ACNE - Basic Understanding

Acne is the bane of existence for nearly 17 million people who suffer from some form of acne.
Acne is not only embarrassing but also causes psychosocial effects such as: anxiety, depression, inferiority, insecurity, frustration and self-consciousness.
Acne can be in the form of blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or cysts. Can be on the face, neck, shoulders, upper back or chest.
The different definitions of acne are:
Acne blemish: A flaw in the skin
Acne pimple: A small, prominent, inflamed elevation of the skin
Blackhead: A condition of the skin characterized by a black tip.
Whitehead: A condition of the skin characterized by a small, firm, whitish elevation of the skin
Cysts: When the clogged pore is swollen, infected and forms a bump it's called a "cyst"
Those most susceptible are teenagers and adolescents but it also affects many adults. Although the exact cause of acne is still unknown… there are certain triggers that might possibly contribute to it such as bacteria, blocked pores, hormonal changes, excess oil and also genetics may play a large part in it.
One thing you can be sure of…contrary to popular belief, poor hygiene and food such as chocolate does not cause acne.
Severe cases of acne may cause pitted skin and scarring. If you have deep acne scars you may want to go for dermabrasion or dermaplaning to give your skin a smoother appearance. These can be used on small areas of the face.
There are a wide variety of products available for acne treatment anywhere from the mildest lotions to the severest prescriptive forms of treatment. A study comparing popular acne remedies recently discovered relatively inexpensive lotions are as effective as powerful prescription antibiotics.
You'll find many pros and cons regarding all forms of treatment but few of the many treatments that have come about over the years have given any lasting effect. Some treatments have actually been very unhealthy and dangerous for the user.
One treatment - Accutane, may cause severe birth defects and also cause depression which has led the FDA to strengthen its restrictions on its use. These new restrictions require manufacturers of Accutane and its generic versions to keep track of the doctors who prescribe the drug, and also the pharmacies that sell the drug and the patients who use it.
Because it is a high-risk drug, Accutane should be reserved for cases of "severe recalcitrant nodular acne," according to the product's labeling. This type of acne is resistant to standard acne treatment, including oral antibiotics, and is characterized by many nodules or cysts--inflammatory lesions filled with pus and lodged deep within the skin. These lesions can cause pain, permanent scarring, and negative psychological effects.
More common side effects of Accutane include lip inflammation and drying of the skin and mucous membranes, skin peeling on eyelids and dry nasal passages.
FDA's experts say it's a balancing act. The value of Accutane is clear, but when it comes to even one report of death--whether it's suicide, miscarriage, or some other cause--FDA must make choices that will best protect the public's health.
One alternative to lotions, medications and peels for acne is called a blue light laser which looks like a sun lamp and pointed toward the acne-infested area for a little over 15 minutes. It's warm but not uncomfortable and the eyes are protected from the light. The treatment is used twice a week for four weeks and costs slightly over $100. The light goes through the skin to kill bacteria.
Some pointers on skin care:
Cleansing the skin once in the morning and once before bedtime is really all you need to remove the dirt and dead skin cells that may clog the pores. Washing too often will dry the skin and cause irritation.
Squeezing the pimples does more harm than good causing more inflammation, redness and also leads to scarring.
When buying products such as cleansers, moisturizers, make-up, etc., make a habit of reading the labels and look for "oil free" or "non-comedogenic" on those you buy.
As you've probably experienced before…the sun is very good at drying up acne for a short time but it doesn't last and will definitely lead to wrinkles. Make sure you have at least a 30 SPF sunscreen when in the sun
Although food does not cause acne, it's still a good idea to maintain a proper diet to give your skin all the nutrients that it needs to help maintain its healthy glow.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are a must along with complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and rice. And the old standby of drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day will keep the skin hydrated. A good way to get all the fruits and vegetables you need is to buy a really good juicer and drink several glasses a day.
A good probiotic multivitamin and antioxidants such as Green Tea will go a long way to keeping your skin healthy looking.
In order to completely eliminate acne there is still considerable knowledge yet unknown about the skin and what goes on underneath.
But one thing you can be sure of…many phases of research on the skin and its problems are going on all the time and will eventually lead to a more effective treatment and possibly a complete cure.
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My All Natural Oasis

About 7 years ago, I decided that my budget could stretch, just enough, to fulfill my lifelong dream of owning my own hot tub. Like most perspective spa owners, my biggest concern was whether the hassle of adding and mixing all those toxic chemicals that (I used to believe) are necessary for clean spa water was really worth the pleasure of after-work escapes into my personal "oasis".
After all, who dreams of an oasis comprised of a hot chemical soup, with labor involved in starting and maintaining it? It is kind of counteractive to the fantasy if you think about it like that. It would be more of a mirage than an oasis, if you ask me.
I began to brood over other possibilities as I let my skepticism simmer. What if I developed a rash or an allergic reaction to those artificial additives? I mean, my pores would be more open and vulnerable then, and that could really "put me in hot water".
Then a friend of mine told me about an all-natural, enzyme based formula that was designed to maintain crystal-clear spa water, and sanitize, without chemicals. The amazing thing is that it only needs to be added once every three months. Nothing else has to be added, ever. No testing, labor, or supplements are required with normal use. The enzymes do it all for you and it is 100% safe and nontoxic.
If you think I was cynical before, I certainly was then, because this sounded too good to be true. Nevertheless, I decided to take my friends word for it. I brushed that skeptical angel off my shoulder and went out to purchase my steamy indulgence. To my delight, my friend's testimony and my dream came true. I had the hot tub I always wanted and none of the worries or hassles that I feared.
The product is called "Spa Magic" and it is no misnomer. In 3 words: I loved it. To quote an old Norelco ad, "I liked it so much, I bought the company". Actually, I liked it so much I started my own company to distribute these great products.
Our company is called Cre8ive Enzymes (http://www.cre8ivegroup.com/enzymes/) and we our proud to join the community of "Green Industries" that our changing the way we live our lives. Using our products produces no harmful byproducts. Our customers can dispose of their spa or cleaning water with the security of knowing that they are not contaminating the environment at all. We are glad to be a part of the growing movement towards a greener world, free of the toxins and chemicals that can poison our world.
We now have hundreds of customers, still growing, and nothing but positive feedback and repeat business from our satisfied clients. In addition to the Spa Magic, we sell other great cleaning products for your house and your pets.
The thing that pleased me the most about this discovery was the confirmation it gave me that green solutions have the power to beat synthetic/chemical solutions in the marketplace through both superior efficacy and cost effectiveness. There is hope yet, that consumers may finally abandon their, seemingly endless, use of artificial products that contaminate and disrupt the balance of our delicate ecosystem.
Dr. Hunter, with the development of this revolutionary enzyme formula, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the early '90's. Starlab, the manufacture of this proprietary enzyme formula, is currently working towards expanding its product line with the development of more environmentally-friendly solutions to the problems we face in this ever changing world.
They say we are in the second "Age of Reason", but the contamination of our environment, that has been our mainstay, is not very rational at all. However, all-natural products that are less expensive and more effective than chemicals (such as the product line our company offers) provide the perfect incentives for consumerism to evolve for the better.

Dressed Up for Sitting Down

There is a saying that you should dress for success. Most usually, this phrase implies fine suits, designer shoes and any extra accessory that you can add to the ensemble. This is because when you hear the word success, most people visualize wealth and its preceding occupation. In the fitness world, dress for success means something different. Not necessarily success from a different type of job, but instead fitness success through your method of dress. This is due to that fact that studies have linked casual dress at work to more calories burned while doing normal day to day activities.
For many women with jobs such as those in the media, management positions, bank tellers and even the glamorous gals behind the counters at your favorite department store, tight skirts, constrictive collared blouses and high heels are common thread. In the past, I have also shared in the cruel wardrobe during the many years while I worked for a large corporation and various other professional jobs. As the day progresses and your time-efficient tootsies have begun to swell, sometimes you prefer the sanctity of your stabilized desk rather than the crushing sensation of body weight in heels against the earth. Sometimes even a much-needed trip to the restroom is postponed for the sake of avoiding the walk of what seems like burning coals.
In addition to sore feet, there is also the social lunch hour. A welcomed colleague luncheon may bring plenty of laughter, but the resulting swollen tummy in your form-fitted skirt may beg for shelter beneath the edge of your desk. Pair the two together and it is a recipe for activity avoidance. This lack of interest in, literally, going the extra mile may contribute to sedentary tendencies while in the workplace, which can indeed lead to weight gain.
American Council on Exercise decided to study the activities of employees and their activity levels based on daily attire. The findings were relevant to expectation - an eight percent increase in caloric expenditure in the subjects that wore casual and comfortable clothing. These casually-dressed participants took more steps throughout the day, including stairs over elevators, and subsequently, more calories were burned. This was solely based on time in the office and does not include a visit to the gym. In addition, this study was conducted in the colder seasons. The researchers agree that there could be as much as a 15-20% increase in steps taken in the warmer months, which would equal a total of 23-28% increase in activity of those that dress casually to work.
While the studied percentage may seem insignificant, it does offsets the nation's average annual weight gain of .4 to 1.8 pounds. If this does not encourage you to seek out better means of your professional presentation, you may want to also consider less foot trauma and the decline of irregular inner thigh contractions from putting off that lingering urge to visit the ladies room.

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Considerations To Make When Purchasing Contact Lenses Online

Considerations to make when purchasing contact lenses online
The FDA wants you to be a wise consumer if you buy contact lenses, an FDA-regulated product, on the Internet, over the phone or by mail. While such purchases are often a convenient and economical way to get lenses, Internet, phone, or mail orders require consumers to exercise some caution. The following questions and answers should help you take simple precautions to make your Internet, phone or mail purchase safe and effective for you.
What do I need to consider when buying contact lenses on the Internet, by phone or by mail?
Is my contact lens prescription current? You should always have a current, correct prescription when you order contact lenses.
If you have not had a check-up in the last one to two years, you may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of, or your contact lenses may not correct your vision well.
The expiration date for your prescription is currently set by your state. Some require a one-year renewal, some a two-year renewal, while other states leave it to your doctor to decide.
Never order lenses with a prescription that has expired.
What does a valid contact lens prescription include?
This depends on the state where your doctor practices. State laws often define a prescription's requirements. In states without a legal definition, the prescribing doctor includes some minimum elements.
The minimum elements usually include your name and the doctor's name along with the contact lens brand name and material. Also, lens measurements such as power, diameter and base curve are included.
More detailed prescriptions will include directions for safe use such as wearing schedule, whether lenses are for daily or extended wear, the number of refills, whether lens material substitutions are allowed and an expiration date.
Some Internet sites ask for information about your doctor so that they may check the prescription with your doctor. State laws vary greatly concerning the kind of verification that is required. Internet sites should comply with applicable State requirements concerning verification of prescriptions for contact lenses.
Will I get in legal trouble if I buy my contact lenses on the Internet, by phone or by mail if I don't have a copy of my prescription?
You won't break any laws, but the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device. In legal terms, this misbrands the device. Often, the company will say that they will check back with your doctor to confirm the prescription and expiration date; however, that may not always happen.
Some Internet sites will allow you to fill out a chart with the ordering information about your contact lenses and ask you to fill in your doctor's name and phone number. The site may or may not ask for an actual copy of your prescription, but they should comply with applicable State law concerning contact lens prescription verification.
Since individual states have different licensing requirements for optical dispensers, enforcement of prescription device sales has usually been left to State authorities.
What harm can be done if I don't have regular check-ups with my doctor or I order lenses without a valid prescription?
At your check-up, your eye doctor will re-evaluate the fit of your contact lenses and observe any changes in your cornea caused by your lenses. You will benefit by having a correct, current prescription and you may avoid serious problems, especially if you wear your lenses on an extended or overnight schedule.
Though infections of the cornea are rare, severe cases can cause loss of vision and even blindness. During regularly scheduled visits, your eye doctor looks for irregularities that, if left untreated, may lead to severe problems. These irregularities often have no symptoms and you may be totally unaware of them.
Contact lens wear causes many changes to cells and tissues of the eye, and sometimes wearing contact lenses can damage the cornea (the clear window of the eye). Even if you are currently experiencing no problems, the lenses may be causing damage to your eyes. Regular check-ups will reduce the likelihood of damage going undetected.
Contact lenses that are not properly fitted by an eye doctor might not work well, or even worse, may harm your eyes.
Ask your eye doctor how often to have a check-up.
Will regular check-ups help prevent me from having problems with my contact lenses?
Anyone wearing contact lenses runs an increased risk of corneal infection. Regular check-ups will help reduce your chances of having a problem. At your check-up, your doctor may find something that requires refitting with a new lens or requires modifying your wearing schedule.
What can I do to avoid serious problems with my contact lenses?
Ask your eye doctor how often you should have a check-up and see the doctor according to the recommended schedule.
You run a greater risk of developing serious eye problems such as infection if you wear lenses overnight.
Order your contact lenses from a supplier you are familiar with and know is reliable. Contact lenses are often more complex than they appear.
Request the manufacturer's written patient information for your contact lenses. It will give you important risk/benefit information, as well as instructions for use.
Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand than you presently have. While this may be acceptable in some situations, there are differences in the water content and shape between different brands. The correct choice of which lens is right for you should only be made based on examination by your doctor, not over the phone.
Carefully check to make sure the company gives you the exact brand, lens name, power, sphere, cylinder, if any, axis, if any, diameter, base curve, and peripheral curves, if any.
If you think you have gotten an incorrect lens, check with your eye doctor. Don't accept a substitution unless your doctor approves it.
Where can I report problems that I have with my contact lenses?
You can report a serious eye problem associated with your contact lenses with FDA's MedWatch reporting form at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Also, contact your health professional for medical advice.
You can report problems involving contact lens sales by Web sites by sending e-mail to webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov.
If you do not get the exact lenses that you ordered, you should report the problem directly to the company that supplied them.

Menopause and Bioidentical Hormones

Can menopause symptoms be safely comforted with bioidentical hormones?
Recent research suggests that menopause can be treated with bioidentical hormones, a natural replacement for a woman's body, with no reported side effects.
In the past, menopause has been treated like a disease - primarily with Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT (including Premarin, which is made from pregnant mare's urine, Prempro and Provera), which meant ingesting synthetic chemicals on a regular basis. Now we know that these drugs are causing the very problems we're trying to avoid including breast cancer and heart attacks.
Bioidentical means the hormone molecule in the product, for example progesterone cream, acts exactly like the molecules produced by the female body. They function in your body in a natural and normal way unlike synthetic chemicals. A "natural hormone" is really a compound synthesized in the lab from a natural source (such as soybeans used for estrogens and testosterone; or wild Mexican yam in the case of progesterone and sometimes testosterone). Synthetic hormones are typically only available in oral form, but bioidentical hormones come in a variety of delivery systems such as oral, transdermal patch, cream, lotion or sublingual drops.
Bioidentical hormones recently caught mainstream attention in part because of Suzanne Somer's new book, The Sexy Years. Typically a successful approach to dealing with a woman's menopausal symptoms is to begin with laboratory tests of hormone levels called a "hormone panel." The doctor can then prescribe a precise dosage of bioidentical estrogens, testosterone or DHEA that can be made for you at a compounding pharmacy. This is contrary to HRT treatments that are typically "one size fits all."
Most doctors prescribing bioidentical hormones find that a large percentage of women find some relief by using medical-grade supplements, over-the-counter bioidentical progesterone, and dietary and lifestyle changes (including the proper nutrition and exercise). And, for the percentage of women who need a little more help, most doctors don't support the idea that bioidentical hormones should be used indefinitely as some kind of fountain of youth.
Is it right for you to treat your menopause with bioidentical hormones? First you need to consult with a doctor to get the right answer for you. Once you know what you need, your doctor and you can work out the best alternative for your body.
Anti-Aging Directory, Answers All Your Questions About Bioidentical Hormones and Nutrition

Traveling Fitness

How to keep in shape while on the road!
Whether you travel for business or pleasure, being on the road usually leads to one thing: weight gain. From missed workouts to large restaurant meals, travel days often become high calorie days. Next time that you go on the road keep the following tips in mind, and come home leaner than when you left!
TIP #1: STICK WITH CIRCUITS
When you find yourself in a poorly equipped hotel exercise room, make the best of it. You are not going to be able to get in a normal workout like you would at your local health club, so you will have to make do with the available equipment. A great way of doing this is to workout in a circuit. Most hotel exercise rooms will have at least one piece of equipment for each body part, and they are usually as empty as a ghost town, so a circuit will work well. Do one set on each body part, and then hop on a bike or treadmill for 10 minutes. Repeat this two more times, and you will find yourself sweating up a storm.
TIP #2: BURN CALORIES EVERYDAY
If your travels keep you too busy for a workout, or if your hotel does not have an exercise room, make a conscious effort to burn calories everyday. There are many different ways to fit some calorie burning into your day. Go on a brisk walk after your day's activities. This is a great way to see a new city, and also a great way to burn off the rich dinner you just ate! Take the stairs instead of elevator in your hotel and any other buildings you visit. Go on a short jog in the mornings or evenings of your stay. If your hotel has a pool, swim a few laps each morning or evening.
TIP#3: WATCH PORTION SIZE
Eating out is a must when traveling. Whether you are visiting 5 star restaurants or fast food diners, you are faced with the same problem: large portions. While the easiest thing to do with a large portioned meal is to simply eat it all, that isn't the easiest on your waist! When you order your meal ask the waiter or waitress to bring you a to-go box with your meal. This way you can take half of the meal and place it safely into the box before you even begin to eat. You will have no choice but to eat a healthy portion, and you have your next meal taken care of. If you would rather not carry around a to-go box then ask that your entrйe be made into a smaller portion. If it is dinnertime ask for the lunch-sized entrйe.
TIP #4: AVOID FRIED FOODS
While fast food restaurants are definitely convenient, with their low prices and quick service, this convenience is not worth the inevitable weight gain brought on by the burgers and fries. When you travel, keep this in mind: avoid fried foods. While this is always good advice to follow, it is even more important to abide by while traveling.
While traveling you are most likely to be burning less calories each day than you would normally burn at home, and you are consuming more calories due to your schedule of eating out. You are walking a fine line, and eating fried foods would throw you right over the edge of weight gain. A gram of fat contains 9 calories as compared to the 4 calories that proteins and carbohydrates carry, so you can see that consuming fried foods will drastically increase your calorie intake. If I still haven't convinced you to pass on the French fries, keep in mind that heartburn and indigestion are never fun, but how about experiencing them on an airplane, bus, or train ride!
TIP #5: BODY WEIGHT ROUTINE
When your hotel doesn't have an exercise room, and you still want to get in some type of workout, try this body weight routine right in your hotel room: 20 Jumping Jacks: you remember these from grade school! Start jumping! 20 Push Ups: Get on the floor, keep your back flat, and push! 20 Jumping Jacks 20 Crunches: Keep your hands behind your head and breathe out as you crunch up. 20 Jumping Jacks 20 Triceps Dip: Place your palms on the edge of a chair, bend at your elbows and push yourself back up! 20 Squats: Stand in place, with your knees shoulder width apart, squat down! 20 Jumping Jacks 20 Lunges: Keep your hands on your waist, step forward keeping a 90degree bend in your knee, and press yourself back up!
Next time your work or pleasure takes you away from home, keep these tips in mind and be pleasantly surprised with your results! Have a great trip!

Beginner's Guide To Fitness

What to do when you are ready to get into shape!
So you are finally ready to turn from your couch potato ways, and trade your T.V. remote in for a dumbbell! Congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of fitness! I commend you on your resolve to lose weight and get into shape! Now where do you begin? These days there sure is a lot of talk about diet and fitness, whether it is a new diet pill or piece of exercise equipment. It is enough to make your head spin, and certainly enough to confuse the beginner. Take a deep breath, and follow these simple tips to go from being a fitness beginner to a pro!
TIP #1: GET MOVING
The first thing you need to do, as a fitness beginner, is to start moving! I mean this literally. Get up, and walk out your front door. Now walk down the street. Now turn the corner. Keep going! Do you get the picture? Start introducing your body to fitness by going on walks. These walks will probably start out slow and short, but before you know it they will be brisk and long. Try to work up a sweat as you tour the neighborhood. Make it a habit to wake up early to go on your walk, or consistently go on a walk before you go to bed. These walks will get you to start burning calories each day, and will also begin to build your cardiovascular endurance.
TIP #2: STRETCH
Once you become a pro at walking, you will need to add something new to your routine. Stretch before and after your walks. Start by reaching down to touch your toes and holding it for 30 seconds. You will feel tightness on the backs of your legs, in your hamstrings. Now place your palm against a wall at chest level and turn your body away from it. As you hold this for 30 seconds you will feel a stretch in your chest. Most inactive people have tight hamstring and chest muscles due to prolonged sitting, so it should be your priority to stretch these muscles out. You will be pleasantly surprised at what this will do for your posture!
TIP #3: CLEAN YOUR DIET
Fitness professionals like to claim that 80% of what your body looks like is directly related to what you eat. In other words, if you are eating burgers and fries and visiting the gym everyday, you are still going to look like you are eating burgers and fries! It is time to clean up your diet, so you can continue on your fast track to fitness.
Rule #1: No more fast food. Fast food is cheap, available, and quick, but it is far from healthy. You are better off avoiding it completely.
Rule #2: Eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday. Your body needs the nutrients found in these foods, and they will fill you up without empty calories.
Rule #3: Eat 4-5 small meals a day, rather than 2 large ones. This will keep your metabolism high all day, and turn you into a calorie-burning machine!
TIP#4: JOIN A GYM
After you have mastered walking, stretching, and have started to clean up your diet, you are ready to join a gym. Don't be intimidated or scared of this concept, the gym is a friendly place where people go to burn calories and build muscle! Find a local gym that has a convenient location near your home or work place. The key to making your gym membership worth its monthly dues is to use it consistently. Go to the gym no less than three times a week. While you are there begin a resistance training program as well as a cardiovascular program.
TIP #5: FIND A BUDDY
There is no better motivator to get you to the gym than knowing that someone is there waiting for you. If you find yourself slacking off in your workouts, or skipping the gym, a workout buddy might be just what you need. Find a friend with whom you share similar fitness goals, and become workout buddies. Agree to meet three times a week at the gym, and encourage each other throughout your workout. You will find that this makes workouts motivating and fun.
There you have it, all you need to know to get yourself up off the coach and into a healthy, fit lifestyle! Making the decision to get into shape will be the best one you make in your life, and I wish you all the best. To your health!

Onychomycosis, one of the many Nail Fungus out there

Many natural changes in fingers and toenails come with age. Fine ridges, for example, may start developing from the cuticle of the nail tip. This and other similar changes are common, but they are not signs of poor health.
However,there are some nail conditions to watch out for such as small separations of the nail from the nail bed, yellow/brown color, or hardening ,crumbling or thickenings of the nail at the top edge.All these conditions are symptoms of a common fungal infection called Onychomycosis,which infects the nail bed under the surface of the nail causing thickening,roughness,discoloration and splitting of the nail.
It can be caused by a somewhat large variety of fungi and it's typically painless for several years after initial infection. But,if left untreated, the condition will worsen and it'll be unbearable to even wear shoes or walk.
Because fungi thrive in darkness,moist areas such as the inside of your shoes, Onychomycosis appears on toenails more often that fingernails. Like mold or mildew, these parasitic organisms live on dead things, which in this case is the dead nail tissue. Once the fungus is established on dead tissue, it excretes toxins into adjacent living tissue causing its death. As this tissue dies, it provides new ground for the fungus to expand.
The risk of fungus infection of toenails is decreased using the same methods to decrease the risk of fungus infection of the skin on the feet. Here are some tips to maintain your feat dry and healthy: Indoors, avoid wearing shoes and consider wearing open footwear. Change shoes daily. Try alternating between at least 3 pairs of shoes allowing them time to dry out. Change socks whenever they become damp. Wear high top boots only when needed for work or other activities. Treat every foot fungus promptly. Some fungus require daily application of anti-fungal creams to keep them away.
If the fungus still appears go to your dermatologist to prescribe you both oral and topical treatments for Onychomycosis. Newer, safer and more effective medications are currently available due to nail fungus treatment advancing significantly over the past years. These medications are generally taken for three months. During that time, the medicine incorporates into the nail tissue preventing the fungus to expand. As the nail grows out normally, The diseased nail is displaced and removed.

The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss

The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There are no official statistics for spending on diet products, but estimates vary from $40 to $100 billion in the US alone, much of that on scams and fad diets that promise the impossible.
Research shows that 95% of people who have lost weight find that they regain it back when they return to their normal eating habits.
According to the Center for Disease Control's Chronic Disease Center, in 1991 in the United States, only four states had an obesity prevalence of 15 percent to 19 percent. In 2003, 15 states had an obesity prevalence of 15 to 19 percent, 31 states had an obesity prevalence of 20 to 24 percent, and four states had a prevalence of 25 percent or more.
Major medical problems associated with obesity include gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.
If that isn't incentive enough to lose that excess weight statistics show that overweight people are usually given lower paying jobs, get lower salaries, receive little in raises, and are, as a whole, looked down upon by 40 percent of fellow employees and employers.
In 2002 The American Heart Association reported that more than 10 percent of US children ages 2 to 5 are overweight. That is up from 7 percent in 1994. The situation is probably even worse now, said Dr. Robert H. Eckel, president-elect of the heart association and professor of medicine at the University of Colorado.
The obesity problem among children has increased with school-age children as well. Four million children ages 6 to 11 and 5.3 million in age group 12 to 19 have increased by 75 percent from 1991.
Food habits adopted in childhood can be hard to change. As a result hypertension and high cholesterol leading to heart disease, strokes, and diabetes are going to become the nations top health problem with people of all ages within 10 to 30 years. These are ailments that usually afflict the middle age to elderly population. More than a million new cases of diabetes are already being diagnosed each year, says the American Diabetic Association.
Nearly 30 percent of American adults are overweight and another 30 percent are obese, according to University of Minnesota researchers. Obesity is usually described as a weight 20 percent greater than the persons desirable weight.
A study by the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle revealed that 60% of overweight women, and 70% of obese women, are likely to become pregnant while taking the pill. The researchers suggest that a higher metabolism is the reason, causing the medication to be effective for a shorter length of time. Or, that the drug interacts with the body's hormones in a way that the drug becomes trapped in the body fat instead of circulating in the bloodstream.
Studies with obese pregnant women show they are 50% more likely to die during pregnancy than those of normal weight. Complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, and stillbirth are also more common. Preliminary evidence shows that babies are also adversely affected, and are more likely to be obese themselves in later life.
Fast foods: Studies show that people who frequent fast food outlets twice a week or more gained 36 pounds over the course of 15 years compared to 26 pounds for those that frequented them once a week or less.
A major factor for the obesity crisis is a sedentary lifestyle, not enough exercise, and the eating of high calorie fast foods in place of nutritious natural food products.
Fast food is designed to promote consumption of the maximum number of calories in the minimum amount of time. This upsets the body's normal metabolism. One solution is to eat smaller, more nutritious, meals more frequently throughout the day.
Physical activity reduces the effects of being overweight, but healthy eating habits have to be followed to prevent disease associated with poor nutrition according to an expert of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The new diet guidelines set by the Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is basically a balanced diet and good old fashioned exercise. They stress more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limit fats, sugar, alcohol, and salt.
Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day making a choice of healthy food available at all times.
For more tips on how to lose weight safely see The Secret to Weight Loss at: http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/diettips.htm

Can't Sleep, Can't Wake Up?

It's 3.00am in the morning and you are even past the desperate stage. You're resigned to no sleep. Your mind freewheels. If you're officially going to be awake – you may as well think of something huh? If this sounds familiar – read on. The flip side can be just as bad!
Later that morning….
You become aware that you're here again. Alive. Senses slowly awaking. You heard an alarm somewhere far in the distance – annoying but essential. You know you need to heed its call…but it's so warm in here! It looks cold and dark out there and a seductive voice tells you can afford to take just a short little 10 minutes from your morning routine. After all, you surely deserve it after all the work you have been doing lately and 10 little minutes won't realllly mat…ter wiilll iittttttttttt? Hmmm zz zzz zzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Arrgggg! You sit bolt upright. It's 9.30 am! You've darn- well overslept by 2 hours. You're dead meat! You've missed the weekly team meeting, the boss is going to fry you alive and you'll have to do a lot of butt kissing to get another chance to see that important potential new client. All because of a lousy '10 little minutes!'
You can't win either way! Can't sleep when you want to and can't wake up when you need to.
Time to fix this? I think so….
The solution is quite simple. It's about how you run your brain. Let's take the first scenario. You lie awake…thinking. You know you need to get to sleep and firmly tell yourself to 'go to sleep!!'. Notice the tone of voice you just used. Was it warm, calming, soft? Did it encourage a 'snuggle – up and snooze' response or did it make you a little tense? Did that tenseness trigger a slowing down of your thought processes or did you speed up a little?
Now let's take a look at the visual aspects. When you demanded that you 'go to sleep!!' were the images in your mind hard to really see clearly, a bit vague, floating and getting s l o w e r? Or where they a bit edgy, jerky, moving from issue to issue, speedingupandstartingtomergetogether?
Which do you figure is conducive to sleep?
OK – now you've worked out what works internally to get you to sleep – let's explore what will wake you up – that's if you haven't jumped ahead of me!
You wake up. The end of a sleep cycle, someone moving, talking, cat demanding to be fed, or perhaps the alarm could have triggered it. Given that we constantly talk to ourselves, your tone of voice, tempo, and emotional flavour will all affect how we respond to another day. Is your internal voice soft, seductive and persuasive (we all know the lies about 'just another little 10 minutes by now!)? Or does it have a ring of excitement, anticipation, and energy about it? A bit of edge, sharpness, ummppph? And the images? Are they appealing, fast, colourful, big, bold, dramatic, up-tempo?
If Stephen Spielberg could have access to the immense multi- dimensional graphics, sounds and past experiences we have daily access to, he would be in artistic heaven! We can colour our world whatever shade we choose. Pick from countless sound tracks and special effects and access any emotional state we want to play out in our day. We can distort, delete, add change and play until the cows come home. We can even encourage our tired bodies to gently, uhhh, s l o wl y r-el-a-x and taaaaaaaaaake a wel l l l l deserved nap. Hmmm-good ideaaaaaaa. Zz zzz zzzzzzzzz

Half of our Nation is Over Weight!

Experts say obesity will overtake smoking as the biggest health problem of the decade. They are predicting a quarter of the population will be suffering from weight related diabetes by 2013.
Doctors have coined the phrase "diabesity" to describe the condition, which is affecting a rising number of chronically overweight adults and children.
In Australia researchers say 4 out of 10 children will be overweight within ten years. They said the proportion of children who are overweight is growing by at least one per cent a year.The average weight of Australian adults has increased five per cent in the past decade to 74.3kg according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics report. More than half (58%) of all men and 42% of women are overweight.
It would seem that many adults underestimate the severity of their own weight problems. "They don't recognize they're in the obese level, so of course they don't recognize they're child is overweight", one researcher said. "It's very hard to educate people who maybe don't see it or don't want to change."
Children as young as six are being treated for mature-onset diabetes, a condition once confined to overweight adults in their 40's.
Fatty diets and lack of exercise have also seen 10 year olds treated with cardio-vascular disease.
These children could have complications such as eye, kidney, circulation and heart problems by the time they're 20. The message needs to be put across to parents to encourage more physical activity and not let their kids sit in front of the computer or TV.
FAT FACTS
Obesity costs countries billions of dollars a year.
Obese people lose, on average, six or seven years of life.
A cup of whole milk contains 8g of fat. Skim milk has 0.5grams.
Obesity makes children so unhealthy and miserable that their quality of life is worse than children having chemotherapy to treat cancer.
A meat pie contains the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of fat.
A Big Mac gives you just under 25% of your daily intake of kilojoules in one snack.
A can of soft drink contains 9-10 teaspoons of sugar.
Obese children are 27 times more likely to get diabetes and their chances of heart disease are doubled.
Check you BMI (Body Mass Index) today to see what category you fall into at: http://slim-n-trim.org/?refid=artcit-30495

The Health effects of being Over Weight

Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter and it's partly because of our modern lifestyle, too much fatty food and too little exercise. Some people say, 'Why should it matter if I'm overweight as long as I feel okay?' But being overweight does matter because it increases the risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Being at a healthy weight on the other hand, can help lower blood pressure, make you feel better and give you more energy. If you need to lose some weight, here's some good advice from the National Heart Foundation.
Change your eating habits gradually
Everyone knows that losing weight partly involves cutting down on foods which contain a lot of fat. But this doesn't mean you have to change your eating habits overnight. You're more likely to make permanent changes to your diet if you make them gradually. Allow two weeks to stop eating biscuits with tea or coffee, for instance. When you're comfortable with this change, make another such as using less butter or margarine on bread, or switching to using low fat milk.
Remember you don't have to exercise strenuously
The secret of successful weight control is a combination of sensible eating and regular exercise. Aim for 30 minutes at least four times a week. You don't have to do 30 minutes all at once. It's okay to do ten minutes exercise three times a day. Walking, swimming and cycling are good.
Don't expect to lose weight quickly
It's quite common to lose weight one week and then lose none the next week. If you are exercising, you may find your weight doesn't drop at all. This is because your body is gaining more muscle which weighs more than fat. You'll still continue to lose fat and tone up, even if the scales don't show any weight loss. The way your clothes fit is a better guide to weight loss than weighing yourself all the time. As long as you are keeping to your plan of regular exercise and less fatty food, periods of no weight loss don't usually last more than two weeks.
Eating to lose weight
Fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils are the foods to eat most of every day. By filling up with these healthy, satisfying foods, you'll be less likely to want fatty snacks. You need only moderate amounts of meat, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, dairy products. A moderate serve of meat, poultry or fish takes up about one quarter of your plate. If you eat dairy foods, choose reduced or low fat varieties. Use only small amounts of margarine, fat reduced spreads, butter, lard and cooking oils. Drink only a little alcohol.
Reducing fat in your meals
Trim all fat from meat and remove fat and skin from poultry before cooking. Use low fat cooking methods such as grilling, steaming, baking, stir-frying in as little oil as possible, microwaving or using non-stick frying pans. Avoid fried or deep fried foods. Let soups, casseroles and curries cool - this makes the fat harden on top so you can remove it before reheating. Snack on fresh fruit but limit cakes, biscuits, pastries, chocolate and packet snack foods.

Weight Loss Tips!

All throughout my childhood and teenage years I watched helplessly as my mother tried every fad diet under the sun. I recall one time she ate boiled cabbage and nothing else for a whole week. I felt my mothers' frustration and misery but I could not understand why it was so difficult for her to lose weight and keep it off – until that is I became a weight loss coach.
For the past two years I have been assisting people to achieve their ideal weight and in this time I have experienced what contributes to a successful weight loss story.
Get serious
It all starts with you and how serious you are. The key to successful weight loss is dependent on your level of commitment. How would you rate your seriousness on a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being deadly serious)?
Staying motivated
Always keep the end in mind! Write down all of the reasons why you are motivated to lose weight now. Record these reasons on a piece of card that can be kept in your wallet or purse. Each morning and before going to bed remind yourself by reading aloud why you are motivated to lose weight.
Facing challenges
Every day you are likely to face challenges which can disrupt your focus and get in the way of your weight loss goals. Write down all of the challenges that you know have made losing weight hard for you in the past because this will help you to develop a better strategy this time. Three common challenges are lack of results, boredom and lack of support from spouse, family and friends.
Safe and effective
When choosing a weight control program I would recommend looking for the following:
Balanced nutritious
Provides you with balanced nutritious meals
Teaches you about better eating habits
Choose a weight control program that teaches you how to maintain your weighr t once you have reached your goal.

COPD Sufferers . Keep Those Pearly Whites Clean!

If you have emphysema, chronic bronchitis or asthmatic bronchitis (the group of diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD), you have a few good reasons to keep your teeth clean:
There are over 300 species of bacteria that live in your mouth. Periodontal disease is caused by the plaque producing bacteria.
Studies suggests that periodontal disease may promote the progression of COPD. Bacteria in the mouth may infect the body either through saliva or from breathing into the lungs.
Cytokines are released by the body in defense of periodontal disease. These cytokines tax the body's immune system.
COPD sufferers know an ordinary cold or flu can be destructive. Coughs linger and flu turns into pneumonia.
The bacteria that cause periodontal disease and are taxing your immune system are breeding right now in the cozy, moist, acidic environment of your mouth. The areas between the teeth are particularly good breeding grounds because the bacteria thrive in the absence of oxygen. Symptoms of periodontal disease are often not noticeable until the disease is advanced. A dentist can diagnose the disease in the early stages, prior to individuals realizing they have it.
Periodontal disease is prevented by thoroughly cleaning your teeth. Professional cleanings at a dentist office every six months, brushing teeth twice a day and flossing once a day are recommended. Because it is a laborious task to floss, most people don't. Yet, to prevent and control periodontal disease, flossing is extremely important. Unfortunately, The Journal of Clinical Periodontology reported that for those that do floss, only 18 – 35% of the plaque between teeth is removed. And oral irrigators can't cut through plaque's sticky biofilm.
Even with more tools available to keep teeth and gums healthier than in the past, 80% of all adults have some form of periodontal disease. There are electric toothbrushes, oral irrigators, tongue scrapers, oral disinfectants and even a new device – Dental Air Force that combines brushing and flossing - available. The Dental Air Force (www.dentalairforce.com) also has an added benefit of aerating the sites between teeth, changing the environment and making it difficult for the bacteria to grow.
Whatever method of cleaning used, studies show that oral health is critical to total health. With the cold and flu season here, wash your hands, keep your immune system healthy AND clean your teeth.

The Five Keys to Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is about more than calories or following the latest dietary fad. Trends come and go. Healthy bodies have been around for thousands of years, before there were magic bullets for instant fat loss marketed on major television stations or promising easy weight loss in flashy colors on the pages of magazines. By embracing your individuality, and learning how to apply the five keys of healthy eating to your own lifestyle, you can transcend these temporary fads and ease into a lifelong habit of living lean.
1. Enjoy what you eat
Whether someone is following the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the advice contained in Tom Venuto's e-Book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" or even a program of their own design, success depends on enjoying what you eat. When you don't enjoy your food, you resist it. Resistance creates stress and stress is counter-productive to fat loss. It is important to look at eating as a part of your life, not a chore that interrupts your life.
The question ultimately becomes, "How do I learn to enjoy healthy foods?" Most people did not enjoy their first cup of coffee or can of beer. What happened is that in their environment, external pressures – stress, fatigue, peer pressure – created a desire to enjoy that steaming hot espresso or to be able to chug down a draught of beer with the best of their buddies. Eventually, a strange thing happened – when the coffee cup was repeatedly associated with more energy or productivity, or simply the pleasure of settling down to read something while draining the cup, or when the beer became associated with fun times and great parties, they "acquired a taste."
You can acquire a taste for healthy foods. It is important to understand how you operate, to determine if it makes sense to go "cold turkey" or transition. Many people cling to diets that allow "free days" or "gorge fests" because they never really learn to enjoy the healthy food – they need the psychological crutch of getting comfortable again (if comfortable means bloated and nauseous from overeating junk food) and live from "free day" to "free day." Is this you? If so, you might start transitioning and looking for an alternative. Instead of a free day, how about this: have a few free meals and then focus on enjoying the food that you consume throughout the week. Experiment with new recipes. Don't like raw vegetables? Try steamed. Don't like them plain? Spice them up. As you lose weight and gain energy, focus on the connection between your healthy foods and your new physique. Before long, you might even "acquire a taste" for healthy foods.
2. Believe in what you are doing
Belief is an important component of any lifestyle. If you don't believe what you are doing will work, why should you continue to do it? Often times, the lack of belief is not in the program you are following, but rather in yourself. Food is an addiction that is no different than addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, or illegal drugs. To overcome this addiction, the first place to look is within you. Without faith, you are going to allow fear to maneuver you into a position to binge, overeat, and sabotage yourself.
When you don't believe, you simply "do." It is a frustrating concept, especially for analytical people, because they want to have a simple set of rules. It is easy as an analytical person to get into your comfort zone. Find an equation that spits out a number of calories. Get a "ratio" of foods – 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat, right? Then you have that exact formula and you are ready to go. Unfortunately, if it were that simple, more people would be sharing their success story (and their formulas) with everyone else.
The fact is that it is not the calorie or the formula or the ratio that determines your success. It is you. Whether you are on a high protein, low fat, no-sugar, or other program, your success will be determined by the level of your belief. I have witnessed people achieve success using many different nutrition styles, and the common element that linked their success was belief. If you asked them, "Will you lose your weight," they would reply, "Absolutely." If you cannot state that without confidence, it is time to find something you can believe in ... and more often than not, it will not be a new program, but you. Believe in you.
3. Practice moderation
Moderation is the key to everything. Many people operate in an either/or mode – either they are following a program perfectly, or they are simply going wild with their eating habits. A true lifestyle plan will be easy to follow because you won't have to worry about counting calories or weighing foods. Why? Because you are operating from a zone called moderation. This zone is tough for many people to find, and sometimes it requires going through a strict dietary regimen in order to create the control you deserve to have over food, instead of allowing food to control you.
Moderation simply means permission to enjoy without excess. When you want a glass of wine, you pour one and savor it. You do not suddenly feel guilty and then punish yourself for having it. If you are having a slice of pizza or ice cream, you don't create a license to eat until you are stuffed. Instead, you have a slice or two and enjoy it. If you are full, you are done. If not, then you might share a dessert with your spouse or someone else at the table.
Those who are successful at keeping their weight off don't overeat and they don't create limits. Some people truly enjoy healthy foods and eat these all of the time. Others have a balance they create. What is common is that they do not become a victim when they cannot eat a certain food – if a special occasion arises, they are happy to enjoy a piece of cake. The key is that they are in control and don't overdo it ... and when it is done, they don't allow guilt to override their success.
4. Be flexible with new ideas
Change is tough. Change is scary. If change were easy, there would not be millions of dollars in books about how to face change being sold. Change in your nutrition or health is no different than change in other areas of your life. Embracing a new style of eating can feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. I know – I have been there and done that myself.
The key to success, however, is not to become so boxed into your comfort zone that you cannot open to new ideas. For example, I had been conditioned to combine protein and carbs at every meal, that when my wife suggested I attempt food-combining (a concept where you do not eat proteins and starches together – for more information, read "Fit for Life" by Harvey Diamond or "Total Health Makeover" by Marilu Henner) I simply resisted. "No way – that's not right! I've learned that ..."
Eventually, however, I came to my senses. No matter how much I have read or learned, the reality is experience. You can argue with me all day long about what color the sky is – but if it is blue in my reality, then that is the reality I will embrace. Everything productive in my life has come from being able to embrace change and try out new things. I discard what doesn't work, and embrace what does. This ability to not fear the unknown allowed me to try food-combining even though it did not fit into my existing reality. What I found was an eating method that gave me more energy and helped me feel more comfortable. By stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying something new, I was able to integrate more freedom into my eating plan.
Don't be afraid to try new programs, new dishes, and new recipes. Don't pre-qualify your decisions by going to research and reading about calories and studying the fat content. Instead, just try it. Keep a journal. Record your feelings in the journal. Observe how your body reacts. Create a dialogue with food that works for you rather than living in someone else's system. Don't fear change – change is required to move from overweight or obese to healthy and lean!
5. Learn to hear your body
Most of us tune out our body's protests. It is a requirement in modern society. When we are constantly stuffing our bodies with foods that damage and harm us, our bodies cannot continue to sensitize us to the pain or we would be in a constant state of suffering. So instead, the brain tunes out the signals like background noise. We no longer realize the harm that we are doing to ourselves. We confuse cravings with hunger. We think we want sugar when our body is screaming for healthy fats. It creates a state of constant stress that we are not conscious of, and it impacts the core of our health.
This is why I believe it is great to quiet and calm things down. Don't be afraid to juice fast for a few days. Try a "5-day high-fiber cleanse" to reconnect with your own health. Don't listen to your friends who will scream "starvation" and swear you are going to lose pounds of muscle. Muscle doesn't disappear overnight, and starvation is when you have NO food, not when you go on a modified fast that provides nutrients but gives you the ability to break out of a cycle of cravings and self-abuse that modern, processed foods create.
Learn to eat when you are ready, not when it is time. This doesn't mean that if your preferred style of nutrition is consuming six meals per day that you stop. What this means is that you get in tune with your body. If you are not hungry when it is time for meal two, go back and adjust meal one so that it doesn't fill you up so much. If you are starving by meal two, change meal one so that you are satisfied – increase the portion size, add healthy fats, or introduce new foods.
By learning your body, you can break out of the cycle of measuring and weighing foods. You come into contact with yourself, and learn to flow. When you feel it is time to eat, you eat. You don't eat a pre-allotted amount of calories. Instead, you listen to yourself. Think about whether you feel like having a lot of protein. If the thought turns your stomach, focus on salads, or fruit, or whole grains. Find what feels comfortable and then eat enough to satisfy you without leaving you stuffed. Practice this for a few weeks and you'll find that you can think yourself into the shape you desire without having to obsess over calories.
These are the five keys to successful, healthy living that I have observed. The people I know who have conquered their weight and are comfortable in their bodies used different methods. Some are vegetarians, some advocate low carbohydrate diets and others feel that high protein is important. Despite these differences, however, ultimately the plan they settled into addressed these five key points and allowed them to live in their health rather than having to work on their lack of it.

Treating Dyslipidemia in Old Age

As the percentage of elderly people in the United States continues to grow faster than any other age group, the incidence of CVD grows too. According to Kannel , 1 CVD accounts for 58% of the mortality in persons >85 years, and the incidence of atherosclerotic disease in persons >65 years is more than double that in middle-aged persons.
Can anything be done to reduce fatal CVD in a population exposed to a lifetime of CV risk factors?
Despite skepticism from some physicians, Kannel thinks CV risk can be reduced in this population (see below); he cites studies showing that correction of hypertension and dyslipidemia reduces morbidity and mortality in both middle-aged and elderly people. The effectiveness of other measures has not been established but appears to warrant investigation, including: reducing homocysteine levels reducing fibrinogen levels smoking cessation exercise weight reduction
Implications of Dyslipidemia in older populations:
About 25% of men and 42% of women >65 years have serum TC levels >240 mg/dL, the level at which NCEP ATP-II guidelines recommend treatment. 2 Citing the Framingham Heart Study, Kannel notes that the median serum TC at which coronary events occurred was only 221 mg/dL in men and 246 mg/dL in women, leading to the conclusion that 50% or more coronary events in the elderly can be expected to occur at cholesterol levels below those recommended by NCEP ATP-II for initiating treatment. 1
What should the clinician look for?
Although total blood lipids measured after age 65 have not been consistently found to correlate with the development of coronary disease or the occurrence of strokes, when cholesterol fractions other than TC are evaluated, positive relations have been found: for example, the TC:HDL-C ratio efficiently predicts CHD in the elderly as well as the middle-aged. 1 According to NCEP guidelines, patients should not be excluded from consideration from lipid-regulating therapy on the basis of age alone, although quality-of-life issues acquire special importance in managing older patients. Because both dietary and drug therapy have additional clinical implications for older patients, treatment of the elderly should be individualized.
Are older patients getting adequate treatment?
Although the use of pharmacologic cholesterol lowering in middle-aged patients is generally accepted and is increasingly utilized, patients aged 65 to 75 who have a history of CHD and might benefit from cholesterol-lowering drugs are generally undertreated or not treated at all, according to a recent CHS report by Lemaitre et al. 3 The CHS was designed to investigate risk factors for CHD in men and women aged 65 and older (see below). It also provided an opportunity to examine the impact of the NCEP guidelines on physicians' prescribing patterns for elderly patients.

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A. would be the thinnest, trimmest nation in the world, with over 40 million Americans spending billions each year on weight loss products. In fact, the opposite is true. The Center for Disease Control claims that at least 65% of adults are overweight or obese. With the growing list of woes associated with obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, the weight problem in America has become a serious concern. Yet we continue to look to fad diets as the answer to this serious problem - as if living on bacon and eggs, cabbage soup, or low-calorie meal replacement drinks could ever be construed as a healthy solution.
A review of popular diet programs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, stated that most weight loss programs offered little or no proof that participants were successful in loosing weight or keeping weight off in the long run. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stated that of the millions of people that diet, less than 5% of those who actually loose weight will be able to keep it off in the years to come. It has been surmised that a dieter may shed approximately 100 pounds in the course of a lifetime, but gain back 120 lbs. One benefit of weight loss organizations, however, was group support. Dieters who joined support groups appeared to loose more weight than those who decided to go it alone.
Fad diets themselves bring with them a plethora of health concerns. Restrictive low calorie diets can be self-defeating. The body's metabolism slows moving the system into energy conservation mode and holding on to every calorie for future use instead of burning it. Precious muscle mass is broken down, and low lethargy occurs. Low carbohydrate diets can result in dehydration and constipation. The risk of heart disease is escalated due to the increase of bad cholesterol found in animal fats. When nutritional integrity of the body is threatened due to the elimination of a particular food group, the dieter is at risk for many health problems including osteoporosis, certain types of cancers, immune system issues, electrolyte imbalances, and eating disorders. And with diets, as opposed to permanent lifestyle changes, the probability of gaining back what you have lost, and then some, is high.
In a culture obsessed with physical perfection perhaps we must evaluate how we think about weight in general. Are we dieting to be healthy, or just thin? If the later is the objective, then further investigation into dieting motivation may be necessary, but if health is the ultimate goal, then looking at lifestyle changes may the place to start. Are you an emotional eater, have a compulsive sweet tooth, or someone who eats out of boredom? Do you eat fresh foods or only things that come in a box, bag, or through a drive-up window? What is the overall condition of your health? Is your lifestyle sedentary or active? What type of physical activities do you enjoy? Questions like these help you build the foundation for creating a customized Non-Diet Diet - a common sense plan for living that will result weight loss, elevated energy levels, and improved health and well-being.
Quick fixes usually result in long term failures, and while the answer to America's weight problem may not come in the form of a magic diet, it need not be extremely complicated either. Maintaining a sensible meal plan, including complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats, fruit and vegetables, and sweets in moderation, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy attitude regarding the weight/health connection may be the simple answer you've been looking for.

When It Comes To Menopause- You Are What You Eat

Did you know that Japanese women tend to suffer hot flashes only about 1/3 as often as American women? Or that those following a vegetarian diet also complain of hot flashes far less than the rest of us? Of course, you don't have to give up the steaks just yet - but doctors and nutritional professionals suspect that the difference is largely due to the use of soy products in the diets of these women, and several women have now realized that by incorporating some soy in their diets, their symptoms of menopause have abated considerably.
In fact, altering your diet in small ways can have the greatest positive effect on your body as it transitions to menopause and beyond. For instance, by staying away from hot drinks, you're not giving your body reason to 'heat up' and produce a hot flash. At the same time, reducing your caffeine intake (which often comes in the form of hot drinks, including coffee and tea) will naturally help you sleep better at night, which will keep your mood and mental state healthy.
Lastly, replacing these drinks with water and juice will keep your bones and muscles well-lubricated, prevent osteoporosis from settling in, and temper your general aches and pains. We know it's no easy task to give up coffee, but think of the endless benefits of this one relatively minor change to your diet.
In fact, one of the most commonly complained about symptoms of menopause these days is the weight gain that seems to come along with it. Put simply, your body isn't burning calories in the same way it once was, so if you don't change your diet - even if it's already a healthy one - you're bound to gain a few pounds around the waist.
Changing your diet now, simply by avoiding a few foods that are bound to make other symptoms worse, while increasing the foods high in certain vitamins while remaining low in calories, will help you to maintain your figure while giving your body the nutrients it needs to fight off some of the worst symptoms of menopause.
We'll tell you which foods to add to your diet if you're suffering hot flashes, vaginal thinning, aches and pains, or emotional symptoms of menopause. In addition, of course, we'll share the secrets of which vitamins and herbs have been proven to keep your mind sharp and your bones strong as you age through menopause and beyond.
For instance, foods high in potassium, including most fruits, will help you keep your mind sharp while promoting healthy water flushing throughout your body (which will reduce cramps and bloating), while keeping your muscles and bones lubricated and strong - including your needy joints and your thinning vaginal walls. In short, this is the time in your life when 'an apple a day' couldn't ring more true!
Also, oily fish, including salmon and tuna, and vegetable oils, are often recommended by nutritionists for anyone wanting to keep their minds sharp. But these oils are also useful in helping keep your muscles from drying, while helping your digestive system.
In fact, everything from Vitamins C and E to herbal remedies such as Dong Quai and Wild Yam Root are discussed in this book; remember, not only American women suffer menopause - you're far from alone. Every woman in the world goes through menopause sooner or later, and we all have our own ways of treating the symptoms unique to us.
We'll explore the countless ways in which these small changes or additions to your diet will not only combat the unique symptoms you're going through, but the ways in which you can identify these symptoms quickly to lead a healthy, long life far after menopause.
But let's talk about soy again, briefly. It's been in the news, and for good reason, but where do you start? Many of us would buy a chunk of tofu, which, let's face it, can be tasteless, but it doesn't end there, and again, you don't need to move to Japan to figure out how to add it to your diet. You don't need to give up eating cheeseburgers to enjoy the occasional veggie burger, but adding some soy to your diet has made the symptoms of menopause much more tolerable for millions of women. If you've not eaten many soy products, don't hold your nose just yet - in addition to helping your symptoms, you may find that you actually like it!

Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia

The incidences of eating disorders in our society have been steadily increasing over the last few years. It now occurs in 1 out of every 100 women. Nineteen out of 20 people who suffer from eating disorders are young women between 18 and 25.
Studies have found that our social habits and expectations increase the likelihood of the disorder in our young women. The emphasis on outward appearances and thinness are targeted daily through peer pressure and how our society markets its Health and Fitness Products and Services.
Yes obesity is definitely a problem in our society, and we have guidelines for Health and Nutrition, but the majority of young women fail to follow the guidelines in an effort to gain immediate gratification or have had abnormal eating habits throughout their lifetime.
Anorexia Nervosa:
Case Study:
Jennifer is 20 years old. She is very attractive and has always been an over achiever. From an early age she prided herself on her figure. She watched her diet, exercised daily and maintained a regiment of self-discipline. She has always been thin, but has never been satisfied with her weight or appearance. She continually strives to lose more weight. She is 5' 6" and weighs 85 lbs.
Jennifer is unaware of the fact that she is undernourished, therefore she sees no problem with her appearance or weight.
How does this happen??
Learned behavior has a great deal to do with why this happens. Many young women develop anorexia-like patterns as our society is pressured with the pursuit of thinness. Many women are anorexic based on the eating patterns they have developed by trying to accomplish unrealistic weight goals.
Fashion models, long distance runners, women athletes and dancers commonly have anorexia-like traits. An intense fear of becoming obese. Even as they lose more weight. Inaccurate vision of how their bodies appear. Feeling fat when in actuality they are very thin and emaciated. Continual weight loss. 25% or more of their original body weight. Refusal to gain weight, which would place them in a normal body weight range.
Physical Dangers:
A rigorous dieting regime will send the body into starvation mode. Then the physical effects will start to manifest themselves:
Thyroid hormones will become abnormal. Adrenal, growth hormones and blood-pressure hormones also become abnormal.
Heart functions change. The heart pumps less efficiently, muscles become weak and thin. Heart rhythms many change. Blood pressure levels fall.
GI function can become abnormal. Diarrhea occurs as the lining of the digestive tract slow.
High levels of Vitamin A and Carotene in the blood.
Reduced levels of Protein.
An increase in fine body hair, skin dryness and deceased skin temperatures.
Brain activity becomes abnormal. Loss of sleep and feeling of never having enough rest.
Anorexia Nervosa is hard to diagnose, because almost everyone in our society is in pursuing thinness. Denial and deception are common place for young women with Anorexia, therefore it takes a skilled professional to diagnose Anorexia.
Bulimia
Bulimia occurs in women of all ages, but is more common among those under 30. Bulimia is more common than Anorexia and in males. Only a small percentage of people who are Bulimic show signs of Anorexia.
Case Study:
Carry is a women in her late twenties, she maintain a normal weight range and obsesses about food. She starves herself then binges, when she has eaten too much she vomits.
Carry, like 60% of people with Bulimia, starts to binge after a period of extreme dieting. The most popular binge foods are food that are high in sugar and fat, and are easy to eat in large amounts. (cookies, cakes, ice cream, and bread products)
The side effects of the binge eating are swollen hands and feet, bloating, fatigue, headaches, nausea and pain.
Physical Dangers:
Fluid and Electrolyte imbalances.
Abnormal Heart rhythms
Kidney dysfunction which can cause bladder infections and kidney failure.
Irritation to the pharynx, esophagus, and salivary glands.
Erosion of teeth and dental caries.
Use of laxatives can cause injury to the intestinal tract.
Bulimia has been described as a socially approved method of weight control. Practiced among women in the upper-classes because of social obligations which include many dinners and parties.
Both Anorexia and Bulimia are socially generated eating disorders generated by our need for the "perfect image", resulting in self-destructive eating patterns.
Listen to your Body, it is Wiser than you Think. Respect your own unique traits and Diet sensibly.
Resources:
WebMD
http://my.webmd.com
Eating Disorder Treatment and Helpline
http://edhelpline.com
National Eating Disorders Association
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Anorexia and Bulimia Care
http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.co.uk
This article is freely available for reprint provided that the resource box at the end of the article is left intact and the article is published complete.

"The Two Sides of Medicine"

Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of view as to how to maintain good health, or how to regain it after having lost it. This conflict has continued since ancient times ... and no doubt will continue well into the future.
One 'side' believes good health is as a result of outside intervention... drugs, surgery etc. The other 'side' believes that good health results from living in harmony with natural law... correct nutrition... cleanliness etc.
The ancient Greeks had terms for these two groups of people. As was often the case in those days each group came under the umbrella of a 'god'. One was 'Asklepios'... the god of medicine, whose proponents advocated the 'intervention' approach. These people were known as 'Asklepians'. Those who believed that the secret of good health resulted from living in harmony with nature looked up to 'Hygeia'... Goddess of health. These people were known as 'Hygeian'.
Asklepians versus Hygeian
Both sides tended to be critical of the other... nothing much has changed over the ages. Modern mainstream western medicine takes the 'Asklepian' approach. However, in recent years the Hygeian approach which has always been the underlying principle behind Chinese traditional medicine has gained much ground. The increase in the popularity of the 'Hygeian' approach is no doubt due to a combination of several factors: Dissatisfaction of traditional mainstream medicine. Increasing cases of medical 'misadventure'. (Hospitals are places to stay away from) Awareness that good health is primarily a personal responsibility... not of overworked physicians. An increasing awareness that the medical industry is highly influenced by drug companies and that there are often better, safer and more economic natural alternatives to drugs.
In spite of this justified 'swing' away from mainstream medicine, mainstream medicine does have a place in everyone's health program ... apart from the obvious ones in treating accident cases or chronic urgent illness. So, if you are already a 'Hygeian' don't over look the benefits that mainstream medicine can offer to you in your overall quest for good health and longevity.
These benefits are primarily in the early detection of a pending disease that you may not as yet be aware of!
An example
Let's assume that you are over 40 years of age... you are healthy, fit and not overweight. You eat well, you don't smoke, don't drink excessively and rarely get sick. You probably think that you will live forever... well at least into ripe old age! Right? Maybe... or maybe not.
Reflect on this for a moment. Have you ever known anyone around this age that has died suddenly to your amazement because you thought they were so healthy? That person may even have been a competitive athlete!
Let me tell you a true story.
About 15 years ago a friend of mine who was around 40, a former competitive body builder who was still in great shape and extremely fit was at a lake water-skiing. He was watching some young water-skiers doing some 'tricks'.
Being the competitive person that he was he waited until they came in and went down to the waters edge and said "Now, I'll show you how to really do it". Those were the last words he ever uttered... a couple of minutes later he was lying on the ground dead of a massive heart attack.
My friend died instantly. He could just as easily had a stroke which he may or may not have recovered from... which would also have been a major tragedy.
Tragedies can often be avoided
Tragedies like this happen every day and the results are devastating not only to the victims but also their families, friends and loved ones. Sadly, many of these tragedies could have been averted ... if more people were aware of their risk factors and could correct any abnormalities before it was too late!
Now back to the point of this story. My friend died of a blockage in his artery. Only takes one! If 15 years ago the technology for measuring ALL the 'predictors' which indicate your risk of such an event were available AND my friend had understood what they meant he would probably still be showing those young fellows how to do water-skiing tricks!
How many thousands of people are still dying needlessly because they do not know how to take advantage of current technology ... or, in some cases are so opposed to mainstream medicine that they do not take advantage of the 'good'parts!
OK... what should you do?
First of all, if you are over 35 and have not had a blood test within the last few years ... arrange one... NOW!
Get a general one, which tests for: Cholesterol. Both LDL and HDL Triglycerides Homocysteine Lipoproteins Liver Function Renal Function Plasma Glucose
If you are a man over 40 make sure you also have a PSA. (Prostate Specific Antigen) test) Hint: There is recent evidence that suggests that if you have had sex within the previous 72 hours your PSA levels could be affected. Play it safe and abstain for 2 - 3 days before your test.
Irrespective of your gender ask your physician if any other tests are also recommended for you. If each test is within the normal range, that's great, you can rest easy knowing that you are unlikely to be subject to any immediate health risk. You can then direct your efforts towards improving the way you feel and slowing down your aging process.
If any of your tests are abnormal you will need to do something about bringing them back to within 'normal' ranges ... and possibly be subject to more tests. It is the treatment of any abnormalities from these blood tests that create a potential conflict between 'Askelepians' and 'Hygeians'.
Here is an example of potential conflict
Let's say your tests show that your cholesterol is 'out of whack', your 'mainstream' physician may first propose lowering your intake of diet cholesterol. That's unlikely to be successful as ingested cholesterol only makes up a relatively small percentage of blood cholesterol.
They will next likely propose one of the cholesterol lowering drugs commonly known as 'statins'. These are drugs that work by blocking an enzyme that your liver needs to manufacture cholesterol. (Up to 80% of your blood cholesterol is manufactured by your liver, NOT from the ingestion of cholesterol within your diet).
These statin drugs are very powerful and have been known to cause serious side effects including deaths. In fact Bayers were recently forced to withdraw their statin drug from the market place because of 'unacceptable' levels of fatalities. In spite of these risks, sales of statin drugs amount to billions of dollars per year and are commonly prescribed.
It's ironic that there are natural alternatives to these statin drugs which can assist in lowering cholesterol, and do it safely, and without side effects. But the general public hears very little about them as they are not patentable and there is not the financial incentive for the big corporate's to promote them.
The same principle applies for many different ailments. There can be many legitimate methods of treatments. What is important is that you seek out the natural alternatives and apply them before agreeing to subject yourself to the negative side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.
Pharmaceutical drugs are 'blockers' whereas natural remedies are 'enablers'
Pharmaceutical drugs are 'blockers' and do not normally heal the underlying ailment. They generally work by suppressing natural functions such as certain enzymes which I mentioned earlier when giving the 'statin' example. Because of this process, results are often 'instant' and as such there is sometimes a place for these powerful prescription drugs in the case of life threatening emergencies.
In contrast, natural products such as herbs, vitamins etc are 'enablers'. They work at correcting the cause of the ailment which is often a nutrient deficiency of some sort. The results are not immediate and have to be measured in weeks, or even months.
If you have a serious ailment, work with your physician to try and correct it... by first using natural remedies. If she or he is not familiar with the treatment you would like to try, do some further research and get hold of supporting information so you are in a better position to discuss the options intelligently. If your physician has a closed mind to natural remedies it may be wise to ask around and find another qualified physician with an open mind.

Antioxidants - Your Best Defense Against Disease and Aging

Studies support the benefits of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. This is due to their high antioxidant value. Why are antioxidants so important? Because they have a proven track record of fighting free radicals.
Your body is being constantly attacked by very harmful substances known as free radicals or oxygen radicals. Free radicals can destroy your cells, tissues and organs.
Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are naturally formed inside our bodies by the process of oxidation. They are normal by products of everyday functions like digestion and physical activity. Free radicals also come from outside sources, such as smoking, environmental pollution, and synthetic chemicals that are added to our water and food.
We are also all exposed daily to polluted air, ingest oxidized or partially rancid foods, and oxidizing radiations from the sun and various electrical appliances.
Free radicals lack one electron making them chemically unstable. To stabilize themselves, they attack any other substance within reach and steel an electron from it. This process creates a new free radical, which repeats the process, producing a "domino effect." When this reaction is uncontrolled, it can generate millions of free radicals within seconds.
Fortunately our bodies come equipped with a free radical fighting mechanism. It consists of specialized enzymes that have a "spare" electron that they can give away without turning into free radicals. In order to protect us, the enzymes need help from certain substances known as antioxidants.
The antioxidant value of any food or supplement can be determined by it's ORAC rating. ORAC means Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. According to the University of Michigan, Comprehensive Cancer Center, the measurement of ORAC is a way to measure how many oxygen radicals a specific food can absorb. The more oxygen radicals a food can absorb, the higher its ORAC score. The higher its score... the more that food or supplement will help you fight diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Most experts agree that we should consume 5,000 ORAC units per day to effectively fight free radicals in the body. Sadly, most of us average around 1,200 units per day. Not nearly enough to protect us from the common ciseases of aging.
One of the best sources of antioxidants are berries and fruits. Most of us would have a very hard time eating the large amounts necessary to reach 5,000 ORAC units per day. For this reason, high ORAC supplements have been created. They contain berry and fruit extracts with a known ORAC rating. These supplements are inexpensive and provide many health benefits to your entire body and brain. Many people use these supplements as part of an anti-aging program. Keeping your cells from being destroyed goes a long way to staying healthy and young.

How To Give Up Insomnia

I am writing this on a Sunday morning following a very restless night when sleep just didn't want to be my friend. I have suffered with insomnia for many years but, by using a combination of techniques, it is more or less under control.
Yesterday, I spent much too long working on changes to my website. I was enjoying it, so the time shot by. I ended up sending out for a big Chinese meal late in the evening. A vast quantity of spicy food was washed down with several glasses of wine. If you want to lie awake half the night, just do as I did. The remedy is simple and obvious. Time to get a grip on the lifestyle.
Self-inflicted insomnia is easily cured. What I call "real" insomnia is a beast of a much deeper hue, debilitating and much harder to defeat. Even so, it is not impossible to overcome and there is a whole range of things you can do to get the upper hand.
Here I should state that I do not pretend to have any special medical or therapeutic knowledge and I would not advise anybody to stop taking their prescribed medication. I am just sharing my experiences in the hope that they might help other people who are struggling through wakeful nights.
The following tips for getting off to sleep are pretty well known but I think they are worth repeating.
Keep the bedroom just for bed with no reminders of daytime activities like work or study. Decorate the room in restful colours and use soft lighting. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and the ventilation adequate. Hang curtains which are heavy enough to block out the early morning light.
Have a bedtime routine. This does not involve doing anything special, it is just a matter of doing the same things in the same order each night. We all have things we do regularly: empty the dishwasher, put out the cat, lock the front door, set the alarm, brush teeth etc. These routine things are our steps away from the activity of the day, towards the restful night.
Make a soak in a warm bath part of your nightly ritual. Adding a few drops of aromatherapy oil to the water makes it doubly relaxing, soft background music makes the experience positively decadent.
Don't drink alcohol late at night. A nightcap might make you feel drowsy but it will disrupt your natural sleep rhythms and exacerbate your problem.
A warm milky drink is the best thing to have last thing at night. (Yes, our mothers were right when they made us drink cocoa.) There are tons of instant milky drinks available and most ranges have low fat options. If you don't like this milky, chocolatey type of drink, try out herbal teas but avoid anything containing caffeine.
Exercise is important but should be performed several hours before bedtime otherwise the adrenaline will still be pumping around your system and keeping you awake.
What if you follow the above tips, fall peacefully asleep and then wake up three hours later, in the dark middle of the night? To me, this is the most distressing type of insomnia. I know how it feels to wake up at 2.00 am, listen to the clock chime every hour round to 7.00 am, fall asleep and be rudely awakened by the alarm at 7.30. I always feel worse after that final snatched half hour of sleep than I felt in the middle of the night and sometimes get up insanely early to avoid it. The following tips can help you get back to sleep.
Recognise why you are awake. If you are too hot, cold or uncomfortable in any way, fix that problem. I often wake up thirsty, so I always have a jug of water at my bedside. Sometimes a drink of water is all that's needed to get back to sleep.
Relax by breathing slowly and deeply and by concentrating on tensing and then relaxing every muscle in your body, one by one, starting with toes and working upwards to your head.
Keep a pen and paper by your bed so if you are worrying about things you have to do, you can write them down in a list. This way you can stop worrying about forgetting anything important. As you write each thing down, visualise it leaving your brain and lodging itself on paper where you will find it safely in the morning. I find this exercise helps a lot if I have things on my mind.
If all this fails, you have been awake for over half an hour and know you are in for a long wakeful night; give up, get up, go do things. You won't feel any worse and you will probably feel better. There is no point in wasting those hours just lying there worrying about insomnia. If you feel sleepy further into the night, you can always go back to bed.
I gave up insomnia by sleeping whenever I could and getting up and doing things when I was wide awake even if it was the middle of the night. I decided to sleep when I could, not worry if I woke up at strange hours and not waste time tossing and turning in search of sleep. The decision to stop worrying was the key to my recovery.
I was fortunate in that I was not tied to a 9-5 work schedule, most of my work was done at home or in the library. All I had to do was make sure I was there for my children who were all school age.
Over a few weeks I "enjoyed" a strange lifestyle. I would go to bed at my normal time, get up at any time of night when I couldn't sleep (usually between 3.00 am and 5.00 am) and read or write essays or do quiet household chores. Then I would get the children up and see that they had breakfast and got off to school. I would then, depending how I felt, carry on working or go to bed. My alarm would be set so that I did not have to worry about being asleep when the children came home from school (I never was: I think mothers have an internal alarm clock). I would sleep for as long as I needed and then get up and carry on with my day. At weekends I could sleep while the children were doing homework or out with their friends.
Gradually, my night-time sleep became longer and my spells of daytime sleep grew shorter. Without any effort or worrying, I reverted to a normal sleep pattern and resumed a conventional timetable.
Several years afterwards I came across this quotation: "If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the loss of sleep". -- Dale Carnegie. I couldn't have put it better myself!
If you have commitments which prevent you from using this "cure", I suggest you give it a try over a holiday weekend or any other time you can manage to be home for three or more consecutive days. You will not find sleep if you search for it or worry about it, relax and it will come to you.

Overall Food Health Values

Let's take a look a the basic food elements in your perfect dietary plan; fruits and vegetables group, bread, cereals, rice and past groups, meats and beans group and dairy group. Each has different characteristics or helpful nutritional value for your dietary needs.
Fruits and Vegetables – Fruits have very little if any protein and fat. Instead, they have carbohydrates, generally fruit sugar or fructose and glucose. As Florida commercials tend to announce, fruits offer us vitamins, C and B to be exact, as well as potassium, fiber and other nutrients. While the sugar helps with maintaining blood sugar levels, vitamins and other nutrients help ward off sickness and disease, and fiber is important for waste disposal from the body.
Here is a peek at some fruits and their relationship to the perfect diet.
Apples – These help cleanse the system and aid lungs, and have been used as laxatives, for fainting, melancholy and palpitations. Apples have been known to help people with diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high cholesterol trouble.
Apricots – These offer beta carotene and potassium. They aid in adding moisture to the body, especially the breathing and throat areas. Apricots have been known to help fight cancer and high blood pressure, prevent night blindness, aid those with stomach and lung cancers, low energy and elderly with mental depression.
Bananas – These have been noted to help with intestinal and lung problems, ulcers and constipation, mental alertness, and increasing energy. They also help people with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease risk, blood sugar level maintenance, and the elderly with confusion.
Berries – A variety of berries has been noted to help with varicose veins, menstrual problems, premature graying, joint ailments, insomnia, liver, spleen and pancreas problems. They also help reduce cancer risk and aid with rheumatoid arthritic solutions, weight loss issues, stomach and colon cancers.
Citrus Fruits – Oranges, tangerines, kumquats, lemons, limes - -help with stomach and colon trouble and with anemia and infections (like scurvy) and colds. They are also help people with cataracts and the prevention of colon and stomach cancers.
Figs – These work as laxatives and have been known to help with the treatment of boils and anemia reduction, and the prevention of osteoporosis.
Grapes – Grapes are associated with cleansing the body and to help with water retention, urinary issues, jaundice and hepatitis. They are also associated with the healing of rheumatoid arthritis and aid with mental confusion / depression, especially among the elderly.
Mangos – Mangos are noted to aid in the prevention of anemia and the strengthening of the immune system. They also have been used to help with fighting off infections and tumors and the prevention of cervical cancer. And they help with the heal of diarrhea, sweating and mental alertness.
Papayas – This is a great source for vitamin C and is also noted for helping with male fertility, with aiding white blood cells among the elderly, with intestinal treatments and with cancer prevention.
Pears – Pears have similar characteristics as apples. They provide moisture for the body, are slow to digest and have fairly little allergic responses reported. They have also been used to help with coughing, diabetes, cholesterol levels, dryness in the chest cavity, skin injuries, introducing babies to food, staving off hunger and boosting brain power.
Pineapples – Their juice helps with digestion, dissolving blood clots (related to thrombosis) and healing wounds. They have been known to help with cancer prevention.
Prunes – Help with iron deficiency and constipation. Prune puree can act as a substitute in dietary cooking to lighten the fat low, working in place of butter and margarine.
Now let's look at some veggies. Again low in calories, vegetables are also high in fiber content, vitamins and minerals, with little to zero protein and fats. Check and see how some veggies affect your perfect diet.
Artichoke – Artichokes have been known to aid liver disease, kidneys and gallbladders. They also help with large intestinal problems, skin and bowel cancer prevention, high cholesterol and hepatitis.
Asparagus – Great source of some vitamin B, this veggie helps with water retention with regards to kidneys and menstrual issues, cataracts and lung problems (some bronchitis, tuberculosis).
Avocado – Great source for vitamins E and some Bs and oil, avocados help with the immune systems in elderly people. They also aid the liver, lungs and intestines (ulcer treatments), infertility in men and Parkinson's Disease.
Broccoli – This has been noted to help with anemia, eye disorders like near-sightedness, and infections, especially childhood ones like measles. Broccoli has also been known to help counteract the effects of cigarette smoke and aid in many types of cancer prevention.
Cabbage – Cabbage has been used to help with lung and digestive disorders, ulcers, wounds, joints, mastitis and acne. Is has been reported to help with breast and prostate cancers, bacterial infections and heart disease prevention.
Celery – This is helpful for those with high blood pressure, for those with rheumatoid arthritis and for calming, not only with the liver but with stress and anxiety as well. Celery is also used to help with stomach, pancreas and spleen troubles, acne and canker sores, burning urine and eye inflammation.
Legumes – These seed pod products help with the reduction of heart disease risk and help with the healing of some cancers, blood sugar level maintenance and iron / calcium maintenance in the body. They also aid people with anemia and diabetes.
Mushrooms – These help white blood cells in the immune system, help fight some cancers and heart disease and may help in the prevention of clotting, by blood thinning.
Onions – They have helped with heart disease prevention, bladder (and other) cancer, and circulatory problems. They have also helped in healing swelling from bug bites and bronchial inflammations. And onion tea is said to have sedative qualities.
Potatoes / Other Roots – These root veggies are associated with the prevention of different cancers, the prevention of blood clotting related with heart disease, and with protection against inhaled nicotine (via smokers). Carrots further aid in stomach and lung cancer care, food poisoning healing, iron deficiency, sexual problems and night blindness. While beets help reduce heart disease risk and spina bifida (with pregnant women). And they help with high blood pressure care and muscle replenishing.
Pumpkins / Squash – These have been known to help with the prevention of prostate cancer and the reduction of heart disease risk. They also aid in healing cataracts / retinal and lens damage in the eye and with the flu and colds.
Soybeans – These help with osteoporosis risk reduction, lowering blood cholesterol levels, and prostate and breast cancer reduction and prevention. Soybeans have also been known for helping the spleen, blood and pancreas, and increasing milk production in breast-feeding women.
Tomatoes – These help in the reduction of heart disease, the healing of prostate and other cancers, and with the aging (both mentally and physically) process.
Bread, Cereals, Rice and Pasta – Cereals are considered staple foods. Depending upon the country, weather, region, etc., popular varieties vary; corn, barley, oats, wheat, rice, millet. Grains mainly give the body carbohydrates (mostly starches), some fiber, protein, vitamins (mainly Bs and E) and minerals. Here is a peek at some foods in this category.
Bread – This major energy source offers the body lots of nutrition, protein, calcium, iron and B vitamins. Breads help reduce risk of infertility in men, anemia, heart and spine problems, osteoporosis and colon cancer risk. Historically, bread was prescribed as nature's way to aid in colonic irrigation.
Corn – Corn may be able to help with spina bifida risk in babies. It helps with heart disease and colon cancer prevention. Popped corn can be a great diet food, depending upon the oil and additives (like butter) used. Corn silks have been used in diuretic teas to help with high blood pressure, gallstones, kidney stones, water retention, and urinary problems.
Oats – Oats are known to help with skin problems and in the treatment of depression, anxiety and insomnia. The saponins, B vitamins and alkaloids in oats aid with mood-lifting. Some forms of oats also work as antiseptic and heart disease treatments, help lower blood pressure and with weight reduction (cause full feeling and digest slowly) and are popular on diabetic menus.
Rice – Rice has been used for the healing of depression, for reducing colon cancer risk, for reducing cholesterol levels and blood pressure. It offers quick energy for the body, helps calm the stomach, is good for poor digestion and diarrhea, and helps fight celiac disease. Rice cakes are great substitutions for dieters, replacing breads.
Wheat - This traditional kidney toner help with the reduction and prevention of colon and breast cancer, blocking of the arteries and heart disease. Wheat also aids in mental functions including focus and calmness. Many pastas are made from wheat and in this category. They offer carbohydrates, fiber and B vitamins to the body.
Meats and Fish - Meats are a source of protein and iron. Mainly fat content needs to be of concer with regards to perfect dietary planning. And leaner meats are becoming more readily available; lean hamburger, buffalo, emu and ostrich. Fish, also good protein sources, help reduce heart disease risk, inflammation and blood clotting.
Fish – Oily fish have been known to help with bone density, to relieve psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritic pain, and help prevent heart disease and anemia. Shellfish helps with male fertility, brittle bones, weak muscles, weight loss and the prevention of cancer.
Meats – Aid male fertility, build body tissue, nervous system damage and maintenance and help with the prevention of anemia and osteoporosis.
Gamebirds / Poultry – These foods help enhance concentration and mood. They also aid in the prevention of anemia and depression. And for those with allergies, turkey and chicken are noted at rarely causing allergic reactions.
Dairy – Dairy products help in the prevention of tooth decay, protein deficiency, loss of energy, high blood pressure, bone fractures, osteoporosis, rickets and some cancers including colo