The bodies of teens (age 11 to age 19) are in an important stage of growth and development and they must try to avoid having irregular eating patterns. It must be noted that irregular eating patterns disrupt physical, emotional and mental well being. When a teen eats irregularly then he or she can have poor energy levels coupled with metabolic issues and hormonal imbalances etc. It is worthy to note that food eaten during the adolescent stage plays a huge role in long term health. Not eating or irregular eating can negatively affect digestion, immunity, mood, academic performances etc. They teens could put on weight also due to irregular eating patterns. Various reasons why teens must not have irregular eating pattern are Hinders physical growth & development: In the teens rapid physical changes would take place and they would need a steady supply of nutrients to support their physical changes. By irregular eating patterns, the teens could get deficiencies in proteins, calcium and iron etc impacting bone density, muscle function etc. Energy level fluctuations: There would be spikes and crashes in the blood sugar levels by irregular eating patterns. This would make the teenage boys and girls feel dull, sluggish etc throughout the day. Point is that stable energy is required for academic performances, concentration etc Impairs cognitive performances: Memory, focus and problem solving abilities would get affected by skipping meals or breakfast especially. It is true that teens who have irregular eating patterns would find it tough to focus when compared to teens with regular eating patterns. More chances of eating disorders: Disordered relationships with foods would be triggered due to irregular eating patterns. As a result, teens would do binge eating or extreme dieting etc. It is shocking to mention here that over time it can lead to eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia etc. Affect mood and mental health: Mood would get destabilised due to lack of regular meals as intake of nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium and B vitamins etc are reduced. This could lead to anxiousness, irritation etc in the teens. Leads to unhealthy weight gain or loss: It is noteworthy that erratic eating patterns would lead to unhealthy weight gain or loss. By skipping meals, metabolism would slow down and it might prompt excess or over eating later on. Weakens immune system: It is known that zinc, vitamin C and antioxidants etc are immune boosting nutrients. Teens with irregular eating patterns or who skip meals would lack these nutrients in tem leading to poor immunity levels.  They are more prone to illnesses, slow recovery and fatigue etc. Disrupts hormonal balance: Irregular or erratic eating patterns in teens could disrupt their hormonal balance leading to issues like acne, irregular periods and excess mood swings etc Affects digestive health: When teens eat irregularly, then their digestion would get affected. They could get issues like acid reflux, bloating etc. Truth is that a regular eating pattern would lead to better gut health, nutrients absorption and better bowel movements etc.

Do you want to keep your skin healthy, glowing and attractive, please stop consuming too much salt!! Not many of us would be aware that excess intake of salt would affect our skin health also. Surprised but true!! Our heart health and kidney health would get affected by too much salt intake is well known. Various skin issues we can get if we consume too much of salt are Dehydration: It is worth mentioning that excess intake of salt can lead to dehydration as the body retains water to balance sodium levels. When our skin becomes dehydrated then it would have fine lines, dull and wrinkles etc. Swelling and puffiness: Water retention takes place due to high salt consumption. This could result in swelling and puffiness around the face and eyes. The skin would look tired and dull. Worsening of acne: If you are getting excess acne or breakouts etc then it might be due to excess intake of salt. So, please take care. Inflammation in our body would increase leading to acne etc if we consume too much of salt.  Our skin gets irritated when we eat salty snacks with additives etc. Impaired skin barrier: Our skin could become more sensitive if we consume excess salt. The reason is salt could disrupt our skin`s natural barrier function. The skin could become more susceptible to environmental damage and pollutants etc. Eczema flare ups: Persons with eczema would have more flare ups if they consume too much salt. It is learnt that dehydration and inflammation due to excess salt intake would worsen eczema symptoms. Premature ageing: The Aging process of our skin would get accelerated due to chronic dehydration and inflammation due to excess salt intake. As a result, we could get fine lines, wrinkles etc. More chances of skin infections: When our skin barrier gets compromised and inflammation is present then there are more chances of getting skin infections.  Truth is thatat the natural defence mechanisms of skin would get weakened by excess salt intake. This would further lead to bacterial as well as fungal infections in us. Slow or delayed healing: It is true that high salt levels in us would slow down or delay the wound healing process. Therefore, we must limit the salt intake for the sake of speedy healing. Imbalance of nutrients: It is worthy to note that a diet rich in salt would lack essential nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants that are needed for healthy skin. The overall skin appearance would get affected due to nutritional imbalance.

In some persons, after an initial trigger like respiratory infection, cold, flu has resolved, cough might be there even for some weeks. This can be irritating to the concerned person. Point is that this cough can be dry and mucous producing. It could be due to airway inflammation, post nasal drip, acid reflux etc. Though it is not a serious problem, it can be exhausting for the person. There are few effective ways by which we can control lingering coughs. These are By staying well hydrated: It is possible to thin out mucus, soothe the throat, calm irritation in the airways etc by drinking lots of fluids. Truth is that drinking warm water and herbal teas etc would be comforting for the throat. Our body would heal faster because of hydration. By using honey before bedtime: Not many would be aware of the fact that honey can be a natural cough suppressor. It is good to consume a spoon of honey before bedtime as that would reduce the cough in the night. By elevating head while sleeping: It would be good to sleep with your head in an elevated position and that would prevent mucus from pooling in your throat and causing cough. Especially for cough due to post nasal drip or acid reflux, this method would be effective. By inhaling steam or using humidifier: Mucus would get loosened by inhaling steam. Therefore, it is good to inhale steam from a bowl of hot water. Adding some drops of eucalyptus oil to the hot water could be superb. By salt water gargles: Throat inflammation would be reduced and mucus would be loosened when salt water gargling is done a few times a day. Moreover, we can get relief from scratchiness also. By avoiding cough triggers: Lingering coughs can get worsened by common irritants like dust, smoke etc. It is good to use an air purifier at home, wear masks while going out etc. By sipping ginger or turmeric tea: Both ginger as well as turmeric have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties in them. Therefore, drinking g ginger or turmeric tea would soothe the throat, reduce inflammation etc. By doing breathing exercises: By doing deep breathing exercises, cough reflex sensitivity would get reduced. Pursed lip breathing can be useful. By sucking herbal lozenges: Throat would get moistened and coughing reflex would get lowered by sucking herbal lozenges. This is also one effective and easy method to manage lingering cough.

Do you know that cheese is one of the most delicious foods available? Surprised right!! Cheese is a high protein food and it is a healthy snack to consume. There are many benefits of eating cheese such as improved bone health, improved heart health and improved gut health etc.  Moreover, cheese is a superb source of calcium plus minerals, vitamins etc. Point is that there are many who eat cheese in excess amounts also. It must be noted that excess intake of cheese is not  good as it would lead to health issues. Various health issues we could get by intake of too much of cheese are Digestive issues like bloating etc: Not many would know that cheese contains lactose which is present in milk also. Digesting lactose is difficult for some persons as they lack the enzyme lactase which is needed for digestion of lactose. Bitter fact is intake of excess amounts of cheese would lead to issues like diarrhoea, gas, bloating etc. Lactose intolerant persons would get these issues within half hour to 2 hours after eating cheese. Unexplained weight loss: It is worthy to note that cheese is calorie dense and fat rich. We could consume excess cheese without even realising it. As a result, we could put on weight by eating cheese regularly. We would be able to avoid excess intake of cheese by reducing portion sizes or choosing strong flavoured cheese etc. High BP and cardiovascular issues: Bitter fact is that cheese rich in sodium when consumed in excess could lead to high blood pressure or BP. There are chances that we could strain our heat by too much intake of cheese resulting in strokes and heart disease etc. Those with heart disease must opt for low fat cheese instead of higher fat cheese. Acne and skin breakouts etc: There are chances of getting skin problems like acne etc by excess intake of cheese. We could stimulate sebum production by intake of excess cheese and this could lead to oily skin and clogged pores etc. After eating excess dairy products, some people had issues like rashes etc. Joint pain and inflammation: In some individuals, intake of excess cheese would trigger inflammation also. Point is inflammation could be manifest as joint pain also. Body is reacting to proteins present in dairy like casein etc is shown by discomfort in the joints. 

After eating sugary foods etc, does your kid cleans his or her tongue immediately? For the sake of oral hygiene and overall health, the tongues of the kids must be kept clean. If the tongue is not clean then the tongue would harbour bacteria, food particles etc resulting in bad breath, tooth decay, poor taste perception and oral infections etc. Lifelong dental hygiene could be imparted to the kids by the parents when the parents teach their kids to clean their tongues early in their lives. There are ways by which the kids can keep their tongues clean. These are By using child friendly tongue cleaner: Tongue cleaner with soft edges and comfortable grip could be superb for the kids. Not only are these gentle inside the kid`s mouth, but they are also effective in removing debris and bacteria etc. By using soft bristled toothbrush: With the help of a soft bristled toothbrush, the kids would feel very comfortable while cleaning their tongues. Cleaning the tongues from back of the tongue to front would dislodge food particles etc that could result in bad breath. By rinsing mouth well after meals: The kids must rinse their mouths well with water especially after consuming sugary foods that are sticky. By this, food particles would get washed away and bacterial growth on the tongue would get reduced. By using a mild antibacterial mouthwash: To kill germs on the tongue of older kids, alcohol free antibacterial mouthwash can be used. By this bad breath and infections can be avoided. By cleaning tongue after sweet treats: Parents must advise their kids to clean their tongue soon after eating sweet foods. It is believed that cleaning tongues immediately after eating sweets would prevent the formation of plaques etc. By teaching kids to look their tongues: Parents must guide their kids to look at their tongues in the mirror. Illness is shown by the presence of white coloured patch on the tongue. This would help the kids to know about their tongues well. Hence visual checking of tongues is important. By hydrating throughout the day: It is noteworthy that drinking water throughout the day would keep the mouth moist and support the natural cleansing action of saliva. By avoiding sharing toothbrushes etc: The parents must advise their kids not to share toothbrushes etc with others as it would spread viruses and bacteria that would affect oral health etc. By encouraging balanced diet: It is true that crunchy fruits like apples, carrots, cucumbers etc would act as a natural tongue and teeth cleanser. Good oral health is promoted by consuming a healthy diet. This would lower the possibilities of excess debris on the tongues.