Coconut Cream Health Benefits by Laura Ng

Many people love adding coconut cream to enhance the flavor and thickness of curry, while I add it for one more purpose - its health benefits. "Are you sure coconut cream benefits your health?" is the shocking question people usually pose when I told them that this creamy food is actually good for them. Are you wanting to ask the same question? To let you understand its health benefits, let's walk into its fat construction.

True. Coconut cream bears the saturated fatty acid structure. However, the structure is in the form of medium-chain rather than those animal saturated fats which are connected together as long-chain. Long-chain is extremely difficult to break down and so it gets easily stored as fat. Medium-chain breaks down easily and converts to energy (like carbohydrate) instantly.

So, where's the health risk associated with coconut cream? Essentially none provided you don't take too much. Too much of a good food can bring excess calories that your body doesn't need, so you know where these unwanted calories will end up in.

How Coconut Cream Benefits Your Health

As just mentioned, the medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut cream benefits you by giving you more energy to cope with your physical activities. But that's not all, the primary acid in it is called lauric acid - exactly the same as that in human breast milk, which helps us ward off intrusive viruses and bacteria.

What's more amazing about the health benefits of coconut cream is that when its lauric acid converts to monolaurin (an anti-viral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride), it boosts your immune system and protects you against many viruses, including hepatitis C, herpes and even HIV!

On top of that, its anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties can help prevent you from getting cancer. Oh, it's also exceptionally powerful for treating constipation! Having problems with getting rid of your body waste? This natural cream will be your instant cure, more powerful yet natural than chemically-processed laxatives sold over the counter.

You know what, not only coconut cream benefits your health, coconut oil, water and flesh do bear the same health-promoting properties, especially coconut oil which contains additional fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin A, D, E, K and beta-carotene essential for your overall wellbeing.

Now you got a variety of coconut foods to add to your palate, you don't have to stick to adding coconut cream to just curry anymore. You can now add 2 - 3 tablespoons of coconut oil onto your cooked brown rice, include coconut oil or water in smoothies, or cut coconut flesh into smaller pieces and sprinkle as toppings for your dessert. That's how you can reap maximum health benefits of coconut food, instead of limiting to just its creamy component.

Healthy Vegetarian Weight Loss - How to Lose Weight & Gain Health by Laura Ng

To lose weight and gain health effectively the vegetarian way, your body needs to:

1. Stay Metabolically Active - Metabolism is the process of burning calories. When you increase your metabolism, you'll burn calories efficiently even while you sleep.

2. Reduce Fat Deposit - You already carry lots of excess fat all over your body. If you were to introduce more fat into your fat deposits, you'll grow even fatter. So, you need to reduce the amount of unused calories from getting stored in your fat cells.

3. Burn Fat from Fat Storage - This is the part where your body extracts the fat from your fat storage and converts them into fuel to power your bodily activities. When you burn fat at a rate faster than the storing of fat, you'll lose weight due to fat loss.

How to Stay Metabolically Active

You can keep yourself metabolically active by jumpstarting your day with a morning exercise. And then take 5 - 6 smaller meals a day instead of just 3 large meals. This meal plan will become your vegetarian weight loss diet. The whole idea of this vegetarian weight loss diet plan is to give your stomach something to digest round the clockwork, thereby keeping you ongoing and burn calories even when you're sleeping like a bear.

How to Reduce Fat Deposit

It's easier for vegetarians to reduce fat deposits by upping your consumption of fiber-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits and legumes. When you increase your fiber intake, your stomach will become full easily, but the total calorie intake you're ingesting could be much lower than what you actually need. So you won't add on extra fatty component into your fat store.

How to Burn Fat from Fat Storage

In this case, vegetarian weight loss is no different from other effective weight loss solutions. That is, you want to get rid of the fat that has been piled up in your fat storage, you need to increase your bodily activities by injecting exercises. This will force your body to go extract the fat from the fat reserve and convert them into usable energy to fuel your sudden burst of physical movements.

These are the 3 basic rules for efficient and effective vegetarian weight loss. And remember, your aim is to lose weight due to fat loss, not due to water loss or eating less food or any other thing that once stop will make your weight bounce back.

How to Lose Belly Fat for Vegetarians by Laura Ng

To convince people to follow your vegetarian lifestyle and eat vegetarian diet, you must set a good example. But carrying a pot belly obviously leaves a negative impression and makes you look like your vegetarian lifestyle is no better than that of a meat-eater. So, why would people want to go vegetarian if ultimately they'll still get a pot belly like you? To look convincing, you must lose your belly fat and flatten your tummy. Here's how:

1. Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat for Vegetarians

Cardio exercise is slow and steady. Hence, you need to block out long hours to get more belly fat loss. Once you stop cardio, burning of fat stops. Go with high intensity interval training instead. It's been scientifically proven to burn more belly fat and keep those extra stomach calories at bay. Because it's high-intensity, you only need about 30 - 45 minutes a day, 3 times a week to achieve your belly fat loss goal.

But as a beginner, you should begin with doing the training for 10 minutes only. Here's how - you'll do a 8 / 10 intensity exercise on a hard pace for about 30 seconds followed by an "active rest" of 3 / 10 intensity exercise for 60 seconds and then repeat for 3 intervals.

You can apply interval training in running, weight training or any other forms of exercises. But make sure you consult your physician before you start with such exercises. And get the right shoes or tools to avoid potential injuries when you're going with interval running.

2. Exercise that Boost Your Metabolism to Lose More Belly Fat

Full bodyweight workouts (aka multi-joint exercises) give you triple boost in your metabolism and help you melt fats all over your body, particularly your belly fat. It wears you out, but it's worth the effort when you look in the mirror 7 - 14 days later.

3. Eating for Energy

Prepackaged vegetarian food infused with refined sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans-fat are the killers to your workout regimen. These junk foods can kill your healthy cells and rip your tissues apart, and make your body work doubly hard to metabolize the calories consumed efficiently. Hence, increase, if not change your entire food intake to whole natural food which carry high-fiber and complex-carbohydrate instead.

Eating quality vegetarian weight loss diet can help suppress your hunger, at the same time, provide long-lasting energy to support your workout regimen throughout. You'll lose belly fat with it more easily.

Best Way To Lose Weight - Which Of These 7 Ways To Lose Weight Works Best For You by Laura Ng

What do you want to achieve? Weight loss alone or both weight loss and health? Let me show you which of these 7 ways you should go with for best effective weight loss and optimum health.

1. Liposuction - A cosmetic surgery using a hollow tube and a suction device to help remove fat from any parts of your body. However, the death toll as a consequence of post-operative complications rates between 20 and 100 deaths per 100,000 procedures. People who go with lipo usually want a quick fix to help them lose weight and sculpt their body without going through exercising and dieting. Though death rate is pretty low, most people suffer some sorts of complications, and this number has gone unreported.

2. Gastric Banding - Usually a final resort proposed for extremely obese people whose lives are at stake and need immediate weight loss solution. Like liposuction, it involves risks. Death rate is about 50 deaths per 100,000 operations.

3. Body Wrap - A weird way to wrap yourself up like a mummy but yet you're losing water weight instead of fat mass. However, it's a cheap way to cheat yourself - just buy some plastic film roll or wrap sheets and you can do in the comfort of your home. But again, you won't lose fat in it.

4. B12 Shot - Vitamin B12 is one of the key nutrients we all need. But some people claim that it can help you boost metabolism and lose weight by injecting B12 directly into your muscle. You may experience side effects of bloated stomach, heavier and longer menstrual cycle (for women), difficulty in breathing and swallowing, tightness of chest, racing heartbeat, etc. In fact, we don't need extra shot of B12 for weight loss, so long as we eat healthily, our metabolism will function at its peak and burn fat effectively. And you don't get a single side effect.

5. Acupuncture - This therapy works as a complement to your change of lifestyle instead of a sole weight loss solution to help you get rid of the extra ugly fat. Acupuncture works by inserting needles into specific points on your body to release endorphins which can combat your stress, frustration and anxiety that usually associate with binge eating. With less binge eating, you lose weight.

6. Tobacco Smoking - Some people smoke to help them control their weight as tobacco contains high level of nicotine that is effective in suppressing hunger so you don't overeat. But alas, this way of weight loss is so idiotic that wise people would never touch. It does nothing positive to your health and 5 - 8 million people died of smoking worldwide every year. If you think it looks cool on you, tell you what, a survey reported that 86% of people find their opposite sex who smoke look repulsive rather than attractive. And you stink too.

7. Vegetarian Diet - A healthy diet that advocates eating whole natural foods which are packed with essential nutrients such as fiber, complex-carbohydrate, full protein and various other vitamins and minerals to maintain a healthy body that will take care of the weight automatically. In fact, you can easily fit this diet into your long-term lifestyle once you reach your ideal weight and shape, unlike many other diets that are designed to help weight loss but don't provide nutrients for your body to operate optimally.

I save the best for the last - vegetarian diet, because it's really the best way to lose weight and you can even take the diet as a permanent lifestyle, unlike other weight loss diets that you can only hold on to for short-term only. I'm sure you'd agree with me on that, but will you pick up this healthful choice over your cravings for meat? The choice is yours ;)

Difficulties of Losing Weight by Robert D. Franklin

Some philosophies tell us that its easy to control your weight. Just keep eating the right foods and exercise often and our weight will stay stable and at a healthy level. Unfortunately, for many of us it is not that simple to follow. Simply put, if we eat more calories than we burn throughout our daily lives and by exercising, we will put on weight; If we eat fewer calories than our body needs, we will lose weight. This means that when it comes to losing weight, we need to find a balance in how many calories we can burn off weekly, compared to how many calories we will consume within a week. However, when it comes to a simple theory such as this and real life, it is not always so easy and simple.

Are various personal lives is one of the main reasons why many of us struggle to lose weight. Different situations and events can disrupt the times in which we eat, what is available for us to eat and the time and energy in which we have to participate in exercise. Other distractions include temptations which we face every single day, our social lives and any aspect of our lives which can be connected directly to food and activity. However, although it is extremely easy to see where we are going wrong in terms of our weight loss, knowing what to do in order to put it right is not always as simple. The first thing we need to do is be brutally honest with ourselves in terms of where we have fallen short and what our weaknesses are-especially in terms of food. It is likely that we will always be able to find an excuse as to why we do not eat the right foods and why we do not exercise-and it is easier to protest these excuses to ourselves. However, if we are not able to discipline ourselves, then we will always struggle to lose weight.

Our weight can be determined by a variety of different factors such as genetics, our body’s metabolism and behavioral, environmental and cultural causes. One of the main reasons why we will be unable to lose weight will stem from our metabolism. Those who are overweight will often find that they will lose weight quicker than someone of a healthier weight. However, although this can give us a great sense of motivation it is important to be aware that the more weight we lose, the harder it will be for it to fall as easily as it did initially. The best way in which we can keep it working hard is to work hard to include exercise and a healthy diet within our lives as the aging process will also affect this and could leave us in the same situation as previous. Behavioral factors refer to our attitudes towards food. Many of us see food as a means of comfort or reward and will often ‘treat’ ourselves with our favorite foods in order to compensate for something else. In order to combat this and lose weight, we need to find an alternative way in which to deal with different issues-many who discover a love for exercise will often use this as a means to clear their head and solve issues within their minds without reaching for fatty foods. It is fair to say that environmental issues are one of the main reasons as to why we are currently living in an obese society. Bad foods are accessible almost everywhere. From the supermarkets to the convenience stores, vending machines-it can be very hard to resist but we need to make the decision to resist these temptations. The best way in which we can combat this is to make it difficult for ourselves to falter. When at work only take with you money which will you need during the day making it harder to purchase unhealthy foods. Take healthy, prepared meals with you as these will not only provide you with great nutrition but you will be likely to feel bad about throwing away good food you have paid for in place of a more costly substitute. Often, we think that it is cheaper to eat unhealthily due to the deals which can lure us in; however, by shopping carefully, we can budget our healthy food shopping and not risk the real loss-our health.

Losing weight is hard and it is often with this difficulty that we feel that it might just be best to give up and continue with our unhealthy way of living. All it needs it for us to realize our mistakes and do something in order to make a change. Only by changing can we give ourselves a true open door to losing weight and obtaining a healthy lifestyle.

What are Panic Attacks? by Michael Logan

If you've been suffering from extreme anxiety that comes on suddenly and doesn't cause any real physical effects afterwards, then you'll want to be asking, "What are panic attacks and is this what I have, too?"

A panic attack (also known as an anxiety attack) is an episode where fear surges through your mind and body. You will feel a combination of mental and physical symptoms that can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour before easing.

In severe cases, the person thinks they're having a heart attack and dying. That's because the adrenaline is coursing through your veins and causing your body to amp up its blood supply - so you feel a pounding of your heart, flushed skin, and other physical symptoms.

People who get panic attacks frequently and have them over a long period of time may have panic disorder. This is a real medical condition - it's not something you just get over or lighten up about.

Because this type of ailment interrupts your lifestyle, paralyzing you with fear, it's important to know what your treatment options are so that you can stop the dizziness, nausea, headaches, chest pain and tightness in your throat (among other symptoms).

A panic attack might strike without warning at any time - when you're home alone eating breakfast, when you're in the middle of carpool, at work in a meeting, or even while relaxing at a movie theater.

After an anxiety attack subsides, you might feel like it's taken its toll on you. That's normal. But the worst part is - wondering when this ailment will creep back into your life. It's unusual for someone to simply have one panic attack and then never have one again unless it's specific to one stressful situation that goes away.

While there's no scientific evidence of what causes a panic attack, scientists believe it's a combination of genes, mental focus and stress levels. Genetically, most panic attack sufferers are young women. But that doesn't mean older or younger women (and males) aren't afflicted, either - because they are. There might be a family history of anxiety attacks that contributes to your situation.

Unfortunately, the turmoil that a panic attack leaves in its wake can lead to more serious medical problems, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. Depression has been linked to many diseases, so it's important that once you ask the question, "What are panic attacks," you find the answer you need and a solution that helps you prevent this from getting out of hand.

Macular Degeneration - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments by Kathryn Dawson

There are a number of eye conditions that can occur that can negatively affect the quality of a person's life. It doesn't have to go as far as blindness or even partial blindness for a person to desire or need some form of vision correction. Ongoing glasses wearing or even blurred vision can be a nuisance and lead to everyday problems. The advancements in technology have been great in the area of eye care and so from relatively minor ailments to serious eye diseases and conditions such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, treatment is available. Here is a guide to some common eye problems, symptoms that occur and the treatment available.

Macular Degeneration

This is a very common cause of loss of eyesight. The full name, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is caused when the retina starts to fail leading to blurriness and poor vision. As with many eye conditions it slowly continues to worsen if left untreated, and may eventually result in blindness. Most cases occur when the cells in the macula that are light sensitive begin to break down. This is known as dry AMD. Wet AMD on the other hand is a rarer condition caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the eye which start to leak. This leaking causes the retina to begin moving away from the eye wall causing swelling and gradual blindness. Sufferers of wet AMD begin seeing straight lines as wavy or distorted and at this point, it is imperative that a visit to a doctor at the nearest eye hospital is made.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetes begins to affect the blood vessels in the retina over time and anyone suffering from diabetes should be made aware of this and undergo regular eye check ups. When the blood vessels are affected, circulation is affected primarily and then the vessel walls becoming weaker. If leakage from the blood vessels occurs continuously then vision can become seriously hampered, often permanently. In the most serious cases of bleeding can cause scarring behind the retina which pulls it away from the eye wall causing full and permanent blindness.

Although both these conditions are very serious indeed, there is vision correction treatment available for both. Laser eye surgery has developed over the years and is now so effective that even the very worst vision can in most cases be at least partly restored. It is absolutely vital that regular eye check ups be carried out as the earlier a condition is diagnosed, the less likely any serious symptoms and problems will develop. Laser eye treatment is a painless and simple procedure with extremely high success rates. Patients enjoy a very short recovery period with vision usually returning just 24 hours to a couple of days after the surgery. To aid a speedy recovery, patients are required to rest their eyes following surgery which means doing nothing that puts strain on the eyes. It is becoming increasingly popular across the UK as this type of surgery is proving so effective at treating all types of eye problems and conditions.

Regular eye checks should be undertaken, particularly for those who have been diagnosed with diabetes or are over 50. Age takes it toll on the eyes and so in order to avoid any problems down the road, visits to the eye specialist every now and again are recommended. Diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma are eye problems that can occur and for which treatment is available.

So, eye treatment is available, for example, to those simply wanting to have their vision improved, known as vision correction, so that they can get rid of their glasses. Alternatively, it can be for patients suffering from the most serious of eye diseases such as those described above.

Laser Eye Surgery – What to Expect by Kathryn Dawson

Laser eye surgery is increasingly becoming the preferred method to treat a number of vision impairments. According to the ASCRS (American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery), 93% of the people undergoing this operation are satisfied with the outcome. While 95% said their vision had improved, 85% claimed that the quality of their life had improved after the surgery. The leading causes of visual impairment in the UK are cataract and AMD, or age-related macular degeneration.

Laser Eye Surgery: Procedure

The procedure for laser eye surgery is fast and virtually painless. You can choose to have one eye operated at a time or both eyes at the same time. Before the surgery commences, you will be given three eye drops. One of these would be to anesthetise your eye, the second would be to prevent infection and there would be one to control inflammation following the surgery. The operation would be performed while you lie back comfortably in a special chair underneath the laser microscope. An eyelid speculum or eyelid clip may be used to prevent you from blinking during the surgery. Although this sounds harsh, it is not painful.

With the eye drops taking effect, you will not be able to see the surgery being performed. This prevents you from involuntarily blinking on seeing an instrument coming close to your eye. You would be looking into the laser microscope and will be able to see a red or green light. You will need to focus on this light through the surgery. While the surgeon controls the laser, the computer makes precise calculations based on the condition of your eye or type of treatment, like cataract treatment.

The surgery begins with the doctor using an eximer laser to shape your cornea. You may hear a continuous popping or clicking sound. This is from the laser and is quite normal. The actual laser eye surgery may take anywhere between 30 and 60 seconds, depending on your eye condition.

The laser used to reshape your cornea will contain two wavefront platforms: 'wavefront optimised' and 'wavefront corrected'. Your surgeon will choose the most suitable for your eyes and will adjust the laser as necessary.

There is no requirement for stitches in this procedure.

Laser Eye Surgery: What to Expect After the Procedure

Your eye may be covered with a pad for up to 24 hours. You will be in no condition to drive. So, it is advisable to make appropriate arrangements to get home. While your eye pad is on, you may feel some discomfort. If there is any pain following your laser eye surgery, you may ask your doctor to prescribe you appropriate painkillers. After the pad is removed, your vision may remain blurry for a few hours. This is normal and nothing to be concerned about. Your vision will gradually improve and in some cases your vision could continue to become clearer over a month. However, typically it takes about a week to ten days to realise the complete benefits of the laser eye surgery.

You may be given eye drops to prevent infection and aid the healing process. The eye drops should be applied diligently. It is a good idea to wear sunglasses whenever you step out, since your eyes may be very sensitive for at least a month after the surgery.

When looking for a private eye hospital in the UK, search the internet for specialist providers of ophthalmic services. Make sure that they have state-of-the-art surgical equipment (they should have this information on their website). Also, you will want to review the bios of their doctors and surgeons to make sure that they have leading ophthalmic surgeons to carry out the laser eye surgery procedures. There should be a list of the treatments available too, such as cataract treatment and guidance on the different methods of dealing with macular degeneration.

Coconut Health Benefits by Laura Ng

Tropical fruit like coconut benefits your health more than most of the fruits you've been eating out there. On top of that, coconut can be produced into coconut cream (or milk) and coconut oil to serve different dietary needs for you, so you can gain more health benefits in various ways you eat.

Health Benefits of Coconut Cream / Milk

Coconut cream adds a savory flavor to curries, desserts and cakes. That's because it enhances the aroma and taste of the dishes. You can obtain it easily and cheaply. It bears a thick, paste-like consistency. When diluted, it becomes coconut milk.

However, people avoid coconut cream due to its high fat content, particularly those overweight people who are trying to slim down.

But do you know that it actually bears good saturated fat which your body can easily metabolize and convert to energy fast? That means, it won't transform into bad cholesterol which clogs up your arteries.

Moreover, the principal fatty acid in coconut milk is lauric acid, which is the same fat found in abundance in mother's milk. After it turns into monolaurin, it strengthens your immune system and protects you against various illnesses like hepatitis C, herpes and even HIV! It also protects your brain and bones. On top of that, it holds important anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties which help to prevent cancer.

Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut oil

Extracted from fresh coconut meat and coconut cream concentrate, virgin coconut oil bears such a fragrant and appetizing taste that you can use it to whip up delicious meals effortlessly. But that's just a small benefit about coconut oil. Like coconut cream, it can help reduce your bad cholesterol level and improve your good cholesterol level. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower and safflower oils can't achieve that.

Oh, one more difference between coconut oil and other oils - one gram of its fat carries only 6.8 calories whereas the fat in all other oils carry 9 calories per gram. And together with its metabolism-boosting effect, coconut oil helps you lose weight too.

More Coconut Oil's Benefits

Are you suffering from high blood pressure and thyroid dysfunction? Coconut oil helps you regulate both of them effectively.

If you have damaged hair, try using coconut oil on your hair and scalp. It's been proven to be a more effective treatment for damaged hair than mineral oil and sunflower oil. That's because coconut oil is the only oil among the three which effectively reduces protein loss in hair.

Looking for a cheap yet useful facial care product? Virgin coconut oil is your choice. Here are some benefits:

1. It penetrates and moisturizes your skin.

2. It minimizes your skin damage from sun exposure that causes sagging, wrinkling and blemishes.

3. It removes dead skin cells, producing an even texture and glow.

4. It heals damaged or diseased skin.

What other benefits do you think coconut can bring to you in terms of its coconut oil or coconut cream? The list of benefits can go pretty long, but I'd rather you go discover yourself by start eating any of these 2 coconut foods. I'm sure you'll be able to benefit more from just what you're seeing here.

Breaking Weight Loss Plateau for Vegetarians by Laura Ng

"Hello everyone, I've been trying to lose weight for the past year now. While I've had some success (lost 40 pounds) I can't seem to lose the last 10 pounds to at least get below 200. It's been really disappointing to see my progress slow down so much to where it's just stopped. I go out for power walks everyday, I do some weight lifting, I try to eat low calories foods (although I hate vegetables). I don't want to count calories but this is really upsetting me." ~ Sherbie

Does it sound familiar to you? It's not a fictitious scenario, but a real situation faced by a vegetarian in Veggie Boards. In fact, this is just one of the many situations I've seen many overweight vegetarians face.

Sherbie eats mostly fruits, nuts, wholegrains and beans. The only time she ingest veggies is at dinner (but in minimal quantity). Her power walk (brisk walk) lasts for 20 minutes. Can you guess why she gets stuck at a weight loss plateau after successfully shedding 40 pounds?

Breaking Weight Loss Plateau with Eating

In general, when your calorie-in equals to your calorie-out, you lose nothing, you gain nothing. Sherbie is eating great with fruits, nuts, wholegrains and beans, but she ingests too little vegetable because she hates it.

If she increases her veggie intake in her vegetarian weight loss diet, she'll be able to break through the plateau easily. That's because vegetable requires your body to use more energy to break it down than the caloric content of the vegetable itself, thus achieving a calorie deficit.

Among her food choices, grains and nuts carry relatively high calories. For example, in 100 grams of almond, it scores as high as 610 calories, whereas a 100-gram raw carrot carries only 24 calories.

I hit weight loss plateau when I was losing weight as a vegetarian then. A friend told me to up my veggie intake (I didn't like veggies either) and my midsection just shrunk all by itself over 2 - 4 weeks and my pants apparently became less tight.

But that doesn't mean you should avoid eating nuts and grains in your vegetarian weight loss diet. All you do is raise your vegetable portion while reducing your nuts and grains portion to strike a balance.

How to get around with eating veggies when you simply don't like it?

Just blend them together with your fruits into smoothie in a 2:3 ratio (fruit to vegetable). This way you won't likely notice the presence of veggies but yet get to absorb the key nutrients from veggies and take your metabolism to the next level for more fat burning as a vegetarian.

But that's only one crucial piece of the vegetarian weight loss puzzle.

Breaking Weight Loss Plateau with Exercising

Next, Sherbie does power walk for 20 minutes and some weight lifting only. It's not about how long you spend in your gym or exercise regimen. It's about what you do that results in the best fat-burning response.

Instead of doing steady-state exercises like what Sherbie does, you should go with interval training. This will definitely make you burn more belly fat and melt your thighs' fat. You need only to perform that for 10 minutes and 3 times a week.

Here are some bodyweight workouts I highly recommend for interval training - mountain climbers, Spiderman climbs, side plank, stability ball jackknives, stability ball rollouts, lying hip extension, jumping jacks, cross-body mountain climbers, pushups (you should start with kneeling pushups before progressing to standard pushups).

There are in fact a few more ways to get around with your weight loss plateau, but for now, it should suffice in giving you another drop in 5 - 10 pounds in the next couple of weeks. Apply these 2 techniques now in your vegetarian weight loss. The results will astound you.

How to Lose Fat for Vegetarians by Laura Ng

Losing fat as vegetarian requires multiple elements to succeed. You can't rely solely on just one or few vegetarian fat loss foods or one fat-burning exercise or two to lose fat effectively. Just like cooking, you need various ingredients to make up a delicious dish.

Sticking to that restricted list of foods and doing the same old workout routine can trigger fat loss plateau. Therefore, I encourage you to play creative with your food choices and the exercises you do. Speaking of that, eating the right type of vegetarian foods and doing the right type of exercises can boost your metabolism and help you lose more fat as a vegetarian.

Let me show you a list of fat loss foods for vegetarians followed by a list of fat-burning exercises that will help vegetarians lose fat fast. Here we go.

Fat Loss Foods for Vegetarians

Artichokes, asparagus, bok choy, green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chervil, chicory, chives, squash, tomato, corn (cob), cucumber, dandelion greens, kale, parsley leaves, turnips, watercress, parsnips, peas, peppers (green / red), pumpkin, radish, spinach, watermelon, grapes, huckleberry, pear, peach, pineapple, pomegranate, kiwi, figs, etc.

These foods are enough to keep you busy mixing and matching to help you create a 30-day vegetarian fat loss diet meal plan. But they're not comprehensive. As a guide, most vegetables carry low calories and are rich in fiber that makes you feel full easily so you won't feel like eating more food, thus avoiding the opportunity to ingest excess calories you don't need.

For fruits, I would say quite a number of them is safe for fat loss consumption. Fruits like banana, avocado contain quite high calories, and they usually spark controversy because high-calorie foods usually cause fat gain easily.

Here's the fact - if you eat processed vegetarian foods containing high calories but low in fiber, your weight is definitely done for. But for natural high-calorie foods like the fiber-rich banana and avocado, they're very filling. So, they actually help to prevent you from overeating. That's why vegetarians don't gain weight easily with these high-calorie natural foods.

In a nutshell, your vegetarian fat loss diet should always include at least 80% natural food packed with fiber and nutrients. Fiber gives you the bulk and helps to flush out excess calories and toxic wastes from your body while quality nutrients keep your metabolism active to burn more fat.

Note: Nuts and seeds, legumes and other whole foods though not mention here, should also be included because they provide you with key vitamins and minerals your body needs for proper functioning.

Fat Loss Workouts for Vegetarians

Single-joint exercises like crunches and sit-ups do not burn fat effectively. And they can never help you target your belly fat. No exercises can target specific areas. Cardio can't help you lose fat efficiently. If you want to lose fat effectively and efficiently, full bodyweight workouts are what you need.

Here's a list you can do - jumping jacks, pushup, elevated pushup, Spiderman climbs, plank, side plank, prisoner squat, prisoner forward lunge, step-up, lying hip extension, bird dog, ab curl, bicycle crunch.

These are some samples of bodyweight workouts. You can also surf online to find more bodyweight workouts or exercises that use some complementary gadgets to help you achieve various fat loss results. As a vegetarian, you should lose more fat with these fat-burning exercises since you don't consume meat which carries toxins that can slow down the burning of fat.

I've shown you these two sure-fire tips on how to lose fat for vegetarians. How to use them effectively to achieve fat loss will be down to you.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Buddy by Laura Ng

Birds of a feather flock together. The kind of people you mix with can cripple or support your vegetarian weight loss plan.

If you've been hanging out with vegetarian friends who have the same overweight problems as you but don't want to do anything about it, they may not show support when you announce your intention to lose weight. Instead of giving encouragement, they may discourage you by saying, "What's the point? You won't make it, so why waste time?"

Once they realize you mean business in losing weight, they may just try to sabotage your weight loss effort by stuffing or tempting you with fatty and high-sugar vegetarian foods, passing negative remarks or stopping you from exercising.

Some even threaten to end your friendship with them.

Somehow, their reactions sadden and confuse you. You're fat and they're your friends so you expect them to understand and support you to change for the better, not sabotage.

At this point, you got to make a choice between these friends and your vegetarian weight loss plan. Yes, I heard your protest - your friendship doesn't have to end this way. Perhaps they just need some time to understand.

True. I agree. But real friends ought to feel happy for you, if not joining you, for wanting to become a healthy and slim vegetarian.

Sticking with unsupportive friends definitely hinders you from finding solutions to lose weight and stay slim. You may just give up your vegetarian weight loss plan under peer pressure. Hence, try to stay away from them until you succeed in losing weight. You can do it subtly by meeting them for other activities instead of meals or meeting them less often.

Meanwhile, try to befriend slim vegetarians, particularly those who have successfully lost weight and able to keep it off. Most of these slim vegetarians feel exceptionally proud of their fat loss success and would be more than willing to share their weight loss secrets.

Observe their eating habits and lifestyle so as to pick up a few fat-melting tips for yourself. Who knows, you may just find some weight loss buddies for company. Best is, you might learn some unheard-of vegetarian weight loss techniques which can prove pretty efficient for you.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not asking you to break up with all your overweight vegetarian friends. Simply exercise your judgment. In fact, after you lose weight successfully, you'll have a chance to share your weight loss success stories with them too.

Therefore, I encourage you to stay in touch with those you believe will accept the new you and help them.

Coconut Oil for Vegetarian Weight Loss by Laura Ng

Is it true that a vegetarian can eat coconut oil for weight loss? Many people thought that coconut oil (primarily containing saturated fat) bears the same fatty chain structure as animal saturated fats. Here's the truth - animal saturated fat molecules attach to one another in long chain which your body finds hard to break down and thus store it as fat very easily, whereas coconut oil's saturated fat molecules form medium chain structure and readily breaks down for energy use during digestion.

This in turn boosts your metabolism and burn fat off your fat storage. That explains why most people drop their pants size from eating coconut oil for weight loss. As a vegetarian, you'll get even more rewarding results as your body got less toxins to deal with since you don't ingest the toxin-laced meat.

Here's another big advantage of eating coconut oil for weight loss. Being smaller in size, MCFAs yield fewer calories than other fats - only 6.8 calories per gram. This means if you replace other oils (which carry 9 calories per gram) with coconut oil, you'll benefit from lower caloric intake.

Imagine your metabolism speeds up, at the same time you're ingesting lower calories, you can expect to burn more calories off your excess fat storage. That's how you can lose weight effectively as a vegetarian with this medium-chain fat-burning oil.

How to Eat Coconut Oil for Vegetarian Weight Loss

But here's the kicker. No matter how fat-burning the oil is, like any other foods, when you consume excess of it which the level of your metabolism is not able to burn it off totally, extra calories that left unused will still get deposited as fat in your energy bank. Hence, add the right amount in your vegetarian weight loss diet and you'll lose fat effectively.

When you're starting out with putting coconut oil in your vegetarian diet for weight loss, because this fat-burning oil is extremely effective in curing constipation due to its high soluble fiber content, you should take up 1 tablespoon (1/2 in morning, 1/2 at night) first for at least 7 days.

Observe your body condition and if you feel it works well with you, up the intake to 2 and then progressively to 3 tablespoons later on. After several months when you feel you can ingest more, you can actually increase the intake up to 5 tablespoons spread out in a day. Adding it to your vegetarian weight loss diet progressively is the key to good health and shape.

That's what you should do when using coconut oil for weight loss. If you up the amount too fast, the oil may give you a diarrhea-like effect. So, work with your body closely for maximum fat loss without risking your health. Any food that's good when eat in the wrong way can affect you negatively, regardless of whether you're a vegetarian or not.

Oh, last but not least, buy only virgin coconut oil because it is unrefined and will give you the best fat-burning effect. Bear in mind.

Large Belly Be Gone by Robert D. Franklin

If you have a large belly and are completely at a loss as to where to even begin losing it, here are a few easy tips to implement into your daily schedule so you can begin dropping some pounds. You don't need diet pills, you don't need long hours of exercise, not even those fad diets, just simple tips to finally get rid of that big stomach once and for all.

Belly Flattener #1 Eat more fiber throughout the day. What you eat is actually up to you, but be sure to have more natural foods intake to help burn excess body fat.

For a lot of people, however, their completely bogged down digestive tract is holding back their weight loss goals. You can quickly supercharge your weight loss goals by snacking on 2 apples throughout the day and adding black beans to one or two of your meals.

Belly Flattener #2 Add an incline to your walks. If you walk right now or if you've never done anything besides walk out to your car, it doesn't matter. Walking by itself doesn't do much for fat loss. Your body just kind of laughs if you ever just go out and walk. It's quite used to it.

But by adding inclined walks to your routine, you can really help your body burn off excess amounts of fat. Doing inclined walking for 20 minutes, 4 days a week will really burn the fat from your body.

Belly Flattener #3 Try to wake up earlier. By just only 30-60 minutes jump starting your day, you accomplish a couple of things. You burn more calories being more alert quicker. And, you allow more time for yourself to accomplish much more tasks that you may keep putting off, like that 20 minute inclined walk you were thinking of doing!

If you have a large belly and just don't know what to do, don't let it discourage you! Most overweight people tend to just feel like they're defeated because all the confusion seen on TV and online where they may give up before even starting!

These tips won't have you looking like celebrities or dancers in days, but they will certainly start incredible momentum that will build your confidence and keep you going towards your fitness plans.

Self Help Software by Michael Logan

Even for a veteran self helper, self help software is a curious and wonderful place to explore.

I wonder of Alice felt like this before heading down the rabbit hole?

There is just a huge amount of self-help software out there, which does offer some advantages, and has some disadvantages. Can I use it on my mobile, when I am away from my computer?

Self help by definition is about ending some problem physical, emotional, mental, or behavioral situation.

The one thing that I have never seen in any self help tome, manual, software package, workshop, or pamphlet is information about the rapidity and randomness that the problem has inside my body, more specifically inside my brain.

For example, as a recovering person, can you predict when an urge to use will happen? Of course not. If you are not prepared in that 1/18th second for the change in physiology, you may find yourself using before you know it.

As a domestic violence educator and a licensed one on one heart rate variability provider, with extensive personal and professional experience in the recovery field, I have helped train folks to deal with emotional management heart beat by heart beat using heart rate variability biofeedback, and brain wave by brain wave using EEG Biofeedback.

A heart may beat 60 times per minute, and beta brain waves may cycle 15 to 42 times per second, so self help software needs to be applicable to that rate of speed.

That means I need to be prepared to intervene in my head with my solution fast and frequently for self help software to work.

Mihalyi Csikszintmihalyi, Ph.D., in his book FLOW reports that we process seven bits of sensory data (vision, sound, pressure, smell, taste) every 1/18th second, which is twice as fast as I can blink my eyes.

So I can be doing my self help self talk, and be reminded of that car accident that happened 20 years ago at the intersection I am driving by, find myself in a fight or flight physiology because of the memory, and if I am not paying attention, I may carry that fight or flight home and do something very irrational.

So self help needs to fast and I need to be prepared to handle emergency reappearances of the problem physiology, thought, or behavior, and do it quickly.

That takes attention, and biofeedback is a great way to attend to my body.

I can recommend heart rate variability biofeedback for that. I have been using it and teaching it for nine years with great results because I have anxiety issues from witnessing violence as a kid, and heart rate variability biofeedback helps me calm fast, and actually I practice it when I am not anxious because I feel good when I practice it. Practicing heart rate variability biofeedback has allowed me to learn to recognize subtle changes in my body quickly.

Self Help and Self Talk

Tired of going over the same issues without resolution?

* Do your reactions get in the way of your happiness and success?

* Are you working on your goals without getting results?

Learn to be your own Thought Whisperer!

Like a "horse whisperer" or "dog whisperer" the key to resolving recurring issues is to Listen! You learn to listen to your "self talk," that inner dialogue that goes on in everyone's head. You identify the things you tell yourself over and over again and see how that self talk affects every aspect of your life. Some of that inner dialogue is very irrational and we pay attention to it like it was direct sense impressions.

Did you know that you could challenge irrational and limiting thoughts?

Unless you challenge irrational or limiting thoughts you are doomed to constantly face the same issues.

The key to your success in challenging your own thoughts is inward attention.

Sometimes it is a pain to acknowledge that I am the creator of all my own thoughts, which are based on my interpretation of physical sensations. Don't believe me? Ask yourself right now where you are experiencing vision, where you are reading this material.

Give yourself a hand if you said in your visual cortex which is in the back of your brain.

Minus five is you said on your computer monitor.

All sensory experience is processed internally. You can make the case that there is no external reality, since I process all of it happens inside my brain.

Therefore, you need to be prepared to manage your thinking and physiology constantly, because an automatic negative thought requiring the intervention of the thought whisperer will be required frequently.

Why not practice automatic positive thoughts regularly? One of the nice things about heart rate variability biofeedback is that I can practice it at will, whenever I want to feel good.

So has all this talk about brains made you wonder about self help software for your brain?

I hope so because there are some good programs available for increasing my awareness of my thoughts, even increasing my IQ.

Just remember, a high IQ without a high EQ, or emotional intelligence, is no guarentee of anything besides high IQ scores.

What Glaucoma Treatment is Available? by Kathryn Dawson

Treatment of glaucoma should be carried out as soon as possible once a diagnosis has been made. It is a condition of the eye that can become very serious if left untreated. It is a condition that can take many years to develop and so diagnosis can sometimes be difficult. Sufferers of glaucoma are affected by blurred vision, double vision and overall poor eye sight. If treatment is not administered it can lead to partial or complete blindness eventually. Anyone wishing to find out more about the condition as well as learn about what glaucoma treatment is available should read on. This article discusses the reasons why glaucoma occurs, what treatment is most effective and how laser eye surgery can help.

Glaucoma occurs when there is an increase of pressure within the eye. There are two reasons why the pressure would increase. The first cause of pressure is from blocked drainage canals. When fluid in the eye is unable to drain away, the pressure slowly begins to build. Glaucoma caused in this way is called open angle glaucoma. Internal pressure within the eye can also build when a there is only a very narrow space between the iris and the cornea, too narrow for fluid to flow freely. Glaucoma that develops because of this rarer condition is known as closed angle glaucoma. It can take many years for the condition to develop fully, with often many years passing before any serious effects are noticed by patient or doctor. Blurred or double vision are often the first symptoms that signal something is wrong with the eyes.

Fortunately there is very effective treatment for both forms available. For relatively minor cases, a course of eye drops may be all that is needed. For more serious cases or those people who are not wishing to wear glasses or contact lenses, laser eye surgery can be the best form of treatment. Although surgery may sound complicated, it is in fact a straightforward and uncomplicated procedure that gets straight to the root of the problem. The surgery itself is extremely short, and recovery is usually quick with patients feeling back to normal after a couple of days. The surgery works by relieving the build up of pressure by restoring the natural flow of the fluid in the eye.

Treating glaucoma with surgery has an extremely high success rate. Although any lost vision that has already occurred cannot be restored, it can effectively preserve the remaining sight of a person. Because of the slow development of the condition, regular eye checks are absolutely imperative. Any problems can be caught quickly which make successful treatment all the more likely.

Anyone suffering from eye problems no longer needs to suffer in silence. The advancements in technology mean that even those with the most serious problems can be reviewed with the possibility of effective treatment to help restore them to a better quality of life. Even wearers of glasses can today have refractive surgery which may remove the need for glasses or contact lenses altogether. This too is an extremely effective way to correct most eye problems, and is also simple to carry out with minimal disruption to daily life. Often patients may return to work a couple of days later, good as new!

Although conditions of the eye can be very serious and cause major problems to a person's quality of life, there are treatments, such as glaucoma treatment, available to slow the degeneration further or even restore vision. Laser eye surgery and refractive surgery are two surgical procedures that are highly effective for improving a person's sight and for preventing glaucoma and other eye conditions from worsening.

Excellent Fitness Tips and After - Workout Nutrition by Robert D. Franklin

What do you think you can do to achieve excellent fitness results for overall health and lifestyle?

1. Create a great strength training routine and interval cardio to your workouts. You don't have to do the same thing constantly. Muscle is needed to continue your high metabolism, and you need cardio to carry a strong heart. Therefore, it's beneficial to find a correct balance.

2. Implement whole body movements in your strength training. You definitely want to keep a constant movement going during your whole routine. You could even try raising your arms over your head while squatting and you'd be able to tell how your heart rate increases quickly. Keep your body moving through your entire routine and you'll have sweat build up as much as in a cardio workout.

3. It's beneficial that during the day, you consistently eat. And, it's extremely important to implement natural, health food into those 5 daily meals, including a protein in every dish. You've got to remember to feed your muscles with body-enhancing protein. By doing this, your metabolism keeps working all day by keeping your muscles at a high mass.

As you've probably heard before, your after workout nutrition could be the most important meal of your day.

The reason is that when you're finished with an intense workout, you begin to excessively break down muscle tissue. The primary way to revert this and promote an anabolic state is to drink up a delicious, digestible shake or smoothie immediately after workout. Choose a quick meal with necessary carbohydrates to revitalize your muscle and needed protein to jump start muscle repair.

The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. Even though healthy fats would be good to have in the meal, remember to keep the fat content extremely low.

Remember that you're not required to buy expensive supplement shakes for these quick meals. Making at-home, drinkable meals with natural ingredients is all that you absolutely need! You'll feel stronger and better with each workout.

Benefits of Massage Therapy and Acupressure for Hemodialysis Patients in Charlotte NC by Chris Lontok

Therapeutic body massage services and acupressure can be used to benefit patients undergoing hemodialysis because these therapies reduce their fatigue and depression. This was in the findings of a study done on patients with end stage renal disease. Massage therapists trained in various massage modalities including acupressure can help such patients in Charlotte NC, too.

The study titled “The Effect of Acupressure with Massage on Fatigue and Depression in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease” was published in the Journal of Nursing Research in 2004. It was conducted by Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D. of the Department of Nursing at the National Tainan Institute of Nursing in Tainan, Taiwan and the National Taipei College of Nursing Graduate Institute in Taipei, Taiwan.

The study involved 62 patients with end stage renal disease who were undergoing hemodialysis treatment. They were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group. The control group received only standard care for hemodialysis patients for four weeks while the experimental group received acupressure and massage therapy during the same period. Twelve minutes of acupressure and three minutes of leg massage therapy were given to participants in the control group three days a week for the four week treatment period.

Assessments were conducted on the participants both at the beginning of the study and at the end of the four week treatment period. Researchers used the Piper Fatigue Scale to measure levels of fatigue and the Chinese counterpart of Beck’s Depression Inventory to measure levels of depression.

The scores of the participants at the start of the study were compared to their scores at the end of the study. For participants in the control group, there was no significant difference in their perceived fatigue scores. For participants in the experimental group, though, the perceived fatigue scores were lowered significantly at the end of the study.

There was also no significant difference in the depression scores of the participants from the control group at the end of the study. For participants in the experimental group, though, the depression levels were lowered significantly at the end of the study.

Based on the findings, researchers of the study reached the conclusion that the combined therapies of massage and acupressure can effectively benefit patients with end stage renal disease who are undergoing hemodialysis by easing their fatigue and depression. They therefore recommended that the combined therapies of massage and acupressure be integrated in the standard care given to such patients.

The two researchers Yi-Ching Cho, R.N. and Shiow-Luan Tsay, R.N., Ph.D. further said, “Assessment of end-stage renal disease patients’ fatigue and depression should be an essential part of nursing practice.”

The therapeutic body massage services provided by professional massage therapists can include acupressure as well as reflexology massage, foot massage, back massage, deep tissue massage, sports massage and Swedish massage. Patients undergoing hemodialysis may be given massage gift cards to be able to avail of these therapeutic body massage services at reputable professional therapeutic massage clinics in Charlotte NC.

Prevent and Treat Depression with Massage Therapy in Beaverton by Chris Lontok

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than 20 million people in the United States, aged 18 and above, experience clinical depression every year. Aside from clinical depression, there is also what is considered as everyday depression or “the blues.” Massage therapy has been found to be effective in preventing and even treating depression. Various massage therapy modalities such as Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, reflexology massage therapy or sports massage therapy can be availed of at therapeutic massage spas in Beaverton, as well as Washington County, Clackamas, Keizer, Lake Oswego, Portland, Tualatin, Sherwood and Vancouver WA.

Clinical depression is a serious illness that should never be taken for granted. A patient with clinical depression is plagued with anxiety and hopelessness coupled with the more physical problems of headaches, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, loss of appetite and issues with digestion.

Even ordinary depression or “the blues” could develop into severe clinical depression if not treated immediately and properly. Although this may initially present itself as mere mood swings, ordinary depression can advance to a state where it significantly interferes with the daily routines in the life of the afflicted person until he or she can no longer function normally. This sometimes even leads to suicide.

One of the major causes of depression has been found to be the depletion of serotonin levels in the brain. Many doctors therefore prescribe anti-depressants that increase the serotonin levels of the patient. Experts from the Northwestern Health Sciences University, however, recommend the more natural approach. They declare that serotonin levels in the body can be raised by stress reduction, massage therapy and proper nutrition,

Stress is also a major cause of depression. It triggers a vicious cycle because stress causes depression which causes more stress. Natural stress relief can be achieved through the practice of mindfulness. This involves focusing the mind on the moment. Among the exercises that encourage the state of mindfulness are meditation, yoga and tai chi, among others. Aside from these practices, patients are also urged to focus their minds on joyous thoughts most of the time.

Another way to eliminate stress and replace it with relaxation is through massage therapy. This is how massage therapy prevents and treats depression. One can find voluminous documented scientific studies proving how effective therapeutic massage can be in countering depression.

Proper nutrition likewise helps by enabling the body to produce adequate levels of serotonin. Good fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary in the production of serotonin. So is the proper balance of protein amino acids and complex carbohydrates. Finally, vitamin B6 supplementation also encourages serotonin production.

You can use any of the available massage therapy modalities to prevent or treat depression. These include Swedish massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, reflexology massage therapy and sports massage therapy. Even pregnant women who are prone to depression can benefit much from pregnancy massage therapy. To ensure that you are getting proper massage treatment, though, you have to go to a trained professional massage therapist. You will be sure to find one at a reputable therapeutic massage spa in Beaverton, Washington County, Clackamas, Keizer, Lake Oswego, Portland, Tualatin, Sherwood and Vancouver WA.

How Preterm Infants Can Benefit from Massage Therapy in Rocky Point NY by Chris Lontok

A study done in the United States has proven that stable preterm infants benefit from massage therapy with much needed weight gain. It would be good to find out if therapeutic massage can likewise benefit stable preterm infants the same way in in Rocky Point NY as well as Suffolk County, Rocky Point, Manorville, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, Ridge, Yapank, Shoreham, Weeding River, Riverhead, Setauket, East Setauket, Port Jefferson Station, Coram, Seldon, Farmingville, Brookhaven, Middle Island, Medford, and Sound Beach.

John N.I. Dieter, PhD; Tiffany Field, PhD; Maria Hernandez-Reif, PhD; Eugene K. Emory, PhD; and Mercedes Redzepi, Psy.D. of the Touch Research Institute of the University of Miami School of Medicine; and the Center for Prenatal Assessment and Human Development of Emory University conducted the study titled “Stable Preterm Infants Gain More Weight and Sleep Less after Five Days of Massage Therapy.” Supported by Johnson and Johnson, the study was published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology in 2003.

The study covered 32 preterm infants with an average age of three weeks. All of them were in stable condition, healthy and considered low risk. The infants were divided into a control group and a massage therapy group. Only the infants in the second group received 15 minutes of massage daily for five successive days. Every session started with five minutes of tactile stimulation followed by five minutes of kinetic stimulation and ending with five more minutes of tactile stimulation. All the participants’ formula intake, kilocalories, bowel movements, weight gain and sleeping and waking patterns were monitored daily.

When the monitored figures were compared, no significant difference was seen in the daily formula intake, kilocalories and bowel movements of both the massage therapy group and the control group. However, the preterm infants in the massage therapy group showed more weight gain and less sleeping time. They gained 26 more grams per day or 53 percent more weight as compared to their control group counterparts.

Massage therapy is known by many to be beneficial not only to stable preterm infants but even more so to adults. This means that parents of these infants can themselves benefit from relaxing massage to ease their stress and anxiety over the condition of their babies. They are definitely in need of such stress relief in order to stay healthy and have the required strength and energy to take good care of their children. It is said that pregnant women who undergo pregnancy massage therapy have less chances of having premature deliveries. Perhaps parents can take this into account for their next babies in Rocky Point NY.

In the meantime, parents can avail of therapeutic massage. They can try out reflexology massage therapy, deep tissue massage therapy, sports massage therapy and Swedish massage therapy by finding a respected professional massage spa in Rocky Point NY that serves the residents of Suffolk County, Rocky Point, Manorville, Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Port Jefferson, Ridge, Yapank, Shoreham, Weeding River, Riverhead, Setauket, East Setauket, Port Jefferson Station, Coram, Seldon, Farmingville, Brookhaven, Middle Island, Medford, and Sound Beach.

Facts About Peppers by Laura Ng

How much fact do you know about peppers? Peppers, both sweet and hot, originated in Central and South America. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture records, commercial bell peppers were first produced in the southern United States in 1925.

You can flexibly use peppers in almost any food combinations, be it barbecue, baking, steaming, stir-frying with any vegetables, nuts, seeds or legumes. You can even eat them raw as snacks or in salads. It's no wonder they become the favorites of the vegetarians and vegans.

Peppers come from the colorful Capsicum family which splits into two main categories - sweet bell peppers and the spicy chilies, such as jalapenos. The difference arises from the presence of capsaicin in chilies but not in sweet bell peppers.

Sweet bell peppers are also known as capsicums, sweet peppers or green / red peppers. You can't differentiate the sweet bell peppers varieties when they're still young because they all look green. As they ripen, they'll change color. Depending on the stage of ripeness and their variety, their colors range from orange, yellow, red, purple, brown, black, ivory or green, and so do their sweetness.

But green bell peppers remain green throughout the ripening process. Thus, you may find it challenging to differentiate the other bell peppers from the green variety before they ripen.

Facts about Peppers - Health Benefits of Chili Peppers

All peppers provide rich amount of vitamin C. But chili peppers contain an additional substance, called capsaicin which provides several health benefits such as:

1. Effective treatment and natural pain relief for inflammation such as arthritis, psoriasis, diabetic neuropathy.

2. Reduce risk of heart attack and stroke as it helps to reduce cholesterol levels and formation of blood clots.

3. Clear blocked nose and congested lungs.

4. Prevent stomach ulcers by killing bacteria in the stomach and stimulate more protective stomach juices, etc.

This red chili comes in different sizes, shapes and degrees of hotness or spiciness. The more mature the pepper, the hotter it will be. A sweet bell pepper measures 0 SHU while a habaneros or scotch bonnet, one of the hottest known chili peppers, records at around 300,000 SHU. Not hot enough? Then try naga jolokia, the hottest chili in the world which holds 1.04 million SHU.

More Facts about Peppers - Choosing Peppers

Peppers are not seasonal fruits, meaning you can find them in supermarkets any day during the year. Choose well-shaped, firm and glossy peppers which feel heavy for their size. Look out for unhealthy peppers with soft or wrinkled areas, cracks, slashes or black spots. Except for jalapeno which you'll see some tiny cracks at the end of their stems, fresh chili peppers should not have any cracks at all.

It's best to wrap the peppers in paper bags or paper towels and store in the refrigerator to keep their freshness - up to 5 days for bell peppers and up to 3 weeks for chili peppers. Remember to wash the peppers before cooking so as to remove the wax on their surfaces.

Healthy Weight Loss for Vegetarians by Laura Ng

It's not impossible to achieve healthy weight loss for vegetarians. It all lies in your approach towards your vegetarian weight loss - what you eat and how you eat. Admittedly, focusing on just one aspect (i.e. fat loss) tends to produce so-called faster result, but the thing is, you might permanently sacrifice your health via crash weight loss methods.

Here I give you a quick rundown on what should a healthy weight loss diet for vegetarians be, followed by a brief description of how you should eat to achieve both weight loss and good health at the same time.

Healthy Weight Loss Diet for Vegetarians

Essentially, your vegetarian fat loss diet should embrace as much whole vegetarian foods as possible. Whole foods provide you with fiber, complex-carbohydrate, protein and natural fat to keep your body function normally, and maintain your metabolism at an active level at all times.

Metabolic disorder is likely caused by the wrong choice of foods, particularly processed vegetarian foods that are infused with refined sugar, sodium, bad saturated fat and chemical additives for flavor enhancement.

Imagine dumping junk inside your body, how on earth can you expect your body to not run amok and continue to take care of the weight for you? Make sense? Habitually eating all sorts of unhealthy vegetarian food is one thing you must change, or you'll never achieve healthy weight loss.

How to Eat Your Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet to Lose Weight

Once you've made the right food choices, next, get on to healthy eating such as eating 5 meals a day - breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Keep your stomach at 70% satiety level for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and 30 - 40% for snack.

The whole idea in this way of eating is to keep you on the go and improve your fat burning response. The fact is, when your stomach goes empty, your metabolism will automatically drop to conserve energy, hence you'll burn less calories from your fat stores. Hence, boosting your metabolism with 5 meals a day is one effective tactic to help vegetarians lose weight.

Bear in mind that when you ingest natural fibrous foods in your vegetarian weight loss diet, you need to consume more water than usual because fiber will absorb water to help soften your stool for smooth excretion.

Last but not least, take your time to savor every meal. The stomach takes about 10 - 20 minutes to register satiety with the brain. So, give your brain sufficient time to receive signal from your stomach. Many people do not feel full during eating, but 10 - 20 minutes after the meal they'll feel stuffed. Does it sound familiar? This is one way that causes you to overeat. Therefore, slow down your eating speed and you'll realize the goodness of that.

Is it really difficult to achieve healthy weight loss for vegetarians? The answer is obvious - it is easy, but it depends on whether you're willing to follow the guidelines and change your eating habits.

Vegetarian Diet & Weight Loss by Laura Ng

Can eating vegetarian diet help to achieve weight loss? That'll depend on what kind of vegetarian diet you're eating for weight loss. As important as that, the way you eat the weight loss meals also plays an important role in determining whether you'll lose weight with it or not.

For your vegetarian diet to promote weight loss, you need to follow these vegetarian weight loss tips closely, or you won't get the fat loss results you desire.

What's Inside Your Vegetarian Diet for Weight Loss?

1. 5 Meals a day - breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. You should not feel the urge to take night snack or supper once you take a fiber-rich dinner, which will last you till the following morning.

2. In all your weight loss meals, try to include whole natural vegetarian foods. Cut back on your processed vegetarian food, particularly TVP (textured vegetable proteins), which are infused with bad saturated fat, sugar and sodium. These could add more calories to your fat stores.

3. When eating your vegetarian diet for weight loss, make sure you fill your stomach to only 70% full for your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and your snack 30 - 40% satiety level only. Doing so can prevent you from feeling stuffed and avoid feeling tired after a hefty meal. Best part is, such meal plan will keep you metabolically active throughout the day. You need constant energy to keep you in tiptop condition and perform your daily tasks after all.

4. Take your time to savor every meal. Slowing down your eating speed allows your stomach ample time to "inform" your brain about your satiety level. Studies have shown that the stomach takes about 10 - 20 minutes to send the "full" signal to the brain. If you eat too fast, you can easily overeat. That's why many people feel stuffed after eating their meals.

5. The amount and type of beverages in your vegetarian diet for weight loss have direct impact on your weight loss too. Cut back on any kind of drinks and replace them with just plain water. Water carries zero calories. And it's the best drink ever to boost your metabolism for effective fat loss, thus far.

Drink the right amount depending on your body condition, the climate and the food you eat. For example, after eating a fiber-rich meal, you tend to feel thirsty. Go ahead and drink more water to properly hydrate your body. A well-hydrated body will lose weight more easily.

By now, you should have a clear idea on vegetarian diet and weight loss - vegetarian diet will only promote weight loss when you eat the right types of vegetarian foods in the right way.

Lose Weight on Vegetarian Diet by Laura Ng

How to lose weight on vegetarian diet? You can have the best vegetarian weight loss diet, but if you execute it in the wrong way, you won't lose much weight. Here I'll show you what ingredients to include in your vegetarian weight loss diet and what you should do to lose the excess fat and shed the unwanted pounds.

To lose weight on vegetarian diet effectively and efficiently, the ingredients you need are:

1. Complex-Carbohydrate - Whole food that contains natural complex-carb breaks down into glucose more slowly than simple carb, thus providing a gradual stream of energy to sustain your bodily functions and activities throughout the day. Such food also bears the most natural vitamins and minerals needed for energy production. Processed food containing simple-carb has usually been stripped off of these valuable nutrients. Wholegrain bread, muesli, oat, brown rice, spaghetti, lentils, beans, peas, pita bread are examples of complex-carb foods.

2. Fiber - Gives you the bulk that makes you feel full easily so you won't crave for more food. It also helps to slow down digestion so you won't feel hungry easily. It helps to improve your bowel movements and keep your body free of toxins. Vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, and fruits contain mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber your body needs for effective vegetarian weight loss.

3. Good Fat - No doubt fat carries about 9 calories per gram, you need fat to survive. Choose good dietary fats like coconut oil, olive oil and flax oil. These are the good fats that will keep your body balanced and promote fat loss.

4. Chili - This vegetarian food generates thermogenic effect that boosts metabolism to burn fat. But if you eat too much, it may hurt your stomach and trigger acid reflux. Thus, moderation is the key. It's best added to spice up your vegetarian weight loss diet to give an extra boost of fat-burning response.

5. Water - You can't lose weight on vegetarian diet when your body contains low water level. Especially when you're eating whole foods containing lots of fiber, you need more water consumption than usual to maintain the hydration level of your body for optimal metabolism. But take note though, excessive water can cause water poisoning and trigger permanent brain damage, or even death. Hence, adequate amount of water will do. Cut back on all your sweetened beverages. Plain water is the best.

These are essentially the weight loss ingredients and foods to help you lose weight on vegetarian diet. In fact, there's one more - exercise. It is indisputably the best supplement to help you burn more fat and lose weight as a vegetarian. Did you know that the winning formula of a vegetarian weight loss diet plan? Yes, a nutrient-packed vegetarian fat loss meal + a set of sure-fire fat-burning workouts, that is.

Breaking Weight Loss Plateau for Vegetarians - 1 Tip to Lose More Fat by Laura Ng

"I've lost 40 pounds and I still got 20 more pounds to go, but no matter what I do, I seem to have hit a weight loss plateau, and it lasted for 4 weeks. Help!", cried a desperate overweight vegetarian.

When I probe further, I found out that she takes everything vegetarian except vegetables. She simply hates the vegetable scent, texture and color... everything about vegetables. So, she shuns vegetables in almost every meal.

Many vegetarians become baffled and frustrated over their weight loss plateau - they can lose the initial tens of pounds but how come after some time those stored fats just stop coming off.

Look. Metabolism is a chemical reaction of body cells responsible for burning calories in your body. When you keep feeding the same specific group of nutrients to those cells and depriving them of other key nutrients, yes, you can still shed some pounds over few weeks, but thereafter, your cells will lose their drive to metabolize your body fats further.

In other words, your metabolism becomes stagnant. You won't grow fat. You won't lose any either. You get stuck at a weight loss plateau.

You can never obtain all-round nutrients with a limited group of foods. You must increase the range of your food choices. Hence, don't get picky about food. But I'm not asking you to lay your hands on processed vegetarian foods.

If you're still sticking to some form of processed vegetarian diets for weight loss, you'll hit your weight loss plateau even more easily. That's because the high content of sugar, sodium, bad saturated fat and flavor-enhancing chemical additives in those foods can intoxicate your body and prevent your fat cells from getting pulled out for energy conversion.

Trust me, cut down on your processed vegetarian food intake and increase your whole food, particularly vegetable consumption, I guarantee you'll experience a drop in your fat mass and weight over the next 2 weeks.

How to Increase Your Vegetable Intake to Break Weight Loss Plateau

Not taking enough vegetables is one of the common causes of weight loss plateau for vegetarians. Thus, add more vegetables in your vegetarian weight loss meals starting today.

One trick I always use on those overweight vegetarians who do not like vegetables - just blend vegetables with other fruits, nuts and grains into smoothies using these ingredients:

- 2 cups of butterhead lettuce

- 1 carrot

- 2 bananas

- 1 mango

- 1 cup of strawberries

- 1 cup of water

That way, the smell of vegetables will become almost "invisible", and you can gain the nutritional values and give your metabolism a power boost. Feel free to change those ingredients in every smoothie, but do remember to include at least 2 types of veggies in it.

Ta-da, you break your weight loss plateau and lose more fat.

Bear in mind, this strategy does not work on you if you're still indulging in your chemical-laden processed vegetarian food. Imagine you're drinking this smoothie in the morning, yet on the other hand you're eating a fat-storing processed vegetarian diet for your lunch and dinner, how on earth can you expect apparent fat loss result? Make sense?

I like to quote this line which I learn from a friend: "Either you do your best, or you don't do at all."

Different Methods Of Getting New Clients For Dentists In Toronto by Jim Peterson

Let's face it. A dental clinic is not the most sought after medical office in the world. Just ask a child if he wants to visit his dentist and you get a resounding no, coupled with an ear-shattering wail for an answer. You may even get the same answer from someone not so young.

If you're a dentist and you want your practice to grow, then perhaps you need some good promotional techniques. You might want to take your cue from a Toronto dentist. Why, you might ask. Well, over the years, Toronto dentistry has seen a tremendous boost in their practice. That's because more and more patients, even young ones, are starting to take notice of these dental clinics.

That goes without saying that residents of Toronto have always been concerned about their oral health. However, if you are a Toronto dentist, then you would agree that people are now more attuned and in the know of the many different ways dental clinics in Toronto operate. This is partly because of the different methods being acquired by dental clinics in Toronto to get new patients.

One effective way that has helped boost Toronto dentistry is web promotion. Web promotion for dental clinics all over Toronto is so widespread. Almost all dental clinics there have their own websites where they give a heads up about the services they offer with a brief explanation of each procedure. Patients can even set up appointments through these websites.

Web promotion for dental clinics have indeed vastly improved and advertised Toronto dentistry. What dentists basically do is have their websites listed in a specialized online dental directory. New patients looking for a capable Toronto dentist just need to log in to their computers, access an online dental directory and search for a Toronto dentist near his area. Upon accessing the website of the clinic of his choice, he can then start browsing the site and even schedule an appointment.

Promoting your dental clinic by means of a flyer or a newspaper advertisement is good. However, the whole of Toronto dentistry have proven that web promotion for dental clinics is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways of getting new clients because once a patient accesses your website and sees how easy it is to sign up for your practice, he can go about the whole process from the comfort of his own home. He wouldn't have to personally go to your dental clinic and wait in line for hours. He can simply drop by your clinic on the exact date and time of his appointment.

So if you're a practicing Toronto dentist, you might want to look into web promotion for your dental clinic.

Cleaning Is Equal To Exercise by Nick Vassilev

If you have trouble motivating yourself to get down to the intensive cleaning we all need to do from time to time, consider this: you can burn quite a few calories by doing housework and raise your heart rate. Some medical bodies consider a session of housework to be the equivalent of a light to moderate aerobics workout – and it’s easy on the joints, too.

So if you consider house cleaning to be a workout, what muscle groups will you be using and toning while you get your house clean? And what are some ways that you can improve the toning and calorie-burning potential of your routine tasks?

Washing dishes: This doesn’t work too many muscles, apart from using the triceps for scrubbing very stubborn dirt off saucepans and the like. However, while you’re standing at the sink, you can spend the time doing calf stretches (standing on tiptoe then lowering yourself), leg curls and buttock clenches.

Hanging out laundry: Carrying out the laundry basket works the biceps, while pegging washing out stretches the triceps and upper back. Bending over to pick laundry out works the lower back. Depending on your technique, you can either use the bending down to pick up pegs/clothes part of the work to stretch the hamstrings (knees straight bend) or the glutes and quads (squatting down to pick up items).

Dusting: Mostly upper body stretches. However, if you have to reach high surfaces, you will be using a step-stool or chair to reach. This works the thighs and buttocks. To increase the calorie burning (and fun) potential of this chore, put on dance music and add a few hip swivels or shimmies while you work.

Window cleaning: Great for toning the arms, upper back and chest muscles.

Vacuuming: A whole-body workout, particularly if you bend down to use an attachment to get into tricky corners. If you have to move furniture around or go up and down stairs, then this is an extra workout bonus.

Washing floors: Using a mop works the upper body, especially the triceps. However, for a really intense workout – and a very clean floor, use an old-fashioned scrubbing brush on your hands and knees (works the arms and shoulders) then dry the floor by scooting around it using thick towels folded under your feet to work the thighs and buttocks. Every bit as good as a treadmill or glider, but cheaper and gets your floor shining. If you’re particularly keen, you can also use this method to polish and buff floors to a very high shine. Some people swear by polishing floors with thick old socks on their feet.

Scrubbing baths, etc. Mostly works the arms. However, if you squat to reach low-down places, this works the inner thighs and buttocks. Scrubbing baths can also require you to get into some awkward positions to reach every part of it – hold that pose!

General picking up. Alternate between straight-leg bending (the old-fashioned touching your toes move) and squatting to reach stray items to stretch the hams, and work the quads and buttocks. If you collect items to be put away in a basket, you will also work the biceps carrying this around the house.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet Plan - Free Vegetarian Meal Plan & Weight Loss Tips by Laura Ng

You need a fail-proof vegetarian weight loss diet plan that'll carry you all the way through to achieving your ideal shape and weight.

Depending solely on proper fat loss diet alone may suffice to help you achieve ideal weight, but to strengthen your immune system and extend your life, and of course, help you lose weight faster, you should incorporate exercises into your vegetarian weight loss diet plan as well. Only then will you accomplish your weight loss goal more effectively in the least amount of time.

Let's check out what kind of food in a day you need, what type of exercises and how to execute them to achieve the best fat loss effect for you in your vegetarian weight loss diet plan.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet for a Day

This is a sample weight loss meal plan for a day just to give you some ideas on what you should eat in a day. Preferably 5 meals a day.

Breakfast: 3 - 4 slices of whole grain bread spread with peanut butter or any nut butter spread, or rolled oats sprinkled with your favorite berries, unsweetened apple juice, macadamia nuts and black sesame seeds. Complete your power meal with a veggie smoothie made from 2 handfuls of lettuce, a peach and tomatoes added with ground flax and virgin coconut oil.

Morning Snack: Mixed fresh fruits comprising strawberries, honeydew, grapes and oranges.

Lunch: Pita bread stuffed with alfalfa sprouts, chopped cucumbers and juicy cherry tomatoes, laced it with vegan mayonnaise or vegan basil pesto or curried lentils sauce. You can prepare these ingredients in advance the night before or in the morning before leaving for work. Just store them separately in air-tight containers and do the stuffing when you're ready to eat. Pair it up nicely with a glass of unsweetened almond or soy milk.

Afternoon Snack: Handful of mixed nuts or your favorite fruits like 2 small bananas, an apple, or a mango.

Dinner: Make rainbow salad from mixing spinach, sunflower seeds, raisins, shredded apple, shredded beets, firm tofu and your favorite pasta cooked al dente. For dressing, mix 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil with 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Tip: You may not follow exactly what this meal plan includes. The meals could be too much or too less for you. Hence, apply common sense and work with your body on how much you need exactly for best results.

I suggest that you go flip through some good recipes to help you create more different weight loss meals for at least 30 - 90 days, depending on how many pounds you need to shed. For example, you're only 10 - 20 pounds overweight, a 30-day vegetarian weight loss meal plans should allow you to meet your ideal shape after a month. Otherwise, you'll probably require a 60-day or 90-day diet plan to see you through to your ultimate fat loss success.

How to Eat Your Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet for Maximum Fat Loss

Take small portion in each vegetarian meal but take more meals in a day.

3 benefits in this healthy way of eating - 1) you don't heap on excess calories easily, 2) you won't feel hungry easily, 3) your metabolism is at active high all day long - you're practically burning fat throughout the day. You'll probably experience weight loss in as little as 7 days with this way of eating. But you'll lose weight as a vegetarian even more when you apply the next tip.

How to Exercise to Burn More Fat

Take up 10 to 15-minute stay-home exercises in the morning. Go with bodyweight exercises like pushups, jumping jacks, spiderman climbs, prisoner squat, prisoner forward lunge, lying hip extension, step-up, bicycle crunch. These should keep you busy and jumpstart your metabolism for the day.

In a nutshell, vegetarian weight loss diet plus a full body fat-burning workout = A super effective vegetarian weight loss diet plan.

How to Lose Weight as a Vegetarian with Your Brain by Laura Ng

Vegetarians do not gain weight easily, but because of the inappropriate use of your brain, you become overweight. How does your brain affect you and make weight loss so difficult?

Let's take a look at these vegetarian weight loss solutions - weight loss shakes, slimming pills, B12 shot, liposuction, acupuncture, probiotic, detox diet, low-carb high-protein vegetarian weight loss diet, acai berry juice, weight loss beverages, rapid vegetarian weight loss tips etc… do they really work?

Imagine you're taking or undergoing any or combination of these funny vegetarian weight loss tricks while on the other hand you continue with your rotten bingeing habits and sedentary vegetarian lifestyle, do you think you can achieve your ideal weight and coveted body shape long-term?

Let me show you proof, but I need your imagination in order for you to get the picture.

Let's say you take weight loss shakes in the morning. At best, it only helps you detox. What next? You continue eating processed vegetarian food, high-sugar junk, sodium-laced chips etc for the day. These stuffs will make wave inside your body and cause fluctuations in your blood glucose level, make you feel thirsty and leave toxins in your fat tissues. What next?

Your internal organs must do the best they can to excrete the waste materials out of your body. But because these "baddies" gush into your body in bulk sizes, your body finds them too much to handle, so a portion of them remains inside your body for the day. Next morning you take the shakes again, and it detoxifies your body. Then you continue with what you've been eating all this while again.

Now, this is a perfect scenario such that I'm assuming the weight loss shakes is a miraculous formula that will undo all the harm you have done to your body day in, day out. But in reality, they're just ordinary fiber-rich food that gives your body a temporary relief. Toxins and every other harmful microorganisms will continue to breed inside your body and impair your system day after day, resulting in more fat being stored in your fat cells.

Like alcohol drinking. Tonight you booze. Next morning you wake up with a hangover. You hate the pain a lot. Then you take some form of tea or whatever hangover reliefs to ease your hangover. Night falls and you booze again. This vicious cycle will continue until your liver can't take it anymore and decide to call it quits. When it does that, you had better start arranging for your own funeral.

Unless you do something about what you put inside your mouth and start getting your butt off the cozy couch and do some exercises, no matter what kind of special dieting formula or surgery you use, you'll never achieve permanent health and fat loss as a vegetarian.

Simply put, your goal to have a nice body shape for good will always be a dream to you.

But because you're so desperate to get a quick fix on your overweight issue, you forgo the logic and put your common sense aside (you shut down your left brain), and let your right brain take charge of what you need. That's how so many vegetarians got hooked onto temporary vegetarian weight loss solutions that give them a short-term wow effect but thereafter, nothing seems to change any more for them.

Your mind takes charge of everything. But you're the master of your own thoughts. Don't let your right brain lead you to the wrong solutions via your emotions. Let your left brain take on the driver's seats instead, and you'll begin to realize the truth of vegetarian weight loss, which is, you can never rely on those solutions (mentioned early on) to give you permanent effect.

Proper vegetarian weight loss diet plan coupled with a healthy exercise regimen are then the ultimate combo solution to your overweight problem.

Health Benefits of Coconut Cream by Laura Ng

Isn't coconut cream the culprit that causes weight gain and triggers heart disease? In fact, coconut cream benefits your health more than what you've heard and learned for the past decades. So how does this wrongly-accused cream promote health?

Essentially, coconut cream benefits you with its medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) structure and its lauric acid content. Let's first look at how its MCFA structure provides health benefits for you.

On surface, its saturated fat seems like the same as those in animal sources, but actually they're totally different. Animal-based saturated fat composes of fat molecules connected in long-chain pattern. This makes it difficult for your body to metabolize it for energy use. Hence, it gets stored in your fat storage most of the time, which explains why those who eat lots of fatty meat (from fast food) tend to grow fat easily.

On the contrary, the cream's medium-chain saturated fat gets converted into energy the moment your body absorbs it. In other words, your body converts the fat just like it does for carbohydrate. That makes coconut cream a wonderful energy provider and booster for your bodily needs.

Next, lauric acid in coconut cream benefits your health just as the lauric acid in human breast milk does for infants. It helps to improve your immune system and protects you against intrusive viruses and bacteria, including hepatitis C, herpes and even HIV!

On top of that, its anti-carcinogenic and anti-pathogenic properties helps to prevent cancer. So, by eating a reasonable amount of this creamy food, you become very well protected. By reasonable amount, I mean you take it in moderation. Eating too much of it may make you ingest too much calories for your body needs. And when excess calories not used for energy, they'll ultimately get stored into your fat cells.

So how do you eat coconut cream to reap the most health benefits? That depends on what you want to achieve with your food palate. For example, when drinking coffee, instead of adding coffee creamer or condensed milk, you can choose to use coconut cream instead. When baking cake, the cream can give you a wonderful creamy texture. How about adding it in your curry to make the gravy thick and silky? You can even cook your rice with the cream to give a subtle yet irresistible scent of coconut fragrance that no other natural foods can match.

Let your creative juices flow, but do keep in mind that moderation is the key to gaining maximum health benefits with coconut cream.

Vegetarian Weight Loss Checklist - The Secret to Losing Weight Effectively as a Vegetarian by Laura Ng

Losing weight doesn't mean you're losing fat effectively. The word 'effective' actually means you're really getting rid of the unnecessary fats off your body instead of water mass and muscle mass, but yet keeping the healthy fats in your body to maintain your overall well-being.

Here's the vegetarian weight loss checklist to help you see if you're doing the right thing to lose weight or not:

[ ] Are you on a low-carb, high-protein diet? This health-detrimental diet can lead to slow reaction, poor concentration, bad breath, constipation, headaches etc. It does help you lose weight, but for a short-term only. You should go with a healthy diet with carb comprising 55 - 60%, which allows you to stick to long-term and can easily transition to become your lifestyle, rather than just a weight loss solution.

[ ] Do you take more meals a day? 3 meals a day is not powerful enough to activate your metabolism throughout the day. Fill in the gap between meals with snack, and your fat-burning power will double. But when you include snacks, you should reduce your meal portion size.

[ ] Do you include plenty of vegetables in your meals? Vegetables carry tons of fiber and complex-carbohydrate for extremely effective fat loss. Those who break weight loss plateau easily and lose more fat take lots of veggies.

[ ] Do you drink plenty of water? Sufficient water will help your fat-burning engine run optimally.

[ ] Are you sticking to a specific group of food? Your cells and tissues require various different nutrients to metabolize the calories consumed efficiently. When you keep giving them only that variety of nutrients, they'll only perform half-tank. Give them a full spectrum of nutrients and they'll run at full speed.

[ ] Do you eat high-sugar food in your vegetarian diet? Refined sugar is "toxic". Even eating 1 - 3 times a week can easily undo all the hard work you've previously done to lose weight.

[ ] Do you take textured vegetable protein (TVP)? TVP is a processed "fake meat" that usually contains high sodium, high fat and high sugar. I understand that it's particularly difficult for people on transition to quit cold turkey on meat, but eating more of such "vegetarian" food can wreck your weight loss plan very easily. Eat sparingly. Once you become a seasoned vegetarian, you can then phase it out completely.

[ ] Do you eat slowly? Your stomach takes about 10 - 20 minutes (sometimes 2 - 5 minutes) to tell your brain whether you're full or not. When you eat too fast, you can easily overeat.

[ ] Do you get enough rest? Not getting quality sleep can trigger metabolic disorder such that instead of burning those extra calories, your body stocks them up.

[ ] Do you visit toilet at least once a day? Removing waste from your body is one of the keys to effective fat loss for vegetarians. The ideal number of times is 2 - 3 daily. Increase your fibrous food intake to achieve that.

[ ] Do you exercise at least 3 times a week? Exercise is a good weight loss supplement to complement your vegetarian weight loss diet. Not only it helps you burn more fat, but also keeps your heart, brain, kidney and other major organs healthy.

[ ] Do you do cardio or interval training? As long as you work out, you'll burn fat. But high-intensity interval training works more effectively and burn more fat than steady-state cardio.

This vegetarian weight loss checklist serves as a good reminder to help you stay on track. Print it out and paste it next to your computer now. You'll be able to lose weight as a vegetarian more easily and effectively than those who do not have this secret checklist.