HOW SMOKING EFFECTS YOUR BODY

Every cigarette you smoke is harmful Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths in England, accounting for more than 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking-related disease.

If you could see the damage, you'd stop.

Circulation

When you smoke, the toxins from cigarette smoke enter your blood. The toxins in your blood then:

· Make your blood thicker, and increase chances of clot formation

· Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, making your heart work harder than normal

· Narrow your arteries, reducing the amount of oxygen rich blood circulating to your organs.

Together, these changes to your body when you smoke increase the chance of your arteries narrowing and clots forming, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Heart

Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing the risk of conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels) and cerebro-vascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain).

Carbon monoxide from the smoke and nicotine both put a strain on the heart by making it work faster. They also increase your risk of blood clots. Other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lining of your coronary arteries, leading to furring of the arteries.

In fact, smoking doubles your risk of having a heart attack, and if you smoke you have twice the risk of dying from coronary heart disease than lifetime non-smokers.

The good news is that after only one year of not smoking, your risk is reduced by half. After stopping for 15 years, your risk is similar to that of someone who has never smoked.

Stomach

Smokers have an increased chance of getting stomach cancer or ulcers. Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of your gullet (oesophagus) and allow acid from the stomach to travel in the wrong direction back up your gullet, a process known as reflux.

Smoking is a significant risk factor for developing kidney cancer, and the more you smoke the greater the risk. For example, research has shown that if you regularly smoke 10 cigarettes a day, you are one and a half times more likely to develop kidney cancer compared with a non-smoker. This is increased to twice as likely if you smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day.

Skin

Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to your skin. This means that if you smoke, your skin ages more quickly and looks grey and dull. The toxins in your body also cause cellulite.

Smoking prematurely ages your skin by between 10 and 20 years, and makes it three times more likely you'll get facial wrinkling, particularly around the eyes and mouth. Smoking even gives you a sallow, yellow-grey complexion and hollow cheeks, which can cause you to look gaunt.

The good news is that once you stop smoking, you will prevent further deterioration to your skin caused by smoking.

Bones

Smoking can cause your bones to become weak and brittle. Women need to be especially careful as they are more likely to suffer from brittle bones (osteoporosis) than non-smokers.

Brain

If you smoke, you are more likely to have a stroke than someone who doesn't smoke.

In fact, smoking increases your risk of having a stroke by at least 50%, which can cause brain damage and death. And, by smoking, you double your risk of dying from a stroke.

One way that smoking can increase your risk of a stroke is by increasing your chances of developing a brain aneurysm. This is a bulge in a blood vessel caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall. This can rupture or burst which will lead to an extremely serious condition known as a sub-arachnoid hemorrhage, which is a type of stroke, and can cause extensive brain damage and death.

The good news is that within two years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke is reduced to half that of a non-smoker and within five years it will be the same as a non-smoker.

Lungs

Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD, a progressive and debilitating disease, is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. People with COPD have difficulties breathing, primarily due to the narrowing of their airways and destruction of lung tissue. Typical symptoms of COPD include: increasing breathlessness when active, a persistent cough with phlegm and frequent chest infections.

Whilst the early signs of COPD can often be dismissed as a ‘smoker’s cough’, if people continue smoking and the condition worsens, it can greatly impact on their quality of life. You can slow down the progression of the disease and stopping smoking is the most effective way to do this.

Mouth and throat

Smoking causes unattractive problems such as bad breath and stained teeth, and can also cause gum disease and damage your sense of taste.

The most serious damage smoking causes in your mouth and throat is an increased risk of cancer in your lips, tongue, throat, voice box and gullet (esophagus). More than 93% of oropharangeal cancers (cancer in part of the throat) are caused by smoking.

The good news is that when you stop using tobacco, even after many years of use, you can greatly reduce your risk of developing head and neck cancer. Once you've been smoke free for 20 years, your risk of head and neck cancer is reduced to that of a non-smoker.

Reproduction and fertility

Smoking can cause male impotence, as it damages the blood vessels that supply blood to the penis. It can also damage sperm, reduce sperm count and cause testicular cancer. Up to 120,000 men from the UK in their 20s and 30s are impotent as a direct result of smoking, and men who smoke have a lower sperm count than those who are non-smokers.

For women, smoking can reduce fertility. One study found that smokers were over three times more likely than non-smokers to have taken more than one year to conceive. The study estimated that the fertility of smoking women was 72% that of non-smokers.

Smoking also increases your risk of cervical cancer. People who smoke are less able to get rid of the HPV infection from the body, which can develop into cancer.

Smoking while you are pregnant can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and illness, and it increases the risk of cot death by at least 25%.

UNKNOWN BEAUTY TIPS WITH MANGO

Enjoying the taste of mango? Not only enjoy the taste of mango  but you can also increase your beauty with mango.

1. Take a table spoon of fully ripen-mango pulp and add table spoon of multani matti and make it into paste. Apply it on the face as a face pack and leave it for 15 minutes and wash it off with cold water.
2. Take 2 almond nuts and soak them in water and make them into paste and add it in to 2 table spoon of mango pulp and make it into paste. Add 1 table spoon of oatmill powder into the paste that we have prepared before and apply it on the face as face pack.
3. Take a table spoon of rose water, curd, multani matti and mix them with 2 table spoon of mango pulp and make it into paste apply it on the face and wash off 30 minutes with warm water.
4. Take a table spoon of honey and mix it with big table spoon of mango pulp and make it into paste. apply it on the face as face pack and wash off after 10 minutes with cold water. 

Easy ways to remove dark spots

Dark spots on face or on any other parts of the body, particularly on the hands, shoulders, neck, legs that are often exposed, can be highly embarrassing. When you have dark spots on your face, it is sure to overcast your otherwise beautiful skin and spots on the other exposed parts of the body can bar you from putting on those stylish dresses. So, it is important to take the right care to remove these dark spots. Scrubbing is considered as an effective way to remove any type of dark spots on the skin. Scrubbing helps in removing the old dead skin cells, while boosting the generation of new cells in the place. In other words, scrubbing enhances the natural mechanism of the skin and thus helps in removing any type of unnatural dark spots on the skin.

Is one scrub good for all purposes ?

In most of the cases, you can use same scrubs on your face as well as on the other parts of your body for removing dead cells and dark marks. However, as the skin of the body is much thicker than the skin of the face, hence you might need more rigorous use of the scrub when you are using it to lighten and remove a spot on the body. Often the scrubs for the body are prepared with more amounts of granulated ingredients to ensure proper exfoliation of the skin. Now having given you a clear idea about the scrubs and how they can remove the dark spots from the face as well as from the body, we will get straight to a list of natural scrubs that can remove dark spots most effectively. The natural homemade scrubs can give you the best results, without any side effects; and they will never make a hole in your pocket either. However, one thing to keep in mind is that the natural scrubs might take time to show effects, depending on the spot and also its age on the skin. In order to get the best effects of these scrubs, it is essential that you continue using them religiously for at least 3 to 6 months.

Sugar and lemon scrub for removing dark spots

When it comes to stubborn dark spots, a scrub made from Sugar and Lemon can actually be your savior. This scrub is very effective in removing dark spots from any part of the body but when you are using this scrub on your face, make sure that the sugar granules are well rounded and you should not use much pressure while scrubbing the skin. Mix 1/2 spoon of sugar in 1/2 spoon lemon juice and use this mixture to scrub the affected area of the skin for 2 minutes. Give it a break for 1 minute and then scrub again. Finally let it set for 5 minutes, and wash off with water, rubbing the skin with your hands.

Fight dark spots with natural sea salt, lemon and honey scrub

This amazing scrub can give you most effective results when you are trying to remove a dark spot from your skin. Sea salt offers great exfoliating as well as anti-bacterial effects, while lemon helps in lightening the skin tone through its natural acidic property. Honey nourishes the skin and cures dryness. Add 1 spoon of sea salt in 1 spoon of honey and mix well. Now add few drops of lemon juice to this mixture. Use this pack as a scrub on the dark spot. You should follow the scrub-leave-scrub process at least for 4-5 minutes in case of facial skin, and for more time in case of any other parts of the body. Wash off with water.

Oat, milk and honey scrub for removing dark spots

A scrub made from oats, milk and honey can be ideal for sensitive skin suffering from the problem of unwanted dark spots. Oats exfoliate the skin gently, while milk and honey helps in balancing the melanin level in the area, banishing any kind of dryness. Mix 1 spoon of dry oats in 1 spoon of milk and 1/2 spoon honey to make a soft paste. Use this paste on the dark spots, on your face or body. Continue scrubbing in slow circular motion for 5 minutes and then let it set for 10 minutes before scrubbing off the pack with water.

Remove dark spots with rice powder, apple cider vinegar and milk cream scrub

This scrub is ideal for use on the body for removing any type of dark marks that is not natural. It can also be used on the face, but in that case, you should half the strength of ACV by adding water; a patch test is also necessary and you should not keep it on for long. The rice powder works as an effective skin exfoliator, the ACV helps in controlling the melanin and the milk cream performs the task of nourishing the skin. Take 1 spoon coarsely powdered rice and mix it with 1 spoon of milk cream to make a paste. Now add 1/2 spoon of ACV in it and mix well.  Rub the spot with this scrub for 10 minutes with intermediate breaks and then wash off.

Red lentil and milk scrub for dark marks on skin

Red lentil which is more commonly known as masoor dal can work as a highly effective scrub when added with milk. This scrub can exfoliate the skin and ensure removal of dark spots. Milk offers skin lightening effects while nourishing the skin. Soak 3 spoons of red lentil in sufficient milk for 2 hours. Now grind this mixture to make a coarse paste. If you are using it on the face, you should make the paste more towards the smoother side. Use this scrub on the spot, let it set for 20 minutes and then scrub again and remove with water.

Cucumber, sugar, milk and lemon scrub for stubborn dark spots

If you are worried about those stubborn dark spots on your face or any other parts of the body, you need to try out this treatment. Cucumber and milk added with lime juice can work miraculously on any type of dark spots and over pigmentation. Sugar ensures proper exfoliation of the skin. Grate half of a cucumber and squeeze out the juice. Take 1 spoon of this juice and mix it with 1/2 spoon of milk and a few drops of lime juice. Now add 1 spoon sugar to the mixture and use this runny pack to scrub the spot in circular motion. Continue scrubbing for 5 minutes, then leave for 2 minutes and again wash off scrubbing.

Remove dark spots with potato peel, honey and wheat bran scrub

Potato is known for its ability to control any type of unnatural skin pigmentation. When used with honey and Wheat bran it can work as an effective treatment to control any type of dark spots on the skin. Take a medium sized potato, wash it clean and peel it off. Make a paste with the peel. Now take 2 spoons of this peel and add 1 spoon of wheat bran to it. Finally pour in 1 spoon honey to coat all the ingredients properly. Apply this scrub on the dark spots, scrub for 2 minutes and then let it set for 10 minutes before removing with a soft damp cotton cloth.

Sandalwood, turmeric and glycerin scrub for dark spots

Sandalwood and Turmeric both are highly effective in controlling excess melanin synthesis on the skin. Glycerin negates the drying effect of sandalwood and provides the right medium for the scrub. Make 1 spoon sandalwood paste by rubbing the sandalwood stick on the sandstone with water. Take 2 inches of fresh turmeric root and grind it to make a smooth paste. Now mix the sandalwood and the turmeric and add 1/2 spoon glycerin to it. Mix well and apply the pack on the spot. Leave on till the pack gets 80% dry. Now start scrubbing the skin with the pack. Continue scrubbing till the pack gets completely dry and starts to come off on its own. Remove with a damp cotton cloth and wash with plenty of water.

Nutmeg, milk and kesar scrub for removing dark spots on the skin

This scrub is ideal for removing any kind of over pigmentation on the face, including the unwanted dark spots and marks. This scrub will also nourish your skin and will give you a smooth and bright complexion. Soak a few strands of kesar in raw milk for 30 minutes and then smash the strands in the milk. Now add 1 spoon of coarsely grained nutmeg powder to this solution and mix well. Use the resultant pack for scrubbing the dark spot on the face and then let it get dry. Once the pack is 80% dry apply another layer at the top. After 3-4 layers, let it get 90% dry and then start scrubbing the spot with it. Finally remove with water.