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2月17日

Fat Busters’ News Bulletin

Are you a Fat Buster? Do you avoid buying foods that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol? When you go grocery shopping, do you read “Nutrition Facts” panels for assistance in selecting healthy foods for your family?  If so, I have great news for you!  As of January 1, 2006, the FDA requires that manufacturers list the amount of trans fats on Nutrition Panels.

Why do you need to know this? The shocking truth is that trans fats have always lurked in our foods, unpublicized. Manufacturers make trans fat when they add hydrogen to vegetable oil -- a process called hydrogenation that turns liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.  With no way to measure trans fats, careful shoppers like you and I have been buying foods laden with them.

Why should you care about trans fat? What harm does it do?  Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for coronary heart disease. Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.

Why do health books recommend that we include fat in our diets if it’s so bad for us? When eaten in moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health as it is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K as well as carotenoids. In addition, as any good cook knows, fat provides taste, consistency, and stability and helps give us that happy, full-tummy feeling.

However, there are “good” fats and “bad” ones, just as we have good and bad blood cholesterol. Saturated fat and trans fat raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and corn oil) do not raise LDL cholesterol and are beneficial when consumed in moderation.

In which foods does trans fat lurk? Mainly trans fats are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, candies, salad dressings, baked goods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. You know . . . all your favorite foods.

Even some dietary supplements like energy and nutrition bars contain trans fat from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as well as saturated fat or cholesterol. Up until now, you had no way to identify the levels of trans fat in your foods, but now you are able to identify the amounts of all three fats in your foods.

When making food choices that will be low in saturated fat and cholesterol, remember that the combined totals of saturated and trans fats along with cholesterol should be low . . . 5% of the Daily Value or less is low and 20 % or more is high. I want to assure you that trans fats, although present in many of the foods we eat, are not “essential” to any healthy diet. . Numerous health and government authorities, including the U.S. Surgeon General, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association, advocate reducing dietary fat to 30 percent or less of total calories.

If you are sadly crossing your favorite foods off your grocery list, you may be wondering what you can serve instead. Fear not, you still have a few good choices left:

• Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats do not raise LDL cholesterol levels and you can eat them, in moderation. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. Natural vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, peanut, corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils) have no trans fats and are high in good fats.

• Select alternative fats: olive, canola, soybean, corn, and sunflower oils, soft margarines, nuts and fish, lean meats and skinless poultry.

• Feel free to serve your family fish, as most fish are lower in saturated fats than meat. Some fish, such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids help fight against heart disease.

• Serve a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas, chicken and fish, non-fat or low-fat dairy products. If you cook at home, select lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, cereals, and pastas. Choose non-fat or low-fat dairy products and foods that have a low % of bad fats.

Cooking your own meals helps you better control the type and amount of fats you eat.However, if eating out is one of the great joys of your life, don’t despair. You can still cut down on trans fats when eating out by eating less fast food and by asking before you order in a restaurant if they will cook your food in natural vegetable oils. If you choose wisely, avoiding fried foods, for example, you can eat out and still have healthy meals.

Avoiding trans fats does provide another benefit that I think you will enjoy! Fats are high in calories; 9 calories per gram, making fat the most concentrated source of calories. By comparison, carbohydrates and protein have only 4 calories per gram. Therefore, replacing harmful fats with healthy foods will naturally result in dropping a few pounds of “ugly fat” and reduce your tendency for health problems.

Now that manufacturers must reveal the presence of the ghostly trans fats on nutrition labels, become the “Fat Buster” for your family and enjoy the multiple benefits of healthier eating.



Discover The Hidden Facts About The Water You May Be Drinking

Without it, humans could not exist. We are made up mostly of water, as is the world around us. There is no one on the planet with any kind of knowledge of dieting, health and fitness that does not understand the need for a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. However, there is much more you need to know about water so that it can really provide you with the health benefits you seek instead of causing more harm than good.

Tap water is full of chemicals including chlorine and aluminum. These chemicals are not truly meant for human consumption but occur either naturally in water sources due to the composition of the surrounding soil, or are added by cities and town to remove harmful bacteria or unpleasant tastes. In order to drink pure water, you need to either filter it or buy pure spring water.

Water filters are relatively inexpensive these days and easily attach to faucets so that with the flip of switch the drinking water is filtered and then flipping the switch back saves your filter when the water is used for washing hands or doing dishes. Filters need to be changed frequently for the best benefits.

Bottled water should not be stored in the typical milk jug type container. These plastic containers made of PVC contain chemicals, which rub off into the drinking water and put toxins into your body as you drink the water. The more rigid plastic made of polyethylene or better yet, glass containers will not allow any chemicals to “rub off” into the drinking water. Stores will promote the PVC jugs as containing “drinking water” but you need to purchase only “spring water” and be selective about the container. Do not drink “distilled” water either, since the oxidation is potentially harmful along with the fact that it can contain improper pH balances and ionization.

Buying or filtering your water will also allow you to remove harmful aluminum. The consumption of too much aluminum is linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). People with AD who have died were found to have high concentrations of aluminum in their brain tissue.

How Much Water is Enough?

The minimum is 8 glasses a day, but that is a guideline that is far too general. A better guide is to have 16 ounces for every 25 pounds you weigh. For example, a 125 pound person should have about 80 ounces, which is 10 8-ounce glasses each day, or 2 1/2 quarts. That means a 200-pound person should have an entire gallon of pure water each day. Those people engaged in strenuous exercise need even more. Don’t worry; your body will soon adjust to proper hydration and you won’t be running to the bathroom every ฝ hour after about the first 2 or 3 days!

Most people like their water ice-cold, but it is believed that extremely cold water in these beneficial quantities can be harmful to the stomach lining. It is best to drink water at room temperature. If you buy spring water or purify your own tap water, it will remove all of the chemicals that make room-temperature water taste bad, and you will be able to enjoy pure tasting water even at the warmer temperatures.

You can always add a squeeze of fresh lemon to add a little flavor without adding anything your body doesn’t need. Just be sure to drink, drink, and drink some more.

11月29日

Anti Aging Facial Skin Care

If you’re serious about anti-aging facial skin care, you owe it to yourself to investigate all the alternatives. While cosmetics might seem to be the logical solution, over time their cost might prove prohibitive. Botox injections, chemical peels or microdermabrasion can give superior (and more immediate) results that often justify the additional cost.

Botox injections relax the muscles that create wrinkles like the “frown lines” on your forehead. The treatment lasts three to six months, and lines and wrinkles either disappear or dramatically diminish during this period. Besides frown lines, Botox is effective on crow’s feet, laugh lines and forehead wrinkles. A medical doctor must administer Botox injections. After several treatments, some doctors report that the period of effectiveness is extended.

Chemical peels are meant to improve skin appearance and diminish wrinkles by removing one or more of the skin’s outer layers. Like Botox, chemical peels are done by a medical doctor and usually consist of phenol, TCAs (trichloroacetic acids) or AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids). Phenol is the strongest of the chemical peel agents and provides the most dramatic results. TCAs are the next strongest, but several treatments are usually required. AHAs are the least strong and are generally used for skin brightening and smoothing, rather than wrinkle removal. Phenol and TCAs will remove wrinkles and blemishes, and even out skin tone.

Microdermabrasion does not require a medical doctor. It can be performed by a trained aesthetician. In this procedure, tiny crystals are sprayed against the face with a device similar to a sand blaster, producing a gentle polishing action that removes the dead outer layer of skin on the face. Microdermabrasion is less harsh than chemical peels and works well for women with sensitive skin. Treatments must be repeated for maximum effectiveness.

While not for everyone, Botox injections, chemical peels and microdermabrasion are all valid methods of anti-aging facial skin care. If you want fast results and are willing to spend the money, these treatments can provide significant improvements in skin texture and appearance.

5 Tips To Improved Skin Care

Your derma is the aboriginal affair that humans apprehension about you and that is why a able derma affliction dieting is so important. There are abounding articles that affirmation to admonition advance derma accent and advance a absolute complexion, but the accuracy is that there is no such affair as burning results. An able derma affliction dieting is one that is done consistently over a time afore after-effects will activate to develop.

Skin Affliction Tip 1:

Always use some blazon of exfoliation product, which will admonition to abolish old derma beef and added bits and particles from your skin. This will betrayal the advantageous beef and rid your physique from the old ones.

Skin Affliction Tip 2:

If possible, abstain connected sun acknowledgment and tanning beds. In accession to getting alarming breadth bloom is concerned, these may aswell advance to aboriginal signs of aging. Everyone loves a suntan, but there is no acumen to cede your derma or your bloom in adjustment to accomplish it. Therefore, abounding individuals opt for a self-tanning analgesic instead. Aback in the day, these articles had a addiction to about-face the derma orange, but that is no best the case. Improvements accept helped to accord self-tanning articles a added natural, streak-free look. Afore applying the analgesic to your absolute body, administer it to a baby analysis breadth just to accomplish abiding there is no irritation.

Skin Affliction Tip 3:

If your aperture tend to become chapped in the winter months or wind burnt at added times, application lip analgesic or lipstick will admonition to assure the aperture from nature’s worst.

Skin Affliction Tip 4:

Dry or absurd derma can be actual unbearable. Not to acknowledgment the ache of bound red skin, it can be absolute embarrassing. A alembic of Pacquin Plus duke & physique chrism will annihilate soreness, bloom and admonition to add damp aback to dry skin.

Skin Affliction Tip 5:

Do not use articles that abrade your derma in any way, including soaps that accept acrid ingredients. If possible, use a moisturizing soap or that which is advised for acute skin.

In accession to these tips, derma affliction articles are accessible as bartering or decree based treatments. A dermatologist is generally consulted for affairs apropos to abscess or added derma disorders, abnormally if they are severe. Abounding derma affliction enthusiasts aswell accept in application affluence of moisturizing physique analgesic in adjustment to furnish the skin’s accustomed moisture, which is generally bare in today’s acrid environment.

The admonition in this commodity is to be acclimated for advisory purposes. It should not be advised as, or acclimated in affiliation with, able medical advice. Consult your doctor above-mentioned to alpha any derma affliction dieting or if you accept been diagnosed with any ataxia involving the skin.

6 Steps to Super Sleek Stylish Hair

Whether you want to look great for a party and have all afternoon to get ready, or just want to smarten up before a meeting, there are things to do to get your hair looking great and give your confidence a real boost.

Super Hair Tip Number 1: Shampoo properly. By this, I mean that you should invest in a top quality salon shampoo that matches your hair type, if you have coloured hair, make sure that the formulation of your shampoo is suitable, likewise if your hair is thin, greasy, blonde, or brunette, talk to your stylist, and get them to advise you on what they think is best. Too many people simply pick something off the supermarket shelf and home for the best, when what they really need is a shampoo that suits them.

Super Hair Tip Number 2: Condition deeply. Hair conditioners have a formulation that will add body and shine to your hair. You know how uncomfortable and scratchy clothes are if you don’t use a fabric conditioner, well hair is the same. Also, a good conditioner will help to keep your hair static free, which will reduce frizziness even more. Massage the conditioner from root to tip and leave it to work its magic and make your hair look really healthy and shiny before rinsing it thoroughly.

Super Hair Tip Number 3: Dry your hair well. Modern hair dryers will not harm your hair as much as they used to, but if you are going to use a blow dryer to get your hair dry quickly, make sure you keep it moving over your hair and dry it evenly to avoid overheating. If you have the time, use the dryer on a cool setting to avoid damage.

Super Hair Tip Number 4: Use a good Serum. There are a huge variety of great products around that are designed to smooth your hair. Most salons will be able to point you in the direction of a serum such as Frizz-ease that will help to keep your hair looking great. Generally hair serums work in three ways, by relaxing the hair, smoothing it, and reducing the potential for it to attract the static electricity that will cause it to frizz up.

Super Hair Tip Number 5: Use good quality hair straighteners. Most people find that the cheaper hair straighteners do not do a very good job. You might find that they do not get hot enough to iron out the kinks properly on a single pass, and are not slippery enough to allow your hair to pass through smoothly. Opt for ceramic or glass heating plates, and make sure that there is an adjustable temperature. GHD straighteners are the one of the most popular brands around and ae commonly used in salons all around the world. Their plates get hot fast, and are extra smooth to make styling your hair easy, all of which makes them a real favourite in salons around the world. Ceramic plates will help discharge the static electricity from your hair too, and leave it looking straight for longer.
 
Super Hair Tip Number 6:
Eat well. Your hair is nourished by what you eat and drink, and will never look good if you don’t eat a balanced diet with lots of vitamins and minerals. Hair is mostly made of protein, so make sure your diet includes plenty. Drink water too, as this will flush impurities out of your body and keep you healthy.

10 Steps To Look Younger

The abstruse of the adolescence has been searched back continued time ago. Abounding advisers accept done some abstracts to acquisition means to apathetic down the crumbling process.

There are some techniques which accept been implemented, but the a lot of important things for us to do are accepting constant in implementing advantageous affairs and bistro habits.

We can’t stop the accustomed change, but we can still attending adolescent if we wish to plan harder to apathetic down the crumbling process.

Therefore, I’m traveling to advice you with 10 simple accomplish to accomplish you attending younger:

Detox – It’s important to alpha detoxification, accepting rid of adulteration from our body. Our physique metabolism has done that process, but in accustomed activity we are apparent to so abounding actinic hazards from air, aliment and environment. Fasting or just arresting fruits and vegetables are means to detoxify our body.

Sleep – Having abundant beddy-bye at atomic 6-8 hours a day will accomplish our derma healthier. Having a acceptable beddy-bye is aswell important because advance hormone is alive during that time. It renews the old corpuscle of our body, cover the derma cell. Our derma will attending beginning and adolescent if we accept abundant sleep.

Food – Bistro advantageous and safe aliment accustomed will accomplish our physique fit, abbreviate and aswell attending younger. Try to eat added angle instead of red meat. Fiber food, vegetables, fruits, and supplements are important aliment to consume. Drink beneath coffee and added caffeine beverages.

Exercise – Through accepted exercise, we will feel happier, energetic, and confident. It aswell increases our cartilage physique and beef which can accomplish our physique attending 15-20 years younger. Beside aerobic, walking, and swimming, goes aswell to the gym to do appropriation exercise.

Relax – By aggravating to be relaxed, our face will attending younger. Accent and worries arise on our face. If we can administer our accent and feel at peace, our face will attending adolescent and attractive.

Be Absolute – A absolute apperception and affirmation we said can accompany absolute activity to us. Negative anticipation tend to accompany abortion and accomplish us attending earlier and unattractive. Meditation is one way to accomplish absolute thoughts.

Medical Check-up - Just like a car, our physique aswell needs absorption and affliction so it can plan able-bodied everyday. Having accepted medical checkups during our advantageous time is important to admit diseases as anon as possible.

Active Activity – Always try to be alive during your life. Activities can access health; and if you are in your ancient age, your anamnesis will access too.

Social Activity – Happy amusing activity can increases our spirit, accompany peaceful mind, and accomplish us feel and attending younger. Communication with our friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and others can accompany beatitude to us.

Performance - Alpha to attending at our performance. Is our physique weight ideal for us? If not, try to fix that to the best ideal weight. Aswell attending to the skin, hair, attach and teeth. Those are important as they will appearance our age. Looks acceptable and feels acceptable will access our performance.

10月13日

Alternative Medicines That Work For Me

Writen by Steven Gillman

There is a lot of hype about alternative medicines, and some of them are certainly without much value. Of course there is a lot of hype about regular medicines, many of which do as much harm as good. The fact that natural remedies and treatments rarely hurt people as much as prescription drugs is one reason to at least try them. Here are a few that I can vouch for from experience.

Tea Tree Oil

I had a lump on the side of my nose, growing slowly, bleeding at times. I had it for years, and the one time I asked a doctor about it, he wasn't sure if it was actually cancerous. I read somewhere that tee tree oil might work. I bought a bottle at a health-food store for $6. I applied a drop to the lump each day, and in less than six weeks, the lump was gone completely.

Coincidence? After having the growth for years? I don't think so. In fact I had another growth years later on my neck, and for several years, I couldn't remember what I had used the first time. When I found a clue in some old notes, I used tea tree oil on that growth, which was even larger than the first one. It was gone in about six weeks.

St. John's Wort

When hiking in Canada, I cut my foot. The gash was deep. I found St. John's Wort (Hypericum perfolatum), which has been proven to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. I mashed up a few leaves and bandaged them to the cut, replacing them occasionally. I have honestly never seen a cut heal faster.

St. John's Wort is one of the better known alternative medicines now. It is used as an anti-depressant, with numerous studies showing it's effectiveness. It is also used by some as a temporary mood-elevator. This effect isn't proven yet, but whenever I've had tea made from the plant, it tasted awful and left me happy for two hours. Anecdotal and subjective evidence (I'm not even entirely convinced), but interesting.

Valerian Root

When my wife has cramps and pain, nothing works better than a cup of tea made from valerian root. You can get the tea in many stores now. I wouldn't try driving after having valerian root. This is a powerful relaxant.

In fact, valerian root is too strong for some people. A gentler herb that will relax you is chamomile. You can find this as tea too. It makes a great drink with honey, just before you are ready to go to bed.

There are so many alternatives out there. I have stopped a headache just by chewing on willow twigs. I have stopped diarrhea with oak bark (careful - this can hard on the liver in large doses). I have watched a friend's poison ivy rash disappear overnight with the application of jewelweed juice.

I am sure that I have tried just as many alternatives that didn't work, too, but you know what? Put all the ineffective ones together and the cost probably doesn't add up to the cost of one visit to a doctor. As for the effective ones, well, no doctor yet has introduced me to one of them. You have to do your own research on alternative medicines.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com

Aerobics or Strength Training: Which is Better?

Writen by Virgil Aponte

Which is better? Aerobic training (long distance running, stints on the Stairmaster) or anaerobic training (weight training & short intense conditioning work)

I've been asked this question hundreds if not thousands of times. First I'll give what I think is best and then I will talk about whether what I think is best even matters.

I my own professional opinion and from my experiences I believe a combination of strength training exercises (with free weights, machines, or bodyweight) and high intensity anaerobic exercise (e.g. Sprinting, running up hills, or stairs etc... have yielded the best results for me and the people I've worked with. I'll take it a step further by just looking at what the elite athletes do. The first thing that comes to my mind when it comes to ideal body composition (low body fat levels) and weight loss are long distance runners and sprinters. Marathoners run and workout for what seems like forever. One hour runs 4 to 6 times a week are the norm for many of them. Combine that with strength training (which many won't do because they're too tired and over trained from running) and you're working out almost everyday. Sprinters on the other hand use short intense workouts to build their speed. Many sprint 2 to 4 times a week for about 30-45 minutes and strength train 2-4x a week for about 30-45 minutes. Many times it looks as if they're not even training hard because they rest a while between their sprint sets.

With out getting too far into the details of the workouts of sprinters and marathoners I'll say this: The sprinters get far more in return for what amounts to less time spent working out. Just take a look at an elite marathoner (they look stringy and many times weak and sickly). Now look over at an elite sprinter and they look like an Adonis (It all boils down to what their training offers them. Long distance running will improve your aerobic endurance but at the cost of you overtraining, possibly having more colds, less muscle, you not looking and feeling your best and also leaving less time to do other things you might like. Sprinting and strength training will not give you the endurance to run 2 hours but you will look better, have more muscle, less fat, have more time to do other things. So I guess it's safe to say that I think strength training and anaerobic work wins in my book. Absolutely! Now does what I believe really matter when it comes to finding what works best for you?

Here's a true story:

I had a client a few years ago that loved to run. When I made my pitch to try and get her to do sprints and strength training she rebelled. She really had no interest in strength training and she truly loved to run as it made her feel like a million bucks. How could I fight that? World famous holistic healer Paul Chek once told me in a seminar that the best exercise is the one you will do and like to do consistently. Ultimately you need to do what works for you and what you like doing. If you do a workout program that you dread many times you'll just stop doing it and sometimes you may even get hurt. So, for those who love to run: I've got nothing but love for you. Have fun, be consistent and keep it up.

For over 12 years Virgil has helped numerous people from all walks of life reach their strength & health related goals. His career highlights include working as a strength & conditioning/baseball coach for the New York Mets Instructional Baseball Academy, serving as an assistant with the WNBA New York Liberty's strength & conditioning staff and creating the Ultimate Stair Exercises DVD set http://www.stairexercises.com which has sold in 6 countries. Currently Virgil continues to teach, train clients and is releasing a new DVD series entitled GetFit Anywhere http://www.GetFitAnywhere.net

Subscribe to his free health & fitness journal at: http://www.GivStrength.com

>Acne Cure, How to Cure Acne

Writen by Stein Ove Stien

Acne is a common skin condition that is not restricted to any age group or sex. Acne may appear for any length of time. But one should not forget that Acne is not a disease and can surely be cured!

Conventional acne medications may be topical-applied directly to the skin, or they may be systemic-taken internally. Unlike medication treatments, the effects of acne surgery are usually more immediate.

An acne condition can be improved and eventually controlled, monitored or improved by a professional skin care program, or medical care combined with the home care program. Acne medications and antibiotics must be taken for several months for any improvement to appear in an acne condition if the case is severe. Many non-prescription acne products can control milder cases of acne without medical care.

Only recently, a laser treatment that causes temporary heat damage to oil glands, which may reduce the oil supply, was developed for acne cure. Not only this, several herbal remedies are also recommended for acne cure. Herbs such as chamomile, lavender, juniper, bergamot, dandelion root, and burdock root can be used to reduce toxicity and improve the overall condition of the skin.

While trying to cure acne, one should not forget that skin treated with alcohol, Benzol Peroxide, ether, acetone and other harsh ingredients may prematurely age the skin and leave the former acne sufferer with wrinkles and a grayish, sickly and tired skin tone.

Whether the acne sufferer chooses to use medications or not, skin care must be used. Some of the popular products in the market that can prevent and cure acne include:-Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Retinoid, Antibiotics, Oral Contraceptives, Anti-Androgens and Isotretinoin (Accutane).

A good basic skin regimen just consists of Cleansing twice daily with a 5% benzoyl peroxide wash. An alternative for those who are allergic to benzoyl peroxide is 2% salicylic acid. Use of a light skin moisturizer and an oil-free makeup is need of the hour!

One should give dry skin extra care, being sure to wash and rinse their face thoroughly and using products especially made for dry skin. One should follow some of the important routine things like regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, use of safe cosmetics, having a healthy diet and following a healthy skin regimen. Avoid getting over-stressed; even "good" stress can trigger internal chemical responses that result in acne and not to forget drinking lots and lots of water and add more fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts to your regular diet.

Stein Ove Stien is the manager of 1acne-treatment.com with Acne Blogs Guides and Acne Treatment Articles

Abdominoplasty Surgery - The Tummy Tuck

Writen by Arturo Ronzon

Tummy tuck is a procedure that is used to reshape and firm up the abdominal area. Known as abdominoplasty surgery, tummy tuck involves removing unwanted fat and skin from the lower abdominal area in order to tighten up the abdominal walls. A tummy tuck is usually performed on people who have abdominal fat that do not seem to respond to diet and exercise.

A full tummy tuck procedure is done by performing an incision across the lower abdomen – from one hip to the other. The incision is shaped like a ‘V’ with a flat bottom that cuts across the top of the pubic area. Then, another incision is made surrounding the navel to free the skin. The skin is then peeled away from the abdominal area to reveal the fat and muscles below. Once the unwanted fat is removed and the muscles tightened, excess skin is trimmed off the remaining skin is stitched into place. A new hole is cut to form the navel.

It is best to have a thorough medical checkup if you do plan to go for a tummy tuck procedure. Seeing as how tummy tuck is a major surgical procedure, it is best to know your current state of health to minimize complications during and after surgery. The doctor in charge can also advise if a tummy tuck is really the best way to go to firm up your lower abdomen.

If your abdominal fat problem is not too bad, then a mini tummy tuck might be the way to go. For the mini tummy tuck, only a small, straight incision is performed above the pubic area. Excess fat is then removed and the wound would be stitched closed. Some doctors would also perform liposuction together with a mini tummy tuck for better results. There are even doctors that would perform a mini tummy tuck plus liposuction immediately after performing a caesarian baby delivery.

As with any surgery, there will be some recovery time that would need to be observed. A mini tummy tuck will not take too long to recover compared to a full tummy tuck. After a full tummy tuck, you lower abdominal area would most likely be swollen. The doctor would place a tube running out of your abdomen temporarily to drain off excess fluids accumulated during surgery. Getting up out of bed would be challenging for a few days, as would be going to the toilet. Avoid lying prone in bed all the time as this could retard your healing. When you feel that you can, try and move about to gets the blood circulation going.

Expect the surgery scars to last from 9 months to a year after a full tummy tuck. Also be aware that these scars might never really disappear although surgeons will often ensure that the scars are easily hidden under a bathing suit. If you want to, you could go for a plastic surgery procedure to remove the scars from your tummy tuck.

Want to learn more about Tummy Tuck Surgery?, feel free to visit us at: http://www.about-tummy-tucks.info 


5 tips for a Healthy Juvenile Diabetes Diet

Writen by Alissa Carter

Over the last few years my own diet has changed dramatically. As someone who is blessed with a naturally slim frame I have never had to diet to lose weight, but I maintain my current healthy weight with a great diet/eating plan. In fact, if you do plan on losing more than about a stone in weight then I would visit your doctor for more tips on how to do this without risk.

To tell you that how I maintain weight is perfect would be totally wrong of me, but I can advise you to follow my steps because I know what works and what doesn't. But before I really begin I must also say that I have been brought up by great parents who taught me to eat everything, and so I do! If there is something that you don't like, there are loads of other diabetic recipes and ideas that you will eat and appreciate.

I am a student and I like to buy fresh and organic produce from where I live. I believe that this is important because it can be the most good for your body and contain more nutrients and vitamins than most supermarket produce. I like to source food from my fortnightly farmers market in town, which sells amazing meat and dairy produce and fresh in season fruit and vegetables. This is another important thing to remember, that eating fruit and veg in their season means that they will taste better as well as doing you good. I have a lot of influence from Western European cuisine (mainly France and Italy) as you will tell, but I do not profess to be a chef and everything is easy to make and very convenient.

I have read countless diet books and diabetic recipe/diet books, and I came to a conclusion that I think really works. I fused all the good things from the diets (but not from every diet) and sort of put together my own one. We will call this the Juvenile Diabetes Healthy Diet.

The "rules" that I would lay down are as follows:

1. Cut back on snacks and then change the type of snacks you eat.

 Certainly my biggest downfall although it wasn't really apparent to me. When I first started at University, I had little or no routine which meant that filling my day was difficult and popping into the kitchen for a snack, no matter how healthy it felt, was a regular occurence. This is one of the hardest things to do for some people, but establishing a great routine is essential to great diabetes care. The types of snacks to be eating are unsalted nuts, dried unsweetened fruit, fresh fruit, fresh veg (I love fresh red pepper and cucumber), dark chocolate (richer and nicer and you only want 2 squares usually).

2. Cut back on white flour, embrace wholemeal carbs.

 This is the most essential part of your diet, and the thing that can show the biggest increase in loss of weight. Some diets in fact jsut focus on this point, and are ery successful. Wholemeal (especially stoneground wholemeal) is so good for you and has so much more flavour in it that switching is much easier than you think. Most people are really surprised at the ranges you can get in you supermarket, again remember that the bread that is best for you is the one that is freshest with least perservatives or added ingredients. Also, brown or basmati rice is great with a lovely nutty texture. Wholemeal pasta is great and for your potatoes I would totally recommend the smaller new potatoes.

3. Stop drinking cocktails, start drinking wine.

 Cocktails are full of sugar, colourants and preservatives. As a student I have had loads of practice at going out and not drinking cocktails, so my drink of choice is Malibu and Diet Coke if I feel I have to drink something and I make it last all night. I can then top up with Diet Coke (which has almost no sugar in it) and it looks as though I am drinking Malibu, who is to know. If you are out at a restaurant, red wine is much better than anything else you can order, (except water of course!) and it has been proven that the anti-oxidants in red wine are great for keeping a healthy heart. The recommended amount is one glass a day with your evening meal.

4. Start cooking more fruit and vegetables.

 Fresh fruit and vegetables are a great way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need. And there are so many different ways in which to cook vegetables, but I find that raw is the best follwed closely by steamed. Both of these ways preserve all their natural goodness aswell. I will follow this post with another diabetes recipes post.

5. Drink more water.

 I know you have heard people say this many times before, but the benefits of drinking more water are endless. A few tips on how to get more water into your day are firstly to put bottles of water at all the places you go in the house or work. So keep one in your desk, on your desk, a glass in the kitchen, the bedroom, the sitting room, etc. Try and drink all these glasses up and you will be well on your way to 8 glasses a day. The trick is to add a glass every few days or so, if you try to drink all that water in one go you won't be so inclined to drink 8 glasses again, trust me! Have a go, it's amazing how great you will feel.

For further tips on living with diabetes, visit http://juvenile-diabetes.blogspot.com

This article was submitted by Alissa Carter, she is also owner of the dressearch.com

3 Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

Writen by Morris Patrick

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disease that affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans. Alzheimer's disease is characterized initially by memory loss but in its later stages also by loss of mental functioning including language, reasoning and understanding and reading and writing. It is the most common cause of dementia.

The devastation of Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer's disease) affects millions of families in the United States and costs can be measured in mental, physical, emotional, and financial terms. The primary caregiver is the one who suffers most. This is the person who tends to a loved one requiring progressively more attention and eventually total care.
 There are many things that can be done to safely tend to the patient while preserving the emotional and physical health of the caregiver.
 The patient can be combative and otherwise uncooperative when bathing and dressing time comes. Planning this out can help a lot. Make sure you use rubber mats to avoid slipping. Make sure all bathing necessities are within reach. Bathrooms should have grab bars and shower seats. This can be a tremendous help. Be very careful about water temperature.
 There is much information available defining the progression of the stages of Alzheimer's disease and this information can take many forms. For the sake of simplicity, we describe the progression in terms of three main stages.

Early Stage:

In the Early Stage Alzheimer's disease, the evidence of memory and concentration problems is clearly discernable. People in this stage often find it difficult to remember current events or to perform complex tasks such as paying bills or managing finances.

Mid Stage:

A person in Mid Stage Alzheimer's disease will experience confusion about where they are, the date, or season. He or she will be able to remember things about themselves-like their names and the names of their children, but will have trouble remembering details such as their current address or telephone number. People in this stage require some assistance with day-to-day activities.

As Mid Stage Alzheimer's disease progresses, memory problems worsen and are accompanied by personality changes. A person would require extensive help with activities of daily living including toileting and dressing appropriately. Individuals may tend to wander and experience delusions and disrupted sleep patterns.

Late Stage:

In Late Stage Alzheimer's disease, individuals will need assistance will all or most of their daily needs-eating, toileting, dressing and walking. Individuals in this stage lose the ability to use meaningful language and eventually even to speak. Along with the loss of speech, individuals in this stage lose the ability to control their movement or to respond to their environment.

Morris Patrick is a Managed Care consultant in Arlington, Texas. To find out more about Alzheimer's Disease and what to do if your loved one suffers from this disease, please go to http://thecottagesofalb.com

Copyright 2006 Morris Patrick

2 Ways to Start Burning fat Quickly

Writen by Adrian Bryant

1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day. Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6+ hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day. If you're seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you'll be throwing just the right amount of "wood" on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don't shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

1. Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning

2. Eat a healthy breakfast

3. Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

Adrian Bryant is a Personal Trainer and creator of NowLoss: The World's Best Weight Loss Program. Be sure to check out his web site at http://www.nowloss.com. Adrian Bryant has helped many people reach their fitness goals in his 10+ years of personal training. Adrian holds a B.S. degree in Exercise science from Longwood University.

Back Pain and Massage - Alternative Remedies

Writen by Samuel Hathaway

A hands-on approach to back pain can be a positive experience. Massage therapy can help reverse the vicious cycle of pain-spasm-pain associated with chronic back pain.

Massage and chiropractic therapy can provide many benefits to individuals suffering from mild or chronic back pain. These benefits include:


  • Circulation and blood pressure improvement.
  • Muscle tone improvement and the prevention of muscular atrophy due to illness or inactivity.
  • System detoxification through lymphatic drainage.
  • Joint flexibility improvement.
  • Stress reduction and a greater sense of well-being.

There are many different massage styles which can be applied to helping back pain. Each style depends on the individual's needs and preferences.

They include:

Swedish Massage: This method uses long, flowing strokes and kneading movements to relieve tension from the muscles. The practitioner helps improve circulation and back pain by working to loosen and relax the superficial layers of muscle.

Sports Massage: This method uses slow, hard strokes and deep, sustained finger pressure to work deeply into the contracted muscles, fascia and tendons. This technique keeps the body flexible, increases performance and assists in rehabilitation from injury and speeds up the healing process by reducing swelling.

Shiatsu: Shiatsu is Japanese for “finger pressure.” Fingers, thumbs, palms, elbows and knees are all used to apply pressure to points along acupuncture meridians, which are believed to be the body's energy pathways. This method is used to help alleviate back pain and encourage blood and lymphatic flow.

Craniosacral Therapy: This therapy involves the craniosacral system, which extends from the skull to the bottom of the spine. The practitioner uses touch to restore cerebrospinal fluid movement. This method can be used to treat such conditions as headaches, ear and eye problems as well as back pain and even whiplash.

Not all techniques work in all situations. Be sure to know the philosophy and style of your massage therapist before you begin. If your massage or massage technique doesn't help alleviate your pain, try another practitioner.

Visit us for more news and updates about back pain and alternative medicine.