The Secret to Longevity and Healthy, Hearty Life by Geroge Carlin

Those of us who are always worried on account of everything that happens to them or happening around them, live a miserable life. Instead of taking a positive note of our lives, we count things we don't have, but the neighbour does, the perks and privileges enjoyed by a relative or a friend, the winning of match by a country we do not like and so on. If we start taking everything to our heart, how long this small clump of meat can take the stress and one day clogs - sending us in wailing ambulance to a cardiac hospital.

Are we born to live a miserable life? Ever seen people living in slums - who still laugh, make merry while still living in rag tags and heaps of dirty and litter. But many of us who have everything still lament of not having enough. If do this we are definitely not going to live long and will someday be intercepted by a failing heart - or even if we do not, the misery can be read from our faces and they way we live.

I was down too on account of a misery of my friend, who for no explainable reason is being forced to live a confined life for many more years in future. It was then that I received an e-mail from a friend of mine, who always sends me something that is thought provoking and make me wiser. 

The mail contained a few tips on life and aging by no one other than George Carlin. Well if you haven't heard of this name before, let me write a few words about him before sharing his views on aging.

Geroge Carlin or George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, actor and writer/author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums. Carlin was noted for his black humor as well as his thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a narrow 5–4 decision by the justices affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves. Four days before his death, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts had named Carlin its 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor honoree. The prize was awarded in Washington, D.C. on November 10, making Carlin the first posthumous recipient.

With this brief introduction, now just read what Carlin write about aging. But remember, if you do not read it to the end, you would lose an important day of your life. And if you really reach to the end, then you must share it with friends and anyone known to you (as I am doing by sharing this in my blog) as it would have a profound effect on the life of all those who really value life and want to read something about it.

Here it goes: George Carlin views about Aging:

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half.. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . .. . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50

and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10.Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't share this others - who cares? But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day.

Read more about George Carlin: Wikipedia

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Beware of drinks that contain 4-methylimidazole - a cancer aiding substance

The hazard symbol for carcinogenic chemicals in the GHS 

Pepsi Cola, Coco Cola are the two most famous brands in Pakistan for years and are the best selling drinks, specially among the youth.

However, recently both Coca Cola and Pepsi have decided to alter their formula for their famous drinks as the previous formula contains an amount of 4-methylimidazole, a chemical which California has added to its list of carcinogens. Wikipedia defines carcinogen as any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes.

In order to abide by the laws of the California state of the USA, therefore, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi are changing the recipes for their drinks to avoid putting a cancer warning label on the bottle and changing over the new formula of caramel colouring which now has less amount of 4-methylimidazole.

The change to the new formula has already been introduced in California. And both companies have claimed that rolling out the new recipe across the US makes the drinks more efficient to manufacture.

4-methylimidazole has been linked to cancer in mice and rats, according to one study, but there is no evidence that it poses a health risk to humans, said the American Beverage Association, which represents the wider industry. The US Food and Drug Administration claims a person would need to drink 1,000 cans of Coke or Pepsi to take in the same dose of the chemical that was given to the animals in the lab test.

While the US consumers have started getting the revised formula drinks, it may take rather long when drinks with the same formula will be available in Pakistan and other countries. So we need to be careful consuming large quantities of these drinks till we get the revised formula introduced in our country as well.  

Source: BBC USA & Canada

Reference on Carcinogen:  Wikipedia

GHS insignia: Wikipedia

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World's youngest MCP in Critical Condition

 READERS ARE REQUESTED TO PRAY FOR THE LITTLE GENIUS ON VENTILATOR 

[ via Imposing Headlines ] 29 Dec

Aarifa Karim, a Pakistani girl from Faisalabad who became the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in 2004 at the age of nine, is in a critical condition in a hospital in Lahore, Express News reported on Thursday.

Aarifa Karim at Microsoft (Photo: Proud to be Pakistani)

Karim’s father told Express News that she had an epileptic attack on December 22 which damaged her heart and her brain.

Doctors said that she is on a ventilator and they might have to unplug her machines as there are hardly any chances of saving her, but they cannot take any decision against the family’s will.

Karim had also earned the Fatima Jinnah gold medal and Salam Pakistan Youth Award in 2005 over her achievement, and was also invited to the Microsoft Headquarters in the US by Bill Gates for being the World’s youngest MCP.

Karim earned her first flight certificate by flying a plane at a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10, and was invited by Microsoft in 2006 to be a key-note speaker at the Tech-Ed Developers Conference, where she was the only Pakistani among over 5,000 developers.

Read more: The Express Tribune

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Beware Headers !! Too many heads can be fatal

BBC Health 29 Nov

A new study comes as a forewarning for the football players: Too many heads can lead to brain injury. The doctors warn that they have found proof on brain scans. The study is based on imaging of 32 keen amateur players revealed patterns of damage similar to that seen in patients with concussion.

Headers in football can be fatal (Photo: Live Leak)

It may be added that "Heading" is believed to have killed the English footballer Jeff Astle. Astle, 59, who died in 2002, developed cognitive problems after years of playing for England and West Bromwich Albion.

Read BBC Health for details

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Hair dye allergy leaves mother in coma

Full Story: Mail Online 20 Nov 

Mother of two who collapsed and stopped breathing minutes after applying a home hair dye kit is now in coma battling for her life. Doctors give her only 8% chance of survival. Doctors have warned her devastated husband Russell that even if she survives she will almost certainly be permanently brain-damaged.

The present condition of Julie McCabe, 38, is being attributed to severe allergic reaction to chemical para-phenylenediamine (PPD) – present in 99 per cent of all hair dyes. L’Oreal, manufacturer of the product has offered to assist the medical staff with any information that may help save patient’s life.

It may be added that PPD is banned in France, Germany and Sweden, and a U.S. study has linked exposure to it to increased rates of bladder cancer. Under EU rules, in Britain it can constitute 6 per cent of a hair dye, reports Mail Online.

Read more on the issue and be warned not to use products with PPD for the sake of your health and LIFE

[via Imposing Headlines]

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Women use more Antidepressants than Men [Study]

Full Story: Huffington Post  [via Imposing Headlines]

When talking of general health of both the genders, a recent study finds one in four women on antidepressants - a rate more than men.

The study finds:

"Antidepressant use especially is high among women, up 29 percent since 2001, the report showed, and anti-anxiety meds are used by women at almost twice the rate seen among men. In 2010, 11 percent of middle-aged women were on an anti-anxiety medication, while only 5.7 percent of men that age were."

Read full story - a must read for both men and women for improving general and mental health disorders and find answers to questions like:

Why Women are using anti‐anxiety medication at more than twice the rate of men?
Is there any relationship between the increase in female antidepressant use and the increase in anti-anxiety use?
Typically we think of boys being more affected by ADHD, but there's gender shift in the use of ADHD medications in adulthood. What's going on there?
How about the data on women's use of atypical antipsychotics? Why have these numbers grown so much?
What do you think these numbers indicate about our overall relationship with psychiatric medications in this country?
What should doctors and patients take away from this report?
Is there any evidence that these medications are helping women?

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Estrogen in drinking water is likely LINKED to incidence of Prostate Cancer in Men

Full Story: Huffington Post 15 Nov

A new study links the estrogen in drinking water to incidence of prostate cancer related deaths in men. The study had been carried out by researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, who by analyzing the percentage of women using the pill, intrauterine devices, condoms and vaginal barrier contraceptives in 87 countries, then examined the incidence and deaths from prostate cancer.

A finding of the study concludes that estrogen in birth-control pills is excreted in the urine and gets into the environment, particularly into water, and scientific evidence suggests that low levels may cause cancer, including prostate cancer.

Estrogen and estrogen-like chemicals are found in all manner of commercial and cosmetic products, among them pesticides. Studies have shown that male farmers exposed to pesticides that contain high doses have a higher risk of prostate cancer compared with the general population.

Read full story for this revealing new findings for the sake of your health.

[via Imposing Headlines]

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Injury that Caused one Man's Daughter To be born Addicted

Full Story: The Business Insider 14 November 2011

I have never read such a scary and painful real life story - story of a 15 years boy on whom hell fell and his life thereafter became hell, not only his alone, but of his wife and the daughter born to them. I am sharing this link and story for everyone to read because this may have many lessons for us.

X-ray after initial surgery (Photo: Bernie Mullen) 

Bernie Mullen was 15 when a crane fell on him and he was only very lucky to survive. But to live on he was operated 8 times and had two screws in his neck, five pins in his spine and another big plate in his neck. with this awesome series of surgeries, he grew up only to live in utter pain forever. His pain could not subside with normal dose of pain killers allowed and he had to use all other means to get more pain killers to arrest his pains. He was fleeced by doctors and everyone who came his way.

His wife had to face legal actions for getting medicine from other means. And what was more, their daughter was born premature suffering as methadone infant.

Please read the full story and share the anguish of a family that have to pay the price of an accident which everyone thought would heal of its wounds - but DIDN'T - rather it has become a nightmare of their lives.

[via Imposing Headlines ]

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Dengue treatment

Dengue has plagued us for the last few months and many people have come up with herbal and local treatment for this killer virus. Apropos to my previous post "Dengue - Symptoms and Treatment", herein under is one such treatment which I have taken from Facebook as it is to be spread for the cure of the affected people.

The above treatment by Dr Nadeem Ali of Quad-e-Azam University suggests adding a few drops of lemon juice into the apple juice and be administered to the affected patients. This will boost their blood platelets and is very likely to cure the disease.

Related: 

Dengue - Symptoms and Treatment

Dengue Fever (Wikipedia)

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Dengue - symptoms and treatment

Pakistan, specially the province of Punjab is severely hit by the Dengue these days and presently over 8,000 patients have been admitted in various hospitals on account of this deadly disease. More than dozen have already succumbed to Dengue. Many of us still do not know what is this disease, what are its symptoms and what precautionary measures can be taken to prevent or control the spread of this disease.

I came across this informative post and am sharing it for the benefit of all of us. Please read the premise and then click at the link given below for details on Dengue. It may be helpful. Pay special attention to its symptoms as highlighted herein under.

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows a benign course with symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands (lymphadenopathy), and rash. The presence (the "dengue triad") of fever, rash, and headache (and other pains) is particularly characteristic of dengue. Other signs of dengue fever include bleeding gums, severe pain behind the eyes, and red palms and soles.

For details on Dengue, please read a detailed post at: Medicine.Net.com

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Guide to ensure food safety

More Health and Fitness News & Tips at Greatist.

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May 2011 - the high blood pressure awareness month

Many people have high blood pressure – some know it, some don’t. I have it and I know it. And I know now that high blood pressure can cause coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. About a billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, and this does not include those who have it and don’t know it. So being a “member of the society”, it is my moral obligation to join hands with the effort being undertaken this month to spread awareness about high blood pressure so that those who do not know about it are forewarned of the damage high blood pressure can cause if not treated in time.

So please read the post carefully to the end and take measures before this silent killer harms you beyond repair.

1.    What is high blood pressure? Well before answering this, let us get to know what blood pressure is. Blood pressure is the force with which our blood pushes against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. Due to the placement of the heart in our upper body, the blood pressure is highest near our heart and in the major arteries and lowest in small arteries and capillaries. Since blood pressure varies throughout our body, its reading is generally taken on the inside of upper arm along the brachial artery as a standard.

2.    High blood pressure itself usually has no symptoms. That is why it is often called the silent killer. Since there is often no way to tell that you have HBP, you should visit your doctor's office to get regular checkups.

3.    Blood pressure is measurement of the pressure in the blood vessels during a heartbeat and when the heart is at rest. And it is always measured giving two readings, like 120/80. 140/100 or even 200/160 (God forbids). The upper number, systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood throughout the body; the lower number, diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxing. A person with normal blood pressure should get a reading of 120/80 or lower. But anything higher than these readings should ring an alarm and the need for thorough checkup by a qualified specialist immediately. You also need to be alarmed if you are feeling unusually tired, have persistent headaches, blurred vision or even an upset stomach.

4.    People with high blood pressure over the age of 50, need to control the  systolic blood pressure more than controlling diastolic blood pressure. Because systolic blood pressure is directly linked to the risk of heart disease, one of the leading causes of death for adults worldwide.

5.    On the contrary, blood pressure that is below normal readings is called hypotension. It is possible for blood pressure to be too low. This condition is called hypotension and can result in a decrease in the amount of blood being pumped to the brain resulting in lightheadedness, dizziness, weakness and fainting. Extremely low blood pressure can be a sign of a severe cardiac disease and should be taken just as seriously as high blood pressure.

6.    Of all the spices and condiments, sodium or salt is something that attributes to the occurrence of high blood pressure. Therefore by simply lowering the sodium intake, one can have one’s high blood pressure effectively controlled.

7.    Other than controlling sodium intake, losing weight, exercising, eating a healthy diet, cutting on caffeine and alcohol and quitting smoking can all help lower high blood pressure.

8.    Those with high blood pressure must maintain a normal body weight (body mass index of 18.5-24.9 which is kilograms divided by height in meters squared).

9.    Additionally, they must Keep up physical activity (2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest,  shoulders, and arms).

Help spread the message – it will be a great service to humanity.

 

Related reading: May is High Blood Pressure Education Month

Originally posted at: JahoJalal

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Beware of plastic bottle hazards

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World TB Day Today

TB, abbreviation of Tuberculosis, is deadly contagious disease that causes approximately 2 million deaths each year around the globe, specially the undernourished and poor countries. Why March 24 to be observed as the World TB Day? The day in fact coincides with 24^th March 1882, when Dr Robert Koch announced the discovery of the main basic cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. That was the time when the menace of TB was seriously spreading through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch's discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.

Pakistan ranks as the 8^th high-burden country with over 1.6 million of TB patients, t which every year 410,000 more are being added. Today TB alone poses a serious threat not only to the lives of the patients, but also those they interact as it is highly contagious and spreads when the TB germs are emitted through sneezes, coughing and spiting by the effected people.

But many do not know that the present research into the disease has made it completely recoverable, provided it is properly diagnosed and a strict eight months course taken.

What we can do to promote the cause of the day and help prevent spread of TB? Well to start with we must spread the word around us that TB is completely curable. Secondly we must ask people to be on the lookout of friends and relatives with persistent coughs that doesn’t go away even after “three weeks.” If such symptoms persist, such people be immediately referred to TB centres where specialized doctors after tests can diagnose the positivity or otherwise of the disease. The patient then should undertake the mandatory 8-months long treatment strictly, which can save patient’s life and help prevent the spread of TB.

Those already suffering should generally be secluded and have their cough soaked handkerchief / tissue papers properly disposed off. However, complete seclusion of such people may add to their depression and alleviating of the disease. There is no harm in meeting TB patients, shaking hands with them or sharing utensils. However TB patients must cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, lest the TB germs spread out and enter others’ respiratory system. TB patients must spit in specified container and not in the open. Newly born infants must be immunized against TB with BCG vaccine immediately after birth.

Remember!! Lives of people around us depend on our positive response to root out TB from our society.

Originally posted at: JahoJalal

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A Full Cardiovascular Workout in 30 Minutes

By: Josh R. Rhodes

Thirty minutes may not seem like a lot of time to fit in a full cardiovascular workout, but depending on the intensity of your workout, it may be all you need to keep burning fat and build your cardiovascular endurance.

A method of endurance training, called High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT, is a popular method of burning fat because of its time appeal. When performing intervals, it is advisable to not extend training past thirty minutes due to its high intensity.

HIIT is performed by alternating periods of near maximal intensity with periods of moderate to high intensity, such as thirty seconds sprinting followed by one minute of jogging. Due to the effect of the active recovery period and increased resting heart rate, high intensity intervals have been shown to effectively increase athletic performance as well as burn fat better than traditional aerobic sessions.

Some may ask, what is maximal intensity? Is that considered a jog, a run, a fast paced walk? Basically, you want complete the thirty seconds going as fast as possible or with as much resistance as possible, depending on the type of cardio equipment being used. Follow this up with a ratio of 2:1 recovery period at half the intensity you just did, usually a power walk or light jog on the treadmill and a reduction of tension on other pieces of equipment.

HIIT is a great way to incorporate a short burst of cardio into your schedule which will help you lose fat rapidly and boost your metabolism for days. The reason for this is due to a process called excess post-exercise consumption or EPOC. During strenuous exercise, your body utilizes much of its energy stores, also called glycogen. When the exercise is finished, instead of using readily available glycogen from your bloodstream as a source of energy, your body pulls the glycogen into cells to restock the energy stores. In response to the exercise and large intake of oxygen, fat stores are broken down and released into the blood. These fatty acids are used for energy and means fast weight loss in a short period of time.

HIIT should not be used at every cardio session. Limit the duration of interval training to a maximum of 30 minutes, two to three times per week with at least 48 hours in between sessions to fully recover. Beginners should start with one HIIT session per week, adding another session in after three weeks.

Author Resource:->  Josh has been writing for many years on topics that interest him. An example of one of his websites is http://osterblenderparts.org which provides information on Oster blender parts.

Article From ArticleLog.com - Free Articles

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10 benefits of SMILE - a well meaning E-Mail shared

This is the e-mail I just received from a friend and I thought of sharing it with everyone as it seems to cost us nothing to smile.

The Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "To smile in the company of your brother is charity. " (Bukhari)

It seems that nothing has more power to elevate a mood than the impact of a genuine smile. The benefits of a smile extend not only to the recipient of the warm gesture but also to the smile's originator. "A smile is a little curve that sets a lot of things straight." Here are many benefits of smiling.....

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive- People are spending millions on cosmetic products and procedures to make them look better.If you want to look better, try adding a genuine smile. Its cheaper and mush more attractive.The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood-Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Contagious-When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress-Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.Smiling helps to promote release of a "feel good" group of hormones called endorphins. These are the same group of hormones responsible for the runners high you hear so much about. If you don't have time to get to the gym for a hard run, try adding a smile to boost these natural, stress relieving hormones.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System-Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure- When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling is medication-Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug and leads to a healthier immune system.Various studies conducted over the years have shown that smiling can boost the functioning of the immune system. This may help to reduce your risk of developing everything from the common cold to chronic diseases such as cancer. Could there be a less expensive medicine than this?

8. A smile inspires others-When you smile you also send a positive message that can potentially change someone else's mood for the better. The person you graced with your smile may go on to pass the kindness to someone else. Who knows how far your original smile will travel?

9. Smiling promotes Success -Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.When you smile, you appear confident and capable. Given the choice between two equally qualified job candidates, the smiling candidate is going to be perceived as being more of a team player and easier to work with. Who do you think is more likely to get the job offer?

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive-Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

Smile..!!!...It does not cost a cent and can make a persons day!

"It takes seventeen muscles to smile and forty-three to frown".

The greatest reason for smiling is because it is a sunnah [practice] of our Beloved Messenger of Allah [peace be upon him]!!!. The Messenger of Allah [pbuh] had a smiling face and advised us to entertain our guest with a smiling face and good conduct. To smile is an act of charity!

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World Diabetes Day

On 14th of November tomorrow, the entire world under the auspices of the UN joins hands together to create awareness about the killing disease of diabetes. The disease has far reaching ramification not only the life of the patient, but the entire family and the society as well. As of today, more than 250 million people are suffering at the hands of this disease. There may be many more who may not be knowing that they have silently contracted the disease. The figure is likely to soar to almost 400 million (380 million to be exact) by 2025 as each year some 7 million are added to the list of the sufferers.

As I said before, it is a killer disease, which eats up some 3.8 million patients suffering from diabetes and its related side effects. A study shows that the death rate equals that of AIDS and HIV, which we otherwise think to be the number one killer disease.

While most of the patients carry Type-2 symptoms mainly caused by obesity, stress and overwork and sedentary lifestyle, Type-1 which targets the youth is rising at an alarming rate of 3% per annum. While the AIDS has yet to find a suitable drug to harness the disease, diabetes can at best be controlled but not completely cured.

I have seen my mother in law and my brother falling prey to this disease and know how it pains to one’s near and dear ones withering away by diabetes. A stage comes when no medicine seems to be working, the kidneys slowly dying and finally leading to the painful departures.

Owing to the seriousness of the disease and it impact on people and the society, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on 20 December 2006on World Diabetes Day. The Unite for Diabetes campaign, led by the International Diabetes Federation in collaboration with the global diabetes community, has thus been able to get a UN resolution according to which 14 November has been designated as the World Diabetes Day. The day is being observed since 2007 by all members of the UN.

I also join hands with the world community to raise my voice and create awareness through this post and would appeal to everyone reading this to join the blue circle and spread the word and help people who are suffering from diabetes in any way that is possible.

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