How To Stop Smoking
I help a lot of people who want to stop smoking, and the material in this ebook is based on what I tell them in my face-to-face sessions.
Of course, information by itself isn’t going to enable you to stop smoking. You already have plenty of information about the health effects of smoking (it’s written on the packets in most countries, after all). Yet you haven’t stopped yet. Why not?
There are a few reasons, and I’ll talk about them and address them as we go through this ebook. More importantly, though, I’ll give you tools, tips and techniques which, if you apply them and stick with it, can make the difference you need to quit tobacco and overcome your cigarette smoking habit. Information about smoking and its effects and the benefits of giving up smoking is important, but motivation to quit smoking, tips for giving up smoking and strategies to stop
smoking are vital if you’re going to succeed.
This ebook is part of an online course I created called Smokefree Life. The ebook is free, and you can distribute it however you like as long as you don’t change it in any way or charge for it. The course costs a small amount of money, about the same as a couple of packs of cigarettes, and gives you a whole stack of extra resources to make giving up smoking easier. The Resources section at the back tells you what they are.
Smoking isn’t just a behaviour. It’s a set of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that cluster together and support each other. Part of what we’ll be doing is challenging those feelings and thoughts so that you can start to shift the behaviours.
Some people smoke as a ritual, others have a smoking habit. In both cases, it’s often a way of distracting themselves from their lives – a way that doesn’t solve any of their problems and that causes them more problems.
Some people smoke to manage their stress and emotions. But a study in the UK showed that, on average, smokers were less happy and had a poorer quality of life than nonsmokers – and this improved after they gave up. Smoking also keeps your body stressed and keyed-up – it’s a really bad way to manage stress. In fact, there is no problem so terrible that poisoning yourself is a good solution.
Finally, some people smoke because trying to quit smoking gives them distressing feelings, and they feel they can’t push past that to get all the benefits and lose all the negatives. This ebook is here to help you with that, so that you can quit smoking and not only feel good but also feel good about yourself. How Nicotine Works
Right at the start I’d like to tell you a bit about how nicotine (the addictive ingredient in tobacco) works. I find when I tell people this it helps them to shift their thinking and understand why they’ve felt the way they have and why it is that they have found it hard to change.
Nicotine is made by the tobacco plant as an insecticide – it’s how it protects itself from insects. The insects get poisoned when their nervous systems get overwhelmed. Now, humans are bigger than insects, so it takes a lot more nicotine to kill us (it is deadly in large enough quantities, but because it dissolves in water and passes out of the body very quickly, you wouldn’t be able to get that amount of nicotine from smoking.)
It does still affect human nervous systems, though. When you smoke, the smoke that you breathe in hits the damp tissue in your lungs and gets absorbed into your bloodstream along with the oxygen you breathe in. Very soon afterwards, it reaches your brain. (Most of the really harmful chemicals in cigarettes are there to help the nicotine reach your brain faster and in greater quantities.)
In your brain, nicotine is very much the same shape as a chemical that belongs there (acetylcholine, if you’re curious). That chemical slots into receptors in the brain like a key into a lock, and when it does it releases the chemical called dopamine.
Dopamine is at the root of every known addiction, because it’s the “reward” or “compulsion” chemical. Some people say, “I don’t even like cigarettes, but I still want one.” This is because the feeling of “wanting” is produced by the dopamine system.
Effectively, then, nicotine is lying to your brain and telling it that it wants cigarettes. What’s more, dopamine is involved in creating vivid memories, so you remember that wanting very clearly. That’s why people who aren’t stupid or lazy or irrational or unmotivated still find it hard to stop using a substance – nicotine – that is delivered in a way that damages their health. Just knowing that the wanting is a false signal can help you to ignore it. If you want to know more about how nicotine works, How Stuff Works has a really good summary. Health Effects of Smoking
I almost didn’t put this section in, because everyone knows that smoking is bad for you, right? But I thought I’d give a brief summary of exactly how smoking affects your body, because a lot of people aren’t really sure.
Smoking damages your skin – it’s easy to recognise a smoker by their skin. This is partly because of the direct effect of the smoke on the outside of the skin, but more because any time there are poisons or toxins in your body, your skin is affected. Your skin is your largest body organ, and anything that’s wrong with you will show up there. It’s also one of the ways poisons leave your body.
Smoking damages your lungs, obviously, since that’s how the nicotine gets into your body. (It also damages the throat and tongue on the way through.) Your lungs are very good at dealing with dust, smoke and other rubbish that you breathe in, and they have special immune mechanisms to take care of it. But if you’re stressing those mechanisms all the time, they can break down, or even turn into cancers instead.
Smoking puts strain on your liver and kidneys, which are responsible for taking poisons out of the blood (in the case of the liver) and passing them out of the body (your kidneys).
Smoking damages your blood vessels and your heart. One of the effects of smoking is to boost your stress reaction (that’s why you get a sense of focus when you have a smoke). That increases your heart rate and blood pressure, thickens your blood and narrows your blood vessels. All of this, repeated over many years, can cause a lot of damage. This can lead to heart attacks or strokes (damaging your brain).
Stop Smoking Benefits Timeline
The good news is that your body is very resilient and can usually recover from most of this damage eventually, once you stop smoking. Here’s a timeline of how it recovers and the health benefits of stopping smoking (from the US Centers for Disease Control):
20 Minutes After Quitting: Your heart rate drops.12 hours After Quitting: Carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (Carbon monoxide is one of the main poisons in car exhaust. It blocks your blood cells from carrying oxygen to the rest of your body.) 2 Weeks to 3 Months After Quitting: Your heart attack risk begins to drop. Your lung function begins to improve. 1 to 9 Months After Quitting: Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.1 Year After Quitting: Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.5 Years After Quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5-15 years after quitting.
10 Years After Quitting: Your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker. Your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.15 Years After Quitting: Your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker.
Even though some of these changes take a long time (good motivation to stay stopped!), one thing you will notice after you stop is that you have more energy. This is because your body isn’t having to repair itself so much and filter out so many poisons. More energy is just one of the benefits of giving up smoking.
How to Quit Smoking Without Gaining Weight
While I’m talking about bodies, a lot of people are worried that they’ll gain weight when they stop smoking. People do sometimes gain weight after they stop, but if you understand why and have some strategies to prevent it, you can stop smoking without gaining weight.
There are three main reasons people gain weight when they quit smoking.
1. The reason I mentioned in the section above – you’re no longer using so much energy just to keep your body on a relatively even keel. The proteins you used to use to repair the damage get broken down for energy instead, and your body isn’t having to strain to get rid of all the poison either. This means you don’t actually need to eat as much.
2. Your body is used to a blood sugar boost from smoking, as it throws your body into stress mode. When you don’t get the regular boost, something feels “wrong”, and you compensate by eating something sweet. (It’s not actually wrong, just different.)
3. Some people are so used to having something in their mouths that when they don’t have cigarettes there, again something feels wrong. There are several strategies you can use to quit smoking without gaining weight. Here are some suggestions: 1. Reduce the size of plate you use slightly, so you are eating less but it looks the same amount. (This really works.)
2. Eat fruit or carrot sticks. They are high in fiber, so they satisfy your stomach, and they give a slight blood sugar boost but not the big, harmful jump that a sugary snack will. They also contain vitamins and minerals to help your body repair itself from the smoking damage.
3. Chew sugar-free gum if you miss having something in your mouth. Benefits of Giving Up Smoking
Keeping these stop-smoking benefits in mind will help you persevere in the process of giving up smoking. (Grateful acknowledgement to the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, http://www.nhlbi.nih. gov).
1. Health: As mentioned above, your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, many kinds of cancer, and lung diseases start reducing when you stop smoking. You start to feel more alive (and there’s a reason for that).
2. Appearance of your skin improves. Smoking makes you look older and turns your skin wrinkled and leathery. 3. Smell of your clothes, hair, breath, home, and car improves.4. Breathlessness when climbing stairs and walking starts to go away. 5. Coughing in the morning reduces or disappears.6. Your children will have fewer coughs, colds, and earaches and be less likely to smoke themselves.7. Sleep is deeper and more refreshing when you don’t smoke.8. Energy won’t be diverted to healing the damage from smoke.9. Money is going up in smoke every day you are a smoker – think what else you could do with it!
10. Control of your life should belong to you, not nicotine. Get back your self-respect and selfconfidence by kicking the habit. 10 Tips for Giving Up Smoking
Here are some tips to increase your motivation to quit smoking.1. Write down the things you don’t like about smoking and the benefits of giving up smoking. Carry it as a reminder.2. Write down your excuses for smoking and then write down why they aren’t true. 3. Notice the activities you associate with smoking and write down how you will break your routine so you aren’t triggered. (More on this under How to Make a Plan.)4. Remove all tobacco from your house, car, and wherever else you keep it. Don’t replace it or “borrow” from other people.5. Designate smokefree areas like your car, your house etc. Increase them until the world is a smokefree area for you. 6. Imagine yourself in a few years’ time if you go on smoking – how unhealthy and unhappy you’ll be. Then imagine what you could do instead if you were smokefree. (This is one of the motivational techniques I cover in the Smokefree Life online course.)
7. Get support from friends and family to stop and stay stopped. 8. Reward yourself when you don’t smoke. Your mind has been getting a false reward with each cigarette. Give yourself a real reward instead.9. Look for better ways to deal with stress, anxiety and strong emotions. Deep breathing and exercise are good. (I’ll talk more about this later too.)10. Get help from your doctor, public health nurse, Cancer Society or other health groups. Quit Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms
Over the first 1-2 weeks while your body adapts to not being poisoned, you may notice irritation, anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, sleep difficulties, coughing, sore throat, constipation, or hunger as side effects of quitting smoking. These are also called “recovery effects”.
To deal with the side effects of giving up smoking:1. Breathe deeply to help your lungs clean out.
2. Drink less coffee, tea and caffeinated soft drink, and more water and fruit juice. (Nicotine and caffeine interact, and when you’re not smoking caffeine will have a stronger effect on you, so cut down a little.)
3. Eat fruit between meals and at the start of meals. Also try sugar-free gum, carrots or celery sticks. 4. Move around if you feel cravings, anxiety or anger. (I’ll talk more about exercise later.)
5. Do something with your hands if you’re restless. Knit, whittle, pray the rosary, put nuts on bolts, knead Play-Do. 6. Change your routine so that you don’t fall into old habits. (See below under Making a Plan.) 7. Notice what’s happening with your body, mind and emotions. Let the feelings come and then let them go. They will usually only last a few minutes. (I’ll talk more about this in the Stress Management section.)
8. Think about your reasons for stopping. 9. Talk or write about how you feel. Putting feelings into words reduces their power.
10. If you start again, stop again. This is tremendously important, and I talk about it more at the end of this ebook. These quitting smoking side effects will pass off in time – usually between a week and a month. After that it gets easier. Dealing With Ambivalence (Wanting and Not Wanting)
Everyone who comes to me to stop smoking is in two minds about quitting. I know that, because if they only wanted to stop smoking they wouldn’t have to come, and if they didn’t want to stop smoking at all they wouldn’t come to me for help.
Ambivalence is actually a good thing. It shows that you’re thinking about both sides of the issue. If you’re closing your eyes to the benefits of change and the costs of staying the same on the one hand, or the costs of change and the benefits of staying the same on the other hand, you’re not being realistic.
But to move forward, you need to resolve your ambivalence. If you’ve bought my Smokefree Life course, you should have got access to the audio track Integration. That track uses a true story as a hook to help the inner parts of yourself that have been resisting change “get with the programme”and join in the important work of becoming smokefree.
Listen to that track now, before you read on, to increase your motivation to quit smoking. Strengthening Motivation
There are only four ways I know of to strengthen your motivation to quit smoking (or for any other change). 1. Increase your desire for the new situation. Think about all the benefits of giving up smoking. (I’ve listed them in the Benefits of Giving Up Smoking section above). 2. Reduce your barriers to change. Deal with what is preventing you from moving forward. (That’s what this whole course is about.) 3. Become clearer on the drawbacks of remaining where you are. Realise that you actually won’t remain where you are; things are going to get worse if you keep doing what you’re doing.
4. Find ways to replace the benefits of your current situation with something that will help you move into the new situation. I give you an example on the Smokefree Life track which you can get from the downloads page if you’ve signed up for the Smokefree Life online stop-smoking course.
I’ve created an exercise which combines several of these methods. I call it the Marty McFly technique, because it’s a bit like the Back to the Future movies. You can find it on the downloads page for the course. Nicotine Replacement Therapy and You
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is controversial for some people. It involves giving yourself nicotine without smoking, so that it’s easier to make the transition. The nicotine is given in patches you stick on your skin, in chewing gum or lozenges, or in an inhaler. The idea is that your brain is yelling out for nicotine and it’s going to be easier to change the behavioural part of smoking if you can give it enough nicotine to shut it up a bit while you stop smoking.
You get less nicotine through NRT than you do through cigarettes. Even the large patches only give about 1mg per hour, and you can get around 7mg from a single cigarette. The patches are constant slow-release and ramp up slowly, while the gum and lozenges give you a quick “top-up”. Some people use them together, which is fine.
Although nicotine is poisonous in large doses (larger than NRT or cigarettes give you), it is generally not thought to cause cancer – it’s the other ingredients in the cigarettes that do that. Some scientists disagree and think it does contribute to cancer, but it is certainly less harmful getting it from NRT than from cigarettes.
There are philosophical arguments that oppose using nicotine in an attempt to stop being dependent on nicotine, but it can be seen as a way of cutting down while removing the toxic parts of the smoke from yourself and your environment.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms include: • Irritability • Anger • Moodiness • Restlessness • Tenseness • Anxiety • Hunger • Weight gain • Poor concentration • Sleep disturbance If you have these symptoms while on nicotine replacement therapy, the cause is not the NRT.
You need to increase your dose of nicotine by double-patching or using the gum, lozenges etc. more frequently. If you experience nausea (feeling as if you are going to throw up), faintness or headaches while on NRT, this does mean you are taking too high a dose. Cut down until you feel OK again.Could NRT Help You?
I give a standard test to my clients who come to me to stop smoking, to assess whether they might benefit from NRT. (In New Zealand, the government subsidises NRT, and I’m a Quit Card provider, meaning that I can give what amounts to a prescription for my client to take to any pharmacy and they only pay a small fee to get it issued. Other countries do not have this scheme. If you are in New Zealand, many practice nurses, occupational health nurses or community health workers are Quit Card providers. Ask – it might save you some money.)
The standard test is called the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependency. If your score on the Fagerstrom is very low (under 3), NRT is unlikely to help you, but if it is 3 or above, and especially if it is very high, NRT is probably a good idea for you.
Here is the test. In the Score column, write down the number of points that is next to the best answer for you, and then add them up at the end. Questions 1. How soon after you wake up do you smoke your first cigarette?
2. Do you find it hard not to smoke in places where smoking is not allowed?
3. Which cigarette would you hate most to give up? 4. How many cigarettes a day do you smoke?
5. Do you smoke more often during the first hours after you wake up than during the rest of the day?
6. If you are so unwell that you are in bed most of the day, do you still smoke?
Total out of 10:
Answers Points Score Within 5 minutes 3 6-30 minutes 2 31-60 minutes 1
more than 1 hour 0 Yes 1 No 0
The first one in 1 the morning Any other one 0 Less than 10 0 11-20 1 21-30 2 More than 31 3 Yes 1 No 0
Yes 1 No 0 Add up your scores. If your score is 3 out of 10 or more, look into getting some nicotine replacement therapy. According to some scientific studies, it can double your chances of success if used correctly. See below for advice on using nicotine replacement products. Using Nicotine Patches Nicotine patches are available in different strengths.
The strength supplied depends on how much you usually smoke. It’s usually a good idea to start with the strongest dose.
Decide where you want to wear the patch. Choose a clean, dry area with no body hair, avoiding creams, lotions, oils or powder. Cut the sachet and remove the patch. Don’t cut the patches up. Peel the backing and apply the sticky side to skin. Press firmly for 10 seconds. Change position each day. Wait three days before using the same area again.
It will take 1-2 hours for the effect to reach full strength. Gum and lozenges take a shorter time. If you find that the patches don’t relieve your cravings quickly enough, consider using gum or lozenges as well. Some people find that the patches irritate their skin. If this is worse than the nicotine withdrawal symptoms, stop using the patches. Using Nicotine Gum Nicotine gum is not used like ordinary chewing gum. When you feel the urge to smoke: 1. Chew one piece of gum until the taste becomes strong or peppery as nicotine is released. 2. Roll the gum and “park” it in your cheek.
3. When the taste fades, chew again to release the strong peppery flavour, and park again in your cheek.
You can repeat these steps for 30 minutes, 8-12 times per day. As you need less nicotine you can cut the gum up and mix with ordinary chewing gum.
Some people find the taste of nicotine gum too unpleasant to persist with. If you find it worse than the nicotine withdrawal symptoms, stop using the gum.Using Nicotine Lozenges Lozenges work much the same as gum, but they are prescribed for people who have difficulty chewing or for other reasons prefer them to gum.
Do not suck the lozenge continuously like a throat lozenge. Do not bite or chew it. 1. Place one lozenge in the mouth between gums and cheek. 2. Suck slowly until the taste becomes strong. 3. Stop sucking until the taste fades, then suck again. 4. Occasionally move the lozenge from one side of the mouth to the other.
You can repeat these steps for 20-30 minutes, every 1-2 hours in the first six weeks, then gradually cutting down to one every 4-8 hours. Some people find the taste of the lozenges unpleasant. If you find it worse than the nicotine withdrawal symptoms, stop using the lozenges. Warnings for Gum and Lozenges Keep all NRT products out of reach of children, and dispose of carefully. Don’t eat or drink for 15 minutes beforehand or while using lozenges or gum. Nicotine can cause throat irritation and an increase in saliva at first.
Swallowing nicotine can cause irritation to the stomach or hiccupping. Try chewing or sucking more slowly if this is a problem. Making a Quit Plan
Having a plan will help you. Apart from anything else, it makes you think about the changes you need to make in order to stop smoking successfully.
Some of the following is based on the website Become an Ex. It’s a good website, and helps you make an online plan. If you’re on the computer a lot, consider signing up there. (They have an iPhone app and a mobile version as well, if you always have your smartphone with you.)
1. Track Your Triggers For 3 days, each time you have a cigarette, pay attention to what you were doing or what was happening just before and how strongly you wanted it.
At the end of this process, you should have a clear idea of what triggers off your smoking. l Is it being in a particular place? l Is it a feeling? l Is it something you eat or drink? l Is it being around someone else? l Is it a particular activity?
2. Learn Differently The association of smoking with those triggers was a learning process. Separating them from the triggers is a learning process too.
BecomeAnEx suggests that you start by not smoking until a few minutes after you want to. Gradually extend the time. By doing this you are teaching yourself to separate the trigger from the smoking – because they really are two different things.
You may want to quit smoking right now, rather than delaying. But if delaying is going to work, and stopping suddenly isn’t, which is better?3. Get a Strategy
The triggers themselves are mostly still going to be there. Particular food and drink triggers you can get rid of temporarily, and I suggest you do that if you can. But your annoying boss is going to be annoying whether you smoke or not, and you’re going to need a strategy to deal with that. (A strategy that doesn’t involve smoking.)
Part of what I’m doing in the audio tracks in Smokefree Life is encouraging your mind to come up with its own strategies. But particularly for stress, there are some great strategies that are really simple. I talk about some of them in the Managing Stress section, and I have a whole free follow-up online course on stress that you can start any time you like.
I really suggest you go through that course, by the way. Most people who start smoking again after they stop do so at a time of stress, because they hadn’t found any other strategy that worked better than smoking. I got this email from a client a while back, and it made my day:
I picked up the ciggarettes again when I separated from my partner but I am back on the smokefree horse and have gone back to some of the techniques you taught me and I am doing well again. That’s the way to do it! Simple Stress Management Techniques.4. Set a Quit Date
There will never be a stress-free time to quit tobacco. On the other hand, stopping smoking two weeks before the big project finishes, when you know you’ll be working day and night, is not the smartest approach either.
Pick a time when you’re going to be at an average level of stress for your life, whatever that is, and when you’ll have some time and attention to give to the resources.5. Assemble Your Resources I’ve assembled a bunch of resources for you in the quit smoking online course, but there are other resources out there among your friends and family and in the community. Find people who will help and support you, who will encourage you and cheer you on, who will check up on you. Find health groups that can give help and advice.
And don’t forget the resources you already have in your own life and your own mind. You’ve succeeded at things before, and you can use that to encourage yourself.6. Do It When your chosen date comes, stop. Go hard out. Commit yourself wholeheartedly to being smokefree. Tell yourself, “I quit smoking right now.” Use all the resources and support.7. Stick With It Some people – about one in 20 – can just stop smoking, bang, and never smoke again. Most people find it harder than that. If it gets hard, think about all the things that make it worth it to you, all the “Benefits of Giving Up Smoking” on page 6.
I talk about stopping smoking as a personal development challenge. It’s like doing a triathlon or climbing a mountain. You have to train for it, you have to get help, and it’s not just about your health. It’s about a great personal achievement that will leave you a stronger and more confident person. That’s another great motivation to quit smoking.
And if you do start up again - see “Picking Yourself Up Again” on page 16. Managing Stress: 3 Simple Tools
There is no stress-free path through life. That’s actually a good thing. No stress means no challenge, and no challenge means you become bored, boring, and weak. But there is certainly such a thing as too much stress, and all too many people experience that. I can’t make your stress go away, but I can give you three great tools to handle it.1. Happy Hands “Happy Hands” is the name one of my stop-smoking clients gave to a technique that’s officially known as “anchoring”. One of the tracks that comes with my full stop smoking online course (Smokefree Life) talks you through the process, but here it is written down:
1. Sit somewhere you won’t be disturbed or distracted, where you’ll be comfortable and where you can relax. (Preferably somewhere you don’t usually smoke – and, of course, don’t smoke during the exercise!)
2. Close your eyes and gently relax your body. Think about a fine sunny day and a beautiful blue sky above you, or something else that helps you be peaceful and relaxed.
3. Now think about a memory of a time when you were really resourceful, when you were feeling in control, maybe when you’d just achieved something you were proud of. Make that memory as vivid as you can – hear what you heard, see what you saw, feel what you felt, fill your five senses with it. Turn up the volume and clarity.
4. Gently press your thumb against one of your fingers (any one) and associate that touch with the good positive feeling. 5. Let go of the memory and the finger press.
You may have to practice that a few times, but what it does is it gives you a way to retrieve that good, strong, resourceful feeling whenever you need it, just by pressing your thumb and fingers together. I use this technique whenever I’m really stressed, and it’s great. So effective.
2. Relaxation Response
The Relaxation Response is the name that Dr Herbert Benson uses for a shift in the way your body and brain work. You can either be tensed up, with your body ready to fight or run away, or else you can be relaxed, with your body working on fixing itself up and healing itself and carrying on all the other important dayto-day tasks. You can’t have both at once.
It’s easy enough to switch over to relaxation mode, too. Here’s one way that I’ve taught many of my clients. I use a version of it myself in the middle of the afternoon to perk myself up and give myself more energy.
1. Choose a word or short phrase as a focus. If you have religious or spiritual beliefs, you could use a name, word or phrase associated with those beliefs; if not, choose one which reflects important values to you, like “peace” or “compassion”.
2. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably. 3. Close your eyes.
4. Progressively relax your muscles, either from head to foot or foot to head. Let your muscles relax, don’t try to “make” them relax. Become aware of any tension in them, and allow that tension to release as if it was leaking out, becoming a mist and evaporating.
5. Breathe slowly and deeply, but without forcing, and say your focus word or phrase silently to yourself on each outbreath. Focus on the feeling of your breath going in and out below your navel, as if you were breathing through your navel. 6. Thoughts will come to mind. Let them go past. 7. If you find you have followed a trail of thoughts away from your repetition, just gently let the thoughts go and return to your focus on the next breath. 8. Use a timer to signal you after 10 to 20 minutes. 9. When the timer goes off, let other thoughts gradually return for a minute or so, then open your eyes and sit for another minute before standing. 10. Practice once or twice daily. Good times are before breakfast and before dinner, but any time is fine.3. Welcoming Practice
This is the third of the practices I regularly use myself to calm myself down in stressful situations. The “Happy Hands” is good for a quick calm-down when you’re starting to talk yourself into being tense. The Relaxation Response is a good daily practice to lower your general levels of stress. The Welcoming Practice is for those moments when you feel really angry, or afraid, or sad.
The practice is very simple, and it’s in three parts. 1. Become aware of how the emotion feels in your body. Is it hot or cold, tense or loose, rough or smooth? What colour would it have if it had a colour? What sound would it have if it made a sound? Take your time.
2. Connect to that feeling and welcome it by name: “Welcome, anger”(or whatever it is). This sounds strange, but what you’re doing is acknowledging that the anger is there for a reason and that it’s OK to feel it. You’re not resisting it or pushing it away (but you’re not letting it make your decisions for you, either.) Take your time.
3. When it’s ready to go, let it go. If you follow steps 1 and 2 (you may have to swap between them a couple of times), quite soon the emotion should start to drain away. Just let it go. You’ve noticed the situation, so now you don’t need the emotion to draw your attention to it or help you deal with it. Take your time.
Of course, if you’re in a physically threatening situation, you do need the boost that emotion gives your body and mind. In this case it’s fine to let the emotion flow and make you stronger, faster and better at noticing things. (If it’s not doing that, though, take a few moments to let it go. It will only interfere with getting out of the situation.)
There’s a lot more material like this in my free Simple Stress Management Techniques course, including four more quick techniques of stress management, a whole ebook on how to get off the emotional hamster wheel where you keep ending up in the same bad place, four audio tracks, 5 videos, a checklist of 24 things you can do to improve your sleep, and emails which take you through the process a small step at a time. Do sign up, it’s free and it’s all good stuff: Simple Stress Management Techniques.
Exercise: A Better Strategy for Stress Relief
Another great strategy for stress management, health, personal development, mood management and just about everything is exercise. There haven’t been a lot of studies done on exercise and addiction, but what research there is suggests that exercise is a powerful way to help you stop smoking for good. There are a few reasons for this:1. Exercise helps to normalise your brain chemistry and smooth out your moods. You’ll feel better on average and won’t miss the cigarettes as much.2. Exercise promotes good breathing. Part of the hit you get from a cigarette is because you’re pulling oxygen deeply into your lungs. Deep breathing is a good strategy to help cravings pass off. 3. Exercise is good for your body. It stresses your body just a bit, enough to stimulate it to grow and strengthen but not enough to harm it (if you’re doing the right exercise at the right intensity). This can help your body heal from the negative health effects of smoking.
4. Movement is a good distraction. Especially early on in your process of becoming smokefree, moving around is a good way to distract your mind and body from cravings and other stop-smoking withdrawal symptoms.
5. Exercise gives you a better reward. Nicotine fools the pleasure and reward mechanisms of your brain, but exercise stimulates them too, and replaces a false reward with a real one. Besides all that, succeeding at one challenge helps give you confidence to succeed at another. Your goal of stopping smoking and your exercise goals can support each other.
Talk to your doctor before you take on more than mild exercise. (The doctor is unlikely to discourage you, but may have suggestions about what kind of exercise is most appropriate.) And talk to a local gym, personal trainer or health coach about your goals and a plan for achieving them.
Teaming Up: Getting a Group Together
Group support is one of the things that helps people stop smoking. Why not organise a group in your local area - or even on Facebook or some other website? (There was a recent study that suggested a social network group online did help people quit smoking.)
Here are some simple tips for a successful stop-smoking group. 1. Publicise it in the right places. That might be flyers on lamp-posts, a community noticeboard, a website or in a publication like a local newspaper or newsletter. Think about where people like you who want to stop smoking are likely to see it. You don’t need a big advertising budget – some community publications will publicise it for free if you make it an interesting story.
2. Be decisive. If you’re all wishy-washy and try to find out when people are free and what time suits them and where would be a good place and how should we run it, it’ll never get off the ground. Decide on a time and place and format that suit you, and advertise that. Give people something definite to respond to.
3. Have a simple format. If nothing is planned, people will sit around staring at each other uncomfortably. If everything is planned with a stopwatch, it’ll be too much. Make sure you cover the basics: Everyone gets to talk (going round the circle), maybe you or someone else does a brief presentation (you can use any of the material in this ebook – tell them where you got it!), and there should be some social time before or after with basic refreshments available.
4. Make a safe space. The group should be somewhere that people feel comfortable being honest if they’re having a tough time (or if they’re having a great time), without feeling that they’re going to be put down or disrespected for whatever they’re experiencing. Talking genuinely about how you feel is a great way of dealing with all kinds of emotions, and it brings a group together.
5. It’s over when it’s over. It’s a good idea to have a pre-announced period of time that the group will meet – every night for a week or two weeks, or every week for six or eight weeks, for example, depending on what kind of people you are targeting and how much time they have. You can always decide to extend it if it’s going well and people want to keep meeting. But if nobody’s coming any more or the group has served its purpose, let it finish.
Picking Yourself Up Again
Not everyone will tell you this, because they don’t want to get you thinking about the possibility of “failure”. But most people who successfully stop smoking need several goes at it (the average is about 5). Of course, the more and better your stop-smoking resources, the better your chances of beating that average.
I have three more things to say about that. 1. There is no such thing as one cigarette. One is too many and a thousand aren’t enough. If you start smoking again, particularly within a couple of years, you reactivate all of the parts of your brain that like getting nicotine, and they will take charge of you again. You don’t want that.
2. Having said that, starting smoking again is not failure. It’s feedback. It’s letting you know that there is still something you need to sort out in order to reach your goal of being smokefree. Learn from it, and don’t be ashamed to go back and ask for more help from the people who helped you before. (Go and watch the videos I made with my client Sarah James if you want some inspiration.)
3. If you start again, stop again. Treat it as a new beginning. Dive back into the resources you have, maybe try another method, get some extra help, but beat it one way or another.
Where I grew up, in the western part of Auckland, New Zealand, there are a lot of immigrant families from what is now Croatia. A lot of them have vineyards and orchards, and my father used to buy wine from a particular old fellow called Tony.
Now Tony used to always have a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but one day Dad noticed that he didn’t have one, and said something about it to him. “Ya,”he said in his heavy accent. “Every morning, cough, cough, cough, think lungs come up. One day I look at cigarette packet and I say, This basta’ boss or I boss? Then I throw him in rubbish tin, never touch him again.”
Not everyone can quit smoking just like that. But I tell that story because of old Tony’s eloquent words of inspiration for everyone who wants to stop smoking. You have to ask yourself: This basta’ boss or I boss? And don’t stop until you’ve beaten it. Guide to Resources
I have a list of stop-smoking resources on my website. I won’t reproduce them here, because I update that list from time to time and it’s easier to keep it in just one place.
I also provide a set of resources as part of the Smokefree Life online stop-smoking course. These are audio tracks to help you through the process of stopping smoking, to help you with motivation to quit smoking, stress management and the shifts in thinking you need to make when giving up smoking. They use simple self-hypnosis techniques to help you focus on your goals and give your energy to the things you really want to do.
I’m a trained and registered hypnotherapist, and I promise you that these tracks are safe and pleasant to listen to. They don’t enable me to “control” you (that’s a Hollywood myth), and you won’t end up doing anything harmful or embarrassing because you listen to them.
Here’s a summary of the tracks:l Integration: Helps you to “pull yourself together” so that you don’t have one part of yourself resisting the change. Use this track early in the process, and whenever you feel yourself resisting. l Cable to the Future: Helps to focus your mind on your stop-smoking goal and draw you towards it. Use this track if your motivation to quit smoking needs a boost. l Letting Go: Helps you let go of your past behaviours, thoughts and feelings around smoking and replace them with new and better ones for the future. Use this track early on and as often as you need it.
l Smokefree Life: Helps to make the process of giving up smoking easier. Use this track every day until you feel free. l The Marty McFly Technique: A motivational time tour that strengthens your motivation for change. Use this one as an alterative to Cable to the Future – try them both and use whichever you prefer.
If you already bought the course, you can log on here and pick up those tracks (you get a password when you sign up).
If you want to buy the stop-smoking course, you can get it here: Smokefree Life online course
I price it deliberately low, at the price of a couple of packs of cigarettes or less, because I want to remove one more excuse for not doing it. I hope you’ll give it your best shot and rise to this great personal development challenge of giving up smoking.
Hair Growth Survival Guide
The best way to reduce breakage, maintain the hairs moisture and PH levels and promote hair growth is by doing and avoiding the following things:
Stop Shrinkage & Damage
One of the best ways to avoid shrinkage and maintain the hairs moisture is to use a hair diffuser. If you are wearing a curly style and want to avoid a lot of shrinkage a diffuser helps to gently dry the hair but still maintains the hairs length while it is wet.
Detangle the Hair – always handle your hair with care. Never pull or tug on the hair especially when it’s wet. If your hair is tangles take one hair at a time and slowly and gently pull the hair so it slides smoothly out of the tangle. If you get too impatient and pull the hair it can easily tear causing unnecessary breakage. Detangle gently from the ends upward using the fingers first followed by a wide-tooth comb. An excellent detangler is Infusium 23 or Terax Crema Conditioner.
What You Should Know!
Did you know that over 80% of women have dirt, cholesterol or bacteria built-up on the root of their hair due to sticky products used throughout their lifetime? It's very difficult to get rid of this residue build-up on the hair. And of course we all want our curly hair to shine. Check out this home recipe that will leave your hair shiny and free of the ugly gloom of product build-up. Natural Home Conditioner
To maintain shiny locks and to remove any residue, follow this hair maintenance recipe. Don't forget to try a patch test first to ensure you have no allergic reactions.
• Wash hair with a clarifying shampoo.
• After shampoo is rinsed and is squeezed to remove as much water as possible, soak your hair in a diluted mixture of water and apple cider vinegar (ACV). Use 2 cups of water with 2 table spoons of apple cider vinegar.
Pour the mixture of ACV and water on the scalp from the roots then down to the tips of the hair or use a spray bottle.
Leave diluted mixture on the hair for about 5-10 minutes. Cover your curly cues with a plastic cap and wrap head with a warm towel.
Rinse hair with warm water thoroughly to ensure all or any build-up has been removed from the hair. This hair treatment can be done every two weeks or possibly once a month - depending on the condition of the hair. This handy recipe adds sheen and softness to your hair. www.CurlyHairSalon.com
Used as a hair rinse, vinegar neutralizes the alkali left by shampoos. This recipe can be used for all hair types to add sheen and softness to your hair.
THE BIG NO NO!!!
Hair Stylist Dwayne Pressley says combination shampoos (i.e., two-in-one shampoo/conditioners should be avoided at all costs. No two-in-one can clean, soften, strengthen, and shine the hair in one application, says Pressley. Shampoos and conditioners perform two separate tasks and there is no product out there that does both in one application...don't waste your money. Well, he's the expert.
SPECIAL CURLY HAIR TIP!
Make sure you get enough protein in your diet. Dairy products and red meat are essential to having bouncy curly hair. A lack of protein in your diet will affect the color of your hair. For example, if you do lack protein, your hair color will change in color from black to orangey red.
Steam Treat Your Hair:
Steam treatments promote easy absorption of water and moisturizers from conditioners to deeply penetrate the hair shaft. Use a steam treatment especially when deep conditioning your hair. Simply use a warm towel to cover wet hair after a shampoo wash or a steam cap for 20-30 minutes. Follow it with a warm then a cool rinse. The warmth of the steam will open up the pores and help remove any dirt on the hair and scalp. The cool rinse will close the pores and hair shaft to further protect the hair from any damage. This is an excellent routine to do every two weeks.
Extensions need pampering too…
If you are wearing artificial or human-hair extensions it’s very important that you care for your scalp during this period. These extensions can wreck havoc on the hair because they remove the
hairs natural moisture content but also they stop moisture from reaching your hair. While wearing extensions (regardless of whether they are artificial or not) always treat your scalp with a gentle massage using a scalp moisturizing cream or natural olive oil. A great scalp massage cream that’s not too oily or expensive is the Head and Shoulders Soothing Lotion for Dry ScalpLeave-in Treatment or the Jane Carter Solution Scalp Nourishing Serum. Carol’s Daughter also has a line of scalp treatments available as well.
Deep Condition Braids!
If you are wearing braid extensions don’t forget to condition them. Since braids can remove the natural moisture content from our hair underneath, it’s essential to moisturize. A great tip is using a bottle with a diluted mix of water and a few drops of vitamin E oil. Spray this mixture on your braids to promote moisture penetration. This with help prevent knotting of the hair as well as shedding when the hair is taken down. A good moisturizer is also important on the day you’re going to take out your braid extensions. Take Down Hair Moisturizing Cream is an excellent braid remover.
Also, after washing your hair always be sure your hair is completely dry to avoid bacteria and mildew from forming. A great tip is using a micro-fiber towel to help absorb water quicker.
Essential Ingredients for your Curly Hair:
Naturally curly hair requires moisture to restore it and keep it looking shiny. Ethnic curly hair especially needs to have lots of moisture. However, most ethnic products contain low end oils that weigh down and coat the hair, while non-ethnic products dry the hair - not adding enough moisture keeping it looking dull.
Here are some essential ingredients to look for when shopping for your curly hairproducts….
Amino Silk Acids (protein), Whole Oats, Wheat Germ, Jojoba, Avocado and Coconut Oil. These natural ingredients add and maintain the hairs natural moisture balance keeping it looking shiny, bouncy and manageable.
HAIR TIP: If your scalp is itchy or flakey, pour some diluted mixture of water and Sea Breeze or Witch Hazel on a cotton ball and dab it on your scalp to take away the itchiness or flakes.
www.CurlyHairSalon.com
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Best Brushes for Your Hair!
Many people don't realize the importance of having the right hair brush. According to the national sales director of Mason Pearson brushes, Robert Sansone suggests using a boar bristle brush because the material used in the brush is the closest in structure and composition to human hair, so it won't cause any damage to the hair.
A Mason Pearson Brush is great for short curly hairstyle – especially thick curls like the TWA (teeny, weeny, afro) or any other short curly style. For best results use it on wet hair along with styling products. It helps to mold the hair in the desired style while still making your hair look natural and soft.
1) Use the pure bristled brush for short hair.
2) Use the nylon-spiked bristle brush for textured or thick hair. Remember to opt for the highest grade bristles you can get. Although these may be moreexpensive, it's worth it!
**It's recommended that for thick or curly hair, try a brush made of a combination
of boar and nylon bristles. This makes it easier for the brush to penetrate highly
textured hair.**
IS YOUR HAIR HEALTHY?
HOME HAIR TEST
Did you know that you can identify how healthy your hair is by doing an at-home hair test? Try this! Pull a strand of your hair out and put it through a sewing needle. If the hair slides through it's fine or probably straight. If you have problems threading the needle or if it gets caught along the way, your hair is probably thick, wavy or curly.
Another test is to fill a glass with water. Take a strand of your hair and place it in the glass of water. If your hair floats, it's healthy or may be a bit oily. As you know, oil floats when added to water.
If your hair sinks, the hair is absorbing a great deal of water. This means that your hair lacks moisture so it must be dry.
Like to Snack?
Necessary Foods for Growing Long Healthy Hair
Well, instead of grabbing a bag of chips or a chocolate bar, how about grabbing a snack that will grow your hair!
Never thought it was possible? Well, it is!
Here are some healthy snacks guaranteed to add length to your curls. (But you have to eatthem on a regular basis).
• Almonds
• Raisons
• Oranges
• Whole-grain Snack Bar
• Strawberries
• Fish liver oils
• Liver
• Dark green vegetables
• Yellow Vegetables
• Pumpkin
• Dairy Products
• Fish
• Eggs
• Prunes
• Chicken
• Beef Salmon
www.CurlyHairSalon.com
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Blow Drying Tip
When blow drying your hair, it's important to know that heat encourages static causing hair to become frizzy and fly-away.
The best way to reduce static is by misting your brush with serum or a leave-in conditioner to calm your hair down. Do not use hairspray as this will dry the hair more.
Curly Towel Tip
Did you know that the fabric you use to dry your hair makes a huge difference in the wayyour curls look?
Do you ever question what towel fabric you use to dry your hair? Most people use a basic cotton towel on their hair after each wash. The hairs wet, they roll up their hair in the towel to get out most of the wetness, but what they fail to realize is this cotton towel is an enemy of curls. It makes hair frizzy and flyaway.
The best towel to use is the micro fiber towel. When your hair is wet, hold the head upside down and scrunch the micro fiber towel on your hair. Whether you air dry your hair or use a diffuser or blow dryer, the micro fiber towel cuts down the drying time which is especially good during the winter months.
The micro fiber towel absorbs seven times its weight in water. It's thick and soft and absorbs moisture, drying the hair quickly. They also have micro fiber turbans that sits even more comfortably on your head. A must have accessory!
NEVER leave in braid extensions or weaves in the hair more than 3 months! Why? It can cause atrophy or cause the hair to lock. If you don’t want your extensions growing into dreadlocks, remove them prior to 3 months.
Always use a wide-tooth comb with curly hair. But also make sure you’re altering your conditioning treatments. This ensures that your hair receives the right balance of moisture and protein. Consider Redken’s Extreme CAT Protein Reconsturctor or Barry Fletcher’s MajorMoisture Deep Penetrating Conditioner.
Best Natural Oils for the Scalp
Wondering what the 411 is on oiling the scalp? Some say it is essential while others claim it’s not necessary. According to hair stylist Ellin LaVar, she recommends staying away from www.CurlyHairSalon.com
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products that clog the scalp, LaVar suggests grape-seed and pequi oils – two highly nourishing products in her Nourish Oil. These oils are lightweight and won’t weigh the hair down. VEGETABLE GLYCERIN:
Glycerin has been used for centuries throughout history as a natural wonder for hair and skin. It has been discovered as a byproduct of the soap-making process. However, it's also excellent on naturally curly hair.
Glycerin has been shown to hold moisture when applied to wet skin and hair. Choosing a shampoo with glycerin as an ingredient will help to keep naturally curly hair moisturized. It can also be used on its own as an all-natural non-irritating shampoo. Vegetable glycerin is excellent for tightly curled hair, especially in multi-ethnic women. It is a natural moisturizer that helps tame frizzy hair.
It is also very good for use on the body. For those with sensitive skin, it’s a nice natural cosmetic alternative.
You can find glycerin at any health food store.
OATMEAL DELIGHT! – DRY SCALP REMOVAL RECIPE
Like eating oatmeal, well how about wearing it!
With the spring season here a great exfoliating recipe is what I call, Oatmeal Delight!
Oatmeal scrubs and soaps are known for their ability to exfoliate dead, scaly skin cells that can accumulate on the skin. It's especially effective on the hair and scalp. Just cook up some oatmeal in boiling water and let it cool. Then add it to the scalp and hair carefully massaging with your fingertips. The oatmeal actually removes dry, itchy skin and dry scalp while adding moisture to dry hair.
Hydrolized oat protein is very effective as a volumizer to tired curls because it penetrates the hair shaft and reduces frizzies.
HAIR TIP! ** Never use elastics on the hair! Never pull or tug at the hair when pulling it back in a ponytail. If you choose to put your hair in a ponytail don’t do it too often to avoid damage, friction and breakage.
Natural Hair Conditioner
If your curls are feeling a bit dry, check out this natural hair conditioner using natural plants. Don't forget to do a small patch test first to ensure you don't have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients.
Rosemary Hot Oil Treatment (For Dry Hair)
• 1/2 cup of dried rosemary leaves
• 1/2 cup olive oil
Mix ingredients on warm heat. Let cool until the temperature is warm then strain. Coat the entire scalp and ends of hair with the oil mixture. Wrap hair in a plastic cap and a towel over the top and leave on for 15 minutes.
Wash hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove the oil. Use this treatment every two weeks or when your hair needs a deep conditioning.
It leaves your hair shiny and re-hydrated.
Hold Up on the Heat! Don’t use heat like dryers and flat irons on the hair more than twice a week to protect your hair. If you want a smooth finish consider a night time hair wrap with a silk scarf or hair wrap to leave the hair looking smooth and shiny in the morning.
How to Maintain Your Hair Color
If you've recently colored your hair, here are some great tips for maintaining your hair color and avoid fading:
As you probably already know, hair color can be very drying on our hair that's why extra conditioning is always necessary.
But what's also necessary is to avoid shampoos made with castile soaps or oils that can strip the color from your hair. The best shampoos are those with extra conditioning properties like Aveda, Revlon or Thermasilk.
These shampoos offer color-maintenance... and you know great color always adds that extra touch of pizzaz to any look!
www.CurlyHairSalon.com
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Pomegranate Hair Secret!
Find out why pomegranates are a must-have for your hair! I know it soundsstrange but pomegranates really do make all the difference in having great hair. Pomegranates are one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants!
Did you know that pomegranates contain the most potent antioxidants called flavonoids that guard the body against bacteria, harmful molecules and prevent premature aging? The best part of it all is that you can eat it and wear it! Pomegranates are great at adding shine and removing dryness from the hair.
Try this Pomegranate / Cranberry Infused Shampoo:
• 2 ¼ fl oz liquid castile soap
• 1 tsp liquid glycerine
• 2 tsp pomegranate juice
• 4 tsp cranberry juice
Combine all ingredients and pour into glass bottles. Make sure to shake well prior to use. Rinse hair and then lather in shampoo. Do not keep this mixture for more than 10 days. This natural shampoo should also be kept refrigerated.
Top 10 Healthy Hair Foods!
Eat the right foods for your hair!
Here are the top 10 Healthy Foods for Your Hair!
1. Seaweed
2. Citrus Fruits like oranges and grapefruits
3. Blueberries
4. Sardines and Salmon
5. Lentils
6. Eggs
7. Wheat bran and Wheat germ
8. Watercress, Spinach, Kale
9. Brown Rice
10. Cantaloupe
Vitamins C and Vitamins E are essential to good hair too! www.CurlyHairSalon.com
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When hair begins to start thinning and losing sheen as we age, it’s essential that you look at your diet.
Make sure you eat foods that are antioxidant-rich and anti-inflammatory foods like berries - blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Beans like red kidney beans and pinto beans are excellent for hair growth and are anti-oxidant rich.
Also raisins, figs, prunes, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts and skim milk are also excellent healthy foods that foster increased hair growth and shine. And instead of grabbing that can of Coke, consider green tea instead. Green tea is antioxidantrich and prevents the production of DHT from binding and blocking the hair follicles. It basically allows for the hair follicles to open up and allows the hair to grow freely. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves of the tea plant. It’s a healthy, natural alternative to sugary drinks that only slow down hair growth. Green tea is a great alternative!
ALL-NATURAL HAIR MASK RECIPE
Here is a wonderful all-natural recipe you can use on your hair:BANANA HAIR MASK:
Bananas are a great moisturizer for tired, droopy hair. Bananas contain minerals and nutrients that also can actually restore damaged and dry hair. Olive oil on the other hand replaces lost natural oils but can add shine to tired curls.
Try this recipe, but remember to do a small patch test first on your wrist to ensure you don’t have an allergic reaction. If you are allergic than this recipe is not for you. On a brighter note, if your curls need an all-natural pick-me-up, check out this banana hair mask recipe:
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tbsp olive oil
Mash the banana and olive oil with a fork in a bowl. Make sure it becomes a nice smooth paste then apply to wet hair from root to ends. Massage into hair and leave on for 30 minutes with the hair wrapped in plastic with a warm towel covering it.
Rinse hair with warm water and then shampoo and condition the hair as usual. Your hair will feel revived, more manageable and have more shine!
Get your own personal Guide!
If you found this free e-book informative and you’re looking for the other new ways to care for your curls, then the Curly Hair Guide may be your best option. If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide to growing longer healthier hair, you’ll find all the information you need in this all-in-one informative guide.
Want to know:
• How To Find Out if Where You Live Could Be Killing Your Hair
• How to Stop Hairline Breakage
• Know Exactly What to Look for When Shopping for Shampoos
• Ingredients to Stay Away From
• Best Natural Shampoos, Gels, Styling Products and Natural Hair Coloring
• Losing Hair – Find out Exactly What You Must Do NOW to Stop Your Hair Loss
• Learn what NEVER to Put on Your Scalp & How to Have a Healthy Problem-free Scalp
+ … so much more!
*** You’ll learn this and more now!...
See what others have said about this guide:
“... I must say that even though it is geared toward curly-haired types, I think that
anyone can benefit from the information in this e-book. You've provided tips and
solutions for just about every hair question or concern imaginable. I can't wait to try
the natural shampoo recipes! At this very moment, I have a deep conditioner of olive oil
and tea-tree oil in my hair. It seems to work during the really dry winters. But, there
are a whole heap of other conditioners in your book that I can’t wait to try”.
Stop Armpit Sweating
Axillary sweating or excessive armpit sweating as an isolated type of excessive sweating presents surgeons a somewhat complicated and difficult issue. The sweat glands in the armpit area are made of two types of sweat glands; Apocrine and Eccrine glands.
The Eccrine glands are responsible for the production of watery and clear sweat that does not produce odor. They are innervated by sympathetic fibers. The Apocrine glands are responsible for the production of more of the thick sweat which also is the cause of the odor in the armpits. Attempts to control excessive armpit sweating should always start with conservative measures.
Cure for Excessive Armpit Sweating
As we have stated in other parts of this website Dr. Reisfeld believes that in cases of combined excessive sweating (meaning more than one type of sweating) that includes the hands, armpits and feet then endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy at the level of T3, T4 and T5 will provide those patients with a good success rate for their armpit problem. In this very specific combination the success rate for the hands is about 98-99%, for the armpits about 85-90% and for the feet about 15%.
As we have stated in other parts of this website Dr. Reisfeld believes that in cases of combined excessive sweating (meaning more than one type of sweating) that includes the hands, armpits and feet then endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy at the level of T3, T4 and T5 will provide those patients with a good success rate for their armpit problem. In this very specific combination the success rate for the hands is about 98-99%, for the armpits about 85-90% and for the feet about 15%.
It should be understood that isolated surgical procedures for excessive armpit sweating provide great results but almost never provide a 100% solution. There are basically three main surgical methods to stop excessive armpit sweating. In the past excision of the skin in the armpit area provided a solution but it was associated with scarring and sometimes slight movement limitations. Even with this method the success rate was never 100%. The next method which is called axillary suction currettage provides an equal success rate to the older excisional method but with a improved recovery, extremely small scars and no loss of the hair bearing area.
Laser Armpit Sweat Treatment (New & Improved Method)
Doctor Reisfeld is currently working with a new technique for excessive axillary sweating. In this new approach energy is produced by a laser beam is delivered through an extremely small incision. The laser energy destroys the sweat glands and produces results equal to the previous methods. The benefits of this method are extremely small incisions, extremely quick recovery time, less tissue trauma and the ability to do the procedure just with very mild general sedation. Adding a mechanical suction-currettage at the end of the laser ablation gives another dimension to assure a more successful end result. To summarize at present the combination of the laser ablation technique and the mechanical suction currettage technique are being combined to assure a higher success rate for the patient.
Doctor Reisfeld is currently working with a new technique for excessive axillary sweating. In this new approach energy is produced by a laser beam is delivered through an extremely small incision. The laser energy destroys the sweat glands and produces results equal to the previous methods. The benefits of this method are extremely small incisions, extremely quick recovery time, less tissue trauma and the ability to do the procedure just with very mild general sedation. Adding a mechanical suction-currettage at the end of the laser ablation gives another dimension to assure a more successful end result. To summarize at present the combination of the laser ablation technique and the mechanical suction currettage technique are being combined to assure a higher success rate for the patient.
This breakthrough procedure is only intended for those who have already tried alternative methods without any success .Minors under the age of 18 must have their parents contact us on their behalf.
Causes of Axillary Hyperhidrosis
The patho-physiology of excessive armpit sweating is somewhat complicated but basically it represents overstimulating of the sympathetic nervous system. There are some other reasons such as specific food, anxiety, stress, and emotional stimuli, all of which can add to the problem.
The patho-physiology of excessive armpit sweating is somewhat complicated but basically it represents overstimulating of the sympathetic nervous system. There are some other reasons such as specific food, anxiety, stress, and emotional stimuli, all of which can add to the problem.
Diagnosis
Basically the clinical history is the main source of diagnosis. Patients can describe their conditions very vividly and easily and obviously there are different grades of severity (mild, moderate, to severe). One has to exclude the possibility of a secondary axillary sweating which can be a manifestation of other medical ailments. For further evaluation about these possibilities one should consult a physician.
Basically the clinical history is the main source of diagnosis. Patients can describe their conditions very vividly and easily and obviously there are different grades of severity (mild, moderate, to severe). One has to exclude the possibility of a secondary axillary sweating which can be a manifestation of other medical ailments. For further evaluation about these possibilities one should consult a physician.
New Information
Over the last year or two clinical trials are being conducted to see whether laser ablation of the axillary (armpit) sweat glands is a satisfactory treatment for excessive armpit sweating. The method is known as sub dermal laser ablation (SDLA). So far the amount of patients involved in these studies is small and the follow-up time is short so more time is needed to obtain definite results. Basically the procedure is very similar to axillary suction curettage which involves a more mechanical removal of the sweat glands. As Dr. Reisfeld researches this more we will update his findings here and or you are welcome to contact our office.
Over the last year or two clinical trials are being conducted to see whether laser ablation of the axillary (armpit) sweat glands is a satisfactory treatment for excessive armpit sweating. The method is known as sub dermal laser ablation (SDLA). So far the amount of patients involved in these studies is small and the follow-up time is short so more time is needed to obtain definite results. Basically the procedure is very similar to axillary suction curettage which involves a more mechanical removal of the sweat glands. As Dr. Reisfeld researches this more we will update his findings here and or you are welcome to contact our office.
As more experience is gained it seems that the combination of the sub dermal laser ablation (SDLA) and axillary suction currettage have the best results compared to either method by itself. To be clear Dr. Reisfeld has seen better results when he combines both methods to address armpit sweating. As a world leader in the field of hyperhidrosis Dr. Reisfeld is continually working on developing improved techniques for better results.
Recent observations have shown reduced success rates for patients of African American descent. More research needs to be conducted in order to better understand this phenomenon.
Insurance Issues
Unfortunately the insurance companies typically disregard severe armpit sweating as a medical problem and do not cover it in most cases. We hope this will change in the future but in the meantime we have to charge the patient for these services. It is important for every patient to try conservative methods given by a doctor, keep the records, and this might give the patients an ability to bill their insurance companies after the operation. To discuss it further with Dr. Reisfeld or the office staff do not hesitate to call at any time. Our experience with these issues should be of benefit to you.
Unfortunately the insurance companies typically disregard severe armpit sweating as a medical problem and do not cover it in most cases. We hope this will change in the future but in the meantime we have to charge the patient for these services. It is important for every patient to try conservative methods given by a doctor, keep the records, and this might give the patients an ability to bill their insurance companies after the operation. To discuss it further with Dr. Reisfeld or the office staff do not hesitate to call at any time. Our experience with these issues should be of benefit to you.
Summary
The experience of Dr. Reisfeld obtained since about 1995 shows that for cases that involve only armpit sweating one should try all the above methods before embarking on the suction curettage procedure. ETS is not recommended for isolated excessive armpit sweating.
The experience of Dr. Reisfeld obtained since about 1995 shows that for cases that involve only armpit sweating one should try all the above methods before embarking on the suction curettage procedure. ETS is not recommended for isolated excessive armpit sweating.
Increase Height-Grow Taller
We don’t always need to spend much money to make our body grows much taller than it is now. As getting
taller is exciting for man and women, young and elders, some people dare to pay extra cash to make sure
that their height is increasing a few inches taller in a few months or even weeks. For wealth people with a
bulk of dollars in their deposit or bank account, such choice will be no problem at all. On the contrary,
average people with low middle monthly income seems to have no chance to doing so. That’s why the
option to increase height naturally is inevitable and more appropriate to go for. Saying this option is more
economic, it doesn’t mean that the haves cannot apply the natural method of increasing height. Still, they
are worthy applying the ways recommended while saving their cash at the same time.
Step 1: Avoid from bad habit of food intake. Bad food intake can cause no good effects to the growth of
the body. On the contrary, good food in which enough protein and nutrition can help maintain the health
and that leads the growing height. Milk, fish, soybean cake, and eggs are good examples of such nutritional
food to consume.
Step 2: Time management is a must. We need to have sufficient break time from exhausting jobs at work.
The best rest is sleeping of course. The muscles and broken cells are getting repaired during a sleep. Having
good habit of sleeping will support the process of your efforts to increase height naturally.
Step 3: Routine exercises present the principal contribution for the growth of the body. We don’t need to
choose the hard forms of exercises. Start simple like short jogging every morning for 10 to 15 minutes. As
you get used to doing so, you can try to have routine swimming or sit-up fitness as you please. In time, this
will help grow your muscles to increase height naturally.
Again, we don’t need to pay expensively to grow much taller than we are at the moment. Try to follow the
steps above and reap the benefits from such simple tips to increase height naturally.
How To Lose Weight Fast
Is it possible to lose weight by a single meal a day?
Eating one meal per day isnt sufficient for the whole day s activity. Each meal should provide you the nutrients that are essential for ever day dosage. If you deprive yourself from eating 3 meals a day, your body can get weaker in no time. Eventually, you may soon develop to resist food intake which will then drive you into starvation.
As you starve, your body will depend on your stored fat in order to find a way to regain some energy. You wont know when your fat will deplete, and when you know, it may be too late to turn odds. It is a risky decision that should not be taken for granted. Make a room for another choice; if you badly need to get slim, eat healthy meals three times a day.
The idea of this weight loss can be considered as a manifestation of fasting. Like fasting, food limitation plays the vital role. As compared to a book, no matter how healthy fasting could be, sometimes, you just cant deny the idea that just a meal a day is definitely a deprivation.
Exercise will lend you a lot of help. By exercising, you could be burning off 500 calories after eating of about 300-400 calories meal and it is sure way enough to jump start your weight loss exercise. You have will have burned 200 excess calories. Its a choice of balance; you can do more burning and lose more weight.
You have to have a strong will to lose weight. Even if you lose weight with one meal per day, it would be like suicide. You only get to live once, so take your every step as cautious as you could be.
Do Carbohydrates make us fat?
Eating foods low in carbohydrates is what we usually see in diet programs and advertisements nowadays. They claim that with lower carbohydrate intake, customers shall see a rapid improvement. But is that so?
Carbohydrates do not generally make us fat. This is a common misunderstanding by most people who want to lose weight. Perhaps some are just mislead to the idea because carbohydrates contribute a lot to the blood sugar content of our body which, if unconsumed will be deposited and stocked. Additionally, it is also may be due to the fact that carbohydrates do contain a lot of calories which is the energy of our body, and if unconsumed will likewise cause fabulous bodies to turn to “flabulous” ones.
Note how the word is unconsumed is repeated in either cases. Yes, only if unconsumed shall this thing become threatening. So how can we solve this? We make sure we burn calories as much or more than we take in. We can get rid of the unwanted excessive deposits of sugar and calories in our body then by taking proper diet, amount of water and amount of exercise.
Also take into consideration the other type of carbohydrates, the good carbohydrates. Good carbohydrates are natural carbohydrates that contain dietary fibers, and minerals and vitamins. These minerals and vitamins provide us with sufficient nutrition to get going and fibers can aid proper digestion.
How will my cravings be regulated?
Basically, craving means an intense feeling of eating some specific food, and can be tough to overcome. You dont have to worry about it being an eating disorder because its not. It is a hormonal imbalance due to insufficient healthy nutrients so its totally workable; and here are some ways to get rid of it completely.
Dosage
Foods with high levels of sugar are mostly womens cravings. These include chocolates, cakes, pastries and other desserts. However, for a fact, these foods alter a lot if we mean to talk about hormonal balance and effect. The lesser sugar intake will be a lot better.
Don’t Diet
Food cravings typically happen when you go on a diet plan. When your body feels the insufficient nutrients of your food intake, you will most probably crave for food containing such nutrient.
Take for example; before you follow the diet plan, you were used to eating enough foods rich in carbohydrates like rice, then suddenly the carb intake is being reduced. Upon the reduction, your body will respond to the insufficient nutrient you used to have daily. Then, food craving will soon to develop.
At this state, your body signals may be being mixed, thus causing you low serotonin. Serotonin is a happy hormone. When its low, we feel sad. Hormonal imbalance causes to have low in serotonin. It is true that chocolates make us feel good for a while but at this state, you might just only typically develop a food craving on it.
Do Distractions
Whenever you feel like so much tempted already to eat the “bad” foods, it is always wise to do some distractions. Your conscience can sometimes be credited on disproving the urge to eat unnecessarily. Once you master this, you might just gain the full control of your cravings.
How do I get abs fast?
Do various regular exercises. Focusing on “just” your abs exercises will not help so much compared when you get a total body workout. If you want to lose your abdominal fats, you will have to lose fats on other areas of your body as well. Sounds tough but dont worry, there are some clever ways to get that abs fast.
Do cardio exercises.
Cardio exercises, from the name itself, focuses on strengthening your heart and lungs, and improving your endurance. Exercises like walking, jogging, cycling and swimming enhance your metabolism which in turn help you lose some fats in most areas of the body.
Avoid eating foods with processed carbohydrates.
Processed carbohydrates that are present in breads, cookies and ice cream should be avoided since they contribute a lot of influence in fat gain. These foods are the apples in the eye that cause massive increase in number obese individuals. They are absolutely one of the main reasons for belly fat.
It is recommended that before you do abs exercises, you should remove the fat that covers in that area first. This is to ensure that the muscles youre going to build will not just add up in the fat layer but rather replace it.
Do abs exercises
Now, building the abs exercises is the most crucial part. One should be careful on what exercise to perform. Some exercises may be effective but when done overly rigorous may be very harmful, just as crunching shortens your abs eventually destroys its shape. Any standing exercises aiming for the abs will be an effective alternative.
Always regulate the kind of exercise that you will undergo. Instead of building your muscles, you might end up harming yourself. This will remind you that doing too much exercise is no good at all.
Do this as often as daily
Do the abs exercise as often as daily for a faster result. Spending an hour or two to work on the routine will melt your fats away and build that abdominal muscles you have always wanted to have.
When should I eat— before or after an exercise?
Come to think of it, for as long as you take an equivalent calorie in out, you should in any way be in the same good standing. For a fact, it isnt the exactly the idea of eating before or after exercising that matters the most. It is how much calories you take in and take out.
However, deciding whether to eat before or after exercising may be crucial at certain situations. If you are up for a rigorous exercise that requires a lot of energy, it may be better if you eat before exercising, especially if the training place is at a certain distance away from any stores or meal house. Doing your hard routines would be difficult if you dont get packed by sufficient energy levels as you should be. On the other hand, if youre routine are cardio exercises only, feel free to get moving even without taking a meal first. It is traditional anyway to take cardio exercises before taking breakfast.
Moreover, this meal is what most people call pre-workout meal. A good pre-workout meal ideally contains protein and carbohydrates like a cup of rice and a slice of lean meat. Carbohydrates will provide you enough energy to get going on your routines while proteins ensure and aid muscle build up and repair.
Why do I get hungry all the time after I decided to lose weight?
Starvation is not the key to a successful weight loss. However, if you really want to lose some weight, you will really have to adjust your meal intake especially if it is critically excessive; however, this might probably cause you to get really hungry all the time. Despite that fact, let it not be a reason enough for you to ruin your program. Try to find a solution for this before you quit.
So, chances are, maybe you are not eating enough healthy foods —which is very important. Healthy foods like vegetables and fruits contain dietary fiber that keeps you feel full much longer than those with less dietary fiber. Fiber-rich foods aid proper digestion and help us compose ourselves between meals. Therefore, we shall not have to eat unnecessary snacks as much as possible.
Talking about snacks, take healthy snacks instead of junk foods. An apple or an orange should be enough to get you going. If you feel like you have to, then dont deprive yourself, but make sure you eat the right foods and right amount of them.
One more thing that doctors really advice is to never skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is okay to eat relatively the most at breakfast because activities are expected to be done after this meal. If you wish to eat more, and then make sure you also do activities that can burn more calories to complement your intake.
Finally, never skip meals. Skipping meals is one way to totally blur your goal. Skipping diet is very unhealthy. Despite the intention of trying to get results faster, you are doing the opposite. Skipping meals causes hormonal imbalances to our body and can alter our ideal body condition. It is always advised to eat and never skip healthy meals.
Should the amount of salt in my diet be counted for?
It is important to understand that what we consider here is our everyday preservative that we can find in our kitchens. Aside from being a preservative though, salt or sodium chloride, or iodized salt, is also commonly known as an important ingredient in our recipes to give more flavor and taste as well. To that, different researches have been made up to date to further clarify how much salt can affect our body.
Most commonly, the amount of salt can be found in the label. For a fact, fresh foods contain less salt than canned ones. In some instances too, dietitians believe that highly commercialized dishes may contain more salt than home-made ones do. Thus, it is as always safer and better to pick the fresh and natural ones over canned goods, and make your own favorite recipe than consistently take your meals in a food chain. You may not be aware but theres a big possibility that you have already absorbed more salt than your body needs. Adults are recommended only for sodium intake not to exceed 2400 milligrams per day.
There are different effects on human body when salt is taken, thats why it is important that we must be cautious in what we eat. True that there are bodies that are highly tolerant in salt but there are some as well that should be very sensitive. Those that have very poor tolerance in salt must be careful as they pose the highest risks to salt-related diseases among anyone else.
When things go wrong, salt-related diseases may occur such as kidney malfunction and high blood pressure. Since the kidneys regulate the sodium in our body, when a vast amount of this chemical becomes beyond control of our filtering kidneys, a blood pressure can occur or at worse, a kidney malfunction.
You may need not to worry though since salt has small effect on people with normal blood pressure on average. Yet all of us must remain vigilant to eating unhealthy foods or so not to risk our own lives from serious kidney diseases or infections especially the elderly people.
Naturally, it's constantly a good thing to remember to talk over health concerns with the doctor. And as always, we must keep in mind that a balanced diet is the key to moderate the food matter as well as salt neutralization.
Is Eating More Protein better than Eating More Carbs?
The protein plays a vital role in exercising. It composes the amino acids that aid in building and repairing your muscle tissues. Similarly, amino acids form enzymes and hormones which support better metabolism, maintain healthy immune system and help the other body functions.
On the other hand, eating carbohydrates enables an active and energetic exercise life. It is one of the nutrients that our body needs for energy. It is the source of blood sugar that energizes your body organs and tissues. Additionally, eating more carbohydrates allows the storage of extra sugar to the liver and the muscles for later needs.
To wrap it up, you must understand how these funct ion so youll know as to when you need the other more than the other. You have to be cautious about the contributions and effects of these two essential components to your body so you can prepare proper meal as deemed necessary.
Further it is important that you maintain a balanced diet and take everything in moderation. Anything good when done excessively is considered an abuse and harmful indeed. You may eat more protein so you can repair and supplement the right support your body needs in body building or any other similar activities. You may eat more carbohydrates so that you can get going a lot more than „good by getting sufficient amount of energy. Theres no telling exactly which should be taken more than the other since they have different functions.
Most importantly, take enough of both and do religious exercise. This way will sure get your body to the fittest.
Does sleeping really help to lose weight?
Sleeping is a commodity that every people can never get away with. Even if we dont want to sleep, our body will always require us to do such a thing. Sleeping is a pleasure as much as eating is. However, over the years, more and more people believe that oversleeping and skipping meals is one way to lose weight; which isnt exactly right. The exact relationship between sleeping and losing weight isnt fully discovered yet, however, there are few significant propositions that researchers themselves agree with.
Sleeping and psychology. Getting enough sleep makes us feel fit and capable to do our daily activities especially our weight loss programs, may it be going to gym or even just a daily brisk walkjog routine. The thing is, when we dont get enough sleep, our body becomes weak and incapable to do things right (and we can feel that). Even if we wish to go to the gym for example, our judgment will be altered and we tend to realize we simply cant because our body demands a rest; thus, we skip our activities and do not burn up calories. There will also be a tendency that when we are about to do some hard stuffs, we draw ourselves back from these, bearing the guilt or fear that we didnt give our self a rest last night then we push it so hard on the day.
Sleeping and physiology. Relevant researches have been made to link sleeping and losing weight. Though the exact thing is yet unknown, researchers believe that by getting sufficient amount of sleep, our basal metabolic rate is improved, that is, our bodys ability to burn up calories while at rest is improved. Thus, inadequate sleep in return doesnt only weaken us but also slows down our metabolism. An inadequate sleep can also mess up the growth hormones in our body thus the fat ratio can also go wrong.
Substantially, sleeping is part of how we were designed. As Chinese traditional healers suggest,it is in fighting our nature that we can never win. We cant help but eat, drink and sleep. And as for losing weight, sleeping is as important as exercising. We cannot exercise if we havent slept. When we exercise, we use energy, and when we sleep we regain some. If we havent regained anything, then there is nothing for us to burn.
How do I know if Im overweight and obese?
Overweight and obesity are considered to be a highly rising epidemic. The advertisements for diet supplements and diet pills are proofs of how the world tries to solve the problem. Primarily, this may be due to the changing lifestyles of the constantly evolving society and that many already gave in to high fat and sugar diets which gradually make them develop somewhat “laziness” in them that is further leading to reduction of their physical activities which exponentially cause their imbalances with their calorie in and calorie out counter.
First of all, both overweight and obese are terms used to describe a persons body mass index. When we talk about weight, many will just shove the topic away because they feel like it. Always keep in mind though that this is not a measure of respecting someone or not, it is a measure of how you respect yourself and how much you value your health.
Body Mass Index BMI is the ratio of your weight over the square of your height. This signifies that itdoesnt matter if you are tall or short as it is not the only way to infer your health, but instead you just have to make sure that your height and weight are at an acceptable range of proportion. BMI varies from person to person. Certain range of BMI differentiates the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese.
An adult is considered healthy or at a normal range, when he/she has a BMI of range between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. A person is called overweight when he/she is above a healthy weight. It will have to be a BMI of between 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. And finally, an adult having a BMI of 30 or more kg/m2 is considered to be obese.
What is the best motivation to exercise?
Motivation is the common problem of every person who dares to maintain exercising. It is strongest when you have decided to do the exercise but eventually gets weaker over time. Theres a lot of ways to motivate you, but only few are effective and lasting.
Ask yourself why you want to change your lifestyle and get a healthy exercising habit. Have you ever been facing the mirror and asking some answers for this? Well you better do it. Understanding ones self is the best way to start with. There is no telling that this kind of motivation does not falter most of the time because theres no one who knows yourself better than you do.
It is not half bad to admit to yourself your weaknesses. In the contrary, it even motivates you to become strong. Thus, motivation can be about asking anything that you dont have—look good and feel better than you are already.
Get to know the benefits of exercise will also motivate you. The reasons in exercising might include of wanting having abs, biceps, or a sexy body.Exercise is a choice
Being weak and overweight are too. It might sound rude but that s true. Wanting to be somebody youre not is hard but not impossible. It is your decision to stay what you are now or strive for a new you. You decide.
Exercise and become attractive
Your body will speak for you if you reach your goal. And by exercising, you do the cheapest and most effective way to achieve a healthy body. Close your eyes and imagine how youll look like—the fitter and sexier you. And by exercising, that imagination will come to reality.
What's the difference between eating for weight loss and eating for weight gain?
Obviously, as their title suggests, the difference between eating for weight loss and eating for weight gain is their long time goal. Typically, when we go on a certain diet, first thing is to determine what our aim is, whether we want to gain or we want to lose (we mean here our weight) and this decision shall determine the program that we are to follow.
Perhaps not as much as that number of overweight people but there is a vast population of those suffering underweight as well. Ideally, eating for weight gain is for those who are “under” the normal range and eating for weight loss is for those “over” the normal range.
Eating for weight loss includes the gradual reduction of food intake to lower the energy level to reach the normal range. It is by practice the limiting of the food intake by calorie count so that after a certain span of time, stored energy or the fats shall have been already burned naturally.
Most often, doctors advice those undergoing this program to eat minimum carbohydrates depending on their health requirements. However, despite restrictions, an appropriate energy level and enough nutrients is taken into account as well. In general, eating for weight loss primarily is concerned of taking proper diet so not to compromise the health while losing some weight.
Eating for weight gain on the other hand is naturally the opposite. It is primarily concerned of gradually increasing the amount of food intake while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet to raise the weight to a normal range. It doesnt mean you will have to eat a lot of fatty foods or chocolates for this program to work. On the contrary, you will have to take larger meals by increasing the proportions of food intake and undergo an extensive body training most likely on a gym to add some weight and muscles.
Do I really sweat away the fat during exercise?
A common misconception is that when we sweat as we complete an exercise or a routine, we sweat away fat. It is wrong to think that we are or we can be sweating away fat. Sweating means we are excreting water, salt and urea via our pores—very far from fat. Therefore, most likely, the weight thatwe may lose after a strenuous exercise isnt actually anything else but the water that we sweat out along the process.
The thing is that the fats we may lose may depend on several factors like what exercise we do, for how many minutes we do it, our body mass and our previous meal right before exercising. What we do or that specific routine that we do, matters since there are a lot of fats in our body and by choosing the right routines, we can target which fats we want to lose. The length of time that we do these routines will matter as well since there lies different thresholds for every human body in order for them to start sweating, say John for example may start sweating after 2 minutes of jogging while Jim starts sweating after 5 minutes of doing the same thing at exact temperature. Moving on, same goes for the body mass. Different body masses will contribute to different thresholds as well. But crucially, our pre workout meal will mean a lot as to how much fat we can or perhaps we should burn. Remember that our fats are our stored energies, and our meals are our energy intake. Therefore, if we use energy more than we have taken in, we consume our stored energies thus enabling us to reduce our fat.
Remember though that it is advisable to check with your physician first if to confirm the capability or our physical fitness to perform the routines. It is recommended to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
Why do diets don't work on me?
Diets teach you what to eat and what not. Most likely you will be manipulated —counted calories per meal and the scheduled food and even the weighted meal. These are some reasons why diet cannot sustain a lasting output. But giving another look at it wont hurt—is failure in the dieting itself?
Some diet contributes knowledge on what food we better buy in general and budgetwise speaking. It also teaches us how to cook and how to plan our food to get enough nutrients and avoid unhealthy foods.
Yet, we can t deny that there are more diets that offer surreal recommendations and even unnecessary food limitations. Diets are for deprivation of food. Theres no way it can change your eating behaviors completely.
How long can you restrain from eating any food you like? Diet this week and gain weight the next week. Its becoming as if diet is done for a short term satisfaction of losing weight.
Diets do not ask anyone whys. It does not answer the real reason of your being overweight. You see, theres more to personal reasons than what you see. Some are fat because of their emotional reasons like love, hatred and boredom. These reasons are not meant for diet to understand and if we dont solve that problem first, everything will just be a cycle of failures.
Is liposuction a good choice for weight reduction?
Liposuction is just a cosmetic procedure that removes fat from a certain targeted part of human body. Liposuction, although it actually reduces weight from the removed fat, cannot be considered actually among the exercising and dieting options since unlike those two, it is an unnatural way of an instant weight reduction. Liposuction may be helpful and beneficial but its results are a gamble since our bodies are technically made to have that ability to restore most tissues or parts that has been lost as much as possible.
Especially for celebrities, liposuction will always be a good seller to keep that good figure, or perhaps to get that ideal body. However, experts say that it isnt exactly a real weight reduction. It may be totally temporary only. It isnt exactly nor scientifically linked or proven to have to do with anything in regards with the natural weight reduction options.
Those who prefer liposuction over exercising and dieting for the reason of lets s ay “laziness” may sometimes think they have beaten those who do it the natural way because they got the results faster; but, little do they know, they are actually the real losers because the people who do it the natural way do not only attain their goal in due time but learn to persevere, eat healthy, maintain exercise and value their body.
Tendencies are, people who get liposuction in due time will just lose their figure because they do not have that discipline and value that the successful natural goers have otherwise developed.
Just so to be fair enough, liposuction may psychology be an aid for gradual weight reduction at a lesser chance anyway. There is a possibility that people who undergo this type of process will later develop to do the natural weight loss programs. For some reasons like realization of the risks they went through and money they paid for, they might just later devote to do it the natural way to get better results.
Is water alone a safe to lose weight?
Water diet is not as independent diet as the south beach diet or any others. Water diet doesnt solely solve weight loss goals but rather supplement other diets that you may be undergoing. Traditionally, water diet is taken to buff or speed up the effects of other diet. Water diet can be an effective and safe booster but not if it is taken alone. Even a fasting shouldnt be done with water alone.
Naturally, if you are critical about how much calories you burn, you should consider more the idea of drinking cold and pure drinking water than any else since heating the cold water to body temperature consumes few calories as well.
Notice how your body is composed vastly of water and other fluids. As you can see, water is very essential to human body. It is not an option but a must. We need water especially if we want to lose some weight since it helps us to get rid of some of our body toxins. It helps us get hydrated to the be able to keep doing the activities we have to do like going to gym, going to office or even to survive even if you are just sitting throughout the day.
Water aids natural metabolism as well. Water helps us get that ideal metabolic rate so to that the effects of our weight loss programs will be optimized. Water gives us the ability to naturally improve our health and do our chores. However, water can never replace the foods that we intake. We cant live without food and water a like; they cant be a substitute for one another.
How can I deal with my loose skin after losing weight?
Getting a loose or sagging skin after a weight loss is relatively dependent from person to person. Since we have different bodies, we ought to have different tolerances and thresholds as well. Some may have little sagging only, while some has that tremendous loose skin. However, there are some healthy and naturally standard tips to avoid loose skin as much as possible.
Doctors believe that getting a sagging skin is normal especially for a massive and staggering successful weight loss. This excessive skin is more than expected to occur especially if the weight loss is due to unhealthy reasons like any form of diseases or any else. However, the sagging can be minimized according to studies if the weight loss is done naturally, healthily and slowly. A 1-2 lb. per week should be good enough.
It also depends what we lose as we lose weight. If we lose fats, we can remedy the sagging skin by putting muscles into it. Workouts should be taken to replace the consumed energy deposits by lean muscles. That way, we can put some „healthy deposits inside those sagging skins and get a gym fit figure at the same time.
Though it must be evaded as much as possible, lets face it. A lot of people nowadays resort to the quick way to get rid of those extra skins and that is via surgery. Always think twice before undergoing on this surgery as it is a serious matter. If you want to get a surgery, try to settle first from 10-12 months so that you can study your own body. It is important since at times, those who lose weight have a high risk of getting that fat deposits again.
How can I tell my friend that she is overweight?
It is indeed hard to say such things to someone whom you may think who is not as open as you are about the idea. However, for her sake, you have to do it. There may be no other simple way so justlet it slip. Just dont be harsh and make her understand. Tell her how much a good health can benefit her whole being, and tell her how much willing you are to help her.
Start talking to her by letting her know how it must feel to be fit and healthy. Tell her she doesnt look bad but she should always provide some room for improvement. Always let her know the benefits and dont scare her with the processes that she may have to undergo.
Be honest to her and let her know how much more beautiful could she be if she wears that dress you found for her for example. Help her find that motivation so she could realize what you are talking about, or better yet, be a motivation yourself.
Finally, join her in this make over that she is to undergo. Support her all the way and at times, if she falls, let her stand on her feet instead of degrading her and telling her she is weak. Though it works at times, let reverse psychology and challenges be the final resolution. Dont bring it up unless necessary. You have to understand that her condition may secretly be her frustration already.
Never do what she shouldnt. Be a good influence to her for her own sake. She can always find a way to sneak through you so to avoid that, go on public and tell her how bad those things that are restricted could really be for her. Let her know that when she starts doing small bad things, it will be a matter of time until she does the big ones.
What is the key to successful weight loss?
You think you have done everything to lose weight and yet nothing lasted? The secret way to a successful weight loss is to have the right company.
One hindering factor for an effective healthy program like exercising or dieting is the shame or inferiority that you may develop at first. You may have that feeling of being obnoxiously unique and down and that can break all your hopes. Yet, bear in mind that you can do almost any kind of exercises as long as you got the people who are inclined to do the same things as you do. It all starts always with that level of acceptance and empathy that you get from that company and then everything follows. They can help you motivate yourself especially when you are down and you can do the same for them in return too. Sometimes it pays to have that sense of belongingness you feel around your society. Not only that it boosts your confidence but it sure keeps you going not only for yourself but for them as well. You will always want to develop yourself and be a model to everyone else. Most specially, you may feel just right when you have started that program but you must realize that it isnt actually the real deal here. Anyone cast start but not all can finish the job. You can always make use of the others support to help you accomplish your goal.
At most cases, its the teamwo rk and encouragement that makes it last. Doing something together as a team is as good as having a party. Doing activities together like betting who gets the coolest abs in 2 months and setting a reward, or racing for a hundred push-ups or any other form of healthy competitions will keep you on track. Moreover, these can be some strategies that helps ignite that leader quality in you.
How can I deal my bad snacking habit?
Free-time, an awaited moment of the day when you can do everything you desire — playing, studying and eating. It seems that this is also the time where the problem of snacking kicks in. The feeling of wanting to eat a lot of something that is restricted to health comes at this time. Now here are some tips to shove your problem aside.
LEARN THE FUSS
Constantly eating unhealthy foods during snack time can contribute to complications if not given attention. Sometimes, you may wonder what could it possibly cost you if you eat just anything and take things for granted and say “Whats the fuss?” right?
Well, there are so many health-related problems that you should think of and reconsider which roots from a harmful habit of taking unhealthy snacks. Obesity for example, rules the first place. If we say junk foods, well, theres a kidney problem. Its just a matter of learning before complications arise; learning the fuss youve been asking before would be a good start.
AVOID THE PROBLEM
Learning what bad snacking would cost you grants you the choice to avoid it. Difficult to do as it may seem,but cast no worries for it isnt expected to have to be an abrupt change anyway. A quick change in eating habit causes discomfort so you must take it slow. Whats important is that you take things light, where you are comfortable so you dont end up ditching the good side. Just assure yourself more than anyone else that you really will do your best to reach your goal.
FOOD SUBSTITUTES
In the process, it would be better if you try eating healthy food like peanuts and fruits. They are called the food substitutes. Not only have they given you a lasting satisfaction but also a better future.
Eating one meal per day isnt sufficient for the whole day s activity. Each meal should provide you the nutrients that are essential for ever day dosage. If you deprive yourself from eating 3 meals a day, your body can get weaker in no time. Eventually, you may soon develop to resist food intake which will then drive you into starvation.
As you starve, your body will depend on your stored fat in order to find a way to regain some energy. You wont know when your fat will deplete, and when you know, it may be too late to turn odds. It is a risky decision that should not be taken for granted. Make a room for another choice; if you badly need to get slim, eat healthy meals three times a day.
The idea of this weight loss can be considered as a manifestation of fasting. Like fasting, food limitation plays the vital role. As compared to a book, no matter how healthy fasting could be, sometimes, you just cant deny the idea that just a meal a day is definitely a deprivation.
Exercise will lend you a lot of help. By exercising, you could be burning off 500 calories after eating of about 300-400 calories meal and it is sure way enough to jump start your weight loss exercise. You have will have burned 200 excess calories. Its a choice of balance; you can do more burning and lose more weight.
You have to have a strong will to lose weight. Even if you lose weight with one meal per day, it would be like suicide. You only get to live once, so take your every step as cautious as you could be.
Do Carbohydrates make us fat?
Eating foods low in carbohydrates is what we usually see in diet programs and advertisements nowadays. They claim that with lower carbohydrate intake, customers shall see a rapid improvement. But is that so?
Carbohydrates do not generally make us fat. This is a common misunderstanding by most people who want to lose weight. Perhaps some are just mislead to the idea because carbohydrates contribute a lot to the blood sugar content of our body which, if unconsumed will be deposited and stocked. Additionally, it is also may be due to the fact that carbohydrates do contain a lot of calories which is the energy of our body, and if unconsumed will likewise cause fabulous bodies to turn to “flabulous” ones.
Note how the word is unconsumed is repeated in either cases. Yes, only if unconsumed shall this thing become threatening. So how can we solve this? We make sure we burn calories as much or more than we take in. We can get rid of the unwanted excessive deposits of sugar and calories in our body then by taking proper diet, amount of water and amount of exercise.
Also take into consideration the other type of carbohydrates, the good carbohydrates. Good carbohydrates are natural carbohydrates that contain dietary fibers, and minerals and vitamins. These minerals and vitamins provide us with sufficient nutrition to get going and fibers can aid proper digestion.
How will my cravings be regulated?
Basically, craving means an intense feeling of eating some specific food, and can be tough to overcome. You dont have to worry about it being an eating disorder because its not. It is a hormonal imbalance due to insufficient healthy nutrients so its totally workable; and here are some ways to get rid of it completely.
Dosage
Foods with high levels of sugar are mostly womens cravings. These include chocolates, cakes, pastries and other desserts. However, for a fact, these foods alter a lot if we mean to talk about hormonal balance and effect. The lesser sugar intake will be a lot better.
Don’t Diet
Food cravings typically happen when you go on a diet plan. When your body feels the insufficient nutrients of your food intake, you will most probably crave for food containing such nutrient.
Take for example; before you follow the diet plan, you were used to eating enough foods rich in carbohydrates like rice, then suddenly the carb intake is being reduced. Upon the reduction, your body will respond to the insufficient nutrient you used to have daily. Then, food craving will soon to develop.
At this state, your body signals may be being mixed, thus causing you low serotonin. Serotonin is a happy hormone. When its low, we feel sad. Hormonal imbalance causes to have low in serotonin. It is true that chocolates make us feel good for a while but at this state, you might just only typically develop a food craving on it.
Do Distractions
Whenever you feel like so much tempted already to eat the “bad” foods, it is always wise to do some distractions. Your conscience can sometimes be credited on disproving the urge to eat unnecessarily. Once you master this, you might just gain the full control of your cravings.
How do I get abs fast?
Do various regular exercises. Focusing on “just” your abs exercises will not help so much compared when you get a total body workout. If you want to lose your abdominal fats, you will have to lose fats on other areas of your body as well. Sounds tough but dont worry, there are some clever ways to get that abs fast.
Do cardio exercises.
Cardio exercises, from the name itself, focuses on strengthening your heart and lungs, and improving your endurance. Exercises like walking, jogging, cycling and swimming enhance your metabolism which in turn help you lose some fats in most areas of the body.
Avoid eating foods with processed carbohydrates.
Processed carbohydrates that are present in breads, cookies and ice cream should be avoided since they contribute a lot of influence in fat gain. These foods are the apples in the eye that cause massive increase in number obese individuals. They are absolutely one of the main reasons for belly fat.
It is recommended that before you do abs exercises, you should remove the fat that covers in that area first. This is to ensure that the muscles youre going to build will not just add up in the fat layer but rather replace it.
Do abs exercises
Now, building the abs exercises is the most crucial part. One should be careful on what exercise to perform. Some exercises may be effective but when done overly rigorous may be very harmful, just as crunching shortens your abs eventually destroys its shape. Any standing exercises aiming for the abs will be an effective alternative.
Always regulate the kind of exercise that you will undergo. Instead of building your muscles, you might end up harming yourself. This will remind you that doing too much exercise is no good at all.
Do this as often as daily
Do the abs exercise as often as daily for a faster result. Spending an hour or two to work on the routine will melt your fats away and build that abdominal muscles you have always wanted to have.
When should I eat— before or after an exercise?
Come to think of it, for as long as you take an equivalent calorie in out, you should in any way be in the same good standing. For a fact, it isnt the exactly the idea of eating before or after exercising that matters the most. It is how much calories you take in and take out.
However, deciding whether to eat before or after exercising may be crucial at certain situations. If you are up for a rigorous exercise that requires a lot of energy, it may be better if you eat before exercising, especially if the training place is at a certain distance away from any stores or meal house. Doing your hard routines would be difficult if you dont get packed by sufficient energy levels as you should be. On the other hand, if youre routine are cardio exercises only, feel free to get moving even without taking a meal first. It is traditional anyway to take cardio exercises before taking breakfast.
Moreover, this meal is what most people call pre-workout meal. A good pre-workout meal ideally contains protein and carbohydrates like a cup of rice and a slice of lean meat. Carbohydrates will provide you enough energy to get going on your routines while proteins ensure and aid muscle build up and repair.
Why do I get hungry all the time after I decided to lose weight?
Starvation is not the key to a successful weight loss. However, if you really want to lose some weight, you will really have to adjust your meal intake especially if it is critically excessive; however, this might probably cause you to get really hungry all the time. Despite that fact, let it not be a reason enough for you to ruin your program. Try to find a solution for this before you quit.
So, chances are, maybe you are not eating enough healthy foods —which is very important. Healthy foods like vegetables and fruits contain dietary fiber that keeps you feel full much longer than those with less dietary fiber. Fiber-rich foods aid proper digestion and help us compose ourselves between meals. Therefore, we shall not have to eat unnecessary snacks as much as possible.
Talking about snacks, take healthy snacks instead of junk foods. An apple or an orange should be enough to get you going. If you feel like you have to, then dont deprive yourself, but make sure you eat the right foods and right amount of them.
One more thing that doctors really advice is to never skip breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is okay to eat relatively the most at breakfast because activities are expected to be done after this meal. If you wish to eat more, and then make sure you also do activities that can burn more calories to complement your intake.
Finally, never skip meals. Skipping meals is one way to totally blur your goal. Skipping diet is very unhealthy. Despite the intention of trying to get results faster, you are doing the opposite. Skipping meals causes hormonal imbalances to our body and can alter our ideal body condition. It is always advised to eat and never skip healthy meals.
Should the amount of salt in my diet be counted for?
It is important to understand that what we consider here is our everyday preservative that we can find in our kitchens. Aside from being a preservative though, salt or sodium chloride, or iodized salt, is also commonly known as an important ingredient in our recipes to give more flavor and taste as well. To that, different researches have been made up to date to further clarify how much salt can affect our body.
Most commonly, the amount of salt can be found in the label. For a fact, fresh foods contain less salt than canned ones. In some instances too, dietitians believe that highly commercialized dishes may contain more salt than home-made ones do. Thus, it is as always safer and better to pick the fresh and natural ones over canned goods, and make your own favorite recipe than consistently take your meals in a food chain. You may not be aware but theres a big possibility that you have already absorbed more salt than your body needs. Adults are recommended only for sodium intake not to exceed 2400 milligrams per day.
There are different effects on human body when salt is taken, thats why it is important that we must be cautious in what we eat. True that there are bodies that are highly tolerant in salt but there are some as well that should be very sensitive. Those that have very poor tolerance in salt must be careful as they pose the highest risks to salt-related diseases among anyone else.
When things go wrong, salt-related diseases may occur such as kidney malfunction and high blood pressure. Since the kidneys regulate the sodium in our body, when a vast amount of this chemical becomes beyond control of our filtering kidneys, a blood pressure can occur or at worse, a kidney malfunction.
You may need not to worry though since salt has small effect on people with normal blood pressure on average. Yet all of us must remain vigilant to eating unhealthy foods or so not to risk our own lives from serious kidney diseases or infections especially the elderly people.
Naturally, it's constantly a good thing to remember to talk over health concerns with the doctor. And as always, we must keep in mind that a balanced diet is the key to moderate the food matter as well as salt neutralization.
Is Eating More Protein better than Eating More Carbs?
The protein plays a vital role in exercising. It composes the amino acids that aid in building and repairing your muscle tissues. Similarly, amino acids form enzymes and hormones which support better metabolism, maintain healthy immune system and help the other body functions.
On the other hand, eating carbohydrates enables an active and energetic exercise life. It is one of the nutrients that our body needs for energy. It is the source of blood sugar that energizes your body organs and tissues. Additionally, eating more carbohydrates allows the storage of extra sugar to the liver and the muscles for later needs.
To wrap it up, you must understand how these funct ion so youll know as to when you need the other more than the other. You have to be cautious about the contributions and effects of these two essential components to your body so you can prepare proper meal as deemed necessary.
Further it is important that you maintain a balanced diet and take everything in moderation. Anything good when done excessively is considered an abuse and harmful indeed. You may eat more protein so you can repair and supplement the right support your body needs in body building or any other similar activities. You may eat more carbohydrates so that you can get going a lot more than „good by getting sufficient amount of energy. Theres no telling exactly which should be taken more than the other since they have different functions.
Most importantly, take enough of both and do religious exercise. This way will sure get your body to the fittest.
Does sleeping really help to lose weight?
Sleeping is a commodity that every people can never get away with. Even if we dont want to sleep, our body will always require us to do such a thing. Sleeping is a pleasure as much as eating is. However, over the years, more and more people believe that oversleeping and skipping meals is one way to lose weight; which isnt exactly right. The exact relationship between sleeping and losing weight isnt fully discovered yet, however, there are few significant propositions that researchers themselves agree with.
Sleeping and psychology. Getting enough sleep makes us feel fit and capable to do our daily activities especially our weight loss programs, may it be going to gym or even just a daily brisk walkjog routine. The thing is, when we dont get enough sleep, our body becomes weak and incapable to do things right (and we can feel that). Even if we wish to go to the gym for example, our judgment will be altered and we tend to realize we simply cant because our body demands a rest; thus, we skip our activities and do not burn up calories. There will also be a tendency that when we are about to do some hard stuffs, we draw ourselves back from these, bearing the guilt or fear that we didnt give our self a rest last night then we push it so hard on the day.
Sleeping and physiology. Relevant researches have been made to link sleeping and losing weight. Though the exact thing is yet unknown, researchers believe that by getting sufficient amount of sleep, our basal metabolic rate is improved, that is, our bodys ability to burn up calories while at rest is improved. Thus, inadequate sleep in return doesnt only weaken us but also slows down our metabolism. An inadequate sleep can also mess up the growth hormones in our body thus the fat ratio can also go wrong.
Substantially, sleeping is part of how we were designed. As Chinese traditional healers suggest,it is in fighting our nature that we can never win. We cant help but eat, drink and sleep. And as for losing weight, sleeping is as important as exercising. We cannot exercise if we havent slept. When we exercise, we use energy, and when we sleep we regain some. If we havent regained anything, then there is nothing for us to burn.
How do I know if Im overweight and obese?
Overweight and obesity are considered to be a highly rising epidemic. The advertisements for diet supplements and diet pills are proofs of how the world tries to solve the problem. Primarily, this may be due to the changing lifestyles of the constantly evolving society and that many already gave in to high fat and sugar diets which gradually make them develop somewhat “laziness” in them that is further leading to reduction of their physical activities which exponentially cause their imbalances with their calorie in and calorie out counter.
First of all, both overweight and obese are terms used to describe a persons body mass index. When we talk about weight, many will just shove the topic away because they feel like it. Always keep in mind though that this is not a measure of respecting someone or not, it is a measure of how you respect yourself and how much you value your health.
Body Mass Index BMI is the ratio of your weight over the square of your height. This signifies that itdoesnt matter if you are tall or short as it is not the only way to infer your health, but instead you just have to make sure that your height and weight are at an acceptable range of proportion. BMI varies from person to person. Certain range of BMI differentiates the underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese.
An adult is considered healthy or at a normal range, when he/she has a BMI of range between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. A person is called overweight when he/she is above a healthy weight. It will have to be a BMI of between 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. And finally, an adult having a BMI of 30 or more kg/m2 is considered to be obese.
What is the best motivation to exercise?
Motivation is the common problem of every person who dares to maintain exercising. It is strongest when you have decided to do the exercise but eventually gets weaker over time. Theres a lot of ways to motivate you, but only few are effective and lasting.
Ask yourself why you want to change your lifestyle and get a healthy exercising habit. Have you ever been facing the mirror and asking some answers for this? Well you better do it. Understanding ones self is the best way to start with. There is no telling that this kind of motivation does not falter most of the time because theres no one who knows yourself better than you do.
It is not half bad to admit to yourself your weaknesses. In the contrary, it even motivates you to become strong. Thus, motivation can be about asking anything that you dont have—look good and feel better than you are already.
Get to know the benefits of exercise will also motivate you. The reasons in exercising might include of wanting having abs, biceps, or a sexy body.Exercise is a choice
Being weak and overweight are too. It might sound rude but that s true. Wanting to be somebody youre not is hard but not impossible. It is your decision to stay what you are now or strive for a new you. You decide.
Exercise and become attractive
Your body will speak for you if you reach your goal. And by exercising, you do the cheapest and most effective way to achieve a healthy body. Close your eyes and imagine how youll look like—the fitter and sexier you. And by exercising, that imagination will come to reality.
What's the difference between eating for weight loss and eating for weight gain?
Obviously, as their title suggests, the difference between eating for weight loss and eating for weight gain is their long time goal. Typically, when we go on a certain diet, first thing is to determine what our aim is, whether we want to gain or we want to lose (we mean here our weight) and this decision shall determine the program that we are to follow.
Perhaps not as much as that number of overweight people but there is a vast population of those suffering underweight as well. Ideally, eating for weight gain is for those who are “under” the normal range and eating for weight loss is for those “over” the normal range.
Eating for weight loss includes the gradual reduction of food intake to lower the energy level to reach the normal range. It is by practice the limiting of the food intake by calorie count so that after a certain span of time, stored energy or the fats shall have been already burned naturally.
Most often, doctors advice those undergoing this program to eat minimum carbohydrates depending on their health requirements. However, despite restrictions, an appropriate energy level and enough nutrients is taken into account as well. In general, eating for weight loss primarily is concerned of taking proper diet so not to compromise the health while losing some weight.
Eating for weight gain on the other hand is naturally the opposite. It is primarily concerned of gradually increasing the amount of food intake while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet to raise the weight to a normal range. It doesnt mean you will have to eat a lot of fatty foods or chocolates for this program to work. On the contrary, you will have to take larger meals by increasing the proportions of food intake and undergo an extensive body training most likely on a gym to add some weight and muscles.
Do I really sweat away the fat during exercise?
A common misconception is that when we sweat as we complete an exercise or a routine, we sweat away fat. It is wrong to think that we are or we can be sweating away fat. Sweating means we are excreting water, salt and urea via our pores—very far from fat. Therefore, most likely, the weight thatwe may lose after a strenuous exercise isnt actually anything else but the water that we sweat out along the process.
The thing is that the fats we may lose may depend on several factors like what exercise we do, for how many minutes we do it, our body mass and our previous meal right before exercising. What we do or that specific routine that we do, matters since there are a lot of fats in our body and by choosing the right routines, we can target which fats we want to lose. The length of time that we do these routines will matter as well since there lies different thresholds for every human body in order for them to start sweating, say John for example may start sweating after 2 minutes of jogging while Jim starts sweating after 5 minutes of doing the same thing at exact temperature. Moving on, same goes for the body mass. Different body masses will contribute to different thresholds as well. But crucially, our pre workout meal will mean a lot as to how much fat we can or perhaps we should burn. Remember that our fats are our stored energies, and our meals are our energy intake. Therefore, if we use energy more than we have taken in, we consume our stored energies thus enabling us to reduce our fat.
Remember though that it is advisable to check with your physician first if to confirm the capability or our physical fitness to perform the routines. It is recommended to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.
Why do diets don't work on me?
Diets teach you what to eat and what not. Most likely you will be manipulated —counted calories per meal and the scheduled food and even the weighted meal. These are some reasons why diet cannot sustain a lasting output. But giving another look at it wont hurt—is failure in the dieting itself?
Some diet contributes knowledge on what food we better buy in general and budgetwise speaking. It also teaches us how to cook and how to plan our food to get enough nutrients and avoid unhealthy foods.
Yet, we can t deny that there are more diets that offer surreal recommendations and even unnecessary food limitations. Diets are for deprivation of food. Theres no way it can change your eating behaviors completely.
How long can you restrain from eating any food you like? Diet this week and gain weight the next week. Its becoming as if diet is done for a short term satisfaction of losing weight.
Diets do not ask anyone whys. It does not answer the real reason of your being overweight. You see, theres more to personal reasons than what you see. Some are fat because of their emotional reasons like love, hatred and boredom. These reasons are not meant for diet to understand and if we dont solve that problem first, everything will just be a cycle of failures.
Is liposuction a good choice for weight reduction?
Liposuction is just a cosmetic procedure that removes fat from a certain targeted part of human body. Liposuction, although it actually reduces weight from the removed fat, cannot be considered actually among the exercising and dieting options since unlike those two, it is an unnatural way of an instant weight reduction. Liposuction may be helpful and beneficial but its results are a gamble since our bodies are technically made to have that ability to restore most tissues or parts that has been lost as much as possible.
Especially for celebrities, liposuction will always be a good seller to keep that good figure, or perhaps to get that ideal body. However, experts say that it isnt exactly a real weight reduction. It may be totally temporary only. It isnt exactly nor scientifically linked or proven to have to do with anything in regards with the natural weight reduction options.
Those who prefer liposuction over exercising and dieting for the reason of lets s ay “laziness” may sometimes think they have beaten those who do it the natural way because they got the results faster; but, little do they know, they are actually the real losers because the people who do it the natural way do not only attain their goal in due time but learn to persevere, eat healthy, maintain exercise and value their body.
Tendencies are, people who get liposuction in due time will just lose their figure because they do not have that discipline and value that the successful natural goers have otherwise developed.
Just so to be fair enough, liposuction may psychology be an aid for gradual weight reduction at a lesser chance anyway. There is a possibility that people who undergo this type of process will later develop to do the natural weight loss programs. For some reasons like realization of the risks they went through and money they paid for, they might just later devote to do it the natural way to get better results.
Is water alone a safe to lose weight?
Water diet is not as independent diet as the south beach diet or any others. Water diet doesnt solely solve weight loss goals but rather supplement other diets that you may be undergoing. Traditionally, water diet is taken to buff or speed up the effects of other diet. Water diet can be an effective and safe booster but not if it is taken alone. Even a fasting shouldnt be done with water alone.
Naturally, if you are critical about how much calories you burn, you should consider more the idea of drinking cold and pure drinking water than any else since heating the cold water to body temperature consumes few calories as well.
Notice how your body is composed vastly of water and other fluids. As you can see, water is very essential to human body. It is not an option but a must. We need water especially if we want to lose some weight since it helps us to get rid of some of our body toxins. It helps us get hydrated to the be able to keep doing the activities we have to do like going to gym, going to office or even to survive even if you are just sitting throughout the day.
Water aids natural metabolism as well. Water helps us get that ideal metabolic rate so to that the effects of our weight loss programs will be optimized. Water gives us the ability to naturally improve our health and do our chores. However, water can never replace the foods that we intake. We cant live without food and water a like; they cant be a substitute for one another.
How can I deal with my loose skin after losing weight?
Getting a loose or sagging skin after a weight loss is relatively dependent from person to person. Since we have different bodies, we ought to have different tolerances and thresholds as well. Some may have little sagging only, while some has that tremendous loose skin. However, there are some healthy and naturally standard tips to avoid loose skin as much as possible.
Doctors believe that getting a sagging skin is normal especially for a massive and staggering successful weight loss. This excessive skin is more than expected to occur especially if the weight loss is due to unhealthy reasons like any form of diseases or any else. However, the sagging can be minimized according to studies if the weight loss is done naturally, healthily and slowly. A 1-2 lb. per week should be good enough.
It also depends what we lose as we lose weight. If we lose fats, we can remedy the sagging skin by putting muscles into it. Workouts should be taken to replace the consumed energy deposits by lean muscles. That way, we can put some „healthy deposits inside those sagging skins and get a gym fit figure at the same time.
Though it must be evaded as much as possible, lets face it. A lot of people nowadays resort to the quick way to get rid of those extra skins and that is via surgery. Always think twice before undergoing on this surgery as it is a serious matter. If you want to get a surgery, try to settle first from 10-12 months so that you can study your own body. It is important since at times, those who lose weight have a high risk of getting that fat deposits again.
How can I tell my friend that she is overweight?
It is indeed hard to say such things to someone whom you may think who is not as open as you are about the idea. However, for her sake, you have to do it. There may be no other simple way so justlet it slip. Just dont be harsh and make her understand. Tell her how much a good health can benefit her whole being, and tell her how much willing you are to help her.
Start talking to her by letting her know how it must feel to be fit and healthy. Tell her she doesnt look bad but she should always provide some room for improvement. Always let her know the benefits and dont scare her with the processes that she may have to undergo.
Be honest to her and let her know how much more beautiful could she be if she wears that dress you found for her for example. Help her find that motivation so she could realize what you are talking about, or better yet, be a motivation yourself.
Finally, join her in this make over that she is to undergo. Support her all the way and at times, if she falls, let her stand on her feet instead of degrading her and telling her she is weak. Though it works at times, let reverse psychology and challenges be the final resolution. Dont bring it up unless necessary. You have to understand that her condition may secretly be her frustration already.
Never do what she shouldnt. Be a good influence to her for her own sake. She can always find a way to sneak through you so to avoid that, go on public and tell her how bad those things that are restricted could really be for her. Let her know that when she starts doing small bad things, it will be a matter of time until she does the big ones.
What is the key to successful weight loss?
You think you have done everything to lose weight and yet nothing lasted? The secret way to a successful weight loss is to have the right company.
One hindering factor for an effective healthy program like exercising or dieting is the shame or inferiority that you may develop at first. You may have that feeling of being obnoxiously unique and down and that can break all your hopes. Yet, bear in mind that you can do almost any kind of exercises as long as you got the people who are inclined to do the same things as you do. It all starts always with that level of acceptance and empathy that you get from that company and then everything follows. They can help you motivate yourself especially when you are down and you can do the same for them in return too. Sometimes it pays to have that sense of belongingness you feel around your society. Not only that it boosts your confidence but it sure keeps you going not only for yourself but for them as well. You will always want to develop yourself and be a model to everyone else. Most specially, you may feel just right when you have started that program but you must realize that it isnt actually the real deal here. Anyone cast start but not all can finish the job. You can always make use of the others support to help you accomplish your goal.
At most cases, its the teamwo rk and encouragement that makes it last. Doing something together as a team is as good as having a party. Doing activities together like betting who gets the coolest abs in 2 months and setting a reward, or racing for a hundred push-ups or any other form of healthy competitions will keep you on track. Moreover, these can be some strategies that helps ignite that leader quality in you.
How can I deal my bad snacking habit?
Free-time, an awaited moment of the day when you can do everything you desire — playing, studying and eating. It seems that this is also the time where the problem of snacking kicks in. The feeling of wanting to eat a lot of something that is restricted to health comes at this time. Now here are some tips to shove your problem aside.
LEARN THE FUSS
Constantly eating unhealthy foods during snack time can contribute to complications if not given attention. Sometimes, you may wonder what could it possibly cost you if you eat just anything and take things for granted and say “Whats the fuss?” right?
Well, there are so many health-related problems that you should think of and reconsider which roots from a harmful habit of taking unhealthy snacks. Obesity for example, rules the first place. If we say junk foods, well, theres a kidney problem. Its just a matter of learning before complications arise; learning the fuss youve been asking before would be a good start.
AVOID THE PROBLEM
Learning what bad snacking would cost you grants you the choice to avoid it. Difficult to do as it may seem,but cast no worries for it isnt expected to have to be an abrupt change anyway. A quick change in eating habit causes discomfort so you must take it slow. Whats important is that you take things light, where you are comfortable so you dont end up ditching the good side. Just assure yourself more than anyone else that you really will do your best to reach your goal.
FOOD SUBSTITUTES
In the process, it would be better if you try eating healthy food like peanuts and fruits. They are called the food substitutes. Not only have they given you a lasting satisfaction but also a better future.
Get Rid of Acne
We see it and we obsess over it but do we know anything about it?
Acne is a skin condition brought about by a host of factors that all contribute to its development. It starts off with an excess production of oil on the skin due to the over activity of body’s skin glands. The body’s hormonal havoc may lead to the plugging and clogging of the pores. When these oils interact with the dead skin cells that line up the pores and the dirt that accumulates from the environment, outbreaks may occur especially when bacteria begins to accumulate.
Genetics play a role in acne. People whose family members have acne will most likely develop acne or have children who will develop the condition. The body’s internal hormonal system also contributes. This is the reason why teeners are more predisposed to it than adults.
Acne does not only occur on the face, although they are much visible there. Acne may crop up in different parts of the body but the most common is of course in the neck, at the back and on the shoulders.
There are five different types of acne, or one may also call them stages of acne. The first one is the most common form, acne vulgaris. This is actually the mild to moderate version of acne problem. Do not get be confused. If your only problem is some zits that you can count with your fingers then this is not your problem. Acne vulgaris involves all the works, whiteheads, blackheads, papules and pustules, which are quite visible as they often have a white or a yellow center. In severe cases of acne vulgaris, the person may also experience the development of nodules and even cysts that are filled with pus. These are the forms of acne that when not treated carefully may lead to scarring.
Another form of acne is the Acne Rosacea, which may appear as the red rash that covers the spaces in between pimples and other blemishes. The condition occurs more often in women than in men and may require specialized treatment and care compared to Acne Vulgaris.
Acne Conglobata, on the other hand, is more severe as it occurs as interconnected leasions that are dotted with pimples, whiteheads and blackheads. Because of the severity of the condition, this often leads to scarring.
The fourth one is the Acne Fulminans, which is actually similar to Acne Conglobata except that it occurs suddenly. The acne oozes out and the body is even affected, frequently resulting in aching muscles and joints. Males are more affected by this than women. To treat the condition, doctors often recommend the use of Accutane, which is very effective in completely stopping the breakouts altogether. This however is not often prescribed and only as a last resort because of the side effects that it can cause in the body especially for women who have just gotten pregnant.
The last type of acne is the Pyroderma Faciale, which can be often seen in women, 20 to 40 yeatrs old. This is actually quite severe as it often involves the presence of nodules, sores and some pustules, which will no doubt all lead to scarring in the future. Still, if treated well, the condition will rarely continue or last for longer than a year. The important is to have it treated as soon as it crops up.
How to Take Care of a Pimple-Prone Skin
We cannot all be blessed with a skin like that of Hollywood greats. Come to think of there are celebrities such as Cameron Diaz who also fight the fight against acne.
The truth is having clear skin is not just being clean and hygienic. There are people who are just more prone to acne than others because of their hormones. Studies have shown that excess oil production in the skin caused by hormones is one of the initial factors that cause acne. This is because the bacteria that cause the acne in the first place thrive in an environment that has a lot of oils.
Acne comes about when unwanted oils get trapped inside the pores of the skin. When the pores are clogged with these oils, not to mention the dirt and the dead skin cells that often line up the pores throughout the day, irritation can occur. When the bacteria
propionibacterium acnes come into the picture, all hell will break loose on your face and other parts of your body.
This is perhaps the reason why it is so hard to take are of an acne-prone skin. You have to consider a lot of things as it is not caused by just one factor but a host of factors that interact with each for the end product. With all the available products in the market, all saying that they are the answers to all your pimple prayers, this can be mightily confusing.
One of the first steps of course that everybody should do whether one is blessed with good skin or not is to clean it. Although there are people who can take on ordinary soaps as cleansers, there are people whose skin is so sensitive that they need milder cleansers that are water soluble.
Dermatologists also recommend that people do not rub their skin so tight as they may irritate the skin. This can result to even more blemishes and may even affect the skin natural ability to heal and regenerate new skin. Another great advice is to make sure that all of your make-up is removed when you wash your face. Make up easily clogs the skin when left on the face.
Another step for taking care of pimple prone skin is to remove the excess oils as much as you can. This can be really tricky as there is really nothing you can do about the production of excess oils. The most that you can do is remove the oils that are already produced in the skin. Some people use facial masks like Philip’s Milk of magnesia mask, to help remove the oils.
Others use rice papers to keep the face from oiling out. One problem is that there are people who have sensitive skins. When these masks and rice papers are applied to the skin, it gets irritated. To be on the safe side, before you put anything, make sure that you have already consulted your dermatologist.
Exfoliating your skin is another step that one must take into consideration when taking care of an acne-prone skin. Exfoliation can help remove dead skin cells in the lining of the pores as well as penetrate through the pores and remove the dirt and other materials that clog it. For exfoliation, products that have beta hydroxy acid (BHA) and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) are used.
It’s All in the Cream
In a world where physical comeliness matters, it is only natural for people to find ways to maintain and protect their God-given potentials. Since not everyone is endowed with physical beauty based on the standards of the majority, more and more people search endlessly for products and services that would give solution to their physical flaws.
One of the most common complaints of people when it comes to skin is having infected and irritated pimples or acne breakout. Identified by superficial skin eruptions, acne in adults as well as acne in teenagers can be upsetting and disfiguring aside when left untreated.
Today, the market offers a wide range of acne treatment and products to cure acne. Among the so many products available, acne creams are proven to be one of those quite effective in treating acne in different stages.
BUYING ACNE CREAMS
Buying and using acne creams is indeed a good option in combating the skin disorder. But, before you purchase acne creams, try to research first on how the formulation and content of these creams help cure the skin infection:
- According most dermatologists, acne creams are effective to treat acne because these are quickly absorbed by the skin.
- It is a good option to cure acne because it is made from natural substances gathered from reliable and effective sources.
- Quality acne creams can help you get rid of adult acne as well as teen acne while preventing possible acne scarring.
- It is proven that the natural substances found in acne creams are complex compounds that combine natural antibiotic peptides proven to fight acne infection within the skin follicles; bio-available allantoin & skin regenerating peptides to vanish dark marks, prevent and repair acne scars; glycolic acid that opens clogged pores and allows for the other ingredients to penetrate deeply into the skin follicles; vitamins that stop the progress of inflammation; collagen and elastin which help restore the natural
moisturizing capacity of a healthy skin.
- Most medical experts agree that acne creams work for most people that have mild acne. It is also proven to work for those who have developed severe acne infection when it is used simultaneously with oral antibiotics or retinoids/accutane to detoxify your skin.
- Acne creams that are applied twice a day are known to speed up the process of clearing the skin’s sebaceous glands of debris. This will get rid of acne bacteria within the skin follicles that eventually lead to the clearance of acne marks and repair acne scarring.
You have to bear in mind that before you buy acne creams, you have to make sure that they are hypoallergenic and can be used by children or pregnant women without enduring any pain or discomfort by checking the label. Knowing the ingredients used in the product will ensure that the acne cream has balanced formulation to deliver effective results. It will also pay to do a little research about the acne creams available in the market today because it will determine which is the best and suitable for your skin type.
After the initial application of the acne cream you bought, observe how your skin reacts to the product. Take note of the visible changes you notice to prevent possible side effects. If you think that the acne cream does not work on your skin after the prescribed length of time to be taken, stop using the product to avoid further damage on your skin.
Curing Acne
According to most medical experts, teenagers tend to develop acne at a higher rate compared to adults or to any other age groups. The major reason for this risk is the increased output of hormones during puberty, the production of sebaceous glands and the continuous increase of skin-cell turnover within the skin follicles. It is also noted that increased stress also affects the development of acne and that the condition tends to get worst if the patient undergoes rigorous work loads.
Dermatologists also believe that improper diet contributes a lot to the development of acne. Poor dietary habits like taking in foods with too much sugar and fat content affect your skin follicles. Although there is no concrete clinical evidence to support this hypothesis, most doctors still advise their acne patients to balance their diet and develop good eating habits.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Studies have shown that there is a proven genetic tendency or pattern for acne especially if other family members of the acne patient have developed acne. Naming
“propionibacteria” as the most common bacteria that cause acne and other skin
infections, medical experts agree that these bacteria—when present on the skin—can lead to adolescent, persistent, or adult-onset acne.
Due to recent science and medical developments, more and more acne treatments have been discovered. Some are quite effective than the others depending on the patient’s condition. Effective acne cure and treatment are sometimes recommended by
dermatologists in single or various combinations depending on the stage and
development of the acne the person has.
One of the most effective ways to cure acne is by using topical treatments such as acne lotions, acne creams, and gels that are applied on the skin. These topical antibiotics—
medicines that are formulated to terminate acne-causing bacteria—can help in the reduction of acne.
Medical experts have categorized the types of topical antibiotics to erythromycin, clindamycin, and sulfa drugs. The application of topical medicines is believed to be quite effective in curing acne because the medication is applied directly to the affected area in controlled dosage.
And since there is no need for patients to swallow the medicine, the components of the drugs do not have to travel through the body—thus lessens the possibility of side effects. Retinoid, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic and glycolic acids, are the most common ingredients that respond well to severe blackheads and whiteheads.
Although topical medication is effective in curing acne, it also has minor disadvantages like the possible tolerance of bacteria to the medicine that leads to resistance to the medication over time.
Another way to cure acne is through oral medications. Unlike topical medication that is applied to the surface of the affected area, oral medications are taken orally to be distributed throughout the bloodstream. This is known to be a systemic treatment because the drug is taken to all of the body’s functioning systems and is quite useful when acne develops on the skin on multiple stages. The most common oral acne medications include tetracyclines, minocycline, doxycyclin, and isotretinoin, or retinoic acid.
Other ways to cure acne include hormone therapy that aims to restore the normal balance of hormones in the patient’s body, and acne surgery for severe and persistent acne that cannot be cured by topical or oral medication.
Before using any medication or before undergoing any treatment to cure acne, make sure that you have consulted with your dermatologist or physician first to avoid further complications
Each one of the following foods is clinically proven to promote weight loss. These foods go a step beyond simply adding no fat to your system – they possess special properties that add zip to your system and help your body melt away unhealthy pounds. These incredible foods can suppress your appetite for junk food and keep your body running smoothly with clean fuel and efficient energy.
You can include these foods in any sensible weight-loss plan. They give your body the extra metabolic kick that it needs to shave off weight quickly.
A sensible weight loss plan calls for no fewer that 1,200 calories per day. But Dr. Charles Klein recommends consuming more that that, if you can believe it – 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day. He says you will still lose weight quite effectively at that intake level without endangering your health.
Hunger is satisfied more completely by filling the stomach. Ounce for ounce, the foods listed below accomplish that better than any others. At the same time, they’re rich in nutrients and possess special fat-melting talents.
1. Apples
These marvels of nature deserve their reputation for keeping the doctor away when you eat one a day. And now, it seems, they can help you melt the fat away, too.
First of all, they elevate your blood glucose (sugar) levels in a safe, gentle manner and keep them up longer than most foods. The practical effect of this is to leave you feeling satisfied longer, say researchers.
Secondly, they’re one of the richest sources of soluble fiber in the supermarket. This type of fiber prevents hunger pangs by guarding against dangerous swings or drops in your blood sugar level, says Dr. James Anderson of the University of Kentucky’s School of Medicine.
An average size apple provides only 81 calories and has no sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol. You’ll also get the added health benefits of lowering the level of cholesterol already in your blood as well as lowering your blood pressure.
2. Coffee
Easy does it is the password here. We’ve all heard about potential dangers of caffeine –
including anxiety and insomnia – so moderation is the key.
The caffeine in coffee can speed up the metabolism. In nutritional circles, it’s known as a metabolic enhancer, according to Dr. Judith Stern of the University of California at Davis.
This makes sense, since caffeine is a stimulant. Studies show it can help you burn more calories than normal, perhaps up to 10 percent more. For safety’s sake, it’s best to limit your intake to a single cup in the morning and one in the afternoon. Add only skim milk to tit and try doing without sugar – many people learn to love it that way.
3. Grapefruit
There’s good reason for this traditional diet food to be a regular part of your diet. It helps dissolve fat and cholesterol, according to Dr. James Cerd of the University of Florida. An average sized grapefruit has 74 calories, delivers a whopping 15 grams of pectin (the special fiber linked to lowering cholesterol and fat), is high in vitamin C and potassium and is free of fat and sodium.
It’s rich in natural galacturonic acid, which adds to its potency as a fat and cholesterol fighter. The additional benefit here is assistance in the battle against atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and the development of heart disease. Try sprinkling it with cinnamon rather than sugar to take away some of the tart taste.
4. Mustard
Try the hot, spicy kind you find in Asian import stores, specialty shops and exotic groceries. Dr. Jaya Henry of Oxford Polytechnic Institute in England, found that the amount of hot mustard normally called for in Mexican, Indian and Asian recipes, about one teaspoon, temporarily speeds up the metabolism, just as caffeine and the drug ephedrine do.
“But mustard is natural and totally safe,” Henry says. “It can be used every day, and it really works. I was shocked to discover it can speed up the metabolism by as much as 20 to 25 percent for several hours.” This can result in the body burning an extra 45 calories for every 700 consumed, Dr. Henry says.
5. Soups
Soup is good for you! Maybe not the canned varieties from the store – but old-fashioned, homemade soup promotes weight loss. A study by Dr. John Foreyt of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, found that dieters who ate a bowl of soup before lunch and dinner lost more weight than dieters who didn’t. In fact, the more soup they ate, the more weight they lost. And soup eaters tend to keep the weight off longer.
Naturally, the type of soup you eat makes a difference. Cream soups or those made of beef or pork are not your best bets. But here’s a great recipe:
Slice three large onions, three carrots, four stalks of celery, one zucchini and one yellow squash. Place in a kettle. Add three cans crushed tomatoes, two packets low-sodium chicken bouillon, three cans water and one cup white wine (optional). Add tarragon, basil, oregano, thyme and garlic powder. Boil, then simmer for an hour. Serves six.
6. Spinach
Popeye really knew what he was talking about, according to Dr. Richard Shekelle, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas. Spinach has the ability to lower cholesterol, rev up the metabolism and burn away fat. Rich in iron, beta carotene and vitamins C and E, it supplies most of the nutrients you need.
7. Tofu
You just can’t say enough about this health food from Asia. Also called soybean curd, it’s basically tasteless, so any spice or flavoring you add blends with it nicely. A 2½ ” square has 86 calories and nine grams of protein. (Experts suggest an intake of about 40 grams per day.) Tofu contains calcium and iron, almost no sodium and not a bit of saturated fat. It makes your metabolism run on high and even lowers cholesterol. With different varieties available, the firmer tofus are goof for stir-frying or adding to soups and sauces while the softer ones are good for mashing, chopping and adding to salads.
High Blood Presure?!
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common condition that will catch up with most people who live into older age. Blood pressure is the force of blood pressing against the walls of your arteries. When it's too high, it raises the heart's workload and can cause serious damage to the arteries. Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.
Hypertension Symptoms
High blood pressure is sometimes called a silent killer because it may have no outward symptoms for years. In fact, one in five people with the condition don't know they have it. Internally, it can quietly damage the heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, and kidneys if left untreated. It's a major risk factor for strokes and heart attacks in the U.S.
Treatment: ACE Inhibitors
ACE inhibitors reduce your body's supply of angiotensin II -- a substance that makes blood vessels contract and narrow. The result is more relaxed, open (dilated) arteries, as well as lower blood pressure and less effort for your heart. Side effects can include a dry cough, skin rash, or dizziness, and high levels of potassium. Women should not become pregnant while taking an ACE inhibitor
Treatment: ARBs
Instead of reducing your body's supply of angiotensin II, these drugs block receptors for angiotensin -- as if placing a shield over a lock. This blockade prevents the chemical's artery-tightening effects, and lowers your blood pressure. ARBs can take several weeks to become fully effective. Possible side effects include dizziness, muscle cramps, insomnia, and high levels of potassium. Women should not become pregnant while taking this medication.
Good posture, otherwise termed as the neutral spine, denotes to the three natural curvatures that are commonly found in a healthy spine. According to Wikipedia, good posture can also be understood as “the carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of the limbs (arms and legs).” Posture originated from the Latin verb “ponere”, which means “to put or place”. If you’re someone who isn’t quite concerned with your posture, then you probably should be. There are numerous social and health benefits you can acquire once you follow the regime on how to improve your posture.
The first one is you’re going to look confident and self-assured in stark contrast to looking like fumbling senile person who is on your way to the bathroom. Walking straight with your back straight and your head slightly lifted to the air will make you look like you can take on the world, anytime, anywhere. This is not only appealing to the dating game but also to the professional world where you’re supposed to look and feel your best. Having good posture will help make you feel more confident to face new challenges and new people.
Another benefit of having good posture is that it optimizes your breathing capacity and helps you increase your concentration and thinking capability. For instance, doing your exercises or any activity for that matter in the correct posture makes it easier for you to breathe in and breathe out air compared to when you’re slouching. When you inhale and exhale easily, it makes oxygen easier to penetrate through your system. Furthermore, our brain also needs at least 20% of oxygen to do its job. When you breathe properly, you breathe in more air, thus, more air reach your brain, consequently leading to better thinking. Lastly, a good benefit of having a good posture is that it can help prevent a few health complications as you age. Having bad posture rapidly skyrockets your risks for increased chest pressure, poor blood circulation, slipped disc and back pain. For a lot of people, having back pain is a good reason to start scouring through the results of how to improve your posture. When you have the correct posture, you’re less likely to suffer from back pain in the future.
Yes, you heard that right. Having a good posture will more likely affect the health of your back. This is the reason why there are numerous ergonomic chairs sold nowadays, with the main goal of providing ultimate support for the back and to encourage good posture while sitting down. Although medications, braces and heat straps for the back can help relieve the pain, having a good posture will not only help get rid of the pain, it will also help prevent any future back pain attacks.
Now that you know the different benefits of having the correct posture, you may be increasingly passionate on determining how to improve your posture. The first tip that you need to know is that you need to be motivated. Whatever your reason is, whether you simply want to get rid of your back pain or you want to look and feel confident, feeling determined and passionate to reach your goal of a correct posture is important to be successful.
Another tip that can help you on how to improve your posture is to set up a reminder often. Most people have the motivation to get the correct posture but only a handful of them can actually remember. A good example is tying a red string on your finger before leaving the house. When you look at the string, you will most likely remember to be wary of your posture. The more you apply good posture, the more this becomes a habit for you and you won’t need any reminders in the future. You can also start improving your posture by avoiding lifting any heavy items as it can be pretty stressful for the shoulders and the back. Lifting heavy items for prolonged periods of time may only lead to hunched backs and shoulders. If you do consider lifting a heavy item, remember to lift with your knees instead of using your back for power.
You should also begin doing exercises, which can help strengthen the core of your back. These exercises include yoga, pilates and simple stretching. You can also do crunches and sit-ups but do them in the right way, under the supervision of a gym coach in order to prevent increasing the stress on your back. The last but definitely not the least tip you can use on how to improve your posture is to visit a physical therapist or a chiropractor to get a professional assessment on your posture and your back pain. They are likely to give you several medical advices to help ease your back pain.
Investing in well-formed and high-quality beds and pillows will also make it easier for you to attain the correct posture even when you’re asleep. The bed should neither be too soft or too hard so your spine can rest gently on the mattress without having to be ramrod straight. You can also purchase orthopedic pillows available in several pharmacies and shopping stores as these encourage good posture during sleep. Lastly, you need to get rid of bad habits that make you backslide into a bad posture yet again.
How to Get Rid of Phlegm
Drink plenty of fluids and liquids. Plenty of liquids and fluids help loosen up any hard, sticky phlegm that is congesting your system. Fluids also help wash down mucus that is regularly deposited on your throat, thereby lessening their chances of building up and coagulating. There are also herbal teas and drinks that help you deal with respiratory problems, and the fewer complications you have, the better your chances of getting rid of respiratory disease effects – mucus and phlegm included.
Spit the phlegm out; don't swallow it. Among the many components that make up phlegm are substances like immunoglobulins and glycoproteins that help your body fight off the infection. When these substances get killed (together with the bacteria and virus they were fighting), they become part of what makes up phlegm. When phlegm gets coughed out, it means that they have served their purpose – remnants and refuse of the battle, so to speak – and are no longer necessary in the proper functioning of the body. They have to be expelled. Therefore, spit them out and don't swallow them back. Aside from the fact that swallowing phlegm is gross and unsanitary, it sometimes gets reintroduced to your pulmonary system, worsening your situation.
There are also home brew remedies you can try that will help in getting rid of your phlegm. Eucalyptus oil mixed with boiling water is a good way to decongest your chest and lessen the abundance of phlegm in your respiratory system. Two to three drops of the oil in boiling water should be enough to do the trick. Hold a towel over your head and deeply breathe in the steam. This will help clear out congested passageways of your respiratory tract, allowing you to spit out the phlegm more easily. Garlic is also said to have expectorant properties, and is considered to be a good supplement for treating congestion. (For other uses of garlic, read 10 unusual uses for garlic)
When your phlegm starts showing up in different colors, it's about time to have yourself checked by a physician. Take a sample of your phlegm for analysis. Different colors usually indicate an underlying condition. Normal phlegm is usually clear and white. Yellow phlegm means that your immune system is functioning properly and is responding to something. Greenish phlegm means that there is definitely an infection in your body. Rusty spots in green phlegm are often an indication of something serious, like internal respiratory micro-bleeding or pneumonia. Brownish phlegm can be a sign of infection, as well as symptoms of too much smoking, as resin is sticking to the phlegm. When this happens, it is always advisable to limit or just stop your smoking habit, as it may be exacerbating whatever respiratory condition you may have.
Foods That Fight Cancer?
No single food or food component can protect you against cancer by itself. But scientists believe that the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet may. There is evidence that the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer effects. This concept of interaction, where 1 + 1 = 3, is called synergy.
In addition, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are low in calorie-density and protect against weight gain. According to the second expert report, carrying excess body fat is implicated in the development of cancer. Eating a predominantly plant based diet can help prevent weight gain and protect against those cancers whose risk is convincingly increased by higher body fat (cancers of the colorectum, esophagus, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and breast in postmenopausal women).
That is why AICR recommends that at least 2/3 of your plate should be filled with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.
Much of the laboratory research on diet and cancer suggests that eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans will protect against cancer. Scientists are investigating how and why these foods may prevent the development of tumors.
Here is a list of foods we at AICR get asked about most often. Click each one to learn what current science can tell us about its role in protecting our health.
Beans
Berries
Cruciferous Vegetables
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Flaxseed
Garlic
Grapes and Grape Juice
Green Tea
Soy
Tomatoes
Whole Grain
Hypertension Symptoms
High blood pressure is sometimes called a silent killer because it may have no outward symptoms for years. In fact, one in five people with the condition don't know they have it. Internally, it can quietly damage the heart, lungs, blood vessels, brain, and kidneys if left untreated. It's a major risk factor for strokes and heart attacks in the U.S.
What Causes Hypertension?
Normal blood pressure readings will fall below 120/80, while higher results over time can indicate hypertension. In most cases, the underlying cause of hypertension is unknown. The top number (systolic) shows the pressure when your heart beats. The lower number (diastolic) measures pressure at rest between heartbeats, when the heart refills with blood. Occasionally, kidney or adrenal gland disease can lead to hypertension.Prehypertension: A Warning Sign
Almost one-quarter of Americans have prehypertension. Their blood pressure is consistently just above the normal level -- falling anywhere between 120 and 139 for systolic pressure or 80 to 89 for the diastolic pressure. People in this range have twice the risk of developing heart disease than those with a lower reading. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to help lower your blood pressure.Who Gets High Blood Pressure?
Up to the age of 45, more men have high blood pressure than women. It becomes more common for both men and women as they age, and more women have hypertension by the time they reach 65. You have a greater risk if a close family member has high blood pressure or if you are diabetic. About 60% of people with diabetes have high blood pressure.Hypertension and Race
African-Americans are more likely to develop hypertension -- and to develop it at a younger age. Genetic research suggests that African-Americans seem to be more sensitive to salt. In people who have a gene that makes them salt-sensitive, just a half-teaspoon of salt can raise blood pressure by 5 mm Hg. Diet and excessive weight can play a role, as well.Hypertension and Sodium
Sodium, a major component of salt, can raise blood pressure by causing the body to retain fluid, which leads to a greater burden on the heart. The American Heart Association recommends eating less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. You'll need to check food labels and menus carefully. Processed foods contribute up to 75% of our sodium intake. Canned soups and lunch meats are prime suspects.Hypertension and Stress
Stress can make your blood pressure spike, but there's no evidence that it causes high blood pressure as an ongoing condition. However, stress may affect risk factors for heart disease, so it may have an indirect connection to hypertension. Stress may lead to other unhealthy habits, such as a poor diet, alcohol use, or smoking, which can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease.Hypertension and Weight
Being overweight places a strain on your heart and increases your risk of high blood pressure. That is why diets to lower blood pressure are often also designed to control calories. They typically call for cutting fatty foods and added sugars, while increasing fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and fiber. Even losing 10 pounds can make a difference.Hypertension and Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure. Guidelines from the American Heart Association state that if you drink alcohol, you should limit the amount to no more than two drinks a day for men, or one a day for women. They define a drink as one 12-ounce beer, four ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, or one ounce of 100-proof spirits.Hypertension and Caffeine
If caffeine can make you jittery, can it also raise your blood pressure? It might have a temporary effect, but studies haven't shown any link between caffeine and the development of hypertension. You can safely drink one or two cups a day, according to the American Heart Association.Hypertension and Pregnancy
Gestational hypertension is a kind of high blood pressure that occurs in the second half of pregnancy. Without treatment, it may lead to a serious condition called preeclampsia that endangers both the mother and baby. The condition can limit blood and oxygen flow to the baby and can affect the mother's kidneys and brain. After the baby is born, the mother’s blood pressure usually returns to its normal level.Hypertension and Medicine
Cold and flu medicines that contain decongestants are one of several classes of medicine that can cause your blood pressure to rise. Others include NSAID pain relievers, steroids, diet pills, birth control pills, and some antidepressants. If you have high blood pressure, talk to you doctor about what medicines and supplements you are taking that may affect blood pressure.'White Coat' Hypertension
Some people only have a high reading in the doctor's office, perhaps because they're nervous. Some will only have blood pressure readings sporadically. Those people may have a higher chance of developing high blood pressure, a recent study shows. To get a more accurate reading, take your blood pressure at home, chart your readings, and share them with your doctor. It is also a good idea to bring in your home monitor in for a check of the device and your technique.Hypertension and Children
While hypertension is more often a problem for older people, even children can have high blood pressure. "Normal" blood pressure varies based on a child’s age, height, and sex, so your doctor will need to tell you if there is a concern. Children are at greater risk if they are overweight, have a family history of the illness and if they're African-American.Treatment: The DASH Diet
You may be able to lower your blood pressure by switching to a better diet. The DASH Diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension -- involves eating more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, low-fat dairy, fish, poultry, and nuts. You should eat less red meat, saturated fats, and sweets. Reducing sodium in your diet can also have a significant effect.Treatment: Exercise
Regular exercise helps lower your blood pressure. Adults should get about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. That could include gardening, walking briskly, bicycling, or other aerobic exercise. Muscle-strengthening activities are recommended at least two days a week and should work all major muscle groups.Treatment: Diuretics
Diuretics are often the first choice if diet and exercise changes aren't enough. Also called "water pills," they help the body shed excess sodium and water to lower blood pressure. That means you'll urinate more often. Some diuretics may deplete your body's potassium, causing muscle weakness, leg cramps, and fatigue. Some can increase blood sugar levels in diabetics. Erectile dysfunction is a less common side effect.Treatment: Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers work by slowing the heart rate, which means that the heart doesn't have to work as hard. They are also used to treat other heart conditions, such as an abnormal heart rate called arrhythmia. They may be prescribed along with other medications. Side effects can include insomnia, dizziness, fatigue, cold hands and feet, and erectile dysfunction.Treatment: ACE Inhibitors
Treatment: ARBs
Instead of reducing your body's supply of angiotensin II, these drugs block receptors for angiotensin -- as if placing a shield over a lock. This blockade prevents the chemical's artery-tightening effects, and lowers your blood pressure. ARBs can take several weeks to become fully effective. Possible side effects include dizziness, muscle cramps, insomnia, and high levels of potassium. Women should not become pregnant while taking this medication.Treatment: Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers slow the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. Since calcium causes stronger heart contractions, these medications ease the heart's contraction and relax the blood vessels. They can cause dizziness, heart palpitations, swelling of the ankles, and constipation. Take them with food or milk and avoid grapefruit juice and alcohol because of possible interactions.Treatment: Other Medications
Other medications that relax the blood vessels include vasodilators, alpha blockers, and central agonists. Side effects can include dizziness, a fast heart beat or heart palpitations, headaches, or diarrhea. Your doctor may suggest them if other blood pressure medications are not working well enough or if you have another condition.Treatment: Complementary Therapies
Meditation can put your body into a state of deep rest, which can lower your blood pressure. Yoga, tai chi, and deep breathing also help. These relaxation techniques should be combined with other lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. Be aware that herbal therapies may conflict with other medications you take, and some herbs actually raise blood pressure. Tell your doctor if you take herbal or other dietary supplements.Living With High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is often a life-long condition. It's important to take your medications and continue to monitor your blood pressure. If you keep it under control, you can reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.How to Improve Your Posture – 5 Things You Can Do To Banish Back Pain
Good posture, otherwise termed as the neutral spine, denotes to the three natural curvatures that are commonly found in a healthy spine. According to Wikipedia, good posture can also be understood as “the carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of the limbs (arms and legs).” Posture originated from the Latin verb “ponere”, which means “to put or place”. If you’re someone who isn’t quite concerned with your posture, then you probably should be. There are numerous social and health benefits you can acquire once you follow the regime on how to improve your posture.
The first one is you’re going to look confident and self-assured in stark contrast to looking like fumbling senile person who is on your way to the bathroom. Walking straight with your back straight and your head slightly lifted to the air will make you look like you can take on the world, anytime, anywhere. This is not only appealing to the dating game but also to the professional world where you’re supposed to look and feel your best. Having good posture will help make you feel more confident to face new challenges and new people.
Another benefit of having good posture is that it optimizes your breathing capacity and helps you increase your concentration and thinking capability. For instance, doing your exercises or any activity for that matter in the correct posture makes it easier for you to breathe in and breathe out air compared to when you’re slouching. When you inhale and exhale easily, it makes oxygen easier to penetrate through your system. Furthermore, our brain also needs at least 20% of oxygen to do its job. When you breathe properly, you breathe in more air, thus, more air reach your brain, consequently leading to better thinking. Lastly, a good benefit of having a good posture is that it can help prevent a few health complications as you age. Having bad posture rapidly skyrockets your risks for increased chest pressure, poor blood circulation, slipped disc and back pain. For a lot of people, having back pain is a good reason to start scouring through the results of how to improve your posture. When you have the correct posture, you’re less likely to suffer from back pain in the future.
Yes, you heard that right. Having a good posture will more likely affect the health of your back. This is the reason why there are numerous ergonomic chairs sold nowadays, with the main goal of providing ultimate support for the back and to encourage good posture while sitting down. Although medications, braces and heat straps for the back can help relieve the pain, having a good posture will not only help get rid of the pain, it will also help prevent any future back pain attacks.
Now that you know the different benefits of having the correct posture, you may be increasingly passionate on determining how to improve your posture. The first tip that you need to know is that you need to be motivated. Whatever your reason is, whether you simply want to get rid of your back pain or you want to look and feel confident, feeling determined and passionate to reach your goal of a correct posture is important to be successful.
Another tip that can help you on how to improve your posture is to set up a reminder often. Most people have the motivation to get the correct posture but only a handful of them can actually remember. A good example is tying a red string on your finger before leaving the house. When you look at the string, you will most likely remember to be wary of your posture. The more you apply good posture, the more this becomes a habit for you and you won’t need any reminders in the future. You can also start improving your posture by avoiding lifting any heavy items as it can be pretty stressful for the shoulders and the back. Lifting heavy items for prolonged periods of time may only lead to hunched backs and shoulders. If you do consider lifting a heavy item, remember to lift with your knees instead of using your back for power.
You should also begin doing exercises, which can help strengthen the core of your back. These exercises include yoga, pilates and simple stretching. You can also do crunches and sit-ups but do them in the right way, under the supervision of a gym coach in order to prevent increasing the stress on your back. The last but definitely not the least tip you can use on how to improve your posture is to visit a physical therapist or a chiropractor to get a professional assessment on your posture and your back pain. They are likely to give you several medical advices to help ease your back pain.
Investing in well-formed and high-quality beds and pillows will also make it easier for you to attain the correct posture even when you’re asleep. The bed should neither be too soft or too hard so your spine can rest gently on the mattress without having to be ramrod straight. You can also purchase orthopedic pillows available in several pharmacies and shopping stores as these encourage good posture during sleep. Lastly, you need to get rid of bad habits that make you backslide into a bad posture yet again.
How to Get Rid of Phlegm
If you're a smoker, cut the habit. Everyone knows that smoking aggravates and promotes several lung and bronchial problems. As if body infections are not enough, respiratory diseases caused by smoking will give your body additional health issue baggage it does not need. Smoking interferes with your body's ability to fight off any infection, so whatever problems it is currently engaged in that resulted in the formation of mucous will be prolonged. Thus, your phlegm problem will drag on longer. Smoking also kills the cilia that line your lungs, making it harder for you to cough out phlegm. If you've been coughing up brown or gray-colored phlegm, it means that your body is screaming for you to learn how to quit smoking. It would do you well to cut out the filthy habit before those browns and grays become speckled with red – a sure precursor to something serious, like lung cancer.
Treat any nasal or sinus infection that you have. As mentioned earlier, phlegm is just an accumulation of mucous and other dead substances that coagulate and become visible. Mucous isn't a foreign object – your body's airways produce mucous regularly. These mucus secretions don't accumulate because they're regularly cleared to your throat where they are carried down by the saliva. If you have an infection that blocks normal passage to the airways and throat, the mucus doesn't get drained down by the saliva and thus accumulates. Fixing the infection will help fix the additional congestion, easing the accumulation of mucus and phlegm.
Take an expectorant. Expectorants are medicines you can take to clear and loosen up any mucus and phlegm in your respiratory tract. They work by thinning out the mucus so you will be able to easily dislodge it when you cough. Common expectorant medicines are those that contain guaifenesin and bromhexine, so when buying expectorants, be sure to check if these ingredients are present. As with buying any medicine over the counter, be sure to consult with your physician first, just in case you might be subject to complications because of them.
Don't take cough suppressants. Sure, it is pretty annoying when you have a hacking cough every five minutes, causing you to spit out phlegm at pretty much the same rate, but coughing is your body's way of trying to dislodge the phlegm. If you're taking cough suppressants or anything that inhibits your ability to cough, you're essentially allowing the production and build-up of mucus and phlegm in your system since you've basically shut down your body's mechanism to expel them. The sooner you get all the phlegm out of your system, the sooner your coughing will stop, and the sooner you will find relief.
Drink plenty of fluids and liquids. Plenty of liquids and fluids help loosen up any hard, sticky phlegm that is congesting your system. Fluids also help wash down mucus that is regularly deposited on your throat, thereby lessening their chances of building up and coagulating. There are also herbal teas and drinks that help you deal with respiratory problems, and the fewer complications you have, the better your chances of getting rid of respiratory disease effects – mucus and phlegm included.
There are also home brew remedies you can try that will help in getting rid of your phlegm. Eucalyptus oil mixed with boiling water is a good way to decongest your chest and lessen the abundance of phlegm in your respiratory system. Two to three drops of the oil in boiling water should be enough to do the trick. Hold a towel over your head and deeply breathe in the steam. This will help clear out congested passageways of your respiratory tract, allowing you to spit out the phlegm more easily. Garlic is also said to have expectorant properties, and is considered to be a good supplement for treating congestion. (For other uses of garlic, read 10 unusual uses for garlic)When your phlegm starts showing up in different colors, it's about time to have yourself checked by a physician. Take a sample of your phlegm for analysis. Different colors usually indicate an underlying condition. Normal phlegm is usually clear and white. Yellow phlegm means that your immune system is functioning properly and is responding to something. Greenish phlegm means that there is definitely an infection in your body. Rusty spots in green phlegm are often an indication of something serious, like internal respiratory micro-bleeding or pneumonia. Brownish phlegm can be a sign of infection, as well as symptoms of too much smoking, as resin is sticking to the phlegm. When this happens, it is always advisable to limit or just stop your smoking habit, as it may be exacerbating whatever respiratory condition you may have.
Foods That Fight Cancer?
No single food or food component can protect you against cancer by itself. But scientists believe that the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet may. There is evidence that the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer effects. This concept of interaction, where 1 + 1 = 3, is called synergy.
In addition, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are low in calorie-density and protect against weight gain. According to the second expert report, carrying excess body fat is implicated in the development of cancer. Eating a predominantly plant based diet can help prevent weight gain and protect against those cancers whose risk is convincingly increased by higher body fat (cancers of the colorectum, esophagus, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and breast in postmenopausal women).
That is why AICR recommends that at least 2/3 of your plate should be filled with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.
Much of the laboratory research on diet and cancer suggests that eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans will protect against cancer. Scientists are investigating how and why these foods may prevent the development of tumors.
Here is a list of foods we at AICR get asked about most often. Click each one to learn what current science can tell us about its role in protecting our health.
Beans
Berries
Cruciferous Vegetables
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Flaxseed
Garlic
Grapes and Grape Juice
Green Tea
Soy
Tomatoes
Whole Grain
