8 Things your feet are saying about your health

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A foot is perhaps the most overlooked part of the body and gets very little attention. Besides painting our toes now and then and plucking off that stray hair during sandal season, our feet are mostly ignored. But did you know that a foot is the perfect indicator of our overall health and provides valuable pointers that we should take note of. If you experience any of these below, make sure you consult your general practitioner immediately.

Stinky Feet

If you have improper hygiene, your feet are likely to show the first signs of it. While stinking or smelly feet may not signal anything dangerous, it is nevertheless an important indicator. If the feet continue to smell even after you have restored your hygiene (for example, by taking a bath), then it may be a sign of fungal infection such as athlete’s foot. Always wear cotton socks to prevent smelly feet and regularly wash both your shoes (yes, your shoes need to be cleaned!) and socks.

Foot Cramps

If you had recently walked or hiked long distances or worn shoes without ankle support, then it is likely that the foot cramps were caused because of that. However, if you don’t think any of that applies to you then foot cramps could be an indicator of issues with the nervous system such as vasculitis or arteritis. It could also be something as harmless as nutritional deficiency such as low calcium or magnesium. After periods of high exercise always make sure to rest your feet and give it a proper foot massage.

Yellow Toenails

Unlike common assumption, yellow toenails are not a sign of improper hygiene. Rather it is a sign of fungal infection called as Onychomycosis. Many people ignore this symptom and do not pay attention believing that it would go away in time. However, onychomycosis fungus keeps growing under the toenail and since feet are usually in cold and moist places (inside a shoe), it provides the perfect breeding ground for the fungus. In extreme cases, it has caused people to lose the entire toenail.

A sore that won’t heal

A sore that doesn’t heal is a very important indicator for diabetes mellitus. Because diabetes causes increased glucose levels, it prevents any wound from healing properly. If your sore does not go away in a few days consult a doctor immediately. A sore could also be an indicator for skin cancer.

Perpetually cold feet

While some people prefer their feet cold when sleeping, yet others have naturally cold feet. If your feet seem unusually cold, then it could be an indication of hypothyroidism. It means that your thyroid gland is secreting less thyroid hormones than necessary for proper body functioning.  You can confirm this with a simple blood test at home or by visiting the nearest doctor.

Heel Pain

While it is common in women who wear stilettos, pain in the heel could be a symptom of several issues. It could be a sign for ligament inflammation or it could be a sign that you are starting to develop varicose veins. Try wearing flat heeled and open toes shoes to see if the symptoms persist. If they do, consult a doctor right away.

A Puffy Toe

At first glance a puffy toe may seem like the result of hitting your toe against a hard surface. But if your puffy and enlarged toe does not subside within a few hours, it may be a sign of gout. Gout which is a form of arthritis is caused by the accumulation of uric acid. Monitor your toe for a few days to see if it continues to be puffy and visit a podiatrist at first opportunity.

Pitted Toenails

Pitted toenails could be an indicator of the immune condition psoriasis. In general psoriasis manifests in the skin but in rare cases, some people may find their toenails to have small holes or pits in them. It is easily treated with over the counter medication.

Great ways to spruce up your gender reveal party!

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The emotion of revealing the gender of the baby in your belly cannot be explained in words. And what better ways to make it happen that at a gender reveal party. Well, the concept is not new to folks, but what’s new is how you organize the party and what the unique ways in which you can reveal the gender. And the party becomes more exciting when no one, I mean no one in the family has a clue about what’s happening!

The best part about a gender reveal party is not just the revealing part but being surrounded by all your family and friends. Gender reveal is not just special for the soon to be parents but also for the myriad aunts, uncles and grandparents. And keep in mind, the true success of a gender reveal party is when the news finally dawns on the parents! So, whether you are a partner planning the party for your spouse or if you are a friend, relative or colleague, here are a few tips and tricks that will help spruce up the party.

Let the balloons surprise you

As common as it is, pink and blue balloons are a time-tested way to go. The individual responsible for organizing the party must know the gender of the baby and then all you need to do is place the pink or blue balloons in a box. Keep that huge box in your backyard, lawn or garden and open the box at the countdown of 3. And that’s it! The color of balloons will say it all! One cannot even express that feeling just a second before the box opens! It’s spectacular and scary at the same time!

And if you are planning this party and want to keep the gender as a surprise for you too, then all you must do is have a word with doctor who will slide an envelope to you with the gender printed inside. Just slide that envelope to your trusted friend or party organizer and everything will be taken care of!

Blue and Pink must be your food

All you need is a passion to bake, a little food coloring and a great backyard and you can create a magical gender reveal in minutes. Organize the dining table with a giant cake and other delectable food! Use a pink or blue food die to color the cake and cover it in white frosting. In the end, you will only be able to see the white frosting and not the color within.

When the soon-to-be parents cut the cake, the joy on their faces will be the perfect reward. Plus, you get to enjoy some delicious cupcakes while you’re at it!

Family Matters

Why not get the spectators involved by handing out pink or blue color t-shirts to your guests? You can either use apparel accessories like: pink or blue caps, hand bands, tattoos or just pins. If your party has kids in it, do not forget to get them some fun accessories too. But before you plan such an idea, make sure that each member in the family (especially the kids) are kept from divulging the secret. And then, when the time is right, let all the members of the party give a surprise to the would-be parents and revel in their priceless reactions.

Post it on Social Media

If you cannot gather your family around, you can still surprise them on social media. There are several ways you can post a gender reveal on social media. All you need to do is when you know the gender of your baby, fill your palm with pink or blue ink and leave a print on a plain white t-shirt and post it on social media profile. Another idea is to leave the imprint of that specific color on the belly of the would-be mother! This is an amazing way to surprise the mother as well. Best of all, you get to share the joy with your friends and family from around the world.

Baby Outfits

How about opening a present with the outfit of the baby! If it’s a girl, you might want to buy a little princess pink dress and a probably a blue suit if it’s a boy! But who will prepare this present if everyone wants to be surprised? Well, all you need to do is tell your doctor to write the gender inside an envelope and go to a baby apparel shop. Choose outfits for both genders and slide the envelope to the shop assistant! And they will take care of the rest and pack the right one inside a sealed bag.  And you get to walk away not knowing what is inside the bag.

Get Silly with Silly String

This creative idea is most enjoyed by the kids in the party. So, all you have to do is hand over the silly string spray of a specific color (pink/blue) and let the kids reveal the gender. And why only kids! Hand over silly string spray to everyone at the party and they will enjoy the revealing too.

And if you want, you can enjoy a gender reveal party with every technique listed above. You can have box of balloons in the garden. When the box opens, all your guests can spray silly string wearing pink/blue caps. And your husband can surprise you with baby t shirts. And all the fun can continue to the colored theme desserts and cupcakes in the garden.

And yes, don’t forget to record the priceless expression of the soon-to-be parents and each member in the family. You might want to use that video in future to tell your kid how special he/she was for the entire family and how everyone reacted during the surprising reveal! Gender reveal parties are a great way to enjoy time with your family and friends and revel in the bundle of joy you are soon about to have.

3 Meditation Techniques from Around the World

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In this world of technology and constant stress, meditation is a great way to relax, unwind and a chance to focus inward. Ancient civilizations around the world recognized the importance of meditation and devised several techniques that are designed to heal the mind and spirit. Whether you are feeling down or lethargic or simply want a break from all the chaos around you, try one of these meditation techniques and feel your spirits lift

The Buddhist Samatha Meditation

The word ‘Samatha’ means serenity or tranquillity and the objective of this meditation is to calm your inner self. The Buddhist meditation techniques share several similarities with other techniques from South Asian religions such as Jainism and Hinduism. These techniques are designed to help alleviate anger and improve concentration, insight and mindfulness.

For this technique, sit quietly in a room devoid of any sounds or interruptions. Make sure you do not have any cell phones, televisions or speakers on. Slowly concentrate inward on your breath and count the number of breaths you take. When you release a breath, feel the worries and tensions drain away from your body. You can also choose to meditate in front of an inanimate object such as a statue or flower pot. Concentrating on a single spot on the object allows your mind to relax and prevents excessive visual and cognitive distractions.

The Samatha meditation provides great inner peace in the short term and when performed periodically over a period allows you to achieve greater control over your thoughts and provides tranquillity in times of stress. Ultimately, the goal of Samatha is to help achieve nirvana or enlightenment. So, what are you waiting for. Grab your yoga mat and head down to quiet and peace.

New Age Hindu Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation or TM is an ancient technique from the Hindu Upanishads that was brought to the west by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1959. It is perhaps the most well-known technique in the west with several hundred researchers publishing studies that suggest TM can help with stress, anxiety and improving brain function. The TM technique involves repeating a specific mantra accompanied by rhythmic breathing.

TM teachers claim that it is an effortless technique that can be practiced by both sceptics and believers. It currently has over six million followers worldwide and has helped several soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Although transcendental meditation has several advocates, critics argue that the benefits achieved through transcendental meditation can also be achieved through other meditation techniques. Besides, since TM is taught by accredited teachers, the cost for TM may be as high as $960 making it a stressful way to relieve stress. However, if you are looking for a meditation technique that is endorsed by the likes of Hugh Jackman, then head on over to your nearest TM centre and learn how to achieve inner peace.

Inner Transformation through Taoist Meditation

Taoism or Daoism a Chinese religion that dates back to several hundred centuries; This type of meditation teaches that the power to control your mind and body exists within yourself and the best way to achieve inner peace is by harnessing this power and spirit. One of the key benefits of being able to control and unify the mind and body is to help achieve longevity.

There are several methods of performing Taoist meditation but emptiness meditation is the most commonly used technique. In this method, a person is supposed to remove all thoughts and feelings from their mind. They need to ‘forget about everything’ or empty their mind to achieve inner quiet. When this state is achieved, the spirit or the vital force within the body is able to gain back its strength and replenish it. This is one of the toughest forms of meditation for absolute beginners because a true state of emptiness is almost impossible to achieve even for experienced meditators.

So now that you have learnt some of the most commonly studied and learned meditation techniques, what are you waiting for? Go forth and conquer yourself.