General Health Articles

Creating a Healthier You

The road to a slimmer and healthier body is a difficult path. But overcoming these roadblocks only require a simple lifestyle overhaul. Liposuction is surely the quickest path to slashing pounds of fats accumulated through years of physical neglect. But this is neither the safest or most effective method of ensuring a healthier you in the future.

The best weight loss treatments are those that reinforce a healthy lifestyle. It is those daily habits that given time helps you get rid of those stubborn love handles but more importantly keeps it away forever.

Replace Fat with Muscles

Easier said than done but if done right it rewards you with healthier and shapelier figure. Whether it's walking a few extra blocks to the office or spending a couple of hours at the gym, getting rid of fats the natural way is devoid of risks and complications that surgery brings.

Building and toning your muscles is the next logical step after losing those unwanted fat deposits. So why wait when you can build those muscles while losing weight.

Build your Cardio

Cardio exercises such as high intensity training or running is a good way to burn fats. It is also a good way to naturally increase your body's metabolism. Living a sedentary lifestyle lowers your metabolism simply because your body does not require transforming fats into energy. When your body becomes accustomed to strenuous activity regularly, it prepares itself by increasing metabolism. This is to make energy readily available throughout the day.

Eat Healthy

Unhealthy eating habits is perhaps the biggest culprit in the overweight problems we face today. The overabundance of processed and fatty foods makes it easier for us to store those unwanted pounds.

Lower your calorie intake gradually

The best diets are those that work for you. Lowering your calorie intake suddenly only brings more troubles than solutions. You still require a considerable amount to maintain your normal body functioning. Cut your calories gradually. This gives your body the time to adjust to changes.

Load up on proteins

Increasing your protein intakes is essential when building muscles. But it is another good way of burning calories since more energy is required to breakdown protein. Replace those high calorie food with protein loaded meals. Satiate your hunger and help build those muscles.

Fortify with Iron

A well-rounded diet that focuses on all essential vitamins and minerals is essential. Iron improves blood flow. Better blood flow also increases metabolism. When you're trying to burn fats and live a more active lifestyle it is important that your body's supply of nutrients and oxygen is maintained with good blood circulation.

Turn up the heat with spicy food

Sweat is a clear indication that something in our body is heating up and eating spicy food is a good start. Eating spicy food gets our body heated up and so does our metabolism. It's a great way to bring something different into your daily diet without sacrificing your hard earned gains.

Stick to healthy fats

Yes, there's such a thing as healthy fats. Eating healthy does not mean eliminating one type of food or in this case staying away from fats. Fats are essential to our body's normal functioning so taking it off the table can do more harm than good. Fish is a good source of healthy fat. Salmons for example are rich in Omega 3 which actually reduces levels of cholesterol in the body.

Weight Loss and You

The first step towards achieving a healthier body is accepting that change is necessary. Even the best weight loss treatments are useless if you are not dedicated to the process.

Eating Disorders

Weight gain could be a slippery slope where a few extra pounds could quickly turn into a wardrobe nightmare. Weight problems are mainly caused by two factors, unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. While some are genetically predisposed to suffer from easy weight gain, most overweight problems are due to simple lifestyle habits.

We've all been guilty of eating an extra piece of cake during the holidays. But the real problem is when we just can't stop ourselves from grabbing that extra piece of cake holiday or no holiday. And this is where eating disorders come in.

Binge Eating

Binge eating is simply not being able to stop yourself from eating. Binge eating is overeating or the loss of control and the general feeling of helplessness. But this is not commonly an overt behavior, people who suffer from binge eating do this in secret and away from the prying eyes of people. Feelings of guilt and depression after binge eating are also manifested.

Binge eating certainly leads to weight problems but this does not stop there. People are also at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other weight related problems.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating condition where people overeat and try to eliminate their excessive food intake by vomiting, taking laxatives or inducing diarrhea. Bulimia nervosa is not merely overeating, this is out-of-control eating that goes beyond stuffing yourself full.

People who are suffering from bulimia nervosa are not always fat in fact some of them have normal figures. This is because people who suffer from bulimia nervosa are able to purge excess food from their system.

Anorexia Nervosa

At the other side of the coin is an eating disorder referred to as anorexia nervosa. Rather than being unable to stop yourself from grabbing the nearest edible concoction you see, you simply refuse to take any type of food for fear of becoming fat.

People exercise aggressively in an attempt to lose calories while refusing to eat. Exercising is a great way to lose those extra pounds but we should at least replenish the nutrients we lost. People suffering from this condition do not only actively reduce their food intake they also take laxatives, diuretics and vomit to remove the little amount of nutrients they have in their system.

Eating Disorders Summary

Statistics show that women tend to suffer from eating disorders more than men. Specific eating disorders are also more common in certain age groups and develop at an early age. Eating disorders could be developed and are also genetic. People with relatives who suffer from an eating disorder are more likely to develop this condition.

Heredity could be a contributing factor but far more concerning are the different environmental factors that come into play. While genetics is something that could not be controlled, external influences have a bigger role in the increasing number of people who suffer from eating disorders. The pressure to conform with what society considers as an attractive body has forced many to the path of anorexia nervosa.

Depression, anxiety and high levels of stress can also lead to comfort eating and eventually binge eating. The constant pressure at work and at home has left many people searching for an easy way to relieve stress.

We all have had our bouts with eating disorders at one part in our life. From our episodes of binge eating to extreme dieting what matters is that we have been able to overcome these situations.  It only takes a few steps to slip into the dangers of eating orders. If you believe that you might already be suffering, talking with friends and families or getting the help of a health professional is the best way to treat this condition.

Bug Management

Just like we have been cooped up all winter, so have been a number of those creatures that we've come to despise: insects.

With summer in full bloom, insects are also in full swing and are ready to attack when necessary.

So, what do you do to avoid these nasty creatures biting you?

Environmentalists suggest that the best way to deal with insect bites and stings is to prevent them before they happen.

Ways that you can avoid or prevent bug bites include:

• Applying repellents to exposed skin. Do not apply repellents directly to your face, instead spray the repellent into your hands and apply to your face that way.
• Wearing shoes when walking around outdoors.  Avoid going barefoot whenever possible.
• Do not swat or attempt to hit a flying insect.  This will only make them mad and attack you more frequently.
• Covering food when it is outdoors. Insects flock to food and the less chance you give them to get to the food, the greater your chance of avoiding them all together is.
• Avoiding bright colored clothes when you are outdoors for extended periods of time as insects are attracted to bright colors.
• Trying not to wear heavy smelling perfumes outdoors as insects are also attracted to the smells.

Keep these tips in mind before you head outdoors and you won't be dealing with insects biting or stinging you this summer.

Bug bites are going to happen now and then, but enjoy your summer while it lasts ,winter will be here before we know it!

Hair Loss : Myth vs. Fact

The statistics can be staggering, more than 50 percent of men over the age of 50 are experiencing some form of hair loss, making the hair loss industry worth more than 3.5 billion dollars.

And while many of the creams or treatments that are currently out there for hair loss that don't work, it is hard to determine what is a fact and what is a myth when it comes to hair loss.

MYTH: Hair restoration never looks natural.  There are plenty of great hair restoration techniques out there, compared to years ago when the hair restoration process was more noticeable than present day.

MYTH: Baldness comes from your Mother's side. Your “hair future” is actually determined from both sides of your family and you are more likely to have a mix of your parent's hair genes.

MYTH: Pull out a grey hair and three more will grow in its place.  Repeatedly pulling out hairs can cause traction alopecia, where the trauma of plucking hairs can actually scar the hair follicle to the degree where it will no longer produce hair.  So pulling them out on a regular basis can actually make your hair go away for good.

FACT: Mistreating your hair can cause hair loss.  Overworking your hair can damage your hair, make it weak and break easily.  Hair troubles can be caused by aggressive brushing, back combing, dying and straightening.  Shampoos and even too much UV exposure can also damage hair.

FACT: Propecia works.  The majority of hair loss falls into the category of male-pattern baldness.  This inherited condition makes a man's hair follicles stop producing hair in reaction to hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).  Propecia blocks an enzyme that would otherwise turn testosterone to DHT, although it has to be taken every day and may take up to three months to see any noticeable changes.

Five Minute Fixes

Tired of feeling like the path to health and wellness is a long, drawn out path?  Then start small!  Use these quick five minute fixes to boost your health and to reach your goals one step at a time!

• Wear a pedometer to determine the distance you walk each day.  Shoot for 10,000 steps per day.  If you aren't reaching that goal, add an extra mile to your routine or take the steps instead of the escalator whenever possible.
• Add jumping to your exercise routine : also known as plyometric moves : to build muscle and improve your bone density.  Try jump squats or scissor lunges in your next routine.
• Spend the extra money to purchase good work out necessities : clothing, shoes, bras, supports, etc.  Purchasing the better brands versus going the cheaper route will ensure that you use them and that they are the best for your workout.
• Don't be a creature of habit.  Switch up your routines, walking routes, gym machines and even what days you do specific workouts. Change is good when it comes to exercise and fitness.
• Consider the other ways that you can lose weight without really trying : clean the house and burn 200 calories or work in the garden and burn 272 calories.
• Even if you have to travel or spend all day in a car or on a plane, still try to fit in physical activity. Take advantage of bathroom breaks by stretching and doing some light exercise.  Walk briskly through the airport in between flights if traveling by plane.
• Build better bones and as much bone density as you can by doing weight-bearing activities like running or jumping as much as you can in your twenties and thirties.
• Yoga has many healthy benefits for your body and your mind.  Even if you are a novice, take a class and try something different.
• Work out with your significant other or a friend or family member.  This allows you to be a spotting partner for one another or just spend some quality time together working out.