Eating Disorders: An Increasing Problem
Eating disorders are fast becomming a growing and common problem. It is not unusual to read of reports of this condition every other day in the papers, magazines or tabloids. Many models, actresses and famous celebrities are also widely known to have eating disorders due to their desire to look good for the camera.
Statistics reveal that currently there are approximately between 5 and 10 million women in the United States who suffer from some kind of eating disorder, or are at the risk of developing one. The wide variance is an indication of many cases that go unreported or undiagnosed. Many prefer not to seek treatment as they mistakenly believe that they do not have a problem.
Young women are thought to be most susceptible as they are more concerned about beauty and fashion. However, it is not true that eating disorders just affect this group. People of all ages and from any kind of background can generally be affected. In fact, it is estimated that over one million boys and men suffer from some form of eating disorder.
Young pre-teen kids are not spared either. Recent studies found that about half of all American elementary age school children expressed the wish to be thinner. They also felt disatisfied with their looks. Even kindergarten aged children are consumed by thoughts of physical appearance. It would seem that looking thin is a ticket to being accepted in schools nowadays.
So what exactly are eating disorders? They refer to conditions whereby you develop an unhealthy preoccupation with food and body image.
Eating disorders have different types. The most common ones are anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating. Anorexia describes a condition whereby you just refuse to eat due to an obsession with weight loss. Bulimia is characterized by a cycle of binging and purging that you use to control your weight. Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder that involves sessions of intense overeating followed by feelings of intense guilt. Other disorders that are related to eating disorders include emotional eating and nocturnal eating.
One startling statistic reveals how prevalent eating disorders actually are in the United States. According to recent research, the number of people suffering from an eating disorder is three times as much as the number of people currently living with AIDS. Another statistic tells us that there are three times as many people with eating disorders than there are schizophrenia patients in the United States.
One of the main triggers to eating disorders is the way beauty and body image are constantly being portrayed by the media. Fashion magazines and TV commercials present the ideal American model to be 5′11″ tall and of 117 pounds in weight. Yet, the average modern American woman is 5′4″ tall and weighs approximately 140 pounds. Inevitably, this disparity in the numbers can only result in eating disorders developing so that the perfect body weight and shape can be attained. Afterall, who does not want to look like a model?
Are you surviving on 5 carrots a day even though you are not exactly overweight? Do you have a poor and distorted self-body image? Learn more about the dangers of
Burning Fat – The Foods That Burn Fat – Part 1
Foods that burn fat include many kinds of fruits and vegetables. Listed below are some of the foods that help burn fat.
Fruits:
Apples, Berries, Melon, Cherries, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Peaches, Nectarines & Pumpkin. This includes all different types of berries and melon, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon. Most of these fruits have a pleasant taste, and can be mixed together to smoothie form for a healthy drink. Of course there are many other ways to eat these fat burners.
Adding these fruits to your diet will boost your metabolic rate for many hours, imagine doing this everyday and you will see how fast you can stand to lose fat.
In order to keep losing fat though you will have to consume little fat. Depending on how your diet is at the present time, you may need to cut out butter, sugar, cookies, candy, oils and more of the empty calories. Empty calories often turn to fat, and slow down you metabolic rate.
Another group of fat burners are dairy products. Milk, cheese, and yogurt help you to break down fat cells, and therefore help you burn the fat faster. 24 ounces in 24 hours was a recent campaign for milk that taught you how you could lose weight just by adding more milk products to your diet.
Vegetables:
Most any kind of vegetable will help you burn fat. Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals just like fruit that help you get and keep a healthy body. Green vegetables are extremely healthy for you, such as different kinds of lettuce, except iceberg which adds no nutrition to your diet.
All of this information is one of the main reasons some many people add smoothies to their diets. Finding your favorite fruits and vegetables and adding some yogurt to them in a blender will help you get the vitamins you need and a fat burning drink you enjoy.
Now that you know how to burn fat with many different kinds of foods, you might be interested to learn what combination of these foods does the most for your fat burning goals. Along with exercise you will quickly be able to see results if you use the right program for fat loss. To read more about burning fat and choosing the right program to follow, visit Part 2 of this article at fatloss.withtips.com fatloss.withtips.com
You can also get a Free Special Report called 75 fun ways to exercise by coming to http: Fatloss.withtips.com Fatloss.withtips.com
Scar-Free Hair Transplant
Prior to recent advances the hair transplantation surgery was not able to give better cosmetic results, which was responsible for it to be unacceptable among the majority of people. The patients were left with unattractive scars, which was the reason for it to be cosmetically inferior. The problem was because the transplantation was done through the use of a 4 mm punch; thus the hair in the middle of these huge grafts showed the tendency to discontinue growing because of the deficiency of oxygen.
Because of these “unattractive results” surgeons are now using smaller kind of grafts that are gathered from the tissue, which are eliminated in strips from the donor and are situated at the back of the scalp. The process of harvesting these donor strips is performed by surgical scalpels rather than using a punch. Sometime in the 1990s, surgeons totally dumped the punch in favor of the knife.
Another improvement in the field of hair transplantation came during the introduction of Follicular Unit Transplantation, better known as the FUT, in the year 1995. In this process, hair restoration is carried out through the use of naturally occurring follicular units on the scalp of the patient that normally possess one to four hairs. The donor tissue is gathered by the use of single, and not multiple, strips coming form the back of the scalp. Moreover, these individual follicular units are then dissected from this strip. If done properly, this FUT process permits the surgeon to create cosmetically acceptable results.
There is another method called as Follicular Unit Extraction. But most surgeons, because of its inefficiency and labor intensiveness, had dismissed this method. This method is basically a removal of a person’s follicular unit from the scalp without the use of the conventional incision. And although this Follicular Unit Extraction may seem more appealing to a patient, there are still some drawbacks to look for and even most surgeons are selective regarding its use because it is largely time-consuming. In a normal transplant, you will need to eliminate 1,000 to 1,500 grafts in a span of three hours but you can’t get that much hair for about five or six hours; therefore patients are required to return numerous times.
Another downside of this type is that it cannot offer as much donor hair as the Follicular Unit Transplantation, because the latter only removes hair follicles. Yet, this process can provide natural results. Most of the surgeons will charge you more money for follicular unit extraction compared to the standard transplant, because it requires extra time and staff. Despite the cost, patients are warned to be extra careful in choosing their surgeons given that the surgery requires extra technical skill.
So now, you don’t have to think twice when you want to have a hair transplant because it is guaranteed that you won’t have any ugly scars after the procedure. Just be careful when you choose your surgeon and seek skilled professionals rather than the cheaper options. With hair transplantation you can regain your old self, and it can help your recuperate the confidence and the esteem that you once had. You wouldn’t need to hide your head behind caps and wigs since through hair surgery; you’ll get your hair once more, as if it had never been lost.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to
Parabens In Cosmetics – Do They Keep You Looking Young?
Judging by the number of anti aging skin products that contain parabens, you’d have to think they contribute in a big way in protecting the skin from aging.
What are parabens?
Parabens are a large collection of synthetic chemical products found in most skin care and cosmetic products including moisturizers, shampoos, foundation, face powder, exfoliants, baby products… There are thousands of skin care products that contain parabens, the list is endless.
The reason parabens are put into skin care products is they have an antibacterial effect and act as a preservative.
So what? There are two problems.
The first and most serious one is the potential for parabens to be absorbed by the skin into the bloodstream from where they can lodge in our fatty tissues. As women are the main users of these products, the breast tissue is of particular concern.
Parabens mimic the hormone estrogen and can be absorbed by the breast tissue. In fact parabens, in their unconverted form, have been found in breast tumours.
What’s the other problem with parabens?
Anti aging products are bought by both men and women in the hope of preserving the appearance of their skin. The problem is that some parabens can react to the UV rays in sunlight to produce a substance that actually accelerates aging.
No problems, you may think, I’ll just wear a sun block.
Good idea, you should be wearing one anyway. Just check the label though because… guess what? That’s right, parabens are even found in certain sun protection products.
How can I tell if there are parabens in the products I use?
It’s very difficult because they go under so many different names! Some of the more recognisable ones are: Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Aseptoform Butyl and Benzoic acid. Parabens have many synonyms so without knowing all the names, which is virtually impossible, reading the label will only add to further confusion.
It’s fairly safe to say if you see several long names you can’t pronounce on the back of a product, there’s a paraben lurking somewhere inside! Over 90% of skin care products, contain these chemicals. They are there because they are cheap and until recently, considered relatively safe.
The FDA has requested cosmetic companies to test the various ingredients they use to manufacture their products (May 2005). While they are to be commended for this, the process is laboriously slow and ongoing.
How can I protect my family against parabens?
Easy! Use natural cosmetics. The products on the site below contain no parabens whatsoever and are free of other cancer causing agents. And no, they’re not expensive!
Wendy Owen is a health researcher and author. For advice on absolutely natural skin care visit just-natural-skincare.com just-natural-skincare.com Sign up for our newsletter and recieve 5 free beauty books
PCA-Rx: The Safest Mode Of Detoxification
All of us desire a healthy living. Health is one of man’s most prized possession on earth. But various external factors such as environment, medical treatments etc. pose a grave threat to our fitness. For instance our body garners countless toxic elements via the polluted air we breathe,water we drink and foods we eat. Dental cures often lead to
excess deposits of mercury and other metals in the mouth. These compounds that accumulated remain passive initially but gradually they definitely impair our immune system and health. One prudent way to safeguard our body from these toxic elements is to remove them with the aid of a detoxifying agent.
In the past few years many therapies have been
advanced in this area. Unfortunately they produce harmful side effects. However research on the part of scientists and medical
researchers have blessed us with an excellent detoxifying agent PCA-Rx. PCA-Rx has minimal or even no side effects in most cases. PCA-Rx is a globally recognized natural product that is known for completely purging our
body of the Heavy Metals, Toxins, Triclosimines, PPCB’s, Pesticide Residues,
Yeast Forms, Parasites, Viral Residues, Mycoplasms,
Vaccination Residues and the like from everywhere and anywhere they reside.
For
instance PCA-Rx spray also penetrates through and cleanses the hair like thin
capillaries and veins associated to our brain while their function of
transporting oxygen, blood and other essential nutrients is impeded by the
deposition of plaque, toxic metal residues etc. Along with it PCA-Rx contributes
greatly to sound functioning of our liver. In fact it is the source of great
relief to people suffering from liver related problems.PCA-Rx is a
natural and living part of our body. PCA-Rx is not like other pca-rx.info/PCA-Rx-testimonials.htm chelation treatments such as DMSA and DMPS drugs etc. These cures fail to
distinguish between the requisite sediments (calcium, zinc, mercury etc.) and
the non-requisite ones (toxins and other harmful residues) and remove both from
our body. This wrecks our immune system and debilitates our body. Whereas PCA-Rx
is quite decisive, it attacks and removes only the uninvited
injurious elements from the body by the medium of stool, urine, skin and breath.
This uniqueness of PCA-Rx is because of the manner in which it works. When PCA-Rx
takes away a toxin from the receptor to be thrown out of the body it
simultaneously supplies another molecule in its place. Due to this no other
toxin gets associated to the receptor till the healing process is complete.
Moreover PCA-Rx envelops the toxin completely, ensuring its sure and safe
removal. Since PCA-Rx
comes with insignificant side effects even children can enjoy its benefits at
ease. However, it is advised to commence PCA-Rx with fewer doses in the
beginning that can very well be increased later So friends
guarantee a healthy living for yourself and your family through PCA-Rx. and further information look up pca-rx.info/ www.pca-rx.info
Mathew Avrahmi
Low Fat Diets Fail the Test?
You should not be surprised by the latest three studies showing that low-fat diets do not prevent breast or colon cancers or heart attacks (Journal of the American Medical Association, Feb 8, 2006). These studies were designed several years ago when a lot of people believed that all fats were bad. They did not test the newer diets such as the Mediterranean diet, which recommend eating good fats and avoiding the bad ones. You should restrict the bad saturated and partially hydrogenated fats, not the good omega-3 and monounsaturated fats. Even if you restrict the bad fats, your diet will be unhealthful unless you also restrict the bad refined carbohydrates and eat lots of the good carbohydrates found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
The main reason that these studies failed to show protection from cancer and heart attacks was that the women on the low-fat diets did not lose weight. That means that they did not eat fewer calories, even though they were instructed to avoid the most concentrated sources of calories. Heart attacks and cancers are associated with excess weight, and many scientists feel that inflammation explains the link. When germs get into your body, your immunity calls out cells and proteins to kill them. However, if your immunity remains active, it attacks and damages your own body to increase risk for heart attacks, strokes and cancers. We now know that full fat cells, as well as lymph nodes, produce the proteins of immunity and cause inflammation.
If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain a healthful weight, reduce your intake of fat found in fatty meats, chicken, dairy products, oils, margarines, fried foods and fatty bakery products; and refined carbohydrates found in sugar added foods, bakery products and pastas. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds, and of course, get plenty of exercise.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at drmirkin.com DrMirkin.com
drmirkin.com/email/newssign.asp Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.
Acne Treatment – Cutting Down On Milk May Help?
Which food may cause acne, or make it worse? Those who suffer from acne blame chips, chocolates, oily food and many such things that they believe may be causing acne. In the quest to cure acne faster and prevent it, medical science is looking at all the possible causes and treatments. In this respect various foods are getting examined and doctors are trying to find out if food has any connection with acne formation. Recently milk has been found to be a possible culprit. Let us find out more.
Acne treatment- possible causes of acne
Acne formation depends on stress. Genetics may have a definite role in acne formation. Why a teenager has got face full of spots, while other gets none. These are the mysteries of human body. Both teens produce hormones and both are at the age when most of the teenagers should expect acne. But some of them don’t get any. Some of them not only get acne in adolescence but keep on getting it as they grow up.
Acne & Food
Many people believe that chocolates make acne worse. Others believe that oily food will cause oily skin and make them more susceptible to acne. There may be a connection between eating a particular food and getting acne. But science has yet to come to a conclusion about it. That does not mean that your acne may not be occurring by a particular food. Science has not solved all the mysteries and many of grandma’s recipes work for no scientific reason. It is for you to make a chart of food and acne. Whenever you get a flare up, try to find out if you had eaten any particular food. If this match continues, avoid that food.
Acne and milk-
Recent research suggests that milk may be a possible culprit. The hormones in the milk make teenagers more susceptible to acne. If you are a regular user of milk, you need to discuss the milk and acne connection with your doctor. Milk is necessary for healthy growth of a teenager, so it cannot be removed from the list of foods so easily. Discuss the pros and cons of milk and make a considered decision about milk and acne.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
For more information about doctorgoodskin.com skin care to make your skin blemish-free and young, please visit- doctorgoodskin. The author C.D.Mohatta also consults with myspace websites. If you are a myspace or user of other social network websites, please click here for- JazzyComments.com Myspace Comments such as Compliments, Cool Comments, Cute Comments, Flirty Comments, Funky Comments, Funny Comments, Hot Comments, Love Comments,Picture Comments, Profile Comments, Sexy Comments, Sweet Comments and Thanks For The Add comments. For Myspace Quotes click- JazzyQuotes.com” target=”_new Myspace Quotes for myspace quotes on all topics.
So You Want to Lose Weight Fast – Do You?
Forget about wanting to lose weight fast. Just don’t do it! Well actually, this depends on your interpretation of fast. For some folks, loosing 20 pounds over a 6 month period is considered fast for them, but where the danger comes in is when people want to lose weight like yesterday. Maybe you have a function to attend by the end of the month and are desperate to get into your favorite garment?
Listen, healthy weight loss is done over time. Everyone’s body and metabolism works differently. The bottom line is that it probably took many months or even years to get to your current size so you can’t expect to be able to shed all that excess fat over night.
Have you ever known a loved one, a dear friend or neighbor to suddenly be struck by a terminal illness? If you have, one of the first things you may have noticed is how their weight dropped off them almost over night. They look sick. They are sick, and quite often it’s a sad and shocking sight. Those folks who go on crazy crash course diets and extreme measures to loose weight fast often look gaunt and sick in the eyes of others. It’s not safe, it’s not healthy, and it’s not natural, and what’s more, it can leave you with lots of baggy hanging flesh. Set sensible goals, and work towards them and you’ll not only begin to look fantastic, but you’ll feel great too. Give time a little time and you can’t go wrong.
I don’t want to sound harsh here, but so many wannabe dieters these days are searching for magical eating plans that will get them into shape with a minimum of effort, but life just doesn’t work like that. We have to move, we’re supposed to move, and what’s more we have to stick with a healthy eating and exercise regime that will mean a change in life style if we want lasting effects. If we don’t, not only do we get back those pounds we worked so hard to get rid of, but quite often we gain a bit extra on top too.
I would definitely keep away from those so called starvation diets which boast great results in just a few days. Once you come off ’starvation mode’, your metabolism will ensure you put the weight straight back on again, at least that was my experience when I was rummaging around for idle weight loss plans. As for diet pills to suppress your appetite, well, I think anyone considering going down this desperate road in order to lose weight fast should first hop online and read about the perils of diet pills.
So folks, if you started reading this hoping to find a wonder weight loss program, I’m afraid there isn’t one. Despite all the fancy fads and specialist diet programs around these days, the basic principles still prevail to this day. What are they? Simple! Put less in your mouth and get more exercise.
Sure, some of us need help in getting to know and understand how our own bodies work, which is why it’s always wise to speak to a doctor and or nutritionist prior to embarking on any new healthy way of living. But one thing’s for sure, and that is you can lose weight, you can get healthy, and you can feel fantastic, but it’s down to you and your lifestyle.
Get help and support, either online or off, find a plan, follow it through, and stick with it. You will be glad you did. Now are you ready to start loosing those extra pounds?
Andy Maingam is a proficient writer and webmaster for Look at Food dot com where he writes on such issues as lookatfood.com/ Living Longer and Healthier lives! and lookatfood.com/alkaline-food-chart.htm The Alkaline Food Chart. He also has many other food and healthy eating related pieces on the site.
A Brief Overview of Breast Augmentation
When a woman receives breast augmentation, she is using an implant to increase the size or look of her bosom. There are many different reasons that a woman may decide to accept the procedure, including correcting physical deformities, repairing cancer-ridden breasts, and enhancing physical appearance. The practice is so widely accepted that it is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgeries in the United States with more than 300,000 performed on a yearly basis.
How Breast Augmentation Works
To receive the material that will increase the size and shape of your breasts, an incision will be made around this part of the body. The cut into the skin is often performed below the breasts so that scars will be hidden. Depending on the type of skill your surgeon possesses, there could be no physical evidence that a surgery even took place. Once the incision is opened to a reasonable size, implants are inserted close to the muscles located in the chest. When the surgery is complete, sutures close the incision. When choosing alternative insertion locations, the procedure will differ, as well as the visibility of scars.
Breast Implant Materials
There are numerous decisions associated with the process of breast augmentation, including selecting the shape and size of breast implants that will best complement your body and personal preferences. The materials that they are made from also make a difference in both appearance and cost. There are two main types of implants a plastic surgeon will most likely discuss with you. The first is a saline filled option that is filled with a sterile liquid. The second and most controversial throughout the years is made from silicone: a silicone shell that is filled with a gummy silicone gel.
Types of Incisions
Depending on your muscle build, type of implant, and personal preferences, a number of incision selections are available to choose from. Some incision approaches may cut into various parts of the body, such as underneath the breast or the armpit. This also means that some patients may encounter minimal to prominent scarring, as well as virtually no signs of surgery. Sometimes an endoscope is used to help the surgeon properly place implants through an incision.
The most common incision choice is called inframammary, which is located below the breast. It is here that the placement of an implant is easiest. Since silicone gel implants require a lengthier incision, this is the option many women tend to choose. When an implant is inserted through the areolar border, the incision approach is called periareolar. Larger silicone gel implant patients rarely choose this method. When a patient wishes no visible breast scars, they may choose transaxillary (armpit) or transumbilical (naval) incisions.
Implant Placement
After the incision is made, the insertion and placement of the implant follows. The major muscle involved in this step of breast augmentation is called the pectoralis. When the implant is placed between the breast tissue and the pectoralis muscle, it is called subglandular. A subfascial placement is positioned underneath the fascia of the pectoralis muscle. When inferior muscular attachments are released, a subpectoral implant is placed underneath the pectoralis major muscle, while submuscular placement involves insertion without the release of the inferior muscles, which mainly accommodates breast reconstruction patients.
Get more information on outer-beauty.com plastic surgery at the website of Andrew Klapper M.D outer-beauty.com outer-beauty.com
Nutrition and Depression
Depression is a real illness which affects so many people. In fact, many people will, at some stage in their life feel the effects of some form of depression.
Depression usually occurs when there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. The imbalance occurs with serotonin – an important neurotransmitter, which helps to transfer messages throughout the structures of the brain’s nerve cells. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that controls how we feel – happy or sad. If the levels of serotonin are awry, depression can result.
Anti-depressants work by regulating the amount of serotonin, to keep the brain functioning properly and keep depression at bay.
The advice below may be a means to assist those with mild to moderate depression, who are not already taking medication, but it can be an adjunct to conventional treatment, for those taking medication.
Please consult your medical practitioner if you would like to try any of the following (as it may interfere with your medication – either anti-depressants or other medication).
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is another useful nutrient and is the precursor to tryptophan – this means your body needs to have enough Vitamin B6 in order to make tryptophan (which is an essential amino acids – meaning the body cannot manufacture it and it is necessary to be taken in from foods ingested). Vitamin B6 can be taken in the form of a supplement or through foods high in vitamin B6, such as: yellowfin tuna, beef liver, potato, fortified cereals, banana, chicken breast.
Tryptophan
There are some foods which actually help the body make “happy hormones” – these foods are: low fat meat (chicken / turkey especially), milk and other low fat dairy, eggs. The happy hormone is tryptophan, an essential amino acids which helps to regulate levels of serotonin in the brain and has the effect of making a person feel happier.
Exercise
Study after study has shown that moderate and regular exercise will help with mild to moderate depression to the same level as medication. The only hard thing to do is to actually get up and do the exercise, which is hard if you feel even a little down. Just try to do it and you will soon start to feel a little better with each session.
Avoid Refined Sugar to Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
If your sugar levels are erratic from high intakes of highly refined and sugary foods, this will wreak havoc on your emotional stability.
Foods that contain high levels of sugar (or are highly refined carbohydrates) make your blood sugar levels go too high very quickly and then drop again very quickly. This is not good for healthy individuals, but worse if you have any type of mental or physical affliction, due to the detrimental effects of the sugar fluctuations.
It is well known that not having stable and consistent sugar levels is not beneficial in many ways and can make a person feel anxious and nervous (low sugar levels), while high sugar levels can create artificial euphoria and feeling like one is “drunk”. Keeping your sugar levels consistent, by eating wholesome, healthy foods, with a little, low fat, good quality protein at each meal, will really go a long way to ensuring your depression is not exacerbated.
Always eat breakfast – have some cereal, milk and fruit, or eggs and fruit. Try to make sure you eat some healthy snacks in between your main meals (good snacks are some crispbread with some hommous or some low fat cheese and tomatoes or some nuts and fresh fruit).
Routine
Get a regular routine going – try to do the same things at the same time – this will help you by ensuring your life is stable and consistent.
Have Medical Tests
There are several health conditions that can have depression as a symptom – so you should ensure that you have had a full medical check up to rule out any of those conditions.
For more information about vitalhealthzone.com” target=”_blank health and vitalhealthzone.com” target=”_new nutrition, visit: vitalhealthzone.com” target=”_new www.vitalhealthzone.com
Jaklina Trajcevska is the creator of vitalhealthzone.com vitalhealthzone.com, an informational web site which aims to educate people about nutrition and health. Jaklina Trajcevska is passionate about nutrition and health and has a BSc degree.