10 Awesome benefits of drinking water

Proper hydration is essential in order to stay alive and healthy, thus the importance of drinking adequate water can not be over emphasized. Water is quite beneficial and easily accessible yet a lot of us take its availability for granted. Health benefits of drinking water are numerous and in-exhaustive,here are few.

1. It helps with weight loss : Adequate intake of water decreases appetite and hunger and thus making you eat less.Water also has zero calories. 

2. It helps the heart function better by supporting the heart.

3. It prevents certain skin conditions, clears the skin of any toxins and also gives the skin a younger and healthier appearance.

4.  It boosts the immune system, fights infections, thus reducing the likelihood of falling sick.

5.  It enhances digestion thereby preventing constipation and piles.

6.  It makes exercising easier by boosting energy  and regulating body temperature.

7.  It improves concentration thereby increasing productivity because dehydration slows down mental performance.

8.  It stops dizziness and reduces the intensity of headache especially in people who are susceptible to headache and migraine. 

9.  It reduces the risk of certain cancers like colon cancer(cancer of the large bowel).

10.  It improves oral health because dehydration reduces saliva production which is a predisposing factor to dental diseases.
  
Tips for drinking more water

• Start your day by drinking a glass of water when you get up in the morning. 

• Try to drink about 2 litres of water per day.

• Drink a glass of water before and after meals.

• Carry a bottle of water with you whenever you leave home.

• Always choose water over soft drinks.

• Keep a close check on your urine, it should be pale yellow in color (water helps maintain a healthy urinary system).

D.I.Y: Oral Rehydration Solution

Oral rehydration solution(ORS) is a therapy that helps to prevent or replace lost fluids from diarrhea and/or vomiting and its the most effective and cheapest way of managing diarrhea especially before you get access to a health care facility.However, do you know you can save money by preparing this solution on your own rather than buying the prepacked ones.It is very easy to prepare with items you already have in your kitchen.

Requirements

1. 1000mls(1 litre ) of water
2. A bowl  
3. A kitchen wooden spatula and teaspoons
4. 6 teaspoons of sugar
5. 1/2 teaspoon of salt preferably iodized salt

Method 

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
2. Wash the bowl ,wooden spatula and teaspoons as well with soap and water
3. Put water on fire and allow it to boil .
4. Allow water to cool after boiling.
5. Measure 1 litre of boiled water into the bowl.
6. Add 6 teaspoons of sugar to the water.
7. Stir with the spatula and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt .
8. Continue stirring the mixture with the spatula till the salt and sugar dissolve properly.

Administration

1. Give 1/2 litre of ORS each day to babies and toddlers who have diarrhea.
2. Give 1 litre of ORS each day to children who have diarrhea and/or vomiting.
3. Give 3 litres of ORS each day to adults who have diarrhea and/or vomiting.

Precautions

1. Discard any left over ORS after 24 hours i.e prepare fresh ORS every 24 hours.
2. Go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible and drink more ORS on your way.

12 ways to overcome smelly feet

    We spend a lot of time on our feet and our shoes are very close to the place where a large collection of sweat glands live under the feet,sweat gets into our shoes and then bacteria arrive and start to grow, thereby predisposing us to smelly feet. Bromodosis is the medical term for smelly feet and this condition can be quite embarrassing, however it can be treated with simple foot hygiene.

Here are simple ways of overcoming smelly feet;

1.Wash your feet daily with antibacterial soap: Maintain good foot hygiene by bathing your feet daily and washing in between your toes and around the nail beds(these are places where bacteria thrive) and carefully dry them especially in between your toes with a dry flannel. 

2. Exfoliate your feet: This can be done by scrubbing your feet in order to remove dead skin. This can be achieved by soaking your feet in warm water and then scrub away the dead skin cells with a pumice stone.

3. Always keep your toenails short and clean, long nails harbor a lot of bacteria.

4. Moisturize your feet using lotions with nice fragrance.

5. Always keep your feet dry.

6. Wear socks : Socks help to absorb moisture.Avoid nylon socks as they do not absorb moisture.Cotton  socks are the best.

7. Always air and dry out your shoes before wearing them again especially when they get wet or soaked.

8. Try not to wear shoes at home.Allow your feet breathe when you are indoors.

9. Wear shoes that allow your feet breathe e.g leather shoes or shoes with fenestrated covering like sandals or open/peep toes.

10. Rub your regular hand sanitizer over your feet and gently spray a disinfectant into your shoes as well.

11. Sprinkle talcum powder into your shoes and rub some over your feet.

12. Keep your shoes clean by brushing, polishing and washing them if possible.