This post contains following topics

1) Common mistakes in Ramadan

2) Helpful things in Ramadan and Fasting

3) Things To Be Avoided During Ramadan

1) Common mistakes in Ramadhan:

1. Drinking Milkshakes made with syrups etc on a daily basis

- Why Don't: It contains high amounts of sugar, additives  and colourants

- Solution: If you have to, drink it twice a week maximum

2. Drinking large amounts of water at iftaar time

- Why this mistake: Filling the stomach with water is more strenuous to it than with food. 

- Solution: have a few sips at iftaar then a glass after every two hours.

3. Exercising directly after iftaar.

- Why this mistake: the body's blood flow is concentrated around the stomach at that time.

- Solution: Exercise after two hours of eating to ease digestion.

4. Chewing and swallowing food fast.

- Why this mistake: chewing food slowly can speed up digestion and help maintain your weight

5. Having dessert directly after iftaar

- Why this mistake: they make you drowsy and sleepy 

- Solution: leave at least a two hour gap between iftaar and dessert to stay fresh and awake for ishaa and taraweeh prayers

6. Consuming foods with high amounts of sodium

- Why this mistake: Sodium triggers thirst through out the fasting hours of the day

- Solution: instead, eat foods that are high in potassium, they retain water and supress your thirst.

2) Helpful things in Ramadan and Fasting

# Bananas are high in potassium. A banana at Suhoor time can control your thirst level through out the day.

# Best sources of potassium for Suhoor time: 

 - bananas

 - milk

 - dates

 - avocados

 - dried peaches

 - pistachios

 - pumpkin

 - peas

 - dark chocolate

# Worst choices for Suhoor: 

 - biryani

 - kebab

 - pizza

 - fast food in general

 - cheese

 - haleem

# Best choices for Suhoor: 

 - potato

 - rice

 - dates

 - whole grain bread

 - banana

# Drinking lots of water at suhoor is important, but not as much as drinking it through out your non-fasting hours.

3) Things To Be Avoided During Ramadan

1. Don't sleep during the day and pray all night. By doing this you are converting the day into night and the night into day, which is not the purpose of fasting.

2. Avoid being lazy and inactive during the day.

3. Don't waste time playing games during the day. Rather, please Allah by increasing in your worship of him.

4. Avoid having Iftar parties. Ramadan wasn't meant to be a food extravaganza.

5. Dont ask and let your mother or wife to spend Ramadan in the Kitchen. Eat something light and quick. Let her also make Du'a n utilize the month of forgiveness.

6. Spend the last 10 days worshipping Allah rather than trying to prepare for Eid! A day that is better than a thousand months is in these last 10 days. You can't afford to miss this.

7. Dont stay awake the full night. Your body has a right over you, and when it wants rest, then rest.

8. Avoid excessive socialising after Taraweeh

9. Avoid shopping a lot in Ramadhaan.

10. Dont eat the full night.

11. Dont loiter around at night rather than worshipping Allah.

12. Eid doesnt require loads of preparation. Dont fall into this trap! Keep it simple, and it will be blessed.

May we avail this Ramadan with sound health and with loved one family - Aameen....

Health Tips - 10 Reasons to Stop Smoking Now

Thinking about quitting smoking? Wondering if it really matters? Here are just 10 of the many health benefits that start the day you stop.

1. Do It for Your Family Your spouse and your children will be less likely to die from lung cancer or heart disease. If you think you're the only one who benefits from your quitting, think again.

Environmental tobacco smoke kills spouses and children by increasing their risk of lung cancer and heart disease even if they never smoked. Your quitting can save their lives.

2. Do It for Your Children Women who want to have a baby have even more reasons to quit. Women who smoke are more likely to have a stillborn child or an infant who dies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Quitting will increase the amount of oxygen your baby will get, increase the chance your baby's lungs will work well, have fewer asthma and wheezing problems, and improve your baby's chances of being born healthy, instead of too early.

3. Do It for Your Skin Fewer wrinkles. The Surgeon General doesn't usually talk about wrinkles, but his most recent report on smoking concludes that studies show that smokers have more facial wrinkles.

4. Do It for Your Eyes If you stop smoking, you are less likely to become blind. You will be less likely to ever develop cataracts, a major cause of blindness. And quitting may also decrease your risk of macular degeneration, another frequent cause of blindness.

5. Do It for Your Mood You might think that smoking is relaxing, but think again. Research shows that women who smoke are more depressed and more anxious. Adolescents who smoke are more likely to have phobias or be anxious as adults. So, quitting may make you happier as well as healthier.

6. Do It for the Money! Think of all the money you'll save by giving up smoking. A good strategy is to put aside the money you save every day, and use it to buy something special to reward yourself for quitting. (Don't wait too long -- rewards every few days or every week will help you maintain your will power.)

7. Do It for Your Heart Women who smoke are more than twice as likely as other women to have a heart attack. Your risk of having a heart attack increases with the number of cigarettes you smoked, so stopping today makes a difference.

8. Do It for Your Lungs You know that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you know that lung cancer kills more women than any other cancer -- and that nine out of ten are linked to smoking? The numbers of women dying of lung cancer have increased by 600% since 1950, as the number of women smokers has increased. The sooner you stop smoking, the less likely you are to get lung cancer.

9. Do It for Your Life You'll live longer -- much longer! Women who die of a smoking-related disease lose, on average, 14.5 years of life. Even if you have trouble quitting, reducing the number of cigarettes could save your life. And women who stop smoking entirely can get many of those years back -- improving the chances that you will live to enjoy your grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

10. Just Do It! There are other benefits too -- for example, quitting smoking will cut your risk of stroke dramatically and lower your risk of bladder cancer and hip fractures. If the health benefits don't do it for you, think about this: wouldn't it be great to avoid that pathetic feeling of standing outside alone in the pouring rain or hand-numbing cold, grabbing that last smoke before going back to work?

The best day in your life could be the day you stop.

How to Release Tension

1. Walk barefooted over grass 15-20 minutes in the morning.

2. Take long breaths while walking .

3. Dont sit idle otherwise u'll think .Always Do something if you are in a habit of contious thinking .

4. Go out to meet your friends & relatives or invite them at your home.

5. Smile while talking .It will release a lot of tension & the other person will also feel good.

6. Try to cut soft jokes while talking but dont ever hurt anyone.

7. Drink more water & juices & less other drinks.pepsi/cook not at all.They are highly harmful for stomach & nerve cells.

8. Avoid Dishes with too much spices.

9. Before going to bed make your mind that you wont think about anything.

If you still have a thought quit thinking as soon as possible.Keep it in your mind " its time for rest just forget other things"

10. According to a research Religious people(Practical Believers not so called believers) take less tension as compare to worldly persons.So Being a Muslim try to perform compulsory (ferz) things & u'll fell much better in few days.