Holy Cow, Batman! This is Outrageous!

My Dad thought he was covered – medicare and a supplement – no worries.

Then it happened, the unthinkable, he developed a rare blood disorder several years ago and now nothing is the same.

He had the forethought to purchase a home health care insurance policy. Then one day he decided that it was too costly and cancelled it, because like many other Americans, he thought he was fully covered by medicare and his supplemental insurance. Boy was he wrong.

The reality of it all came to be when he had to be placed in a nursing home for a month because my mother, who had been taking care of him for the last three years, was just wore out and needed a break.

So, the doctor ordered my Dad to the nursing home for a short stay for rehab and for my mother to get some rest.

While at the nursing home/rehab center, they broke my father’s back. (a whole other story) Now my mother had to be there every day to make sure he was properly taken care of.

To add insult to injury, when he was finally released from the facility, he still needed home care for the broken back, which my mother did – some rest she got.

The cost of the nursing home? $9,000 for one month – not covered by medicare and, therefore, not covered by his supplemental insurance.

Seems that he did not meet the three day hospital stay before going into the nursing/rehab center for medicare to cover the first 21 days.

While I was complacent about the fact of needing home health care insurance, as was my Dad (he was very active until this blood thing happened), I have realized that it is time to wake up and make some plans! I didn’t want my husband or children to go through what my parents are still going through.

I started to do some research and discovered that according to a recent study, the risk for needing long-term care (either nursing home or home health care) was greater than 50%! And that is for people who are between the ages of 18 – 64!

The percent of those 65 and over was 75%! Another startling fact was that about 44% of all people who go to a nursing home stay 12 months or less; 22% stay between 1 and 3 years; 15% stay between 3 and 5 years; and 21% stay 5 years or more.

The average nationwide cost? Hold on to your hats – over $40,000 per year!

Now, remember, medicare and supplement medical insurance if they pay at all only fully covers the first 21 days; then they only pay a portion from day 80 through 100.

And guess what, YOU pay for the rest of the time. With 365 days in a year, less 100, balance of 265 days at $110 per day – my head hurts!

Although my Dad had the right idea of purchasing home health care insurance to help preserve his assets, his good health at the time made him a little short sighted.

Now, of course, he couldn’t afford it even if he could get it (which he wouldn’t be able due)!

After this family occurence, I decided I wanted to do something about this. I wanted to educate everyone I could about the costs of home health care – we are talking about help with the meals, laundry, cleaning, bathing, etc. – and that we needed to plan now, while we are still healthy. Of course, the younger you are when you take it out, the less expensive it is.

But don’t be penny wise and pound foolish like my Dad!

You know, my Dad insured his house – nothing has happened to it, but he still has the insurance (statistics show that your chances of a house fire is 5 in 1,000).

He paid for car insurance – never had to use it, (statistics show that your chances of your car being stolen is 10 in 1,000) but he is still paying for it.

But when it came to home health care insurance he cancelled it because he preceived it to be too costly and he didn’t use it! Statistics show that your chances of needing long-term care after age 65 is 400 in 1,000!

Think about it! Do some research for yourself – but be prepared! To qualify for medicaid, you cannot have any assets over $2,000 – what if you get better and go home, how are you going to live? Who is going to take care of you?In the aftermath of all this, I decided to join Bankers Life and Casualty Company as an Insurance Agent. They don’t just sell insurance – they sell peace of mind – the ability to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and remain comfortable, healthy and independent for as long as possible. They have been around for over 129 years and have been one of the only insurance companies in the country devoted to serving seniors’ needs. Is it affordable? I will let you decide – my Dad now wishes he had it. For a free, no obligation consulation, don’t hesitate to contact me.  Click here

 

How To Turn Super Sizing, Dietary Displacement and Portion Distortion To Your Advantage!

How To Turn Super Sizing, Dietary Displacement and Portion Distortion To Your Advantage!
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
http://www.burnthefat.com/

Ever since the independent film, Super Size Me was released, research on the relationship between increasing obesity and increasing portion sizes has skyrocketed and the results have been virtually unanimous.

There have been numerous well-designed studies published just in the last several years which confirmed exactly what we suspected (and much of what the movie suggested):

* Portion sizes have increased in restaurants and fast food venues on a major scale over the last several decades

* We self-serve ourselves larger portions in the home than we used to

* When more food is put in front of us, we almost always eat more

* most people underestimate how many calories they are eating

* All of these factors have contributed to the growing obesity problem and the related health problems that come along with it

The obvious solution would seem to be to decrease portion sizes across the board, and indeed awareness of and control over portion sizes in general is important.

However, research has demonstrated that perhaps an even better solution is to keep the portion sizes generous, but decrease the energy density (calories per unit of volume) in the foods you put on your plate.

Several studies revealed that eating more low calorie density foods, especially green vegetables, salad vegetables and other fibrous carbs, as well as very lean proteins, maintains a feeling of fullness while reducing energy intake.

In other words, large portions of highly nutritious, low calorie foods displaced the less nutritious, calorie-dense foods! Most people allow the bad foods to push out the good foods, but you can actually do the same in reverse!

In a study published in the Journal of The American Dietetic Association, researchers fed one group a compulsory first course salad which was kept low in energy density by using very low calorie dressing with no high calorie toppings no bacon, cheese or croutons, etc).

After the salad, the subjects were allowed to eat as much pasta as they wanted.

A second group was also allowed to eat as much pasta as they wanted but was not given a compulsory salad to eat beforehand.

The results: As you might guess, eating a low energy density first course enhanced satiety (fullness) and reduced the overall amount of calories that were eaten during the whole meal.

Since the research has repeatedly discovered that almost everyone will eat more when served larger portions from a larger plate or container, and there is obviously a serious issue of “portion distortion” occurring, another group of scientists and psychologists decided to test this even further by providing larger plates or containers of low energy density, high nutrient density foods before the main course and or in between meals.

When more of the low energy density foods were made available first, the subjects ate even more of these healthy foods, which filled them up even more and decreased the amount of high calorie density foods eaten in the main course.

Reporting their findings in the Journal of Nutrition Education And Behavior, the researchers said that there is a silver lining to all the negative findings about super sized portions and overeating that we have discoverd inrecent years:

That is, although we eat more when more is put in front of us, We can use this phenomenon in reverse by serving large plates, bowls or containers of healthy, low energy density foods like fruits, salads and raw vegetables as snacks and first courses.

“While a small bowl of raw carrots might make for a good afternoon snack”, said one of the researchers, “a large bowl might even be better.”

You can learn more about calorie density, low energy density foods (thermogenic foods), and choosing your portion and meal sizes with precision inside the Burn The Fat ebook. For more information, visit:http://www.burnthefat.com/

About the Author:Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: http://www.burnthefat.com/

 

The Beneifts Of A Low Glycemic Level Diet

The Benefits Of A Low Glycemic Level Diet
By Andy West

The United States is facing a health crisis. 31% of adults are
obese, as are 15% of adolescents and children with no sign that
this trend will be shifting any time in the near future. What’s
more, diabetes affects a staggering 18.2 million people in
America, which is over six percent of the population. Even more
shocking is the fact that this number increases each year.  In
short, the prognosis for many Americans’ health is not good.

So what can you do about it? The best thing you can do is to
take care of yourself and your children through proper diet and
exercise. Obesity can be eliminated and diabetes can be managed,
if not all together avoided. You can control the things you put
into your body, and from a chemical perspective, regulating
bloods sugar levels is the most effective way to release your
energy and fat burning capacity.

The Glycemic index is a system that ranks foods by how they
affect your levels of blood sugar. By following a low Glycemic
diet, you can control the dramatic rises in blood sugar that
pose serious threats to your health. Adhering to this
nutritional plan is not as complicated or difficult as you
might think. In fact, finding recipes and tips is as easy as
logging on to your computer.

There are a number of websites targeted for people living with
diabetes to help control blood sugar levels naturally. For a
comprehensive listing of sites that assist you in managing your
Glycemic level, take a quick look at Review Place. It has
reviews of sites like Glycemic Impact Diet, Living with
Diabetes Plan, Diabetic and Dieting Recipes and Hypoglycemia
Low Sugar Plan. These aren’t fad diets that make little sense
and achieve only short-term results. The plans are based on
scientific fact.

The beauty of these sites dealing with low Glycemic diets, is
that they essentially do all of the work for you. They not only
give recipes and health tips, but many go so far as to offer
prepared grocery lists to print on the go. Even better, the
recipes are not only healthy, but also tasty. You don’t feel as
though you are missing out on delicious food, you are enjoying
delicious, healthy food.

For example, Glycemic Impact Diet, also known as the GI Diet, a
member of the eDiets family, is a healthy nutrition plan you can
follow for life. It balances unrefined complex carbohydrates
with lean protein and healthy fat to help you stabilize blood
sugars and increase energy while losing weight. You can feel
fuller longer and avoid nasty sugar highs and lows.

A Low Glycemic Level Diet makes sense for anyone. It is not
just for individuals with diabetes, but any person concerned
with health and proper nutrition. If, as a nation, we all paid
closer attention to the Glycemic index and monitored or blood
sugar intake, we would see a sharp decline in the incidence of
diabetes and obesity. In turn, we’d experience healthier lives
and a better quality of life.

About the Author: Andy West is a freelance writer and marketing
communications specialist. For more information and reviews of
Glycemic Diets that can help lower your Glycemic level, please
visit ReviewPlace at http://www.GlycemicDiet-ReviewPlace.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

 

How Tai Chi Helps Older Adults Avoid The Painful Skin Condition Shingles

How Tai Chi Helps Older Adults Avoid The Painful Skin Condition
Shingles
By Yoshi Kundagawa

Tai Chi for seniors is a martial art that originated in China,
and is normally practiced with the goal of living a long and
healthy life. Because Tai chi is becoming more popular, more
and more senior citizens are getting involved Tai Chi for
seniors and finding that they are living longer and healthier
lives.

Prior to Tai Chi being introduced into western countries, the
health benefit was explained through traditional Chinese
medicine, which is not supported by modern medicine. Tradition
Chinese medicine focuses more on the body and healing
mechanisms that come from within, rather than from a
pharmaceutical lab or doctors office. Many scientific studies
have been performed on the art of Tai Chi, and the results were
very favorable.

Some studies have shown that by practicing tai chi for seniors
over a long period of time can promote control of balance,
flexibility, and can even increase the condition of the heart
and cardiovascular system. Tai chi for seniors is also great
because it has shown to reduce pain that could be a result of a
fall in an elderly patient. Tai Chi can also help elderly
patients who may be experiencing arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s,
and even Alzheimer’s. The symptoms of ADHD can be reduced in
adolescents practicing Tai Chi, and one can even burn as many
calories as a skier when practicing the low-impact movements of
this martial art. Tai Chi provides many benefits for people of
all ages, but tai chi for seniors shows the most benefits. For
those who have ever suffered a heart attack, high blood
pressure, or heart surgery, Tai Chi for seniors will be simple
to practice and leave you feeling healthier and happier.

One scientific study showed a significant link between Tai Chi
and a vaccine. A group of healthy adults were giving VARIVAX,
which is the Varicella vaccine, and only half of them
participated in Tai Chi. The Varicella zoster virus causes an
infection and rash referred to as the chicken pox, and if the
virus were to be reactivated it is referred to as shingles. The
study showed that 16 weeks later, those who participated in Tai
Chi on a regular basis had a higher level of immunity to the
zoster than those who did not perform the martial art.
Performing Tai Chi does not directly prevent anyone from
getting shingles, but it does increase the effectiveness of the
vaccine.

Because old age brings along poor health, it is important for
the elderly to participate in an activity to stimulate their
mind as well as their body. Tai Chi for seniors is a perfect
activity, since it is easy to keep up with and has been added
health benefits. Tai Chi is a family oriented martial arts
program, and can keep you living a long and healthy life.

About the Author: Yoshi E Kundagawa is a freelance journalist.
He covers the mixed martial arts industry. For a free report on
Tai Chi for seniors, visit his blog:
http://blog.martialarts3000.com/2007/06/07/exercise-and-excellence-in-the-martial-arts

Source: http://www.isnare.com

 

Dos And Don’ts For Taking Natural Vitamin Supplements

By Mario R. Churchill

Natural vitamin supplements are mostly beneficial, but there are also rare instances when they become hazardous to your health. Practice caution when taking natural vitamin supplement by adhering to the following dos and don’ts.

Do consider your health. If you’re not willing to visit your doctor and have a general checkup, try to identify your physical strengths and weaknesses because this will let you know which specific vitamins you need regular dosages for and which ones you need extra of.

Do choose multivitamins over natural vitamin supplements that contain specific vitamins only. Taking multivitamins will ensure that you get a healthy dosage of all essential vitamins as well as important minerals. It also helps you maintain a routine more easily because you only need to take one tablet a day for multiple vitamins (thus its name).

Do practice care when choosing which natural vitamin supplements to take. Read consumer and professional reviews regarding the product.

Do consider your budget when choosing which natural vitamin supplements to take. As taking natural vitamin supplements can be a lifelong routine, it will become a permanent part of your budget. Make sure you purchase only one you can afford to take regularly without crippling your finances too much. You could also inquire with your insurance company if they have any advice and discounts to offer.

Do not buy any natural vitamin supplement that is not approved and licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration. Unlicensed drugs may have serious side effects that could endanger your health or worse, your life.

Do not buy any natural vitamin supplement from any illegitimate vendor. Even though you know the seller personally, it’s still better to purchase from a legitimate pharmacy.

Do check the expiry date of your natural vitamin supplements because there are illegal drugstores which continue to sell expired medication to the public. Consuming expired vitamin supplements can lead to a number of health complications.

Do observe time properly when taking natural vitamin supplements. It’s possible for their benefits and effects to be enhanced if you take them on the dot. Setting your watch to alarm on a particular hour every day isn’t too much to ask, is it?

Do eat healthy food if you wish to increase the effects of taking natural vitamin supplements. While they can certainly contribute a lot to your health, they shouldn’t be seen as miracle workers. Natural vitamin supplements won’t help at all if you counter them by eating too much fried foods and sweets. Match your healthy habit with a healthy diet. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits while reducing intake of oils and fats.

Do exercise regularly. A daily workout will only serve to complement the significant benefits provided by natural vitamin supplements. Think of it as natural vitamin supplements laying the foundation of good health and exercise as the glue that maintains it. Choose the type of exercise you can have fun with and one you won’t have any problem performing at your preferred time of the day. Fifteen to thirty minutes’ worth of workout would do.

Do adopt a healthy lifestyle as well if you wish to maximize use of natural vitamin supplements. Consider quitting smoking, reducing intake of liquor, and try sleeping the required number of hours every day.

Those are the dos and don’ts to make sure that natural vitamin supplements play their role the way they’re supposed to in your life. Stay healthy!

About the Author: Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For information on natural vitamin supplements and or to purchase nutritional vitamin suppSource: www.isnare.com

 

Using Hypnosis For Weight Loss by Carl Walker

Need to lose a few pounds? Hypnosis for weight loss is a great
way to shrink the waistline. Hypnosis for weight loss allows
you to change yourself in several healthy ways. It will work
with your chosen diet, a bit like having your own personal
assistant always by your side.

The first thing hypnosis for weight loss helps you lose weight
is retraining your body to not need so much food. Your body may
become addicted to food for several reasons, you may have eaten
due to boredom, to be social or to make yourself feel better.
Eating for reasons such as the ones previously mentioned is
unhealthy and can lead to health problems. With hypnosis for
weight loss you can retrain your sub conscious back to a
natural, healthy state.

The second thing hypnosis for weight loss can do is make you
have the energy you need to work out. Working out is important
when losing weight, because the scales do not tell you how much
muscle you have (unless you’ve bought one of the top of the
range body monitor scales, of course). Without muscle, you may
lose weight but you become fat on the inside, which is more
dangerous to your health than fat on the outside. You can use
hypnosis for weight loss to gain the energy you need to keep
your cardiovascular system running smoothly.

The third thing weight loss hypnosis can do for you is allow
you to get a better nights sleep. With less time sleeping
because of weight loss hypnosis, you will have more time. With
this time you can use it on more weight loss hypnosis,
exercising or spend it with the family or doing tasks you
otherwise wouldn’t have the time to do.

Weight loss hypnosis, its for your health.

About The Author: Discover how you can lose weight with
hypnosis at http://www.squidoo. com/lose- weight-with- hypnosis

 

Leg Cramps Got You Down?

Being a runner you have no doubt suffered from a “charley horse” or leg cramp.  Ever wonder why? 

In my experience, I discovered that if I wasn’t fully hydrated, then a cramp was definitely on the horizon.  In fact, there are several different causes for cramping, especially amongst athletes.   

Obviously, one cause is dehydration. This happens when we fail to intake enough fluids. How to know how much fluid to ingest? Well, if you don’t mind me getting a tab gross here, the easiest way is to check your urine. 

Contrary to popular opinion your urine is not supposed to be yellow, but rather clear or pale yellow. Therefore, if you are capable of passing at least one clear urine a day, then you are fully hydrated. 

Another method is to take your body weight, say 100 lbs. and divide that number by 2 (100/2 = 50)  Now, you should be drinking at least 50 ounces of fluid, preferably water, a day. This will help you avoid most leg cramps. 

Of course, dehydration isn’t the only cause for the leg cramps. Lack of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium and phosphate may be another cause, especially if you are running in hot weather. Replacement of the lost electrolytes will definitely help. Try drinking some Gatorade or other sports drink about one-half hour before you go out for your run to be sure that your body is ready for the work. Also, be sure to drink a sports drink immediately after your workout. 

Over exertion, or fatigue, is the most common cause of cramping.  When your muscles are deprived of oxygen it leads to the accumulation of a byproduct called “lactic acid” in the muscle.  Once this accumulation of lactic acid becomes too great, the muscle revolts by going into spasm or cramping.

Try to listen to your body. You may be surprised at what it is saying. Pushing through the pain is not always a wise decision.  Try not to buy into the “no pain no gain” philosophy of exercise.

You do your body more harm than good and it could cost you weeks in recovery time; whereas, if you just rested one day, you wouldn’t miss that much training time and be well on your way to your goal. 

Curiously, another cause for leg cramping could also be due to you having one leg longer than the other.

Or you run with too much rolling in of the foot or too much rolling out of the foot. Proper form is crucial as well as the proper fitting shoes. 

These cramps are quite painful and usually disappear on their own, sometimes leaving the affected area sore for several days. 

Here are a few tips to help you get through the pain: 

Stop running and gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle. Hold the stretch until the cramp stops. 

Of course, the best way to conquer the leg cramp is not to get one in the first place! 

Here are a few preventive measures: 

Stretching – after a few minutes of a light jog/run, stop and stretch your muscles. Do light stretching, no jerking, and hold for 5 seconds.

Never, ever stretch cold muscles. If you have been running for awhile you would say wait a minute here, you are supposed to stretch before you run. Wrong. Current research has shown that stretching without warming up your muscles first causes more injury than prevention. 

After your run, take a few minutes, after your cool down of slow walking for 5 – 10 minutes, and perform the following:

Stretch the calf muscle: In a standing lunge with both feet pointed forward, straighten the rear leg.

Stretch the hamstring muscle: Sit with one leg folded in and the other straight out, foot upright and toes and ankle relaxed. Lean forward slightly, touch foot of straightened leg. (Repeat with opposite leg.)  

Stretch the Quadriceps muscle: While standing, hold top of foot with opposite hand and gently pull heel toward buttocks. (Repeat with opposite leg.)

 

Hypertension Is No Excuse Not to Exercise

Hypertension Is No Excuse Not to Exercise.

By Valerie Slaughter, Author “You Want to Do What!?”

You know you are to get more exercise but how do you accomplish that if you have hypertension? Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects nearly 50 million Americans and is often referred to as the “silent killer” because it doesn’t have any specific symptoms. In fact, unless you have regular physical exams you would not even know you had it.

As with any health condition, or if you have not exercised for a long while, your doctor’s approval should be obtained before starting an exercise program.

The key to a successful exercise program is consistency. To be consistent it is important to choose an exercise that you enjoy. Start out slowly and gradually increase frequency and duration.

Walking, swimming, cycling and low-impact aerobics, or endurance activities, should be the core of you exercise program. Do not perform exercises that include an intense isometric component as this can cause extreme and adverse fluctuations in blood pressure.

Start out with three sessions per week with a duration of ten to fifteen minutes at a time. As your fitness level increases, add five minutes more to your workout with your ultimate goal to reach 30-60 minutes at a time.

Once your aerobic condition improves you can add low resistance, high repetition weight training. It is important to remember to never hold your breath during any weight lifting as this will result in large fluctuations in your blood pressure and even increase the potential of you passing out or, worse, result in a life threatening event such as abnormal heart rhythms.

Not into lifting weights? That’s o.k. You can use resistance bands to accomplish nearly the same result. In ten to twenty minutes you can easily get a whole-body workout. Not only that, but they can be done in the privacy of your own home.

The exercises are performed slowly and in a controlled manner while using a relaxed grip. Here are some examples of a resistance band workout:

Chest Press:  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft, posture erect and abdominals tight. Grasp the ends of the band in both hands and place behind your back, under the arms, at chest level. Bend and raise your elbows to chest level. Keeping your wrists firm and palms parallel with the floor, extend your arms straight in front of the body; do not lock out the elbows. Return to starting position and repeat – 20 times.

Squat:  Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Place the band under the arches of both feet, holding the ends comfortably in each hand. Look at a point slightly higher than your head and contract your abdominals to maintain proper posture (keep breathing though). Bend your knees until your upper legs are just above parallel in relation to the floor. Keep your heels down, your body weight over the ankles and your abdominals tight with your low back in a natural arch. Make sure you can see your toes as you bend your knees. Return to starting position and repeat 20 times.

Hamstring Curl: Stand behind a chair, placing one or both hands on the chair for balance. Step both feet inside the loop of your band and position the band around your ankles. With good posture and contracted abdominals, shit your body weight on to one leg. Keep your supporting leg softly bent at the knee through the exercise. With your knees aligned and foot flexed, contract the hamstring and bend your “free” leg ninety degrees toward the buttocks. Slowly return to starting position and repeat 20 times. Change legs and repeat 20 times.

Lat Pulldown:  Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft and abdominal tight. Grasp the band so hands are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift you arms just above your head, palms facing front; look straight ahead. Extend arms laterally at shoulder height with firm wrists and slightly bent elbows. Pull your should blades back and together and expand the chest. Return to starting position and repeat 20 times.

These are just a few examples that can be done with resistance bands. As you improve you may need to graduate to a band with greater resistance.

If you decide to use regular weights remember never to hold your breath and to use light weights with high repetitions.

If you are regularly active for the long-term you will not only lower your blood pressure, but lose weight also. Most people will see a drop in their blood within the first ten weeks after increasing the amount of activity they do.  You can too!

 

How to Lose Weight – Running

Want An Effective Weight Loss

          Method? Try Running

By Gray Rollins

How to Lose Weight Running

Do you need to lose weight and get in shape? Well, running is one of the most ideal activities for that purpose. First of all, it is very hard to get that kind of intense workout doing things such as running or low impact aerobics. In many ways, running is an ideal activity because even if you can get a good workout doing something else, it is a lot easier to keep on creating a challenging workout with running.

Set Weight Loss Goals

Before you set out to create a running plan for weight loss, the first thing you should do is decide what you want to accomplish. Determine how much weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. This will affect how often you will run and how long each running session will be. The faster, further, and longer you go, the more weight you will lose.

Create a Weight Loss Plan

The next thing to do is to create a running weight loss plan based on your goals. The plan should include your route, how long the route will take, and how long you want to stick with that particular route. If you want to run three or four times a week, a course of around three or four miles should be adequate.

Eat for Weight Loss

You may realize that no that you are running more, your appetite has increased. That is your body’s way of telling you that you need more nutrients in your diet. It is important to eat when you get hungry, otherwise it will harm your metabolism. The important thing to remember is to make good food choices and to not overeat. As long as you are eating a little less than what you need, it will not hurt your metabolism. In fact, you will begin to lose weight because your body will use your extra fat as fuel.

Keep it Challenging

One thing about running is that it is very easy to adapt to your current plan. That is why it is important to keep the workout challenging. One way to do this is to change your route after a few weeks by either lengthening it or choosing something else. Another good way to make your running challenging is to do intervals. Interval training is when you alternate running fast with jogging. You can increase the fast running intervals each time you feel your body begin to adapt.

It is not only possible to lose weight running, but running makes it much easier. Just remember to keep your route challenging and to make sure you eat nutritiously.

About the Author: Gray Rollins writes for TheRunnersGuide.com. Learn more about how to lose weight by running and the benefits of running by visiting us.

Source: www.isnare.com

 

The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat – It’s More Serious Than a Vanity Issue!

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat? The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that “beer belly” appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There’s just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for “miracle” fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution. There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can’t spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn’t work that way.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I’ve actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym.

Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I’ve spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it “in the trenches” with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss.

The entire solution… all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection.

If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork… it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It’s really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place.

I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS.

Don’t waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this problem at…

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/

Train hard, eat right, and enjoy life!

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Author – The Truth about Six Pack Abs 

 

Could It Be That Diabetes and Alzheimer Disease Are Linked?

This startling hypothesis was presented by several scientists at the 10^th International Conference on Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders held in July 2006.  Is it true?

 

As you may be aware Alzheimer Disease is a form of dementia that has a progressive decline in the mental function that is faster and more severe than normal. Damaged nerves in the brain atrophy or disappear altogether and over time these changes cause loss of memory, loss of language, loss of coordination, in ability to recognize people or objects, and loss of other mental abilities. Former President Reagan suffered from Alzheimer Disease.

 

This link between Alzheimer Disease and diabetes will bring increased problems for both the health-care system and families. Aging baby boomers will increase the number of people with dementia and the growing number of overweight people will inevitably lead to more people with diabetes thus increasing the number of people with Alzheimer Disease who will need expensive care.

 

What does all this mean? According to one of the studies performed and reported at the Conference in July 2006, researchers found that even people without diabetes who had higher blood glucose levels were linked with a greater risk of Alzheimer Disease and other forms of dementia.

 

At the start of the study, which lasted for several years, the researchers had classified 47 people out of 1,173 people in the study to have “borderline diabetes”. The researchers determined that 67% of the 47 were more likely than the rest of the group to develop dementia and 77% more likely to develop Alzheimer Disease. Amazingly, the researchers also discovered that the risk increased even more in the people who had both borderline diabetes and severe high blood pressure.

 

Another study followed 22,852 Californians age 50 and over who had Type 2 diabetes for several years. This study discovered that those people who started with a long term blood glucose control test between 10% and 11.9% were 16% more likely to develop dementia than those whose control test were below 10%. In addition, those with levels between 12% and 14.9% had a 25% greater chance of dementia and those with levels above 15% had an 85% greater chance.

 

The researchers concluded that increasingly poorer blood glucose control was associated with an increasingly higher risk of dementia.

 

Yet another study found that even in people without diabetes, higher blood glucose levers were linked with a greater risk of Alzheimer Disease and other forms of dementia.

 

These studies suggest that keeping diabetes under good control may reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer Disease and other kinds of dementia.

 

As the evidence mounts as to the connection between Alzheimer Disease and diabetes, some good may actually be attributed to these findings. The current therapies used to treat diabetes such as diet, exercise and drugs, may help people with Alzheimer Disease as well.

 

It also appears that keeping your blood glucose and blood pressure under control wouldn’t hurt either. Just as Mom always said, eat right, watch your weight, exercise and get enough rest and you will be just fine. Boy, I hate it when Mom is right.

 

 

Valerie Slaughter is a veteran marathoner who has run numerous marathons, including the New York City Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon.  You can find helpful hints and tips on getting into shape, running and diet at http://wiserunner.com

 

Too Many Sit-Ups, Not Enough Results? Try Pilates For Abs!

By Rohit Chopra

How many times have you dreamed of a tighter, flatter stomach? How many sit-ups have you done in your lifetime? Are you ready to try something new? Pilates training sessions focus a great deal on the muscles surrounding the abdominal area. And since the program works deeply into the core muscles of the body, the result are longer, tighter muscles and a leaner, flatter you. If other exercises have not given you the results you are looking for, Pilates for abs might be worth a try.

Getting Started with Pilates for Abs

The good news about Pilates for your abs is that mat classes can be easy to find and fairly economical. There is also a host of good videos and DVD’s that can teach you the basic principles of Pilates and get you started on a program. Many of the Pilates exercises for abs can be done with basic mat exercises. The key to this program is to focus on quality of movements instead of quantity of repetitions. So instead of 50 sit-ups in a routine, you may only do a dozen repetitions of particular exercises. While it may seem that you are not working these muscles as hard, rest assured that the work you are doing is more precise and hitting deeper muscles than many other exercises you might have tried in the past.

Pilates Equipment for Abs

If you would like to intensify your workout for maximum results, resistance bands or a Pilates ball can add exercises to your regimen to keep it interesting. The Pilates ball specifically will work your abs with Pilates exercises, as well as improve your balance, coordination and concentration. The Pilates ball is a mainstay at most studios and fitness centers, and can be purchased for home use for around $30. It comes in three sizes to accommodate the size of the users.

Pilates bands can add resistance to some of the mat exercises that you might already be doing to intensify the effects of those motions as well. These bands come in two different resistance strengths, and can be purchased for $5- 10. The great thing about the resistance bands is that they are versatile and completely portable, so you can take them with you anywhere to keep up on your workouts.

Besides the improvement you will see in how your abs look, stronger abdominal muscles also provide better support for the lower back. That can mean less aches and pains from lifting, carrying and even sitting in front of your computer. So when do you want to start seeing leaner abs on your own body? Give Pilates for abs a go, and see where the results lead you.

About the Author: Author is publisher of fitness site for Pilates. Checkout articles on Winsor Pilates and Home Gyms

Source: www.isnare.com

 

The Law Of Attraction And Weight Loss: Can You Think Yourself Thin?

The Law Of Attraction And Weight Loss: Can You Think Yourself Thin?
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com.
————————————————–
Metaphysics & Brain science merge and prove that positive thinking and goal setting literally create your body and your entire life experience
—————————————————
On recently broadcast special edition of CNN’s Larry King Live, Mr. King interviewed a panel of “mind experts” about how the thoughts you think literally turn into the events you experience, the material things you possess… AND even the health of your body.For years, “positive thinking” and goal-setting were often criticized as “pollyanna” and “the law of attraction” was relegated into the category of “new age” fluff.On the recent Larry King show, panel experts Bob Proctor, John Assaraf and others who were featured in the movie ‘The Secret’ explained that recent breakthroughs in neuroscience along with understanding mental laws, reveal why goal setting, the “law of attraction” and “positive thinking” all work, regardless of whether you look at them from a metaphysical or a scientific perspective.Scientists have even identified specific parts of the brain, such as the reticular activating system (RAS), which works with the visual parts of our brain to call our conscious attention to things that are important to reaching our goals and to filter out those things that are unimportant.The RAS is activated by “programming” goals into our sub-conscious minds. Our sub concscious mind is the “power center” and THIS is the mechanism that explains why goal setting and positive thinking are now being accepted as scientific methods for change.We are discovering that our brain is cybernetic in nature, which means that it is literally like a computer, waiting for a program to be installed.Here’s the kicker – the subconcsious is completely neutral and impartial – it will carry out any instructions you give it.Unfortunately, many of us are still running negative programs we picked up from others as children when our non-conscious minds were totally open and impressionable, or which we developed over the years as a result of repetition of our own negative thinking.

As it turns out, our own thoughts, repeated daily, are one of the primary ways that our “mental computer” is programmed on a sub-conscious level, which is the level of beliefs, habits and automatic behavior.

To change your results, you must overwrite old negative programming and install positive new programming into your subconscious.

This can be achived through such techniques as written goal setting, positive self-talk (affirmations), and mental imagery (visualization).

In the 1970’s, the Soviets and East Germans were the first to formally use structured mental rehearsal, and at that time, they dominated in several olympic sports. This was reported in great detail in Charles Garfield’s landmark book, “Peak Performance.” Today, virtually all elite athletes use visualization extensively, as we now know that the brain cannot differentiate between real practice and practice that is vividly imagined.

If you are getting more of the same negative results in your life – such as the same health problems, or the same body fat continues to return even after you lose it, then you have probably been un-consciously running old negative programs and re-inforcing them with negative thought patterns.

You can begin the positive mental reprogramming process by writing down your goals, changing your internal dialogue and taking a few minutes to relax, quiet your mind and perform a session of visualization or mental rehearsal every day (seeing yourself in your “mind’s eye” not as you currently are, but as you ideally would like to be).

These methods, repeated often enough, will begin to program the non- conscious portion of the mind, which is the same part of the mind that controls your heart beat, digestion and new cell production, all on “automatic pilot.”

In the last decade, neuroscientists discovered that you have the capacity to create an almost infinite number of new neural connections in your brain when you run new thought patterns.

The Old neural pathways are like grooves in a record, and if you are struggling with your health related behaviors or behaviors in any other area of your life, you have been playing the “old records” over and over again.

If you were to carve a new groove into that record, it would never play the same way again. the old pattern would weaken and the new one would take over. Brand new, positive thoughts, feelings and images begin to create new neural patterns.

Psychologists estimate that it takes 21 to 30 days to establish a new pattern in your brain. During this time, the focus on sticking with your practice and repeating your new thought patterns is critical.

Is this easy? For most people, no it’s not. In fact, controlling your thinking and keeping it constructive may be one of the most difficult challenges you have ever faced. Fortunately, writing goals and reading affirmations can help get you started.

You can take some of the pressure off yourself by simply accepting that negative thoughts and self criticisms will pop up from time to time. Just observe them, without mulling over them or adding to them, and change the polarity of the thought by quickly repeating one of your positive affirmations or by changing your mental pictures.

So is there something to this whole “positive thinking” thing?

The philosophers and theologians have been saying yes for the entire span of recorded history: “As you think, so shall you be.” Variations on this proverb can be found in every spiritual and philosophical tradition.

But… if you are the left-brained, “prove-it-to-me” type, you dont have to go on faith anymore. Scientists are beginning to prove more and more convincingly that thoughts are powerful things. Even Larry King seemed impressed with what his panel of “mind mentors” had to say.

So how soon are you going to begin your mental training right alongside your physical training? When are you going to learn how to harness this power locked up inside your mind?

Guess what? You’re already using this force every day because you cannot turn it off. Whatever you are thinking and picturing in your mind repeatedly on a daily basis is already on it’s way to you, so it’s simply a matter of HOW you are using it, not IF you are using it.

What do you say to yourself every day? Do you say, “I am becoming leaner, healthier and more muscular every day?”… or do you say “I am a fat person – Ive tried everything, nothing ever works?”

The fact is – you can think yourself thin and healthy or you can think yourself obese and ill. Maybe not in the literal sense…but most certainly as the critical part in the chain of causation…

You see, there’s a lot of talk these days in the personal improvement world about law of attraction, manifesting, intention, visualization, affirmations and of course, positive thinking.

Without understanding that there is an orderly, scientific basis underneath all of these things, many people will simply remain skeptics, while on the opposite extreme, others may get the idea that you can sit around meditating and visualizing, then expect a mystical “law of attraction” to kick in and then “poof!” a great body materializes out of thin air… along with the perfect relationship, a nice bank account and fantastic career success.

What really happens is “Positive thinking” and related methods quite literally re-program your brain, which in turn creates new behaviors that move you physically toward whatever you have been thinking about and focusing on.

So success is achieved through positive thinking + positive doing…. attraction + action. There are two sides to the coin. Without paying attention to both, you may continue to struggle… often against nothing but yourself.

If you want to transform your body or any other aspect of your life, then you have to change on the inside (the mind) first and then everything else will follow.

This process of *scientific* goal setting and mental reconditioning through emotionally charged mental imagery (visualization) and internal mental dialogue (affirmations) is the very first thing I have always taught my clients and the first thing I wrote about in my book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle You can learn all of these techniques in detail in chapter 1. Learn more about the psychology of body transormation inside the Burn The Fat ebook:

www.burnthefat.com

About the Author:

Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to burn fat without drugs or supplements using the little-known secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting: www.burnthefat.com.

 

Arthritis: Learning To Live With The Condition

Living with arthritis can be life changing but it’s not a life sentence. Here are a few suggestions that may make things easier.

Eat a healthy diet. This is reckoned important when you have arthritis – as well as providing your body with essential nutrients it will help you maintain a healthy weight, thus reducing stress on your joints. Even losing a few pounds can make a difference that you will notice.

Your diet should avoid red meat, cream and dairy products such as cheese. Try instead to eat foods from the following groups – fruit, vegetables, pasta, white meat, fish and brown rice.

It’s also a good idea to try to eat ‘oily’ fish such as sardines, salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel – these provide omega-3 EFA’s (essential fatty acids) which are thought to ease arthritic symptoms.

In the home. Don’t be afraid to change things to suit you – let your family know which tasks you find difficult and which you can still manage easily. Use mobility aids where you need them – hand rails, lever taps, trolleys for moving things around and long-handled sponges for bathing all rank high on simple aids to keep you mobile and independent.

Don’t be too proud to ask for help. Having arthritis isn’t your fault! Occupational therapists can help you to find new, easier ways of doing everyday tasks. They are specially trained for this – so why not take advantage of their knowledge?

Pain management. Pain is a western taboo, yet the stark fact is that arthritis can be a very painful condition. Modern analgesics can help a great deal, but research shows that keeping active, looking after your joints by taking warm baths or, where appropriate, applying cold compresses to affected joints and perhaps considering therapies such as osteopathy can all give significant relief from pain. Also get sufficient sleep – pain is harder to manage if you are tired.

Live an independent life. Not so easy if you suffer from acute arthritic conditions but help is available. The mental lift that any person affected by the mobility problems that arthritis can cause is well worth the effort of trying to stay in control of your life.

Again, tell family members that yes, you need help but don’t require babying. Check out the internet for arthritis support groups in your area – you may be surprised at the support available.

Make use of technology. Don’t feel that by using a powered aid such as an electric scooter or wheelchair to get around you’re ‘beaten’. It’s an adaptation to a condition and you have no need to feel guilty about wanting an easier life. You paid your taxes, didn’t you?

The many aids for those experiencing problems of mobility is today far more extensive than you may realise. From the powered scooters mentioned above to kitchen utensils with thick, grippy handles – the choices are endless. And the best thing is that these items are not made with ‘invalids’ in mind – just people whose life has changed.

That change may not be perceived by the arthritis sufferer to be for the better – indeed, it would be patronising to suggest that arthritis improves anyone’s lot – but at least it can now be adapted to and indeed combated, giving the person concerned a realistic approach to living with this sadly common condition.

Steve Dempster writes fiction, copy and articles such as the one above. For more information on mobility aids, see http://www.electric mobilityworld. com

 

WARNING FOR CHILDREN & PETS

This is crazy! I use this all the time and my kids crawl across the floor daily.   Guess what I’m throwing away?

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

Recently someone had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was.

The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he’s outside, someone’s with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe. My neighbor started going through all the items in the house.

When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated “may be harmful to small children and animals.” He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients. (actually he was told it’s a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze). Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking it’s own paws, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver.

Soon after his dog’s death, his housekeepers’ two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren’t done on the cats, so they couldn’t file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don’t lose their animals.

This is equally harmful

to babies and small children that play on the floor a lot and put their fingers in their mouths a lot.

PLEASE, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT HAVE BABIES, SMALL CHILDREN OR OWN A PET, PLEASE FORWARD THIS ON!

Thanks,

Kellie

Kellie Delgado

President’s Club,

Certified Beauty Advisor &

Leadership Representative

813-546-4773

eRepresentative at:

www.yourAvon.com/kelliedelgado

kellsam726@aol.com

kelliedelgado@aol.com

 

Hypnosis and Weight Loss – the New Frontier or Parlor Game?

If you are like most people, the first thought you have when you hear the word hypnosis is that of a magician making someone bark like a dog.

The word “hypnosis” is derived from the Greek word hypnos, which means sleep, although hypnosis is not a state of sleep. Hypnosis is in no way a new practice.

Stone carvings of sleep temples have been found dating back as far as 1000 B.C.

Hypnosis is nothing other than an altered state of consciousness in which a person is guided with suggestions.  No, the hypnotherapist cannot make you do anything you do not want to do.  You must understand that all of hypnosis is self-hypnosis.
The only way you can be hypnotized is if you are willing to be.

The hypnotherapist does not take control over you. You are in control at all times. When you’re in a hypnotic state, no matter how deep, and given a suggestion that would be against your will, morality or religious beliefs, you would do one of two things. You would either reject the suggestion and let it go or come completely out of the hypnotic state and challenge the hypnotherapist. The hypnotherapist cannot force you to do anything against your will. You must want to do it.

Hypnosis, in the 21st century, is more widely used by those in the healing professions, such as doctors, dentists, psychologists, chaplains, pastors and social workers.

Now, when it comes to weight loss, you know the drill -to lose weight eat less and exercise more. Burn more calories than you take in and you will lose weight. You have heard this a thousand times.

But is this what you really want to know?  Of course not, your real question is “How do I actually make myself eat less and exercise more?”

By wanting to – sounds simple doesn’t it.  But did you know that if you have resistance from your subconscious mind you cannot control your conscious desires?

No matter how much will power you have or how much you really want to lose weight, if your subconscious mind is not on board, you will not be able to lose weight. Control your subconscious mind and you will lose that weight.  By learning how to control your feelings, then you can control your behavior.

You see, when it comes to your preservation, protection or procreation, your subconscious mind may have its own ideas that don’t support your conscious ideas.  When this happens, you are unable to achieve your desired result, no matter how determined you may be.

Proof?  Well, for one thing, you would not be overweight – you would just decide to lose weight and keep it off – right?

Now, how do you get your subconscious mind to change its thinking? How can we control our feelings and change our behavior?  Self-hypnosis. 

Remember, as stated above, the hypnotherapist cannot make you do something you do not want to do. With the correct application of self-hypnosis, you can take control of your weight where every other approach failed.

You see willpower, which is  your attempt to consciously control your subconscious just will not work.  By the use of self-hypnosis, you can change your subconscious mind, bring it into agreement with your conscious desires and achieve your weight loss goals easily – just as easily as it was to gain weight.

Once you take control of your attitudes and feelings, a whole new world opens to you. So many problems we experience in life are self-reinforcing cycles. Addictions (smoking, drinking), relationship problems (arguing, fighting), success and failure procrastination, lack of confidence) and more are all behavioral responses buttressed by emotions and subconscious attitudes.

So, is hypnosis a parlor trick or a legitimate treatment?  If you want to lose weight, stop smoking, etc., then hypnosis will work – if you don’t it will not.  A parlor trick?  Only if you want it to be – you see, you are in control of your mind, hypnosis just helps you reach your subconscious mind to get it on the same page as your conscious.  But only if you want it! 

Hypnosis changes the subconscious mind, brings it into agreement with your conscious desires. Once you are subconsciously motivated to lose weight and keep it off,you will.

Control your mind and the world is your oyster!

 

Fibromyalgia – What Is It?

Fibromyalgia – What Is It? 

Medterms.com gives the following definition: 

Fibromyalgia: A syndrome characterized by, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. Fibromyalgia does not cause body damage or deformity. However, undue fatigue plagues the large majority of patients with fibromyalgia and are common in fibromyalgia.

It is estimated that over 3% of the population of the United States suffers from fibromyalgia.  The condition affects women predominantly (over 80 percent), between the ages of 35 and 55.

This condition has been studied since the early-1800s and was called by a variety of former names, such as muscular rheumatism and fibrositis. In 1976, “Fibromyalgia” was coined to help describe the condition.  The term is derived from the Latin word fibra, meaning fiber, myo, meaning muscle, and the Greek word algos, meaning pain.

Characteristically, a person suffering from fibromyalgia will hurt all over, be constantly tired, depressed, anxious, have stiffness and tenderness of muscles, tendons and joints without detectable inflammation and may even have irritable bowel syndrome.  These are just some of the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is considered an arthritis-related condition but it is NOT arthritis, as arthritis is a disease of the joints and although fibromyalgia can be just as debilitating as arthritis, they are not the same.

Fortunately, fibromyalgia, although extremely painful, does not lead to joint deformity or damage to the internal organs or muscles like such other diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus and polymyositis.  Unfortunately, there is no known cause or cure.

Current research suggests that fibromyalgia can start from an illness or as a result of some trauma, such as a traffic accident.  The progression of fibromyalgia can have a slow onset, with many patients reporting mild symptoms beginning in childhood, such as growing pains.  Changes in the weather or an unrelated illness have been known to aggravate symptoms.

Fibromyalgia patients have reported that the following factors can temporarily increased their suffering:

         Cold weather, especially when damp

         Malnutrition, hunger, or starvation

         Physical activity of any kind, including minor tasks such as writing

         Lack of deep sleep

         Increase of stress

        The consumption of alcohol

Diagnosis of fibromyalgyis is tricky, as it is closely related to other conditions, such as endocrine disorders, arthritis and plymyalgia reheumatia.  The American College of Rheumatology has established two criteria for diagnosis:

         1.  A history of widespread pain lasting more than three months – widespread as in all four quadrants of the body, i.e., both sides and above and below the waist.

         2.  Tender points – there are 18 designated possible tender points, although a person with the syndrome may feel pain in other areas as well.

There are no blood or x-ray tests to help the physician with their diagnosis and, therefore, said diagnosis is made purely on clinical grounds based on patient history and physical examination. 

Widespread pain, on both sides of the body above and below the waist and tenderness in at least 11 of the 18 tender points when pressed are two symptoms that confirm the condition of fibromyalgia.

Although there are no specific bloods tests to determine the presence of fibromyalgia, there are blood tests that can exclude other medical conditions that mimic fibromyalgia.

Upon confirmation of the diagnosis of fibromyalgia after all other possible conditions are ruled out, treatment may consist of a variety modalities.  Not all patients will respond to these, but here are a few treatment methods that have helped:               

Getting regular exercise to help with muscle aches and stiffness – low impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, walking and stationary cross-country skiing machines are excellent exercises as long as you start out slowly.  It has been found that exercise regimens performed on an every-other-day basis, in the morning, are most beneficial. 

Stretching to help allay muscle stiffness and fatigue, as in mild aerobic exercise is also highly recommended.

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime can help promote a more restful sleep.

Stress reduction.  This may include biofeedback, relaxation tapes, psychological counseling and/or support groups.  Some have even found that by modifying environmental factors such as noise, temperature and weather exposure helps.

Medications such as used for depression, in low doses, have helped in treating fibromyalgia.

Acupuncture may also help.  According to a study published in the June 2006 edition of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings and presented last year at the 11^th World Congress of Pain, acupuncture relieved fatigue and anxiety in fibromyalgia patients for up to seven months after treatment.

Chiropractic care.  This treatment is based on the theory that restricted movement in the spine may lead to pain and reduced function.  Due to the risks of manipulation be sure to seek out properly trained and licensed practitioners.

Massage Therapy.  One of the oldest methods of health care still in practice, massage can reduce your heart rate, relax your muscles, improve range of motion in your joints and increase production of your body’s natural painkillers as well as relieve stress and anxiety.

The future of fibromyalgia therapy is, of course, to find the cause of the condition in order for researchers to develop a test that can help doctors diagnosis fibromyalgia.  Until then, fibromyalgia patients can be helped by improved education of fibromyalgia for themselves, families and friends, exercise and medications.

 

Can you think yourself thin?

As over 65% of Americans find themselves identified as obese or overweight, the search for ways to drop those extra pounds… to help bolster flagging willpower in the face of super-sized portions and calorie-laden treats continues in earnest.

While the diet and fitness industry is all too willing to promote the idea of quick, easy fixes, the readings on our bathroom scales don’t seem to be moving all that much. Everyone is looking for weight loss treatments that work, that are free of side effects and offer lasting results. Hypnosis fits the bill on all these.

Hypnosis is already being used as an alternative treatment to help with chronic pain and stress management. Some use it to stop smoking. Others to treat anxiety issues like phobias and panic attacks. Now, an increasing number are turning to this technique to give a boost to their weight loss efforts. In fact, Harvard Medical School psychologist Jean Fain has seen the numbers of people turning to hypnosis for weight loss double in the last five years.

But does it work? There have been few well designed, quality studies on the effectiveness of hypnosis when it comes to weight loss. Finding subjects of the same age and background is one of the major problems such research has faced. Fain points to a mid-nineties study where those who used self-hypnosis lost twice as much weight as those who did not. How long did the weight stay off? Another study puts the figure at as long as two years.

What about side effects? As a form of focused concentration, hypnosis is a tool that helps you find inner strength and tap into abilities that you’ve used in the past so you can put them to work in the here and now to lose weight. The hypnotherapist doesn’t “cure” you of your eating problems or cravings, but rather helps you stay motivated and teaches you how to handle issues related to food. The side effects that come along with hypnosis include less stress, overall feelings of relaxation and well being.

Learning the technique isn’t difficult, though it does take time and effort. A lot depends on how complex your weight issues are, how motivated you are to overcome them, and of course, your ability to be hypnotized — 8 weeks working with a trained hypnotherapist on your weight issues is a good rule of thumb. A very small percentage of the population, roughly 4 to 5% of us are unable to be hypnotized. As for the rest of us, we make suitable subjects and can use hypnosis as one more tool in our battle against those extra pounds.

If you are considering hypnosis for weight loss — beware. It takes a lot of time and considerable work, despite what some may try to sell you. Anyone (online or otherwise) who promises a 100% success rate should be avoided. Hypnosis is not a magic bullet or an effortless quick fix, for loosing weight or controlling any other troublesome behavior. Just like eating right and exercising regularly, to be effective for weight loss, hypnosis must become part of your everyday life. Equally important to hypnosis being successful for weight loss is the skill of the practitioner and the method being used. The most effective treatment is tailored to the unique needs of the individual. Choose a practitioner who is a licensed mental health professional (social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist or physician) who has a track record of working with weight loss, and who makes you feel comfortable while offering a reasonable treatment plan.

 You can find practitioners by contacting The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis at http://www.sceh.us/ or the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis at http://www.asch.net/.

 

Whey or No Whey – THAT is the question!

So, what is Whey Protein?

Whey protein is a high quality protein powder from cow’s milk.  Milk has two proteins:  Casein (approximately 80%) and Whey Protein (approximately 20%).  Whey protein is more soluble than casein and also has a higher quality rating.

It has long been considered the “gold standard” of protein for serious athletes who work hard to develop and sustain a lean, strong and well-defined physique.

You may have found that trying to eat enough protein during the day to reach your daily requirement of protein is almost impossible!  Besides, you do not want all that fat and calories from eating so much.

Whey protein is compatible with low-carbohydrate diets and is an ideal choice. Participants in a study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported greater satisfaction, less hunger, and weight loss when fat was reduced to 20% of the total calories in their diets, protein increased to 30%, and carbs accounted for 50%

The study participants ate some 441 fewer calories a day when they followed this high-protein diet and regulated their own calorie intake.  

Another study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition, showed that a high-protein diet combined with exercise enhanced weight and fat loss and improved blood fat (lipid) levels.

“Our research suggests that higher-protein diets help people better control their appetites and calorie intake,” says researcher Donald Layman, PhD, a professor at theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise … have an excellent potential to reduce blood lipids [and] maintain lean tissue while burning fat for fuel without dieters being sidetracked with constant hunger.”If you suffer from lactose intolerance, then you should select a pure whey protein isolate, which has less than 0.1 gram of lactose per tablespoon. 

This is less lactose than the amount found in a cup of yogurt and research has shown that most people with lactose intolerance have no trouble taking this very small amount of lactose. 

A product called Advanced Protein meets all of the above criteria and it is delicious!  I love the chocolate (it also comes in banana, strawberry and vanilla) and it tastes so good, just mix with water! 

I mix it with Almond Milk (I am lactose intolerant) and boy, what a great drink!

As you may or may not know, protein is the corner stone to a healthy body.

Protein is an important part in the production of blood hemoglobin, antibodies, new muscle tissue and virtually every metabolic process in the human body!  Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.   Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.  

Along with fat and carbohydrates, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in only small quantities, are called “micronutrients.” But unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein, and therefore, has no reservoir to draw on when it needs a new supply.  

Without enough protein in your diet, the body cannot repair itself and new muscle cannot be formed if essential amino acids are not present.  In addition, without the required essential amino acids found in protein, the body will attempt to glean what it needs from incomplete dietary protein and release it back into the blood stream.

If the essential amino acid is not delivered soon enough, the incomplete protein is transported to the liver where it is separated from its nitrogen base.  The amino acids remaining are then converted to glucose (blood sugar) and used as energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle tissue.  These leftover amino acids can also be stored as fat – yuk! How do you know how much protein you need?   Here is a chart to help you compute how much protein a day you should be consuming.Just find your activity level and multiple your weight by the number next to that level to determine your daily protein requirements. 

Are you eating enough?!!  Example, if you are an adult – competitive athlete, you would multiple your weight by 0.6 – 0.9.  For example, you weigh 250 lbs. and consider yourself a competitive athlete:

         0.6-0.9 X 250 =   150-225 

So, you would need to consume approximately 150 – 225 grams of protein a day!  

If you are like me, you are probably not eating enough protein! 

Activity Level	Grams of Protein Per Lb. of Body Weight Per Day
Current RDA for Inactive Adult	0.4
Recreational Adult Exerciser	0.5-0.75
Adult Competitive Athlete	0.6-0.9
Growing Teenage Athlete	0.8-0.9
Adult Building Muscle Mass	0.7-0.9
Athlete, Restricting Calories	0.8-0.9
Maximum Usable Amount for Adults	0.9

 

What Is Stress?

Everyone hears about it.  It’s talked about on the news, talk shows, at work, etc.  But, what is it?  How is it defined?  What are the signs of stress?  Do you have it? 

You may be thinking that this is all common knowledge, but you may be surprised to learn that stress is not something that is easily defined. 

Stress is a natural condition that we humans have – you know, it is the fight and flight syndrome – your body immediately gears up with various hormones, etc. to help you deal with the perceived danger that you are encountering at the time.  Of course, you are not confronting a saber-tooth tiger or dinosaur, but you do encounter stress everyday.  Watching ten minutes of the daily news, for instance, can cause stress. 

The fact is though; you must have some stress in your life.  It revives up your adrenalin and excitement that makes life interesting.  Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is not healthy – seems to be a universal law here. 

Currently, there is a lot of research suggesting that too much stress can do your body harm.  Although stress may not be directly related to high blood pressure, for instance, it certainly does cause weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses that are directly related to high blood pressure.  Kind of the chicken and the egg question, what came first?  And remember, high blood pressure is called the silent killer for a reason. 

Stress for you may not be the same for me.  Genetically we each have our own stress factors – hot-wired so to speak.  You may not get worked up over having to work late one night while someone else may become highly agitated or stressed over it. 

Causes of stress are varied and may be caused by physical or emotional change.  Change – in your environment, relationships, work, etc. 

Some signs that you are stressed are: 

Physical signs: Headache, ringing in the ears, tiredness, exhaustion, weight gain or loss, difficulty sleeping, dizziness 

Mental signs: Forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, poor memory, constant worry 

Emotional signs: Anger, anxiety, crying, sadness, loneliness, negative thinking 

You can take control of your stress levels by slowing down.  Sounds too simple doesn’t it?  But just stop and think for a moment.  It was not that long ago when we did not have cell phones, e-mails, beepers, faxes, etc. to keep pushing us to move faster, do more, hurry, hurry…. And we actually walked to the store!So, how do you combat this thing called stress? 

Learning how to relax probably could save your life – in more ways than one.  The old saying, stop and smell the flowers is not that far off.  Our bodies need time to repair itself and taking time to rest and relax can do wonders not only for you physically but mentally as well. 

It seems that we have the lost the art of relaxing – you know, no cell phones, t.v., radio, mp3 player, etc. etc.   You know, actually sleeping in one morning a week! 

A fifteen minute walk, three or four times a week, can do wonders to help relieve the daily stressors of life.  The amazing thing is that you don’t have to spend any money, drive anywhere or need any special equipment, and it can be done at anytime!  (Sorry, but there really are no excuses here – even if the weather is bad, you still can walk around in your house for 15 minutes – boring, yes, but it gets the job done.) 

Lack of sleep is another factor.  In our fast paced, hectic lives and schedules, we need to make time for more sleep – yes, 8 – 9 hours a night.  If you cannot sleep that long all at once, try taking a nap in the afternoon.  Your body will thank you and your mind too, it needs rest from all that worrying. 

Having regular physicals and blood pressure readings will help you keep a handle on your blood pressure and other health related illnesses. 

So, learn what your stressors are and learn how to cope with them before you develop high blood pressure – which can develop into hearth disease, which can…….