Archive for August, 2009

The Two Ingredients For Weight Loss Success: Persistence & Patience

weightlossOne of the most common mistake that people make that leads to weight loss failure is to chase fast weight loss solutions.

Whether it is in the supermarket in the magazine rack, or on late night television, everyone is talking about the best ways to loose weight at an extremely fast rate. They tell you tahat they personally lost 5-10 pounds a week for a total of over a hundred pounds with the use of the advertised product or technique solution. While they disclose the fact that the results that they discuss are not typical, the want of such a product to work for you can often get you to ignore this fact and palce your hopes on getting a miracle in return for your hard earned cash. What you are often overlooking is the fact that diet results are reliant on several variables, and the variables that contributed to the weight loss on the screen may not have even had anything to do with the drug or weight loss program that they are promoting. These testimonials are very good at getting desparate people to part with their money, but do very little to tell the average person what effect the use of the product shown will have on their weight loss success.

Healthy, permanent weight loss depends on a consistant and positive change to ap erson’s lifestyle over a prolonged period of time to be effective.

A large percentage of dieters will fail due to giving in to the slick sales messages of commercial powers that pry on laziness. By targeting consumers that they know have trouble with the two ingredients for dieting success, pesistance and patience, they can market differnet products to those wishing to lose weight while keeping them inoerpetual need of another solution, one that they will readily and eagerly provide.

Both history and medical science have shown that the only consistantly proven way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat the proper foods in the proper amounts, and to increase physical activity to burn calories and keep the body from storing excess enery as fat. Though some people might find extra support or metabolic advantage from taking herbal suppliments or following a specific dietary regimine, without these two factors, and the will power to control them on an ongoing basis, any fast weight loss solution will ultimately end up in temporary, minmal weight loss with the highest health risks.

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Weight Loss The Herbal Way

weightloss3Western society has a never-ending obsession with weight, while at the same time producing the most obese populations on the face of the planet with no side of subsiding the trend.

This strange irony has led to the multitude of products and services that are promoted to the public in order to help them with their weight loss dilemma. Everything from hypnotism, pharmaceuticals, to surgery has been offered as the sure fire solution to your overweight woes.

One often overlooked method of encouraging weight loss is the use of herbal supplements.

Our emphasis on getting what we want when we want it has created a society of “have it now”. While the positive effects of both natural and synthetic treatment are the same, many opt for the fast results of drugs or surgery at the risk of increased complication, and even death. One alternative to these risks is to opt for a sane progress schedule and the elimination of several of the risks involved with other options through the use of herbal weight loss products.

The use of natural foods and herbal products to control weight should be approached as any other medical decision. When used with physically altering goals, certain herb, though generally safe, may still produce side effects in certain individuals. as many herbal weight loss supplements and products are a combination of more than one ingredient, it is wise to read the label and decide if its contents are going to promote your personal weight loss goals or conflict with any medications you might take or conditions that you might have.

Many of the dietary supplements on the market contain one or more of the following ingredients:

Senna, a natural laxative is often one of the main components in herbal dietary supplements. They promote quick weight loss by stimulating the colon. Be aware that if using Senna, you should monitor to make sure you have a proper water intake, or dehydration may become an issue.

Some dietary supplements contain Chromium Picolinate. This is not a natural but a chemical additive, and has been known to cause genetic problems in high doses. It is best to be avoided if possible, but safe to use at recommended doses in most cases. The risk of dehydration is also a factor in its use, so you should drink plenty of water.

St John’s Wart is also very popular in dietary herbal supplements. This herb is not only used in weight loss solutions, t has shown promise in helping to promote cognitive ability. If abused however, the eyes and skin might become irritated, stomach ache may result, or fatigue may set in after ingestion.

Although Dietary supplements can be found in a variety of forms, two sources of natural weight fighting in their rawest forms are green tea, and organic food. Green tea has long been used to promote enhanced digestion and weight control, and the chemical application or use of chemicals in processing of non organic food can sometimes affect the ability for the body to process food correctly and efficiently.

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Weight Loss Simplicity: Don’t Diet

weightloss2Losing weight has become a favorite pastime in the West, and more and more of a preoccupation in the East also. The effects of the western diet and lifestyle have been devastating for the weight management and healthy living of almost all people touched by it. The ever increasing availability of instant, often over processed and nutrient deficient food, to the daily commutes we make from one location of idleness to another, all while sitting down in the comfort of a car have had huge impact on obesity and general lowered the amount of physical activity that a person is faced with.

Losing weight and being thin, in contrast to these norms, is still seen as the only way to be, and the pressure society places on this ideal is immense. Everywhere you look, in the media, and even in interpersonal expectation, thin is in. In a society that places heavy emphasis on weight control while at the same time places every obstacle possible in your way at the same time can be very frustrating, and is probably one of the main reasons diets fail.

There are many options out there for the person trying to lose weight. There are the usual options of a good diet and exercise, and then there are the extra provided options of binge diets, herbal supplements, drugs, and even surgery. The sad fact is that while many people opt for the instant options such as binging, drugs, or surgery, the duration of weight loss is usually short lived, though dramatic. The risks to health are much higher than if pursuing to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise and the end effect is a diminished health, relapse into weight gain, loss of energy and resources put into the attempt, and a further shattered self esteem, making coming back from setback even harder than before on many different levels.

The best way to lose weight is to start a healthy and active lifestyle, not just go on a diet. If you make consistent, health improving changes to your life and stick with them, no matter how small, the accumulated effect will be healthy weight loss that sticks, instead of yo yo diet failure or added health risks with few positive results. Knowing what you put into your body is the first step to controlling your diet, and the first step in exercise is to find simple activities to replace inactivity, such as walking to the market instead of driving. Simple changes in lifestyle are more effective in weight loss than inconsistent workouts and dieting attempts of any level.

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Do vitamin supplements encourage fat burning efficiency?

supplementEverybody knows that a healthy diet and an active exercise program are the best ways to lose weight and to the tendency to put on extra pounds under control. What do you do during those times where you have tried everything that you can? You eat a balanced diet, and you work out on a regular basis, but the weight just does not seem to be coming off as fast as it seems like it should. Sometimes the best solution doesn’t lie in getting involved in the latest crash diet or chugging down nasty food replacement shakes. Sometimes the extra push you body needs is a vitamin supplement.

Some studies have shown that certain vitamins help the body in the carbohydrate to sugar and starch processing functions by making sure that the body is able to process the most fuel for your body as possible, eliminating the need for the body to retain the food instead as fat stored in all of the wrong places.

Another benefit of the use of vitamin supplements is that for people on the go, the limited availability of certain food choices allows them to use supplements to replace used nutrients in the body that are missing in the person’s diet.

While the use of vitamin supplements has shown great promise, the idea that taking a multi vitamin in hopes of better body intake processing can simply be dismissed off hand. The ability to make vitamin supplements work for you is to research the body processes that you wish to be affected and which vitamins have shown to progress this process. By targeting specific functions and the vitamins that affect them is not only more effective but more efficient, as you might be getting too much or too little of a specific vitamin with the use of general multi vitamin combinations on your local store shelves.

Know what you nutritional goals are and take the correct vitamin combination to promote it. You can have adverse side effects from taking too much of one kind of vitamin, so be sure to also keep track of the nutritional intake of the foods that you eat on a daily basis, so tat you can accurately manage the amounts of specific vitamins that you put into your system.

Remember, that vitamin supplements are just that, supplements. Do not use them as a food substitute or expect positive results without proper diet and exercise.

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Regain Your Youthful Look Via Facial Exercises

facialexercisesI do not think that there has ever been a time throughout history where women have not resorted to some type of potion or other remedy in the search for perfect skin. Everything from a change in diet, to the use of drugs, and even surgery have been used in order to combat wrinkles and to try to get back the smooth skin that we were born with. The only thing that is different in this day and age is the availability of products and procedures that a person has to choose from, as well as the wealth of information available on each and every one of them.

One thing is for certain. Several of the wrinkle reducers and skin care procedures on the market today come with their own specific set of side effects and drawbacks. Many of the best techniques and products shown to work at reducing the signs of aging are very expensive or only available in a limited region. Others, though widely available and affordable, simply do not produce the results that they claim, and some procedures, such as plastic surgery, while seen as widely effective, in rare cases, can leave a person scarred, and far worse off than they were before the treatment. Drugs, though seen as less invasive than surgery, can also come with a whole host of side effects that have to be weighed before use.

Does this mean that in the search for the dermic fountain of youth one has to undergo the knife, risking possible horrific scarring, take drugs that might lead to further complication, or use foreign creams or even resort to injections to see desired results? Does getting older necessarily mean that your days of smooth skin are gone forever? Is there even a safe way to reduce the signs of aging of the skin, or are risks inherent to improving your skins appearance? One technique that proves to both effective at combating facial wrinkles and aging, and with little risk, is the use of facial exercises.

Facial exercises are definitely safer than surgery, can be done from the comfort of your own home, and cost nothing to perform. Not only are facial exercises good for the reduction of wrinkles in older women, but can also be used as a preventative measure by the young. Like any other boby part, the face can benefit from exercise by improving facial health, tighten muscles, and improve the look and feel of the skin over them. Not mny people think of putting the face through a “workout”, but it is the least intrusive method of improving facial health without surgical or drug intrusion.

The greatest thing about facial exercises, is that a person that practices them regularly can often see results within 4-6 weeks, which is better than several of the more expensive wrinkle medications and creams on the market today. While many of the medications try to improve collagen and elastic levels to no avail, facial exercises improve the blood flow to the face, increasing collagen and elastic naturally and conclusively. This gives way to a more natural looking, smoother looking skin, reducing wrinkles and the effects of dark spots. Even oversize pores are improved upon with the use of facial exercises, leaving smaller pores and a smoother look after only a few weeks of “working out”.

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Prevent Photo Aging Before It’s Too Late

agingPhoto aging, skin damaged caused by prolonged time in the sun, resulting in high levels of UV radiation, is usually recognized by the appearance of spots, wrinkles, sagging skin, jaundice like features, is not only unsightly, but also has been known to carry a heightened risk of certain skin cancers. Skin cancer, while often overlooked as a major health concern, actually affects over one million people annually, and poses serious risks to the afflicted person’s life.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere even when the sky is not sunny, and have proven to be human carcinogen, speeds up the aging of skin, can produce severe burns, and is a major cause of wrinkles in almost all people who do not protect themselves from its rays.

Ultraviolet radiation comes in two forms from its natural source, the sun. UVA radiation is the most common, with over 90 percent of all UV rays being of this type. It is this type of radiation that advances skin aging prematurely, contributes to wrinkles, and is also a source of cancer.

UVB, though being less than 10 percent of the UV rays that come in contact with the skin due to atmospheric filtering, is known to be extremely harmful to skin, a known carcinogen, and even in smaller amounts, is much more damaging than UVA. UVB rays are the central reactionary triggering sunburn and other immediate skin damage, and also harms the eyes, being the main source for cataract destruction.

While this news is not likely to make you jump with joy at the knowledge, there is something you can do to help reduce the chances of permanent skin damage and cancers, prevention. Wearing a sunscreen at all times that you expose yourself to the sun’s rays, even when cloudy, is the most prominent and most effective method of protecting skin from UVA and UVB. While it does not offer 100% protection from the sun, the SPF, or protection rating of your sunscreen will tell you the rate at which UVA and UVB will enter the skin with its protection as opposed to without. An SPF rating of 35 states that UV rays will take 35 times longer to reach and damage your skin than untreated skin.

While many people wear sunglasses, most do not realize that if their glasses have no UV protection, then they are actually helping to promote eye damage, as they allow for pupil dilation due to shading, allowing more damaging rays to enter the eyes. When choosing sunglasses, make sure that they clearly state that they are UV protective lenses, or you will be doing more harm than good. UV protection lenses also help to protect the area around the eyes that are prone to wrinkling, where application of sunscreen is not recommended.

Your skin is the first line of defense your body has against outside invaders, seen and unseen. If you do not take proactive solutions to your skin’s defense, then painful surgery, excessive wear and aging, fragility of the dermis, or even cancer might be in your future. Your skin is too important to ignore. To combat photo aging, prevention is truly the best medicine.

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Eat Your Way To Better Looking Skin & Fewer Wrinkles

sexyskinSome of the best skin wrinkle reduction products can be found it the grocery store and offer other health care benefits. Several foods not only help to make your skin look younger and smoother, but also help to preemptively protect our skin from damage.

If you want to protect your skin from the elements, promote anti-aging, and make you look as good as you ever have, then there are several natural ingredients that you can add to your skin care regime.

One of the best ways to reduce wrinkles is to eat foods high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the number one cause of signs of aging, free radicals. Free radicals are extremely harsh on skin and other cells in your body, and have even been linked to some cancers. Eating foods high in anti-oxidants help to protect your skin from the damage that free radicals can cause. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of anti-oxidants, especially spinach and broccoli. Other greens such as collards and kale also offer free radical protection, helping to reduce the effects of aging and reducing the chances for unsightly wrinkling.

  • Fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon are vitally important to the health of skin and your general health. The nutrients provided by salmon, tuna, and other Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods provide an excellent source of protection in the battle for better skin, especially the effects of aging.
  • Other “healthy” fat enriched foods, such as certain nuts, especially cashews are not only great for the skin, but also provide the body with much needed fats without having to resort to “unhealthy” fats such as are found in processed foods and trans-fat fast foods. Getting enough fat in your diet is essential to health, but unfortunately most people get too much of the unhealthy fats, and not enough of the fats that provide energy without damage to a person’s overall health.
  • While not often seen as food, the skin creams that offer the best chance of benefits to the skin without unneeded side effects are mainly natural food items, or have these included in the ingredients. Your skin is the largest organ of the human body, but few people care for it as such. Using natural ingredients in the care of your skin is probably the best thing a person can do to protect it, improve its appearance, while at the same time avoiding the harsh and often chemical solutions that many might apply to their skin without a natural alternative.

As we age, our skin has a tendency to become thinner and more brittle, allowing us to bruise more or even tear easily. This is usually due to the reduction of elasticity and collagen in the system. In addition to the foods above, One such food additive is within common Japanese sea kelp, which can be eaten regularly to promote skin health. Phytessesnse Wakame, the main ingredient, is also extracted and used in several effective skin care products. It is proven to help in the reduction of wrinkles as well as promoting the natural and healthy glow that many people are looking for without resorting to the use of harsh drugs or chemicals that might eventually be more damaging to the skin than beneficial.

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Skin Care: 5 Acne Treatment Tips

prt030Many of us have to battle acne on a constant basis. The only thing that seems to be more consistent than the pimples is the barrage of medical remedies that are being pushed on us on a daily basis as a solution to our problem. While some of these products definitely have the benefit of helping to clear up acne, often you can get the same results by doing self treatment. Here are 5 simple solutions that offer healthy benefits to the skin and general health that often have a positive effect on acne removal, reduction, or prevention.

  • Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Often the source of our acne troubles is a high sugar and fat, low nutrient diet. Skip the Ho Hos, and instead eat a salad, enjoy a mango, or consume green leafy vegetables instead. Healthy skin usually begins with a steady supply of nutrients and vitamins that fruits and vegetables are chock full of. Instead of a soda, have a fruit juice. Your body will thank you for it.
  • Drink water. The average person is supposed to consume an average of 10 full glasses of water each and every day. However the average person does not. Clear, healthy skin is well hydrated. Dead skin cells are reluctant to make way for new if your skin is dehydrated, and without fresh skin cells, you are more prone to develop acne.
  • Avoid the use of harsh chemicals, especially in the treatment of acne. Natural products are always better than their man made counterparts. With the use of chemical products, there is a higher risk of unwanted side effects from the treatment, often with no understanding of the cause. Not only are natural products better for you, but with lower production and regulation costs, they are also usually more cost effective. Why pay more for less benefit and higher risk?
  • Relax a little- Many people have a tendency to break out more when under stress. On often overlooked method of creating an acne breakout is to constantly touch the face, as people under stress tend to do more than those not under such stress. Stress also releases hormones into the system that exacerbate acne, increase it, while reducing the ability for other treatment options to remain effective. Exercise, meditation, or even relaxing with friends can have a positive effect on the reduction of stress levels that make getting you acne under control much harder.
  • Get some fresh air and a little sun- While not advising to get a tan, getting out of a stale air, indoor environment for 20-30 minutes a day can keep your skin flush with vitamin E, essential to good skin health. Not only that, indoor environments have a dampening effect on the mood, which can also lead to higher stress levels and worsen your acne problems. Take a break from your indoor activities and go outside for a bit. It can do wonders for your complexion as well as your psyche.
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This Is Your Brain On Coffee

coffeeAs millions people consume caffeinated beverages in ever increasing amounts, the effects of caffeine on the system needs to be better understood. Recent studies have shown that the stimulant in our coffee, teas, and ever more popular by the day, energy drinks is a complex chemical that has a myriad of effects both in the immediate and long term.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and as such, has serious influence over the central nervous system. Mental alertness is found to be sharpened in the short term, with a lowered ability to concentrate and focus present as the effect of the drug wears off, or when caffeine addiction pushed the body into withdrawal in its absence. The duration and power of the stimulant effect is in direct relation to the amount of caffeine ingested. Though considered a mild stimulant, overuse can lead to insomnia, irritability, and even moderate signs of physical addiction. The recent popularity of energy drinks including guarana as a caffeine source has been of particular notice, as the amount in caffeine contained in this South American Fruit is up to 4 times as potent as the coffee bean and 3 times as strong as stout tea. These drinks also contain high levels of simple sugars, especially fructose, which are horrible for health, and should be considered when evaluating them for use.

While the adverse side effects of caffeine addiction can usually be reversed with discontinued use, the mildness of its effects make addiction hard to take seriously by most people, and the will to discontinue its use low. Longer term side effects do not seem to have an overall negative impact on health in general, but the existence of certain health conditions or the taking of particular medications might make the taking of caffeine a more risky endeavor. While usually considered safe in moderation it is always advisable to talk over dietary and medication conflict over with your health care professional. For now, caffeine is seen to increase temporary mental alertness with minimal negative results. Abuse of any drug increases these results, and caffeine is not different in this matter, and should be respected as the stimulant it is. If you have a history of drug abuse, especially stimulants, then drinking coffee can actually help to trigger this addiction, so precaution is to be taken. Minors, pregnant women, and those with sleep sensitivity issues are recommended to choose caffeine free alternatives because of its stimulant properties.

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Protein

proteinProtein, along with carbohydrates and fats, make up the major building blocks in a healthy diet that allow for proper body function. Without any one of these compounds, called macronutrients because the high amounts needed as compared to other nutrient, the body would quickly run into problems and show signs of malnutrition. Carbohydrates supply the blood with much needed sugar fuel, fats provide the body with the ability to gain weight as well as save energy for later use, and proteins help with muscle production as well as energy production. Proteins are readily found in meats, cheeses and other dairy products as well as certain vegetables. Protein is also an important source of the Amino Acid Phenylalanine which is important to alertness and other brain function. Without an adequate source of protein in your diet, muscle production would be impossible, and muscle breakdown and atrophy would begin. This is the reason that protein is so important to bodybuilders and those with muscular dystrophy, as atrophy of the muscles is exacerbated by a lack of protein, and additional protein can be utilized for increased muscle mass production.

Most people get enough protein in a balanced diet for good muscular health, and many get much more protein than they actually need. In Western culture meat is often considered the main, and largest course in a meal, and while providing the body with much needed protein, too much meat, especially red meats, can also bring along massive amounts of fat and if prepared in a restaurant, usually plenty of salt to go along with that. The extra fat and salt are retained by the body, and the excess protein is either stored as fat or exits the body as waste.

The more active a person is the more protein the body can utilize, and the more muscle can be built. Inactivity causes even the smallest amount of protein to go to waste or go to the waist. It is either converted to fat and will later be used as energy, or passed from the body. Smaller cuts of meat and the introduction of vegetable, fish, and soybean sources of protein can be a great way to maintain proper protein levels without overindulging. The other option is to increase exercise that also brings with it increased benefits in both the present and for the future. Protein rich fish is also high in Omega 3 fatty acids that promote heart health, which can give it a healthy edge over beef or poultry.

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Carbohydrates: The Body’s Edible Food Factories

carbsCarbohydrates are needed for proper body function. They are the main source of fuel used foe energy in a person’s diet. As carbohydrates are introduced into the body, the body breaks them down into sugars that are then used as food for cells in the body such as the muscles and other organs, including the heart. While the emphasis in diet trends over the last few years has focused on a low carbohydrate intake, how the body processes carbohydrates in relation to blood sugar levels and weight gain would be better approached by looking at the type of carbohydrates in the diet as well as their amounts.

There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates process into sugars very quickly as well as having very little nutritional benefits. One example is fructose. Fructose, usually eaten in the form of processed grains or sweetener, rapidly floods the blood with sugars that are above and beyond the processing ability of insulin in the system. Excess sugars are instead stored in the body as fat, and the binge leaves the body with too much too fast, with complete absence nutrition in its wake.

Complex carbohydrates on the other hand go through a more gradual and balanced processing, are usually part of foods with the added vitamins and minerals that provide the body with much needed nutritional support, and provide the body with needed energy at a more reasonable level over a longer period of time. Whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables often are great sources of complex carbohydrates, though some fruits do contain sucrose and fructose in higher levels than vegetables and whole grains.

This is the very reason that it is easier for a person with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels with complex carbohydrates than with simple carbs. With society pushing for faster and faster food on the go, and the emphasis on cheap production in large quantity the norm in commercial food production, the amount of processed foods and simple carbohydrates consumed by the general population, and intake of complex carbs and other nutritional food on the decrease. Many diseases that top the charts for fatality every year could be significantly decreased if this trend could be reversed, even if the amount of food consumed did not change. The absence of nutrients in our diet, combined with forcing our bodies to respond to the rollercoaster of chemical reactions involved in digesting the unhealthy food we do eat has created an environment prone to imbalance and extremes. Carbohydrates are our friends, and we have turned them into our enemy.

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Are you drinking enough milk?

milkAre you drinking enough milk?

To remain active and healthy, your body needs calcium. Without it you would lose bone mass and weaken, increasing your chances of injury while making it harder for you to maintain the strength needed to exercise. Drinking milk is a great way to get the calcium you need on a daily basis. Drinking milk helps to protect teeth, protect against heart disease, and allow muscle contractions.

Many people have dairy for breakfast, if they eat breakfast. The bad news is that many Americans skip breakfast on a weekly basis at least once, and out of the ones that faithfully get up and eat a healthy meal in the morning, a certain percentage of them either eat the wrong types of foods, or forget to get the other 2/3 of their recommended daily intake of calcium for good bone and muscle health by carrying on the habit during other meals. Dietary guidelines recommend at least 3 servings of calcium rich products each and every day, with dairy products and green leafy vegetables the best sources of natural calcium.

What is at stake?

Osteoporosis affects 1 out of every pair of people on the planet after the age of 50. Lack of calcium in the diet and lack of physical activity can increase your chances of osteoporosis later on in life, but that does not mean that you have time to waste. Bone development in young adults is usually completed by the age of 25, and up to this point, calcium is important to the development of bone tissue and the strengthening of it. after this point calcium is needed to replenish calcium leaving the body and to decrease the amount of bone mass lost as we get older. The first half of life is important to build out defenses, and the second half to preserve them.

Falls become more of a concern for older adults. This is quite reasonable when you consider that a large percentage of older adults who have a fall that results in a broken hip do not live longer than a year after the fact. Getting enough calcium now and in the future can help hedge your chances of not becoming a statistic, and enjoying the ability to remain active and in tip top shape for many years to come.

If a person is lactose intolerant, other foods other than dairy products that are rich in calcium as well. If needed, there are lactose free calcium supplements that can be taken to make up in deficiency.

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Wipe Out Bad Sugar In Order To Wipe Out Bad Health

sugarA regular can of soda contains the same amount of sugar that you would find in 10 teaspoons of table sugar. While sugar is a carbohydrate, and the body needs carbohydrates to function, other types of carbohydrates are available, such as whole grains and many fruits and vegetables. The amount of sugar, especially in the form of glucose, as is found in soft drinks and candy is an extremely unhealthy and high percentage intake compared to what is actually needed on a daily basis for good health. Glucose enters the bloodstream at a very fast rate, and is especially hard for the body to utilize in any efficient fashion. Processed foods, especially bleached or otherwise ‘enriched” breads and pastas produce high amounts of glucose when digested and present the same problem.

Simple carbs are sugars that are formed previous to digestion, and can be found in fruits and vegetables and milk products. While both naturally occurring sugars and processed carbohydrates and sugars are considered simple carbohydrates, the two are not the same. The naturally occurring sugars are accompanied with all of the other nutrients, vitamins, and fiber that the sugar host provides, while processed foods are usually deprived of any nutritional value upon taking their processed form. This state of nutrition-less processing labels these as “bad carbs” and contribute to obesity and other health problem while offering little or no benefits.

Eating processed foods and sugars are not only an easy way to flood the body with an excess supply of simple sugars with no real nutritional benefit, there are also other negative factors that need to be considered when considering the effects of processed foods on the average person’s health.

  • The chances of becoming obese is increased literally exponential to the amount of sugars consumed and the amount of nutrition value absent due to processing.
  • In pastas and processed breads, the carbohydrates and sugars added significantly increase the chances of tooth decay as they tend to advance damage and change to sugar more rapidly that have complex carbohydrates.
  • Flooding the system with simple sugars at regular intervals can actually result in sugar addiction, making the risk of developing serious health related issues and the inability to control intake often lost without the help of an physician or mental health professional.

In order to protect yourself from the harmful effects of processed carbohydrates and sugars, knowing the other terms and names that these added ingredients go by can be quite helpful. Look for all forms of the word sweetener, as in corn or the words glucose, fructose, and syrups such as malt or maple, any honey, molasses, and even white grape juice (which is almost pure fructose).

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Water: The Building Block of Life

waterWithout water there would be no life on planet Earth. There is probably no substance on the face of the planet that is more valuable, contributes more to health, and sadly, is the most under-utilized natural preventive remedy for many of today’s health problems.

With two thirds of the earth’s surface covered by water and the human body consisting of 75 percent of it, it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements responsible for life on earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting, dissolving, and replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. Further in the body, it regulates the activities of fluids, tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular secretions.

While it is possible to live without food for a little over a month, a few weeks without water and you would be a drying corpse. While we constantly talk about how important good diet and exercise is to our overall health, correctly so, we should be spending more time talking about the benefits of getting adequate amounts of the very building block of life itself, good old H2O.

The average person should be drinking about 8-10 glasses of drinking water a day. Coffee and tea, though they contain water, are actually counterproductive to hydration, as the caffeine content of these drinks can actually be a source of dehydration. Similarly, high sugar drinks such as sodas and Kool-Aid are little help either, as the detrimental effects of high fructose corn sweetener and other simple sugars far outweigh any benefit you get from the actual water content.

Water is a great source of weight control power also. Studies have shown that some people simply over eat because they do not know the difference between being thirsty and hungry, and so they continue to eat when they are in fact simply dehydrated. People who drink high amounts of sweetened drinks and even certain fruit juices are often dehydrated and do not even know it due to the fact that they feel that if they are taking in liquid that this is impossible. Also sweetened drinks that contain fructose do little to curb thirst while dehydrating the body at the same time, creating a vicious circle of continued consumption and dissatisfaction. A few glasses of water and some fruit instead of a six pack and a burger is often much more satisfying, will give you more energy, and healthier for you in the long run.

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Soda: The Worst Food Imposter On The Planet

sodaWant to know the solid facts?

1/2 of us will die from heart disease; about a 1/3 from cancer;2/3 of us will die obese; and 1/4 of us will get diabetes. All of this is because of our love of behaviors and products that eventually killed us. I will not argue that genetics plays a part in medical propensities for certain diseases, but nothing in my family history could prepare use for a three Big Mac, 2 milkshakes and a diet soda consumer demand driven society. Many people do not even know that the amount of food, and especially the types of food they eat, could be directly increasing their chances for ailment and actually robbing them of the very nutrients they were thought to be providing. One huge, pseudo food market is the soda pop industry. This liquid is manufactured, canned and bottled for distribution worldwide at a rate of 150mg of high power fructose for every person on Earth daily.

Soda pop is liquid high fructose corn syrup and/or artificial sweetener mixed with water and carbonated soda, allowing for an immediate flood of simple, processed carbohydrates and sugars to overwhelm the bloodstream and insulin processing systems in crashing waves. This can serious erode health and contribute to an imbalance in the body’s ability to handle energy usage and storage management efficiency, leading to diabetic problems or the excess storage of fat. Fat storage of the sugars contained in sodas is quite common as the body cannot possible utilize the amount of sugar rushing into its system during consumption, and thus is instead turned into fat and sent to all of your “unsightly” places. A soda usually contains in excess of 150 empty calories each. People who consume 2 sodas a week will gain ten pounds a year throughout their lifetime if these calories are not burned off. Also exacerbating weight is the fact that the main sugar in soda, fructose, when processed by the liver, is often turned into fat and stored instead of burned off as energy calories. Combined with the fact that fructose also has a tendency to create craving but leave little satisfaction for hunger makes for an equation for weight gain disaster.

Not only does soda’s extra calories and lack of nutrients contribute to higher risk of obesity, these products have also been known to strip the body of much needed calcium, weakening or even causing the wasting away of bone mass. The kamikaze style of entry and processing by the body can further complicate the risk of diabetes or other maladies associated with the body’s resistance to insulin.

Some researchers have even contended that soft drink beverage consumption might even contribute to a person’s risk of contracting certain types of cancers. While the sugars in soft drinks can be avoided with the use of artificial sweeteners, studies have shown them to carry and even higher incident of cancer and other serious ailments that fructose. My suggestion would be to avoid the soda altogether, and make all natural, calorie free, water your main beverage and favorite drink. Your body will thank you for it.

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Nutritional Value of The Acai Berry

acaiThe Acai Berry is a bi-annual fruit from South America that has been hailed as the best super food alive on the planet today, and a “miracle fruit”, correctly pronounced as “ah-sa-ee” and is in actuality a simple palm fruit of amazing nutritional benefit.

The actual fruit of the Acai palm is similar in size and shape as the blueberry with a purple hue. It is rich in antioxidants and is often used in juices and other drink forms as a health shake. The berries are also great in cooking and can be added to breads, or added as topping on desserts. The Acai berry is extremely tasty and has been even been said to have a hint of chocolate in its flavor.

One of the major benefits of the Acai berry is that it is so rich in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are known for their free radical fighting properties are known to damage cells and reduce the body’s ability to fight off infections and disease. Free radicals are also connected with skin disease, so their elimination is excellent for dermal health.

Acai berry not only helps the body cleanse itself of unwanted toxins and promote healthy immunity, but the wide range of nutrients and vitamins it contains adds to the nutritional value of this wonder food.

Nutrients in Acai berry.

The Acai berry is bursting with amino acids known to regulate efficient metabolic levels and promote weight control, as well as a host of beneficial vitamins such as C, A, and Iron. Fiber, calcium, and potassium, as well as ample amounts of protein is also packed into this button sized berry. The nutritional impact of Acai berry alone can help a person stave off the effects of aging, skin problems, eye and bone deterioration prevention, and help in the fight against anemia.

A heart healthy food with a powerful nutritional and anti toxin punch, the Acai berry has recently been entered into research to determine its effectiveness in the fight against cancer. Now that a lot of good from one little palm berry.

Acai berry is available in some health food stores and from reputable online vendors. It can be found in whole fruit, juice, and even powdered supplement form. Convenient, good tasting, natural, and good for you, Acai berry has no negative side effects and does not carry either the inconvenience or the risks associated with other dietary supplements, being simply a super healthy fruit.

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What is Bipolar Disorder?

bipolarBipolar disorder is a psychological condition in which a person finds it hard to control a sudden or continuing swing in mood elevation and depression that can usually be treated through changes in diet and lifestyle, herbal and pharmaceutical medication, or in extreme cases, invasive techniques such as shock therapy.

Not everyone who has bipolar disorder will know it. Sometimes the swings in mood that a person experiences are so gradual that the individual does not notice the wide chasm between the extremes. Often the psychological effects of the moods themselves, or the chemical occurrences in the body can cloud judgment or environmental conditioning allow the person to believe that everything is “normal”.

Some people may experience a light euphoria or may go into full blown mania before going on in the reverse direction resulting in feelings of apathy, or en worst cases, possibly suicidal depression. While changes in mood are normal, rushes towards the extremes, whether chronic and prolonged, or with fast onset and short in duration, should be discussed with your doctor and treated by a trained professional.

While medical attention for bipolar disorder is a must, there are still several things that you can do on your own to make sure your body is best helped in its battle to moderate emotions and physical chemical balances.

Eating right and getting plenty of exercise can often elevate mood without resorting to crashes later on. Cutting out empty calories and processed foods high in simple carbohydrate and sugars can not only keep you feeling your best, but can also help moderate levels of insulin and hormone creation in the body.

Lowering stress by discovering and enjoying a relaxing hobby, or even getting a small pet for companionship are all things that can help to keep us in good spirits.

While the physical symptoms of bipolar disorder can be treated in various ways by your physical doctor, the help of a mental health specialist can help you to develop the skills to better deal with the emotional response that comes with chemical changes in the body, as well as the complications and frustrations that can be placed on a persons lifestyle as a result of their bipolar disorder. Following the advice of both your physical doctor, as well as your therapist of counselor, while doing all you can on your own by changing personal behavior patterns, can help you to manage bipolar disorder a lot better than dealing with it on your own.

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Getting Answers On ADHD

200407807-004ADHD is probably one of the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated medical concerns of the 21st century. There are 3 misconceptions about this rather common attention disorder that need serious clarification before an honest and helpful approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD can be undertaken.

Misconception number one. My child has been tested for ADHD.

There are several factors that must be taken into consideration before a person can be said to have problems with ADHD. There is not urine test or other simple sample evaluation process that signifies the existence of ADHD. ADHD is not a known chemical imbalance or a specific disease as in the presence of a specific physical defect in the body, but rather a whole host of symptoms and symptomatic reactions that when taken together, give a consistent picture of what we refer to as ADHD. Behavioral patterns are not enough. Reaction to physical stimulus or chemical makeup alone are not enough. Even when diagnosed with ADHD, it is best to seek out a second opinion as even the definition of ADHD and the severity and extent to which the disease is thought to be able to be controlled by medicine alone can vary from one medical professional to another.

Schools diagnose ADHD.

Teachers and educational professionals play a large part of our children’s lives and our children have a huge impact on theirs. But even with daily close contact and the best intentions at heart, a person who is not a medical expert for one, and a specialist in ADHD in children for two, has no authority to administer a diagnosis of ADHD on a child. Often there are other issues at hand. The most common reason for teacher diagnosis is in fact misbehavior. A child who acts up in class more than the others or has problems focusing does not necessarily have ADHD, but might just be bored. It is my personal opinion that it is sometimes the teacher, unable to maintain the attention of young children, is a problem, and not the child at all. That is not to say that the observations of the educational community are to be ignored, but should be backed up with medical expertise before taking unneeded action.

Misconception number three, ADHD children are intellectually impaired.

ADHD can definitely have a negative impact on academic performance and may even disrupt social skills, but intelligence is not the issue here. There are several incredibly smart people who are affected by ADHD. The inability to concentrate on material at hand or simply being able to stay motivated for any length of time for any single task has nothing to do with how smart a person is. ADHD is a medical condition with accompanying psychological and sometimes behavioral repercussions, but these symptoms usually only act as a barrier to education if they are left unchecked, uncontrolled, and unchanged. Getting over the fear of stigma or guilt, and making sure that ADHD is managed at the first sign of trouble is the best way to ensure that your child continues to learn at a normal pace and does not fall behind the others.

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Adult ADHD Symptoms & Treatment

adultadhdThough ADHD is predominantly thought of as a childhood disease, there are many adults that also suffer from the condition. If you are an adult, and you experience any of the symptoms of adult ADHD, then it would be best for you to get into contact with your local health care professional and seek diagnosis and treatment if needed.

ADHD is an attention disorder that can usually be controlled by improving the connections between synaptic receptors in the brain that process information. In adult ADHD, the chemical balances that regulate such transmissions is disrupted, and thus the connections, causing loss of the ability to focus, remain committed to activities, or to generally stay motivated. Small doses of prescription medication has shown to improve the connection in the synaptic chain, allowing better processing of information and hormone responses that control these brain-behavioral functions.

ADHD is often diagnosed in adults as they are no longer in the educational system, and the inability to remain on task or keep thoughts in focus is not paid attention to in the same manner. While the child in school might get a referral to the school medical clinic for testing, the adult is usually offered no more than the threat of lost employment or discriminatory behavior as they are seen as lazy or unintelligent.

This same stigma is also a contributing factor in adults not seeking medical treatment for adult ADHD, especially amongst men. The need to seek medical treatment for ADHD is urgent as well as extremely beneficial for the adult who exhibits ADHD symptoms. The difference that proper diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can make in an adults life can be dramatic. Even small imbalances in hormone levels and chemical reactions can have profound effects on the mind and body. Sometimes the mental clarity and ability to focus can be greatly benefitted by better diet and medication without the need for any further medical intervention, though some sort of psychological counseling is usually recommended to deal with the emotional changes that can sometimes come with coping with ADHD or as side effects of medication.

Far from being something to be ashamed of, getting treatment for your adult ADHD can be the best thing that you can do to for your own health and the health of your family. Like other mental and physical health issues, the patient is usually one in a host of people affected, and ADHD is no different.

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4 Step Depression Treatment

depressionEverywhere you look there is a new medication to help you get you depression under control. While medication is definitely an option that helps many, it should not automatically be the first choice that comes to mind when it comes to overcoming a mood disorder. Not all mood disorders are caused by chemical imbalances, and some of those that are can even be treated with changing other variables in the equation of body, mind, and environment that affect depression symptoms.

The first thing, and the most readily available to management and self control is diet. Vitamin D has been shown to affect mood levels and is very important for alertness and mental health. If you are overweight, underweight, or struggling with eating unhealthy foods, this can have a drastic impact on your ability to control mood. This is the first factor that you need to make sure is optimized for good physical an mental health.

Inactivity can also be a major source of unhappiness, both on a physiological as well as an emotional level. Get out and take a walk, ride bike, or swim. Just getting in 20 minutes of energetic activity a day can help to elevate mood and ward of boredom.

If you low mood is not affected by lifestyle change alone, it is time to seek out professional help. The help of a mental help professional can help you to decide if your depression is mainly an emotional disorder that might be able to be managed through counseling sessions, or if a referral to a physician to see if medication might be needed. There is nothing to be ashamed of, mental health is not different than any other health need, other than the fact that stigma increases the likelihood of lack of treatment due to refusal to acknowledge there is a problem at all.

If medication is needed, then working closely with your doctor and open communication is essential to making sure that the best medication at the appropriate levels helps you to control mood swings as well as allowing you a happy and normal life. There are many people taking depression medication without noticeable difference in behavior or physical ability. Depending on the medication program that is chosen to help you with you depression, regular visits to monitor your progress or regression into depression related symptoms will follow, allowing both you and your doctor to optimize the results of your medication and other treatment.

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