Heart disease and stroke is the world's largest killer, claiming 17.5 million lives each year. That's why World Heart Day was created, to create public awareness of risk factors for heart disease and stroke and to promote preventive measures.

There are 155 million overweight and obese children globally. Parents can influence and help children in reducing major risk factors for heart diseases and stroke - such as controlling weight by healthy eating and doing regular physical activity. That is why this year’s World Heart Day focuses on the theme “Team Up for Healthy Hearts”.

Here is my letter promising my heart a good health:

Dear Heart,

You have been so caring and loving towards me. You helped me to feel love. Remember the time; we first saw that cute boy and you skipped a beat. How funny was that! You stayed strong when I felt pain. You kept me going through all these years. No matter how much pain, rejection and hurt you suffered, you kept going on and on. You kept pumping blood throughout my body and kept me alive.

But, what have I done in return? I have eaten too much unhealthy, junk and fast foods. I have not exercise. I have lived a sedentary life causing me to get overweight. My lifestyle factors and choices have heavily affected your health.

I am sorry for all the things that I have done to affect your health. But from this minute on I promise to take good care of your health. I will little steps little steps every day to help you heal and to embrace a fresh, new perspective on heart health

1) Eat Healthy

I promise you that I will eat healthy food. I will quit or give up my addictions. I will limit the intake of junk food and fast food. I will eat healthy heart friendly fruits and vegetables.

2) Lots of Water

I’ll drink lots of water to keep you well hydrated.

3) Regular Exercise

I’ll exercise regularly. I’ll do yoga daily. I’ll promise you that I’ll find ways to stay active. I will walk instead of using vehicles. I will talk stairs instead of elevators or escalators.

4) Create Awareness

Along with taking care of you, I’ll also help spread awareness to others. I’ll ensure access to healthy foods and safe environments for physical activity.

5) Staying Positive

I will always stay positive. I’ll stay away from gloomy thoughts that may affect your health. If for any reason I feel ill, I’ll consult a doctor. I’ll also regularly check my blood pressure, cholesterol levels and other health metrics.

I promise you this.

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

Love,

Me.

Years ago heart diseases among people were very rare. Strokes and heart attacks were an uncommon thing. Back then, people would work hard in fields and lived healthy lifestyles. They would eat healthy home cooked meals and would walk long distances barefoot.

But look at today’s generation.

People as young as 30 are getting heart attacks. Why? Let’s have a look at our lifestyles.

Junk food is the new cool thing. Everyone is working, no matter if it’s the husband or the wife. After a hectic day at work, no one wants to cook and the family ends up ordering food from the hotel or some fast food joint. Cola drinks are so common. Kids don’t like eating healthy food. They prefer vada pav’s and samosa’s in their tiffins.

To add to this, there is or work lifestyles. 9-12 hrs of daily working plus travelling take away all the energy. People don’t have time to exercise or do anything. During holiday’s instead of going out, our generations prefer to stay at home and watch television or go to watch a new movie in the theatres. Instead of walking we prefer rickshaws even to go to short distances. They prefer using the elevator instead of climbing the stairs.

Our lifestyle may seem cool but slowly it is killing us. This unhealthy lifestyle is bad for our heart. But it’s never too late. We can always change our lifestyle and start taking care of our heart. Here are some tips to be healthy:-

Eat regular meals throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels. Missing meals, especially breakfast, leads to low blood sugar and this causes low mood, irritability, and fatigue. If you feel hungry between meals you may need to include a healthy snack eg. fruit, nuts, and cereals.

Avoid sugar and sugary drinks, cakes, sweets and puddings. These are loaded with calories but have little nutritional value and may trigger mood swings because of their sugar content.

Maintain a healthy weight. Both excessive weight loss or weight gain can make your mood worse and should be avoided. Weight loss and lack of good nutrition will deprive the brain of glucose and the other nutrients that control mood – you may need the advice of a dietitian to help you overcome this problem.

Exercise regularly. Spend at least half hour every day to do some simple exercises. Yoga can also be very beneficial to one’s health. If you don’t have time for exercising, walk. Walk wherever you want to go. Skip taking vehicles or using the elevator.

Limit the intake of junk food. If you are too tired to cook, have fruits instead of ordering fast food.

Don’t stress out about simple things and let the little things go. Don’t become a workaholic machine. Spend time with your family or enjoy the nature.

Research says that small steps to stay active, healthy and happy can make your heart healthier by 50%. Health is our biggest wealth.

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

I was going through my niece’s school book and I found out she had to write an essay on the topic of My Aim in Life. She had written a wonderful essay about how she wanted to grow up to be a teacher. She had pointed out the various reasons why she wanted to be a teacher. I just recollected that when I was in school even I had the same essay. Today, I don’t even remember what I wanted to become. I too had dreams of becoming something big and doing something with my life.

Well, I did do something with my life, and I am happy with whatever I do today. But it wasn’t easy for me. My family was huge and we didn’t have enough finances to run the family as well as fund our education. I had to drop out early to support my family.

But when I would hear people talk about how much they are qualified somewhere deep within I would feel bad about myself. But with the support of my family and my husband, I got back to school and did a beautician course soon.

I started working with international professionals and finally I was able to start my own business. During the course of time I received many advices from many people. Some good, some useless.

I remember people asking me to give up and be a housewife instead. Some were not ok with the fact that I was doing my schooling after my marriage. People and their narrow mentality you see.

But, I never gave up. My father told me once that we need be strong with whatever decisions we take. I thank my father for his inspiring words. These words of him kept me going when the going got tough. I never settled down for anything average and kept on striving for greatness. Why settle for average when you’re so close to reach your destiny!

My husband encouraged me to go back to school and finish of my studies. His support helped me have faith in myself and to go back to fulfilling my long lost dream. He helped me believe in myself. I thank him for that.

Lastly, my mentor had told me how important it is to be in good terms with the people. You never know who will be there to help you when you are in the puddle. Good connections can help you a lot. People refer you and help you get good jobs. And lots more.

Stop what you’re doing, follow that dream that you always had, never ever let it go.

“I am blogging about my dreams and the people who helped make them true for the #AdviceThatMattered activity at BlogAdda in association with Stoodnt."

Taxes! Well, when we hear this word, we almost make faces. Paying a part of our hard earned salary to the government is something nobody wants but has to do it. July 31st is near and all the salaried citizens are busy filing their income tax returns.

Income tax filing is a process by which every salaried professional or businessman have to declare to the government , the total tax he has paid in the previous financial year, any other undeclared income, fixed deposit interests and anything else important.

Personal and financial benefits aside, filing IT returns also makes you a better citizen. The taxes you pay help the government to run the country. With the help of the income received from the taxes, the government develops and builds and maintains new roads, bridges, transportation facilities, etc. The tax money is also used to fund the defence unit of the country and to pay back any deficit loans. The tax money is also very helpful when disaster strikes the nation. It helps to rebuild and cope up with the losses occurred due to disasters.

In this busy work life, many people don’t find the time to file income tax returns or forget to do so. Some are confused as to how to do it. For such times, the best way to file your income tax return is through the internet. Everything is possible with the help of technology and so is filing your income tax returns.

But why should you file your income tax returns through the internet? Lets have a look at some of the benefits of e-filing income tax returns:

1) Convenient

E-filing income tax returns are not only easy but also time saving. You don’t need to stand in a queue for hours. Everything can be easily done from the comfort of your home with few simple clicks. You also save paper when you e-file your income tax returns.

2) Security

When it comes to money, everyone is worried about security. Even before doing any transactions or payments online, we think at least once. Online e-filing websites are safe and secure to use. You can receive help from experts to do your transaction.

3) Money back

E-Filing also helps you get a refund in case of excess deductions. So, you not only save money but also get a refund.

4) Tracking and Other help

You can track your E-Filing process by logging into your account. You also get a notification for the same on your email address and mobile phone.

5) Visa’s and Loans

E-Filing helps you a lot when you apply for loans or visas. With clear and proper records, it is easier to get clearance for loans and visas.

An income tax is a tax that governments impose on financial income generated by all entities within their authority. Income tax in layman's term is the share of the government from the money you earn. By law, businesses and individuals must file an income tax return every year to determine whether they owe any taxes or are eligible for a tax refund.

Income Tax is tax on Income. Income Tax Act 1961 and Income Tax Rules regulate the provision of this tax. It is a direct tax and its liability cannot be shifted to anyone else. Previously, the income taxes levied on citizens in India were very high. Improper governing rules led to exploitation of poor in the form of taxes. But as the years passed by, the Income tax rates lowered.


Income tax is a key source of funds that the government uses to fund its activities and serve the public. Here is what the government does with the money it collects from the taxes:-

1) Disasters

There are many instances when our country is hit with disasters. Disasters come along with great amount of loss both in terms of life and property. The money collected from the taxes serve as a great help during relief operations and to get everything back to normalcy.

2) Defence

Our country is constantly under threat from our enemies. To protect our country from dangers, we have various trained personnel to protect our country along with some amazing machinery and technology. The salaries and benefits offered to our soldiers along with the ammunitions and weapons and machinery is all made available from our taxes

3) Infrastructure

Roads, bridges, public transportation vehicles etc all require to be made and maintained. Hence, our tax money is used for this purpose as well.

4) Social welfare

Social welfare is another term used to describe the welfare of the society. Our country is still facing many social challenges like education, sanitation, drinking water shortage, etc. Our tax money can be very helpful in helping to fund various social welfare projects.

5) Others


Countries avail loans from IMF or other countries for various purposes like social welfare, etc and sometimes government don’t have enough money to pay back these loans and the amount along with the interest goes on increasing. And at such times it is our tax money that comes to the rescue.




A tax return is the tax form or forms used to report income and file income taxes with tax authorities. When you file your tax return, it is proof that you have an income for which you have paid tax. Filing IT returns is not just a responsibility towards our nation, but it is also helpful to us in our financial life because when we apply for a loan or have some international business, we have to show our income tax return filing.

July 31 is round the corner and the deadline to file income tax returns is here. With technology everything is simplified. You can file your tax returns in quick and simple way with just one click. There are many e-filing platforms on the internet and they are all very helpful. E-filing of taxes comes with many benefits like it helps in saving time, energy and also helps to save paper. Everything can be done from one place with simple clicks. E-filing is simple, easy and beneficial to all.

Pic source:- Autocarpro