Heart Disease

The Secret of Weight Loss

2005-10-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

By Don L. Price

In the medical community, "obesity" is generally said to be present in women with more than 30% body fat and men with more than 25% body fat. "Morbid obesity," a more serious condition still, occurs when a person is 50-100% or 100 pounds above his or her ideal body weight or has more than 39% body fat. Medical problems commonly associated with morbid obesity include diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers (including breast and colon cancer), depression, and osteoarthritis.

Obesity among the American population is a serious epidemic. The results of a 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that an estimated 64% of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese.

Millions of people approach weight control, focusing on the symptom. The symptom being the weight itself. These people put all their energy into baking it off, working it off, starving it off, or all kinds of fad diets.

They all experience the ups and downs on the weight charts and scale. This makes for a lot of upset and depressed people who think that they will never solve the problem of eliminating, permanently, those excess pounds and inches.

The only time that anyone has to be concerned with weight control is when they are eating. The fact of the matter is that people are concerned with weight before they eat and they beat themselves up after they eat. While people are eating there is no concern.

We spend a small amount of time each day eating and that is the only time that people have to increase their conscious awareness and focus on developing proper eating habits.

If you are overweight, you may be so because you formed a habit of eating improperly.

By re-educating your eating habits, you will find that you still enjoy eating and for much more positive reasons. You`ll eliminate weight -- and you won`t regain it.

The plan is very basic, simple, and easy. Every week, for a period of six weeks, you are going to practice a new and different mental exercise to help you change your eating habits.

WEEK ONE: Sit down to eat and drink. Even if it`s only a piece of gum or a sip of water, sit down! This will help eliminate the unconscious snacking that is so much a part of being overweight. This also eliminates tasting foods for those who cook.

WEEK TWO: Relax! Take a minute to breathe comfortably and be thankful for the food in front of you. This will help you become aware of the foods that you eat and the way in which you eat them.

WEEK THREE: Chew your food well. Sip your drinks. Take small bites. Depending on what you are eating, chew from 25 to 40 times with each mouthful. By consuming small portions and eating more slowly, your taste buds will have a chance to get the full and wonderful flavor from the nutritious foods you are eating.

Your stomach will have a chance to tell your mind that you are full and satisfied and that you require a smaller amount of food than before. It can take the same amount of time to eat a small amount of food as it does to eat a large amount.

WEEK FOUR: Get rid of bad emotions and frustrations. if you have a problem or transaction that you are working on, clear your mind before you eat. Eating out of frustration is a very common bad habit.

WEEK FIVE: Think about the food you eat, especially the flavor.

WEEK SIX: Leave something on your plate (besides your fork). We’re conditioned to clean everything from our plates and programmed to believe that cleaning our plates will help starving children elsewhere in the world or that it’s a sin to waste food.

OTHER ATTITUDES TO CONSIDER

1. Refer to diets as menus.

2. Refer to losing weight as eliminating weight permanently.

3. Use smaller plates and glasses.

4. Serve yourself smaller portions.

5. Use one room in the house in which to eat, perhaps even one chair.

6. Keep a diary of the food you eat.

In addition to these exercises, it is important that you utilize the techniques learned in altered- states (hypnosis) to effect habit change and visualize exactly the way you want to look.

Imagine yourself standing on your bathroom scale and looking down at the weight you want to be.

Some sample weight control suggestions:

1. I weigh ___ pounds and am slim, healthy, and attractive.

2. I eat only those healthful, nutritious foods that allow me to maintain my weight at ___ pounds.

3. I eat my meals slowly and enjoy every bite. I taste and savor my food better than ever before.

4. The desire to eliminate fat from my body is stronger than ever before. I am, on a daily basis, eating less and enjoying food more, and the desire to eliminate weight is stronger than the desire to eat.

5. I see myself as being slim, trim, firm and solid. I think thin.

6. I am staying satisfied for longer periods of time. The desire to eliminate unnatural fat from my body is stronger than my desire to eat. I see fattening eating behavior and I have no desire to indulge in such behavior. I enjoy being slim, trim, thin and slender.

By utilizing these behavior modification suggestions you will completely re-educate your eating habits and will have formed a successful pattern for creating and maintaining a slim, trim, permanent new shape.

----------------------------------end

Don L. Price -- Business and Positive Change Strategist --
International Speaker and Author – He speaks on Optimizing Your Power to Succeed, with Strategic Performance Marketing and Closing Power, Winning Presentation Techniques and Life Enrichment Through Self Hypnosis.
Don can be reach at: 1800Succeed (800-782-2333)
www.donlprice.com

Tips to Help You Lose Excess Fat

2005-08-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

By Anthony Ellis

Believe it or not, losing a little or a lot of fat involves pretty much the same concept - consistent dieting coupled with cardiovascular exercise and weight training. This is how the professionals do it, and it works. If you are overweight, you may be hesitant to start a weight training program, but the benefits far outweigh any reservations you may have.

Weight training enhances your fat loss by increasing your muscle mass and more muscle means more calories burned (faster metabolism). It also it gives your skin a more tone, tight appearance, lowers your blood pressure, strengthens your bones, improves your agility, increases your flexibility, strengthens your immune system and gives you more energy and a brighter outlook on life. If you have a high level of body fat, or you have never been able to successfully lose fat, you should consider trying a complete, well-rounded program that not only focuses on dieting, but also includes adequate cardiovascular activity and weight training.

If you are already very muscular, and you just want lose a little body fat, then a fat loss program that includes regular cardiovascular activity and weight training is perfect for you. The best way to get ripped and maintain as much muscle as you can is to diet slowly.

The truth is, when you are on a low calorie diet, your body prefers to use muscle tissue for fuel rather than excess body fat. So, the slower you lose weight, the more likely you are losing fat and not muscle. Ideally, you should aim to lose no more than 1lb - 1.5 lbs per week that`s it. If you are obese, then you should try to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight per week. Any more than that and you are sacrificing muscle.

Women do tend to lose fat at a slower rate than men, but don`t let this discourage you. Women simply store fat more efficiently than men because it is needed during and after pregnancy. As your body fat levels drop, you will notice that the fat loss comes off in reverse of how it was put on. So, the most recent fat gains will come off first, while the old fat that has been there for a while will take the longest to lose.

The most difficult fat to lose usually centers around the waist, belly and lower back areas for men, and the upper thigh and buttocks, area for women. The fat in these areas are the most difficult to totally get rid of. These areas are comprised of mostly brown adipose tissue (fat). This type of fat is difficult to lose because the low blood flow in these areas hinders the fat mobilization. So, if the fat can`t be moved into the bloodstream to be used as fuel, those love handles will never go away.

That`s why thermogenic supplements help to improve fat loss - they increase circulation into these hard to reach areas and mobilize the stubborn fat.

Remember that you cannot spot reduce!

What I mean by this is that you can`t pick and choose the areas that you would like to lose the fat and do exercises that work those areas expecting the fat to just magically disappear in those areas. Your body does not work that way. The only way to decrease the amount of fat in certain key areas is by lowering your total body fat levels.

As you lose fat, it will come off all over your body, not just in specific areas. If you follow a complete diet and weight training program for at least 12 weeks, you will begin to see dramatic changes occurring with your body, and I`m not just talking about the obvious physical changes, I`m also talking about the psychological and physiological changes.

You can expect lower body fat (of course), increased muscle mass, increased metabolism, increased sense of well-being, more energy, lower bad cholesterol level, increased good cholesterol level, decreased risk of heart disease, deeper more restful sleep and most important, increased self-confidence.

To be successful, your fat loss program should include the following:

* A calorie restrictive diet, which requires you to eat no less than 12x and no more than 15x your LEAN bodyweight in calories.

* Regular cardiovascular activity for at least 30-45 minutes 3-4 times per week. Some recommend a moderate pace while other recommend a vigorous pace -- it doesn`t really matter as long as you are exercising.

* Weight training.

* Supplementing your diet with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Vitamin C, L-glutamine, and a good multi vitamin are the bare essentials.

* Adequate dietary fat, including high amounts of Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3).

* Regularly monitor your progress. If you don`t track your progress you won`t know if your diet program is working! Looking in the mirror or just relying on the scale is NOT adequate. Here`s a great composition tracking software that I highly recommend http://www.comptracker.com

It will let you know exactly if what you are doing is working.

* Finally, make sure that the program you decide on is compatible with your lifestyle and schedule.

You can have the greatest program in the world, but if you cannot implement it then it is worthless. There are thousands of fat loss diets and workouts that will work, but the hard part is finding one that works for you and the specifics of your diet and schedule restraints.

Fitness Consultant Anthony Ellis has helped thousands of individuals lose fat and build more muscle. To read more about his fat loss recommendations please check out his site at http://www.fatlosstips.com

Measuring and Monitoring Your Bodyfat: Improves Overall Health

2005-07-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

By Anthony Ellis

With so many diets and fads being offered on the market today, it is no wonder why people are not just confused about weight loss and health, but in many cases, actually doing their body more harm than good. Unfortunately, one of the aspects of dieting that you see most often is the reduction or elimination of fat. The problem is that the body needs a certain amount of fat to function but without going over a healthy level. As you will see in this article, knowing what the right level is and how to monitor it are crucial to overall health and wellness.

Studies have been able to link certain conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure with high levels of body fat. The key is to ensure your body has enough fat to function properly but not too much, whereby disease could become a problem. The best way for a person to determine the level of body fat is by measuring it on a consistent basis with a simple tool called a caliper. In a matter of minutes, you will know exactly how much body fat you are carrying around with you. With this information, you will then be able to adjust your diet, cardio exercises, and
weight training to bring the fat-to-muscle ratio in line.

Keep in mind that there are several options, one being a body fat analyzer. Additionally, there is the skin fold test whereby waist to hip ratio measurements will be taken, circumference measurements, hydrostatic weight, near infrared analysis, bioelectrical impedance, total body potassium determination, and a test recently offered called the plethysmographic measurement, which is based on the principle of air displacement. All of these tests are good indicators of your current fat-to-muscle ratio.

Now, if you want to go through a professional to determine your true body fat level, you have two excellent options, both being accurate. The first is the Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) and the second, Hydrostatic Weighing. With DEXA, a full body scanner is used that reads and differentiates between bone mass and soft tissue mass. This type of scan can be completed in about 20 minutes and is painless, providing accuracy within a 2% error margin. Many insurance companies will cover the cost of DEXA but if not, you can have the scan performed for around $100.

With Hydrostatic Weighing, the body is weighed underwater. The test consists of sitting on a scale underneath water while blowing out as much air from your lungs as possible. Then when dunked below the water’s surface, you would blow out even more air. Because fat does not weigh as much as water, the more fat a person’s body has, the more they will float. Therefore, Hydrostatic Weighing works by measuring underwater weight so that body density can be determined.

On the other hand, if you want to have the option of determining your fat-to-muscle ratio on your own and every day if you like, you can simply purchase a caliper from drug stores, health equipment stores, and even on the internet. Just remember that if you are interested in losing weight, instead of depending on the bathroom scale, it is important that you worry more about the excess fat being carried. While a standard scale will tell you if you are losing weight from diet and exercise, a scale will not tell if you are losing the body’s muscle or fat.

Understanding how to measure and monitor your body fat gives you a level of control to your future. The problem is that the majority of people know very little about their bodies. To become and stay healthy, you need to understand your body - how it works and what your body composition is so you can make choices that will be best for your overall health and wellness. Again, the best way to achieve this is to incorporate good diet, cardio exercise, and moderate weight training into your daily routine, along with measuring your fat-to-muscle ratio with a caliper.

While there are many different websites that provide you with valuable information and guidance, one of the best is Composition Tracker. With more than 25 different body fat formulas from which to choose, you will feel confident knowing you can and will succeed with losing unwanted fat. Composition Tracker offers tremendous benefit to all types of people, whether you are a man, woman, teenager, or elderly person. To gain more information and to get started today, simply visit http://www.comptracker.com

Fitness Consultant Anthony Ellis has helped thousands of individuals lose fat and build more muscle. To read more about his fat loss recommendations please check out his site at http://www.fatlosstips.com

No light matter

2005-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

By Anonymous

Question : WHAT is macular degeneration? What are the causes? Can supplements help?
Answer : MACULA refers to the light-sensitive area in the centre of the retina that controls the central visual field and the ability to see colours.

In macular degeneration, the macula breaks down and impairs eyesight. Though the peripheral vision (the ability to see the outside edges of the scene one is looking at) remains intact, the centre of the field of vision is blurry, grey or filled with a large blank spot.

As a result, the condition may make it difficult or impossible to read, drive, watch television or even recognise faces. Damage from free radicals, the unstable oxygen molecules that can harm cells, is probably the leading cause of macular degeneration.
A diet high in saturated fats, cigarette smoke and exposure to sunlight can lead to the formation of free radicals in the retina.

High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes may also be contributing factors because they limit blood flow to your eyes. Vitamin C, vitamin E and different types of carotenoids can neutralise the free radicals linked to macular degeneration.
Zinc plays a key role in the functioning of the retina as well., Selenium can also be included to boost the body`s overall antioxidant activity. For maximum protection, one may also consider taking herbal formulation containing bilberry as this herb contains antioxidant compounds and enhances blood flow to the retina.

The carotenoid lutein, which can be found in spinach, is especially important as it protects the macula by filtering out the sun`s harmful ultraviolet rays. Wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect the eyes is recommended. Stop smoking as it is a major contributor to macular degeneration. Increase intake of dark green vegetables as they are high in the antioxidant carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

www.medical-explorer.com (http://www.medical-explorer.com)

Alternative medicine in food- Shallots

2005-06-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

By Anita Cherry

Shallots belong to the lily family (Liliacae) where onion, garlic and leeks are present. It is classified as Allium cepa var. aggregatum .Shallots are smaller and sweeter than onion and like garlic its bulb divides into multiple sections .It digests better than onion when eaten raw. The bulbs are pulled of the ground and leaves are allowed to dry. The greens above the ground which are known as scallions are used as salads and also for cooking. Shallots are an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber and folic acid. It also contain calcium, iron and have a high protein
quality.

There has been lot of research and studies regarding the use of shallots for health conditions. Different analysis and studies have found that shallots contains two sets of compounds -sulfur compounds, such as allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and flavonoids, such as quercetin. Flavonoid consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes since they are anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory.

Recent studies have shown the potential health benefits of common onions and established that shallots are particularly effective against liver cancer cells. Shallots have six times the phenolic content than onions. Shallots help the liver eliminate toxins from the body and have saponins to inhibit and kill cancer cells.

Shallots are specifically linked to inhibiting human stomach cancer. Shallots produce an anti-coagulant that thins the blood and exhibit strong anti-platelet activity and are very good for patients who have symptomatic atherosclerotic disease, cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. It aids brain function and thus protects against Alzheimer’s disease. Shallots can lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by preventing the degradation of insulin and increasing metabolism of glucose. Eating shallots daily helps in the growth of bone tissue and reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis by 20%. It contains Prostaglandin A-1, a powerful agent which can lower blood pressure. Sulfur content in shallots makes skin look younger. Daily intake of a little shallot will benefit in the long run. Shallots can be eaten raw or cooked till they are tender.

Anita cherry is a health enthusiast who offers informative tips on health. http://www.healthinfoforyou.com/an/shallots%20as%20alternative%20medicine.htm

Colour Your Diet

2005-06-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

By Andrea Putting N.D

Purple grapes, blueberries, kiwi fruit, bananas, peaches and strawberries make an appetising fruit salad. A fruit salad is much more appealing with a full colour variation, than if it only has one or two colours. How important is it to have colourful meals? Is it just because it looks more interesting and pretty? Or is there a purpose to it?

In traditional medicine, the doctrine of signatures is followed. This means that different herbs and foods are classified for their healing properties according to their colour and shape. For example, yellow plants, such as dandelion, are known for their liver healing properties. This principle can also be used in our daily diet. I learnt from my mother, as a child, that a meal should always contain a variety of colour; this is a part of a balance diet. If we eat a diet which is lacking in some colour, such as green vegetables, then our diet will be out of balance and health problems relating to that colour will occur.

It is well known that different colours have different effects on us. Red and yellow are warming and stimulating. Turquoise, blue and violet are cooling and sedating. Green maintains balance and harmony. Our food can have a similar effect.

Each colour has its own energy vibration and will vibrate with different parts of the body. The colours represented by the chakras also represent the part of the body most affected by that particular colour. So each organ has its own colour that it relates to. When the colour is provided through the diet, it will energize the corresponding chakra, or energy centre, and provide positive vibration through the body`s organs and glands in that area.

A rainbow diet will provide you with all the nutrients and vitamins you require. The nutrients provided in a food will relate to the requirements of the chakra the colour corresponds to. Each food will energize, cleanse and heal its corresponding chakra. The outer cover of the food usually represents the colour vibration it radiates to and the action it will have on us. Some foods have more than one colour vibration, for example a pink grapefruit radiates to both yellow energy from the skin and pink from the flesh. A Haas avocado radiates to both indigo and green.

It is best to include foods of all colours in our diet, but when our system is out of balance, we can concentrate more on certain colour foods. This will help to harmonize the body and bring it back to equilibrium.

Red foods help us to have plenty of energy and meet life`s challenges. The assimilation of food and removal of toxins is enhanced. Red helps us to get in touch with our basic life-force energy and keeps us motivate and able to achieve our life`s goals. It gives us courage, strength and a feeling of confidence. Depression can be lessened with extra red plant foods. As red is our base, it can help us to be more grounded. Red stimulates the adrenal glands giving us the ability to survive. Red is excellent for those suffering from anaemia, blood disorders or who are always cold. If you are run-down or extremely tired, re foods can be stimulating and energizing. Red fruits and vegetables can regenerate depleted energy, build up the immune system and help to clean out the retained toxins and bad vibrations.

Orange supplies us with plenty of energy and an alert mind. It enhances our immune system, also improving blood circulation and digestion. Orange is a warming colour and radiates joy. It helps to remove blocked emotions and enables us to express ourselves more, allowing us to enjoy stronger relationships. It is also linked to our sexuality and our sex organs. Oranges encourages us to be more sociable, outgoing, and optimistic. It is a creative colour as it opens up our minds to new things. Orange is a great tonic for both the physical and mental aspects of our lives, giving boosts to spleen and digestive and sexual organs. Anti-oxidants are high in orange foods; these help in destroying toxic cells and in the repair of some cellular damage.

Yellow is a happy colour; it surrounds us with warmth, laughter and joy. It brings to us a more positive outlook on life. Knowledge and wisdom come with gold and yellow, helping us to broaden our horizons. Yellow is related to the solar plexus, so it is important for the support of the nervous system. It is directly involved with our digestive process, especially the liver and intestines. It helps to promote the elimination of toxins and purifying the body. It is also important in the endocrine system. Yellow is supportive of the brain function as well, stimulating the mind, so it is important to include this colour while studying. This colour can help alleviate skin conditions, especially through its liver support and purifying ability. It can be helpful when dealing with conditions of the nervous system, nervous exhaustion, constipation, indigestion, liver problems and
diabetes.

Green brings peace, balance and harmony to our systems. It has a strong influence on the heart and blood pressure and helps to sooth nerves. The lungs are strengthened as green is the colour of breathing as represented by nature. Green brings us a feeling of newness and freedom of the soul and helps relieves stress and emotional problems. It helps reduce problems associated with tension such as headaches. As green relates to the heart, it is also beneficial for those with high blood pressure and as a prevention of heart disease. The digestive system can be calmed by the inclusion of
green. Chlorophyll, which is at high levels in green leafy vegetables, is revitalizing and refreshing. It has a soothing and healing effect and helps to detoxify and cleanse our system. Some green vegetables (cruciferous in particular) are considered to decrease the risk of breast, stomach and
colon cancers.

Blue is a peaceful colour. It is relaxing and calming, on all levels. Blue is particularly important at night-time, relaxing our mind and body in readiness for sleep. It is an important colour for insomniacs to focus on at bedtime. We can connect more with our intuition. Blue has an important link with the respiratory system, encouraging the uptake of oxygen, so it this colour is lacking, we may feel constantly fatigued. Throat problems can be alleviated with blue, as well as fevers, inflammations, spasms, stings, itchiness and headaches. Too much blue can be depressing, so it needs to be balanced with orange, its complimenting colour.

Indigo is related to the third eye, so it brings focus to our lives and allows us to see things more clearly. It helps bring about the human qualities of compassion, discretion and integrity. It is also calming and soothing. Indigo controls the pineal gland. The nervous, mental and psychic potential are affected. The sight and hearing are influenced by indigo. Indigo food can be used where there are disease of the eyes, ears and nose as well as the skin and lungs. Indigo has a lot of blue energy. Eating blue and violet foods will also increase indigo energy.

Violet has a significant relationship with our intuition and spirituality. Meditation and spiritual life can be enhanced with violet foods. It strengthens and supports the central nervous system and the brain. It is important for our mental health. Violet has an effect on the process controlling the pituitary and hypothalamus. Using violet will calm those suffering from high anxiety; it is soothing and relaxing. It is the most healing colour, particularly in relation to nervous and mental disorders and disease of the scalp.

Each colour has a complementary colour. When an emphasis needs to be place on a particular colour in your diet, it is recommended that you balance this with the complementary colour. Red is complementary to green. Blue is complementary to orange and violet is complementary to yellow.

As different colours have different effects on us, it can be seen that it be best to concentrate on certain colours at certain times. For example, at nighttime, blue with its relaxing, calming effects would e more beneficial than red with its stimulating and uplifting effects. The energizing and refreshing effects of greens and yellow are ideal for morning. Gold, orange and red will provide us with energy required for the afternoon. Violet, indigo and blue should be the emphasis for the evening, with their calming and relaxing influences.

Giving thought to the colour of our foods can be a fun and interesting way to stay healthy. Food will be more appealing to children and will contain all the essential nutrients that they (and you) need. Bringing balance back to your life is easier when you can base your food selection on certain colours until you feel "right". Surrounding ourselves with colours can be a healing experience, in whatever form we take it.

Andrea Putting N.D., Naturopath, Writer and creator/owner of health sites including, http://www.puttingitright.com.au, http://www.naturopathsresourcefile.info, and http://www.naturalhealth4cats.info . Explore the world of Natural Medicine; take your health into your own hands. Know how to be
healthy and stay healthy.

Energy - How to Have More of It

2005-06-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

By Alan Fairweather

Something the successful business person needs is - lots of
Energy!
You need Brain Energy and you need Body Energy. However as
with any other kind of energy, it`s constantly being drained
away and needs replacing.

Dealing with people, your customers and your team, can both
drain your brain and your body - and you probably don`t need
me to tell you that.

Let`s look at Brain Energy - Imagine that you receive a
letter from your bank manager saying - - "I need you to come
in and see me."
If you react to that with - "Oh no! What does he want,
what`s wrong now? Maybe he wants to recall my loan." That
sort of reaction drains your brain of energy and gives you
stress.

The successful business person doesn`t react she thinks.
Reacting drains the brain - thinking, less so.

Get the thinking bit working and say to yourself - "I`ll
phone him now; I`ll speak to him and see what he wants. If
it`s about the poor business results, what information do I
need to make my case? Perhaps he wants to talk about how I
could develop the business."
Whatever you`re thinking - stop the negative stuff - it`ll
kill you

If one of your people comes to you with a problem or you
receive a customer complaint, start thinking - "Let`s see
what I can do about this."

Do not, and I repeat - Do not say - "Oh no! What am I going
to do now?" Every time you say - "Oh no!" - your brain has a
huge drain of energy.

I just want to say a few more words about stress. People
will tell you that there`s good stress and bad stress. I`m
talking about bad stress and it occurs when your brain is
drained of energy. Some business people seem to believe that
it "goes with the territory" and some even wear it as a
"badge of honour."

They also believe that it can`t be avoided; it`s part of
being in business and the world we live in. Organisations do
have a responsibility to minimise levels of stress in their
workforce but we have a responsibility for ourselves.

It`s very important to minimise your levels of stress and
you can do that by thinking rather than reacting. Challenge
your inbuilt programs, stop saying - "That makes me really
mad" or "That really gets on my nerves."

Start saying - "This is something I have to deal with and
I`ll deal with it" - You have the choice.

I know your probably thinking (or is it reacting) - "That`s
all very well Alan but its hard sometimes not to get
stressed."
You`re absolutely right however; let me give you some more
reasons why you need to work at minimising it.

Stress can cause heart disease, sleeplessness, sexual
problems, overeating, drinking too much, loss of
concentration and stomach upsets.
Research is now telling us that many if not most of our
illnesses can be related to stress.

When we get stressed a chemical is released into our
bloodstream called Cortisol, sometimes known as the Stress
Hormone. High levels of Cortisol can lead to diabetes and
skin problems. There is also a suggestion that Cortisol
attacks our immune system and leaves us vulnerable to many
of the bugs and viruses that come along. This also includes
cancer.

So if you`ve ever suffered from skin complaints or perhaps
too many colds, it could very well be the results of stress.
I don`t want to scare you death or give you any more
stress, I just want you to - think.

Now let`s look at Body Energy -

So what about the body stress? The body and the brain are
linked together so when the brain drains of energy so does
the body. However the body does a lot of running about, up
and down off the seat and often takes a bit of a battering.
For it to work well, it needs to be in good condition in
the first place. We should all know by now that if we eat
too much or eat the wrong things, smoke too much or drink
too much alcohol, then our body is in danger of breaking
down.

Again it comes back to programming. I often tell people that
I eat a lot of salad. The response - "Salad is boring." -
Not the way I make it, it isn`t; I put all sorts of things
into a salad other than the green ingredients - chillies,
sun blush tomatoes, anchovies, tuna, sardines, chicken,
olives, cheese, sausage etc. Not all at once of course, I
like a bit of variation on the theme. So open up your mind
and open up the fridge but be careful what you take out.
Remember - you won`t get an ulcer from what you eat - you`ll
get it from what`s eating you.

If you want to be successful in business, then you`re going
to have to do some exercise. Now I know you think you don`t
have the time. You may also be the type that doesn`t want to
go to the gym and lift heavy things or leap about in an
aerobics class; however, you need to take some exercise that
makes you sweat a little.
I`m sorry, but a round of golf doesn`t count, it isn`t the
kind of exercise you need. Golf is great and it`s good for
the stress but it doesn`t make you sweat.

If you`re going to walk then walk fast for a distance,
enough to push up the heart rate and increase the breathing.
(And don`t run round the golf course with your clubs on your
back - that`s going too far.)

Again, get your internal program right and start to think
how you can make your exercise enjoyable. I see some people
at the health club making the whole business a real chore.
They get on a bike or a rowing machine and try to kill
themselves for twenty minutes. If that`s your thing then
fine but please don`t make it a chore, plug into the sound
system and catch up with what`s on TV.

I like to do circuit classes with a whole group of people
many of which have become friends. I enjoy the chat
beforehand, the music and the exercise. (And I also like the
fact - there are more girls than guys)

If you`re really not into exercise then please make sure
you have other activities outside of your workplace and make
them fun. Too many people are going home and slumping in
front of the TV - successful people don`t do that.

So look after the body and the brain and you`ll have lots of
vroom!

Childhood Obesity

2005-06-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

By Beverley Brooke

Along with the increase of obesity in adult, childhood obesity is on the rise. Around 15.5 percent of adolescents in the United States, aged 12 to 19 are obese. Even more alarming, about 15.3 percent of children ages 6 to 11 are obese. These children are developing Type II Diabetes and high blood pressure at an early age. They are placing themselves at increased risk for heart disease and other obesity-related diseases. Their weight also makes them the target of bullies and children who insult and taunt them about their weight. This can ruin their self-esteem and put them at risk for
depression.

Today’s children make up the digital generation. They’ve been surrounded by computers their entire life and are not as physically active as children of past generations were. Instead of going outside and playing, they tend to hang out indoors, watching TV and playing computer and video games. Along with lack of physical activity comes the convenience of fast food. There are fast food restaurants virtually around every corner, and they have easy access to snack foods full of saturated fats and sugars. In addition, obese parents are more likely to have obese children. The reason for
this is two-fold. First, obese parents probably pass down their poor habits to their children. Second, genetics plays a role in obesity.

It’s important for parents to be role models to their children and emphasize the importance of physical activity and healthy eating. Parents can create healthy environments for their children by doing regular physical activities, such as biking, swimming, or walking together. They should encourage their children to participate in sports, dance, martial arts, and etcetera. This allows children to develop an appreciation of physical activity and enjoy exercising.

When it comes to eating, parents need to implement diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains. They can make eating enjoyable and healthy by preparing food together and eating together as a family. Fast-food should be limited and reserved for special occasions. Way too often, we reward ourselves for a job well done with food. Look for other ways to reward your children for doing a great job, such as a special shopping trip or a day with just mom or dad.

Beverley Brooke, Editor of Health & Finesse - Free health, diet and fitness articles and weekly newsletter
http://www.healthandfinesse.com

Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease With Lipitor and Pravachol

2005-06-02T23:54:00.000-07:00

By Barrett Niehus

Results of a new study comparing the effectiveness of Pfizer Inc.,’s Lipitor with Pravachol, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, was recently published in the New York Times. The study details the clinical observation that Lipitor was significantly more effective than Pravachol in lowering patient’s LDL cholesterol levels. However, the study did not comment on the overall effect that Statin drugs have on patient health, or the research that indicates Statins may actually increase your risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Statin drugs have been proven effective in the reduction of LDL cholesterol in most patients. However, the bio-chemical reactions that the drugs use to decease cholesterol also inhibit the production of an important nutrient that is essential for good heart health; specifically CoQ10.

Lipitor and Pravachol work by inhibiting the body’s ability to make an enzyme called HMG-CoA. This enzyme is the precursor to two compounds, cholesterol and CoQ10. Because the intent of Statin drugs is to inhibit cholesterol production, this method of suppression is very effective in reducing cholesterol levels. However, by suppressing the manufacture of HMG-CoA, and subsequently CoQ10, the body actually becomes more susceptible to heart attack, angina, congestive heart failure, and many other pulmonary-related diseases.

CoQ10 is found in every cell in the body and is necessary for proper energy utilization, resistance to disease, and cardiac health. The compound is so necessary that it’s chemical name is actually ubiquinone, because of its ubiquitous presence in the body. By suppressing the mechanism that makes CoQ10, Statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol put patients at significant risk of heart disease, as well as reduce overall resistance to cancer and other diseases.

CoQ10 is used by the heart and other muscles to facilitate contraction as blood is pumped through the body. If the body’s source of CoQ10, is lowered, either through Statin drugs or environmental factors, the hearts ability to contract is greatly diminished. This subsequently results in significant cardiac complications; including angina, heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia and heart attack.

In addition to its contribution to proper heart function, CoQ10 is also a significant ant-oxidant. When our ability to product CoQ10 is reduced, our body’s immunity to cancer, pollution and disease can be greatly diminished. This has been documented in a number of studies where CoQ10 levels have been measured in people with specific cancers, degenerative diseases, or HIV.

The relation between HMG-CoA, cholesterol, and CoQ10 has been well documented and is freely available. Subsequently, the solution to reduced CoQ10 levels has been made extremely simple. The solution is simply dietary supplementation with CoQ10 if you are taking a Statin drug. Much of the diminished CoQ10 supply can be made up through dietary supplementation. In fact, CoQ10 supplements can be purchased in the supplement section of your local health food store.

CoQ10 is essential to proper heart health and resistance to disease. Statin drugs such as Lipitor and Pravachol inhibit the body’s ability to product CoQ10. If not addressed, this can increase a patient’s risk of heart disease and other cardiac conditions. However, supplementation of CoQ10 by the use of a dietary supplement can balance the effects of Statin drugs and ensure that the patient’s risk of overall heart disease does not increase while his/her cholesterol levels decrease. If you are currently taking a Statin drug to reduce your cholesterol, talk to your doctor about
supplementation with CoQ10 to ensure your continued good health.

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Barrett Niehus is a principal for IP Ware software http://www.freetrainer.com (http://www.freetrainer.com) as well as a technical specialist for Compound Solutions, http:///www.compoundsolutions.com (http:///www.compoundsolutions.com) in Escondido, California.

Not all Fats are Bad

2005-06-02T11:05:00.000-07:00

By Dianne Ronnow

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad for too long. Fat doesn’t necessarily cause disease, and can actually cause a role in its prevention. The truth is that some fats are very bad for us and some fats are actually very good for us.

Time has shown us that diets that restrict all fats fail in terms of weight loss. Since the end of World War II, Americans have been told that they need to restrict saturated fat in their diets. So we switched to margarine from butter, and did what we could to restrict fat. We have been constantly told that the reason for our health problems is that we still eat too much fat, especially saturated fats.

Since Americans have been told to eat a low fat diet to lose weight, the results are that nearly two thirds of adult Americans are now classified as overweight and more children are overweight now than ever before. Obviously something is wrong. That is because we need special kinds of fats in our diets that we are not getting.

If you are like me, you grew up being told that vegetable oils were the good oils and saturated fats were the bad ones. Now we are finding out that it is just the opposite. Diets that are moderate to high in “good” saturated fats and oils such as coconut oil and olive oil are actually very good for us. They raise good cholesterol levels and lower bad cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure. As a matter of fact, people who started adding at least 4 tablespoons of coconut oil to their diets every day, have found that they can now lose weight when they could not before on a fat restricted diet. Sometimes the addition of these oils even helps with their health problems.

It turns out that the bad guys are polyunsaturated oils, which carry toxic fatty acids (long chain fatty acids or LCT’s). These LCT’s tend to produce fat in the body. Polyunsaturated oils are the vegetable oils we commonly see in the grocery store, such as soy, corn, cottonseed, rapeseed and safflower.

We have been told that they lower cholesterol, but they way that they do is not healthy, as it ends up collecting in the liver. These oils are easily oxidized and damaged by free radicals. When cooked they become rancid in a few hours, even in the refrigerator. This causes damage to our body at a cellular level, the end results showing up as problems like diabetes, cancer, hypothyroidism and heart disease. And if that is not enough, these oils help us to get fat, lower the metabolic rate in our bodies, help suppress the thyroid function and cause our skin to age quicker.

Trans-fat is one of the worst bad guys. Trans-fatty acids often appear on ingredient labels as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It is what they do to vegetable oils to make them into hard fats such as margarine and vegetable shortening. It is used in the prepared food industry in baked goods like cookies, crackers, and most supermarket peanut butter to prolong the shelf life. These bad fats are used almost exclusively in fast foods that are fried. When heated and eaten, they turn into something like poison in your system, because your body can not process this
kind of chemically made fat. Trans-fats not only increase levels of bad cholesterol, but they will decrease levels of good cholesterol in the blood stream and trans-fatty acids have been linked to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Fats such as margarine and shortening should be totally avoided, as well as foods items that contain them.

The United States FDA is finally catching up to this truth, and by January 2006 they will be requiring food products to label the amount of trans-fat they have in them.) What is frightening is that trans-fats are found in over 40% of the products on our supermarket shelves.

The fatty acid chains in coconut and olive oil are medium-chain fatty acids (MCT’s) and they promote weight loss by increasing the body’s metabolism to create energy. Coconut oil has become popular lately, because it has been discovered that coconut oil is nature’s richest source of MTC’s. If you decide to add coconut oil to your diet, it is recommended that you purchase virgin coconut oil (VCO), usually found in health food stores, because it from the best part of the coconut and has not been chemically bleached and heat processed. It is better for cooking than olive oil, because olive oil can be damaged by the heat of cooking, making it similar to the other vegetable oils in the body when cooked.

Even saturated fat from animals is not as bad as it once was thought to be, especially if it is from organically raised animals (free range and grass fed). Organic butter has a very high conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content, which helps us lose weight and gain muscle. But non-organic meats may still be dangerous because of the way the animals were raised or fed. Most grocery store meats are filled with hormones, pesticides, medicines and unhealthy fat that gets transferred to us when we eat it.

Organic grass fed and free range meat and eggs avoid these problems, and give us a much healthier source of protein and saturated fat. Organic saturated fats and oils are actually good for you and should be eaten daily. The body needs these fats for healthy functioning.

So, forget the guilt and fry up that range-fed chicken in some coconut oil and enjoy!

By Dianne Ronnow © 2005 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

Dianne Ronnow’s best selling book, “Coconut Oil Diet Secrets” reveals how thousands of people are losing weight and getting healthier with coconut oil diets. To find out what the secrets of coconut oil dieting are, Check out her site at: Coconut-Oil-Diet.com (http://coconut-oil-diet.com). Get the
book now and start losing weight today!

Why should you take Nutritional Supplements?

2005-05-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

By Dan Ho

A busy lifestyle leaves little time for planning meals and cooking. It`s far too easy to fill up the diet with empty calories in fast and convenience foods. Packaged and prepared mixes make life easy, but seldom provide all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. A good multinutrient supplement can help fill in the gaps in your diet when you`re too busy to eat balanced meals.

But what if you eat a healthy diet? Do you still need to take vitamin and nutritional supplements? According to most experts on nutrition and the American diet, the answer is, quite honestly, yes.

Over the past ten years, scientists who study medical conditions like diabetes and coronary disease have all noted alarming rises in the incidence of those diseases. It`s not just that there are more people being diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease. The profile of those being diagnosed has changed dramatically. For the first time ever, doctors are seeing significant number of children with adult onset diabetes and other conditions that were once thought to exclusively begin in middle age. Nearly every one of those conditions has been linked to diet and nutritional deficiencies. Why is this happening in a society as wealthy and well-fed as ours? The reasons are all wrapped up in our way of life and the changes to society and the environment over the past 100 year some nutriitonists argue.

One hundred years ago, most foods were grown and raised on small farms. Farmers rotated their crops regularly to get the best harvests because they knew that the soil needed replenishing in order for the food to grow healthy and strong. Their livestock was fed a varied diet because the animals were allowed to free range and graze at will. This meant that the meat derived from those animals contained the nutrients from the food that they ate. The vegetables and fruits that appeared on the dinner table had been sliced and cooked in the kitchen, not canned months or even years earlier. There wasn`t as much of a need to add vitamins that processing robs from food simply because the foods weren`t processed.

Farming has changed in major ways since then. Crops are grown in soil that has been sterilized and robbed of its natural nutrients by overuse, insecticides, pesticides and chemicals meant to promote large, attractive fruits and vegetables--at the cost of vitamins and minerals. The natural fertilizers that kept soil healthy have been replaced with chemical fertilizers that contain only a few of the needed chemicals, and none of the enzymes that allow the body to process and absorb vitamins and minerals from food. Mass production and processing robs foods of still more nutrients.

Cooking and canning and sterlization methods can remove or destroy as much as 90% of the vitamins present in a fresh peach or carrot. Even many foods that appear fresh are likely to have been sprayed with gasses meant to preserve their color and crispness as they travel across country. The end result is vegetables and fruits that contain a fraction of the vitamins and minerals that the same foods contained 100 years ago, much of it unusable by the body as it is.

When you add that to the fact that most Americans eat diets that are high on convenience and low on nutrition, the need to add vitamins and other nutritional supplements becomes very clear.

It`s important to remember that taking nutritional supplements is not a substitute for a healthy diet. They are meant to be exactly that--supplements--to fill in the gaps that our lifestyle leaves in our diets. Most doctors recommend, at the very least, a high-quality multi-vitamin supplement daily, but nowadays sophisticated nutraceutical companies are producing products that go far above basic vitamins and minerals. These products may include speciality antioxidants that are much more powerful than vitamins, and other substances beneficial for health that won`t be found in any typical multivitamin supplement, such as enzymes for digestive health, herbal extracts, or other natural supplements.

Whatever kind of supplement you decide to take, it`s still important to consult with your doctor to let him know of your intent.

Dan Ho is chief editor of one of the most popular resources for nutritional, dietary, and herbal supplements on the Internet, http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com, which discusses their pros and cons, and how to choose a quality supplement.

Exercise: Why You Should Do It

2005-05-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

By Aaron Potts

Hundreds of Thousands of Americans spend millions of dollars each year on diet pills, "magical" exercise devices, and misrepresented health and fitness products, when in all actuality a good set of dumbbells and a brisk walk may be all you need to get in better shape than you`ve ever been in.

What can you do with nothing but a set of dumbbells, you ask? Provide resistance to your body`s movements - also known as weight lifting. That`s all weight lifting is - resistance. The terms "weight lifting" and "resistance training" have become one in the same because they are describing the same activity - moving your body under more resistance than it normally has to handle.

In fact, you`ve just stumbled upon the basic secret of exercise in general! Whether you are talking about resistance training, Pilates, Yoga, cardiovascular activities, or any other form of exercise, all of these programs have one thing in common - performing more activity than you would get sitting on the couch. WHY should you exercise, though?

How about defying the aging process for starters? Do you know that the primary reason why elderly people end up in nursing homes is because they lose the ability to think and move on their own? Do you also know that the entire process of thinking and moving on our own happens because we do it every day? Until we retire, that is. Once we don`t have to go to work anymore, or deal with scheduling and lifestyle issues, suddenly the only thing that we have to think about is whether to watch game shows or soap operas all day long, and the only exercise we get is deftly flying our fingers
over the remote control.

Mush. That`s what our brains and bodies turn into when we stop using them. Think you are still sharp as a tack, and at the height of your game? Try to say the alphabet backwards in 30 seconds or less.

Yes…. sharp indeed.

What about physically? Think that you can still hold your own even though you don`t really exercise much? Stop reading this article and drop down on the floor for some correct-form push-ups. Did you do at least 30 if you are female, or at least 40 if you are male? No? How about 20 or 25? 15? Unless you pulled off 30 or 40, you are probably at less than the 50 percentile mark for your gender - health conditions notwithstanding.

Okay, so you`ve determined that you aren`t exactly Olympic athlete material. So what? You don`t even like sports, let alone being very good at them. That`s fine, and there is nothing wrong with that. So what about fat? Do you like bodyfat? Do you find it physically appealing? Do you think it`s healthy? If so, we`re done speaking. Go on about your business, and thanks for reading this far.

For everyone else, here is a newsflash: In America today - the year 2004 - obesity related health conditions account for more deaths in the United States each year than all known forms of cancer COMBINED. Heart Disease alone is the number one killer of American adults, and it is a PREVENTABLE CONDITION!

How about self-esteem? 64% of Americans are overweight. That is almost two-thirds of the population. If you think that a figure like that and the skyrocketing sales of prescription anti-depressants aren`t related, you now have a second opportunity to stop reading this article and continue on with your day.

Here is the bottom line, folks: Exercise and a reasonable nutrition program are necessary for ALL people, for their ENTIRE lives. Note, however, that I said "exercise", and that I also said "reasonable nutrition program". At no point did I say anything about spending 2 hours per day at the gym, or about eating nothing but carrots and celery for the rest of your life. Why? Those practices are just as ineffective at long-term weight loss as diet pills and late night infomercial products. Here is what DOES work:

1)Weight/Resistance Training - Weight training for both men and women has the same effect - it makes your muscles more metabolically active. In simpler terms, it means your muscles will burn more calories - even when you are sleeping. Muscle is the only site on your body where bodyfat is broken down. Weak muscles

Aaron Potts is the owner and creator of Fitness Destinations. Aaron`s experience in the health and fitness industry includes one on one personal training in many different environments, maintenance of several health-related websites, and authoring of many fitness-related products for consumers and fitness professionals. http://www.fitnessdestinations.com/journal.html