Category : Article
Posted in Article on February 19, 2012
For someone being obese, health problem risks are greatly elevated. The extra weight can cause physical problems like bone and joint problems. And things like diabetes, heart disease, cancers and other serious conditions are more likely to occur. For those who are being obese, health problem risks often center around a condition known as metabolic syndrome.
For someone being obese, heath problem risks are generally directly tied to this syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is just a term for a cluster of conditions that tend to occur together. The presence of these conditions is a pretty good indicator about future health.
For instance, someone with metabolic syndrome is going to have a much higher chance of heart disease, stroke or diabetes than someone who doesn’t have the condition. For people who have one or two of the conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, their risk of these serious diseases is still a little less than someone with a full-on case.
The conditions that are generally present in metabolic syndrome include:
- Obesity. People with metabolic syndrome are generally obese, often with much of their body fat centered in their stomach, giving them an “apple” shape.
- High blood triglycerides (fat).
- High blood pressure.
- Low HDL cholesterol levels. This is high-density lipoprotein, also known as the “good” cholesterol. Having a low good cholesterol level has been found to be more dangerous. than having a high “bad” cholesterol, or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level.
- Insulin resistance.
A person can have one or two of those conditions without having metabolic syndrome. But their risks for developing the other conditions is very high. In fact, having just one of the conditions listed above makes it very likely that you’ll develop the others.
Being obese, health problem risks are elevated, but there are some factors in metabolic syndrome that a person can’t control. A family history of diabetes, for instance, puts a person at greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
Age and race are also factors. Asians and Hispanics tend to develop metabolic syndrome at a greater rate than other races. And the older a person gets, the greater the risk of developing the syndrome.
But for the most part, the conditions that make up the syndrome and the syndrome itself are preventable. And there are no special drugs or treatments required to prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome.
The first recommendation, whether you want to prevent the syndrome or reverse it, is to eat a healthy diet. Choose whole foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables and avoid carb-laden, starchy processed foods. Don’t drink sodas or other sugar-rich beverages, but opt for water instead.
The next step is to get some exercise. Walk for a half an hour or so each day. That’s all it takes. This along with a healthy diet can help you lose weight, the third thing to do to defeat metabolic syndrome. Being obese, health problem risks including that of metabolic syndrome are elevated if you smoke, so quit smoking and you’ll be on your way to preventing or reversing the disease.
Posted in Article on February 18, 2012
My Review of the Cabbage Soup Diet
In this Cabbage Soup Diet Review, I’m going to tell you the good and the bad of this popular fad diet. In the plan, you eat as much of the soup as you want plus certain foods on certain days. It is a seven day meal plan and the authors claim you can lose up to 10 pounds in just a week. This Cabbage Soup Diet Reviews’ goal is to help you decide if you want to try the plan.
The cabbage soup diet is most often attributed to the Mayo Clinic, although they have issued a number of releases saying that they had nothing to do with its development and do not endorse it. If you have a major hospital in your area, you may have heard of it by that name. For instance, Loma Linda University is a major teaching hospital in one area and people in the vicinity call it the Loma Linda Diet.
In this Cabbage Soup Diet Review, I’m going to tell you what I like about the program and what I think is lacking. It is a good diet in some limited circumstances, but if you are looking for lasting weight management, it’s not the right choice for you.
There are two factors that make this program so attractive. The first is that if you stick to the plan, you will lose weight up to 10 pounds in just one week. The other plus is that you won’t have to be hungry at all. That is because you get to eat as much of the soup as you want. You may get tired of the soup, but you won’t go hungry.
The downsides of the program are also twofold. The first is that the diet is boring and many people find the food bland. You are only allowed certain foods on certain days. For instance, on one day, all you can have besides the soup is bananas and skim milk. On the other hand, on another day you get up to 16 ounces of steak and all the vegetables you want.
The other problem with the diet is that it is extremely low in calories. That means that it is not sustainable over time. In fact, even people who endorse the cabbage soup diet recommend that you stay on the diet for one week and then wait at least one week before starting the cycle again.
You will average about 900 calories on the diet. This cabbage soup diet review notes that that’s not enough to keep your body going. Therefore, you will be forced to burn fat. That’s a good thing. But, if you stay on it for more than a week, your metabolism will start to shut down, reducing the fat-burining effects.
Also, the main weight loss from the cabbage soup diet comes from water loss.
In short, my cabbage soup diet reviews points out that if you need to lose weight for a one off situation like a wedding, reunion, or just a big date, this may be a solution for you. But if you are looking for a long term solution, this is not the program for you.
And that’s my cabbage soup diet reviews.
Posted in Article on February 17, 2012
Diets are a craze that never seems to slow down. There has always been one new diet after another with the promises of losing weight quickly with the newly formulated plan. Some work and some do not. There are pills, drinks, and meals to lose weight. Women have always been concerned about their diet and even more are obsessed with the weight loss aspect of the diet. Many want a fast solution to their weight issues.
The fact remains that for any diet to work a person needs to change how they approach food. By this it is meant, how is food consumed? How is food prepared? For a diet to really work, a person needs to change how they cook their food, how they eat their food, and how they use their food. Many people have unhealthy eating habits so they have gained weight. They need to change their eating habits to lose weight and to keep it off.
Learning to change the eating habits is only half of the dieting system. The other half is implementing exercise. Yet this article is about the right diet of foods for extended weight loss. So keep in mind this is only the first half of the weight loss solution.
There are foods that need to be removed from the diet in order to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight. The food that fried should be avoided as much as possible, the added fats in the food are stored in the body and turned to fat when you do not burn the additives.
Eating foods high in protein such as whey, lean beef, chicken, tuna, turkey, salmon, and eggs help with weight loss when added to the diet. The fatty acids in the fish are beneficial for a healthy diet including stronger bones, teeth, nails, and hair.
Remove dairy products that are high in fat content. Try to replace the fattening foods with a low fat dairy product to limit the consumption of the fat in the dairy products. This also includes limiting the intake of the high fat snacks, which add pounds and inches.
Add essential fatty acids foods that include nuts, seeds, and flax oil to your diet. They are great sources of the essential fatty acids that are needed by the body to function properly. Eat the nuts and seeds as a snack instead of the chips or other unhealthy snacks.
Add water to your diet. You should consume at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. The water helps to hydrate the body and to flush out harmful toxins. Water will also help to make you feel fuller and eat less too.
Add a good quality multi-vitamin to your daily diet. The vitamins will help your body with the essential nutrients your normal diet does not contain.
Changing your eating habits to a healthier diet will help you lose weight and maintain the desired weight you want to have.
Posted in Article on February 11, 2012
The Arnold presses will also help build the strength in your shoulders. Over time you will start to see the definition in your shoulders. If the Arnold presses are done correctly you will feel the burn in your shoulders. The burn lets you know you are working your shoulders correctly and they are burning the calories. These presses will also be felt in your triceps.
When getting prepared to do Arnold presses you will need an exercise bench that has a back on it and a set of dumbbells. It is best to start this exercise with light weights until you get the hang of it.
Grab a dumbbell with light weights for each hand. Then sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. The feet should be placed evenly with your shoulders. Sit straight up and press your back against the back support on the bench.
Once you are sitting properly lift the weights toward your face. You will lift the weights so they are almost aligned with your shoulders. The palms of your hands will be pointed towards your body. Your elbows will be pointing toward the floor while your arms are resting by your torso. This is your starting position for Arnold presses.
While exhaling, start slowly raising the dumbbells into the air. While you are raising the dumbbells you are going to rotate your hands. Keep rotating your hands until your palms are facing the wall in front of you. Your hands should be totally rotated by the time you have the dumbbells above your head. Your arms will be straight up and down when the dumbbells are in the correct position. Now hold the position for a couple of seconds then start inhaling.
As you are inhaling start bringing the dumbbells back down to the start position. While lowering the weights you will once again rotate your hands. Once in the start position your palms will be pointing your body. This is now considered one complete repetition. Do the recommended amount of repetitions for your work out.
Remembering to rotate your hands while doing the Arnold presses might take some time. You will get it after a couple sets of repetitions though.
If you have lower back problems it is recommended you always do this exercise while sitting down. If your back does not have any problems, then once you have the routine down; try the Arnold presses standing up.
Remember the burn is how you know the shoulders are getting the proper work out. This is also a sign that you are burning off the calories to obtain the definition in your shoulders that you have always wanted.
While still concentrating on the shoulders get ready to push them to the limit of no return. The front plate raises are going to help you intensify the burn and keep the calories burning away. This exercise will help complete the work out for concentrating on the shoulder area and building your strength up.
Posted in Article on February 4, 2012
Are you considering going on the 3 day diet? Reviews are hard to come by, but I’m going to give you my honest opinion of the program. The 3 day diet is a very low calorie diet that claims you will lose anywhere between 3 and 10 pounds (depending on the writer) in just 3 days. Here’s my 3 day diet reviews.
First of all, I’m going to start my 3 day diet review’s with the good points.
The diet is very low in calories. Some versions of the diet include ? a grapefruit at every meal which means the diet has 900 calories. Others feature it at just one meal which takes the diet down to 750 calories. Obviously, these calorie levels are not sustainable, but remember this is just a 3 day diet. You can fast for that long, so having some food to keep you going won’t harm you.
The second positive thing I’m going to mention in my 3 day diet reviews is that there is no fancy cooking required to sustain this diet. If you can boil an egg and cook veggies in the microwave, you can go on this diet. The foods required are basic: cottage cheese, saltine crackers, carrots, apples, etc.
The third thing that is nice about this diet is that the food you are asked to eat in no way harms you. You’ll be eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, etc. In many ways, you are better off with this program than you would be eating a couple of meals at a fast food joint. There’s no “trick” to the 3 day diet, it’s just very low in calories.
But there are some downsides to the diet. For instance, you may only lose a couple of pounds for all of your starving, not the 10 pounds some proponents claim.
Also, I would be remiss in not mentioning that extended use of this diet program would surely lead to anorexia. The name of the diet is “The 3 Day Diet” for a reason it should only be used for three days.
Another thing worth mentioning in this 3 day diet reviews is that you are probably going to be hungry on this program. The meals are quite small. Breakfast and lunch are about 200 calories a piece and dinner is about 350 calories. If you are used to 2000 to 3000 calorie diets (what most Americans eat), you are going to be famished. If you can suck it up and say “it’s only 3 days” you’ll survive. But, if you are not mentally prepared for the hunger challenges on the 3 day diet, you are likely to give in to your urge to eat more.
In short, the 3 day diet does work. You will probably lose between 3 to 6 pounds. The 10 pound claims are from very large people who try it. Most of the pounds lost will be from water weight. You can’t go on the diet on an extended basis.
My 3 day diet reviews overall picture is that if you want to lose weight for a specific purpose in the very near future (a wedding next weekend, an upcoming high school reunion), it’s worth doing. As an extended diet plan, it won’t work.
Posted in Article on February 2, 2012
Shopping for food that doesn’t contain more than your daily allotment of calories on the side of the box can seem to be frustrating. After all, at the specialty stores it’s not unusual to see lettuce going for five dollars a head, which can make that five dollar “ready” pizza which is big enough to feed a family of four seem a lot more appealing when it comes to the amount of time needed to prepare healthier food.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case. Healthy food can be had at a reasonable price, provided that the shopper is able to go at the process with a sense of rationality and knowledge of what he or she is looking for. With this in mind, we present a list of tips in order to help the shopper who wants to eat healthily on a budget.
Buy produce that’s in season. Learn what grows when in your area and purchase accordingly. Obviously, if it’s the dead of winter and the grounds are frozen there’s not going to be much to buy that’s made locally, but if you’re shopping in the summer it’s cheaper to get what’s available. Buy oranges in the winter and get your watermelon in July. If you want cantaloupe in December, chances are it’s either come from far away or was grown in an artificial environment, both of which are expensive to maintain and will show up as such on your grocery receipt.
Get back to basics. It’s easy to give in to the temptation of buying that Vietnamese-grown kale at the supermarket. While there is something to be said for getting adventuresome with your foods, it doesn’t help your wallet much. This isn’t to say that you can’t enjoy the occasional fun piece of produce you encounter at the supermarket, but your bill will be lower if you stick to carrots, apples, potatoes, and corn. Basically, if it’s produced locally, it’ll be cheaper.
Avoid diet products. Diet products are not necessarily good for you, and they’re often heinously expensive. Besides, if you’re looking to become healthy on a permanent basis, you’re looking at making a lifestyle change, not just going on a diet. Stick with regular foods and work on your portions, instead.
Simpler is cheaper and healthier. Instead of buying instant oatmeal in packets, go for the larger cardboard container of oatmeal. It’s cheaper and better for you.
Shopping list, shopping list, shopping list. Before going out, make one of these. And then stick to it. Nothing drains a wallet faster and widens a waistline more than impromptu purchases. A shopping list will keep you from splurging.
Posted in Article on January 31, 2012
Going out and exercising in order to relax might sound a little strange to you but bear with me. It has been shown that exercising produces hormones that make your feel good. So it really makes sense to do certain exercises to help you feel better and get you feeling more relaxed.
If you think about it when you are uptight and anxious you are not relaxed you are the opposite, cranky and stressed out. Finding ways to relax is very important to your well being and will make a huge difference in your life.
One of the best exercises for relaxation is to go out walking. Your choice of walking route is important too. Obviously you will start to feel more relaxed if you walk in a park or by a lake, as opposed to walking on busy city streets.
Many experts recommend walking with a dog as therapy. Great if you have a dog but if not you could offer to volunteer at your local pet shelter and walk a dog. This provides you with a reason to go out walking and your new friend will enjoy your visits.
Walking in the fresh air gives you time to think and reflect about your day. As you walk concentrate on feeling the breeze on your face and take in the smells of the trees and plants. See if you can?t hear the birds chirping. All of these things will put a smile on your face and make you feel more relaxed almost immediately.
While walking you should concentrate on your breathing and take some nice deep breathes. As you?re walking pace increases try to think of nothing but your walking and the surrounding sounds. This walking meditation method has been shown to be a wonderful stress reliever.
Other forms of exercise that can help you feel more relaxed are Yoga, swimming, dancing and even going out for a bike ride. All of these activities put you into different surroundings which affect your mood, all for the better.
Music is a great way to relax and taking up a new dance routine is an excellent idea. You could do this at home or by joining a local dance class such as a Zumba class. As well this gets you mingling with other people and provides some light recreation after a hectic day. Why not start a new exercise routine and see if it doesn?t make a difference?
Posted in Article on January 30, 2012
Taking the time to know the facts about heart disease is one of the first steps to help with prevention. Here are some facts relating to heart disease that may help you with your battle so you can win easily.
1. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in America.
2. Heart disease death rate per 100,000 populations for the five largest cities in the U.S. based on racial and ethnic groups are Hispanics 69.2, Asians and Pacific Islanders 73, American Indians 82.5, Blacks 189.8, and Whites 235.5.
3. Coronary heart disease is the principle type of heart disease. In 2005 over 445,000 died of coronary heart disease, which equals 68.3of all heart disease deaths that year.
4. 47of all cardiac deaths occur before emergency services or transportation to the hospital.
5. Heart disease is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion, which includes the health care services, medications, and time off work.
6. In 2005, more that 7.6 million people died from heart disease worldwide.
7. Risk factors noted in 2003-2004 for adults with heart disease were contributed to 32.1of people 20 years or older with hypertension or taking medication for hypertension; 16.9of people 20 years or older with high cholesterol; 10of people 20 years or older with doctor diagnosed diabetes; 32of people 20 years or older with obesity; 18.4of people 18 years or old that smoked; and 39.5of people 18 years or older that did not have a standard exercise regimen.
8. 37in 2003 reported having two or more of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, current smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes.
9. In 2005, 92of people suffering from chest pains recognized the symptoms of the possible heart attack with only 27correctly knowing they were having a heart attack and contacted the emergency authorities for assistance. Timely access to emergency services can mean the difference between life and death. Knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attacks can and will save your life when you act accordingly.
10. According to studies, people with heart disease can lower their risks of heart attacks when they lower their cholesterol and blood pressure as well as avoiding needing surgery for heart bypass and angioplasty. To reduce the risks, take the steps to lower the blood pressure and cholesterol.
11. According to studies of people without heart disease, they reduce their potential risks of heart disease by lowering their cholesterol and high blood pressure.
When a person changes their unhealthy life style patterns, they reduce the risks of heart disease and strokes.
Posted in Article on January 23, 2012
Want to get into some weight training but can’t afford a full set of weights yet? Well if you use your imagination you can. There are many household items which you can use and still reap the benefits of weight training.
To start off weight training you don’t necessarily require a home weight gym. If you can afford it you can purchase a pair of dumbbells in the five or ten pound range. This is more than enough to get you started and in the meantime you can save for heavier weights as required.
If not you can improvise at home by using several items lying around your home. When beginning weight training you should always start with very light weights at first. You can easily use cans of food that are in your kitchen cupboards. As you progress you can use small water bottles.
If you have small children you can practice picking them up and just carrying them around. They will have fun and you will be getting a workout. Get your child to sit on your feet while doing some sit ups.
Other household items that can be substituted for weights are bags of sugar and a bag of potatoes. This weight can really add up and give you some great resistance.
When performing your weight training exercises you can make even a light weight have more resistance by slowing down your movements. At the same time really concentrate on the muscle you are trying to train. This can really make a huge difference in your results.
As your need for heavier weights increases you can fill water jugs with sand for added weight. Do you have an old tire in your garage? This can be a very useful weight training tool, just start moving in around your backyard for a great workout.
Another idea for weight training is to use your own body as resistance. This can be done by doing push ups in different positions. Try using your stairs to do push ups on. Start with a higher step and really lower your body down to the stair. As this becomes easy drop down one level until you are on the bottom step. This is also a great method to use if you have trouble doing a full body push up from the beginning. You could even use a wall to perform push ups and squats.
With a little imagination and resourcefulness it is still possible to find ways to weight train while on a budget.
Posted in Article on January 20, 2012
Cooking naturally may sound so simple but are you cooking this way? Or do you rely on pre-packaged and frozen dinners too much? If you are guilty of the latter, you are not alone. So many people today feel rushed and pressured and turn to convenience foods instead. No wonder the rate of cancer and other diseases are on the increase.
Cooking naturally is really easy and doesn?t have to be complicated or expensive. The best way to start is by planning to cook one meal each day that contains lots of fresh ingredients. To keep the cost down only buy fresh ingredients which are in season locally. They are cheaper and fresher and it just makes plain sense to do so.
For instance in the fall use apples, squash and pumpkin to make all kinds of great recipes. You should try grilling butternut squash on the BBQ it is easy to scoop out afterwards and doesn?t require the addition of butter. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to noodles and even your kids will be happy to try them.
During the summer fresh berries are cheap and plentiful so use them to make healthy desserts and breakfast shakes. Try mixing a handful of strawberries along with plain yogurt and cottage cheese and then blend them up into a tasty treat.
Even if you feel rushed for time you can still cook naturally. Add a side salad to your dinner and grill or bake some chicken or fish. There are lots of meals that can be cooked in thirty minutes or less and be totally healthy.
On the weekends when you have a little more time you can make up a pot of chicken or vegetable soup. The next time you roast a turkey or chicken use the leftovers and make a healthy soup, it is delicious and low in fat.
Instead of ordering Pizza make your own by using English muffins or pitas for the base. Then add a selection of toppings or let each person build their own personal pizza. These pizzas only take minutes to bake and will be ready in the same time it would take to order in a pizza, except you are saving money and improving your diet.
It really doesn?t take that much effort to start cooking more with natural ingredients. Next time you are out shopping pick up a couple of fruits and veggies and incorporate them into your meal plan.
