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Archive for July, 2011

Weight loss, not baseball, should be America’s national pastime.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as a quick trip to the mall, or a drive down any street will tell you.  Americans just keep getting fatter and fatter on average.  On TV and in the movies, of course, this isn’t the case – TV and movie stars are much thinner and fitter than the average American.  Even the people in the ads for fast food and soda pop are skinny!  Next time you stop for a hamburger at one of the national fast food chains, look around you and see how many of your fellow customers resemble the people in the ads for the chain.  It won’t be very many.  America is rapidly becoming the Land of the Couch Potato and the Home of the Morbidly Obese.  Of course, millions of Americans are going to “do something” about being overweight.  And what does “do something” mean for many of them?  Making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

Every January 1st, there is a huge spike in interest in losing weight.  The sales of weight loss products and fitness equipment goes up.  Gyms and health clubs sell more memberships.  People do more searches for “lose weight” and “weight loss” in the first couple weeks of January than any other time of the year. Books about losing weight are brisk sellers both online and in brick and mortar book stores.   If January 1st, 2011, would be the first time this phenomenon occurred, it would be cause for hope, signifying that people are fed up with being fat, and are finally going to do something about it.  Of course, that’s not the case at all.  This has been happening for decades, and Americans just keep getting fatter and fatter.

So what’s the answer?  Who knows?  But one thing we do know is that New Year’s resolutions to lose weight are most definitely not the answer.  For all our good intentions at the turn of the calendar page, few of us seem to make any real progress toward losing weight when we start on January 1st.  So this year (and every year from now on), why don’t we try something different?  Different, as in not waiting until January 1st to start getting in shape and losing weight, just because it’s the trendy thing to do to make a New Year’s resolution.  Instead, why not start getting in shape and doing what it takes to lose weight right now, no matter what day you’re reading this?  And then, come next New Year’s Day, instead of making a resolution that you know in your heart you probably won’t keep, you can celebrate all the weight you actually did lose in the previous year.  

Keeping our weight down can be a challenge these days especially, with all the temptations that surround us. There are many opportunities that steer us away from our ultimate goal of losing weight.

The most effective way to lose weight is to change your lifestyle. Changing your lifestyle means that you have to change more than the food you eat. You have to look at all the important aspects in your life that include exercise, relationships, work and having fun. Just focusing on restricting food as you do with dieting is not effective.

When it comes to eating we do not necessarily have to deny the foods that we enjoy. As it is important to enjoy the food we eat. The key rule is to eat in moderation. If your staple diet consists of burgers and fries and other fatty foods then you are going to get fat. These foods will also increase your risk of health complications such as diabetes and heart disease. However, if you eat a well balanced healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis then, you can afford to have the occasional burger and fries treat without increasing your weight.

Another good way to keep your weight down is look at how much you eat. This can just be important as what you eat. When many people sit down for a meal it is commonly in front of a plate with far too much food on it. In the UK and particularly the US the portions of food on a plate are quite big. This means you are consuming more calories.

It is not uncommon for people to change to a healthier diet and find that they did not lose too much weight. This can be very frustrating but it can be linked to the portions that they eat. They are still eating large portions for each meal. These portions are far more than their body needs.

It is important that you lower your portions at each meal to a level that sustains the body effectively. Eating too much at one sitting not only encourages you to put on more weight it is not good for your digestive system. Loading up on food puts extra pressure on the digestive system which can lead to indigestion.

In France where the majority of the population are not overweight, eat small portions of food. They do not pile their plate full of food. The French also see food as an opportunity to relax and socialise. They savour their food and eat slowly. In many other countries that eat a lot of fast foods the eating habits are the opposite. Fast food encourages overeating because you’re eating on the go.

If you have a health condition or food allergy consult with your doctor before changing your diet.

Weight loss requires long-term endeavor, which means that you can not loss pounds in a very short time. A rapid shedding of pounds is often followed by a rapid regain of lost weight. Therefore, I think you should strive to a permanent weight loss. Actually, there are many invaluable strategies which can help you.

Exercise is an essential part in your weight loss strategy. With regular exercise, you will find it id not hard to loss weight and maintain it. You should strive for a minimum of 30minutes in a day and do not take no time for exercise as your excuse. You can have a walk after super or jogging. You also can join a sports league or try some classes at your local gym. And then you will begin to enjoy the positive benefits the exercise brings to you.

If you change your motivation from wanting to be thinner to be healthier, you will find it easier to loss weight permanently. And you should select food which is good for your health but not worry about foods that will affect your body’s weight.

You can keep a food diary, which help lots in your weight loss program. Each day, you should write down what your have eaten and the amount you eat and any feelings or emotions present at the time. With the food diary, you can know well your progress. The food dairy can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating, foster greater awareness of portion sizes, and help you discover your personal food triggers. In a long period of time, you can know from the food diary where you should make changes.

You can find out from the food diary why it is hard for you to loss weight. We know that overeating is triggered by stress, boredom, loneliness, anger, depression and other emotions. Therefore, you should take your emotion under control.

There are various causes for the throat cancer. Using tobacco in any form (smoking or smoke-less) causes the throat cancer. Let us see the detailed risk factors in detail…

When teaching about chemical dependency it is imperative to begin with a brief discussion of the differences between substance “use”, “abuse”, and “addiction”. “Use” consists of the “appropriate” consumption of alcohol or some other mood altering drug. Appropriate usage of a chemical means that the consumer is using the chemical at the appropriate time, in an appropriate place, and in the proper quantity. It involves the application of a drug in a way that it was meant to be utilized, and by persons defined as appropriate consumers.

When minors use alcohol (or any other non-prescribed mood/mind altering drug) it is considered abuse. The consumption of alcohol (or any other non-prescribed mood/mind altering drug) by minors is considered abuse. Any consumption of an illegal drug is considered abuse. When someone consumes a prescription medication that was prescribed for someone else, it is considered abuse. It constitutes using the chemical in a manner that is inconsistent with its intended purposes). That could include taking a prescription drug in a manner not prescribed — in terms of quantity, form, or frequency. It could mean consuming the chemical at an improper time or place. It could involve drinking alcohol to get drunk. Consumption is also considered abusive when the chemical takes on elevated importance in the lives of the consumer.

“Abuse” also involves continued consumption of alcohol despite adverse consequences. A person who drinks too much or too often could still be abusing alcohol, rather than being considered alcohol dependent or alcoholic. Diagnostic criteria for abuse include a set of symptoms that do not satisfy criteria for dependence, but does include symptoms such as these: continued drinking despite problems in varying areas of a drinker’s life, impaired ability to take care of one’s roles and responsibilities, and recurrent drinking in situations that are dangerous (e.g., drunk driving).

Alcohol or other drug consumption is considered addiction or dependence if the aforementioned criteria are present, along with the following symptoms:

1) taking alcohol or other drugs in larger amounts over a longer time than intended, 2) having tried and failed to reduce use or stop, 3) spending a considerable amount of time trying to get the chemical (alcohol included), use it, and recover from using it, 4) abandoning or reducing important life activities such as social, job, or leisure activities because of the chemical, 5) tolerance to the effects of the alcohol or other drugs, 6) emergence of withdrawal symptoms when quitting or cutting back.

Tolerance is a need for more of the chemical to get the same result or the effects of the same amount of the chemical have a reduced effect. Withdrawal involves physical and psychological symptoms that arise when the chemical is stopped or significantly reduced.

Although the previous descriptions serve as usual criteria for clinical diagnostic purposes, thinking of use, abuse, and dependency as finite, discrete categories is problematic when you think about addiction as a chronic, progressive illness. The progression of addiction from first consumption to end stage may involve some or all the previous descriptors at one point, beginning with “use”, progressing to “abuse”, then to “dependence” or “addiction”. For some people, “use” won’t progress into the subsequent stages. For others, consumption may get to the next level and stop. Alcoholics or addicts progress from use to dependence. The progression can be quick or slow. With denial, an alcoholic can exhibit symptoms of alcoholism (as identifiable by a professional) for a decade, before having an awareness of their own addiction.

Once the consumption becomes an addiction, it cannot go back to “abuse”. For some the progression to addiction begins at the first use of alcohol and other drugs (AOD). For others, there might be a period of responsible consumption of alcohol (or prescription drugs) that persists over time, before that pattern progresses to subsequent stages, and ultimately into addiction. Some people experience a genetic predisposition to addiction. Others do not, but become addicted over time and behavior. Some people who experience alcohol and other drug dependence (AOD) in their families of origin, and in their genetic predispositions, do not get addicted.

While it seems appropriate to distinguish between and among use, abuse, and addiction, a warning is also appropriate. “Use” may not be simply “use”, if you have genetic and other environmental, emotional, and behavioral risk factors. “Use” could be the beginning stage of the progression of addiction.

The phase weight loss detox has assumed greater importance in the weight loss and body detox circles in recent years. It is basically a combination of a weight loss program and a body detox program. We all know that weight loss will occur when calorie intake is lowered. This actually occurs when someone is going through a body detox program to cleanse his body of the toxic materials and pollutants that has been absorbed by the body through breathing and food intake. The two processes seem to achieve a ‘one stone kill two bird’ effect in terms of initiating weight loss and detoxifying the body at the same time. How true and effective is this weight loss detox phenomenon? In fact, there has been more and more evidence suggesting that this duel process can be very effective.

When unhealthy habits of eating, drinking and living starts to become predominant in our lives, our body becomes more and more burdened by our excesses and ineffective. This is very true when we look at the metabolic processes that are inherent in a naturally developed state of being. Think back to some of the ancient historically based films that you have come across. Do you notice that in ancient Roman, Greek or Chinese times, there are few obese characters in the movie plots? That is because in ancient times, foods are more natural. Very little artificial processing took place. Also, ancient people do not have to face issues like global warming and pollution of the environment. In our times, processed foods and chemically enhanced food products are all over the place. The polluted environment also means that we are breathing in more toxic air. This has had its effect on our body shape. It is no wonder that obesity has become a modern problem. As more toxic substances are absorbed by the body, our body metabolism becomes more hindered by these toxins, which in turns has its effect on fat metabolism. This is where reducing weight detox programs can come in to redress the imbalance here.

The weight loss detox actually starts with a diet detox. A diet detox is basically reducing or cutting off all unnatural food products and replacing these with more natural food products. If processed-meat like sausages and hamburger patties is predominant in ones’ diet, diet detox simply means replacing this processed-meat by more natural meat like fresh steaks and fish fillet. This applies to not just meat but also other food types like carbohydrates, vegetables and minerals. Sometimes detox supplements are also integrated in the diet to enhance the effects. As our diet becomes healthier, fewer toxins will be added to our body system. At the same time, it will allow the body systems to get rid of more existing toxins in the body, thus reducing the burdens placed on metabolism. This will have longer term implication on our weight. This form of program through body detox and diet detox also stimulates the production of digestive enzymes that are important in helping weight loss. This extra secretion of digestive enzymes allows foods to be broken down more effectively, thus allowing for fuller absorption of nutrients that will help in maintain optimal body shape. As the body gets used to weight loss detox, it will initially exhibit some signs of adaptations. But such detox side effects need not be of great concern.

Some of these detox side effects includes weight loss, fatigue and headaches. Weight reduction is an obvious side effect when we go on a weight loss detox program. The mechanism of weight reduction from this process has been discussed as above. We now know that it is advantageous to detox as it aids weight loss. Fatigue comes about because a body detox and diet detox program generally encompass a reduction in carbohydrate intake. This will reduce sugar levels within the body in the short run, thus causing some form of fatigue. However, as the body adapts and become more efficient this will disappear. Remember we mentioned that the body becomes more efficient in a weight loss detox program? This efficiency is translated into better food break down thus releasing more energy for daily purposes. Headaches are a result of the body coming to terms with a dramatic reduction in body toxins. It is actually a good thing. With time, the body will adjust and the mind will feel more refresh free of toxins.