Overwork and a hectic social life in the structure of the modern societies results in a social jet lag, which is a syndrome that is related to the internal clock of the body and the realities of the daily schedules which makes people sleepy. Researchers in Germany have analysed sleep, height, weight, age and sex which was submitted by 65,000 Europeans.

Professor Till Roenneberg of Ludwig Maximilians Universitat Munchen in Munich and his co-authors concluded, “Beyond sleep duration, social jet lag is associated with increased body mass index,” a measure of overweight and obesity. It has been presumed that the majority of the population works the early shift which makes them more prone to gaining weight.

According to the researchers, the sleep timing is incompatible with the work schedules that most of the people follow. Working on weekdays builds up sleep debt and this is then compensated by sleeping on free days.

What would be the best thing in such a situation? make sure you eat healthy, exercise, take walks, socialize with friends and family, but make sure to hit the sack soon so you get 7-8 whole hours of sleep.

A study published in the May/June issue of General Dentistry has observed the effects of the energy drinks on the teeth. The researchers have observed that there is a lot of citric acid in the drinks.

Citric acid is known for enhancing the flavour and its shelf life. Apart from enhancing the flavour, the preservative also takes away the enamel of the teeth. The dentists have expressed concern for teens as 30 to 50 percent of them are estimated to be consuming energy drinks on a regular basis.

When the enamel of the teeth is worn off, it is more prone to cavities and more likely to decay. Poonam Jain, an associate professor in the School of Dental Medicine at Southern Illinois Unversity, Edwardsville said, “We are well aware of the damage that sugar does in the mouth and in the whole body — the role it can play in obesity, diabetes, etc”. Jain added that the average consumer is not very well that the acid can damage the teeth.

It was found that toddlers who snore are more likely to develop behavioural problems like hyperactivity once they reach the school-going age. The study was published in the issue of paediatrics and researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine examined the impact of sleep disordered breathing on kids.

In a survey from parents of more than 11,000 children over a six year period, it was found that sleep disordered breathing included snoring, sleep apnea and mouth breathing. The parents were asked to fill out surveys in various intervals when their kids were 6 to seven months old and when their kids were 4 to 7-years-old.

The parents also filled out a behavioural assessment and by the end of the research, it was found that children whose sleep disordered breathing peaked at 6 to 18 months old were 40 to 100 percent more likely to develop behavioural problems.

Scientists said that people who take food supplements containing vitamin A are less likely to develop melanoma. Melanoma is known to be the deadliest form of skin disease.

The researchers found that retinol is a key component of Vitamin A and is cable of protecting against the illness. The most protective effects of the component were found in women as well as in sun exposed sites that suggested that retinol actually helps in fighting skin cancer.

On the other hand, there was no association between dietary intake of vitamin A that was found in eggs, milk and liver and a reduction in the risk. No reduced risk was noticed in the intake of carotenoids which are abundantly found in vegetables like tomatoes, carrots and that soak up compounds that damage the skin. An earlier research on mice determined that retinol and carotenoids can shrink melanoma tumours and improve the survival. Retinol is also good for the immune system and eyesight.

1. Hydration – It might sound strange, but drinking plenty of water helps in keeping your mouth hydrated and when the body becomes dehydrated, the mouth stops producing an adequate amount of saliva. Saliva helps in keeping the mouth odour free.

2. Brush twice a day – The best way to stay away from dental problems is to brush twice a week with a good tooth brush and a tooth paste. This eliminates bacteria and plaque that builds from food particles stuck between the teeth. It is also important to clean the tongue with a tongue scrapper on a daily basis. If you dentist permits, then try using a medicated mouth wash twice a day after meals to ensure that the issue is at bay at all times.

3. Sugar-free gum and mints – When your mouth is dry or if you feel that you have bad breath, the sugar-free gums and mints help in boosting the saliva which in turn helps in masking the odour and also helps in maintaining oral hygiene. It is better to go in for sugar-free products as you just want to get rid of the breath and don’t want to cause any long-term damage to your teeth or health.

It is also a good habit to eat at proper times everyday and to ensure that you gargle your mouth whenever you consume food, colas or soft drinks. If you have bad breath for a prolonged period, then it is best to consult your physician.

1. Cranberry Juice – Researchers state that the polyphenols in the cranberries may be the key that helps in raising the good cholesterol level in the body. One can drink at least 8 t0 12 ounces of cranberry juice in a day for four weeks to increase the HDL levels.

2. Tomatoes – Researchers in Israel found that just 10 ½ ounces of tomato juice base foods every day for at least a month helps in raising the HDL levels by 15 percent. One can go for low sodium tomato soup or pasta with marinara sauce.

3. Exercise – Exercise does not mean that you have to find time for it. One can just increase the daily activity like walking to the grocery instead of taking the vehicle. Doing house hold chores without any domestic help.

4. Less consumption of alcohol – Instead of regular drinking habits one can cut it down to moderation to maintain the HDL levels.

1. Maintain hygiene – As far as possible maintain personal hygiene by washing your hands regularly. Avoid rubbing your eyes as hands are carriers of bacteria and oil due to which the infection in the eye can increase.

2. Visit doctor in case of severe infection – Sometimes the infection can also become severe and in such a case it is essential to take professional advice and get it treated. Any discharge from the eye, redness or pain is a sign of severity of infection.

3. Avoid contact lenses during infection – When suffering from an eye infection, it is better to avoid wearing contact lenses as it can make the condition worse. Instead one can wear glasses and wash them twice a day with an antibacterial soap.

4. Regular medication – When a doctor has prescribed some medication for the eye infection it is essential that it must be taken regularly without any delay. It is also essential to complete the dose even of you have fully recovered of the infection.

5. Use prescribed eye drops – Mild eye drop are the best way to keep your eyes away from infections. Check up with your doctor on which type of eye drops are best suited for everyday use.

If you are facing the nightmare of dry peeling skin, here are the ways to take care of dry skin during summer.

1. Weather protection – While stepping out, make sure you cover the exposed parts of the body with a scarf. Also do apply a sunscreen lotion of SPF 30+ at least 15 minutes before you step out in the sun.

2. Hydration – During the  summer, the body lacks water and you need to make sure that your consume adequate vitamin C along with water which maintains the hydration and also the health of the skin.

3. Maintain body moisture – While frolicking in the sun,  it is essential to keep your skin smooth and crack free. Apply body lotion – preferably a non-oily based lotion-  as soon as you come out of the shower, as this is the time the skin is moist and this helps in the proper absorption of the lotion deep in to the skin.

4. Use natural products for skin – As far as possible try using products with natural ingredients so as to maintain the health of the skin instead of treating it with chemicals and other harmful products.

5. Eat healthy – It is very important that you have a good diet with lots of fresh and crunchy fruits and vegetables; eating cucumbers, watermelons, grapes, oranges, which are high in water content is also a good way to beat the heat and keep your skin radiant.

1. Eat less – Before going to bed, you should eat less. At the night time, you must see that you rest and if you go on and stuff yourself with food, then you may feel uneasy and might hamper your sleep too.

2. Create a good atmosphere to sleep – Make sure that one creates a good atmosphere to sleep. If one is facing problems in lighting, add some dark curtains in the room, which will make the room darker. Also take care about the temperature in the room.

3. Use bed only for sleep and sex – Do not use your bed for any other activities or it may become difficult for you to rest on the bed. That means – don’t get your laptop or game console in your bed, else the whole purpose of sleeping on a bed could get lost.

4. Exercise in day time – Exercise is equally important as sleep. Workout in the day time will help in making you tired and will force you to sleep. Do not exercise at night at any cost.

5. Prayer - It’s always good for your mental health to say your prayers and read the Scriptures before you head off to bed. It will not only calm you down, but will give you a sense of peace.

]]> http://updatedtrends.com/5685/5-ways-to-get-sound-sleep/feed/ 0 http://updatedtrends.com/5681/swearing-helps-in-relieving-pain/ http://updatedtrends.com/5681/swearing-helps-in-relieving-pain/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:53:49 +0000 Allison http://updatedtrends.com/?p=5681 Updated Trends: A recent study found that people who swear often are more likely to get relieved of pain, but only if people are polite. People who do not use bad words can get maximum relief from pain with the help of swearing.

Some of the researchers from the Keele University found that people who do not often swear regularly could hold their hands longer in ice water that those who often used bad language. It was found that swearing helped in relieving the pain.

Those who were not regular in swearing were able to hold their hands for 140 seconds when they actually swore , which is twice as twice as long when they used a neutral word. On the other hand, people who used to swear at least 60 times a day could hold their hands in cold water for just 120 seconds as they used foul language and the same when they used a neutral worlds.

Richard Stephen and Claudia Umland conducted the research from Keele’s School of Psychology and was published in ‘The Journal of Pain’. It is normally believed that swearing most of the time helps people in tolerating pain better with the help of provoking an emotional response leading to analgesia induced by stress.

Religious groups choose to disagree to this study and state that a person’s reaction to pain also depends on their mental and spiritual well-being and faith in a higher force.