Healthy drinks, like water, juice and milk, have completely been dislodged by soda these days. Soda has become one of the most popular drinks consumed by people, especially in the form of soft drinks. Its consumption is there in people of every age group. People have started guzzling down bottles of soda, without thinking, even slightly, about any potential side effects. Though most of us are not fully aware of it, drinking too much soda does have its side effects, some of them even pretty serious. To enlighten you on the issue, here is a list of the risks of drinking soda.

Side Effects of Drinking Soda

• Soda has been known to comprise certain chemicals that make you feel dehydrated. This is the reason why, even after drinking lots of soda, you continue to feel thirsty.

• There is high sugar content and too much fructose corn syrup in soda. Too much consumption of it can easily make you put on excessive weight.

• Irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, excitement and gastrointestinal disturbance are some other side effects of caffeine, which often result from high consumption of soda.• Soda does not have any nutritional value. Drinking it regularly means that you are just adding on empty calories.

• Excessive consumption of soda can result in high blood sugar, which can lead to faintness, rapid heart rate, and dehydration.

• Since soda contains too much sugar and acid, it can play havoc with your oral health. Not only does it dissolve the calcium out of tooth enamel, but can also cause lots of cavities.

• Caffeine removes calcium from our bodies. If you are drinking too much soda, you are also ingesting too much calcium, which ultimately will affect the strength of your bones.

• Soda is also loaded with caffeine, which is a stimulant, the reason why it develops into an addiction soon.

The air pollution, dust, hard water and chemicals in shampoos only damage our hair and scalp. This often results in dry hair, split ends and hair loss. If you want minimize the damage done to your hair in an inexpensive way, homemade shampoos are the best way. The recipe for making herbal homemade shampoo is quite easy. Read on to know how to make homemade shampoo.

Herbal Shampoo

Ingredients:

• Herbal Tea
• Liquid Castile Soap (soap made of olive oil and sodium hydroxide)

Instructions:

In 8 ounces (227 grams) of liquid castile soap, mix ¼ cup of strongly brewed herbal tea. This mixture should be stirred continuously over low heat for blending it well. Once blended well, you can remove it from the heat and let it cool down. Store this in a bottle that has a tight cap and keep it in room temperature away from sunlight.

Chamomile Shampoo

Ingredients:

• 6 Chamomile Tea Bags
• Pure Soap Flakes
• 1½ tablespoons Glycerin

Instructions:

Take 1½ cups of boiled water and immerse the Chamomile tea bags in it. Boil for 20 minutes and then remove the tea bags. Add four tablespoons of pure soap flakes to this and let it stand till the soap flakes soften. Add Glycerin and blend it finely in the mixture by stirring continuously. Let it cool down and then store it in a tightly sealed bottle and keep in a dark cool place.

Dry Shampoo (for Oily Hair)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon powdered Orris root
• 1 tablespoon finely ground Almonds

Instructions:

All these ingredients should be mixed well and then brushed all over your hair. Begin by applying at the roots and then proceeding towards the tips. With your fingertips, gently rub and massage the mixture on your scalp to make sure it is spread evenly. Then, brush nicely again. If some particles are left in your hair, they can be removed by washing your hair with regular shampoo.

Egg Shampoo

Ingredients:

• 1 Egg
• 1tsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tbsp Castile Soap
• 1/2 cup of Herbal Tea
• Fragrant Essential Oil

Instructions:

Mix all the above ingredients in a blender and continuously whip until the mixture gets a smooth texture. Pour it in a bottle and store in refrigerator. Use this mixture with warm water and wash and rinse your hair thoroughly. This mixture should not be used for more than a week.

The exercises would strengthen the mobility of the hips, strengthen hip muscles, and lessen the fat on hip joint.

Bending the Hip
Place a mat on the ground. Lie down on your back with knees bent. Straighten your legs one by one. After a couple of minutes, come to another step in your exercise. Tighten the muscle on the top of the leg you have straightened. Try to straighten the knee as much as possible. Now, keeping the knee straight, lift your leg one to two feet. In the meantime be careful not to bend your back. Repeat the procedure with both the legs. The exercise strengthens the muscles which bend the hip.

Strengthening Hip Muscles
Stand straight with your legs spaced. Keep the abdominal muscles tight, knees bent and chest up. Push your hips back as if you are sitting in a chair. Squat directly down in control. Stop yourself wherever your feel uncomfortable and reverse the procedure. The exercise would strengthen the muscles of your hip.

Toning the Hip
You have to do this exercise on smooth floor. Stand with feet distanced apart to hip width. Keep one of your feet on a paper plate. Skid the leg, which is on the paper plate, away sidewise. Keep torso and abs upright during the process. Bend the other knee when necessary. Hold it there for a few seconds and backset the process. Repeat the procedure for the other foot too.

Consolidating Hip Muscles
You have to use a leg press machine in this exercise. Sit on the machine with your back flush against the back pad. Keep your knees a bit bent, chest up and abdominal muscles tight. Lower your body weight while keeping the hips back. Try splitting the weight between your hip joints and knee joints. Do it as long as you are comfortable and then reverse the exercise process.

Strengthening Backward Mobility
You have to move the leg up and back, with knee straight. For support, hold on any hard object. While the exercise, do not bend your back. The exercise is useful in increasing the backward mobility of the hip.

Reducing Fat on Hip
Stand with your feet stretched apart to hip width. Squat yourselves till hips are in the lowest possible position. Hold for a second and then leap up swiftly. Repeat the exercieight to ten times. Avoid hard floor during the exercise for it could cause injury.

How to Lose Weight in the Thighs

Remember that what you eat decides how you look. In order to tone any specific area of the body, it is necessary to get into a fit shape first. Add more protein and fiber to your diet. While the former will make exercises more effective, the latter will make your body lean and healthy.

Exercises

•  Biking /Swimming/ Jogging/ Walking
The aerobic exercises of riding an exercise bike, swimming, jogging and walking go a great length towards trimming your thighs. While using an exercise bike, try to paddle while standing up and pedal as fast as you can. Paddle your legs as you do your strokes while swimming, especially the back stroke. You can alternate between jogging and brisk walking, for 25 to 30 minutes, three times per week.

•  Skipping Rope
Jump a skipping rope 3 to 4 times in a week. Not only does it make your thighs lean, but also serves as an excellent warm up. Initially, use the jogging pace while jumping with the rope. Turn the rope forward and alternately jump your legs Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight. After sometime, start jumping both your legs at the same time. This will increase difficulty of the exercise.

•  Leg Curling
Position yourself on the hamstring machine, stomach-down. Place both your feet below the attached weights and put your hands on the grips. Holding on to the grips, bring your feet towards your buttocks. Make sure to inhale as you curl up your legs. Now, exhaling slowly, lower your legs and bring them back to the original position. Repeat this procedure 10 to 12 times.

•  Leg Raising
Another exercise that can help you lose weight from the thighs comprises of leg raises. Spread an exercise mat and lie down on your back. Join both the legs and while inhaling slowly, elevate them as much as possible. Now, bring them back, while exhaling, but keep them about 1 to 2 inches about the floor, so that they do not touch it. Now, again raise the legs and bring them down. Repeat this procedure 10 times.

•  Squatting
Doing squats is an excellent way to get rid of the weight on your thighs. Initially, take a long rod for doing it. Stand straight, with your feet shoulder width apart, and balance the rod on your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, lower yourself to a sitting position, while inhaling, and exhale as you come back to the standing position. Do three sets of 10 repetitions. Gradually increase the resistance, first with dumbbells in both hands and then, with a Smith machine or barbell.

How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat

If you think that losing belly fat means going to the gym regularly and sweating it out, you are not cent-percent right. Well, you sure can go to the gym and work out but wouldn’t it be great if we gave you some simple tips and told you of some easy exercises that you can follow to get into great shape?

If you are looking to change your body shape to make it more attractive, then losing those extra kilos from your belly would do wonders to your overall image. Find out some easy exercises to lose that extra bulk from your belly.

• First and foremost you need to totally discard processed foods and desserts from your diet. Instead, eat lots of fruits, vegetables, salads with olive oil dressing, beans, wholegrains etc. Also, try and eat less salty food.

• Aerobic Exercises are yet another very simple method of getting into shape. There are loads of aerobic videos available in the market which you can get for the purpose. It is also a lot of fun as well.

• Swimming is yet another very good exercise that can help you to lose those extra fats from the belly. It works out the whole body and burns plenty of calories as well.

• You need to stabilize your blood sugar level by eating every 2-3 hours. Also eat lots of nuts, berries and whole grains which have low fat content.

• Always try and be active, physically. This will help and burn the calories from your belly. Different activities burn different amount of calories. You should choose an activity which suits you the best.

A dazzling white smile is a sure shot way of winning hearts. For this reason, it is one of the prized possessions for a number of people. On the other hand, with the modern lifestyle leading to lopsided food habits and routines, it has become difficult to maintain that sheen. There are a number of food items and drinks, which lead to the paleness of the teeth, such as soft drinks or carbonated rinks, tea, coffee, cigarette, etc. Excessive consumption of all these products leads to the yellow coloring of the teeth over a considerable period of time. However, the whiteness of teeth can be restored with the help of natural teeth whiteners and a little effort.

Some Natural Teeth Whitening Products are:

•  The bark of the walnut tree is supposed to contain teeth whitening properties. Gently rub the bark over your teeth to remove stains.
•  Charcoal ashes are an affordable and easily available product, which can be used to whiten teeth. You can mix charcoal ashes with your toothpaste or use it separately, working gently over your teeth.
•  Eating apple after meal can also prove to be helpful in getting rid of yellow teeth.
•  For dazzling white teeth, rub them with the inner part of the orange peel.
•  Strawberries are also natural teeth whiteners, which can be rubbed over teeth to remove stains. However, make sure you brush your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste right after this, as the sugar and acid in the same, may decline the effect.
•  Gargling teeth with a mixture of water and rock salts can also prove to be helpful.
•  Celery and carrots are also considered to remove stains from teeth.

Minimizing house dust is not too big a problem, especially if you know just the right ways. No matter how much time you spend on cleaning your house, the dust comes back the very next day and all your efforts seem to have gone down the drain. Apart from the outdoor sources, there are many indoor sources of house dust as well, like skin particles, cloth fibers, dog hair, insect parts, human hair, and so on. Whatever be the source of the dust, you need to take steps to reduce it as much as much as possible.

How to Reduce Dust in Your House

1. Invest in a good vacuum clean and indulge in vacuuming on a daily basis. It can help remove majority of the dust from your house.

2. If you have an air conditioning unit in your house, the first step should be to get its ducts cleaned. At the same time, make sure to get the air filter replaced on a regular basis.

3. Equip each and every entrance in your house with a mat, where the family members as well as guests can wipe their feet before coming inside.

4. Reduce the amount of carpets in your home. This is because carpets stay very dusty, even if you vacuum them on a daily basis.

5. Pets are one of the most probable sources of dust in a house. If you own one, bathe and brush him frequently. Always clean his paws when he comes back from a walk outside.

6. Instead of feather dusters and dry rags, use damp rags or disposable cloths. The former spread dust, while the latter attract and gather it.

7. Wash sheets and pillowcases on a weekly basis. In case of blankets and other linen that cannot be washed in machine, take them outside the house and shake away the dust.

8. Install an air purifier in your home. It not only eliminates the dust in air, but also improves the quality of air.

9. If you have attic stairs in your home, make sure that the door shuts properly, when closed.

10. Vacuum the furniture regularly. At the same time, take cushions outside and beat the dust out of them.

With the intention of helping you out, here is a number of tips for removal of house dust, in the above lines.

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker
A spin-off video game from the Moonwalker movie in which Jackson, with help from his dance skills and Bubbles the chimpanzee, has to rescue children kidnapped by the evil Mr. Big.

Captain EO
A 3-D film that was shown for a time at Disney parks starring Jackson as a space captain.

The Simpsons Appearance
Jackson voiced Leon Kompowsky, a mental patient convinced he’s MJ who helps Bart get back in his sister’s good graces with the tune “Happy Birthday, Lisa” (actually sung by Jackson impersonator Kipp Lennon). He also co-wrote “Do the Bartman.”

“Black or White”
Sure, everyone remembers the face-morphing and the white shirt and everything. But what about the extended version, where Jackson dances to no music in an alley, smashes the shit out of a car with a tire iron, destroys a hotel sign, and then transforms into a panther.

Back to the Future
When Marty McFly enters Café 80’s in Back to the Future II, we see a video simulation of Jackson ticking off the specials: “Try our La Bamba fajita tortilla pita. It’s got a hot salsa, avocados, cilantro mix, with your choice of beans, chicken, be-be-beef, or pork.” In Back to the Future III, Marty moonwalks for his life.

Michael Jackson’s memorial service will be held at two separate venues on Tuesday morning — the main event will be at the Staples Center and a simulcast will play at the Nokia Theatre.

A lottery has been set up for fans to obtain the free tickets — and they can sign up for the random drawing on the Staples Center website. Good luck logging on.

17,500 tickets are available for the event — 11,000 for Staples and 6,500 for Nokia — which will be divvied out 2 per person.

Also, the family wouldn’t say if Michael’s body would be at the memorial.

Only U.S. residents can apply.

About 90 minutes before you want to nod off, head for the kitchen and make yourself a sleepy-time snack. Keep it light (around 200 calories), so you don’t overload your digestive system. And include one or two foods from the list below. All help to relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones — serotonin and melatonin — flowing.

1. Bananas — They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

2. Chamomile tea — Chamomile is a staple of bedtime tea blends because of its mild sedating effect, which makes it the perfect natural antidote for restless minds and bodies.

3. Warm milk – It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan, an amino acid that has a sedative-like effect, and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus, there’s the psychological throwback to infancy, when a warm bottle meant “relax, everything’s fine.”

4. Honey — Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

5. Potatoes — A small baked spud won’t overwhelm your gastrointestinal tract as it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the soothing effect, mash the potato with warm milk.

6. Turkey — It’s the best-known source of tryptophan, credited with all those Thanksgiving naps. But that’s actually modern folklore. Tryptophan works when your stomach’s basically empty rather than overstuffed and when there are some carbs around rather than tons of protein. But put a lean slice or two on some whole-wheat bread midevening and you’ve got one of the best sleep-inducers in your kitchen.

7.  Oatmeal — Oats are a rich source of sleep-inviting melatonin, and a small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy — and if you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling, too.

8. Almonds — A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can send you snoozing because they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

9. Whole-wheat bread — A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs “time to sleep.”

10. Flax seeds – When life goes awry, and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.