Are your clothes getting tighter around the waist? Is your body becoming more oblong and out of shape? If the answer to the above questions is a yes, then you are suffering from increasing belly fat, that gets accumulated due to a number of natural and man-made triggers. Belly fat is more than a just an aesthetic disposition of the body. An abdominal bulge is due to the storage of excessive visceral fat around the liver, stomach, and pancreas. This ‘beer gut’ is a predictor of metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, some heart diseases, and cancer. A simple tape can measure stomach fat. Standing up, wrap the tape around your waist and check your girth at the belly button. Make sure that the tape measure is level. A healthy body mass index dictates that your waist size be less than 35 inches in women and less than 40 inches in men. Ways To Burn Stomach Fat Losing fat from the abdomen area can be a difficult task, Some well-proven strategies target the specific fat buildup in the belly area. Fibrous Diet Soluble fiber is mostly indigestible plant matter that binds water, forming a viscous gel that ‘sits’ in the gut.

One of the most common types of heel pain is caused by a condition called Plantar Fasciitis, which is the swelling of a ligament called Plantar Fascia on the underside of your foot. A whopping 10% of the people in the entire world suffer from this condition. Sometimes, the pain can even become chronic. However, there are simple ways to deal with it. Read further to find out treatment of plantar fasciitis at home. Plantar Fasciitis: An Overview This condition is caused whenever you put excessive strain on your feet. It is most common in middle-aged people, but it can also affect younger adults who are on their feet for long periods, like athletes. Repeated straining can cause small tears in the ligament which can lead to chronic pains. Home Treatment Of Plantar Fasciitis Even when you visit a doctor, the first solution they give you is steps you can take to treat the pain on your own. Some of these are mentioned below. Rest Your Feet: Ensure that you give your feet ample amount of rest. If any activity is causing pain, avoid it. Support Your Feet: The best way to do this is by wearing supportive footwear that has a good heel cushioning and arch support.

Digestion is a complex process of breakdown of food into simpler substances or nutrients for easy absorption by the body. This process is facilitated by heat and certain chemicals produced by our body called digestive enzymes. Since the process of digestion occurs in multiple stages, at each stage, these digestive enzymes contribute to the breakdown of certain macro and micronutrients. What are natural digestive enzymes? Our body produces a number of enzymes. Most enzymes are proteins and some of these are involved in the process of digestion. They speed up the digestion process by helping the breakdown of complex macromolecules into smaller molecules. Every enzyme has a different target nutrient to break down and make it available for the body. Digestive enzymes are secreted at every step of the digestion process. The salivary glands produce amylase enzyme in the mouth that kick-starts the digestion process. Mainly, the digestive enzymes are produced in the pancreas and small intestine. Other enzymes are produced in the mouth and stomach. Why do we need digestive enzyme supplements? When the body is unable to produce sufficient amounts of digestive enzymes or when the enzymes fail to function properly, this leads to several digestive issues such as bloating, chronic constipation, and inflammatory bowel syndrome.

What is Chronic Pain? Pain usually occurs when we experience a muscular tear or any other kind of injury in any part of the body. This occurs suddenly and may vanish away in few days as it may recover on itself or through using ointments or other pain reliever drugs. This is called acute pain. On the other hand, pain in any part of the body that lasts more than a few months or may even last for years is known as chronic pain. This is the result of either a long-term injury or other damage to the body, that may occur due to age factors. Chronic pain is a dangerous medical issue as it may lead to reduced quality of sleep, depression, mood swings, irritation, exhaustion, anxiety and lack of stamina to perform daily activities. In case you are experiencing chronic pain in any part of your body, you must pay close attention to the problem and try to treat it before it goes out of hand. Treatments For Chronic Pain The following treatment options help in improving and regulating chronic pain: Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) : This is a widely adopted treatment option for treating chronic pain. In this procedure, the nerves that carry the signals of pain to the nervous system are targeted.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a painful disease that can result in permanent damage to joints. In order to prevent this, doctors and rheumatologists prescribe each patient for a rheumatoid arthritis treatment regimen that consists of various types of drugs, combined with physical therapy. Rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. In an autoimmune disorder, the immune system mistakes a body part as an invasive organism and damages it. In RA, the immune system perceives the lining tissue in the joints called synovium as a threat and attacks it. The synovium not only provides a protective covering but also produces a fluid that keeps the joints lubricated, enabling them to move freely. RA attacks the synovium, causing inflammation and ultimately damaging this tissue. If left untreated, the damage to the synovium could affect the cartilage and bones in the joint. And so, it becomes imperative to detect the disease and make sure that it does not progress rapidly. There is, as of now, no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Yet, there are ways to prevent inflammation, pain and to slow down the disease and keep it in remission. Rheumatoid arthritis treatments Rheumatoid arthritis treatments involve reducing pain, controlling inflammation, preventing the disease from progressing further or slowing it down, and putting the symptoms in remission.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons associated with diverse illnesses and medical conditions. Many people suffer from this condition several times in their lifetimes, and it can be for various reasons. Read further to understand why abdomen pain symptoms occur. Constipation The normal cycle of bowel movements per week is from 5 to 15 times. If you have less stool than this in a week, then it means that you’re suffering from constipation. The easiest way to tell if you have constipation is by checking the number of bowel movements you have in a week. Other than this, you can even experience abdominal pain symptoms along with hard stools, bleeding from your rectum, straining during bowel movements, etc. Diarrhea Unlike constipation, diarrhea is a condition where you have bowel movements in excess and have relatively loose and watery stools. This is caused due to increased fluid secretion from your intestines. In worse case scenarios, you can experience extreme dehydration as this condition affects the amount of water that’s absorbed by the body. It generally accompanies extreme abdominal pain symptoms. Other symptoms depend on the cause of diarrhea. It can be both acute and chronic, and the treatment for each of these depends on the nature or type of infection.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and does not have any cure. It is only possible to reduce the severity of the symptoms, which offers the patient a better quality of life. Rheumatoid Arthritis primarily affects the joints. It can also affect the lungs, voice box, and eye. Symptoms The distinguishing feature of Rheumatoid arthritis is that it affects both hands and both legs. There is swelling, pain, redness and tenderness in the finger joints, wrist, elbow and knee. The feet, hip, neck and even the jaw can be affected. Unfortunately, the exact cause for Rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. A gene alteration is the most likely cause of this autoimmune disorder which predominantly affects women. As the symptoms show up differently in each person, a combination of tests help to draw the conclusion that a person is suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Most often, the evident Signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis help to diagnose the condition. There are some signs when rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints. Inflammation is accompanied by: Stiffness There is decreased mobility in the joints. Especially during mornings, it gets pretty difficult to use your joints. The stiffness lasts for a long time, and may last more than an hour, before you find your joints loosening up.

Quality, adequate sleep is mandatory for good health. Sleep is when your body repairs damaged cells and rest the brain so you can recover and recharge. Good sleep not only helps boost your immune system but is also very important for your mental health. Having said this, it’s important to remember that many people have trouble getting healthy uninterrupted sleep. It could either be a sleep disorder or it could be a side-effect of some types of medication. In such a situation where a person is unable to get the required hours of quality sleep, a person could develop a large number of ailments like a poor digestive system, poor concentration levels, sharp mood swings, loss of appetite, and depression. So, if you are looking for natural sleep remedies, and want to avoid sleeping pills or other drugs, keep reading. The best natural sleep remedies Insomnia is a condition that plagues a large number of people. This is a situation where a person is unable to get enough sleep, even if he or she is extremely tired, and needs the rest. In most cases, those suffering from insomnia are prescribed sleeping pills. Such medications aren’t advisable in the long run as they can have a range of adverse side-effects.

Hemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in the anal canal. External hemorrhoids refer to enlarged veins beneath the surface of the anal skin. You can see and feel external hemorrhoid as the blood clot surrounds the surface of the anus. External hemorrhoids are not serious but are very painful. The most common causes of external hemorrhoids are prolonged sitting on the toilet, chronic constipation and straining during the bowel movements. All of these cause enlargement of the veins outside the surface of the anus, causing external hemorrhoids. They disturb the blood flow to and from that area resulting in swollen blood vessels. Constipation tightens the muscles of the anal canal that are smooth. This strain causes pain and bleeding during the bowel movement. The connective tissue that connects the anus muscles also weaken with age, thereby increasing the swelling outside the surface. When you pressurize the veins of the pelvic and rectal area, it can also lead to external hemorrhoids as the muscles tighten. Symptoms of external hemorrhoids There are four main symptoms of external hemorrhoids: The first and foremost is itching around the surface of the anus. This is because hemorrhoids cause swelling and irritation in the rectal area, and develop an urge to itch.

The total cholesterol or the total blood cholesterol is a measure of HDL cholesterol level, LDL cholesterol level, and other lipid components. Total cholesterol is not actually a type of cholesterol but a composite of the different types of cholesterol. Twenty percent of the triglyceride level plus the LDL and HDL cholesterol level score gives the total cholesterol score of a person. For anyone who is over the age of 20, cholesterol levels should be checked every five years to keep a track record of health. The test that used to screen the cholesterol levels is known as the lipid profile, and it is recommended by experts that women above the age of 45 years and men above the age of 35 years should get frequent screenings done to check for lipid disorders. The risk for heart disease is determined on the basis of the total cholesterol number by a doctor who can devise a medical health plan to lower the risk. Overall, regular routine checkups, an active lifestyle, and a clean diet with the minimum intake of triglycerides are said to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. The aspects covered under the lipoprotein profile include the following. Total cholesterol LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, more famously known as “bad” cholesterol) HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, more commonly known as “good” cholesterol) Triglycerides (fats that are carried into the blood from the food that is consumed.