As dog lovers or owners, we are aware of the levels of happiness and energy that dogs bring into our lives. Apart from enriching our lives in big and little ways, being a parent to a fur baby also translates to incredible health! Several studies have shown that dog owners have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and fewer heart attacks as they tend to get more exercise. The calming effect that dogs have on humans also assists in handling stress, anxiety or loneliness. So go on, be responsible and adopt a furry companion or give your existing one a big, sloppy kiss today!

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Even though it is very convenient to use ear-buds to ‘clean’ your ears in a jiffy, they are actually quite harmful to delicate areas inside the ears. Did you know that statistically, children are more likely to harm themselves with cotton buds than with a sharp razor? The irony is that while using cotton swabs, we push earwax – which is, in fact, good for the ears, deeper into our ears – leading to hearing loss, blockages, and infections. Ears have the ability to clean themselves and earwax protects the ears by keeping dust and debris away from the eardrums and ear canals.

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A new study from the National Institutes of Health has discovered a complex of genes that may make certain women susceptible to PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) – one of the most severe forms of PMS. The women in the study who suffered from PMDD had a gene that reacted differently when exposed to hormones like estrogen and progesterone and was thus defenseless against the typical PMS syndromes of depression, anxiety, irritability and mood swings. Overall, the study connected PMDD with the biological functioning of the body and established an intrinsic difference in the molecular and genetic apparatus of women suffering from the same.

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If you are feeling stressed or depressed for any kind of circumstances in your life, following are the things you can do that will instantly cheer up you up and make you happy, according to science. Listen to music from the happiest time in your life, to which a beautiful memory is associated. Think about your goals, it releases happy chemicals in your noggin and changes the way you look at the world. Get proper sleep. Beat procrastination by doing simple things first. Smile and wear glasses.

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Dentists in the UK are criticizing the presence of the “workplace cake culture”. They consider the sharing of sweet treats in offices to be unhealthy and detrimental to basic dental ideologies of safeguarding oral health and hygiene. The Faculty at UK believes that eating cakes and sweets at work discouraged healthy eating habits and instead acted like an irony in the oral care industry. While many people defend this proposal by citing practical reasons for bringing in sweets to work – occasions like birthdays or gatherings, we are just glad not to be working in a dental workplace in the UK right now.

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We sometimes wonder if “radishes” could be the equivalent of the broccoli in India – crunchy red and white discs that adults leave behind in salads or those nasty, stick-like veggies with bony long hands and bare fingers- avoided and feared by little children since times immemorial. This much-disliked vegetable however, is extraordinarily healthy - it lowers cancer risk, regulates blood pressure, blood sugar, aids digestion, weight-loss and keeps kidneys healthy! Rich in anti-oxidants, radishes keep skin looking younger! Now you know why we were being so dramatic. Do not fear the humble mooli – dig into one right now!

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We all have both short-term and long-term memories. A recent study by a group of investigators at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, shows how synapses may be the answer to strengthening latent memories. The work isn't just useful for understanding not memory but can also benefit other cognitive functions like perception, attention and goal maintenance.

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A lot of cases of HIV go undetected because of the stigma attached to the testing. WHO has recommended a home self-testing kit for improving access to diagnosis. This testing can be done via oral fluids or finger pricks and the results can be seen in less than 20 minutes. India is considering the adoption of this HIV self-testing kit.

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Lack of nutrition and weak physical health can adversely affect your mental health and cause depression. Though, this can be easily battled with the right kinds of food. This winter consume foods rich in Vitamin D and folic acids such as mushrooms and seafood. Moreover, fermented food and iron rich food can also help in improving your mental health this season. Reference ​   ..

It does matter if what you consume is acidic or alkaline in nature. When consumed, lemon juice is acidic in nature. Though, once digested the byproducts of lemon juice are alkaline. While these byproducts can make your urine alkaline, they cause very few changes in your blood stream. Hence, consuming it regularly boosts your immune system, prevents kidney stones and makes mineral absorption better.

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When a joint moves from its usual position, it stretches the ligaments around, causing a sprain. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, activities that can cause ankle sprains include a workout, walking/running on an uneven surface, falling down, playing sports that involve twisted foot movements like football or basketball and having your foot stepped on.

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According to a recent research, short-term sleep can cause serious harm to your heart's function. The study warns that people in medical, fire and emergency jobs, who are forced to work longer shifts are at a higher risk of heart ailments. It states that 24-hour shifts cause a significant increase in cardiac contractility, blood pressure, and heart rate.

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There are several recent studies which indicate that Vitamin C has a very little effect on tackling cold and flu. It is zinc that you need. Zinc is an element which enables our immune system to function at the optimum level. Researchers suggest that we need to consume 15 to 25 mg of zinc daily. Foods that are rich in zinc include spinach, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, oysters, watermelon seeds etc.

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According to a study, there is a possibility that undercooked chicken can prove harmful to your health. There is a bacterium found in the under-cooked chicken which is known to cause Guillain-Barre syndrome. GBS is an autoimmune disorder and is world’s leading cause of acute neuromuscular paralysis in humans. If chicken is not properly cooked to the minimal temperature, the bacteria called Campylobacter Jejuni which is still present in the food can trigger GBS.

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Most of the people have been reprimanded for being too “whiny” or they have been tagged as people who are complaining all the time. Generally, it is believed that this constant cribbing is unhealthy for all of us. However, a recent study suggests otherwise. It says it can be healthy for a person to keep complaining about stuff if he is willing to concentrate on reflecting what went wrong and figuring the solutions. Yes, it can be healthy if a lesson is derived from it.

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According to psychology today, the smell is processed by the olfactory bulb, which is directly connected to the amygdala and hippocampus of the brain which is responsible for storing emotions and memories. The Olfactory-bulb is a neural-strand which starts from the nose and ends at the bottom of our brain. This is why certain smells can induce memories like cinnamon and pine reminds people of their childhood days.

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There exist several types of milk delivering different nutritional benefits, hence, it is necessary you chose a perfect one as per your health requirements. For example, if you are lactose intolerant, you might probably want to switch to soya milk. Nut milk are also available for lactose intolerant people in the market but they are quite expensive. But then, some people are also nut allergic. Children in their growth phase should consume full cream milk to reap all the benefits. For those looking for weight loss, tones, and double toned milk is an option.

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Most of all, get oranges and carrots back in your regular diet as both of these boost immunity to a large extent during the winter season. Carrot also helps to improve eyesight, prevents cancer, regulates blood sugar etc. Apple should also be kept constant as it protects us against several serious conditions. Peas regulate weight, prevents Alzheimer’s, blood sugar etc. eating spinach is also healthy for your skin and hair during winter.

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VapoRub contains ingredients like eucalyptus oil, cedar leaf oil, menthol, and nutmeg oil which are actually very healthy for you. Many people rub it on their foreheads to fight migraines. People even rub it on their feet and cover it with socks to fight cold. You can try healing your stretch marks by rubbing vapor rub on them. Keeping open Vapor-Rub jars or applying on your body at specific places and keep you from insects like mosquitoes. There are several other benefits of the balm!

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It is a common tradition, especially in tropical regions to wear white or bright colored clothes as black and dark colored clothes absorb more heat. It is also well known black colored object radiate more, thus canceling out the absorption bias to some extent. Thus, a black colored shirt will give your body the maximum heat and a white colored one will give you the least. So, do your shopping based on the temperatures in your region.

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