Alternative Health

Phentemine375 vs Xenical - Diet Pills Review

2010-02-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

Is it that someone has recommended you Xenical and Phentemine375 to shed some extra pounds and you are confused which weight loss supplement you should use? Then, you need not worry any further as in this article we shall help you choose the best weight loss supplement. We compared both, Phentemine375 and Xencal.

What is Phentemine375?

Phentemine375 is a combination of cyclic AMP enzyme boosters - 1,3-Dimethypentylamine Hydrochloride; 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine; and a Sympathomimetic Amine, Dehydroepiandrosterone, l-carnitine. Phentemine375 is also known as Phen375.

It helps in reducing the ability of the body to store fat, suppresses appetite, quickens metabolism, increases energy levels, increases the ability of the body to burn stored fat reserves, increases fat metabolization, etc.

Phentemine375 is safe to use and has no known side effects. It can be used by anyone who is interested in shedding some extra kilos. There are no restrictions to the use of Phentemine375.

It is produced in FDA pharmaceutical registered labs and is certified by F.D.A. The quality of the ingredients is high. The customer support offered by Phentemine375 is excellent.

What is Xenical?

Xenical is commonly known as Orlistat. It is a weight loss supplement which works in amalgamation with a calorie- reduced diet so that the supplement can hinder the absorption of fat. Xenical is not prescribed for all those who want to lose weight but it is prescribed only for those who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) or 30 or more.

The components of Xenical play a major role in the breakdown of certain vitamins and amino acids hence, people consuming Xenical should also consume a multi-vitamin while using the drug. The multi-vitamin should be taken minimum 2 hours before or after taking Xenical.

Xenical is to be taken thrice a day, during or after meals, but should be consumed within 1 hour after eating. In case you skip your meal or you consume a low- fat meal then, there is no need of taking the pill.

Xenical is associated with several side effects with chief focus over the gastrointestinal system. These side effects noticed are as follows:-

• Bowel movements increased.
• Bowel incontinence.
• Flatulence with discharge.
• Urgency to pass stools.
• Stools oily.
• Pain or cramps in abdomen.
• Nausea
• Diarrhea.
• Vomiting.
• Dental complaints.
• Joint complaints.
• Influenza
• Ear, nose and throat complaints.
• Headache
• Rash
• Menstrual complaints.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Sleep disorders, etc.

As there are several side effected linked with Xencal there are chances that may experience at least some while taking Xenical. It is important to alter your diet while taking Xenical as consuming a diet which is rich in fat can cause an increase in few of the side effects.

Phentemine375 vs Xencal – Which is Best?

Phentemine375 is 100% safe and has no side effects. It can be used by any person with no restriction of Body Mass Index. There is no need of consuming any multivitamins while taking Phentemine375 as it fails to act on the vitamins and amino acids. You further do not need to alter your diet while consuming Phentemine375.

As Xenical is linked with few restrictions and additionally it has got several side effects. Hence, we strongly recommend you to use a much better alternative to Xenical and the best alternative is Phentemine375.

The Health Benefits of Acai Berry

2010-01-19T18:18:00.001-08:00

There are many programs that are currently available on the market that claim to aid in weight loss. However, one of these programs stands above all of the rest, which is acai berry. If you are wondering about the reliability of the acai berry diet, then you are not alone. There are many individuals that are not sure if the diet is successful. Yet, you will find that there is a high effectiveness relating to this product.

When the acai berry diet is used, many people will notice a significant weight loss. This reduction in weight can be attributed to the powerful qualities of acai berry. The berry itself contains nutrients, such as antioxidants, that help promote a healthy balance in the human body. These antioxidants help to repair cells that have been damaged by the oxidation process that occurs within the body.

The berry also helps to increase the metabolism of those that are taking it. When an individual’s metabolism is increased, their body can process and burn food items faster, which provides the body with more energy. This increase in energy helps to promote an active lifestyle and individuals that exercise will be able to receive better results. An increased metabolism will also work to burn off the fat cells that are being stored in the body. The acai berry also helps to control a person’s appetite, which will prevent someone from eating uncontrollably.

Another benefit that individuals can gain from consuming acai berry products is age-fighting capabilities. The berries contain oils that provide the skin with the ability to maintain hydration and youthfulness. Since the berries are a natural product that is grown in the wild, there are no additional pesticides and chemicals that are ingested.

The products that contain acai berry can be in capsule, powder, juices and extract forms. These items are manufactured with a pure concentration of the berry and provide you with the healthy benefits that you are seeking. If you are always on the go, you may find the capsule form of acai berry to more beneficial than a juice. The type of acai berry product that you end up purchasing is all based on your personal needs and lifestyle.

No matter which form you get, acai berry can help you with your weight loss goals. It is clear that the acai berry diet is successful and is currently providing thousands with the weight loss their desire. You too can achieve the body that you deserve.

How To Use Slimweight Patch? Best Way To Use Slimweight Patch?

2010-01-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

For anyone who is looking to lose both large amounts of body weight and for those hoping to drop even a few pounds, the thought of a rigid diet and strenuous exercise routine are not all that appealing.

The truth is even more deflating in that not everyone's body responds the same to certain diets and an increase in workouts. That could mean that even if you are depriving yourself of your favourites foods and logging hours in the gym, you may not be getting the results you want. For this reason that is exactly why the scientists and doctors behind the Slimweight Patch have been working diligently to perfect what is now being called the weight loss "delivery system of the future."

The Slimweight Patch is unlike anything else you may have previously tried and will not only kick start your metabolism but significantly suppress your appetite as well. This will get you burning through copious amounts of fat and calories while simultaneity naturally spurring you to eliminate hundreds of extra calories each day from your diet as you will feel fuller off of much less food. What's more is that your cravings, especially for those heavy carbohydrate comfort foods, will also be waning with the aide of the Slimweight Patch.

So just how should you go about using the Slimweight Patch to achieve the optimal results? The use of both the Herbal Patch and the Hoodia Patch simply couldn't be any easier; you will only need to apply the patch to a small area of dry skin and then you can forget about it and go about your regular schedule. You will switch out each patch for a new one every day and depending on how much weight you are intending to lose you will keep cycling through the patches according to the recommended dosage chart that is included.

You will then immediately see results within the first three days if not sooner, able to drop anywhere between two and four pounds of fat each week. Some satisfied customers have even reported upwards of a six pound weight loss each week with the Slimweight Patch.

While it is not necessary to adapt your diet or exercise routine at all while using the Slimweight Patch you can enhance the calorie burning effects with a fitness program. This doesn't have to be arduous hours running on the treadmill, as even brisk walks will do the trick. Sticking to an overall healthy diet is advised but with the Slimweight Patch you don't ever have to feel guilty about a few indulgences as it will not curtail your weight loss efforts in the least. With the help of the Slimweight Patch the task of losing weight no longer has to feel like a losing battle.

Fast Weight Loss Is Made Possible With The Slimweight Patch?!

2010-01-12T18:11:00.001-08:00

If you are tired of sticking to your restrictive diet and sick of feeling guilty about missing your appointments with the gym, there is still a quick and effective way to lose weight. The struggle to lose weight and rid oneself of excess body fat is something that the majority of the populous faces, but due to a revolutionary new weight loss remedy you no longer have to be among them.

The Slimweight Patch is here to make it possible for you to lose significant amounts of weight, shed that unsightly body fat, and all the while leave you free to enjoy the foods you love so much. A common misconception is that in order to lose weight you have to stick to a diet of leafy greens and other bland foods, yet with the Slimweight Patch you will see results right away without ever having to make any alterations to your current diet and daily routines.

Natural Ingredients
The Slimweight Patch is made up of all natural ingredients that will supercharge your metabolism and make you a calorie blasting machine. Mimicking the effects of continued, strenuous exercise this patch will make it possible for you to burn significantly more calories throughout the day no matter if you are resting or even sleeping. What is even better is that this powerful combination of ingredients will curb your appetite and cravings which will then allow you to still eat as you normally would but will make you feel much more full and satisfied off of less food. This will eliminate hundreds of calories from your diet each day without any conscious effort on your end.

Benefits
The best part is that the effects of the Slimweight Patch are fast. You will note that in as little as three days, if not sooner, you will see a marked decrease in your appetite and your metabolism's increase will follow soon thereafter. Among many clinical and subject studies results have yielded that it is common to lose anywhere between two and four pounds of fat each week, and others have noted losing upwards of six pounds. At that rate you can then choose to use the Slimweight Patch for as long as you see fit.

There is a dosing recommendation chart included that will guide you along in your weight loss journey, helping you blast away unsightly fat while leaving you free to go about your regular activities and routines.

Losing weight no longer has to be a slow and punishing task, with the Slimweight Patch you will see results almost immediately. Get the body that you have always wanted but never thought possible without hours spent in the gym and a diet that excluded all of the foods you love; the Slimweight Patch works, and it works fast.

Hemorrhoids Home Cure Remedies - Treating Hemorrhoids With Horsetail, Blueberries and Ceanothus

2010-01-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

Hemorrhoids Home Cure Remedies - Treating Hemorrhoids With Horsetail, Blueberries and Ceanothus

By Stewart C

Hemorrhoids, also known as piles or emerods, is a rather common ailment that often affects people who lead a sedentary or inactive life, such as those who work desk jobs and rarely go out for exercise. This is the inflammation or swelling of the veins in the anus and rectum. Actually, the term "hemorrhoids," if taken in the technical sense, really refers to cushions made of tissue that are filled with blood vessels where the rectum and anus connects. However, the term is loosely used to refer to any varicosities in the anal region.

There are so many possible causes for developing hemorrhoids, and there are as many medications given to treat the problem. However, did you know that you could go all-natural when treating hemorrhoids by trying herbal treatments? Three herbs that you can try for hemorrhoids are horsetail, blueberries and ceanothus.

Why Should You Go For Herbal Treatments?

The reason why you should try herbal treatments when dealing with hemorrhoids - or any other ailment for that matter - is because they are safer and don't have the side effects associated with regular medicines. In addition, most medicines can usually target only one ailment at a time while herbs can frequently improve your over-all health while dealing with your complaint.

How Do You Use The Herbs?

If you're having trouble with hemorrhoids, you should try the three herbs mentioned earlier. Horsetail is the term used for a group of branched species (with scientific name Equisetum) which looks like a horse's tail. It is the only living genus in a plant family made of vascular plants which reproduce not by seeds but by spores.

Horsetail

You can use horsetail to deal with bleeding hemorrhoids by boiling a tablespoon of horsetail in a liter of purified water for five minutes. Drink a cup of the boiled concoction before every meal. If you want, you can stir in some lemon juice to improve the taste. The bleeding should lessen and completely stop within three days.

Blueberries

On the other hand, blueberries are plants that flower and bloom into small round fruits that are sweet when ripe, with a hint of acidity. They are quite effective in treating hemorrhoids, and quite a tasty treat as well. In addition, they are easily available in the market. You can even choose from different variety such as low-bush blueberries, high-bush blueberries, rabbit-eye blueberries or half-high blueberries.

If you're having trouble with hemorrhoids, eat a cup of fresh blueberries every day for the next two months. If you're having difficulty finishing it up in one go, you can divide the cup into two or three servings in such a way that you'll be having fresh blueberries for dessert after every meal. The symptoms should begin to reduce in two months.

Ceanothus

You can also try ceanothus, which is a shrub or small tree usually found in North America. Just boil ten to fifteen ceanothus leaves in a cup of purified water. Strain and drink like a tea every day for seven days. You should notice the hemorrhoids getting smaller within one week.

Using a hemorrhoid home care treatment is always preferable to prescription medications. Nohemorrhoid.com provide a list of herbal remedies for hemorrhoids to cure piles effectively.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stewart_C

http://EzineArticles.com/?Hemorrhoids-Home-Cure-Remedies---Treating-Hemorrhoids-With-Horsetail,-Blueberries-and-Ceanothus&id=3542095

Ultimate Maqui Berry - How Does Maqui Berry Work For You?

2010-01-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

There are few detox products on the market that can confidently claim to promote natural weight loss and body rejuvenation at the same time, yet Ultimate Maqui Berry does this with complete ease and grace.

We were particularly impressed by the sheer volume of proof that this supplement can produce. Clinically proven to promote:

• 1-5lb weekly weight losses
• appetite suppression
• improved cholesterol, metabolism and energy levels

In one neat compact package, consumers can confidently rid their body from harmful toxins and free radicals, and safely continue to revitalise their health.

However, further research into this nutrient enriched berry quickly helped us to understand why Maqui Berry is so effective.

According to the ORAC, Maqui Berry contains at least 2-3 times more antioxidants than any other berry – including acai berry – making it the #1 Superfood on the planet!

Everything about this potent antioxidant screams quality.

From the numerous health benefits it can induce, to their use of propriety ultra filtration processes to safeguard its nutrients, to their 180 day money back guarantee, to their 24/7 customer support to their mountains of eBooks and free bonuses. From every angle you approach Ultimate Maqui Berry you are confronted with support, support, support.

How does it work?

The key to this supplements success is in the potency of its antioxidants. Every mg of this 1800mg supplement is ram packed with clinically proven nutrients that can effectively help you to burn fat, suppress your appetite and free your body from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Polyphenols and anthocyarins: proven to be 130% more effective than red wine at inhibiting the oxidisation of bad cholesterol, these antioxidants essentially combat the effects of free radicals by preventing oxidisation and burning fat for fuel. By doing this these antioxidants help to boost your metabolism and lose weight.

Resveratrol: has been clinically proven during a study by the University of Illinois to suppress your appetite and decrease your food intake by 8%.

Look on their ingredients list and you will find no trace of hidden, unnecessary ingredients. To protect the efficiency of their supplements, Ultimate Maqui Berry contains only 100% pure, unaltered, ultra filtrated Maqui Berry, making it safe for long term use.

Are there any bonuses?

With Ultimate Maqui Berry it is more of a question of what they haven’t given you to help increase your confidence in their supplement.

Admittedly, Ultimate Maqui Berry is not the cheapest supplement on the market, but the creators of this uniquely versatile antioxidant have quickly made up for this fact by providing you with mountains of free incentives and bonuses.

Their health and weight loss eBooks in particular are overflowing with useful tips and techniques to help maximise your health results. And free to own, the more you upgrade, the more your savings will grow!

Similarly their use of a 180 day money back guarantee helps to alleviate the pressure of paying $54.95 on the 1 month package. Rest assured that if after using the product for 180 days and experiencing no weight loss, you will receive a 100% refund this knowledge does wonders for your confidence.

It removes all risk that you might have wasted your money and in its place offers you ample opportunities to benefit from their supplement.

Finally thought…

All in all we adored the health benefits this simple antioxidant can produce. Even now we are still shocked by the fact that one berry can do so much. 1-5lb weekly weight losses, a boosted metabolism, appetite suppression and a dramatic reduction in toxins, it is the ultimate full body tune up.

Kick Start your Metabolism! Burning MORE Calories! Using Phentemine375™

2009-10-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

Your metabolism quite simply put is the amount of energy that’s in food but in caloric form. Your body needs calories, just like a car need gas your body needs to burn calories in order to maintain it’s self. Whatever you do whether you’re asleep, running, sitting, standing, basically breathing in and out your body is constantly burning or consuming calories in order to keep you alive. Think of it as the gas or electric needed to heat your food or fire your furnace. When burning fat and food, you are consuming energy of caloric food value. What is actually going on is your metabolism or metabolic rate are basically the amount of calories being burnt within your body. Just like some engines are more efficient and others are gas guzzlers, people metabolisms are also varied and most are in need of a tune up. How do we accomplish that, we start you off fist by giving your metabolism a boost a kick start so to speak, just like an octane booster to gas. We want to turn the heat up that engine called the human body. By using our phentemine375™ pills and diet plan you are turning the heat up on your furnace.

I’ll bet you have heard this or possibly it was not you actually saying it. Men and women when put together and the topic of weight or weight loss, will start talking on the topic of why they are fatter, and when they were younger. I’ll bet you the 1st thing out of their mouth will be, well it my metabolism as we get older it just slows down and it’s not my fault it just the way it is. Next you’re going to hear moaning and groaning and complaining about how their metabolism is so slow, that when they were younger they could eat anything they wanted to and not gain weight but now if they simply *think* about a piece of something sweet it just put pounds on. There is actually a medical reason for this. It’s not completely untrue; actually when you are younger your body produces more (testosterone) yes its true, men and women both need this hormone; it’s what allows you to build muscle tissue and have a sexual drive. Both women and men have muscle and hopefully a sex drive RIGHT! Ok phentemine375™ has a ingredient that help to replace that missing testosterone it’s called Dehydroepiandrosterone is a steroid hormone , if used properly over time will help you to maintain and build muscle tissue .

You need muscle tissue to burn fat, and have an active, quick responsive metabolism. Muscles are the engines of our body’s, the vast majority of all calories burnt in the human body are burnt by your muscles. Think about it your heart never stops so it is always in need of fuel that is just the most obvious muscles. Your body has about 656 to 850, depending on which expert you consult. Now the bigger they are the more fuel is required or calories. Now you can start to understand why athletes and even older folks who exercise and have good muscle health also have fast metabolic rates. They can eat more and certainly enjoy more food than a person whose metabolic rate is slow. Why, you just read the reason it’s all about your muscle mass , because we have more lean muscle mass at 20 than we do at 70, and lean muscle mass is what helps burn calories. It’s a sad truth but it is a fact of life. Now as we age our metabolism slows down. It’s up to us to speed it up, that can be accomplished by eating 6 times per day, exercise and taking a metabolic enhancement product like Phentemine375™. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is just one of 4 ingredients that were specifically designed to work on increasing your metabolic rate and burning off fat.

I know you have seen people who have quicker metabolisms and it seems as though they are able to burn off the calories they eat and never gain an ounce without even doing anything. While others have metabolisms that are slower and sluggish and everything seems to stick to them and not get burned off. The products that are designed and sold at www.phen375.com have taken that into consideration and we realize no two people are alike in the calories they burn and the rate of their metabolism.

Now having said that, is it really possible to boost your metabolism? Can I really burn more calories and lose weight easier? YES! You can phentemine375™ has proven that if you follow the manufactures recommendation listed on their site in the diet section and take the diet pills all the evidence shows most people get a 3 to 5 pound per week reduction in weigh. Without starving and eating healthy all while creating new healthy eating habits.

Don’t starve yourself, severe restriction of calories is a sure fire way to cause your metabolism to slow down to a crawl it. That’s why when you start eating again you seem to get heaver much quicker. Now you know why, If you’ve been crash dieting for years without exercising, I know that your metabolism has been affected and not for the better. Dieting incorrectly burns muscle and the less muscle mass you have, the less calories you burn and the slower your metabolism. Now you see why we added the Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to our product. We don’t want you to lose any muscle tissue while using our product and we actually want you to increase your lean muscle mass to help burn off calories. Are you beginning to realize why you have some areas of your body that just seem to grow Helloooo belly fat.

Every time you go on a starvation diet plan, or skipping meals it means that your metabolic rate has probably dropped and you did it to yourself. Now it will drop a little bit each time that you’ve been doing the crash diet program. Putting on more fat and losing muscle. Hmm seems like that is counterproductive to me, what do you think? So each time it just causes your metabolism to slow down even more until the point is seems as though just breathing in the sweet smells will add inches to your waist line. It seems like a cycle or a roller coaster ride of up and down up and down then depression sets in and thought of doom, doesn’t it? Now don’t you think it’s time to let www.phen375.com help you get out of that destructive cycle or better yet never start? By using our product phentemine375™ , following our diet plan you are getting the best possible solution available for weight loss and of course getting that metabolism moving again.

Yes, it’s true, if you want to boost your metabolism you are going to have to change your ways. You cannot just flick a switch and you certainly cannot expect it to just happen all by itself. Ever hear that things in motion stay in motion, well its true so it’s time to get you in motion, You should go to www.phen375.com read and educate yourself , get started on the path of weight loss the phen375 way . The very best thing you can do is to start now, don’t put it off , you must realize by now that what you have been doing has not been working, so get started on a proven, healthy and guaranteed weight loss product and program designed to get that metabolic rate ramped up to maximum efficiency.

Hair Loss In Man - What is male pattern baldness?

2009-10-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

With every lost strand of hair goes a sizable chunk of self-esteem. You may not get all of them back, but you can certainly try.

Is your top gone? A man may not admit that hair is his crowning glory but baldness deals a heavy blow to his confidence. Genetic hair loss, the most common type of alopecia (baldness), affects not just older men but yuppies and teenagers as well.

But don't fret. Medicine and cosmetics can work wonders in restoring a withering self-esteem. Top-of-the-line wigs are nothing like the dark, stiff mop your great-grandfather used to wear; oral and topical medications are potent; and surgically restored hair doesn't resemble a doll's anymore.

The bald truth
Androgenetic alopecia is not the type of hair loss caused by medical conditions, medications, stress or salon hair treatments. As its name implies, it is triggered by androgens or male hormones, and is greatly influenced by genetics: your inherited genes determine the speed, age of onset and degree of alopecia. In fact, in men, balding among first-degree male relatives is a good indicator for genetic predisposition to androgenetic alopecia.

Females can also develop this condition, but androgenetic alopecia in men (male pattern baldness or MPB) is localized and usually more severe. "[Male] androgenetic alopecia is patterned, progressive and gradual, with stepwise miniaturization of hair follicles," says Dr. Rica Mallari, head of the Hair Unit of St. Luke's Hospital's Dermatology Center.

"Testosterone, in the presence of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, is converted to dihydrotestosterone, or DHT," Mallari explains. DHT, the hormone responsible for MPB, causes hair follicles to become smaller and finer with every hair growth cycle. Thus, each new batch of hair that grows is shorter, weaker, less deeply rooted and less pigmented, until the hair on the frontal and vertex portions of the scalp virtually disappear and shiny bald areas appear.

"The hair usually grows out for three to five years, then just sits [on the scalp] for three to four months until a new hair grows out and slowly pushes the old hair out. In pattern baldness, instead of growing three to five years for the next hair cycle, hair will first just grow for two years, then probably just for nine months in the next cycle," Mallari explains further. Eventually, hair growth stops.

Half of men over age 50 experience some degree of androgenetic alopecia. "As we enter puberty, all of us experience gradual thinning of our hair, [but] there are some [whose hair] thins out faster and earlier," Mallari says. Although MPB cannot be prevented, poor lifestyle choices can accelerate it. "Any form of stress (including major depression) and lack of nutrients, especially zinc and iron, can aggravate the condition," Mallari points out.

Gone today, back tomorrow
Hair loss comes naturally with the aging process in some men, and no treatment is necessary. However, baldness, if excessive or occurs early in life, is very distressing. Mallari advises young patients to do something about baldness as early as possible, as MPB is progressive and it would take a longer time to fill in bald spaces at a later stage. "It is important that patients see a dermatologist first for initial assessment and information regarding treatment options available to suit their needs," she adds. These options include:

Wigs
Donning a wig or toupee is the traditional and least expensive option for baldness. Good quality, more natural-looking wigs are available.

Finasteride
Finasteride inhibits 5-alpha-reductase, preventing the miniaturization of follicles due to DHT. According to Mallari, studies done on male patients 18 years old and above show that 99 percent of the patients experienced cessation of hair loss and 66 percent had regrowth with finasteride treatment.

Daily finasteride at 1-milligram dosages is recommended to prevent further hair loss and increase hair growth in men with MPB. "The tablet has to be taken daily for as long as the patient wants his hair. It usually takes about 3 to 6 months before hair loss slows down and 6 to 12 months before hair growth is noticed," says Mallari. "Since this will be a long-term treatment, it is necessary that the patient consult a dermatologist prior to starting this medication. It is important that all other causes of hair loss be ruled out," she continues. The downside of finasteride is that once the medication is stopped, the balding process gradually resumes. Women and children should not use or handle finasteride.

Minoxidil
"The exact mechanism of action of minoxidil in MPB is still unknown but numerous studies have shown that it is effective for pattern baldness. As a lotion, cosmetically acceptable results are attained with a minimum concentration of 1 percent, optimal results with 2 percent and more immediate effects with 5 percent," Mallari says.

People of all ages can use the lotion, which is applied twice a day. Some patients, however, may develop itching, prickling and headaches. "It also takes several months for hair to regrow and usually the hair that grows is thinner. Once minoxidil is stopped, the balding process immediately resumes," says Mallari.

Hair transplants
Hair transplant is the option for those who want a more significant, immediate and permanent hair-loss solution. "Here, the patient's hair on androgen-insensitive areas, like the parietal and occipital areas, are relocated to the balding areas," Mallari explains. "Sometimes, it takes several months for the new grafts to grow, but once they grow, they will look and grow like the normal hair."

Not all patients are candidates for hair transplant, though. Mallari notes: "Usually, patients in the middle-age group are the ones who undergo the procedure, as their hair loss is advanced and difficult to treat with medications alone. It is sometimes difficult to do transplant on the elderly as their hair loss is too extensive--they have a very large area needed to be covered but usually don't have good donor sites.

"[Hair transplant] is a very tedious and expensive procedure. Scalp care is very important after the procedure to prevent the grafts from popping out. The patient can not shampoo normally for the first three weeks."

Furthermore, since the hair-transplant procedure requires surgery, risks include bleeding, swelling, infection, bruising, scarring and numbness. Only board-certified dermatologists, plastic or cosmetic surgeons should perform transplants.

Scalp reduction
Surgical removal of balding scalp areas is called scalp reduction. "This involves the excision of an elliptical piece of bald skin so that the balding area looks smaller," says Mallari. The remaining parts of the scalp with hair growth are stretched and expanded, giving the appearance of more hair. But according to the American Medical Association, the effectiveness of scalp reduction depends on the degree of hair loss and the elasticity of the scalp. "Sometimes, after surgery, the bald area enlarges again as the skin becomes lax," Mallari states.

Counseling
Counseling can also help men cope with baldness. "Usually, patients bothered by MPB are young and single. Most of my patients are in their 20s and 30s, who do not want to go to school or the office [because of alopecia]. They get depressed, lose their self-confidence and develop a psychological problem," Mallari relates. Such shattered self-esteem may improve with a visit to a therapist, but more so from acceptance, affirmation and support from family members

What Are the Risk Factors of Hemorrhoids?

2009-10-15T23:00:00.001-07:00

What Are the Risk Factors of Hemorrhoids?
By Stewart C

Anybody can get hemorrhoids, especially now that diets have been leaning towards foods that have low fiber contents and a high content of processed ingredients. Lack of proper water intake and the design of current toilet bowls also make the chances of getting hemorrhoids bigger. The cause of hemorrhoids is an increased pressure in the hemorrhoidal veins but there are countless number of ways that this increased pressure occurs. These are the risk factors that general increase the chance of one developing a hemorrhoid.

Due to Diet

The diets of people nowadays are usually ones that are high-fat but low on fiber. This type of diet can be seen in any corner on any street of any city. That is, the diets of people are turning into a fast food diet; one that is packed full of salt, saturated fat and all kinds of preservatives and chemicals that pack on the flavor but hardly provide any nutritional value.

This type of diet usually causes constipation and, on the opposite spectrum, diarrhea as well. This then leads to increased pressure on the rectal veins and thus, increases the chances of developing hemorrhoids.

Due to Habits and Lifestyle

Habits of people also add to the risks of developing these irritants. Laziness can actually cause hemorrhoids since sitting down too much can lead to the increase in pressure that causes the hemorrhoids to appear. This is especially true if you have a bad posture and rarely get up on your feet move around.

People also usually like sitting on the toilet for longer periods of time than is actually necessary; whether to read a book or a newspaper while doing their business. This may seem innocent enough except that the design of the modern toilet bowl actually helps for hemorrhoids to develop.

Obesity also causes undue pressures on the rectal vein. Also, due to, usually, low nutritional value of the of the food being ingested, obese people also tend to be prone to constipation, which further adds to the risks of getting hemorrhoids.

Anal intercourse also causes an increase in the probability of developing hemorrhoids; this lifestyle activity significantly the pressures in the veins around the anal cavity and therefore increases the risks.

Due to Other Factors

Other risk factors are not controlled by the person. These include the age of the person; the higher the age the higher the chances of getting hemorrhoids. There are also some medical reasons that are considered risk factors for hemorrhoids; these include Cirrhosis (scar tissue in the liver), and chronic diarrhea or constipation. The use of laxatives also adds to the increased stress in the rectum that might lead to the growth of these irritants.

For women, being pregnant usually also means that hemorrhoids will be a big probability. The fetus or the baby inside the womb of the woman causes additional pressure and stress on the veins that, more likely than not, leads to the swelling of these veins.

Fortunately for everyone, hemorrhoids usually do not last for very long. In fact, if left alone (or sometimes pushed back into the rectum), hemorrhoids usually go away after a couple of days without any serious complications or discomfort.

Best way to get rid of hemorrhoids using all natural hemorrhoid treatment. Read the hemorrhoids articles and hemorrhoids product reviews to get latest information on a range of brands that offer effective treatment.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stewart_C
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Are-the-Risk-Factors-of-Hemorrhoids?&id=3086515

What is Hemorrhois?

2009-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hemorrhoids, or piles are essentially inflamed and swollen veins located in and around the rectum and anus. There are two main types: internal and external, with the latter being located outside of the rectum. While external hemorrhoids can cause a great deal of discomfort, many people are not even aware that they have internal hemorrhoids until they see blood in their stool. There is also something called a prolapsed hemorrhoid that temporarily comes out during a bowel movement and causes a great deal of pain as it reenters the rectum.

Hemorrhoids are very common in Western countries and much less common in developing countries. Although the vast majority of people in the Western world experience hemorrhoids at some point in their lives, many find it embarrassing to admit they have them. Because of this, most people avoid getting the advice and treatment they need to alleviate the condition. The important thing is to educate yourself about the preventative measures you can take and the treatment options that are available. Looking For Effective Hemorrhoid Treatment?

Natural Hair Care Tips - Home Remedies For Hair Growth

2009-10-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

Natural Hair Care Tips - Home Remedies For Hair Growth
By Stewart C

The battle between traditional medicine and Western, modern medicine exists even in the field of hair loss treatments. While researchers are trying to find ways to remedy the problem with one drug or a cocktail of chemical compounds, traditional remedies for hair loss have existed for thousands of years. If you're tired of taking pills and applying topical remedies to your balding areas, perhaps it's time to visit the age-old medicine chest of traditional remedies.

Why Even Try?

Generally, traditional medical approaches are safer than taking pills or using gels or patches filled with synthetic chemicals. Usually, traditional remedies involve the use of natural items and foodstuffs that can be found all around us.

The same principle applies with traditional Chinese medicine; herbs, roots and leaves are prepared in measured amounts to remedy common ailments. Economically, it's also more practical to use natural ingredients because they cost less, and you can prepare infusions and creams from the comfort of your home, at your own time.

Oil

You've heard the drill; put oil on your hair to keep it supple and shiny. To an extent, safe oils like mineral oil and essential oils from plants such as lavender and walnut are effective in keeping the hair healthy. If you have extremely dry hair, your sebum production may have been probably affected already. Sebum is the natural oily secretion that's responsible for keeping the hair shiny. If you're exposed to immense levels of smoke and toxins on a daily basis, your sebum production may have already weakened.

In such case, oils are a natural remedy. Dry hair is also brittle hair; ignore dry hair enough and you are rewarded with easy breakage and unattractive, unmanageable hair. Don't worry; you don't have to look far for the oils you can use. You can use any of the following for the purpose of strengthening and maintaining younger-looking hair:

- Castor oil
- Almond oil
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Essential oil of thyme
- Essential oil of rosemary
- Essential oil of lavender
- Essential oil of cedar wood
- Jojoba oil
- Grape seed oil

More Vitamins, Please

Keeping your hair on your head may be simpler than we formerly have thought. If you know that you're not getting enough vitamins because of your diet, there's no point in changing your diet now.

You can, but it would take longer for the vitamins to reach your ailing scalp. Instead, change your diet while taking vitamin supplements. Common multivitamin formulations with tocopherol, biotin, thiamine, ascorbic acid and the like are sufficient for maintaining a healthy scalp and hair.

Don't go to extreme lengths, either. It's not only pointless, but dangerous, to take multiple vitamin pills a day. The body can only make use of a certain amount of a vitamin; the rest are thrown away (through urination and bowel movement).

While some vitamins are kept in the body for future use, it is still recommended that you take only the recommended RDA for all vitamin types. This would prevent unnecessary problems associated with the overabundance of vitamins.

There few effective hair loss treatment available on market. Which hair loss products really works? Visit RecoveryHair.Com and read the products review.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stewart_C
http://EzineArticles.com/?Natural-Hair-Care-Tips---Home-Remedies-For-Hair-Growth&id=2570748

Treating Hemorrhoids Naturally

2009-08-15T02:15:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of all-natural plants, minerals & herbs that can relieve itching, swelling & pain caused by hemorrhoids.

Let's take a look at some of the best:

Butcher's Broom - This herb can relieve constipation (a common cause of hemorrhoids), relieve pressure, and prevent swelling, vericose veins & blood clots.
Witch Hazel - This plant is a great anti-inflammatory and strengthens veins. It is used to relax the veins & relieve pressure...which reduces pain from hemorrhoids!
Horse Chestnut - This herb is commonly used to treat a condition known as "chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), a syndrome that may include leg swelling, varicose veins, leg pain, itching, and skin ulcers." It is used because it reduces swelling & itching of hemorrhoids.
Fluoride of Lime - This is used to improve strength in the veins, reduce swelling & itching, and treat internal hemorrhoids.
Stone Root - This herb relieves tension, pressure & pain and reduces constipation. All of which decrease pain from hemorrhoids by solving the problems that cause them.

Alternative Hemorrhoid Relief
Alright, so this is your cue to go off to a bunch of herbal remedy shops or search for them online, and randomly use each of them until the pain & hemorrhoids are gone.

Have fun with that!

OR...instead, you could do what you always do, and be smart about how you spend your time & money by trying Venapro!

Why? Because Venapro is nothing but the above ingredients (and more) combined together in an FDA-approved homeopathic herbal medicine!

Basically, the creators of Venapro have done the hard work for you...

If you want to get rid of the pain & itching of your hemorrhoids, without being embarrassed, shelling out way too much cash, or suffering through weird/painful remedies that might not even work!

Possible Side Effects of Acai Berry

2009-07-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

Found naturally in the Amazon rain forest, acai berries have been used for centuries by local tribes for their natural healing properties, so it is no wonder why this nutritious berry has been transformed into a natural weight loss aid.

Producing no side effects, alongside acai berries natural capacity to encourage fast immediate weight loss, this nutrient dense berry is ripe with antioxidants proven to prevent: cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Pollen/Berry Allergies

If you suffer from a hypersensitivity to acai or similar berries, or have pollen allergies, we do recommend that you avoid trying acai berry products. Although cases reported have only been minor, acai berries may aggravate your symptoms and as a precaution you should consult with your doctor or a nutritionist first before trying these berries.

Acai Berry Supplements

With no known drug interactions, individuals taking medications for high blood pressure or are known to be pregnant, can safely take 100% pure acai berry supplements without having to worry about any negative interactions.

Most manufacturers recommend taking 1,000 to 4,000mg of acai berry supplements a day in order to experience credible weight loss results, though this consumption should be judged on the potency of these supplements first before taking.

Acai Berry Juices/Purees

Acai Berry Purees are traditionally formulated using mashed acai berries. For this reason, there are no major side effects connected to Acai Berry Puree.

In the case of juices, manufacturers commonly mix acai berry with a mixture of other fruit juices and as a result it is possible that these fruit juices may cause minor side effects.

It is possible though by consuming too much of these acai berry juices to experience mild diarrhoea; however this is no different from other fruit juices. If you are concerned though, we suggest taking no more than 4 ounces of Acai Berry Puree or 12-16 ounces of acai berry juices.

Mixed Ingredient Acai Berry Products

Although pure, unaltered acai berry is free from side effects, following the production of mixed acai berry products there is a possibility of side effects.

In their quest to enhance acai berries natural qualities as well as save on money, many of these new products contain additional ingredients, including inert fillers, guarana (natural caffeine substitute), fruit juices and sugars.

Alongside their minimalization of the acai berry fruit itself, the overall potency of these products is dramatically reduced, and as of yet have not been tested to see their long term effects.

For this reason, we suggest you avoid trying this product - if you have got any pre-existing health problems – until these products have been accurately tested.

Which are the safest?

Whether you suffer from any underlying health problems or not, we recommend that you stick to only 100% pure, unaltered acai berry products such as Pure Acai Berry.

Notably the most effective acai berry product on the market, Pure Acai Berry:

• Offers you a massive 1500mg per a serving - you only need a minimum of 1000mg to see results
• Is freeze dried and vacuumed immediately, ensuring the highest grade of Acai berry anywhere online
• Offers immediate fast weight loss from day 1
• Fights fatigue
• Is ripe with antioxidants proven to boost your immune system, remove toxins and increase your energy levels

Dodgy Free Trail Dealers - Acai Berry Scam?!

2009-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

We have all felt the draw of ‘free trials’. Offering consumers what appears to be a month’s free supply of product X, this deal looks too good to be true, and unfortunately it is.

Despite continued warnings to consumers to not trust free Acai Berry trials, and to always read the small print, thousands are still being falsely charged for products they do not want.

Take the recent case of Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc. Deceptively advertising ‘free trails’ of their Acai Berry product (plus on numerous other health products), once individuals signed up to these trials they found it difficult, if not impossible, to cancel these registrations. Instead they were left being charged month after month for a product they did not want.

What was the CNN case?

Accused of shipping to and falsely charging consumers for products they had specifically deselected during the ordering process, the case of CCN was triggered when 100’s of disgruntled customers contacted the Attorney General Terry Goddard’s office.

During the course of the enquiry it was discovered that CNN had hide references of their re-billing and ‘bonus products’ policies in the small print, making it impossible for consumers to see ‘the catch’.

However, worse than this was the way CNN handled their complaints: never responding to emails and leaving customers whom wished to complain on hold for over an hour, their blatant disregard for their customers needs added to the fact that they were actively seeking to mislead them with these trials.

Free trail dilemma

The case of CNN is just one of hundreds to have occurred as a result of free trails. Across numerous brands, Hoodia, Acai Berry, fat binders… you can find numerous instances of ‘free trail offers’ that have been designed to dupe consumers out of their money.

Despite this, the use of ‘free’ or ‘reduced’ trails (which are subject to price increases) have been around for a long time. And if approached legally and correctly, for example by providing clear documentation of their rebilling system, are in fact not considered wrong.

The only problem with such an offering occurs when a corporation actively seeks to mislead their consumers and does not inform them of the consequences of their order or the problems of cancelling it.

Have you been affected by a free trial offer?

In the case of CNN, $350,000 was won and redistributed to their consumers, so if you have experienced such a scam in the past, CNN is proof that you can seek amends for it.

Aside from contacting these companies directly, it is now possible to complain online, as in the case of the individual below:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/acaiberrydetox-c226703.html.

Through the complaints board Anna was able to launch an official complaint against AcaiBerryDetox’s false advertising and seek compensation.

To make a complaint against an acai berry product or any other health product, simply visit www.complaintsboard.com and add a post.

Pure Acai Berry Weight Loss Pill

2009-07-18T20:47:00.001-07:00

There are now a range of acai berry supplements that through flash freezing can help you to invest in this fruit and experience its full potency.

Pure Acai Berry Made from 100% pure, unaltered acai berry, Pure Acai Berry may not be the cheapest acai berry product on the market at £34.12, but for its cost consumers can experience the confidence of an acai berry product that is:

• Produced to the highest grading
• 100% pure (not an extract)
• the most potent acai berry product on the market offering consumers 1500mg per a serving
• Quality assured, produced in CGMP facilities
• A powerful antioxidant support – highest ORAC rating
• Proven to offer immediate weight loss on its first serving through appetite suppression and metabolic improvement
• Able to prevent heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s
• The #1 Superfood in the weight loss industry
• Immediate fast weight loss after your first pill

For more information about Pure Acai Berry, visit www.pureacaiberry.com

Benefits Of Acai Berry

2009-07-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Summer Weight Loss Made Easy

2009-06-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

You will save yourself a lot of heartache if you plan for summer weight loss. If you make some simple adjustments to your habitual diet and resolve to exercise regularly for at least 5 days a week you will achieve a natural weight loss. The suggestions given here can easily be followed throughout the year and you will be a happy person when you see the change it makes in your health and looks.

Diets alone do not produce a sustainable weight loss. The most efficient way to decrease and maintain long term low body fat is through healthy diet and exercises. Weight loss has two vital components: (1) cut down intake of excess calories which increase fat in the body; (2) exercise the body which will help in burning body fat. The process of energy production in cells in your body is called Metabolism; greater the rate of metabolism is more is the fat you burn helping weight loss. Remember that fat loss takes patience and persistence.

Following suggestions for your diet are not only for summer weight loss. They are simple to follow and could be followed throughout the year with benefits.

• Water is an essential component of the body and performs vital functions in your system
Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day;
It is a natural suppressant of appetite;
It helps kidneys remove toxins and thus helps liver metabolize more fat;
One gallon of cold water is equivalent to running 3 miles as far as burning calories is concerned.

• Eat four or five times a day – smaller portions -instead of two or three times; this will help burn fat and lose weight;

• Eat fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, nuts. They are high in fiber. Fiber content helps decrease sugar craving. Cuts down fat absorption and also works as an appetite suppressant.

• Alcohol slows metabolism of the body and helps the body in storing fat.

• Saturated fats and sugar are strictly no-no for weight watchers.

• Consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids increases metabolism, energy levels and thus, is helpful in weight loss. Increase use of Fish ands flaxseed oils;

• Certain spices such as pepper, ginger, mustard increase metabolism; Cinnamon, bay leaf, and clove help decrease sugar cravings.

Two types of exercisers, performed for about 20 to 30 minutes a day, are necessary for a healthy body. Exercises may be performed in the morning or evening.

• Muscular exercises are an efficient way of increasing metabolism. During muscular training the muscles are broken down and more is the need of energy for metabolism to repair the damage. Thus body fat is used up to do perform this repair activity when your body is resting;

• Cardiovascular Aerobic exercises directly burn fat. Exercises performed before a meal help suppress appetite and increase metabolism.

The above suggestions can be implemented by anybody, at any time to lose weight; they are helpful for summer weight loss too.

Resveratrol and Weight Loss

2009-05-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Resveratrol Antioxidants and Weight Loss: A Good Pairing?

The golden rule in weight loss is pretty simple: take in fewer calories than you expend in exercise. However, as any dieter will tell you, it’s far from easy. Americans spend billions of dollars a year on weight loss supplements, exercise programs and other diet aids—and still we can’t seem to win the battle of the bulge—even when we get desperate enough to try risky surgery or fad diets.

Recently a new product has come to light that may help people trying to lose weight stay on the healthy end of the spectrum: Resveratrol Select, which is unlike many diet supplements in that it uses a combination of natural and herbal ingredients designed to help the body stay healthy while losing weight.

How? By mimicking certain aspects of the Mediterranean diet.Studies have shown that part of America’s war with weight lies in the uniquely modern American combination of stressful lifestyle and fast-food consumption, and that the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle seem to be more conducive to healthier weight levels and longevity.

In fact, much as been made on the news in recent months of the purported “French Paradox,” (how the French eat a high-fat diet, enjoy rich desserts, drink wine and still have better cardiovascular health than the rest of us).

One of the biggest differences between the American and French diet seems to be the wine consumption, and red wine (a staple on most Mediterranean tables) contains one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, resveratrol, which is a key ingredient in Resveratrol Select.

In addition to wine, resveratrol is also found in grape skins, blueberries, cranberries and other plants, and recent animal and in vitro studies indicate that it can have a positive effect on helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, supporting insulin health and optimizing metabolic and immune pathways that protect cells and improve mitochondrial function.

* And one capsule of Resveratrol Select includes as much resveratrol as 200 glasses of wine—without the added calories that alcohol can add to the waistline.

But consuming resveratrol alone isn’t enough to help with weight loss—so the manufacturers of Resveratrol Select also added a different type of antioxidant, Green Tea Extract (EGCG), which could make a big difference.

Over time, green tea consumption helps increase metabolism, burn fat and reduce fat storage due to its caffeine and L-theanin content, which can be pivotal in helping to maintain energy for exercise.

*Resveratrol Select combines these two powerful antioxidants with yet another energy boosting ingredient, Chromium, a niacin-based mineral that plays an important role in how the body uses insulin to burn sugars, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy.

*Although relatively new to the market, Resveratrol Select seems to be making a big splash, and many people are taking advantage of the free trial offer to see how well the product works for them.

The trial offer also includes two bonus tools to help with weight loss: an e-book with over 70 weight loss tips, and a weight loss visualization audio.Of course, consuming fewer calories while burning more is the most efficient form of weight loss, and it’s always a good idea to inform your doctor before taking a weight loss supplement, but this new combination herbal supplement is worth a look for those concerned about maintaining good health while losing weight. For more information on Resveratrol Select’s free trial offer and bonus materials,

Visit Resveratrol Select

Stop using Hydroxycut

2009-05-04T02:06:00.001-07:00


		Hydroxycut products are distributed by Global Active in Singapore through GNC outlets and other retail outlets, including pharmacies. -- PHOTO: GNC

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is warning consumers to stop using Hydroxycut products.

Made by Iovate Health Sciences USA, they are being recalled in the United States due to reports of serious adverse reactions there.

Hydroxycut, a slimming supplement used by people trying to shed kilos and by bodybuilders to better define their muscles, has been linked to 23 cases of adverse reactions affecting the liver, including one death due to liver failure.

Hydroxycut products are distributed by Global Active in Singapore through GNC outlets and other retail outlets, including pharmacies. They are also sold over the Internet.

To date, no local reports of adverse reactions have been received in relation to the consumption of Hydroxycut products.

However, the HSA is concerned and does not want consumers to be exposed to any health risk. Global Active has initiated a voluntary recall of Hydroxycut products here.

The HSA advises consumers who have been taking them to stop doing so immediately and discard them. If they experience any adverse reactions or feel unwell, they should seek medical advice.

Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice, brown urine, nausea, vomiting, light-coloured stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching and loss of appetite.

A GNC spokesman said the company started recalling the products after it was informed early yesterday by GNC in the United States.

Said the spokesman: 'GNC stores in Singapore have sold Hydroxycut for about 10 years. It had helped many shed some excess weight.

Top 3 natural weight loss pills

2009-05-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

We have been hearing about new products on the market and decided to check them out. We have also spoken to 100s of our customers about how these products worked for them.

Finding the rigth slimming pill is important when you wish to achieve the body you deserve. The founders of our website have been where you are now - you need to lose weight and need to find the right product for you.

With new products coming on the market all the time, we thought it was time to rate some of the best slimming pills. We have looked into their research claims

With this is mind we have researched extensively into the top 40 products currently on the market - examining their effectiveness, clinical trials, medical backing and their value of money - to come up with the following 3 products.

Our 3 top diet pills

Product Name	Proactol	Acai Berry	Appesat
How it works	- Suppresses appetites - Lowers food cravings - Reduces dietary fat intake by 28% - Helps lower blood cholesterols count - Decreases calorie intake by up to 150 calories per meal	-Burn fat more effectively by combining the bodies natural fatty acids, phytosterols and amino acids together -Boost energy levels and metabolism -Replenish the skin and reduce aging	- Helps with appetite control
Medical Backing and Quality Assurance	Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC Highly recommended by leading medical experts from across the world Partipated in leading regulatory reviews	Extensively tested *In a recent study done by the University College of London they found that there is no clear proof to suggest that anti-oxidants can slow down aging	2 general clinical based studies
Average weight loss (monthly)	6-18lbs	2-11 lbs	1-5 lbs
Side Effects	None	None	Can Upset Stomach
Clinical Trials	Pilot Clinical Study Clinical Study July 2006 Vitamin Bile Salt Study Report 4 TNO Report Part-1 2001 - Fat Binding Capacity TNO Report Part – 3 2005 - American Breakfast	The claim of no side effects is currently under debate following recent studies: John Hopkins School of Medicine: users who had a high dosage of Vitamin E we found to have a 4% increased chance of dying whilst 13% had a higher risk of experiencing heart failure Caret study: 28% of users who had taken high doses of vitamin A were found to have a higher risk of developing Lung cancer *Copenhagen researchers: users who took all 3 vitamins combined (A, C and E) had a 6% chance of dying from colon, gastric, pancreatic and liver cancer.	Bioginate Complex, a patented fibre complex extracted from the seaweed Laminaria digitata It has been clinically proven to boost weight loss by over 67% compared with dieting alone. No real evidence on how it compares to other products though
Recommended by	-Dr. Joerg Gruenwald - Will Davis (Pharmaceutical professional) - Aurora Barker (Practicing Nurse) - Dr Emmanuel Ekanem	- Depending on product	None mentioned on the website
Pills per package	120	30-60	50
Price (1 month)	From $40.05 (£20.40)*	Dependant on brand - usually from $40 (£20)	From $134 (£95.84)
Additional free bonuses	Weight loss eBook Online aerobics video 60 low fat recipes Online fitness membership	Depends on product - many different brands out there.	- Members area
Money Back Guarantee	180 day money back guarantee	Depends on product	28 days on unused product only
Media Coverage	Telegraph New York Times Cosmopolitan You and Your Wedding BBC	Oprah CBS NBC	Daily Mail - January 2009
Overall rating
Website	Proactol Website	Acai Berry Website	Appesat Website

*Depending on package deal

By looking at our reviews and checking out the researcc behind these products, through the, clinical trials, side effects, re-order rate, price and money back guarantee - Proactol™ looks like the better choice for you.

It does seem to be a cheaper alternative. Look for discount codes on our website and ensure you get a box free on the larger packages.

Has undergone 5 successful pre-clinical trials
Has more than 20 video testimonials by happy customers and more written ones too!
Offers extra health benefits of: improved blood cholesterol, increased mobility, appetite suppression and higher energy levels
Has wide ranging medical reviews
Has a great Customer Care team who always respond to your questions

Click Here and visit Official Site Of Proactol

FDA says these products can put the DIE in ‘Diet’

2009-03-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

It’s getting to be that time of the year, when weight-loss companies start making us worry about what we might look like in a bathing suit this summer. If you decide that you need to slim down, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has this word of advice - be careful about taking pills, powders or potions that might contain prescription drugs and/or undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The FDA recently issued a second round of warnings about weight-loss products. This time the list has grown to 72 products - including Herbal Xenicol, Slimbionic, and Xsvelten - and is warning consumers about products containing fenproporex, fluoxetine, furosemide and cetilistat.

For the current list of products on the FDA’s list, click here

“These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health, because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed maximum recommended dosages,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

“Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain dangerous drugs that could cause serious consequences to their health,” Woodcock said.

The products on the FDA’s list - some of which are marketed as dietary supplements - are promoted and sold on various Web sites, and in some retail stores and beauty salons.

Some of the products claim to be “natural,” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but actually contain potentially harmful ingredients not listed on the products’ labels or in promotional advertisements.

Antidepressants, anti-seizure medication, experimental drugs

These products have not been approved by the FDA, are illegal, and include the following undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients:

sibutramine (an appetite suppressant available by prescription only and a controlled substance)

fenproporex - a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the United States;

fluoxetine - an antidepressant available by prescription only;

bumetanide - a potent diuretic available by prescription only;

furosemide - a potent diuretic available by prescription only;

rimonabant - a drug not approved for marketing in the United States;

cetilistat - an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the United States;

phenytoin - an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only; and

phenolphthalein - a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the United States.

The FDA has inspected several companies associated with the sale of these products and is working on product recalls.

And if the companies are uncooperative, the FDA “may take additional enforcement steps, such as issuing warning letters or initiating seizures, injunctions, or criminal charges.”

The FDA advises consumers who have used any products containing these ingredients to stop taking them and consult their health care professional immediately. (And perhaps check with your doctor in future, before taking any weight loss product.)

Seizures and sudden death

“The health risks posed by these products can be very serious and include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, and stroke,” the FDA states in its warning.

“Sibutramine, a controlled substance, was found in many of these products at levels much higher than the maximum daily dosage for Meridia, the only FDA-approved drug product containing sibutramine. These higher levels of sibutramine can increase the incidence and severity of these health risks. Fenproporex, another controlled substance, can cause arrhythmia and possible sudden death.”

If you experience a serious reaction to any of these products, the FDA asks that you or your doctor report this to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program, either online, by regular mail, FAX or phone.

If you mail your information, you can download the postage-paid FDA form 3500, available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm and mail it to: MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787. Or FAX it to 1-800- FDA-0178.

Or you can call in your report at 1-800- FDA-1088.

For more information provided by the FDA on weight-loss products, click here

Weight loss and calories - Part 2

2008-12-29T06:50:00.000-08:00

Okay you now know what calories are and how they work to help your body function. The next part to making your weight loss journey successful is being able to work out your daily allowances (and we mean everything - fat, protein and sugar).

Now most people will tell you to check the food label, and we recommend you do the same, but life doesn't always make it that simple. Take going out to a restaurant – how can you truthfully know what you are eating and how many calories are in it? The real answer is, is that you can't, but you can gain a grasp of what individual food groups contain so that you can have a fair idea.

But first to help you gain a clearer perspective, below is the daily allowance for a woman (on 2,000 calories):

Total fat – 65g
Saturated fatty acids – 20g
Cholesterol – 300mg
Sodium – 2400mg
Potassium – 4700mg
Total Carbohydrates – 300g
Fibre – 25g
Protein 50g

As you can see, what you need every day goes beyond the basics of fat, protein and fibre, but also branches into fatty acids, sodium and potassium too.

Now as we said before, most labels will now give you the basics of its ingredient base and nutrients, but in a restaurant you simply cannot know. So what do you do? The best technique we can recommend is gaining an insight into the ingredients themselves and what they contain.

Essentially you can pre-learn the calorie content of certain foods, so that you can still go out and monitor your diet. You don't have to remember the ins and outs of all foods, but if you can learn the basics of your favourite foods, then you can still keep the excitement of going out AND losing weight.

Below are some examples to help you in your food choices:

5oz lean steak – 181 calories and 6g of fat
Medium grilled chicken breast (130g) – 192 calories and 2.9 g of fat
Lean pork chops (120g) – 221 calorie and 7.7g of fat
Medium baked potato (180g) – 245 calories and 0.4g fat
(Get more food tomorrow)
Mash potato with butter (28g) – 29 calories and 1.2g of fat
Chips (100g) – 253 calories and 9.9g of fat
Carrots (60g) – 13 calories and 0.2g of fat
Broccoli (30g) – 7 calories and 0.2 g of fat
Peas (60g) – 32 calories and 0.4g of fat

Weight loss and calories - Part 1

2008-12-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

We all know that for a woman they have only got a daily allowance of 2,000 calories, compared to men who are allowed 2,500 calories. But ask someone what calories are, and the majority wouldn't be able to give you a complete answer.

All they know is that too many calories can contribute to weight gain.

So what are calories? Calories are essentially units of energy. Energy which is used to raise your body temperature. Take this example. One calorie equals the same amount of energy that is needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

We know, what has this got to do with food, but calories are our way of measuring the energy content of the foods we eat.

Another metrical tool you need to know when you are losing weight, which you won’t traditionally find on a food label, is joules. These measure food energy too, but work on a higher setting. In this case, 1 calorie equals 4,184 joules (with such high figures it is easy to see why companies opt for calories).

Even when you measure it in kilojoules, one kilojoule is still 1,000 joules.

With us so far? Well here is the next secret. When it comes to losing weight, the number of calories you can have will depend on your existing weight.

Take for example this scenario. You have got 2 people who want to lose weight at a rate of 2lbs a week, but one of them is 2 stone heavier than the other.

In this case, the person who is heavier will be able to consume more calories whist losing weight at the same rate as their friend.

You see, because they are carrying extra weight, they need more energy to move it and keep their weight loss steady. Cut your calories down too low and you will not have the energy to keep your body functioning.

Saying this, once the lbs begin to drop off the heavier person of this scenario would have to adapt and lower their calorie allowance to cope with their new weight.

So as you can see, calories play an important part on your path to weight loss. Take this following piece of information for example. To lose just 1lb, you need to burn 3,500 calories – more than your daily allowance.

Now although this looks as though you need to starve yourself in order to lose weight, you don't. We recommend that by cutting your calorie consumption by 250-500 calories a day, you can effectively lose weight at a rate that will enable you to then keep it off.

PLEASE NOTE: you shouldn't cut your calories to below 1,200 a day as this can lead to increased health risks.

The next question is: how can you tell how many calories there are in food? A topic we shall discuss in Weight loss and calories - Part 2

How to lose weight fast with diet and exercise?!

2008-12-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

Weight loss is involves both mental and physical process. Most people don’t know that it is almost impossible to loss weight with either diet or exercises alone. You need to reduce your calorie intake by planning out your diet to include only foods that will allow you control how much calorie you take in daily.

Whether they are aiming to lose 20 or 100 pounds, experience has shows that you have to be able to combine healthy dieting and exercise to achieve it.

Exercise, of course, is the best way to get those calories out and the burn fat. Determine your daily calorie intake. Losing weight is simply a matter of expending more calories than you take in, through exercise and your daily activities. That however means that the amount of calorie you consume should be a maintenance dosage while the fats accumulated in the past needs to be burnt. To win the battle, it helps to know how many calories you are consuming in a day.

Write down all the things you eat on a typical day. Carry a small notebook with you and write down every snack, every drink, and the contents of every meal. There are also great websites that you can use to keep track of calories, get recipes, and help achieve your goal. Don't forget to include the pats of butter or the spoonful of sugar in your coffee. It's best to do this for at least a couple weekdays and a weekend; it's even better if you can go a full week. There are also calorie tracking websites that can help you to do this, for example the US government website, My Pyramid Tracker.

Do an itemized calorie count. When possible, write down the number of calories in each thing you eat as you eat it. Keep in mind that the recommended serving size is often considerably smaller than the serving you actually eat. Look up the calorie count on the internet for foods that don't have calories listed on the container or for fast food meals. You don't have to be 100% accurate, but you do want a good estimate of the number of calories you're taking in. There is an idea that multiplying your own weight by ten will produce a rough estimate of the number of calories you need to eat per day to maintain your weight.

This is NOT true, you may wind up grossly under (or perhaps over) estimating the number of calories you should be eating. Use a scientific or health website to determine the number of calories you should eat a day or consult your doctor. Everyone has different metabolisms and there is no blanket rule that covers everyone's recommended calorie intake. Reducing 500 calories per day from the calories you eat to maintain your weight can help you lose a pound of fat per week.

Eat Foods That Will Fuel Your Weight Loss

It's all so confusing! Low carb, low fat, high protein... It's hard to know what to eat! Well, here's the story. Weight loss is all about "calories in" and "calories out." Jillian will tell you how many calories you succeed.

How to stay healthy?

2008-12-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

It takes more than a regular medical check up to live a healthy life, unlike what many people are made to believe. Studies have shown that some of the major causes of mortality in the United States, such as heart diseases, cancers, stroke, bronchitis, emphysema, penetrating and blunt injuries, and HIV/AIDS, are in most cases preventable if a healthy lifestyle is inculcated. Healthy diet, exercise, and avoiding some poor habits like excessive drinking of alcohol and smoking are few ways that you can stay healthy.

The more interesting thing about all this is that, like the old saying ‘prevention is always better than cure’. You will notice that it is cheaper not to smoke than to smoke. It is cheaper not to drink than to drink, yet people still choose the more difficult option that also comes with a myriad of health problems.

Leading a Healthy Life by Exercising

No one can claim to be living a healthy lifestyle if exercise is not part of his/her daily routine. Exercises help you physically; because it strengthen your muscles and bones, confers flexibility and enhances nutrient uptake from the blood to the cells to keep the cells healthy, socially; because in most cases when you are involved in a work out, you get to make new friends at the gym and enjoy the interaction. Soon you will be looking up to that atmosphere-at social gathering, regular exercises can help your self esteem. It helps you mentally by improving you mental alertness and agility. Exercises kind of make life complete and keeps depression away.

Healthy Dieting

Your meals count a lot and are a major factor in determining what your health status will be in a few years to come. Everyone should avoid fats even if you are not trying to loss weight because of the risk of hypertension, cancers, and diabetes.

Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables-they should occupy a greater portion of the space in your refrigerator. Eating the right foods and the right amounts of foods with low calorie levels will help you achieve longevity and healthier life. Getting the nutrients you need, such as calcium and iron, and keeping your weight under control can help.

Ensure that your meals contain all the essential nutrients you need and where it is difficult to achieve this, the use of dietary supplement is encouraged. Try to balance the calories you get from food with the calories you use through physical activity. Make sure the calories you use up daily is not less that what you take in. Eat a variety of foods, especially: Vegetables; choose dark-green leafy and deep-yellow vegetable, Fruits; citrus fruits or juices, melons, and berries; Dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peanuts; Whole grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barley.

Above all, remember to practice safe sex, drink water only when the source is trusted. Your efforts will amount to nothing if you contact a disease from sex or water. Keep the environment clean and practice good personal hygiene.

How to suppress your appetite?

2008-12-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Appetite Suppression can be quite a difficult task for may people. First of all, you need to ask yourself whether it is healthy to suppress your appetite. You may be used to hearing of treatment for loss of appetite, not suppression. Appetite needs to be suppressed when it begins to pose a health risk to you. A lot of people feel frustrated with weight loss programs. It can go on and on and yet no real results are palpable which further worsens the frustration.

The major problem of suppressing appetite is malnourishment. Following a suppressed appetite, you do not eat a much as you normally do and in some cases you may even begin to eat less that your body actually requires for maintenance. In a situation like this, the body is deficient in most essential nutrients and become susceptible to infections.

So how then can you suppress appetite safely?

Eat smaller meals and Plenty Water- The essence of this is to keep the stomach filled. Instead of eating three larger meals, replace them with several smaller meals. This is then topped with large amounts of water. For example drink up to 1.5 liters of water with every meal. Drinking large quantities of water and other plain fluids will do you no harm. Do this before during and after meals.

When you drink ½ a liter of water before a meal, you have already suppressed your appetite because the stomach expands and that feeling of fullness will make you eat less. Do this about 10-20 minutes before food.

Take another ½ liter during the meal. This one allows you to stop eating soon enough.

Another ½ a liter after meal ensures that you stay feeled for long without thinking about food. This is the most cost effective method of suppressing your appetite. If you do feel hungry just before the time to eat reach for a glass of water instead.

Eat a lot of Salad- Another way to suppressed appetite is by eating salad just before a meal. You may also eat salad if you feel hungry before it is time for your next meal. It has the ability to feel your stomach and prevents hunger due to the high fiber contents of salad.

Avoid high calorie diet when hungry- When you are really hungry you may want to stay off high calorie diet at that time because of the likelihood of eating more than you should.

Fruits should be regular feature in your diet- Reach out for apples, pineapples, carrots, guavas, oranges and grapes. Nothings keep you as satisfied as fruits. If you are a diabetic please consult your doctor on the type of fruits you should eat.

Never Skip Breakfast- Skipping breakfast makes us very hungry in the afternoon leading to excessive eating. So if you cultivate a habit of always eating in the morning, you will less likely eat too much later on in the day.

There are also fat binders available in the market that may be used to suppressed appetite.

How to lose belly fat

2008-12-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

Belly fat is usually the first sign of obesity. When a person begins to develop protruded abdomen, obesity has already set in-medical experts call it truncal obesity. There are several names for this; others say it is cellulite accumulation. What ever you call it, belly fat is the most obvious sign that tells us when a person becomes obsessed. Most people don’t like the site of truncal obesity or belly fat. There is an ugly thing to it and creates flaps at the sides of your abdomen especially when sitting down.

Do you want to get rid of the fat in your abdomen? Then you have to read on. There is a lot of advice out there in books and web pages on how to successfully burn the fat in your belly yet I keep coming across people who have done all that to no avail. The reason for this may be that, you got the wrong kind of counsel, or you applied the advice wrongly. If you fall in this category of people, there is something to smile about. That of course, will be true if you adhere to what you will learn here. Remember that your ability to loss belly fat will depend mostly on you and not really what anyone must have told you-if the best strategy is wrongly applied, you can be sure it won’t

What then do you need to do to loss belly fat?

The strategy involves proper healthy diet plan and exercise. Now that sounds familiar right? Make no mistake that you can loss your belly fat by the application of one. Both are mutually inclusive and can not be effective in isolation. I am sure you must have heard this before. But people fail to understand that belly fat requires specific type of type of exercise that is targeted at that area. For example, running will help you stay fit but will do little to burn the fat in your abdomen.

Interval Training

This is a High Intensity Interval Training. The idea involves some kind of cardiovascular exercises that are done in a period of lower intensity followed by a period of higher intensity. This is called exercising in ‘fits and starts’.

This kind of exercise helps to burn more fat that the typical kind of cardiovascular exercises. Also, with respect to belly fat in particular, research has shown that High Intensity Interval Training can produce more fat loss in the abdomen than in any other parts of the body. A recent study shows that, people involved in High Intensity Interval Training have been found to loss about 3-4 times more fat especially belly fat than those practicing the regular steady-state cardiovascular exercises, despite exercising for longer periods.

Secondly, in order to target the belly specifically, it is very important to include sit-ups as an important aspect of your exercise program.

Belly-Fat-Losing Diet

The simplest way to put it is to say, reduce your calorie intake to a maintenance level. That is, take in only the amount of calories that just enough to help maintain your body without storing any more energy. This is the most-effective way of shedding pounds of fat from the body. In place of carbohydrate food, eat fruits, fish and vegetables.

Why is nutrition important when exercising?

2008-12-02T11:55:00.001-08:00

Adequate nutrition is necessary if the benefits of exercising are to be achieved and should go hand in hand. During an exercise, the rate of metabolism (catabolism in this case) increases and that burns up a lot of calories. This means that there is depletion of our energy levels and thus must be replaced by proper nutrition.

While exercising, there is increase in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats. They all need to be replaced and in cases where the essence is to build the muscles, will require that, adequate amino acid sources are ingested to allow the new rate of muscle building triggered off by the exercise.

The body demands increase tremendously and will take adequate amount of energy from carbohydrates to power the level of metabolism going on. Proteinous foods will supply the amino acids needed for muscle building. All these including micronutrients like B vitamins and chromium, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium will be needed at extra quantities. The level of metabolism releases even more free radicals and as such, increase mop up action will be needed by anti-oxidants.

You will need to drink more water than you usually do. During exercising, you loss fluid extremely from sweat and insensible loses due to increase respiration, and so you are easily dehydrated. This can lead to heat stroke, hypovolemic shock, renal stone formation etc. So you will need a lot of water to cool off the exothermic reaction that is taking place in your body.

There is virtually an increase in every single chemical reaction in the body. Just as everything else is working overtime, so are the heart muscles. You will need to supply the heart with adequate vitamins like B and C, oxygen and other nutrients to ensure that the electrical activities in the heart continue to meet up the new demands. More sodium and potassium ions influx and efflux occurs and nutritional intake should be such that can meet up with these activities. Depletion of these ions could cause heart block.

Before or after exercises, adequate carbohydrate which is the main energy source for physical activities should be taken. If you want to do so before an exercise, you need to allow time for adequate digestion to occur and commence when the food is no longer much in the stomach to avoid Angina as blood flow is more to the abdominal organs thereby depriving the heart. Ideally, we should eat after a good rest following exercise paying attention to the needs of the body.

For athletes, wrestlers, boxers and other sports people, that strong grip and balance in the legs can not be developed if exercises are not properly complemented by good nutrition. For a strong grip, the muscles of the hands need to grow bigger and stronger, the leg muscles must grow bigger too for balance, and the bones are not going to be strong enough without adequate calcium supply from a diet rich in fruits, fish and milk.

Why are you fat?

2008-12-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Your quest to loss some weight if you are interested, will not see the light until you identify why you are fat in the first instance and then work to avoid all the identified reasons. Though in the beginning, a lot of fat people do not want to accept that they are fat and usually pick a quarrel if anyone makes an observation, there comes a time when they can no longer hide from it.

The thing is, when you finally agree that you are fat, do you just say ‘okay, I know am fat and there is nothing I can do about it’. Then put up with it? Or do you take up the challenge and start doing something about it?

So why are you fat?

Usually I get replies like; “I eat at wrong times of the day, at the wrong quantities. I have 3 kids; I run a business that takes away all the time I could have exercised. Between the business and my three kids’ daily activities at school that I volunteer at, as well as every other extra curricular activity, I really don't find the time to make sure I eat right.

I must be sure my children eat well though. While they're eating, I'm cleaning, or getting ready, or cleaning up spilt milk, etc. I miss meals, when it is time for me to eat; I eat it really big because I am really very hungry by then. I know what I am doing is wrong but what do I do?”

Others tell me stories like; “I don't drink enough fluids, when I do, its usually coffee, but I gag on water, I've tried checking this myself, and I am almost succeeding, I'm down to a coke every other day, and that is about 4 bottles a week, instead of everyday, though I still have my coffee. But now I'm up to two bottles of water a day....however, either way, still not enough fluids at all right?”

Yes enough fluid is alright but not when the fluid is coffee and coke. A bottle of coke is said to contain about 8 cubes of sugar and coffee doesn’t just contain caffeine that affects your nerves when you grow older but increases your cholesterol level. I have told people, it doesn’t matter whether it is decaff.

Another excuse people give themselves. “I was too busy working and wasn’t eating enough then I became anemic. I wouldn't be if I was eating properly. If I really wanted to eat well I could probably have worked out a schedule to make sure I eat the right things at the right times. Now the doctor wants me to eat more but I am now fat trying to do what the doctor said. I have tried to cut out the soda, and focus more on water, and I do some light walking as I was not supposed to get involved in very strenuous physical activities as at then. How do I loss weight without becoming anemic again?”

Whatever is your excuse or ‘reason’ you need to start knowing that excuses will only worsen your health status. So knock if off! You will not get better with excuses. Take the responsibility for your own health. Stop blaming the doctor, your kids or your job. It is all about you being a little bit more vigilant and determined to save your own life.

With all these excuses, you will begin to eat emotionally, stuffing a lot of chocolate, binging at any opportunity. Seeking solace in food is the worst thing you can do for your mode. Exercises will put you in a better frame of mind.

Natural Weight Loss And Weddings

2008-11-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

When you are planning for your wedding, it seems like your whole life moves very fast at times, and extreme slow at other times. The same holds true for when someone tries to lose weight for their wedding day. While wedding day weight loss is a common thing, as most people want to look as fabulous as possible on their special day, it should be done in a very natural way. Many weddings are marked by the wedding party trying to squeeze into small dresses to look as "good" as they think they can look. But, ofttimes, this is done at an expense to their bodies and overall well-being. Weight loss should never be a rush-rush thing. It should happen as naturally as possible.

Natural weight loss is a much safer and healthier way to lose weight for your wedding day, or any day. Losing weight does not take all types of new drugs or expensive equipment. In fact, being dependent on such things can actually be a hindrance for long-term weight loss success.

Here are a few ways to make your wedding day weight loss goals happen naturally:

1. Don't use drugs to lose weight. Instead of harmful drugs, try to start with a natural body cleanse, which you can do by drinking more water and/or herbal teas. Tea can work as a diuretic and antioxidant, which promotes frequent urination which can help to rid your body of certain unwanted free radicals. Eating more roughage such as dark green vegetables and fiber can help you to eliminate more waste from your body, allowing the body to cleanse itself naturally. With a fairly clean inside, you will lose some weight and your body will be prepped for a more healthier regimen.

2. Be honest about your goal. Don't make yourself think that you have to lose enough weight to be the skinniest person at the wedding. Consider the ultimate purpose and goal of your weight loss, your body type, and the rewards of a real plan to lose weight for the long haul. Doing it too fast can definitely cause much more harm than good. The faster you lose it, the faster you may gain it back. Utilize a plan that works consistently over a specified period of time.

3. Find support. Whether it is for motivation for with sticking to an exercise program or for encouragement to eat better, if you feel that you cannot go it alone, get help. There are many organizations that foster positive, natural weight loss ideals that you can live by. These groups will give be there for you emotionally during this time as you make a personal commitment to lose the weight. If you need more assistance with developing or incorporating an effective exercise plan into your life, then you should seek out a personal trainer. Some gyms offer them free of charge, while others charge an hourly fee. Don't let the cost scare you away from utilizing a personal trainer. The results of that added support will be priceless.

Whenever we prepare for life changes, we sometimes want a quick fix to make the transition go smoother. The same holds true with wedding day weight loss. However, a quick fix is not always the best solution. So, as you prepare for an awesome wedding day, and hopefully, and even more fantastic wedding night, take the same care and planning for your weight loss. Looking good can be a natural thing.

Common Cold, Influenza and Aloeride

2008-11-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of year again when doctors all over the world advise the elderly, the vulnerable and children populations to come to their surgeries to receive an influenza vaccination (flu jab). It is very important to get this in proportion because what have these three groups in common?

The elderly and the vulnerable have an immune system that is on the decline and thus they fail a robust defence against a virus (not just a flu virus). Children may not have fully developed an adequate immune system and they have the ‘endearing’ quality of sneezing into everybody’s faces without holding their hand in front of their mouth (common hygiene often can be a distant province) which helps to spread a virus.

Many people catch a cold and many call that flu, males reportedly make this error more readily than females. In a common cold you don’t get fever or a headache, but you do get a stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and possibly mild chest discomfort. Any (mostly mild) aches, fatigue and weakness reflect no more than that there is a temporary drain on your immune resources.

When you get flu there is no room for negotiation, there is no confusion. You will be pole axed with a high fever for several days that often is accompanied by a headache (watch out for dehydration), significant aches and pains, and fatigue and weakness. For those without a robust immune system, influenza can indeed be critical. Lest you forget, between 1918 and 1919 a flu pandemic killed 70 million people, thus it claimed more lives than four gruesome years of the First World War did.

Many scientists postulate that years of deprivation due to a world war drained many people’s immune system, add to this the physical spreading of a virus by homecoming troops and you have a recipe for disaster. That particular viral strain overwhelmed the body's natural defences so quickly that the usual cause of death in influenza patients - a secondary infection of lethal pneumonia - was often not present. Instead, that particular virus caused an uncontrollable haemorrhaging that filled the lungs, and patients would drown in their own body fluids. Upon that terrifying episode much of the present drive for vaccination is based. But, as vaccinations do have their side effects and complications, would it not be wiser to consider an effective natural approach first?

What makes the difference between you getting influenza or not in the first place is how robust your immune system is. What makes the difference between you getting over influenza or not is how (rapidly) your immune response develops. This was the issue in 1918 and will be the issue always when it comes to viral exposure. So how robust are you?

And herein lies the problem, unless you are challenged you do not know on which rung of the ladder you stand. Many of my patients do not realise their true level of fitness until my clinic ergonometer bike challenges them: bottom rungs. From the above you will realise that bottom rungs in respect of viral exposure can result in disastrous clinical outcomes. What simple steps can you take to improve the robustness of your immune system?

First of all get reasonably fit, you will achieve this effortlessly by brisk walking in the open air for 30 minutes 3x a week. Go to bed shortly after 10pm and clock up some quality sleep. Next let good daily nutrition fuel the stoves of your immune system: freshly made raw vegetables + fruits + berries + grapes juices or smoothies, 2 immune system modulating Aloeride® capsules and 2,000mg of good quality vitamin C (made from rosehips for instance) to raise the antioxidant (redox) potential of your first line of defence - your bloodstream. You will be amazed how much a little can do. Sure enough Nature’s pharmacy has much more to offer but nine out of ten these 3 basic steps will suffice.

All viruses cause opportunistic infections. Fortunately you have the choice to slam that door shut on becoming their next opportunity.

Is Bad News Bad For Your Heart?

2008-11-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

Your grandmother learns her husband has passed away and immediately begins complaining of chest pain. This sort of reaction — experiencing chest pain or a heart attack after hearing bad news — is sometimes shown in television and movies. But it's not just fiction. Some people seem to actually get symptoms mimicking a heart attack after hearing bad news or experiencing other types of stress, a phenomenon doctors now refer to as broken heart syndrome.

First described medically in 1991 by Japanese doctors, the condition was originally called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo is a type of pot used by Japanese fishermen to capture octopuses. When doctors take images of a person who's experiencing broken heart syndrome, part of his or her heart resembles the pot. Today, the condition is also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome. Much about broken heart syndrome is a mystery.

Charanjit Rihal, M.D., a cardiologist and director of Mayo Clinic's Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, and his colleagues have studied broken heart syndrome. Here he discusses the syndrome.

What causes broken heart syndrome?
It's thought that a surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, might temporarily damage the heart of some people. How these hormones might hurt the heart or whether something else is responsible isn't clear.What we do know is the onset of broken heart syndrome is often preceded by an intense physical or emotional event. Some of the triggers of broken heart syndrome have included news of an unexpected death of a loved one, a frightening medical diagnosis, domestic abuse or losing a lot of money. Physical stressors, such as an asthma attack or car accident, also have been known to trigger broken heart syndrome.

Is broken heart syndrome harmful?
In rare cases, those with broken heart syndrome can die of the disorder. However, most people who experience broken heart syndrome quickly recover and don't suffer long-lasting effects.

Who is at risk of broken heart syndrome?
We don't know why, but broken heart syndrome affects women far more often than men. Some research indicates nearly 9 out of 10 cases occur in women, and of those, almost all are in women 50 or older.

What are the symptoms of broken heart syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome can mimic a heart attack, with common symptoms being chest pain or shortness of breath. Any persistent chest pain could be a sign of a heart attack, so it's important you take it seriously and call 911 if you experience chest pain.

How is broken heart syndrome treated?
There are no standard treatment guidelines for treating broken heart syndrome because of the limited knowledge about the condition. Initially, it's treated similar to a heart attack until the diagnosis is clear. There is no specific therapy, and most people recover spontaneously. Your doctor might prescribe diuretics (water pills), vasodilators or beta blockers. Diuretics and vasodilators may not be required long term, because heart function usually returns to normal. The duration of beta blockers treatment is unknown; however, these medications might prevent recurrent attacks. Many people with broken heart syndrome are hospitalized for suspected heart attack, and the diagnosis of broken heart syndrome is often made in the hospital. Most people are hospitalized for a week or so.

How is broken heart syndrome different from a heart attack?
Most heart attacks are caused by a complete blockage of a heart artery due to a blood clot forming at the site of narrowing from fatty buildup (atherosclerosis). In broken heart syndrome, the heart arteries are not blocked, although blood flow may be sluggish.Coronary angioplasty and stent placement are commonly used for treatment during a heart attack, but these procedures are not helpful in broken heart syndrome since there is no blockage.

Can broken heart syndrome recur?
Possibly. Some of our research indicates broken heart syndrome can occur multiple times in about 10 percent of those affected by broken heart syndrome.

Heart disease? That’s something we need to worry about when we get older, right? Wrong. By adopting heart-healthy habits starting as early as your twenties, you’ll be less likely to face the challenges of heart disease. Coronary heart disease doesn’t just affect men, it’s the number one cause of death in U.S. women. But the good news—which Dr. Philip Ades, author of the new book EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook, has made it his mission to spread—is that heart disease is mostly preventable. Research shows that up to 90 percent of heart disease can be prevented by changing one’s diet, exercising more, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking. Reduce your risk by following these 10 simple steps, cooking delicious heart-healthy recipes and snacking heart-smart.

Step #1: Know your numbers. High blood cholesterol is linked with about one-third of heart disease cases worldwide, according to data from the United Nations. Your blood cholesterol (lipid profile) is made up of several readings: high-density cholesterol (HDL), low-density cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides (TG). LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are often referred to as “bad” cholesterol; high levels (greater than 160 mg/dL and 200 mg/dL, respectively) are considered risk factors for developing heart disease. On the other hand, “good” HDL protects against cardiovascular disease. (A healthy HDL target is 60 mg/dL or higher.) But an undesirable lipid profile doesn’t mean that developing heart disease is inevitable. Research shows that changing your diet for the better can help lower “bad” LDL and TG levels, as well as increase “good” HDL cholesterol, if they’re out of healthy ranges. Talk with your doctor about a screening. Medications are sometimes needed.

Step #2: Calculate your risk. Having multiple factors for heart disease increases your risk exponentially. For example, if you smoke, have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, any one of these factors doubles your likelihood of developing heart disease in the next six years. But having all three increases your chance eightfold. The good news: treating any one of these risk factors effectively—say, you quit smoking or bring your cholesterol into a healthy range—halves your likelihood of developing heart disease (i.e., you’ll have four times, rather than eight times, the risk of someone who doesn’t have any of these risk factors).

Step #3: Lose weight if you need to. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight—about 8 to 15 pounds if you start at 150—will result in better blood pressure, lower risk for diabetes and improved cholesterol levels, research suggests. Are you toting around too many pounds? There are two ways to find out. First, calculate your body mass index (BMI). A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 and above is considered obese. Some complain that, if you are muscular or “large-boned,” you may get a BMI that suggests you’re overweight when you’re really not. To double check, Phil Ades suggests you perform the “Ades-ocular” test: Strip down to your underwear and stand sideways in front of a full-length mirror. If your abdomen droops or sticks out, the high BMI is correct. If it’s flat and firm, your BMI may, indeed, be incorrect.

Step #4: Slash your intake of saturated fat. Butter. Sour cream. Mayo. These foods—as well as fatty cuts of meats—are high in the saturated fats that elevate “bad” LDL cholesterol, leading to plaque buildup in arteries. Limit saturated fats to 5 percent or less of your total calories (divide your weight by 12 to get the daily total limit in grams). For example, try replacing butter with vegetable-based oils, particularly olive and canola oil, both of which contain good amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and swap lean poultry, fish and beans for higher-fat meats.

Step #5: Junk the junk food. Many packaged snacks, crackers, bakery goods and some margarines contain artificial trans fats (a.k.a. hydrogenated oils), which increase “bad” LDL even more than saturated fats, according to recent research by Walter Willett, M.D., at the Harvard School of Public Health. In a 2003 interview with EatingWell, Willett blamed trans fats for millions of unnecessary premature deaths from heart disease. Read labels carefully: if a package claims “zero trans fat,” the amount per serving may be less than 0.5 g and could have been rounded down to zero. The only way to be sure you’re getting a product without trans fats is to avoid products that include “hydrogenated oil.” Better yet, stock up on nutrient-rich vegetables, fruit and nuts and make your own using healthy snack recipes.

Step #6: Fill up on fiber. Various studies link a high-fiber diet with a lower risk of heart disease. In a Harvard study of female health professionals, people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 40 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who ate a low-fiber diet. Aim to include plenty of foods that are rich in soluble fiber, which, studies show, can help lower “bad” LDL. Soluble fiber binds bile acid, a key component in fat digestion that our bodies make from cholesterol. We can’t digest fiber, so when bile acids are bound to it, they get ushered out of the body as waste. This causes the body to convert more cholesterol into bile acids, which ultimately has the effect of lowering circulating cholesterol levels. Foods high in soluble fiber include oatmeal, barley, beans, okra, eggplant and citrus fruit, such as oranges. Try them in high-fiber recipes.

Step #7: Replace refined grains with whole ones. Eating too many refined carbohydrates (e.g., white bread, pastries, white pasta) fuels the body’s ability to make triglycerides. What’s more, processed grains are quickly converted to glucose, which raises blood glucose levels and may predispose one to developing type 2 diabetes, a risk factor for developing heart disease. Choose whole grains, such as brown rice, wheat berries and quinoa and whole-wheat pastas, which contain more fiber (which slows down the conversion of starches to glucose) and healthful fats than processed grains. Try out new grains with healthy whole-grain recipes.

Step #8: Go fish. Consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with a 30 percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease over the long term, studies show. Fish contain omega-3 fats, which lower levels of triglycerides in the blood that may contribute to blood clotting. Omega-3s also lower blood pressure slightly and can help prevent irregular heart rhythms. (Flaxseed oil, canola oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fats.)

Step #9: Get nuts. Research suggests that people who eat nuts—walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts (which actually are legumes)—two to four days or more per week have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who eat them less. All nuts contain good amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low levels of saturated fats.

Step #10: Enjoy alcohol in moderation. Scientific literature indicates that people who drink moderately are less likely to have heart disease than those who abstain. Alcohol appears to raise “good” HDL cholesterol. Wine, in particular, “thins” the blood (making it less prone to clotting) and also contains antioxidants that prevent your arteries from taking up LDL cholesterol, a process that can lead to plaque buildup. Remember, one drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

yahoonews

What can weight loss pills do for you?

2008-10-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

The results of weight loss programs that include Xenical or Meridia are best described as modest. The average weight loss is around 20 pounds in a year. You may want to lose this weight in a shorter span of time but remember the keywords here are long term. The weight loss is gradual because the program is meant to minimize health risks rather than get you ready for the beach.

Basically there are two type of diet pills available in the market which is Prescription diet pills and non prescription diet pills. Prescription diet pills are intended for long term use. If you are obese and would like to work on your health rather than your looks, they are worth asking your doctor about.

Diet pills are showing amazing results. As technology improves so do their formulas. There was a time when these pills were mere pills to suppress hunger. Today, these supplements do more than that. Let’s have a simple diet pill reviews and see what weight loss pills can do for you!?

What can weight loss pills do for you?

1. Appetite suppressant. Some weight loss supplements can trick the brain into thinking that you are full. Once your brain believes your body is full, you lose your urge to eat. The less you eat the fewer calories you have to store or use. If you increase your physical activity, you will be using those stored fats.

2. Increase metabolism. Some weight loss pills can increase your metabolism. They make the transport of fat on a cellular level more efficient. A common symptom experienced by people who take these supplements is an increase in their body temperature.

3. Block fat. Some supplements prevent the body from absorbing fat. What they do is they inhibit the fat from being absorbed and deliver it directly to the large intestines for excretion. It can be a bit messy but it is effective.

4. Prevent carbohydrates from being stored as fat. Newer generations of best diet pills claim to prevent the body from storing carbohydrates and converting them to fats. Instead the carbohydrates are transported directly to the muscles for burning.

Chinese skin cream recalled

2008-10-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

A COMPANY in south-west China has recalled a skin cream after a potentially dangerous steroid hormone that should not be used for more than two weeks was found in it, state media said on Wednesday.

The Miaoling Medical Technology Group, based in Guizhou province, also said it had stopped production and sales of the cream, which was widely used to treat eczema in babies, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.

The hormone - clobetasol propionate - used to treat various skin disorders, should not be used by children under 12, according to drug information website drugs.com.

It can cause changes in blood sugar and can lead to Cushing's syndrome, a disorder characterised by a moon-shaped face, emotional disturbances, and in women, abnormal growth of facial and body hair.

The packaging of the cream, however, claimed it consisted only of 25 natural ingredients, according to an earlier report on Guangzhou news website gznet.com.

A report in Xiaoxiang Morning News in central China said that an eight-month-old girl in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, had appeared to menstruate after being given the cream for seven months.

Doctors said they suspected the hormone was the cause, the paper said.

Another report published on the popular web portal sina.com said Guizhou's health department had fined the company 5,000 yuan (about $1,100) as far back as August 14 when it discovered the hormone in a test of the cream.

The report, citing a local paper in east China, said the product's license was in the process of being revoked.

The news comes as China is still reeling from a tainted milk scandal that has led to recalls and bans of Chinese-made dairy products around the world.

Milk made by 22 Chinese dairy companies was found to have been contaminated wth melamine, an industrial chemical normally used to make plastic, causing the death of at least four babies and sickening another 53,000.

Calls made to the skin cream company and to the Guizhou health department went unanswered on Wednesday.

Western diet causes heart attacks

2008-10-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

The typical Western diet, which includes red meat, fried foods, dairy products and salty snacks, is responsible for 30 per cent of the world's heart attacks, according to a study of dietary patterns in 52 countries.

The study has been reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers identified three dietary patterns in the world: Oriental, which include higher intake of tofu, soy and other sauces; Prudent, which includes higher intake of fruits and vegetables; and Western, which includes higher intake of fried foods, salty snacks, eggs and meat.

The Prudent diet was associated with a lower heart attack risk than the Oriental, researchers said. "The objective of this study was to understand the modifiable risk factors of heart attacks at a global level," said Salim Yusuf, D.Phil., the study's senior author.

Researchers analyzed the INTERHEART study, which documents the association of various risk factors and the risk of heart attack in about 16,000 participants in 52 countries. Here, they analyzed 5,761 heart attack cases and compared them to 10,646 people without known heart disease(controls).

The researchers created a dietary risk score questionnaire for heart attacks patients, based on 19 food groups and adjusted it for dietary preferences for each country. Trained medical personnel interviewed the heart attack patients and the control group. The questionnaires included healthy food items (such as fruits and vegetables) and unhealthy food items (such as fried foods and salty snacks).

"A simple dietary score, which included both good and bad foods with the higher score indicating a worse diet, showed that 30 percent of the risk of heart disease in a population could be related to poor diet," said Romania Iqbal, Ph.D., lead author of the study.

After adjusting for known risk factors, researchers found: people who consumed the Prudent diet of more fruits and vegetables had a 30% lower risk of heart attack compared to people who ate little or no fruits and vegetables; people who consumed the Western diet had a 35% greater risk of having a heart attack compared to people who consumed little or no fried foods and meat; and the Oriental pattern showed no relationship with heart attack risk.

Researchers said that while some components of the Oriental pattern may be protective, others such as the higher sodium content of soy sauces, may increase cardiovascular risk, neutralizing any relationship.

Are Diet pills worth the risk?

2008-10-21T03:14:00.000-07:00

Diet pills are showing amazing results. As technology improves so do their formulas. There was a time when these pills were mere pills to suppress hunger. Today, these supplements do more than that.

Are Diet pills worth the risk??
1) Long term versus Short term

It is undeniable that modern diet pills show a lot of promise. They deliver weight loss results not possible a few years ago. But the million dollar question about sustainability remains. More often than not once you stop taking the supplements the benefits stop too. Worse the old weight creeps back. Soon you find yourself back to square one.

2) The role of exercise and diet

Exercise and diet are proven long term solutions to weight maintenance. These two are not just band aids; they are meant to change your body. In return, you must commit to a change of lifestyle for these two to be effective.

Diet means a commitment to change your eating habits. Exercise is your commitment to change your daily routine by including regular physical activity.

3) Exercise, diet and weight loss pills

Diet supplements play a big role in diet and exercise. It enhances the effects of diet and exercise. It can increase your weight loss by a fraction. Even if the increase is just a little the mental boost that extra weight loss gives is a big deal.

Another positive effect of including diet supplements in your program is avoiding the dreaded plateau. When the body plateaus, you stop losing weight even if you increase your reps or decrease your food intake.

Crab blocker diet pills, such as Dietrine which can save you during moments of weakness. So you indulged in a healthy serving of prime rib or pizza. You can work out like crazy the following day. But you can allow yourself to be less crazy if you take fat inhibitors since they will make sure your body absorbs as little fat as possible.

Diet pills work best with diet and exercise. Each complements the other to ensure a realistic, long term weight maintenance solution.

Tips For Healthy Living

2008-09-12T03:36:00.000-07:00

Sleep

We all need our beauty sleep to feel sharp and well, but getting enough sleep on regular hours are much more important than that. Many body functions rely on regularity, and your sleeping hours are an important part of the schedule. Different people have different needs, but most require 7-8 hours sleep to be fully functional. One or a few days with less sleep is fine, but if you loose out on those precious hours, it will affect you in the long run.

Eating

What and when you eat is essential for your health. Eating much fast food, candy, too much meat or sugar can – and will – affect your health. Similar to sleeping, regularity is very important when it comes to eating. Regular meals will, besides keeping upholstery steam cleaning sharp much longer, actually help you loose weight. No more sudden dips in blood sugar, causing you to eat that candy bar.

Nutrition

Eating healthy comes with other advantages, but for those who doesn’t – adding some greens to your diet will help you stay young and healthy. Greens with bright colors (red, orange, green and yellow) upholstery cleaning packed with good vitamins and minerals of all kinds. If you feel you don’t get enough greens, try to find some vitamin supplements.

Emotions

Your emotions are an important part of you and your health. Keeping them tucked inside you can cause serious stress symptoms later in life. The body needs to release its tension some, if you do not let it – it will backfire. Everyone knows laughter prolongs your life, but upholstery cleaning miami know crying to be equally important. An easy way to get in touch with your feelings – or at least pretend you are – is to watch movies. Sad, exiting or funny; it doesn’t matter. The body will respond to those emotions in a similar way it would to true feelings. So, make it part of your daily routine to watch a funny video.

Exercise

This has been talked about for ever. We all know exercise is good for you in so many ways. Yet many people still sit around all day, doing nothing. This is perhaps the biggest threat to public health; Lack of exercise. You do not need to go weddings gym twice a week to be exercising, just getting up and moving a bit will go a long way. Finding something fun – yet physically challenging – is the best way of ensuring enough exercise. If its fun, its easy – and who knows, you might get some laughter out of it.

Vacation

Travel as much as you can afford. There are few things more relaxing than vacations, and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered. When you relax, your body relaxes and you give it a great opportunity to mend itself.

Stop dieting

If you have a serious weight problem, seek professional help. People who are constantly dieting rarely get enough vitamins, minerals OR energy for the body to recover. There are ways of loosing weight without eating shady diet pills or starving yourself.

Nintendo's Wii Gaming Helps Patients Recovery from Stroke

2008-09-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Nintendo Wii console has been incorporated into the Riley Hospital’s Tom C. Maynor Rehabilitation Center rehab program for patients who have suffered a stroke. Unlike traditional game consoles, which are controlled by levers and buttons on hand-held devices, the Nintendo Wii is controlled by a remote that is able to sense its position relative to a sensor. This allows the console to be controlled with three-dimensional movement and large-body gestures.

A number of physical therapy programs have begun using the Nintendo Wii gaming system as part of treatments to help people recover from strokes and other central nervous system injuries.One institution using the game system is the Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Hospital, a part of the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus. The idea there came from Robbie Winget, who saw a news report about the console's use in a rehabilitation hospital in Canada.

FDA’s Decision over Food Irradiation Stirs Debate

2008-09-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved the irradiation treatment of spinach and lettuce to kill the potential harmful bacteria, pathogens and insects, including causes of food-borne illnesses like E. coli and salmonella. The FDA’s decision follows the 2006 E. coli outbreak that pulled fresh spinach off store shelves, sickened dozens of consumers, and led to some to be hospitalized.

The agency allowed food producers of fresh iceberg lettuce and spinach to use irradiation to control food-borne pathogens and extend shelf life, because these vegetables are “an ideal habitat” for pests and bacteria and they are usually eaten raw.

There are about 76 million cases of food poisoning annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infected people usually experience a wide variety of symptoms including abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that treating spinach and lettuce with relatively low radiation kills 99.9% to 99.99% of E. coli. The procedure is slightly less successful against salmonella, researchers say.

The Food Irradiation Coalition backs the procedure, saying that properly irradiated foods didn’t pose a human health risk. Irradiated food is treated with doses of ionizing radiation to kill dangerous bacteria, a procedure that has the same effects as pasteurization for milk.

The FDA’s decision has stirred controversy and it was criticized by some consumer groups. Moreover, foodmakers say it will take time and money to make the treatment practical. They will have to build irradiation facilities that will cost millions of dollars.

However, consumers should be informed if a product is treated with irradiation. Food treated with irradiation currently have to be labeled with a radura symbol and a label containing the words “radiated” or “irradiated.”

source : efluxmedia

Video about Acne (Skin Problems)

2008-08-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

VideoJug: Skin Problems - Acne

Topics :

Free online weight loss program - MyPyramid.gov

2008-08-13T00:16:00.000-07:00

MyPyramid - a free online weight loss program, , offers personalized eating plans, interactive tools to help you plan and assess your food choices, and advice to help you.

On My Pyramid.gov you can create a personalized plan using tools such as your own meal planner, exercise tracker, and an estimator for how much you need to sustain or lose your weight. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding can also find a section for them.

MyPyramid.gov also offers tips on each food group, vegetarian diets, eating out, and physical activity.

For a way to save time and money by not having to attend expensive weight loss programs that take your money and don’t offer realistic lasting plans you can live with, this is a great alternative. It is trustworthy, dependable, and the best part - it’s free!

Childhood coordination linked to obesity

2008-08-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Children who have poor physical control and coordination have a higher risk of being obese in later life, a new study suggests.

The research, published on bmj.com, found that at age seven years poor hand control, poor coordination and clumsiness occurred more often among individuals who would be obese adults.

In addition, poorer function at age 11 was associated with obesity at age 33.

The researchers from Orebro University hospital, Sweden, and Imperial College London argue that the findings contribute to a growing body of evidence on the link between poorer cognitive function in childhood and obesity and type two diabetes in adults.

They studied 11,042 individuals who are part of the ongoing National Child Development Study in Great Britain, which began in 1958.

Nearly 8,000 participants were assessed by teachers at age seven years to identify poor ability in hand control, coordination, and clumsiness, and 6,875 were tested for hand control and coordination at age 11 by a doctor.

Tests included copying a simple design to measure accuracy, marking squares on paper within a minute, and the time in seconds it took to pick up 20 matches.

The link between childhood coordination and adult obesity remained even when the researchers took other factors into account, such as childhood body mass and family social class.

"Some early life exposures [such as maternal smoking during pregnancy] or personal characteristics may impair the development of physical control and coordination, as well as increasing the risk of obesity in later life," the researchers conclude.

"Rather than being explained by a single factor, an accumulation throughout life of many associated cultural, personal, and economic exposures is likely to underlie the risks for obesity and some elements of associated neurological function."

viewlondon.co.uk

Diet and exercise go hand in hand

2008-08-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

WE have heard it all before. Obesity is on the rise and is considered a major health epidemic.

Being obese means there are risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease and stroke, among others. To manage obesity, the oft-heard advice from doctors and experts is to diet — by eating healthy food which means more fruits and vegetables — and engage in physical activities. A sedentary lifestyle, after all, leads to obesity.However, according to one expert, encouraging obese people to exercise is fine but there has not been enough guidance on how much exercise is needed. Obesity problem specialist Dr Anthony Leeds says that while eating healthy food and diet have been the focus on reducing weight, most people tend to forget about exercising.Diet alone will not work without adequate time for physical activity. Even if someone is on a low-fat diet, there is still a need to exercise. [more]

What is Effective way to control your acne?

2008-08-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

Acne can occur in children as early as newborn babies and as late as 60 years old. Prime outbreak years meanwhile occur early in a person’s teenage years until the person’s thirties. It’s a matter of control when it comes to acne. Acne sufferers have to contend with the fact that acne can be controlled if not treated.

Follow directions. Over the counter products can help you control acne and they contain ingredients that can stop acne before it becomes severe. Ointments, gels and powders containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retinoids can help dry out pimples. However, follow the directions printed on the box. If used in larger dosages than necessary, it can cause scaling, burning and stinging and severe dryness which can only aggravate acne instead of helping ease it. Your doctor might also prescribe antibiotics to reduce the number of bacteria as well as speed up the healing process of the open pimples preventing scarring in the process.

Keep your hands to yourself. Stop picking at your pimples or popping them out. This can do nothing but increase the scars on your face. Moreover, pus in the cysts or pimples can spread bacteria to other areas on your skin worsening your acne. Skin should be kept clean at all times.

Consult your doctor. A specialist (dermatologist) can help you better understand acne and its implications. They can also prescribe the right dosages for the medication required. If you can afford it, talk to your doctor about the possibility of getting laser treatment, chemical peels or microdermabrasion. Your doctor can assess the extent of the acne and its damage and provide you with the proper treatment for it.

Diet to minimize problems of endometriosis

2008-08-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

What is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is an often painful condition that develops when tissue that looks and acts like the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) migrates outside the uterus.

This tissue implants itself on the fallopian tubes, ovaries, ligaments supporting the uterus, in the area between the vagina and rectum, on the outer surface of the uterus or on the lining of the pelvic cavity.

The tissue acts as if it were still in the uterus: Every month, in response to hormonal signals, it thickens, breaks down and bleeds. With no way out of the body, the trapped blood can cause inflammation, pain, scar tissue, adhesions and bowel problems.

The most common symptoms are severe menstrual cramps and pelvic pain during ovulation, intercourse, bowel movements or urination. Between a third and a half of affected women have fertility problems.

Conventional medicine treats endometriosis with pain medications and hormonal drugs, including birth control pills, to block ovulation and stop the menstrual cycle.

One drug is Danazol, a weak synthetic male hormone that suppresses growth of the endometrium. It can help but can also cause side effects such as acne and facial hair. Synarel blocks the menstrual cycle but can cause hot flashes and vaginal dryness. These drugs ease the pain but aren't a cure.

Try an anti-inflammatory diet to manage endometriosis nutritionally. Dr. Victoria Maizes, executive director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, suggests eliminating dairy foods for three weeks. Avoid all foods containing whey, casein and cow's milk or milk protein, because of the estrogenic hormones they contain. Other suggestions:

* Eat only hormone-free meat to avoid additional estrogen exposure.

* Avoid soy foods if you have not been eating them regularly; they are weakly estrogenic.

* Avoid alcohol (it affects how estrogen is metabolized).

* Choose organic foods.

* Try traditional Chinese medicine.

* Take omega 3 fatty acid supplements.

* Try whole licorice extracts, helpful for inflammatory disorders.

* Drink red raspberry leaf tea daily to relieve cramps.

* Take 500 mg of calcium and 250 mg of magnesium daily.

3 simple way to reduce your acne scar

2008-08-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Do you have embarrassing acne scars that have you looking for ways on how to reduce acne scars?

When it comes to reducing acne scars you can either prevent them or treat them. Anyone who has suffered through acne doesn’t want to deal with the embarrassing after effects of scars.

So the following 3 tips can help you learn how to reduce acne scars.

1. You can choose to use natural methods to help reduce acne scar. Products with Vitamin E are a popular choice. Moisturizers are an excellent option. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money or use strong medical treatment, then Vitamin E is the best option to help you reduce acne scar. You can also choose to take Vitamin E orally to help improve your skin from the inside as well.

2. You can choose to use products that have aloe vera in order to reduce acne scar. When it comes to reducing acne scars, aloe vera can help fade scars faster and increase the healing of your skin. Aloe vera is available in gels, moisturizers and creams. However, each product will have different results so you may have to try several before getting your desired results.

3. If you want a fast remedy for acne scars then consider ice cubes. Rub the smooth side of an ice cube on your scar or face for at least fifteen minutes. This helps to freshen your skin and fade your scars.

Tips for you to manage and control weight

2008-08-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

Persons who are overweight, especially those who are obese, are more prone to weaken their immune system, develop dangerously high cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels, leading to accelerated hardening and blockages in their arteries to the heart and brain, kidneys and legs, resulting in high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, and even leg gangrene. They are also more likely to develop diabetes.

To manage and control weight, one does not need to spend a fortune buying weight loss pills, juices, diet foods, herbals, laxatives, or undergo chelation treatments, which is baseless and a scam. Besides, those expensive regimens are also unsafe and can cause more harm to the entire body.

Our weight is a function of how much calories we take in and how much calories we expend: calorie in, calorie out. If we take in more calories in a day than what we burn that day, obviously, we will gain weight, and vice versa.

Besides food intake, doing high energy exercises (brisk walking, swimming, aerobics, like dancing, tai bo for 30 minutes a day), will also help burn the calories. The best guide is by weighing once a week, at about the same time of the day, preferably naked. If the weight is still above the targeted weight, cutting down the food intake, especially carbohydrates (pop drinks and sweets, rice and bread, etc), which is the No. 1 culprit that leads to weight gain and added inches to the waistline, will scale one down to the desired weight. A diet primarily of fish and veggies, and some fruits, will work wonders in weight management and over-all health maintenance. Drinking a tall glass of water before each meal will also help.

8 Tips To Lower your cholesterol

2008-08-11T01:07:00.000-07:00

While our own body (our liver) produces cholesterol on its own, the greater bulk of cholesterol in our blood comes from the food we eat. An elevated cholesterol level, which thickens our blood and causes hardening of the arteries that eventually plug the arteries, is implicated in the development of high blood pressure, arterial blockages in the abdomen and legs, heart attack, and stroke.

Here are medical tips on how to lower your cholesterol level:

Minimize eating foods with high cholesterol contents, like red meats, especially processed meats, egg yolk, dairy products, coconuts, avocado.

Maximize eating fish, vegetables, fruits, like berries (diabetics to add these to calorie count), high fiber items, like bran, wheat, nuts, especially almonds.

Minimize or avoid carb, like sugar, white rice, bread, cakes, desserts, and soft drinks.

Maintain normal calorie intake, by watching your weight.

Exercise daily.

Extreme moderation in alcohol intake.

Learn how to relax and manage your stress.

Stay away from smoking, firsthand or secondhand.

3 Simple Tips In Creating an effective Diet

2008-08-11T00:51:00.000-07:00

The diet industry is a multibillion dollar affair. For most of us, dieting means eating less. It is ironic that eating less should often cause us to spend more money. This makes little sense except to those peddling expensive diets and weight loss supplements.

In the broadest sense, there is no secret to effective dieting. Eating less and moving more should result in weight loss. However, many people want to know secrets about accomplishing tasks that are not particularly easy. Weight loss is simple, but it is not easy. Self-deprivation is rarely easy.

With that in mind, here are three secrets of effective dieting. In a way, this information is not secret at all. Anyone who thinks realistically about diets should be able to arrive at these keys on their own. But with so many diets and "methods" of losing weight being promoted, it is easy for us to lose our way. Once we have lost our way, the revelation of time tested truths often resonate as secrets.

3 Simple Tips In Creating an effective Diet

Eat Healthy - No weight loss regimen should be predicated on eating unhealthy foods. If we keep our caloric intake low enough, we could probably eat a diet of cakes, candies, cookies, puddings and pies and lose weight. This would not be good for our health though.

The foods we eat should be based on building our bodies even while we are looking to shed fat. Our muscles and organs need to be supported by quality vitamins and nutrients. A low calorie, junk food diet will not do that.

Additionally, if we utilize lots of sweet, fatty and salty foods low in nutrients in our weight reducing regimens, the instant we stop restricting our caloric intake our weight will probably balloon back up to where it was previously, or beyond. It is imperative that we eat healthy foods when losing weight. Weight loss at the expense of wellbeing is a deal made with the devil. In the long run it will do us no good.

Follow a Sustainable Regimen. If we do enough reading in the diet, health and fitness fields we will marvel at the limitless eating routines and regimens touted as magic weight loss formulas. There are pills, potions, shakes, exotic foods, etc. all designed to help us shed pounds.

The big question is, "How sustainable are such regimens?". What good is it if we lose 20 lbs. on a diet of shakes only to go back to our old eating habits? Diets composed of special foods do not take into account that when we have arrived at our goal weight we will return to regular eating. Will we have magically learned to eat healthy and utilize portion control?

Doesn't it make more sense to devise a healthy diet from the beginning, based on nutritious, satisfying food? Shouldn't we learn during our weight loss phase to base our portions on our level of physical activity and how much we need to eat to lose or maintain weight?

Diets based on special foods are a form of fool's gold. We are creatures of habit. If we force ourselves to follow an unrealistic eating plan, eventually we will rebel and go back to our typical patterns of eating. If, on the other hand, we adopt a superior, sustainable way to eat we will be able to maintain our new way of eating once we are at our goal weight.

Principally, the difference between a weight loss and maintenance diet should be the quantity of food we eat, not the kind of food we eat.

Real/Affordable Food-There have been diets based on eating relatively luxurious things like steak, shrimp and lobster. Without getting into the pros and cons of those foods from a health and nutrition standpoint, one thing is obvious. Those foods are expensive.

All of us would do well to seek congruence and complementary functioning between the various facets of our lives. For example, if we are on a tight budget does eating expensive food to lose weight make sense?

Many people find that the more stressed they are the more they eat to soothe their emotions. If we want to lose weight does it make sense to choose foods that are so expensive that we are going to be stressed wondering if we can continue our eating regimen?

Diets that are more plant based tend to be more affordable and may well be healthier than diets that are based on animal products. That is not to say that meat, chicken, fish, eggs and milk do not have nutritional value. Animal products may make good adjuncts to mainly plant based diets, but they should probably be just that, adjuncts.

A diet comprised mainly of whole grains, beans, lentils, vegetables and fruits with a judicious use of animal products may help us lose weight, stay healthy and not break our piggy banks in the bargain. Eating less should not cost us more.

Diets that are healthy, sustainable and relatively inexpensive are those that are bound to do us the most good in the long run. Remember, there is no quick fix to a long term challenge.

Skin cancer incidence still unabated

2008-08-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

The incidence of melanoma, the most dangerous kind of skin cancer, remains unabated, in spite of early detection strategies introduced 15 years ago.

University of Otago researchers analysed figures from the New Zealand cancer registry to see whether thick melanomas (three mm thickness) had decreased between 1994 and 2004 because of detection strategies.

"Regrettably the answer is that we didn't find any decrease of thick melanoma over the last decade," said Tony Reeder. "There was the possibility that early detection and greater public awareness may have had an impact on later development of thick melanoma, but so far that is not the case."

Of those diagnosed with melanoma the proportion with thick melanoma is greater for older people, for males compared to females and for Maori compared to non-Maori and for those diagnosed with nodular melanoma.

Researchers believe there are two possible reasons for the lack of progress in combating this difficult disease which caused 249 deaths in 2004.

They said it may be too early to see any impact on thick melanomas of early detection, or the strategies may not be working as well as expected as they are not allowing the identification of some melanomas early enough.

Reeder believed that the situation needs to be monitored and that this study is an important baseline to work from in that regard. "The problem is that it is often quite difficult to identify thick melanomas early on."

"They tend to have a nodular shape, but don't necessarily stick out above the surrounding skin or have an irregular edge. They're not always dark either, and can be quite pale and flat," he added.

Similar issues are now surfacing internationally where despite widespread information about early detection of thick melanoma, many are being missed and the incidence rate has not declined as expected.

Negative effect of weight loss on bone may persist

2008-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When people lose weight, they often lose some bone mass as well. Now a new study suggests that changes in bone metabolism may persist even after the weight loss stops.

In a study of obese adults who followed a very low calorie diet, researchers found that even after the dieters stopped shedding pounds and entered the "weight maintenance" phase, changes in their bone turnover remained.

Bone turnover, or "remodeling," refers to the normal process by which the body constantly breaks down old bone and builds up new tissue to replace it. It's known that even moderate weight loss can cause an imbalance in this process, leading to a dip in bone mass, but it has been unclear whether changes in bone turnover persist after a person's weight stabilizes.

Among dieters in the current study, researchers found that the balance between bone breakdown and bone formation was restored after they stopped losing weight. However, the overall rate of bone turnover increased during weight loss, and it stayed higher once their weight stabilized.

This is a potential concern, says lead researcher Dr. Pamela Hinton, because increased bone turnover can make bones more fragile, even when bone breakdown and formation are balanced.

"Accelerated bone remodeling is thought to be an independent risk factor for bone fracture," explained Hinton, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

However, she told Reuters Health, long-term studies are still needed to see how weight loss ultimately affects people's actual bone density and fracture risk.

Bone mass changes slowly, Hinton noted, and it takes six months to a year to see a shift. Moreover, bone fractures may not occur for many years after the weight loss, she said.

Her team's findings, which are to be published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, come from a weight-loss study of 37 obese adults age 50 and older.

For three months, the men and women followed a liquid-based diet that provided just 500 calories per day; in the end, they lost an average of 20 percent of their initial weight.

Hinton and her colleagues then followed the dieters through a nine- month maintenance phase where they increased their calorie intake to a level designed to maintain their weight or to continue a slower, gradual weight loss.

Periodically, the researchers measured the study participants' blood levels of certain proteins that serve as markers of bone breakdown and formation. Based on those markers, the average rate of bone remodeling sped up during weight loss and remained higher during the weight-maintenance phase.

It's not clear what people can do to alter their bone turnover rate after weight loss. Hinton said there is some evidence that a high calcium intake -- 1,500 to 1,800 milligrams per day -- lessens bone loss and adverse effects on bone turnover as people are losing weight.

Weight-bearing exercise -- such as jogging, stair-climbing and weightlifting -- helps build bone in people who are not shedding pounds, Hinton noted. However, she said, research has been inconclusive as to whether it can prevent bone loss in people who are losing weight.

SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Nutrition, in press.

Is Low Carb Diets Safe And Effective?

2008-08-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

Research on the safety and effectiveness of different diets has been previously limited due to the high number of participants who drop out of studies and because the length of time that the participants are followed is often too short. Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel, and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s (BWH) Channing Laboratory have effectively evaluated three different weight-loss diets over two years and found that both Mediterranean and Low-carbohydrate diets are as effective in achieving weight-loss as low-fat diets.

“The findings suggest that because Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets are effective alternatives to low-fat diets, individual preferences could be taken into consideration when tailoring dietary interventions for weight loss,” said Meir Stampfer, MD, DrPH, associate director of the Channing Laboratory at BWH and senior author of the study. The lead author, Dr. Iris Shai of Ben Gurion University, planned the study when she was a Fulbright fellow at Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Laboratory.

Researchers followed 322 obese patients who were randomized to either a low fat, Mediterranean or low-carbohydrate diet for two years. Patients on the low fat and Mediterranean diets were restricted in the number of calories that they could eat, but patients on the low carbohydrate diet were not. Researchers report that after one year, 95 percent of patients had stuck to the diet and after two years, 85 percent had.

After two years, patients in the low fat diet group lost 2.9 kg; patients in the Mediterranean diet group lost 4.4 kg; and patients in the low carbohydrate diet group lost 4.7 kg. The Mediterranean diet-group consumed the highest dietary fiber and monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio. The low-carbohydrate diet-group consumed the fewest carbohydrates and the highest fat, protein and cholesterol. Among all three diet groups, the number of calories consumed was similar. Improvements in other health measures such as liver function and levels of cardiovascular disease were also similar among groups.

In an effort to encourage retention and to enable participants to stick to the diet, the trial was conducted in an isolated workplace at the Nuclear Research Center Negev, Israel, with an on site clinic. Daily diet-group-specific colored food labels were displayed in the cafeteria at the workplace.

The findings suggest that Mediterranean and low-carbohydrate diets are effective alternatives to low fat diets. The more favorable effects on lipids (low-carbohydrate) and on glycemic control (Mediterranean) suggest that personal preferences and metabolic considerations might inform individualized tailoring of dietary interventions.

Suspected E. coli Causes Nationwide Recall of 1.2 Million Pounds of Ground Beef

2008-08-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

For the second time in a month, beef from a large Nebraska meat processor has been recalled... this time, 1.2 million pounds.

According to the Washington Post, the fresh ground beef, believed to contain the dangerous E. coli bacterium, was recalled from the upscale Whole Foods stores nationwide Saturday. The beef had been processed at Nebraska Beef of Omaha, one of the nation's largest meatpackers, the newspaper reported.

Just last month, 5 million pounds of beef produced by Nebraska Beef had to be recalled after nearly 50 cases of E. coli had been confirmed. The meat processor was allowed to continue operations after making a number of operational changes, according to the Associated Press.

But 31 new cases have been reported since Aug. 1 in 12 states and Washington, D.C., the Post reports. Seven people who became ill from E. coli O157:H7 had bought their meat at Whole Foods, the newspaper reports. Whole Foods Market issued a statement saying that ground beef bought from from June 2 to Aug. 6 should be thrown out.

Meanwhile, Nebraska Beef continues to operate while being observed by inspectors from the U.S. department of Agriculture. "We will continue to investigate to see what is happening at the plant to see what they have to do to get a handle on their food-safety issues," USDA spokeswoman Laura Reiser told the Post.

E. coli O157:H7 can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration, and in severe cases, kidney failure. Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious

No Evidence That Organic Food Is Best

2008-08-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

New research in the latest issue of the Society of Chemical Industry's (SCI) Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows there is no evidence to support the argument that organic food is better than food grown with the use of pesticides and chemicals.

Many people pay more than a third more for organic food in the belief that it has more nutritional content than food grown with pesticides and chemicals.

But the research by Dr Susanne Bügel and colleagues from the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, shows there is no clear evidence to back this up.

In the first study ever to look at retention of minerals and trace elements, animals were fed a diet consisting of crops grown using three different cultivation methods in two seasons.

The study looked at the following crops – carrots, kale, mature peas, apples and potatoes – staple ingredients that can be found in most families' shopping list.

The first cultivation method consisted of growing the vegetables on soil which had a low input of nutrients using animal manure and no pesticides except for one organically approved product on kale only.

The second method involved applying a low input of nutrients using animal manure, combined with use of pesticides, as much as allowed by regulation.

Finally, the third method comprised a combination of a high input of nutrients through mineral fertilisers and pesticides as legally allowed.

The crops were grown on the same or similar soil on adjacent fields at the same time and so experienced the same weather conditions. All were harvested and treated at the same time. In the case of the organically grown vegetables, all were grown on established organic soil.

After harvest, results showed that there were no differences in the levels of major and trace contents in the fruit and vegetables grown using the three different methods.

Produce from the organically and conventionally grown crops were then fed to animals over a two year period and intake and excretion of various minerals and trace elements were measured. Once again, the results showed there was no difference in retention of the elements regardless of how the crops were grown.

Dr Bügel says: 'No systematic differences between cultivation systems representing organic and conventional production methods were found across the five crops so the study does not support the belief that organically grown foodstuffs generally contain more major and trace elements than conventionally grown foodstuffs.'

Dr Alan Baylis, honorary secretary of SCI's Bioresources Group, adds: 'Modern crop protection chemicals to control weeds, pests and diseases are extensively tested and stringently regulated, and once in the soil, mineral nutrients from natural or artificial fertilisers are chemically identical. Organic crops are often lower yielding and eating them is a lifestyle choice for those who can afford it.'

This research was supported by the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS), Denmark.