1. Stretch your meals to, at least, 20 minutes or longer. Your stomach, mouth and brain are all connected and it takes 20 minutes of chewing before your stomach signals your brain that you are full. To feel full and successfully lose weight on any weight loss program, you need to eat slowly for 20 minutes or longer.

2. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is important to your health, your normal diet and to help lose weight. Water is necessary for the metabolism of your stored fat. Weight loss cannot occur without an active metabolism which requires large quantities of water. Another way to use water to lose weight is to drink a large glass of ice water just before meals. The cold causes your stomach to shrink slightly which will make you feel full faster.

3. The more positive your self-esteem, the better you feel about yourself, the faster and easier it will be for you to lose weight. When you are self-confident, you are better able to take charge of your life. It also means that after you lose weight, it will stay gone permanently.

4. When you go fat free or low fat, you also cut out much of the taste of the foods you eat. Add the flavor back with herbs and spices. Strong flavors such as vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, curry powder, rosemary and tarragon can be used to doctor up any food you are eating. For your low fat and fat free diets, experiment with different herbs and spices until you find some you like. Staying on your fat free or low fat diet will be easier and your weight loss will be speeded up.

5. Increase your metabolism by as much as 40% by using hot and spicey foods such as hot peppers of all varieties and mustards. Research shows these foods all increase your metabolism. For double duty, give up fat filled mayonnaise for mustard and add hot peppers to your food for greater flavor and increased metabolism.

6. Negative emotions will also interfere with your weight loss program. It’s difficult to stay motivated to lose weight when you feel bad. Overeating often accompanies negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt and anger. If this is true for you, begin a stress management program including some exercise and relaxation exercises.

7. To lose weight faster, reduce your intake of caffeine. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body which retards the burning of your stored fat.This is a simple chemical reaction in your body that you can change. Reduce your caffeine intake by 50% and see what happens. Here is a rough guide to use when looking at the amount of caffeine you currently take in: Brewed coffee (6 oz. cup) - 100mg; Instant coffee (6 oz.) - 70mg; Tea (6 oz.) - 50mg; Soft drinks (12oz.) - (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew) - 50mg; Dark chocolate (1 oz.) - 20mg and Milk chocolate (1 oz.) - 6mg.

8. Incease your intake of fiber rich foods. They will help fill you up faster and will help all the food you eat pass through your digestive system more easily.

9. Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat. Research shows that you burn more stored fat for energy when you do aerobic exercises on an empty stomach than on a full stomach. Research also shows that you burn more stored fat when you exercise late in the day rather than in the morning. Put together, the best time to exercise to lose weight by burning your stored fat is in the late afternoon/early evening before dinner. Second best is in the morning before breakfast. Our metabolism naturally starts to slow down about 8 hours after we wake up. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercises in the evening, before dinner, will not only burn off stored fat but it increases your metabolism for about two to three more hours just when it was starting to slow down. This produces a significant increase in fat burned off, even after the exercise is over.

10. To lose weight quickly, never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking starts your metabolism. Your metabolism then speeds up for about eight hours and then starts slowing down until you go to sleep when it goes to low until you wake and eat and start the cycle again. Skip breakfast and your metabolism doesn’t get started until lunch time. You’ve just missed three or four hours of fat burning time. When you skip meals during the day, your metabolism also slows down. Weight loss through the burning of stored fat is all about eating enough of the right kinds of foods so you stay full and your metabolism stays as high as possible. Remember, if you feel hungry, your metabolism slows down. Stay full with healthy, nonfattening foods and your metabolism will continue to burn your stored fat as fast as your body will allow.

Tags: Fitness Discussion

The following tips will hopefully give you relief with your snoring problems. It’s important to remember that different remedies will have varying success depending on the individual.

Consult a medical profesional if your snoring continues to adversely affect your sleep.

Tags: Fitness Discussion

Many pregnant women are concerned about weight gain - what is too much and what is too little. It is an important concern. Too much weight gain could increase your chances of experiencing certain health conditions during pregnancy, like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. It could also lead to your baby growing very large (resulting in a more difficult delivery or cesarean section). And, of course, it could set you up for a difficult time losing weight after delivery. Fortunately there are some helpful guidelines that can ease some of the confusion and give you the basic tools you need to address this issue.

The best way to figure out your optimal weight gain now is to determine how close you were to your ideal body weight before you conceived. One way to do that is to look at a ratio called the “body mass index” (BMI), a calculation based on your weight and your height.

Calculate your BMI before pregnancy. If it was less than 19.8, you were considered underweight, so the recommended weight gain for you now would be 28 to 40 lbs. If your BMI was between 19.9 and 26, you were considered normal weight, and the recommended weight gain would be 25 to 35 pounds. If your BMI was 26 to 29, you fall into the overweight category, and the recommended weight gain would be 15 to 25 pounds. And women with a BMI greater than 29 need only gain 15 pounds or less.

Weight gain in an average woman should be around 25 to 35 pounds. However, if you are underweight, you may be told to gain more and told to gain less should you be overweight. But remember that your baby, placenta, increased blood flow, uterus, amniotic fluid, maternal breast mass and fluid retention will only account for 17 to 26 pounds. Anything above that are maternal extra stores and can be quite difficult to take off after a birth.

If you gain too much weight, you may be overeating or eating the wrong types of foods. Your physician can review your diet and decide whether you are eating too much. If you are not overeating and are eating a healthy diet, the extra weight is usually extra water. Extra water can be caused by too much salt in your diet. Try to stay within the range your health care provider sets for you. If you gain too much weight, you may have trouble losing the extra pounds after the baby is born.

Is It Safe To Lose Weight During Pregnancy?
No. It is never safe to lose weight during pregnancy. Both you and your baby need the proper nutrients in order to be healthy.

What To Do If You Gain Too Much Weight
There seems to be a myth that weight loss after pregnancy can only be successful if it occurs rapidly. Many women feel that if they have not lost all the pregnancy weight by one year after delivery, something is wrong with them or they failed in some way. Actually, the truth is that weight loss after pregnancy can take a very long time, sometimes a few years, without signifying that something is wrong. Gradual weight loss is the norm, not the exception, and the rate of weight loss depends on several factors, such as whether there were complications with the pregnancy or delivery. Pregnancy complications can make a woman feel weak or interfere with her mobility. Certain diseases like postpartum inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis), which is a common complication that appears soon after delivery, can cause major weight struggles if they are severe. Other factors include whether the woman has other medical conditions or takes medications that make weight loss difficult in the first place.

According to healthcare experts, there is a myth about what is the best method for weight loss after pregnancy. A myriad of factors contribute to this confusion, beginning with the fact that there is not enough research about what type of weight loss plan is safe for the mother (especially nursing mothers) after delivery. This lack of research, in turn, means that doctors are reluctant to allow “radical diets”. As a result, less stringent diet plans are recommended that may take longer to work and are thus less appealing and too frustrating to many women.
Initially, a woman should try to lose the weight on her own by eating a sensible, balanced healthy diet (see the U.S. Surgeon General website for recommendations). Exercising every day, even if it’s just walking, is a must. The lack of exercise is what often delays success. Weight loss will simply not be satisfactory if exercise is lacking.

Expectations need to be realistic. We are only human. Rapid weight loss will not keep the weight off, but rational weight loss (1-2 pounds a week) can. And, remember that the biggest predictor of maintaining weight after the weight loss phase is keeping up an exercise regimen.

Tags: Fitness Discussion

In the case of a disease like diabetes, you might conclude that there is nothing you can do to avoid it. However, for type 2 diabetes, it is possible to take concrete steps that delay the disease’s onset and reduce its severity.

Preventing type 1 diabetes

It is currently impossible to prevent the onset of type 1 diabetes. In most cases, the immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin.
A combination of genetic and environmental factors contributes to this destruction.
Type 1 diabetes occurs among young children, adolescents and young adults. At the present time, researchers do not understand why insulin-producing cells are destroyed or what triggers the process. We also don’t know why this happens at such different ages.
Governments, associations involved in the fight against diabetes and pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars each year on research into type 1 diabetes.

The three most promising research avenues are:
• A vaccine: Several ongoing studies show promise. A vaccine would target the immune system and prevent it from attacking the insulin-producing beta cells. • Pancreatic islet cell transplants: For more than 20 years, scientists have been seeking a way to transplant islets of Langerhans, where insulin is produced. Unfortunately, researchers still face many obstacles: rejection of transplanted islets, isolating sufficient quantities of islets, keeping them alive when they are being isolated and transplanted.
Five years ago, a team of researchers from the University of Alberta perfected a method for isolating islets: the Edmonton Protocol. This method simplifies the isolation of islets, lowering the number that are destroyed by using a combination of less aggressive anti-rejection drugs.
In 2002, Diabetes magazine published a very promising report: one year after transplanting islets, 80% of the patients in the study still did not need insulin injections. The research continues: to improve the handling of isolated islets and to find anti-rejection drugs that let islets survive longer.
• Stem cells: The first cells to appear in an embryo are called stem cells. As they develop, these cells specialize, becoming muscle, nerve, heart or bone cells. Could they become insulin-producing cells? Can they be forced in this direction?
Stem cells are also found in adults, in bone marrow, in the skin, spleen, brain, intestines and pancreas. Research on mice has shown that bone-marrow stem cells can change into insulin-producing cells. Once they are transplanted, will they be able to withstand attack from the immune system? Do embryonic stem cells have a better chance than adult stem cells to successfully change AND resist the body’s auto-immune reaction?
A few years ago, scientists tested whether injecting insulin could prevent type 1 diabetes. The hypothesis postulated that by injecting small doses of insulin in persons at risk of developing the disease, the body would develop antibodies to fight the destruction of its beta cells. In June 2001, the researchers concluded that injecting insulin did not prevent type1 diabetes This setback has nonetheless furthered our understanding of the mechanisms at work in the onset of type 1 diabetes, and has led to the identification of new immune markers in people at risk.
Prevention of type 2 diabetes

Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
The factors contributing to the onset of type 2 diabetes are well known: age, a family history of diabetes, being overweight and a sedentary lifestyle. Certain studies also seem to implicate a high-fat diet as a risk factor. However, no one is ever really immune from diabetes even with good lifestyle habits.
We know that certain ethnic groups are at higher risk than others. Hispanics, Asians and people of African descent are more likely than other groups to develop the disease.
About 80% of type 2 diabetics are overweight or obese. This condition is a major risk factor in the onset of this serious and stealthy disease.
The symptoms of this type of diabetes can be so mild that diabetes might not be diagnosed for a long time. On average, a diagnosis can take up to seven (7) years, often after a diabetes-related complication occurs: a major foot infection, haemorrhaging in the eye, a heart attack or stroke. There is no such thing as borderline diabetes or “a little sugar.”
Nutrition
A varied and well-balanced diet is crucial in preventing a disease like diabetes. The secret to healthy eating is to most often select low fat foods, low in salt and without added sugar, while increasing your consumption of high-fibre foods.
By following the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, all your energy needs will be met. Diabetics also need their own individual meal plan. A dietician can provide one and also review your food habits and suggest ways to improve them.
Exercise
Recent studies have demonstrated that even a slight increase in the amount of exercise has health benefits, especially for sedentary people. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day will suffice! When you increase the amount of exercise, you raise your metabolism. By moving more, you expend more energy. For a diabetic, this means more efficient use of the insulin injected or produced by the pancreas.

Tags: Diabetic Discussion

Our kidneys suffer from a disorder known as kidney stones. Hard masses are formed within the kidney or the urinary tract. The stones vary in sizes. Some stones are so tiny that they can’t even be seen by our naked eyes. The slightly bigger stones sometimes are an inch in diameter. The renal pelvis and tubes can be blocked completely by big kidney stones.

With four types of kidney stones, it is likely that you maybe affected by one of the types. Calcium, cystine, struvite and uric acid are the varieties of kidney stones, which affect our renal organs. Calcium is the most common form of stones to be found. Your everyday food intake consists of a lot of calcium and oxalate. Tea, pepper, rhubarb, nuts, cacao and spinach are food very high in oxalate.

Cystine is the least common variety of stones. This doesn’t form from foods but is caused by hereditary disorder. An excessive excretion of a certain type of amino acid is the reason for the formation of this type of stone.

Ammonium, Magnesium and Phosphate form a mixture that causes kidney stones. They have another name and are known as infection stones. They form in urine, which is infected.

Protein metabolism has a by-product, uric acid, which too forms stones and is often caused due to excessively high intake of proteins. Extremely acidic urine has stones in it.

1. Tea to Dissolve kidney stones

A kidney stone is formed naturally and there are many cures to remove the kidney stone naturally too. Herbs like Joe-pye weed, meadowsweet, sarsaparilla and plantain are natural medicines to remove excess uric acid from your body. The Chinese use these herbs in the form of a tea to cure kidney stones.

Kidney stones tea is a tea specially made to cure kidney stones. It is made from herbs like hydrangea root, wild yam root, cramp bark, Joe-pye weed, yarrow leaf, plantain leaf and corn silk. The preparation is easy and the tea is very effective. Take one and quarter cups of water and bring that to boil. Add wild yam, cramp bark and hydrangea and boil the mixture for 15 minutes on a low flame. Add all the other herbs and turn off the heat. Let it stay in a corner undisturbed. Ensure you cover the pot. After 20 minutes strain the portion and store it in the refrigerator. Three to four cups of this tea is recommended. At times bleeding may occur. If bleeding occurs, add about 30 drops of shepherd’s purse tincture. You can take this in the form of a tincture too, by taking a couple of full droppers daily.

2. Diuretic Tea for Dissolving Kidney Stones

Dandelion and corn silk are two choices of diuretic that are effective. Diuretic tea is another natural remedy for kidney stones. Made from dandelion, corn silk, fennel seed, nettle leaf and oat straw, diuretic tea is very simple to prepare. Pour one quart of boiling water on ½ teaspoon of all the remaining herbs. Cover with a lid and set it aside for 20 minutes. Filter and then drink a cup of this tea in the morning and evening.

3. Wild Herb to Cure Kidney Stone

The North Americans found a wild herb called goldenrod, which is also found to be very effective. If you are allergic to goldenrod tinctures, don’t try the following recipe.

Take a quarter cup of gravel root, marshmallow root, hydrangea root, ginger capsules and 250mg of vitamin B6 and uva ursi capsules. Soak all these ingredients in small non-metallic cups with non-metallic lids individually filled with fresh tap water. Then boil the herbs and simmer for 20 minutes. Drink a quarter cup, when it cools down and freeze the rest. Buy fresh parsley that does not spray. Boil four bunches in one quart of water for three to five minutes. Strain the portion and drink it once it cools down. Freeze the rest. Make a mixture of both the frozen contents daily and add 20 drops of goldenrod tincture and one tablespoon of glycerin. Take a big mug full daily. Drink it in small quantities and if you are allergic, start with half the dose.