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Skin cancer survivors share healthy habits

2009-08-20T11:43:00.000+07:00

The dark side of the sun: Skin cancer is soaring among young women. Three survivors diagnosed in their 20s speak out to help you avoid becoming a scary skin statistic.

By Leah Wyar

More from this story

Skin-cancer glossary

You've heard it from your mother, best friend and dermatologist: Basking in the sun can cause skin cancer. Still, as the warmer spring days replace the gray ones of winter, you can't help but welcome the weekend by lying sunny-side up on a blanket at high noon, rather than in a shady spot later in the afternoon. So what if you skimp a little on sunscreen, right? After all, you think, the most serious effects you'll see at your age are a few crinkly fine lines, which a retinoid cream can counteract.

That's exactly what Valerie Carvajal wrongly believed all of her life. "The warmth of the sun felt great on my skin—I was never conscious of the effect it was having underneath it," she says. The reality check came at 26, when Carvajal was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. Now, despite three efforts in eight years to eradicate the disease, the battle continues—and it's one she will have to fight for the rest of her life. Scary as it sounds, women like Carvajal are not an anomaly. "The fastest-growing sector of skin cancer is young women under 40 who spend time in the sun and in tanning salons," says James Spencer, M.D., professor of clinical dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Melanoma, the most lethal form of the disease, is the most common cancer in women ages 20 to 29, according to the American Academy of Dermatology in Schaumburg, Illinois. And the rates of the less often fatal but potentially disfiguring basal and squamous cell carcinomas continue to rise every year.

Last year, SELF ran a story that detailed one woman's skin-cancer scare. We got a huge response via e-mail from women who told us the piece encouraged them to get a professional skin check; some said the information saved their life. And the three you'll meet on these pages offered to let SELF report on their experience to help spread the word about the sun's potential danger. All were diagnosed with skin cancer before age 30. They learned their lesson the hard way. Let them prevent you from making their mistakes.

The outdoors lover

Valerie Carvajal, 33, Austin, Texas
Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma at age 26

Getting it As a child, I spent my days playing under the hot Texas sun. And although my mother tried to slather me with sunscreen, the results of her efforts would usually wash off in the pool. In college, I was a lifeguard. I rubbed on sunscreen in the morning but rarely reapplied later in the day. These habits, combined with my fair skin, many moles and a family history of skin cancer (both of my grandfathers had it), made me a likely candidate for the disease. But I thought I had at least 50 years before I'd have to worry. Then, at 26, came the bump, a pimplelike growth on the tip of my nose that refused to go away. My derm, Dale Schaefer, M.D., in Austin, removed it for a biopsy but said it was probably nothing given my age. Days later, I clutched the phone in shock as I received the news: basal cell carcinoma (BCC). I had skin cancer.

source : http://www.self.com/

Benefits of drinking a good red

2009-08-20T11:38:00.000+07:00

Peter Thompson with some of his wine and a model of a heart.

AS well as advocating the benefits of drinking wine in moderation, cardiologist Peter Thompson is an authority on making an award-winning chardonnay.

Regularly working with heart disease patients at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, the researcher also serves as deputy director of the WA Institute for Medical Research.

His thoughts on drinking wine are certainly good news for people who like a good drop of red.

“Wine is known to help raise good cholesterol levels and has anti-clotting properties similar to aspirin,” he said. “Added to this, is a potent antioxidant present in red wine in particular, known as resveratrol, which has five times the antioxidant potency of Vitamin E.”

Inspired by fellow Margaret River wineries Pierro and Fire Gully, he started the family winery Thompson Estate with wife Jane in 1997.

“We jumped at the opportunity, planting our first chardonnay and pinot grapes followed by cabernet grapes in 1998 and then released our first vintage in 2001,” he said.

Their first chardonnay vintage won the best white wine award at the 2002 Margaret River Wine Show.

Since then, the product has continued to impress including a five-star rating, handed out by renowned wine critic James Halliday.

Most recently, the business has released its new Locum range and added a new winemaking cellar, tasting area and cellar door to its Margaret River operations.

source : http://northcoast.inmycommunity.com.au/

Lose Belly Fat and Save More than Just Your Six Pack A new study shows belly fat linked to increased risk of dementia

2009-04-20T07:36:00.000+07:00

A new study shows belly fat linked to increased risk of dementia

If you thought the only reason to keep your belly fat to a minimum was to show your abs off at the beach, a new study suggests that keeping abdominal fat under control might help keep your brain healthier as well.

The study of more than 6,000 people, published last week in the journal Neurology, found that the more belly fat the subjects had in their mid-40s, the more likely it was that they would show signs of dementia as they grew older.

Symptoms of dementia can include forgetfulness, confusion, reduced problem-solving capabilities and even difficulty speaking.

The study also found that the research subjects with the biggest guts displayed three-times the risk of developing dementia later in life versus their leaner counterparts.

“Considering that 50 percent of adults in this country have an unhealthy amount of abdominal fat, this is a disturbing finding,” said study author Rachel A. Whitmer, PhD, a Research Scientist of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, CA, and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Interestingly, having a large abdomen increased the risk of dementia regardless of whether the participants were of normal weight overall, overweight, or obese, and regardless of existing health conditions, including diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

An abstract of the study, “Central obesity and increased risk of dementia more than three decades later“ is available online at the journal’s website.

Shangri-La-De-Da Diet in Toontown

2009-03-31T17:35:00.004+07:00

Live A Long Life

2009-03-31T17:29:00.002+07:00

What’s the secret

Long May You Live…Live A Long Life ?

? This has caused many a gerontologist to study the reasons for their longevity. Many have done so and their findings can be summarised as follows:

A diet low in fat, salt and sugar- take a look at their typical food pyramid:

You Are What You Eat - the Okinawa Diet
Plenty of Exercise - many are in their 90s and still run, dance or climb trees to pick fruits. Exercise is meant to be enjoyed and this is enhanced by doing it in community groups. This includes mental exercise -keeping one’s brain active.
96 year-old Seikichi Uehara, karate master, showing his pupil a thing or two
No smoking - quite in contrast to the rest of the Japanese.
Moderate or little alcohol- but plenty of green tea.
Good stress management -the closely-knit community provides interactive psychological support and faith which promotes a strong feeling of optimism and positive outlook. There is plenty of mental activity and each is inculcated with a feeling of purpose in life.
Access to good dental & medical healthcare- regular medical check-ups are the norm.
Adequate nighttime sleep of at least 6 hours.

With the above measures, in Okinawa, the incidence of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s is practically unknown, which is quite amazing.

Laughter-the best medicine

Based on my observations of elderly patients, one additional feature for longevity which seems to be also a norm is having a good sense of humour. After all, laughter is the best medicine and the positive effects on health is certainly no laughing matter! A study by the University of Maryland Medical Center showed that average blood flow typically increases 22 percent during and after bursts of laughter compared to a decrease in blood flow by 35 percent during mental stress.

Those caught in the rat-race will surely identify that their deleterious lifestyle is the root-cause of ill-health and disease and many can learn a point or two from Okinawa’s elderly..

About Seasonal Allergies

2009-03-26T08:36:00.000+07:00

About Seasonal Allergies

By SKetcham, eHow Editor

Seasonal allergies are immune reactions to pollens, molds, or other triggers that are present for only one season or part of the year. This type of allergy can affect any person of any age in any location. Generally, pollen from trees, grasses, weeds or molds trigger seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies cause a variety of symptoms, such as itchy eyes and nose, headaches, sore throats and sneezing. Symptoms often disrupt daily life and cause considerable discomfort. Rarely, seasonal allergies may cause severe, life-threatening allergic reactions or asthma attacks. Prevention is key, but treatments are available, including antihistamines, corticosteroids, and immunotherapy for severe cases.

pyramid healthy diet

2009-03-16T18:03:00.002+07:00

A healthy diet is a diet based on breads, potatoes and other cereals and is rich in fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet will include moderate amounts of milk and dairy products, meat, fish or milk/meat alternatives, and limited amounts of foods containing fat or sugar

Good Fats, Bad fats

2009-03-16T17:53:00.000+07:00

Good Fats, Bad fats

Not all fats are created equal. We know that an excess of fat can lead obesity, heart disease, and chronic illnesses like cancer. However, there are several kinds of fat that are not only beneficial but essential to healthy living. They are needed for the transportation and absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which cannot be absorbed and used by the body without fats; the regulation of cholesterol in metabolism; for the creation of certain chemicals used by the body; and for healthy skin and hair. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are actually good for cardiovascular system, lowering bad cholesterol. Additionally, some fats that exist in the form of fatty acids, like Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, help prevent disease, lower bad cholesterol, control high blood pressure, and treat ailments like depression and anxiety disorder.

Polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, Omega-3's, and Omega-6's are elements of healthy foods; even though a serving of nuts may appear very high in fat, you'll notice that saturated fat quantities are low; the rest of come from this "good fat" category. Most ingredient labels now list poly and mono unsaturated fats, so knowing a good fatty food from a bad fatty food is as easy as checking the package. Some sources of good fats include:

- Olive oil
- Walnut oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Sesame and sunflower seed oils
- Avocado oil
- Nuts like walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts, pistachios, and cashews
- Oily fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, bass, and sardines
- Whole grains like flaxseed and wheat germTry to replace bad fats, like butter and margarine, with the good oils and fats listed above. Replacing sources of saturated fats, like excessive quantities of cheese, fried food, or red meat, a few times a week with the healthier options above can add an extra nutritious edge you your diet. Sautee items in olive or walnut oils rather than frying in tradition oil and use ground nuts as flavorful sauces instead of cheese or cream, and substitute fish for red meat at least once a week.

Lean Protein

Protein makes up our hair, nails, skin, blood, hormones, enzymes...the list goes on. Suffice to say that protein is essential to the human diet. Broken down by special acids and used to perform countless functions, protein must be replenished daily through our diet, making it a very healthy ingredient in food. Good sources include:

- eggs
- meat and poultry
- fish
- milk and other dairy products, like yogurt or cheese
- legumes like beans, peas, and nuts
- whole grainsThe problem with protein is that when consumed in the form of many meats and/or animal products, protein can be accompanied by saturated fat. Lean protein, or protein that is accompanied by less than 10grams of fat, is the best choice for weight and health conscious eaters. Choosing lean meats, like chicken, turkey, or lean beef (beef that has been trimmed of excess fats) provides plenty of protein without the added calories and fats.

Fiber

Fiber, though not scientifically considered an essential nutrient, plays many important roles in healthy living and nutritious foods. It lowers cholesterol, stabilizes blood sugar levels, slows the digestion of carbohydrates, regulates the digestive system/prevents constipation, and slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. Fiber rich diets have been linked to lower instances of heart disease and obesity.

Fiber, like the different fats, is also listed on all food labels. Good sources include: whole grains, unrefined grains, grains, whole grain products like bread and pasta, brans, oatmeal, wheat germ, fruits, and vegetables.

Vitamins

These food elements work together to fill in the rest of the nutritive properties of food. Deficiencies often lead to illness and death, as is often in the case in third world countries where well rounded diets are not easily accessible. The list of these elements and the roles they play is long... B vitamins alone could take up an entire page, but here is a guideline to some of the most important:

Vitamin A: helps build and maintain healthy skin and promotes eye health; found in dark leafy greens like spinach, and yellow/orange fruits or veggies like carrots

Vitamin B-complex: performs many roles, including releasing food energy, building healthy skin, aiding the development of red blood cells, and assisting metabolism; found in dairy, meat, nuts, legumes, some fruit, and vegetables (individual vitamin sources vary)

Vitamin C: maintains healthy blood vessels and tissues, speeds healing, and boosts the immune system; found in citrus fruits, dark leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, strawberries, and green tea

Vitamin D: maintains healthy bones and teeth and helps them harden, aids in calcium absorption; found in dairy, eggs, some fish, and sunlight

Vitamin E: fights the destruction of healthy cells and vitamins

like A and C by free radicals; found in dark, leafy greens, vegetable oils, whole grains, wheat germ

Vitamin K: helps blood to clot; found in dark, leafy greens, milk, egg yolks

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

2009-03-13T13:01:00.000+07:00

100 Painless Ways to Cut 100 or More Calories

"Losing weight can be as simple as cutting out a meatball here and an egg roll there." ~~Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

REACHING YOUR FAT-LOSS GOALS may be easier than you think. To lose a pound of fat a month, all you need to do is cut 100 calories a day from your diet, assuming the intake and expenditure of all other calories remains the same. That's because a pound of body fat is equivalent to about 3,500 calories. So if you cut 100 calories a day for 31 days, you're cutting 3,100 calories--or about a pound.

Wait...a pound a month? Isn't that a little slow? Well, mounds of research indicate that you're more likely to keep weight off if you lose it slowly. Besides, losing a pound a month doesn't require drastic changes in your eating habits. It can be as simple as eating two egg rolls with your Chinese stir-fry instead of three. Here are 100 painless ways to cut 100 or more calories a day. As a bonus, they all reduce fat or sugar, which means, calorie for calorie, you're getting more vitamins and minerals.

1. Spread 1 tablespoon of all-fruit jam on your toast rather than 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter.

2. Replace 1 cup of whole milk with 1/2 cup of nonfat milk.

3. Eat 2 poached eggs instead of 2 fried eggs.

4. Replace 1/2 cup of granola with 2 cups of Cheerios.

5. Instead of using whole milk and eggs to prepare 2 slices of French toast, use nonfat milk and egg whites.

6. Snack on an orange and a banana instead of a Snickers candy bar.

7. Munch on 35 pretzel sticks instead of 1 ounce of dry-roasted peanuts.

8. Replace 1 cup of sweetened applesauce with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce.

9. On your lamb-and-vegetable kabob, replace 2 of the 4 chunks of meat with fresh whole mushrooms.

10. Dip an artichoke in 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons of regular mayonnaise.

11. Steam your asparagus rather than sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter or oil.

12. Instead of a 5-ounce glass of wine, opt for cherry-flavored sparkling water.

13. For a chewy snack, have 1/2 cup of dried fruit rather than 9 caramels.

14. Replace 3 slices of bacon with 3 slices of Light & Lean Canadian bacon.

15. Eat a Lender's egg bagel instead of a Sara Lee egg bagel.

16. Select 1 cup of home-style baked beans instead of an equal serving of baked beans with franks.

17. Replace 2 biscuits with 2 dinner rolls.

18. When making a sandwich, use 2 slices of Roman Light 7-grain bread instead of Pepperidge Farm wheat bread.

19. Eat 1/2 cup of steamed fresh broccoli instead of 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli in cheese sauce.

20. Make a burrito with 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans and 1 ounce of nonfat cheese instead of the same amount of traditional refried beans and cheese.

21. Replace an apple muffin with a high-fiber English muffin.

22. Reduce a typical serving of chocolate cake (1/8 of a two-layer cake) by one-third.

23. Switch from 1 cup of whole-milk hot chocolate to 1 cup of steamed 1% milk flavored with a dash of almond extract.

24. Replace 1 cup of caramel-coated popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of air-popped popcorn.

25. Switch from 1/2 cup of yogurt-covered raisins to 1/2 cup of plain raisins.

26. Snack on 1 cup of nonfat plain yogurt instead of 1 cup of custard-style yogurt.

27. Top your celery sticks with 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese instead of 3 tablespoons of regular cream cheese.

28. Replace 2 fried-chicken drumsticks with 2 roasted drumsticks and a cup of peas and carrots.

29. Instead of eating 5 chocolate-chip cookies, savor the taste of 2.

30. Lighten your 2 cups of coffee with 2 tablespoons of evaporated nonfat milk instead of 2 tablespoons of half-and-half.

31. Replace a 12-ounce can of cola with a 12-ounce can of diet cola.

32. Thicken your cream sauce with 1 percent milk and corn starch instead of a roux of butter and flour.

33. At the appetizer tray, choose 4 fresh raw mushrooms instead of 4 batter-fried mushrooms.

34. Use 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour cream instead of regular sour cream (on baked potatoes or in stroganoff). If done twice in the day, 100 calories will be cut.

35. Reduce the size of your steak from 4 1/2 ounces to 3 ounces.

36. Grill a cheese sandwich with nonstick cooking spray instead of margarine.

37. Replace 1 cup of chocolate ice cream with 2/3 cup of nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt.

38. Snack on 2 ounces of oven-baked potato chips instead of regular potato chips.

39. Instead of topping your salad with an ounce of croutons, get your crunch from 1/4 cup of chopped celery.

40. Instead of 1 cup of macaroni salad, eat 3 1/2 cups of spinach salad with 2 tablespoons of low-calorie dressing.

41. Cut the peanut butter on your sandwich from 2 tablespoons to 1 tablespoon.

42. Serve your turkey with 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce instead of 1/2 cup.

43. Order a sandwich on cracked wheat bread instead of a croissant.

44. Complement your hamburger with 1 1/4 ounces of oven-baked tortilla chips instead of a side of fries.

45. Split an apple Danish with a friend rather than eat the entire thing.

46. Order 2 slices of cheese pizza instead of 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.

47. Grab a Dole Fresh Lites Cherry frozen fruit bar instead of a Sunkist Coconut frozen fruit bar.

48. Snack on 1/2 cup of fruit cocktail canned in water instead of 1 cup of fruit cocktail canned in heavy syrup.

49. Switch from 1 cup of fruit punch to 1 cup of sparkling water flavored with 2 teaspoons of concentrated orange juice.

50. Instead of eating garlic bread made with butter, spread baked garlic cloves on French bread.

51. Rather than snack on 1 cup of grapefruit canned in syrup, peel and section 1 small grapefruit.

52. Dip your chips in 1/2 cup of salsa instead of 1/2 cup of guacamole.

53. Switch from 1/2 cup of Frusen Gladje butter pecan ice cream to Breyers butter pecan ice cream.

54. Use 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise in your tuna salad instead of 2 tablespoons.

55. Hold the tartar sauce on your fish sandwich, and squeeze lemon on it instead.

56. Replace 3 fish sticks with 3 ounces of grilled halibut.

57. In sandwich spreads or salads, use 3 teaspoons of dijonnaise instead of 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise.

58. Use 2 tablespoons of light pancake syrup instead of 2 tablespoons of regular syrup.

59. Top your pasta with 1 cup of marinara sauce instead of 1/2 cup of alfredo sauce.

60. For each serving of pasta salad you make, reduce the oil or mayonnaise by 1 tablespoon.

61. Replace 1/2 cup of peaches canned in extra-heavy syrup with 1/2 cup of peaches canned in water.

62. Prepare 1/2 cup of steamed peas and cauliflower instead of frozen peas and cauliflower in cream sauce.

63. Cut back on sampling during cooking. The following "tastes" have 100 calories: 4 tablespoons of beef stroganoff, 3 tablespoons of homemade chocolate pudding, 2 tablespoons of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

64. At an Italian restaurant, snack on a large breadstick instead of a slice of garlic bread.

65. Eat a 3/4-cup serving of pudding made with skim milk rather than a 1-cup serving of pudding made with whole milk.

66. Choose 1/2 cup of brown rice instead of 1 serving of frozen rice pilaf with green beans or 1 serving of frozen Oriental rice and vegetables.

67. Compliment your sandwich with 3/4 cup of split-pea soup instead of 1 cup of chunky bean and ham soup.

68. Replace 3 tablespoons of strawberry topping on your ice cream with 3/4 pint of fresh strawberries.

69. Pass on the second helping of mashed potatoes.

70. Eat 3 grilled prawns with cocktail sauce instead of 3 breaded and fried prawns.

71. Make a pie crust with 1 cup of Grape-Nuts cereal, 1/4 cup of concentrated apple juice and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, instead of using a traditional graham-cracker crust. You'll save 100 calories per slice.

72. Replace 8 sticks of regular chewing gum with sugar-free chewing gum.

73. Snack on a papaya instead of a bag of M&Ms.

74. Substitute 3 ounces of scallops for 3 ounce of lean beef in your stir-fry.

75. Rather than spread 4 tablespoons of cream cheese on two slices of raisin bread, dip the bread in 1/2 cup nonfat apple-cinnamon yogurt.

76. Munch on 1 cup of frozen grapes instead of an ice cream sandwich.

77. Rather than drink a strawberry milkshake, make a smoothie of 2/3 cup of low-fat milk, 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 a banana.

78. Replace 2 brownies with 2 fig bars.

79. Eat 2 meatballs instead of 4 with your spaghetti.

80. On a hot day, quench your thirst with a glass of ice water with lemon or mint instead of a can of light beer.

81. Eat 1/2 cup of black beans instead of 3 ounces of roast beef.

82. Replace 1 1/2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spread with 1 1/2 tablespoons of Nucoa Smart Beat margarine.

83. Choose 1 serving of vegetarian lasagna instead of lasagna with meat.

84. Eat 2 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bars instead of 2 Kellogg's Pop-Tarts.

85. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of low-calorie French dressing on your salad instead of 2 tablespoons of blue cheese dressing.

86. Replace 1 large flour tortilla with 1 six-inch corn tortilla.

87. Eat a turkey sandwich instead of a chicken salad sandwich.

88. Choose 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in water instead of 4 1/2 ounces of tuna packed in oil.

89. At Burger King, have a Whopper Jr. Sandwich with regular fries instead of a Whopper With Cheese Sandwich.

90. Order your Quarter Pounder without cheese.

91. At Jack in the Box, eat a regular taco instead of a super taco.

92. Fix 1 cup of turkey chili with beans rather than regular chili with no beans.

93. Use 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese instead of regular cottage cheese.

94. Order a sandwich with barbecued chicken instead of barbecued pork.

95. Replace 1 cup of corn with 1 cup of carrots.

96. Reduce your helping of turkey stuffing from 1 cup to 2/3 cup.

97. Have a single scoop of ice cream instead of a double scoop.

98. Replace 2 ounces of corn chips with 2 ounces of SnackWell's wheat crackers.

99. Eat 1 hot dog at the baseball game instead of 2.

100. Shred 2 ounces of fat-free cheddar cheese on nachos instead of regular cheddar.

Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., is a nutritionist in private practice and editor of the Nutrition Report. Her latest book is Nutrition for Women: The Complete Guide (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1993).

Why People Fail At Weight Loss

2009-03-13T12:57:00.001+07:00

Why People Fail At Weight Loss

Why do so many people fail at losing weight? Is it because they are lazy? No. Is it because they are addicted to food? No. Is it because they aren’t good at exercising? No. Failure at weight loss stems from a few main factors:

1) People don't truly understand the risks of being overweight. Why do most want to lose weight? Most would say to look better. Looking better certainly is a benefit of losing weight, but this shouldn’t be the sole reason to lose weight. There is a 1000 pound gorilla in the room and it’s often ignored. Being overweight for a long period of time kills thousands of people each year. Thousands of studies have show and proven without any doubt that losing body fat will improve and lengthen your life. This eBook will give you a picture of the dangers of being overweight. Knowing the dangers of being overweight is a tremendous motivator to not only lose fat, but to keep it off.

2) People don't commit to permanent lifestyle changes. So many people think of a "diet" as something temporary. When they are on a "diet" they restrict themselves so much that they are miserable. Sooner or later failure is inevitable because of the unreasonable demands of most "diets." Some of these diets force you to only eat certain foods (e.g., no carbs, special soups etc…) You, like myself, have probably tried them before. The key to losing weight long term is to make gradual lifestyle changes you can stick to forever.

3) Most individuals are not provided the truthful facts of losing weight and becoming healthier. With the conflicting information in the media, and all of the different lose weight quick fad diets, it’s understandable why so many people really don’t know the truth about losing fat and keeping it off long term. We will go over the no-nonsense truth.

4) Most people don't understand they are constantly either gaining fat, or losing fat. There is no in-between. Some people justify binging or giving up because they hit a small road-block. This isn’t an all or nothing game. For example, when I was overweight, if I ate an unhealthy lunch, I’d go ahead and eat an unhealthy dinner since I already "messed up" the day. Or I’d say, I’ll start eating healthy on Monday since I’ve already eaten poorly this weekend. Every person at times eats too much. The successful people will not let a road bump completely derail their entire lifestyle change. If you are not implementing positive lifestyle changes and losing weight, you are gaining weight. Again, there is no "in-between."

5) Most people don't realize what they consume each day. So many overweight people eat thousands of extra calories and fat without realizing it. It’s tough to know if you are gaining weight or losing weight each day unless you are keeping an eye on what you’re consuming. Later in the eBook you will be given an easy way to keep track of your consumption.

This article was written by Rob B, the creator of FreeWeightloss.com

control your weight

2009-03-11T19:58:00.000+07:00

You can control your weight by inculcating good eating habits along with regular exercise. You can lose weight without dangerous diets and weight loss pills by following a healthy diet and performing a routine of daily exercise. Here are the tips to be followed towards achieving weight loss goal.

Be conscious of your calories you eat per day. It also depends upon the lifestyle of the person.

You must spread your three big meals into many but small meals a day which will help you to control your hunger.

You can make the necessary changes in your eating and exercise habits depending on your body weight.

You must stop eating when your stomach is full. Some people try to force themselves to finish what remains in the plate for whatever reason.

Walking, dancing and swimming are just a few of the activities assists you to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

Change your mindset

2009-03-11T19:52:00.000+07:00

1. Change your mindset: don’t think of yourself as on diet, you are making a lifestyle change. Instead of focusing on the difficultly of exercise remember the health benefits you will receive from regular exercise that go above and beyond weight loss.

2. Set realistic goals, stay focused, and don’t get discouraged. Keep a positive attitude and know that you will achieve them. Slow and steady wins the race and there is really no substitute for doing things the right way.

3. Pay attention to what you are eating and drinking: watch your calories, but do not be excessive; remember your food groups focus on high fiber and low fat; avoid soft drinks and drink plenty of water.

4. Stay away from quick fixes and seek out good nutritional supplements.

5. Get active, exercise and have fun!

6. Take pride in yourself - your body and your health are the most important things you have!

Weight Loss Tips

2009-03-10T17:56:00.000+07:00

Healthy Weight Loss Tips

It is never so easy to lose weight as it takes a lot of hard work and a lateral way of thinking. There are a lot of chances that you try a lot of different diets and end up gaining even more weight. Opportunely, there are hale and hearty ways to watch your weight and maintain it off. Make use of the vigorous weight loss guidelines beneath to get started on the weight loss success.

Time to go creative

Take some time out to notice your diet for a moment and is it really important to go on strict diet regimens when you are used to eating the food that you eat now. Sometimes it also requires a lot of time and money to go on expensive diets and they would also include some of the ingredients that you must have never even heard of. So when its time that you have already decided on losing weight, then make sure you consume all those foods that would work to your advantage, even the ones that are fattening. Do not cut down on the foods completely; make sure you eat everything, just a bit more smartly this time.

Attempt to eat your preferred things in lesser portions together with a new-fangled delicious foodstuff that’s healthy. For an instance, if your desired snack is two slices of pizzas with fried chip then make sure you revolve this into an improved food by eating only one slice of a pizza, simmer a potato for some minutes and put in a team of vegetables such as green beans and corn to your food. This is the way you would be getting more foods in addition to getting the same amount of nutrition; however eat the smaller portions of the fat ones.

Include Protein-Rich Foods to Your Diet

An additional way to accomplish vigorous weight loss is to include protein-rich foods to your diet or sip protein shakes as refreshments or substitution foods. There are even out of the ordinary diets and companies where you can dig up protein shakes personalized for your body’s dietary requirements. There are a lot of examples that include the La Bamba diet, Herbalife products and so on. With the use of such products, you would lose the weight very quickly. With the inclusion of such diets, you must drink the protein shakes as well as the protein supplements in order to stick to the long term dieting. However, it all depends on your personalized weight loss needs. Proteins would help you to burn the calories as and when you eat all through the day so that your body does not store the unwanted fat in the body in all the unwanted areas. Protein also helps a lot in building and preserving lean muscle heap.

Drink abundance of Water

Water is indispensable to a strong weight loss arrangement. Water hydrates the body. It provides you vigor and helps out in making you feel full all through the day. Water in addition helps your skin. Regardless of what kind of the diet you choose, you must drink at least six to eight glasses of water. Hopefully, using these instructions would help you lose all the unwanted weight and give you a chance to live life at its best.

health health and health

2009-03-10T17:53:00.000+07:00

Your health should be the number one priority in your life. I decided to put together a website specifically to provide you with up to date, concise information about health issues and diseases which we would encounter in our every day lives. Whilst there is a vast amount of health information out there, many of it is overly complex and assumes prior knowledge of complicated medical terms. I've written the health articles on this site so that it can be easily understood by the layperson who is after easy to understand information about various conditions.

My grandfather died from mesothelioma- and whilst many at that time never realised it, I believe it was asbestos related. There were no asbestos lawyers then and there was hardly any information about lung cancer around. It's different now, most people realize asbestos hazards are ever present. Read about general asbestos information, asbestos in your home, general lung cancer symptoms, and lung cancer prognosis. Read about the fiasco happening in the legal world with mesothelioma lawsuits.

Browse through the medical symptoms section to give you up to date information about the various diseases eg west nile symptoms, lymphoma symptoms, symptoms of hernia, ovarian cyst symptoms, shingles symptoms, gall bladder symptoms, colon cancer symptoms, stomach ulcer symptoms, appendix or appendicitis symptoms, brain tumor symptoms, kidney stone symptoms, bladder infection symptoms, bone cancer symptoms, lyme disease symptoms, symptoms of thyroid problems, pink eye symptoms, strep throat symptoms, high blood pressure symptoms, menopause symptoms, chlamydia symptoms, flu symptoms, heart attack symptoms, symptoms of depression

Check out the new Vitamins section with insights into Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E.

Worried about the sky rocketing costs of medical expenses? Don't leave without reading the statistics with regard to dental costs and take that step to save on your dental bills now, have a read of dental plans.

Can't stand taking the medication you are on now? Want it in a syrup instead of a tablet? Read up about compounding pharmacies and what they can offer you.

Have your say on thought provoking health focused articles on health articles - this month's focus is 'The big fat myth'.

Thinking of going on a diet? Don't start one till you've read the low down on the different ones available - diet review. Check out the revolutionary mesotherapy treatment that has a 92% success rate for dealing with cellulite!

Confused about cosmetic surgery? Then take the tour and read about all the different procedures available for the face eg chemical peels, cold ablation, microdermabrasion, botox, high intensity pulsed light therapy, laser skin resurfacing.

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health health and health

Valerie Carvajal, 33, Austin, Texas
Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma at age 26