Meet Your Weight Loss Goal With This Helpful Advice

When you set out to lose weight, you can get discouraged before you even start due to the overwhelming options and possibilities. Take a deep breath, and before you start to spend money on things that promise you success, read this article for some solid advice that can help you lose weight.

A great weight loss tip is to trick your mind into exercising without realizing. Often times, even the word exercise can inspire avoidance and hinder your motivation. Rather try and come up with some sort of physical activity that you actually enjoy doing. This will allow you to burn calories without the stress of the gym.

When keeping a food journal to help you lose weight, beyond simply writing down the foods you have eaten, try and provide accurate caloric totals for those foods and subtract each from your daily limit on a running basis. Knowing how many calories you have left before reaching your limit can often help you avoid snacking and help you stay on track before the damage is done.

Include protein with each meal or snack. Try to eat three to four ounces of healthy protein, such as lowfat cheese, chicken, peanut butter or fish with each meal or snack. Protein works in your body to slow down digestion. This helps you feel satisfied longer and will keep you from reaching for unhealthy snacks.

A great weight loss tip that people should really understand is that losing weight is not a quick process. People often abandon their diets because they are not seeing the results they want quick enough. Understand that losing weight does not happen overnight and try and keep yourself motivated throughout your diet.

One weight loss tip that people often overlook is to create realistic weight loss goals. If your goals are too ambitious or the time you have given yourself is too short, you are much more likely to abandon your efforts when you do not get the results you want.

  • Record all of your favorite television shows and only allow yourself to watch them when you are exercising. This can be a great motivator to exercise more, which in turn will help you to lose weight, because you will be eager to start working out just so you can watch the next episode of your favorite program.
  • Take up swimming. Exercising is one of the best ways to lose excess weight, but many people hate it because they don’t enjoy getting covered in sweat and fear that they are damaging their joints. By taking up swimming, which is a low impact exercise, you can avoid any damage to your joints and you will not get covered in sweat as the water will help to keep you cool.
  • After each meal, eat a mint. The mint will trick your taste buds; they will think you are finished eating. Any gum, mint or toothpaste, with a fresh taste, sends a signal to your brain that dinner is over. Since you can no longer taste your food, you will no longer crave it.
  • A great tip for people who are looking to lose weight is to share food while eating out. Restaurants today offer huge portions that are really more than one person should eat. So make a habit of sharing an entree and appetizer with friends and family whenever you go out to eat.
  • One tip that anyone who is trying to lose weight should consider is to add foods to their diets rather than subtracting food. Rather than eating tiny portions of your usual foods, try adding healthier foods that you enjoy. This will give you greater nutritional benefits while keeping you full at the same time.
  • When beginning a weight loss program do not cut your calorie intake dramatically. Your body needs fuel to function properly and will feel drained if you do not take in enough calories. This will limit your ability to exercise and may lead you to grab an unhealthy snack out of desperation.

Follow the tips laid out in this article and you’ll be able to start seeing results while you look for even more ways to make weight loss a permanent part of your life. Stay positive, and the weight will drop off. Your weight is something that you can control, so stay motivated to meet your goals.

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5 Frequently Asked Questions About Angina Pectoris

Angina Pectoris (Latin for squeezing of the chest) is a condition where the sufferer feels discomfort around his chest which manifests as the squeezing, burning, choking, tightness, heaviness, or pressure sensation. Sometimes, the sensations can be felt in other body parts including the jaw, shoulders, neck, or back. What causes angina, how great is your chance of getting the disease, and what is the best treatment for the illness? Read five frequently asked questions below to satisfy your inquiries about the disease.

1. What causes angina?

Commonly, angina pectoris is caused by coronary artery disease. As cholesterol plaque narrows the coronary arteries, the buildup blocks the supply of blood oxygen towards the heart muscle during exercise or stress. This lack of oxygen to the heart muscles triggers the chest pain or angina. Other less common cause of the disease is the coronary artery spasm. When the muscle fibers of the artery walls contract rapidly, the spasm reduces the blood supply to the heart muscle thus causing angina.

2. Who are most likely to suffer from angina?

People who are at high risk of chest pain are men above 55 years old and women around 65 years old. Other factors which heighten your risk of the disease are cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, kidney disease, obesity, inactive life, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol levels, and family history of premature cardiovascular disease.

3. What are the types of angina pectoris?

The disease is divided into two types; the chronic stable and the unstable anginas.

- Chronic stable angina occurs typically when your heart needs more oxygen during exercise or stress. The pain will lessen when you are taking a rest.

- Unstable angina can occur at anytime and will not lessen even when you are resting. This type of chest pain is dangerous and can be the symptom of more serious health problem such as heart attack.

4. How to treat the disease?

Chronic stable angina can be treated with resting and medications such as nitroglycerin (either tablet or spray), beta blockers (i.e. acebutolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, metoprolol, nadolol, propanolol, and timolol), calcium channel blockers (i.e. amlodipine, bepridil, diltiazem, felodipine, isradipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, nimodipine, nisoldipine, and verapamil), or ranolazine (ranexa). If you are diagnosed with unstable angina, you need to visit your physician to get the right treatment for the problem.

5. How to prevent angina?

The best way to prevent the disease is by changing your lifestyle. You can start doing it today by:

- Stopping cigarette smoking,
– Eating healthy diet which contains low saturated fat, high fiber, and lots of fruits and vegetables,
– Exercising regularly,
– Avoiding stress,
– Maintaining normal weight,
– Treating conditions which can increase your chance of getting the symptom such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels.p style=”text-align: justify;”

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Your Top 5 Benefits of Biotin

Biotin Advantages You Need to Know

Your body must have biotin! It is very simple. The funny piece is that your body only requires about 30mcg of biotin per day. Most of us get plenty of biotin without even being aware of it.

That doesn’t mean that your body could not do with more. We’ve reviewed heaps of biotin supplements and vitamin B7 items that we’re going a bit crazy over it. Here’s the truth: You are able to eat healthier in order to get all of the vitamin B7 you’ll ever need. If you do this, your hair will start to grow like you’d like it to and your fingernails will be really strong and should stop looking as if you dig around in the dirt like you used to as a kid (I’m sure they’re not that bad, however I’m sure you see my aim here).

There are the most important Five things you should know about biotin benefits in your own body:

1. Biotin is Good For Hair Growth

Should you suffer from a biotin shortage, you might deal with loss of hair or dry and damaged hair. Despite the fact that you only need a small amount of vitamin B7, you still need this vitamin!

2. Vitamin B7 Helps Your Nails Grow

Biotin can turn brittle, flaky and gross looking nails into healthy, beautiful nails. There are certainly a bounty of supplements out there for your fingernails and we’d be willing to bet that each one contains vitamin B7.

The trouble is, vitamin B7 can not be absorbed through your fingernails (or your skin). Vitamin B7 comes from within your body, which the body receives from the food you consume.

3. Biotin Has to Come From the Inside

Many products out there claim to be able to increase your vitamin B7 volumes through absorption. That is total rubbish! Scienctists have demonstrated that biotin molecules are way too big to be absorbed via your skin, your hair or nails. Biotin shampoos are rubbish. Biotin nail polishes are garbage. Biotin lotions are garbage.

You must get biotin through good eating. Unfortunately, you can’t just rub some cream on your scalp and get beautiful locks that even movie stars would dream of.

4. Vitamin B7 Can Boost Metabolism

Biotin helps in keeping your metabolism levels where they should be. It helps a small amount, but every little piece helps. Maintaining vitamin B7 levels right where they need to be is critical for your hair and nails, but also helps promote a healthier metabolism. Greater metabolism means that you burn through your eats more quickly, leaving you with more energy.

5. Vitamin B7 is Not Pricey!

That’s right. Vitamin B7 does not have to come in costly little bottles. Because you can get biotin from some common foods you shouldn’t need to spend heaps of cash stocking up on thousands of pills. Save your money.

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Ultrasound Technician Courses and Acquiring Them

Are you aspiring to come to be an ultrasound technician because you assume that it will give you fulfillment in so quite a few tactics? If that is the circumstance, you could be on the suitable track as these folks are incredibly very well compensated and becoming an ultrasound technician is not extremely pricey as compared to turning into a nurse of a doctor. Also, there are tons of schooling programs out there but they do change relying on the training course and track that you want to get and also the diploma that you want to have at the conclude of your course.

If you take place to be operating full time at some other career and still you want to become an ultrasound technician, you may well want to glance at taking a course in an ultrasound technician on the web university as these points will enable you to do the job at your occupation and also acquire the qualifications important to grow to be an ultrasound technician. Also this solution is quite very good for those men and women who do not have a ton of income to spend on study components as the analyze components can be downloaded off the web. This is one fantastic way of mastering but if you imagine that this is not the way that you want to get your education, then there are other options that could be readily available for you to just take. Just consider note that the style of school that you use to will have an result on the profession that you will have so if you have to get the training online, make doubly sure that the institution has some accreditations.

One more issue that you have to master when you just take enroll in an ultrasound technician on the net university is that while you may correspond in between emails most of the time, you will not be permitted to graduate from the training course devoid of acquiring any practical expertise below your belt. This will help to make certain that you have one thing to present the hospitals when you are applying for a task with them due to the fact they will see that not only do you know how to converse the speak but you also know what you are undertaking when it is time for you to get the reigns. Obtaining a certification is uncomplicated sufficient if you are only eager to put in the needed amount of function and work. But the moment you have the task, you will be delighted that you did so.

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How to Survive the Holidays Without Getting Fat

The holidays present a special time for all of us and also one that is challenging. With so many temptations that abound, it’s no wonder that this time of year people gain weight. On top of that, people tend to become more sedentary this time of year. Probably because it’s cold outside and the weather may not be good. Many times it’s simply people just wanting to stay in and relax from all the stress they’ve dealt with during the past year.

Whatever the reason is, people need to make an effort to getting through the holidays in relatively good shape. Having said that, what people need and what they want are two different things entirely. If you could simply change that thought pattern then you’ll be on your way to getting and staying in shape.

Now let’s see how you make it through the holidays without getting fat. I’m not even talking about using will power, either. It simply doesn’t work. That’s because your subconscious mind will take over. What you need is a plan of action, especially one based on the want factor.

Think about this for a second, okay? What is it about getting and staying in shape that’s really important to you? It’s got to be so powerful of a feeling that it permeates throughout your body. It could be health, though most people will gravitate towards looking great so others will take notice. That includes looking good for someone you especially like.

It could also be that you want to fit into certain size clothes. Now, list several reasons why you want to focus on eating healthy and exercise more. This will be your driving factor to getting and staying healthy. Imagine what you will feel like when you are able to get to where you want to go. What will your daily life be like? How will others around you respond to the new you? Simply hold into your mind that thought of your life when you are healthy and fit. Make the image so powerful as if you were actually living it. Imagine all you had to do to get to where you are at in that image. Then do it.

When you are having a holiday dinner, make sure to plan it ahead and see how you can make adjustments towards keeping it healthy. Part of what you’ll have to do is research healthy holiday dinners. Use smaller plates to serve your dinner on. This will create the illusion of abundance. There are many other “tricks” you can do too.

If you are going to someone else’s house for the holidays, try to find out ahead of what is being served. That way you can make adjustments to what you can eat. If you can, send them a recipe of certain dishes that may be appealing. Make sure you don’t step on any toes here. Don’t be overt about it. This is their party/dinner. Help if you can or if they ask for it. Remember, you want to keep it fun and lively.

Find time to keep your body moving throughout the day. If you can, get a little bit of exercise several times a day. Even 5 minutes will help. Just increase the intensity. Stay away from snacking junk. Instead, go for fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts. Drink plenty of water. And you should be able to survive the holidays coming out fairly healthy and fit. Now, have fun!!!

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Is It Really A Migraine?

Is that throbbing pulsating headache you are experiencing really a migraine? Over 40 million people experience migraine headaches. Migraine attacks are more common in women than men. In fact, they are about three times more common in women. It is one of the most common types of headache today.

How do you define migraine?

I’ve searched for a while for a migraine definition that is simple and easy to understand. Fellow sufferers describe it as a very painful and intolerable type of headache.

Medical practitioners define migraine as a kind of vascular headache. Researchers once believed the dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the head caused migraines. Scientists now believe migraines are inherited abnormalities in genes that control the activities of some of the cells in the brain.

My plain and simple migraine definition is a severe, throbbing and pulsating vascular headache that can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

Attacks are usually accompanied by several warning symptoms such as:

  • seeing stars or flashes of light
  • blind spots
  • tingling in the arms and legs
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • increased sensitivity to light and sound

These symptoms are “auras”. You can have headache pain on either side of your head, sometimes pain can occur on both sides of your and occasionally you can have a migraine without a headache.

Types of Migraines

There are two major types of migraine: classical and non-classical. The type of migraine with an aura is called classical. The aura usually begins about 35 minutes before onset of the headache. You’ve probably noticed that you can almost predict when an attack is coming because you get one of the early warning signals. Maybe you began seeing flashes of light or perhaps you became nauseated and started vomiting. In a classical migraine your blood vessels become constricted. Then when it attacks there is an increase in size of your blood vessels. To get a jump-start on treating your headache pain you may want to take your migraine medication at the first sign of an aura symptom.

The second type of migraine is non-classical. Non-classical migraines hit without an aura or early warning symptoms. Some also call this a simple migraine. This headache occurs from the closing of the blood vessels up to the point of the blood vessels increasing in size. When a non-classical migraine hits you should take your medication at the first sign of headache pain.

Classical and non-classical are the most common types of migraine but there are still other forms of migraines. These are: cluster migraines, abdominal, ocular, basilar artery, retinal, confusional, hemiplegic, status migrainosus and carotidynia.

No matter how you define migraine, you’ll want to keep a migraine diary. In your diary track the type of migraine, any auras or early warning signs and symptoms, and what you ate preceding your headache. You may also want to look into herbal migraine remedies and supplements to help reduce your migraine frequency.

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How to Measure Progress While on a Diet

When on a diet and weight loss regime, it is often hard to see progress. This can lead to you feeling demotivated and wanting to give up. Seeing your progress as time goes by will make all those hours of healthy food and half killing yourself on the treadmill worth it. Here I will explain the different ways you can monitor your progress over time.

The first method of tracking progress is to take pictures of yourself topless in the mirror. Doing so once every 2 weeks in the same pose, in the same position, will enable you to see yourself progress as time goes by. This will be a great motivator and will make those hours of hard work feel worth it.

For best results I recommend taking a picture of:

-Front torso in relaxed state
-Front torso with abs tensed
-Relaxed shot from the side

Taking these pictures every fortnight will enable you to compare as time goes by and you will see that progress, the idea of taking photos will also be a great motivator for you to work hard for the next time you take a photo.

Another very simple way to measure your fat loss progress is to take regular measurements of your body. This requires no fancy equipment, simply a measuring tape. Even when you think you are making no progress, you may actually have lost some weight and measurements are a great way to prove this.

Places to measure include:

  • Chest- Measure around the chest in line with your nipples, be careful not to pull the tape too tight as this will effect the results.
  • Waist- Measure at approximately half an inch above your belly button around your waist.
  • Thighs- Measure around the largest part of your thigh
  • Calves and forearms- Measure around the biggest part of your forearms and your calves.

A simple way to track the progress is to take measurements every couple of weeks and I would recommend placing the measurements into a simple spreadsheet, or simply making a table so that you can easily see your progress as the weeks and months go by.

Another way to track your progress is to weigh yourself regularly. I recommend weighing yourself once a week, and I recommend doing it first thing in the morning wearing the same clothes every time so that there are no weight fluctuations due to heaviness of clothing or added food and water weight that you gain as the day goes on.

Remember you are aiming for around 1lb to 2lbs weight loss each week and so if you see this reflected in your weigh ins then you know you are on track!

The last way to track weight loss progress is through the monitoring of your body fat percentage. You can buy scales that do this, but they are very inaccurate and so I wouldn’t recommend using them. A great way to monitor body fat percentage is through buying a pair of calipers.

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Major Importance of Omega 3

Omega 3 is a fatty acid and can be of major importance to someone’s health. You might be wondering what is so great about omega 3. Well, for one humans cannot create this substance so we have to go out and consume it. Doesn’t sound so hard right? However the foods with a lot of omega 3 are salmon, brussel sprouts, soybeans, walnuts, cauliflower and dried ground cloves. Can you name something that all of these foods have in common? Yea that’s right, nobody buys them. How many people just love to eat brussel sprouts and cauliflower?

Due to this many people are deficient in omega 3. This reason this is so bad is because omega 3 is used in many things. For example say there was a huge shortage of plastic in the world. Imagine what kind of problems that would cause. The same thing happens with omega 3. One way this substance is used is to create cell membranes. Did you know that your entire body is made of cells? When you have healthy cells you will become healthier. The cell membrane is very important for the cell because it regulates what comes in it and what goes out. It’s sort of like the skin on people. If this cell membrane was weak due to someone not getting enough omega 3 than it might be easier for viruses, or harmful substances to hurt the cell.

Omega 3 is also used in neurons in the brain. In fact around 60% of the brain is fat. The brainiest scientists don’t fully understand how the brain fully works but they do know that all these neurons send signals back and forth. The better the connection with these signals the better someone use the brain to mesmerize facts, remember faces, think critically and solve puzzles. Omega 3 is used as sort of a protection around these neurons. Without omega 3 or if someone doesn’t get enough of this nutrient than maybe some of these neurons could get damaged and this could result in damaged brain function such as Alzheimer’s.

These are just two ways that omega 3 can be used and there are tons of others. I think it’s safe to say that omega 3 is of major importance to people when it comes to health. The big question now is what are you going to do about it? I recommend looking at fish oil as a great idea on how someone can get omega 3. This is because it’s easy to take, it doesn’t taste horrible, it’s less expensive and doesn’t have the risk of poisons like some salmon does.

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Migraine Sufferers’ Most Critical Questions

Until recently, treatment for migraine has focused on the patient’s cry for help: “I have to get better; please get rid of my pain!” A wide range of medical and alternative medicine resources are available to address this plea.

Migraine sufferers who cannot find sufficient relief have developed a new request: “Please help me live my best possible life, despite my pain!” Professional coaches specializing in migraines can work with migraineurs to address this area.

In my view, the primary physician should be your initial resource for migraine treatment. Your doctor will be able to order tests to rule out any major physiological reasons, hopefully, for your headaches. Many patients will find that their doctor’s recommendations – whether for medications, stress relief, lifestyle modification, etc. – reduce the frequency, duration or severity of their migraine attacks. Others will be referred to neurologists or migraine specialists for more detailed consultations.

Every migraine sufferer is different and has their unique response to treatment. There is a wide array of treatment options available, both inside and outside the traditional medical system. Some of these alternatives include acupuncture, therapeutic massage, meditation, and so on. If you are fortunate, at some point you will find adequate long-term relief from one or more of these therapies.

Migraines, as described by Dr. Carolyn Bernstein in her excellent 2008 book, “The Migraine Brain”, are caused by a common neurological condition called cortical spreading depression, which is ‘superexcitement’ of the brain when it is confronted by one of your triggers. There is no cure for migraine at this time.

After trying a number of alternatives, you may come to the realization that there is no combination of treatment options which can give you sustainable pain relief.

Even though you don’t want to give up the ongoing search for relief, your focus begins to shift to versions of the second question:

“I want to improve how I deal with my pain.”

“How can I have a better quality of life?”

“Please help me live my best possible life, even though I have regular pain.”

You find yourself in the position of anyone else who faces a life-long medical condition, such as arthritis or heart disease. The condition, and your response to it, can only be managed in future; it is unlikely that it will ever be resolved.

But there is a silver lining to this new reality: in general, when you look around, you realize that people respond to the same circumstances in very different ways. The way that you have reacted to your migraine pain up until now is not the only way — there may are better migraine management strategies which will allow you to achieve the improved quality of life which you seek.

The manner in which you react to a migraine attack may very well be ingrained and habitual by now, and it’s hard to modify it by yourself. The better way is to bring in a third party like a coach who will recognize and identify your hard-wired reactions, and help you to transform them into productive responses that will set you in the direction that you would like your life to go. Working with a coach tends to be more beneficial if you have episodic (less than 15 migraines per month) rather than chronic migraines (more than 14).

Migraine sufferers should work through their primary physician to see if they can relieve their pain. Sometimes significant pain relief cannot be obtained. Even then, the coaching alternative can provide them with hope that the quality of life that they can achieve will still be better than otherwise expected.

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The Cholesterol Paradox

Now that you’ve all been taught that saturated fat is bad because it raises your cholesterol level and gives you heart attacks, give me a few moments to unlearn you.

Cholesterol is your friend.

Your brain, being mostly cholesterol, doesn’t do much of a job when it runs short of the good stuff.

Plus, your endocrine system needs ample cholesterol to work. Every endocrine gland-thyroid, adrenals, the works-creates hormones to keep your body keeping on. And they make those hormones from cholesterol.

Low cholesterol means low hormones. And low hormones puts the endocrine system into a tizzy as they try-without success-to support each other.

Then there’s the pesky little fact that your body absorbs no nutrition from a meal that doesn’t include saturated fat.

Why do we even hope to feel good on a low-fat diet? When you’re starving your body of what it needs, you can’t really expect to be all perky and energetic.

So how did we get here?

Medicine misread a study on heart disease and launched a vendetta. I’ll write about that mess another time, but for now, let me assure you that cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease. Study after study proves that, but when somebody’s mind is made up, they don’t let facts get in their way.

If you don’t provide saturated fat to your body, it tries to whomp up some on its own. In the liver.

This is not the ideal situation. When you eat enough good saturated fat, the liver settles back and says, “Ah, Daddy’s home. All’s well.” Because that’s the body’s preferred path to health.

But a liver’s gotta do what a liver’s gotta do, so if you shortchange it, it will TRY to make cholesterol.

I emphasize TRY because our livers are fighting wars on many fronts, and victory can be iffy. For instance, high fructose corn syrup swamps the liver. Plus it raises triglycerides, uric acid, blood pressure, takes a swipe at your kidneys and creates general chaos. Did you know two cans of HFCS-sweetened soda a week-a week!-doubles your risk of pancreatic cancer. But I digress.

Cholesterol from the liver doesn’t work as well as cholesterol via the mouth. Maybe it would if your liver had fewer toxins to fight, but that’s not where we are.

And you wanna hear something really bad? Statin drugs “work” by preventing the liver from producing cholesterol. Not eating saturated fat and also preventing the liver from making cholesterol is a death wish.

You show love to your liver, your endocrine system and your brain by scarfing down ample saturated fat.

“Eek!” you say, “I’ll gain weight, get fat and destroy life as I know it!” Sigh. Another thing to unlearn.

When you avoid saturated fat, you put your body on starvation alert. It guards every single ounce of your heft, determined to keep death at bay. Now, even a quick look in the mirror might suggest there’s an ounce or two that would be okay to lose, but that’s not how your innards see it.

On the other hand, eating saturated fat comforts your body with the news there’s nothing to fear. And, with starvation no longer possible, it’s willing to let go of some poundage.

So saturated fat not only improves your health, it also gives your body permission to let go of some weight.

Please notice that at no point did I say ‘fat’ without the qualifying ‘saturated’ designation. Most vegetable oils, hydrogenated or not, are polyunsaturated murder. Avoid soy, corn, cottonseed, rape seed (canola), safflower, sunflower, hempseed, walnut and flax oils. And probably more. If in doubt, leave it out.

Finally, didja know eating saturated fat lowers your cholesterol levels? Yup! It sure does! That kinda defies logic, but then our bodies are about biochemistry, not logic.

But eat good saturated fat. I’ll talk about what “good” means another time.

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