Santa Barbara

Archive for January, 2011

Bladder cancer can come in several different forms. Based upon what the cells look like under a microscope, bladder cancer will be placed into one of these four categories:

In a previous article I wrote about a woman who took her life due to her gambling addiction. The family decided to tell people it was due to personal problems she was having adjusting to living in the United States. She had moved there in June of 1998. Everyone accepted the explanation with out commenting. This is very typical behavior which leads to bad statistical information being presented by local governments.

Gambling addiction is a silent killer that strikes innocent people when they least expect it. It only creates a world of misery with a self destructive behavior. Compulsive gamblers are able to beat their addiction if they have the proper resources.

If governments can not get the true statistics they will never be forced to deal with this addiction. They will continue to raise needed taxes from the gambling establishments. What the government never realized or refused to say is that if their state’s business industry began to thrive the taxes levied against them would be equal to or greater then the amount of revenue generated from the gambling establishments and the state’s lotto.

The government looks for the easiest way out verses taking the time to put a good plan into motion. It’s political suicide to face this addiction head on.

I find it ironic that a new governor will take the time to tell its people that over the next four years we are going to boost our economy and reduce unemployment. There are so many promises made that are not kept that people have lost respect for their political leaders. Those who have been negatively affected by gambling know the truth and need to come forward in order to help others who are living similar lives.

I would like to see one political leader step up and admit their state has a gambling problem. It’s easy to see that doing something like this may cause them to lose their next election. Unfortunately there is no quick fix. Another reason political leaders are afraid to come forward is due to the gambling establishments are run by very powerful people.

When you here rumors that the governor is spending the weekend with the chief of one of the local casinos and a week later the casinos request for expansion is approved. You have to start questioning the motives. How is the state benefiting from this expansion? Do political people only march to those who pay the piper? Is this rumor true or false? Does it matter? Do I care? Does anyone care? I have found people do care but are not willing to get involved. This type of thinking becomes evident after you have a Governor of Connecticut jailed, mayors in multiple towns jailed and other minor infractions by political candidates. All do to pure greed.

Once people decide they have had enough and only then can change occur. Once this change happens, recording of gambling addiction statistics information will improve and governments will be forced to face reality. Then you will see change and people will begin to heal.

Are you tired of the dieting “roller coaster ride”? Do you want to lose weight once and for all? Are you ready to make a change to your lifestyle? If you answered yes to these three questions then read on for a weight reduction solution that will have you looking and feeling great sooner than you may think.

For effective weight loss that really works you must be ready to commit to changing the way you currently do things. By following a healthy diet & exercise regime you can increase your metabolism and maintain your goal weight with ease. Just by changing your daily routine you can kick-start your weight loss program immediately and work towards a happier healthier you.

By becoming more active, this will go a long way to help achieve and maintain your goal weight:

- Walk to the corner shop instead of driving your car
- Walk up the stairs instead of using the lift
- Implement daily exercise into your life – walk, jog, join a local sports team, join the local gym

You must also follow a sensible healthy diet plan:

- Cut out unnecessary fatty foods and stop eating “junk” snack foods
- Eat smaller regular meals and you can have healthy snacks in between your main meals
- Drink water instead of unhealthy sugary drinks
- Ensure all the vital food groups are included in your diet

For long term success in maintaining your desired weight, stop yo-yo dieting now and follow an easy diet and exercise plan. Enjoy the food you love and exercise for 30 minutes a day. By increasing your energy, your body’s metabolism becomes faster and in turn more fat and calories are burned assisting with your total weight loss. You will soon have extra energy and will look and feel great! With a little bit of willpower and perseverance you can achieve your goals.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately you’re probably aware that obesity rates in America have increased in the last 20 years. In 2009 the CDC reported that state obesity rates were largely between 20%-30%. Only Colorado and the District of Columbia were less than 20% (they were a slim 18.6% and 19.7%, respectively).

If you’re like me and need to count on your fingers, this means that 1-2 people out of 5 in the United States are obese. Unfortunately, the trends for kids and young adults are the same.

With so much weight gained in the last twenty years, it’s no wonder America is obsessed with weight loss. But to transform your body properly we need to stay away from the hype and pay attention to the nuances of what works – like the difference between “weight loss” and “fat loss.” We need to work on losing the right kind of pounds.

I definitely didn’t do this during my bout with childhood obesity. But over eighteen years of successful trial and error, however, I’ve learned that to lose a few pounds, prevent obesity, or treat obesity we should work exclusively to lose fat – not weight. Keep in mind, “weight loss” refers to a total number of pounds lost; “fat loss” involves a more sophisticated body composition number (including fat, muscle, bone, tissue, etc.).

For example, I was 275 pounds at my heaviest and weighed in at 150 pounds after my transformation. Thus, I lost 125 pounds in total but also lost my shoulders, my neck, my arms, and my chest in the process – the butt stayed. Seriously, though, about twenty pounds of my weight loss included lean muscle tissue. Had I understood and worked on fat loss, I would’ve transitioned from 275 pounds to a healthier 175 pounds. Make sense?

You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to understand and practice this technique. You do, however, need to be careful with certain diets and exercise plans so that you don’t lose your valuable lean muscle tissue or waste time trying to lose weight that won’t (or shouldn’t) go anywhere. You want to lose the fatty shell, not the beautiful body it covers up. I was built like a runner under my fat suit. What are you: dancer, swimmer, shot putter?

Here’s some tips:

1. Do regular cardio work within your fat burning zone (target heart rate)
2. Provide resistance for your muscles with weights or your body weight
3. Favor foods with protein and experiment taking in lower amounts of carbs

Focus on fat loss instead of weight loss and let me know if you need clarification.

( CDC report)

They are interviewed on talk shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil – plastic surgery addicts. People, often women, who think that just one more surgery, just one more fix, will make them perfect. Often, these plastic surgery addicts have a perfect image in mind that they want to attain, whether it be a celebrity that they are trying to emulate, or their ideal picture of what they should look like. What causes someone to be addicted to plastic surgery? Is plastic surgery a bad thing?

First, plastic surgery is not always a bad thing. Like anything in life, the benefits of plastic surgery can be over done. Children, for example, who are born with severe deformities, can benefit from plastic surgery giving them a new lease on a social life. Whether we like it or not, our society is a visually oriented society and those who have severe deformities are often shunned. Whether or not this should be, it is and plastic surgery benefits people in these situations.

But what about normal, even beautiful, looking people who feel the need to have plastic surgery? The fact is that two thirds of the first time plastic surgery patients come back for more surgery. Once they have overcome the fear and trepidation surrounding having the first surgery, many come back for a second round, trying to attain the perfect look.

One of the reasons for this addiction might be the unattainable perfection that is put forth as beauty in today’s media. Today’s society is highly visual and the people who are seen on television and fashion runways are unattainably beautiful. So the average person turns to plastic surgery to try to attain this perfection.

Plastic surgery addiction often stems from a condition called body dysmorphic disorder. This is a disorder that causes a person to consider themselves hideous, not matter how attractive they really are. They feel that if they are not happy, then they must not be beautiful and in order to be happy, they must become beautiful. The problem is that the lack of happiness does not stem from their physical appearance. Once people with this condition turn to plastic surgery, they have to go back for more, because the change in their appearance does not bring the desired effect on their happiness.

If you suspect someone might be addicted to plastic surgery, there are a few things you can look for to determine if the addiction is true. Someone who seeks multiple plastic surgeries, particularly on the same or similar areas of the body, are often addicts. Also, those who have body dysmorphic disorder, which often leads to cosmetic surgery addiction, are often obsessive about checking their appearance. They also might be obsessive about the looks of a favorite celebrity or two. If you notice these signs in someone you love, seek professional counseling, because the problem goes far deeper than the appearance on the outside. Body dysmorphic disorder and plastic surgery addiction are serious and potentially devastating, psychological problems. Take them seriously and get help for the one you care about!

This is the second article in our series of weight loss articles on how to burn fat, lose weight and become healthy and the process. In our weight loss practice there is always one question that almost each and every person asks us on a daily basis. What exercise burns the most calories?

I usually tell our clients not to worry about this and that I would rather have them perform exercises and activities that they enjoy doing. I say this because I have most of our clients doing some type of physical exercise or activity on a daily basis. So I would rather have them doing something that they look forward to doing each and every day.

Of course I do not have them doing the same routines each and every day because that would become boring. So instead of focusing on one exercise that burns a ton of calories I have them perform several different programs that they enjoy doing.

This keeps them mentally fresh and also prevents the body from becoming accustomed to certain activities and therefore prevents physical gains in the form of weight loss, increase in lean muscle tone and better health.

So here is a list of exercises and the amount of calories that are burned in a 20 minute time period.

Aerobics burns approximately 200 to 250 calories

Stationary bicycling – 250 to 300

Real bicycling outdoors – 300 to 400

Running at 5 to 6 mph – 300 to 350

Stair climber – 200 to 250

Swimming laps – 350

Brisk walking – 150 to 180

Working in your garden and weeding – 130 to 200

Basketball, this can be playing a game or just shooting baskets – 130 to 250

Golf, you have to carry your clubs and do not use a golf cart – 166

Golf, carrying your clubs and playing for approximately 2 hours instead of 20 minutes – 1000

Snorkeling – 150 to 200

Water-skiing – 180 to 200

Ice skating – just regular skating – 200 to 250

Cross country skiing at a mild light intensity level or effort – 200 to 250

General skiing – 200 to 250

SCUBA diving – 200 to 250

Whitewater rafting kayaking or canoeing – 150 to 200

Flag or touch football – 250 to 300

Horseback riding at a trotting pace – 200 to 250

Martial arts – 300 to 350

Racquetball – 200 to 250

Volleyball on a 6 to 9 person team – 90 to 120

Each volleyball – 25 to 300

Singles tennis – 250 to 300

Tai chi – 120 to 180

Of course the true and accurate amount of calories burned depends on your current body weight, your amount of body fat and fitness level.

If you have not seriously exercised on a frequent and consistent basis I would recommend that first began with a walking program at a mild moderate intensity level.

Actually I start most of my clients start with an exercise program that consisted primarily of walking every day, seven days a week. I outline and provide them with specific details such as intensity levels of exercise, time duration of exercise and even what times during the day to work out in order to achieve the maximum fat burning and weight loss as well as cardiovascular health. You will be amazed at how many pounds you can actually lose just by walking and attaining certain goals; meaning walking at a pace that will keep your heart rate within your specific fat burning zone and keeping it there for a certain amount of time.

So there you have it a list of several exercises as well as various activities and how many calories each they burn.