INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Keeping hydrated is the easiest way to prevent a UTI, and it's also important for your overall health. Drink at least 6 to 8 8  fl oz (240 mL) glasses of water every day to help “flush out” your system and prevent UTIs. The longer urine is in your bladder, the more bacteria can grow. Women should always wipe with toilet paper from front to back, especially after a bowel movement. This prevents bacterial contamination from feces. Women, especially, should always urinate after sex to stop bacteria from moving into the urethra. Birth control methods that use spermicide increase the risk of UTIs. However, using non-oral contraceptives without spermicide increases the risk of unwanted pregnancy. A good compromise is to switch to oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices or contraceptive rings, if possible. The goal is to keep your genital area as dry as possible. Loose, preferably cotton, pants and underwear let air pass better than nylon underwear or tight jeans. No conclusive research exists yet on the connection between high-fiber diets and UTIs. However, high-fiber diets will decrease the chances of constipation, which is a common cause of UTIs. Many people prevent UTIs by eating diets full of beans, lentils, whole grains, and root vegetables.

SUMMARY: Drink lots of water. Urinate as soon as you feel the urge. Take special care after sexual activity. Wear loose clothing on the lower half of your body. Maintain a high-fiber diet.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The smell of gas is one of the best indications that you haven't successfully fixed a gas leak. While you might not always be able to smell a leak, you should pay attention to see if you do notice the smell of leaking gas.  Gas smells like Sulphur or “rotten eggs.” The smell of gas is made by mercaptan, an additive that is intended to help humans smell it. Shut off the master gas switch for your home and consider calling a professional if you smell gas. The gas main switch will be located next to your meter -- usually on the side of your home. Carbon monoxide detectors and gas detectors are normally used to alert people to gas leaks in their homes and businesses. While most detectors are stationary devices meant to detect an accumulation of carbon monoxide or other fumes, you can purchase portable detectors.  Position your stationary carbon monoxide detector near the repair you've made. If you have a portable detector, move it near (within several inches) to the repair. If there is a gas buildup near the detector, it will sound an alarm. This works because the detector solution or soapy water will bubble due to the force of the leaking gas. Ultimately, this is a simple and effective way to find out if you've successfully fixed a gas leak.  Commercially produced gas leak detector is specially formulated to stick to tight connections. If you want to create your own solution, try mixing a few drops of dish soap into a cup of water and spraying it onto the gas connection. If the solution bubbles, you likely failed to repair the leak. Gas detector may be available at your local home improvement store, specialty stores, or online.

SUMMARY: Notice if you smell gas. Use a carbon monoxide or gas detector. Spray liquid gas detector or soapy water on a pipe or appliance.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: repare your subfloor. You will need your subfloor to be ready for laying down hardwood floors. This tutorial focuses on installing solid hardwoods, so you will want a wood subfloor if you want to follow the directions exactly. Other options are available, however. Don’t forget to consider things like door jambs as well. You will need to be able to either get your floors underneath the molding or you will need to cut your floor to go around it. Before you install solid hardwood floors, you will need to let the wood acclimate to the moisture level of your home first. Leave the wood to sit in the room in which it will be installed for at least three days. Try to install the floor during either the Spring or Fall, when the temperature is neither very hot nor very cold. Temperature will also affect the wood. A larger number of tools and supplies will be necessary to complete this project. You can rent larger pieces, like flooring nailers, from your local hardware store. Other pieces, like nails, will need to be purchased. You can find the materials list for this project at the bottom of this page.

SUMMARY: . Let your wood acclimate. Gather tools.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Instead of restricting your intake, try focusing on eating healthy items that fuel your body (and do not satisfy your sweet tooth).  Consider cleaning these items out of your diet:  Trans-fats: These sneaky fats contribute to heart disease and high cholesterol, and are abundant in fast food, processed snack foods (such as potato chips), fried food and shortening or margarine.   If you are not sure, check out the nutrition facts. Sugar: Processed sugar packs many calories without much nutritional benefit.  Do not use artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame or saccharine in your beverages, as some recent studies have shown possible dangerous side effects of these products e.g. some artificial sweeteners found in Diet drinks can increase your risk of a heart attack. Instead, try substituting unsweetened applesauce for sugar in recipes. Not only is fiber good for you, it takes a while to digest and will fill up more space in your stomach, resulting in feeling less hungry.  Try these sources:  Fruits and vegetables: Common choices include celery, apples, spinach, cabbage, berries, carrots, pears and oranges (and many others!). Whole grains: Reach for brown grains instead of white ones: whole-wheat bread, brown rice, wheat tortillas, and wheat pasta. Eat nuts and beans.  Try black beans, almonds, pistachios, pecans and lentils. “Superfoods” are foods that contain very low calorie counts and high fiber content. Some say they require your body to burn more calories to digest than the foods themselves contain The jury is still out regarding the effectiveness of superfoods regarding weight loss, but many of these foods are part of a healthy diet, anyway, so you do not have much to lose by choosing them over other higher calorie alternatives. Superfoods that might be worth adding to your diet include:  Apples, goji berries, blueberries, and pomegranates Eggs, lentils, almond butter, salmon, and sardines Oats, buckwheat pasta, and quinoa Kale, chiles, tarragon, and avocado Low-fat plain yogurt, and parmesan cheese Olive oil If you are eating a healthy diet, but still feel like you are not quite where you would like to be, review what you are consuming every day.  Even small restrictions, like eating 200 fewer calories per day, can lead to safe, gradual weight loss.  Keep a food diary.  You can write it down the old-fashioned way and look up calories online, or use an app like MyFitnessPal or Spark People.  Whatever you choose, try to be consistent. Figure out your basal metabolic rate (BMR).  This will tell you how many calories per day you burn simply by existing. This allows you to calculate your daily calorie burn rate much more accurately. It is unhealthy to eat below your BMR, but you can try eating 1.2 times as many calories as your BMR. Try cutting your calories in by about 200 to 300 from what your calorie out is. Make sure to count accurately, as that is the main failing point of most diets. 3500 calories is equal to 1 pound, so by cutting out 300, you should be dropping 1 pound every 11 days. For more help, see How to Calculate How Many Calories You Need to Eat to Lose Weight.  Move past mistakes.  If you give in to temptation, do not be discouraged!  Everyone slips up once in a while.  Simply resolve to get back to your healthy diet.

SUMMARY:
Remove junk food. Fill up on fiber. Include some superfoods into your diet. Avoid overeating.