Horn Shaped Tumour

Zhang Yuncai, 88 from Wuzhen, Xingyang county, accidentally found a small pimple on his head when he washed himself in May, 2006. From then on, the pimple grew bigger gradually and turned into a horn-shaped tumor protruding from his head. The horn-shaped bump is 5 centimeters long. Fortunately doctors of No .5 Peoples Hospital heard of his news, and decided to operate him free of charge. 

10 Reasons why Female Foeticide is Bad

Surveys have very rightly quoted, “Female foeticide and infanticide is the new cancer that is slowly killing us”. And yes, it prevails true in a country like ours, where there are innumerable such cases each day in many parts of the country. The problem and atrocities of female foeticide on the society has worsened so much over the years that it has become a serious Human Rights issue in India today. Not only for the short term implications it could have on the society as a whole, this plague of female foeticide has some drastic long lasting effects too, such as increasing crime rates over a period of time, discouraging girls from acquiring education or higher studies, slackness of women safety implementation laws and much more. Yes, striving to attain a status of equality between men and women is important, but why essentially is female foeticide to be fought against? Here’s a list of reasons as to why there should be a proper stop to this problem of female foeticide in the society.

10. The skewed sex ratio

Ill problems persisting in the society such as female foeticide and infanticide lead to a much imbalanced sex ratio. Sex ration is the number of females to males in a particular region of the country. The census since the last 5 years has seen a lot of changes in the sex ratio of women per 1000 males in the region. If this problem of female foeticide continues, then the sex ratio gets dropped more and the number of females would just keep lowering down to the number of males in the country, reducing the population of women.

9. Safety during the process of female foeticide

Unusually when an abortion is done to kill a female child even during the child is in the womb of the mother; it is done through small illegal and unhealthy local hospitals. This increases the risk of diseases which women become prone to when they are forced or directed towards this sickness of female foeticide. A large number of women have thus contaminated a lot of diseases after going through killing their female girl child at disorganized and illegal doctors and hospitals.

8. Traumatic effects on the mother’s mind

After being forced to get her only female child killed is nothing but a painful traumatic effect for her. Due to so much stress, trauma and depression, women thus tend to suffer by a lot of mental and psychological problems, which for some last lifelong. A lot of women have had to go through a lot of psychological and physiological training in order to get their life back to normal, but some couldn’t get out of the trap. In this way, the women population gets more unexplored and oppress, leading to the deterioration of the female population in the society, mentally and emotionally.

7. Fewer women become eligible to marry

Due to the declining population of females as compared to males, in a lot of places in the northern part of the country, grooms have to go in search of brides by traveling pretty far of distances. And when brides from across the state borders or district borders are requested for, they find it very difficult to suit into different culture and traditions, and thus leading to cases of domestic violence and activities among men such as polygamy or prostitution.

6. Women are not given the right to education

Due to the lessening number of females to males in the country, the representation of women In jobs and other sectors of profession becomes more and more less, leading to a decline in their worth and value in the society. Therefore, people start believing that there is no use and no point in education a female and therefore a large number of women in many different parts of cities and districts are still denied their right to go to schools and attain their basic education because of their support towards malpractices such as female foeticide and infanticide and thus digressing the number of females.

5. It denies the basic fundamental right to live

Every citizen in this country is born with their own rights and freedom, and therefore it is nothing but a large digression in the society that female children are killed even before they enter the real world. It completely harnessing and putting down the fundamental right to live for the female foetus as well as for the mother, as there has been a lot of cases of mothers committing suicide after their female child was killed, due to stress and mental and emotional trauma.

4. Increasing crime rates against women

Female foeticide should be simply fought against for the plain and simple reasons that it helps and encourage crimes against women such as rapes, molestation, kidnapping, domestic violence, etc. once the number of females start lowering down, women lose their status in the society and the society just turns into a male dominated region, leading to many kinds of assaults against women including sexual harassment.

3. Raises inequality between men and women

The attempts to establish a balanced and equal relationship between men and women in the society goes into water due to such practice of female foeticide and infanticide persisting in the society. It leads to deifying a basic standard of thought for people wherein people start believing that yes, society is ought to be a male dominated one and that women can never be on par with men, which is completely biased and wrong ethically. Malpractices such as female foeticide lead to the hampering of morals and other value among women, thus discouraging them to compete with men and prove that they can succeed in all walks of life.

2. Women lose their place in society

Women lose their place, value and standard in the society due to very less representation of women In a lot of issues such as civil departments, judicial means, or politically representing their opinions and thoughts on issues. Practice such as female foeticide lead to instilling a sense of fright within women, leaving them deprived of every little opportunity they could use to make their life better and at par with men. Due to such practice of foeticide and infanticide, women are scared just behind the bars of their house and locked up inside those four walls, leading to a lot of discouragement, insult and loss of self confidence among women, leading to a very unhealthy society.

1.  It is against the Law

Irrespective of how female foeticide affects the women population and the societal economy as the whole, the most important reason as to why female foeticide is bad and should be fought against is that because now it is against the Law. The Indian law forbids anyone to get an abortion done using gender examination means, when gender examination before the birth of the baby is itself abolished and put a stop to. Therefore, indulging in activities like female foeticide or forcing a woman to kill her female foetus is strictly against the law, following which the people involved are penalized heavily, sometimes even with death penalties.

10 Ways to feel Fresh in the Morning after Waking Up

We get up in the morning as an everyday routine. Many of us follow it as a day to day boring  ritual and nothing else. Our  process of waking up in the morning makes us feel frustrated as well as irritated. But we totally forget that mornings are not made for this. Mornings have a special place in philosophy as well as science. Mornings are said to be symbols representing rising of new hope which  we should welcome enthusiastically. And therefore our mornings should always be fresh. But I know we people have great jobs to be performed everyday. We have many responsibilities, new goals that are to be achieved  and all this we get through only and only hard work, because we all know that competition in life is tough. And yes, nowadays hard work means working day and night which is the reason behind your daily irritated and frustrating mornings and not to forget they contribute to bad health too. So better start to pay attention to make your mornings fresh,because we all know that,”Where there is health, there is wealth” But is their a problem with you that how much ever you try, you can’t feel fresh in the morning? Don’t worry anymore because I am here to help you out. Now am going to list out for you on the ways to feel fresh in the morning. Which if you follow up regularly,  you will surely get the desired results.

10. Be Hygienic

I know many of you may think this as a common method, but no matter howsoever common it may be, it is the first thing that should be done for starting up to make your mornings fresh.Yeah, splashing cool water on your face would surely wake you up in real sense. Then the next thing is to perform your daily routine like brushing, flossing, bathing etc. But don’t delay these works. Put them on the first list to get finished.Then am sure you will definitely get fresh feeling within no time.

9. Have a good appetite

Yes, you should have a good appetite first in the morning. To feel fresh from within, you have to consume a good amount of breakfast everyday. Researchers have proven that taking heavy breakfast instead of taking heavy meals will help you to lose your weight, which is good to keep your body fit and as you are fit you would automatically feel fresh. To feel rejuvenated in the morning you should include juice of different fruits, heavy breakfast of maybe  bread butter and egg or also you can include tea or coffee, whatever you like. Just be sure to have a good appetite so that you would feel fresh and energetic for rest of the day.

8. Saying Prayer

Saying or performing prayer every morning will surely have a great contribution to make your mornings fresh.Many scientific studies have proven the importance and benefits of saying prayer for our psychological progress. Even if you are atheist that is non-believer of god don’t think this stupid or ignore it. Because saying prayer is not at all a part of spirituality. So feel free to say it, say thanks to the nature and keep belief in your wishes.Prayers are simple combination of our wishes and beliefs which bring positive attitude in us. Existence of God is other issue but the idea of god has been put forth by our ancestors to keep the positive attitude towards life always living. Hence, saying prayer in morning is equal to making a wish everyday which makes us focus on our goals to be achieved everyday and this gives you new way to work and think on it everyday and of course you will feel fresh.

7. Music

You must have seen in many movies and reality shows, where the participants are woken up by playing loud music. Why only celebrities? My own mom switches on the city radio station on high volume everyday when I won’t get up even after all her hard work to wake me up. Yeah, sure you can relate this to yourselves as we all tend to be lazy to wake up. But, from my own personal experience, I seriously suggest you to enjoy music in your house every morning because it really has super duper effect on us to feel fresh and musical.

6. Jogging

Jogging is everyday activity in routine of many of us. But I think very few of us carry it out regularly and effectively. Jogging around everyday can also get boring as we use same track for it every morning hoping that we would feel fresh, but it will be good if you try taking different tracks whenever you get bored of the same one. Try taking tracks which have greenery and fresh air all around. And by doing this you would spend some time with Mother Nature as well as would feel fresh ultimately.

5. Beauty Sleep

Beauty sleep is one of the essential ways to make your mornings feel fresh. I doubt how many of you male readers are aware of the term “beauty sleep”, but sure that many girls out there are very familiar with it. A satisfying sleep which is considered to be sufficient to keep one looking young and beautiful is known as beauty sleep. Also beauty sleep will bring feeling of freshness and would decrease your health problems, because sleep is very important and it plays a vital role to maintain our mental as well as physical balance. Hence sleeping constantly for 8 hours a day is said to complete our sleep, though sleep requirement varies from every age group. It is the common and basic set of hours required. So sleep well which would make you rise early and with a fresh mood as you are been re-energized after your beauty sleep.

4. Laughter Club

Laughter clubs are very famous now a days. Many doctors, professional’s , other field people and especially old aged join them eagerly. We often hear, “Laughter is the best medicine” but how many of us truly use it. We have thousands of tensions, thoughts in our mind which are difficult to be ignored. This can be an obstacle to your make your mornings fresh everyday. Then why don’t have fun everyday? Sure, by joining laughter clubs you will feel fresh and rejoiced every morning and that will lead you to a stress free life ahead. So keep laughing and enjoying.

3. Communication & Decoration

If you wake up every morning and perform your works dumbly all around,you would never feel enthusiastic about the day. You have to eliminate the feeling of ” it’s just an another day in my life” Behave as if there’s no other day as nice as today.Read Newspaper everyday. This will help you to not only gain knowledge about the happenings around the world, but also will keep you getting eager to read the next day’s newspaper.Next step is to, Speak up! Be talkative to the people around you. Discuss your and their plans for the day this will keep you engaged in something innovative. Also decorate the house by all means like for example, cleaning the house, arranging fresh flowers on your common table, changing pillow covers bed sheets having fresh colors, changing your curtains once in a week. This will surely bring the feeling of freshness to you and all members in the house.

2. Schedule

If you are already prepared for some work, you feel great for doing so, as you made the plans first and now the work to be done will be carried out smoothly… Isn’t it? Yes, we all know that being well prepared earlier makes us feel great. Hence, to bring freshness to your mood you should prepare your schedule of the day every morning which helps you to ease out things for the entire day which will keep you refreshed for the morning and also throughout the whole day. So bring a notepad today itself to note down your everyday schedule and to take one more step towards the fresh morning.

1. Yoga

Yoga is very helpful for you to keep your mornings fresh, as well as to make you healthy, fit and fine. Yoga revitalizes your body physically as well as mentally which depends on what exercises that is ‘asanas’ you perform. It includes different breathing exercises which helps us to relieve stress, and increase the functioning capacity of our heart and lungs, hence it totally refreshes you from within. Also it includes meditation which increases our brain power, concentration that is we get refreshed psychologically. Hence yoga makes you feel refreshed both physically and mentally. So include some appropriate yoga’s in your morning schedule which would help you to get refreshed,energized for rest of the day.

10 Benefits of Positive Attitude and Thinking

The key to a healthy and happy life lies in staying positive. Spreading positivity, happiness and cheer all around oneself keeps the body fit and the mind, tension-free. Yes, our day-to-day lives are very hectic, and we often feel weighed-down by life’s pressures and demands- deadlines to meet, family gatherings to attend, staying in touch with friends, and at the same time, finding time for your own self- this involves a lot of work and can be very tiring. But as we may have experienced, a positive atmosphere along with a good and hearty laugh does wonders and leaves one feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Therefore, it is needless to say that staying positive and optimistic in our attitude and thoughts is extremely important in order to lead a stress-free life. Here’s presenting some benefits of positive attitude and positive thinking..

10. Positivity Improves Success Rate

Positivity Improves Success Rate

If a person works happily and stays optimistic about the end result of the task at hand, there is no doubt that she/he is more likely to succeed than an individual who feels that the work is a burden and that it will not yield a positive outcome. Staying focused, staying optimistic, and believing in oneself and in one’s work, along with giving in one’s 110% to the job is what counts even more than the actual job itself. If a person believes that no matter how hard they try, they just cannot complete the task at hand, they will never be able to succeed despite having the potentiality to do so. On the other hand, one who believes that the job CAN be done, no matter what, will definitely be successful, no matter what the demands of the job role may be.

Try this out yourself. Staying happy will definitely lead to a job well done!

9. Improved Job Performance

Improved Job Performance

It has been found that optimism and overall job performance of an individual show a positive correlation. This means that as the levels of optimism increase, the performance is also seen to increase. The explanation for this is actually very simple to understand as well as apply in daily life- by holding a positive attitude towards one’s work and one’s colleagues, one is much more likely to enjoy their work as well as enjoy working with their team. This, in turn, ensures that interpersonal relationships improve, and a positive work environment prevails. This is a major factor in encouraging people to give in their best and work happily and efficiently. One who does not enjoy what they do, can never be satisfied with their performance.

8. Optimism Increases Motivation

Optimism Increases Motivation

When one stays happy and optimistic, one is motivated to work harder. Also, a major contributor to the outcome of a task is the motivation within a team. If we see happy people around us, we ourselves remain motivated and also motivate our friends to work. As a result, the team works more efficiently on the whole.

It is, however, important to remember that this does not hold true just for teams in a professional setting. Even if we’re working alone on a task- from college submissions to cleaning up our rooms- the same applies everywhere. A positive surrounding makes us believe in the very famous quote- “Nothing is impossible. Because the word impossible itself says ‘I M Possible’” !!

7. Happy Thoughts keep us Energized

Happy Thoughts keep us Energized

The feeling of “Yes I can do this!” is a huge energy booster and a determinant of the overall success. Also, when others around us believe in us, we too, start believing in ourselves much more than earlier. When one is happy, one is more pumped up to work and more importantly, make things work. One also looks forward to meeting their deadlines and making sure they leave no stone unturned to attain success!

6. Happiness is a Stress-Buster

Happiness is a Stress-Buster

The concept of stress is dealt with in the field of Psychology, where it is defined as “a feeling of strain or pressure”. While an optimum level of stress is good or rather, necessary to improve performance, taking too much stress hampers one’s productivity and quality of work. One might be able to deal with high levels of stress for some time, say a few weeks, but after that, it leads to a breakdown, be it mental, physical, or neurotic (emotional). Hence, it is very important to reduce, if not overcome, the stressors, which are nothing but events or stimuli in the environment that cause stress.

One way to do this is, of course, by staying happy and cheerful. It has been found that people who stay optimistic in the face of stress cope better with such situations, than those who remain pessimistic. Many behavior studies have revealed that optimistic individuals seek to find ways to get past the stressful situation, while pessimistic individuals may simply give up and believe that nothing can be done to change the situation that they are in.

5. Positivity Improves Health

Positivity Improves Health

If a person’s job performance is high, the motivation levels increase. As a result, the output rate increases and stress levels decrease. This leads to the person feeling a difference in their health status, as well! Someone who leads a stress-free life and is generally happy with the state of things around them is much more safeguarded against conditions such as depression, common cold, flu, and even cardio-vascular disease.

An interesting aspect here is that the term “health” has many connotations. It refers to a person’s well-being on the physical, emotional, mental as well as social front. A healthy person is one who is able to meet life’s challenges while knowing that she/he has a strong social and familial support system. This enables the individual to be peaceful, emotionally and mentally.

4. Optimism boosts Immunity

Optimism boosts Immunity

As explained above, positive thoughts keep one stress-free and hence, healthy. Physical health is determined by absence of physical illnesses, common ones being flu and viral fever, severe ones being heart ailments. A major improvement can be seen in individuals who are ill, if they maintain a positive outlook to treatment and believe that they can better with medication.

Many researchers have proved that happy thoughts and a relaxed mind lead to release of stress-relieving hormones, and also strengthen the body’s immune system, thus ensuring that individuals fall ill less often. As can be said, “A hearty laugh a day, can keep the doctor away!”

3. Improves Self-Esteem and Confidence

Improves Self-Esteem and Confidence

Many-a-times we notice that people who keep themselves as well as others around them, happy and cheerful, tend to have a higher self-esteem and are more confident. Self-esteem is the value judgment that an individual holds about herself or himself. Confidence refers to the extent to which an individual feels comfortable in their own skin and can “be themselves” in social settings. Happy people spread happy vibes and are a joy to work with. Others like having such people on their teams as they are often hardworking and adjusting. This appraisal, in turn, further boosts confidence and thus, self-esteem.

2. Brings Inner Peace and a Sense of Fulfillment

Brings Inner Peace and a Sense of Fulfillment

Everyone has their own definition of “happiness” and what it means to be “truly happy”. For some, it may be sharing close bonds with friends and family, for some it may mean being at the top position in their field, while for some others, it may be a sense of security and attachment with the ultimate power, commonly referred to as God.

Dwelling in an environment which is nurturing and peace-giving, happy and optimistic, gives one the feeling of security and acceptance. Such people are then able to attain inner-peace and are content with life. They experience a sense of fulfillment and lead, what they believe, a serene life.

1. Helps you live longer and together

Helps you live longer!

Without a doubt, anyone who leads a hassle and tension-free life, has a good immune system, making her or him resilient to many diseases, and most importantly, is happy and content with life, will have a long life! Many studies have established this fact. In a study conducted by Jitendra Mishra, it was found that optimism, health and longevity have a positive correlation with one-another, as “a person who desires to live longer can do so by having a positive outlook on life and the world around them. Research had proven that optimism on an individual basis has the ability to improve longevity in life and in the workplace.”

Top 10 Beauty Myths Busted

Growing up, we are taught to believe that a perfect flawless complexion is our ticket to a happy fulfilling life. Umpteen number of advertisements, movies, sitcoms, magazines, books and well-wishers are constantly advising us on what to eat, how long to sleep, what habits to cultivate and what lifestyles to adopt so that we can look the best we possibly can. Chances are, your own life is at least partly centered on this. Trolling websites for articles, asking clear skinned friends for suggestions, gobbling up lifestyle magazines in search of celebrity tips and of course the age old source of grandmothers and mothers who are such a treasure house of yesteryear’s secret of classic beauty tips that never seem to get old. Perhaps some of these have worked for you. Some might have backfired. Some seem to be working, but actually you are unknowingly doing your skin harm. These consequences will come to light later in life when it will likely be too late to do anything about it.

Anyone who has gone through a couple of issues of Cosmopolitan feels qualified enough to offer advice on such areas. The internet is a mouthpiece for all such self-proclaimed beauty experts. Unless your information is coming from a strictly reliable and scientific source, it is always better to take it with a pinch of salt. Some tips have been perpetuated for so long that the truth is taken for granted in its sheer repetition. After suffering through some humiliating episodes myself, this is an attempt to deconstruct popular beauty and skin remedies that people ridiculously choose to believe.

10. Photoshop Is Not Real Life

How many times have you wistfully gazed at the picture perfect face of an actor or a model in a celeb mag and ruefully wondered why, despite all your efforts, can you not look like that? The answer is because they don’t either. In this glamour obsessed world that we live in, there is no place for imperfection. All people are different and unique. But does the fashion world realize that when everyone is reduced to a super perfect single standard definition of beauty? Jennifer Lawrence looked breathtakingly beautiful in the new Dior Ads. Before you let jealousy get ahead of you, know that she herself admitted no one looks that good in real life. It’s all Photoshop. If that is the goal you have been aspiring to, then you are doing it all wrong. Be it a Hollywood hunk’s ripping muscles or a diva’s translucent skin, it is a story they are trying to sell you so that you feel inadequate and incomplete. Consequently, you will go out and splurge on products to increase your chances of success and the billion dollar beauty industry will keep getting richer. Stand in front of a mirror and look deeply. If you don’t like what you see, it’s because your perception is wrong. Not your body. Accept that foremost, perfection is a myth where humanity is concerned. Learn to love the skin you are in. Therein, your battle will be won.

9. More Expensive Does Not Imply Better

What I said earlier about the billion dollar beauty industry benefitting from your gullibility applies here too. The glossy ads and the heavily photo shopped celebrities may have you convinced that the more money you spend on beauty treatments, the more beautiful you will look. But that could not be further from the truth. This is a game of manipulation and you are the victim. Look at the ingredients carefully at the back of each product. What you put on your skin matters much more than how much it cost. Most times, the extra money you are paying is actually for the attractive packaging than the contents. What’s more is that simplistic products with key ingredients are far more likely to work their magic than exotic elixirs that promise too much. Unless they have given you anything to complain about, stick to your drugstore brands. Both your pocket and your skin will than you.

8. How Much Is Too Much?

Remember the Arabian Nights tale of Ali Baba and Forty Thieves. When Ali Baba entered the robbers cave, he took with him precious little treasure that he could carry out safely. His greedy brother Mir Kasim helped himself to so much load that he remained stuck inside and eventually became pulp fodder for the dacoits. Your skin is a natural treasure that will either glow with the right amount of care or wilt under excessive primping. Don’t let your skin become a victim in your greed for extra treasure. Letting it breathe is the best you can do for your skin. Clogging it up with creams and potions, make up and toners will only rob it of its natural oils and essences. Keep it clean and moisturized. That’s all you really need to do. A little extra for vanity’s sake is all right. But more than that, revisit the Arabian tale for the moral of that story.

7. Too Much Emphasis, Not Enough Basics

Beauty is not skin deep. It goes much deeper than what you put on your face and which salon you visit for what treatments. But given that we live in the era of quick results and plastic surgeries, cultivating patience and good habits that will ensure long lasting beauty results is not an option for many. The emphasis is on all the wrong things. Instead of going with the crowd, focus on the needs of your body and mind. Your skin, hair, nails and complexion is a direct result of what you eat and the lifestyle you lead. No amount of expensive creams and creative treatments can undo damage inflicted by years of bad habits. Treatments including bird poop, buffalo semen, chocolate and wine and bee stings are all the rage. Instead of rushing off to try the latest fad in skincare, why not return to the roots a little? Try eating a fibre rich diet and balance it with exercise and adequate sleep. Infuse your skin with vitamins and minerals and give natural remedies a go. Coconut oil, tea tree oil, rose water, lavender oil, etc. are excellent for the skin. Splash your face with water and apply simple water based moisturizer. Let it breathe throughout the day and don’t slather on night creams and day creams in an effort to look good. The results will speak for themselves.

6.  No Cream or Potion Can Erase Wrinkles

Of all the revenues generated by the beauty industry, the maximum probably comes from people desperate to retain their youth forever. Aging is stereotyped to be a bad thing and all its signs despicably abhorred. It is treated to be the most unwanted of all symptoms, as if it is not the most inevitable and natural thing in the world. Well, whatever they tell you to believe is not true. Man is yet to become god and as such cannot reverse the process of aging. No matter how many gold and diamond dust infused creams you buy, no remedy has been clinically proven to erase wrinkles and return your skin to its youthful glow. The best you can do is to use SPF religiously and protect your skin from the harsh wrinkle inducing rays of the sun. That apart you can use Retinol, a cheap drugstore ointment that will prevent the onset of wrinkles. But you cannot turn the clock back. Instead of being so hard on yourself, enjoy the changes time has brought to your face and body. They tell memorable stories.

5. Au Natural Not Necessarily the Best

While nature has some stunningly easy solutions to many beauty problems, relying on these regularly is not a good idea. Many of us like to concoct kitchen potions for beauty problems because we believe they are natural, free of chemicals and full proof. Many of these recipes are handed down the generations and we take them to be true at face value. Most of these are old wives tales, based more on superstition than science. Also raw products in their natural form are far more potent than their regulated measure in store bought counterparts. Applying it to your face without protection can be harmful. Strike a balance between natural and cosmetic. Going extreme either way is death knell for your skin.

4. Product Paraphernalia

When it comes to skin and beauty, the mantra always is less is more. Corporate giants may have you convinced that you need a separate day cream, nigh cream, eye cream, hand cream, foot cream, toner, astringent, ten different face masks and the list goes on. But the more you slather, the more you cut off your skin’s ability to breathe. Moreover, there is no concrete research to prove that different parts of the face require different creams and lotions. Under eye is a delicate area, yes. But it does not need the zillion dollar crème de la mere to survive. Any good moisturizing cream will do. No cardinal sin is committed if your day cream and night cream is the same. Use your body lotion as hand cream. It will work just as well.

3. Age No Bar

Another ridiculous myth that thrives on the paranoia surrounding the phenomenon of aging. If age marked products were to be believed then every age group separated by five years would need an entirely different army of products and treatments to fulfil basic beauty needs. But the biggest myth is that you need to buy products based on your age. You need to buy products based on your skin type. The marketing and branding will tell you otherwise because they want more people buying more things and making more money for them. If eighty year old and five year olds can benefit by using the same cold cream, then pray what is the big controversy about forty and fifty year olds using the same products.

2. Pores Woes

Concealer, toner, astringent, foundation…. You have a hive of products to hide or decrease the size of your pores. Bad news, not gonna happen. Just like the anti-wrinkle cream, creams that promise smaller pores are no less fairy tale. You can use natural remedies, like egg masks, to shrink your pores for a little while. But this is highly temporary. Try using an egg white mask before a party, if large pores seem hideous to you. You will have tiny pores for about two hours before they become craters again. But like I say, what’s the big deal? Its all part and parcel of your natural persona. Accept it and revel in it. Just don’t shell out valuable bucks for pore shrinking miracles. They don’t exist.

1. Petroleum Jelly The One Stop Solution

Marilyn Monroe claimed to have used tons of petroleum jelly on her face every night before hitting the sack. If you idolize her beauty, please don’t follow her regime because it will yield the opposite results. How much truth is there in her statement is debatable, but petroleum jelly is not the all in one beauty solution that we have been taught to believe since childhood. It is essentially a by-product of petrol. Why would anyone put that on their body, let alone face? Since the soles of feet are thick, it makes sense to slather it there in case of cracked feet. But putting it on face will lead to black heads, white heads, clogged pores and a whole host of other negatives. Petroleum jelly is liberally applied on the body during winter months and on cuts and wounds. Please stop this habit as well. Apply antiseptic lotions and moisturizing creams. Keep the jelly as far away as possible.

Dangerous Earphone Trend !!! Beware of the consequences guys !!

Dangerous Earphone Trend !!! 

Beware of the consequences guys !!

நன்றி : பூபேஷ்குமார் 

7 pains you should never ignore

The everyday aches and pains you're used to could indicate a health emergency.  Usually a headache is just a headache, and heartburn is nothing more than a sign that you ate too much fast-food. Except when they're not.

Pain is your body's way of telling you that something isn't quite right. More often than not, you have some idea of what's behind it. But when it comes on suddenly, lingers longer than usual, or just seems different, it calls for medical attention—and the sooner, the better. 

According to our experts, all of the following pain conditions should be considered red flags. (Excerpted from List Maker's Get-Healthy Guide).

1. Chest pain
"If patients were to become well versed in what I think of as the subtle language of the heart, many could avoid needless worry and expense," notes Dr. Arthur Agatston, a preventive cardiologist. "Studies have found that women experience a wider range of heart attack symptoms than men do." In Agatston's experience, there are three good indicators that something isn't right, and they can occur in either gender.

They are chest pain that doesn't go away, varied shortness of breath, and any upper body pain that hasn't occurred before. If you experience any of these symptoms, he says, you should call your doctor or 911 immediately.

2. Severe head pain
Chances are, it's a migraine. But if it isn't accompanied by other migraine symptoms (such as a visual aura), sudden, severe head pain can signal a brain aneurysm. "A burst aneurysm can cause brain damage within minutes, so you need to call 911 immediately," advises Dr. Elsa-Grace Giardina, a cardiologist and director of the Center for Women's Health at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

3. A throbbing tooth
It's likely that the tooth's nerve has become damaged, probably because the surrounding pearly white enamel is cracked or rotting away. Unless you get it patched up quickly, bacteria in your mouth can invade the nerve. And you definitely don't want that breeding colony to spread throughout your body, says Dr. Kimberly Harms, a dentist outside St. Paul, Minnesota. If your tooth is already infected, you'll require a root canal, in which the tooth's bacteria-laden pulp is removed and replaced with plastic caulking material.

4. Sharp pain in your side
You may just need some Beano. But if you feel as if you're being skewered in your right side, and you're also nauseated and running a fever, you could have appendicitis. For women, another possibility is an ovarian cyst. Typically these fluid-filled sacs are harmless and disappear on their own. But if one twists or ruptures, it can cause terrible pain.

In both cases, you're looking at emergency surgery. "If you don't remove an inflamed appendix, it can burst," says Dr. Lin Chang, a gastroenterologist and co-director of the Center for Neurovisceral Sciences and Women's Health at UCLA. A twisted cyst also needs to be removed right away, as it can block blood flow to the ovary within hours.

5. Abdominal discomfort with gas or bloating
For the past month, you've felt gassy and bloated more days than not, and it takes fewer slices of pizza to fill you up than it once did. If the symptoms are new, the worst-case scenario is ovarian cancer. In 2007, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation released the first national consensus on early symptoms of this form of cancer: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, and difficulty eating. If you start experiencing them almost daily for more than two or three weeks, consider it a red flag. Schedule an appointment with your ob-gyn to discuss your symptoms.

6. Back pain with tingling toes
If you've just helped your cousin move into her new fourth-floor apartment, anti-inflammatories should banish the pain. But if they don't work, hobble to an orthopedist. 

"One of your discs (the spongy rings that cushion the bones in your spine) could be pressing on the spinal nerve," says Dr. Letha Griffin,  an orthopedist and sports medicine specialist in Atlanta. Without proper attention, you risk permanent nerve damage.

7. Leg pain with swelling
Your calf is extremely tender in one location, noticeably swollen, and red or warm to the touch. You might have deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), commonly known as a blood clot. Resist the urge to massage the area or to try walking off the pain. If the clot breaks free, it can travel through your veins up to your lungs and cut off your oxygen supply. Instead, see your doctor right away. He or she will do a CT scan or ultrasound to check for a DVT. If that's what you have, you'll need to take blood thinners—sometimes for up to a year—to dissolve it, says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease for the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. (Could walking be causing your leg pain? 
 

Know the symptoms of a stroke
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious disability, according to the American Heart Association. If you or someone close to you is experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1.

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Top 10 Secrets to Live Happy Life in 2013

“If I didn’t think, I’d be much happier,” wrote the melancholy poet Sylvia Plath once. Soon after, she put her head inside an oven and committed suicide. What would make a young and beautiful, vibrantly talented and hugely successful individual to give up on life so violently? She certainly had reasons to be sad. Her husband had left her for another woman. But she had many more reasons to be happy, including the two little children she had. Though Plath died in 1963, her life and works are a huge inspiration to millions of mere mortals who take solace in her writings. What is more puzzling of the two? That modern generations find empathy in the bitterness of a woman who lived and died half a century ago or that people today are so sad to begin with. If you are a naturally chipper person, content with life on all fronts, then please share your secrets with us. This article is not for you. But most of us, though generally blessed with supportive family and friends, worthy jobs and partners, find ourselves susceptible to a dark cloud that threatens to shower doom on particular moments of happiness. We longingly think of our simple, fuss free childhoods when being happy took so little and lasted forever. We are constantly wishing ourselves back into that paradise of life when stress, tension, finances, relationships and threats didn’t laud over every occasion and death was utterly inconceivable.

Here’s a little secret. Being an adult need not be so challenging. Take Plath’s words to heart and don’t overthink it. When you were a child, your desires were simple and thus happiness was easy to come. For an adult, materialism takes centre stage. The moment certain desires get fulfilled, a hundred new are born. Technology, travel, home, living, success, prestige, appreciation, equality, safety, status, fame….. Need I go on? When January 2013 came around most of you swore, like every year, that this year was going to be different. That you were going to do things differently. That you were going to prioritize the important things and let frivolous desires take a backstage. Now that almost half the year is over, how has the progress been? Is your soul satiated with the flush of a well-kept promise or has the ennui of modern living stripped you down to your bare bones? Do you feel disheartened at the depression overtaking you when every move you make meant for a happier life? If so, then know that you are not alone. Everyone you know has felt stirrings of depression at some point in their life. The key to happiness is the simplest answer of all- simplify. You don’t need as much you think you do in order to be happy. Here are ten tips that critical thinkers and philosophers have gathered that will equip you to face the challenges of a hectic modern life head on and emerge a triumphant winner!

Here are the secrets that you must follow in order to be more happy in your life.

10. Focus on the Positive

If you open up your heart to jealousy, then there is no going back. Someone else is always going to be thinner, richer, better looking, more accomplished or happier than you. If you keep comparing your deficiencies with someone else’s blessings, you will always end up short. Instead, try this little trick. Think if the fourteen year old you would have been proud of the adult you today. Back when you were a teenager, you had certain dreams and ideals. Have you put yourself on the path to accomplishing those? If the teenage you would have considered the adult you “cool”, then you should be supremely happy with that. When you think this way, you will realize how far you have come, how much you have grown these past years and what immense things you have achieved. It will also help you reflect on the friends you have made over the years, whom you treasure today, and the foes you are wary of. You will realize the importance of changed relationships and how much the support of your loved ones has helped you become the person you are today. You will examine your professional and personal achievements and realize that in the game of life- you are a winner. After all these epiphanies, comparing yourself with others will seem so trivial and petty that you will likely put be ashamed of admitting you ever did it in the first place!

9. Drink Water

Happiness is as much a biological factor, as it is philosophical, spiritual or mental. A healthy person will retain cheers and good spirit much more than one who is plagued with aches and pains. In today’s hectic technology driven lifestyle, our bodies tend to get neglected beyond measure. Don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the maintenance of your happiness long term. Ensure eight hours of sleep. Have lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and avoid fried food, alcohol, tobacco, etc. Not only will the ensuing good health put you in a much better mood, you will look fantastic which will increase oodles of confidence.

However, the main crux of this tip is to drink water. Lots of it. Make it an unfailing habit to have at least three litres of water a day. A study conducted by the University of Connecticut found that the slightest dehydration caused the moods of its participants to alter low. The more water you have, the happier you’ll be!

8. Don’t Be Selfish

When you uttered your first word, took your first steps or came back home with a glowing report card from nursery school, your parents had the widest smile. Their pride shone through so fiercely as if you had conquered the world. More than taking pride in your own achievement, your happiness stemmed from that bright smile of your parents. You felt happier when they were happy. It is this feeling that sustains us humans. The smile and happiness of our loved ones far outshines the materialistic benefit of a shopping spree.

The editor of Forbes magazine gave forty six random strangers five dollars to twenty dollars. They could spend it as they wished. Those who spent it on others reported feeling far happier than those who spent it on themselves. The amount of the money, five or twenty dollars, didn’t matter. The feeling did. I am not asking to deprive yourself of anything. By all means, fulfil all your needs. But learn to distinguish between want and need. Instead of drowning in excesses to impress others, splurge on those around you. Guaranteed you will take delight in their smiles.

7. Value Your Relationships

The day you take the good things in your life for granted, they will start slipping from you. A famous anonymous quote goes along the lines of, “God doesn’t give you the people you want. He gives you the people you need.” Instead if hiding in shame from embarrassing parents, annoying siblings or moaning about the fact that you don’t have many friends, turn to the people you do have. Analyse the ways in which they are always there for you, how they help you on a daily basis and think of what you would do without them. Nurture your relationships with love, care and understanding. Give back as good as you get. Focus on each other’s needs instead of their fault. They do not deserve your judgement, only your understanding. The more you do this, the less you will find yourself being judged. Drawing absolute completion from personal relationships can be the most satisfying feeling in the world.

6. Read

If I had a penny every time I heard someone saying, “I don’t like to read much”, I would be very rich indeed. Why do you think literature exists? Forget about reasons of academics, intelligence, elitism or any such. It exists to make you happy. For hundreds of years people from all over the world have been experiencing the same joys and sorrows that you- the 2013 human- find yourself engulfed in. They might have experienced it in different terms, but to be human in universal. To lead a full life is fraught with challenges of all kind. The books hold the answer to those challenges. Find time in your busy schedule to curl up with an insightful favourite and a steaming cup of coffee. Immerse yourself in the pages of wisdom. You will be surprised at how much you identify with the character’s pains and gains. Anything from Shakespeare to Hardy, Poe to Plath will do. One book that will unnervingly set you on the path to happiness is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Reading even a chapter of this great book will shake your soul.

5. Stop Chasing Happiness

If your sole goal is to be happy, then that is going to be mighty difficult to achieve. It is like swimming after a ball in the water. The faster you swim, the more out of reach the ball will be. Instead if you relaxed and swam leisurely in your own pace, the ball would eventually linger in towards you. When you chase happiness, you are actually chasing a very difficult to define metaphysical concept that may or may not exist. Each time someone asks you, “What make you happy?” you will have a slightly altered answer. Moreover, you cannot know for sure what will make you absolutely happy. Certainty is not a given in humanity. Instead focus on living each day as it comes, complete the tasks and duties that are your responsibility, have a hobby that you enjoy and spend time with family and friends. Watch movies, read books, listen to music. Set short term goals like weight loss if you are obese, fitness if you are unhealthy, etc. Once you have stopped hankering after something so vague, the concrete things in your life will give you direction. A few short months will bring such a positive change in your life that the ever elusive happiness will be in your palms.

4. Reaction versus Pro-action

This is a tip by Stephen Covey, the author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. Refer to point number six for more on that genesis. This is an astoundingly simple tip that, if applied effectively, will yield tremendous results very soon. Whenever we are faced with bad situations that make us sad or discourage us, negative reactions are inevitable. Self-pity, melancholia, anger, sadness, apathy and the like will take over our minds and constantly prey on our good emotions. Rather than giving into this negativity, ignore it completely. Don’t think about the unfairness of life. Just concentrate on proactive actions that can be implemented right away to address the damage that has been done. Focus only on the remedy. This will take you forward, instead of making you linger in the black corner of time. Don’t play petty blame games. Accept what has happened with an open mind and do the best thing you can. Once you make a habit of this, you are on your way to becoming one of the titular highly “effective people”

3. Introspection

Peer pressure is such a common term today. Parents are increasingly worried at the ways their children act out under the influence of friends. Some of the things they do to impress their friends is downright horrifying. Sad thing is high school doesn’t at eighteen. Most people let outside forces direct their life. They let others tell them what the need to be happy. Then they work furiously at getting those things for themselves. Regardless of whether they do get then or not, true bliss will always be out of the reach. Truly introspect oh how much you let others dictate your choices for you. Are societal expectations, clever advertisings, manipulative branding or inherent socialisations influencing your choices and paths in life? Try meditation, even if for only fifteen minutes a day. Be brutally honest with yourself. Paolo Coelho has said that being completely honest with oneself is the only true path to success. Strip away the glamour from concepts that you hold dear. Get in touch with your soul and let it guide you. Examine and analyse all your beliefs and convictions. If something is very important to you, question yourself why it is so. The key to your happiness lies in the answers to these questions.

2. Express Yourself

An uncomplicated and fuss-free way to be happy, that doesn’t require too much thinking on your part, is creativity. Your mind is a stronghold of tightly pressed emotions and feelings that bear down on your existence. Try immersing yourself in the arts to relive yourself of this burden. Find an outlet for this energy build up. Painting, writing, crafts, collections, knitting, cooking, dancing or anything that strikes your fancy. Stop thinking too much and let your sense overtake your emotions. Just focus on getting it all out. After an hour or so of rigorous self-expression, the most liberating feeling of exuberance will fill your limbs. Your heart, body and mind will be uplifted beyond measure. And who knows, maybe you will get really good at your hobby and it will, one day, become a way of life.

1. Simplify

The top tip in this list is very predictable, I’m afraid. It is the one thing I mentioned in the intro and have been ranting at for the past nine points. But it is so important that it does deserve its own space. Declutter your life. Empty it of superfluous things and negative people. Toxic relationships are a huge emotional drain and you deserve to be happy. Life is short. Make the most of it. The latest iPhone is not going to make you happy. It is only a substitute for the hole cause by the absence of things that actually matter. Focus on being a kind and nice human being with passion and integrity. Follow your heart and dreams. Don’t attach too much importance on worldly items. The soul is a free bird. Let it fly. Don’t cage it in with a whole host of unnecessary, yet all too humane, flaws and weaknesses. Stop thinking about what the outside world expects you to be and focus only on what’s right for you. Live the life you were intended to live, not one that a marketing campaign says that you should. You decide your worthiness.