bath with one cup of baking soda, your skin will be soft and smooth when you get out.

5. Exfoliate your feet

Fill a bucket with hot water and sprinkle it in the water. Soak your feet in it until the water is no longer hot and then get more bicarbonate of soda to scrub your feet with. This will remove the dead skin easily.

6. Use it as a dry shampoo

In a pinch, you can rub it on your scalp to absorb extra oil.

7. Add volume to your hair

By putting a couple tablespoons of it into your normal shampoo, your hair could have added volume.

8. Use it as a natural deodorant

Instead of a typical deodorant, you can dab a paste made from baking soda and water on your underarms. This neutralizes your underarms, preventing the body odor smell.

9. Clean your hairbrushes and combs

Sometimes residue builds up at the base of the bristles. This residue can be cleaned out of your brush by soaking brushes and combs in warm water mixed with baking soda.

10. Soothe razor burn

No one likes the red bumps caused by razor burn, and the itching and burning are even worse. One of many baking soda benefits is that it can soothe all aspects of a razor burn. Mix it with water, apply it to the rash area, let it dry, and then rinse it off.

11. Use it as a fingernail scrub

Instead of clipping cuticles or pushing them back, using it in a mixture with water and a nail brush can have a healthier outcome. Just scrub gently in a circular motion.

12. To soften lips and make them pinker

By combining it with honey and rubbing it in small circles on your lips, you can get rid of dead skin cells. It will also add moisture, get rid of impurities, and make the natural pink color return.

13. Get rid of dark spots on your elbows and knees

Mix it with potato juice and rub it onto knees and elbows. Both ingredients have bleaching properties, so they can get rid of the discolored spots.

14. Remove ingrown hairs

Make a paste by mixing it with water, apply it to the area and gently massage. This loosens the hair, making removal with tweezers easier.

15. To shrink your pores

After creating a paste, gently massage onto your face. Not only does it clean your face, but it also shrinks your pores.

16. To fade moles

This is one of the baking soda benefits that is a bit more complicated. You have to combine it with Epsom salt, hydrogen peroxide, boiling water, and vinegar. Then you put the mixture on your moles for around 20 minutes. You will have to repeat this process two times every day until the moles fade.

17. Removing facial hair

Combine it with boiling water, and then wet cotton pieces. Secure the wet cotton pieces to your face, leave it on overnight, and remove in the morning. Rinse your face and apply moisturizer to prevent the area from drying out. Repeat this process until you notice that the facial hair is beginning to fall out.

18. Reduce dandruff

By massaging it into your wet scalp, it exfoliates the skin. After exfoliating, rinse the dead skin out of your hair. Not only does it remove dead skin, but it also unclogs hair follicles, which are usually the reason for dandruff.

19. Gets rid of and prevents foot fungus

By mixing it with vinegar, foot fungus can be cured and prevented. The mixture kills the fungus and stops it from reforming.

20. Removes chlorine

Chlorine can cause build-up or discoloration of your hair, and creating a mixture with dish soap can help get rid of the problems. A conditioner is necessary afterward, as it can dry your hair out.

21. Reduce the appearance of wrinkles

It helps tighten and firm skin, all while smoothing out wrinkles.

22. Cleans makeup brushes

Mix it with warm water and soak the brushes for around 15 minutes. When they are done soaking, rinse them thoroughly and leave them on a towel to air dry.

23. Gets rid of bad breath

Mix it with water, sea salt, and peppermint essential oil. Use the mixture like a mouthwash by swishing it around inside of your mouth and spitting it out.

24. Softens hands

Make a paste, put it on your hands, and scrub them until you’ve gotten every area. It will get rid of dead skin cells and leave your hands super soft.

25. Quickly fades self-tanner

Let’s face it, we sometimes get sunless tans that we eventually hate. Whether it is making your skin look orange or if it has just gotten splotchy, creating a paste and exfoliating your skin with it can help remove the tan.

26. Removes calluses

This requires repeated treatment but will successfully soften and remove calluses. Each night, soak your feet in a water mixture. Then create a paste and exfoliate the calluses. Rinse your feet, put on moisturizer and socks, and leave them on until morning. You may notice the calluses disappearing more and more each day.

27. Remove built up hair products

Putting it in your shampoo will help remove buildup from hair products. This will make it easier to comb and style your hair, as well as making it feel better.

28. Use it to make shaving easier

Before you shave, create a paste and apply it to the area you will be shaving. Let it sit for 15 minutes, occasionally massaging it. This loosens the hair follicle, making the hair easier to remove.

29. Make natural toothpaste

By simply making a paste out of bicarbonate of soda and water, you can have an all-natural whitening toothpaste. Just dip your toothbrush into the toothpaste and brush as usual.

30. Soothe sunburn

Mix it with water and soak a wet cloth in the mixture. Place the cloth on the sunburn and leave it there for 30 minutes.

baking soda to heal sunburn

32. Eliminate odors from your hands

There are many reasons that your hands might have a lingering odor. Cooking with garlic, for instance, commonly causes your hands to smell like garlic for days. You can eliminate the smell by washing your hands with baking soda and water.

33. Makes your smile better

It can help heal gingivitis, making your teeth feel and look better. It does this through its healing properties, and then it also protects the teeth from developing the disease again.

Final Thoughts on Baking Soda Benefits

Baking soda has so many potential uses in a beauty regime. If you’re ever missing an essential product, you may find that bicarbonate of soda will do the same job.

Baking soda is such a versatile product, and the cost is minimal. It is also available in just about any store, even convenience stores. It is always handy to keep extra in your pantry just in case you find yourself in a beauty emergency.

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