Health Articles and Health News

Losing weight is not just about cutting calories and exercising like crazy. Losing weight requires a permanent lifestyle change. It is not realistic to think that while you are dieting, you eat exactly what you should and exercise 5 days a week, then after reaching your goal completely turn your back on what got you to your goal in the first place.

Establishing a healthy view on your lifestyle and making permanent changes will set you up for success for a lifetime!

Looking back at my own weight loss, certain things I did really helped me to meet my goals. Below, I have listed the techniques that helped me in the past to lose weight and maintain it successfully. Let’s take a look at them and see if any of them can help you on your own road to health and fitness.

1. Start with a food diary. Record what you eat, what you are doing while you eat, and how you felt when you ate it. Get a solid understanding of your eating habits and what triggers your eating.

2. Set attainable goals. Do not expect yourself to lose 50 pounds in a month. This is not healthy, or possible! Make them clear, concise, and reachable.

3. When hunger hits, wait 10 minutes before eating. Cravings do tend to pass, so give it some time and see if this one will, too.

4. Get enough sleep. When we are tired, our defenses are down. This makes it easier to grab a couple cookies or throw caution to the wind. Get the quality sleep that you need.

5. Avoid sugar. The more you eat, the more you crave. It is that simple.

6. Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day. Water helps to cut down on water retention and, if taken before meals, dulls the appetite and makes you feel full.

7. Do not shop when you are hungry. This is a deadly time to shop, and when impulse buys are at their peak!

8. Keep plenty of crunchy, healthy foods around. Raw veggies, almonds, or fat-free popcorn can really help in a pinch where you must eat something!

9. Lose the weight for yourself. Do it for your health and for your satisfaction. If you do it for someone else, chances are you will fail.

10. Make the kitchen off-limits in between meals. This will help cut down on "grazing".

11. Focus on what you are eating. Enjoy each bite and experience your food. This helps to focus your brain on the fact that you are eating, which will help you to avoid eating too much.

12. Substitute an activity for eating. Call a friend, read a book, take a walk. Anything but eating when you should not!

13. NEVER skip meals. When you skip meals, your metabolism slows down. The next time you eat, chances are that you will eat too much and binge.

14. Exercise. There’s just no way around it! Try to get in at least four days of cardio and strength training.

I hope you found these tips as helpful. Remember that weight loss and healthy living is not something you do temporarily. It truly is a decision you make to carry on for the rest of your life!

Colleen is a health and fitness enthusiast who loves to pass on the latest information on health and wellness. Sign up for your free e-newsletter filled with cutting-edge information on health, nutrition, weight loss, and fitness. For your free e-newsletter, visit HealthyRevelations.com

According to experts autism can be linked with different types of food allergies & sensitivities.

Experts provide adept treatment for autism via prescribing special diet to the child. Three most popular diet & vitamin interventions for autism include the following:

• The casein & gluten free diet
• Vitamin B-12, A, D and C supplements.
• Cod liver oil.

The real cause of autism is unknown. Hence, any treatment linked to diet for autism should be confirmed with a professional first.

a) The Casein & Gluten - Free Diet

Casein & Gluten are commonly found in dairy, barley, oat, rye & wheat products. Experts suggest this diet because autistic people are unable to digest these proteins. When taken, these proteins hang around in the body just to activate neurotransmitter receptors inside the brain just as opiate drugs would do. Elimination of foods containing casein & gluten from diet will definitely reduce the cause of autism. However, such a diet is very restrictive & extremely challenging to follow. One is not allowed to eat bread or dairy products.

b) Vitamins & Supplements

Autism can also be treated via providing vitamins & supplements. Vitamins B complex is the most commonly used vitamin as it helps central nervous system to create enzymes & assists in functioning. The vitamin also works towards maintaining the nervous system. This vitamin has also proved to improve eye contact, behavior & attention for some people with autism. Vitamin C is also related to brain functioning. Certain reports have found that vitamin C supplements improve autism symptoms. Children taking vitamin C supplements are known to experience improvement in behavior, communication attempts & eye contact.

c) Cod liver oil

These contain high levels of vitamins A and D. These vitamins are known to improve eye contact and behavior in certain autistic cases. Fish oils have also been connected to improve brain functioning.

There are other autism diet recommendation where cutting down on yeast & sugars is suggested. One is asked to consume a good number of fresh fruits & vegetables.

Diet rich in amino acids, calcium, magnesium & zinc are also prescribed to the child. Most of these supplements are available in chewable form with a high dose of sugar. Experts also suggest enzymes supplements to help overcoming symptoms of autism.

Berries are supposed to be extremely nutritious & rich in antioxidants. You can give your child a high dose of blueberries, raspberries & strawberries. Try to include more servings of vegetables in their diet. Go or vegetables such as sweet red pepper, carrot & broccoli. You need to understand that kids are kids & they have their individual task irrespective of whether they have autism or not.

You should keep in mind their love for specific food type & try not to be too strict with them.

It is important to fix up a diet for your child with autism. However, it is important to contact a health care professional prior to going for any sort of dietary change. This will give you an idea of what's good for your child & what's not.

Don’t shirk away from asking a lot of questions to your doctor. Try to monitor your child’s progress on a regular basis.

Handle your child with lot of love, care, presence & appreciation.

For more Articles, News, Information, Advice, and Resources about Autism please visit Autism Advice

The sad fact today is there is a rising trend of children with cholesterol problem, we may not like it, but we have to face this fact. According to some studies, many children are considered in the group of high risk premature coronary heart disease and some of them are suffering from high cholesterol at a much younger age then before. As a guide, health care professional do not check children's cholesterol levels routinely.

Cholesterol build up in the arteries can lead to either heart attack, stroke or both, depending on where the arteries are in the body. The American Heart Association states that there is research finding to support cholesterol buildup starts in early childhood.

The perfect time to introduce and intervene with healthy life style changes are childhood. These will provide healthier habits for the rest of their life.

Apparently, children who are in the high risk group are those who have family history of high cholesterol or heart disease and who are overweight.

The American Heart Association has a scientific position that, "elevated cholesterol levels early in life may play a role in the development of adult atherosclerosis and that lowering levels in children and adolescents may be beneficial".

Children absorb their dietary cholesterol from food such as poultry, red meat, egg yolks, seafood and full cream dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream

There are contributing factors when it comes to kids and cholesterol risk:

If their diet contain lots of fats, especially so for saturated fats. Example are baked products and snacks.

A family history of parents who have high LDL cholesterol or low HDL cholesterol

Children who are obese and lack active exercise.

- Children or teens who smokes, have high blood pressure or type 1 diabetes.

Should you have a child that is active, has a healthy diet that doesn't consist of eating an abundance of baked goods or snack items, and does not have a parental history of risky cholesterol levels and is not overweight; than you have little to worry about regarding cholesterol levels and early heart disease.

Kids who are 2 years and above who are exposed to known risk factors should be screened for blood cholesterol levels. The following are the risks:

Has at least one parent with a total cholesterol blood level of 240 mg/dL or higher

Has a parent or grandparent with a history of early heart disease (before age 55)

If there is any family history that is "unknown"

The child is overweight or is clinically obese

A simple blood test can determine what your child's cholesterol levels are. The acceptable total cholesterol level for children ages 2 - 19 are less than 170 mg/dL. Borderline total cholesterol levels are from 170 - 199 mg/dL. High levels are those that are 200 mg/dL or higher.

By: Meng

I wrote a book on how I've lower my high cholesterol level from 301 to normal in 60 days.. This is done without any medications. The book is "How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally". You can buy it at my site How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Unless you're a vegetarian, most of the foods that you're eating are probably high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and calories. Unknown to you, you may have already exceeded your daily cholesterol intake if you are not careful with your diet.

Unknown to us, foods that are known to be nutritious may also have its setbacks. Did you know that while dairy products like milk and cheese are good sources of calcium, they also have a lot of cholesterol?

- Dairy Products

Some of the dairy products that are actually foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats. These dairy products would include milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. However, these also foods also contain other nutrients necessary for a balanced diet. Fortunately, there are low fat and nonfat dairy products available for people who do not want the extra cholesterol.

You have the option of selecting cheeses that are fat free, low fat, part skim, or reduced fat. Basically, choose cheese that has 3 grams or less of fat per ounce. If you want soft cheeses, try getting the low fat (one percent) or nonfat cottage cheese, farmer cheese, or light ricotta or part skim. Additionally, watch out for cheese that have too much sodium in them.

Try skim or one percent milk instead of whole or two percent milk. The latter are just as nutritious and rich in calcium as whole milk, but with less fat and cholesterol.

- Eggs

The white in the egg is low in cholesterol. It is the yolk, which contains around 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol. If you cannot avoid eating egg yolks, then at least limit your intake to two per week. The limit extends to the yolks in baked and processed goods. Before buying or eating these types of food, check their labels and see how much cholesterol it has or if it uses whole eggs.

As mentioned, egg whites have no cholesterol in them. You can even use two egg whites to substitute one whole egg.

- Fats and Oils

You can tell that fats and oils are high in cholesterol and calories from their names alone. But that does not mean that they are completely bad for your health. With substitutes and a limit to the total fats and oil intake, you can continue to enjoy your meals.

Vegetable oils can be used instead of those with unsaturated fats. Choose canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, sesame, peanut, and safflower oils instead. For margarine, go for the soft tub or the liquid kind. Salad dressings and mayonnaise also come in light or nonfat kinds.

You may also want to tone down your use of butter, fatback, lard, and solid shortenings because these are high in fat and cholesterol.

Even though most of what we eat are foods high in cholesterol, it does not necessarily mean that we have to drastically change our diet. We can continue to enjoy our meals but we do have to be careful and vigilant of what we take in. The labels on the containers of the food you buy are there for a reason. Check them and see if you are going to be eating too much calories, fat, or cholesterol. You do not have to avoid them, but you can eat them in moderation.

Limit intake of foods high in cholesterol. Start your new diet to lower cholesterol now!

By: JB Anthony..

Besides just looking at yourself in the mirror and being unhappy with what you see, get up and do something about it. It's not quite as hard as you think it is. If I told you that I can think of a better way for you to not only shed some weight but also have your complexion improve, help the way your body digests the food you eat and help decrease symptoms of arthritis and diabetes, would you do it?

A detox diet is your answer. Detox diets function by assisting your body do what it does naturally, only with more efficiency. That is flushing all the toxins our bodies absorb day in and day out out of the body. If you could see just all of the bad toxins that come into your body in only one day, you would probably want to live inside a giant bubble. We get toxins in our bodies through the air we breathe, the food we eat, the fluids that we drink. Bad toxins are just about everywhere, and while I can't think of anything to get them out of everything in the environment, you CAN clean your body of them.

Not like a typical fad diet that's everywhere you see that puts your body through over-stress just to lose only a couple pounds, the detoxification/detox diet promotes health. The detox diet helps your body use the nutrients that you take in effectively and with better results Do you suffer from constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or indigestion? A safe detox diet can help lower issues you could have with these not-so-rare ailments

There's several detoxification/detox diets that are out, and they consist of just about the same ingredients. The primary focus is to stay away from unhealthy elements for a predetermined time. This time can go from many days to many weeks. Consuming more of organics and raw foods can help flush the body and help you to maintain good nutrition levels. Some diets last longer because they are said to be more effective. Because a detoxification/detox diet doesn't last too long, doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't work. With any at home detox diet you'll feel different within 48 hours. How about though, if 2 days WAS the diet to get a safe, effective whole body detox?

There's a highly regarded 2 day safe detox diet available that will assist in not to only lose weight and fat, and boost your energy and stamina levels, drop your cravings for unhealthy junk food and help to liven up your skin and eyes. The answer is the 2 Day Slim Down. As you're staring at your reflection, what if, in only 2 days, you could lose up to 12 lbs. and be rejuvenated from the inside out? See that it's time to make the next step and make some changes. The 2 Day Slim Down detoxification/detox diet is here to help you in achieving your weight goals.

By:

Jack Shaark has been in the fitness industry for 8 yrs. now and a strong believer for all natural treatments. He strongly believes in a healthy and untainted body, and the importance of having a healthy digestive system. He only pushes for tested, all natural cures as he feels these are the most beneficial treatments for the body. If you are looking to learn more about brand new technology, all natural detoxification diet, check out www.2DaySlim-Down.com

Nowadays, cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular. People flock to these clinics in order to get their bodies ‘fixed.’ Of course, you’d think that people would cower at the thought of having a scalpel plunged into their skins, but hey, to each his own, right? Now, as you know, a bulging abdomen doesn’t exactly fit into the category of ‘beautiful.’ And, as expected of the intelligent humans, a way to go around this problem was found. The cosmetic surgeons have invented a new operation called abdominoplasty.

What is It?
Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck, as it’s more popularly known, does just that – it tucks the tummy in. The plastic surgeons have found a way to spare us the effort of having to hold our breaths in order to tuck our tummy in. This permanent fix involves removing all the excess fat and skin from the middle abdomen to the lower abdomen so that the muscles and fascia will be tightened.

However, it’s not a direct route to beauty because having this operation means that you will have a permanent scar. The size of this said scar actually depends on the severity of your case or on the amount of body area that they had to fix. Still, the idea of the scar does not deter most people. After all, scars can easily be covered while a bulging tummy is as obtrusive as Barney the Dinosaur sitting with the members of the United States Congress.

Who Needs It?
Abdominoplasty is also the type of surgery preferred by people with loose tissues or sagging skin. These loose tissues usually result from major weight loss or from pregnancy. It takes a while for all the skin to recoil into its original taut state and some people just can’t take the unsightly appearance of having sagging skin. Also, there are some cases when the skin has been stretched to the point of losing its elasticity. In such cases, the sagging skin will not return to its original state, and abdominoplasty is usually the only solution.

As in every surgical procedure, there are risks involved. There’s always a risk of infection and there’s always a risk of something going wrong with the operation. Still, this does not deter people. You see, external beauty isn’t really as shallow as people put it. External beauty contributes to a person’s self-confidence, and in turn, this will make the individual become better adjusted. And if having a scalpel dig into your body is the only means to achieve it, then so be it.

By: Karen Hansson

Karen Hansson is specialized in medicine and health issues. She writes regularly on sethson.com. You can read more about abdominoplasty there.

The primary purpose of the gastrointestinal tract is to digest and absorb food. In order to fulfill this purpose, food must be ground, mixed, and transported through the intestines, where it is digested and absorbed. In addition, undigested and unabsorbed portions of the food must be eliminated from the body.

In functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms, the grinding, mixing, digestion, and absorption functions are disturbed to only a minor degree. These functions are essentially maintained, perhaps because of a built-in over-capacity of the gastrointestinal tract to perform these functions. The most commonly affected function in these diseases is transportation. In the stomach and small intestine, the symptoms of slowed transportation are nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and abdominal enlargement. The symptom of rapid transportation usually is diarrhea. The interpretation of symptoms, however, may be more complicated than this. For example, let's say that a person has abnormally rapid emptying of the stomach. The sensing of this rapid emptying by the intestinal sensory nerves normally brings about a motor nerve response to slow emptying of the stomach and transportation through the small intestine. Thus, rapid emptying of the stomach may give rise to symptoms of slowed transportation.

In the colon, abnormally slowed or rapid transportation results in constipation or diarrhea, respectively. In addition, there may be increased amounts of mucus coating the stool or a sense of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement.

As discussed previously, normal sensations may be abnormally processed and perceived. Such an abnormality could result in abdominal bloating and pain. Abnormally processed sensations from the gastrointestinal organs also might lead to motor responses that cause symptoms of slowed or rapid transportation.

Slowed transportation of digesting food through the small intestine may be complicated, for example, by bacterial overgrowth. In bacterial overgrowth, gas-producing bacteria that are normally restricted to the colon move up into the small intestine. There, they are exposed to greater amounts of undigested food than in the colon, which they turn into gas. This formation of gas can aggravate bloating and/or abdominal distention and result in increased amounts of flatus (passing gas, or flatulence) and diarrhea.

The gastrointestinal tract has only a few ways of responding to diseases. Therefore, the symptoms often are similar regardless of whether the diseases are functional or non-functional. Thus, the symptoms of both functional and non-functional gastrointestinal diseases are nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal distention, diarrhea, constipation, and pain. For this reason, when functional disease is being considered as a cause of symptoms, it is important that the presence of non-functional diseases be excluded. In fact, the exclusion of non-functional diseases usually is more important in evaluating patients who are suspected of having functional disease. This is so, in large part, because the tests for diagnosing functional disease are complex, not readily available, and often not very reliable. In contrast, the tests for diagnosing non-functional diseases are widely available and sensitive.

By: Dr. D.S. Merchant

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