There are many factors that cause us to increase body weight, yet three stand out from the rest. Our genetic make up: Every cell in our body has a central control panel, that is a nucleus that contains our genes and chromosomes. This is the instruction manual for your body and this is inherited from your parents. It is this instruction manual that is largely responsible for how your body, and even your mind, behaves. The environment in which we live: Our personal environment may also contribute or cue you to adopt poor eating or exercise habits. This is especially true in today’s society, which is dominated by speed and convenience. For example, escalators, elevators and remote-control appliances make us less physically active. Also, greater availability and the constant marketing of foods that are high in calories, fat and added sugars, and larger portion sizes promote unhealthy eating behaviors. There may also be personal reasons why you are consuming too many kilojoules from food and drinks, or not being physically active enough. For example, when feeling down or bored you may eat more than you need, or if you are feeling depressed it is more difficult to get active. Knowing the reason why you may be consuming excess kilojoules or not participating in physical activity, is an important first step in changing your lifestyle habits to help you reach a healthy weight. Our lifestyle: What we eat and drink and how active we are. This is the gradual gain in weight as a result of eating food and not exercising enough. The extent to which we can affect our genetic make up and our environment are limited. However, lifestyle is the area in which we can significantly manage and if need be, improve our body weight to ensure we maintain a healthy weight for our height, age and gender. This is why learning a healthy nutritious eating pattern and adopting it for life, that is, lifestyle changes has a significant impact on our ability to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Gaining and losing weight works according to some a simple biological principle. When you consume more energy in the form of food and drinks that your body uses each day you will gain weight. When you consume less energy in the form of food and drinks that your body requires each day you will lose weight. Despite what some advertisers would have use believe, weight loss does not occur as a result of any of the following: * Supplements that will melt the fat while you sleep or while you wash * Exercises that don’t take any effort and cause no sweat * Unique food combinations that will allow you to eat what you want and still lose weight In order to lose weight you will need to know approximately your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Your RMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest in a 24 hour period. When your body gets about 500 less calories than it needs each day as a result of eating less or exercising more, you will lose one pound of weight per week. To illustrate how efficient the human body is in motion, the average female would need to go for a brisk walk for 1.5 to 2.0 hours in order to burn 500 calories. When you consume 500 calories a day more than your body’s requirements, you will gain approximately one pound a week! To illustrate how easy it is to gain weight, one 7oz bag of corn chips has approximately 1000 calories. If you ate a bag of corn chips every day in addition to three square meals its possible you could gain 2 pounds in a week!
Tag-Archive for ◊ cholesterol ◊
Cholesterol is a word associated with bad health, but cholesterol is actually a natural substance, necessary for our body’s healthy functioning, and cholesterol, like most everything else in our lives, is harmful only in excess. And how is it, then, that the very name, cholesterol, has acquired such bad connotations? Why is that we are always cautioned to ‘have our cholesterol level checked’ and to ‘know our cholesterol number’? To understand this more fully, it is important to know exactly what cholesterol is, what it does, and where it comes from. Cholesterol is necessary for our bodies. Our bodies must have it to maintain good health, and without cholesterol, it would be impossible for our bodies to function. Not all of the functions of cholesterol are known, but some of them are: To make cell membranes, giving them stability and durability, particularly in our nerve tissue, brain, and spinal cord. To make bile, where it aids in the absorption and transportation of fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K, which we must have for our health. To manufacture certain hormones. The principal source of cholesterol is from our own bodies. It is made primarily by the liver, and it is sent through the bloodstream to where it is needed by way of special carriers called lipoprotiens. Another source of cholesterol is from our diets. Certain foods, such as meat, eggs and whole-fat dairy products all contain cholesterol. There are other foods we eat, such as foods high in saturated fats and transfats, that cause our livers to make more cholesterol. Cholesterol, like other fats, will not dissolve in liquid, and therefore, it must be carried through the bloodstream, by way of special carriers called lipoprotiens, to where the cholesterol is needed. If more cholesterol is circulating in the bloodstream than is needed for our bodies, it can work with other elements in the blood in the formation of plaque along artery walls. Although cholesterol is a complex substance made up of many subcomponents, the main subcomponents as they are understood at this time, are LDL, or ‘bad’ cholesterol, HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol, and triglycerides. LDL cholesterol is referred to as the ‘bad’ cholesterol, because it is one of the main components in arterial plaque. HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, helps to reduce plaque by returning excess LDL to the liver and aiding in its excretion. Triglyceride levels correspond to LDL levels.
Related posts
If you need to drop and few kilos and don’t know where to get started, stop counting calories and start counting colours. When it comes to losing weight, make sure your plate is piled high with a range of colourful fruit and vegetables. You’ll naturally create more balance and health-filled menus. Why? Colour not only brightens your mood – but also your diet. Load your plate with fruit and veges like a box of crayons in colours such as red, yellow, orange, blue, purple, white and green and you’ll also be filling up on power packed phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are naturally occurring chemicals which combat disease, including cancer. Go easy on the beige and brown foods such as pasta and startchy carbs. When there are too many of these drab colours on your plate, weight gain is almost certain. That’s because these beige foods often are high in calories and can leave you feeling hungry later. A cup of beige or brown beans can be over 200 calories….but a cup of red or green vegetables is under a hundred! Add fresh greens, deep purple-reds and bright yellow-orange to a meal, and water the nutrient content go up, while calories go down! Plus, you’ll get more enjoyment from eating when there’s a variety of colours and flavours on your plate. According to Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of “What Color Is Your Diet” the key to designing your colourful diet is to choose from a range of different colour groups: Blue/purple fruits and vegetables contain varying amounts of health-promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics. Choose from a range including blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, raisins. These assist in memory function. Green group includes broccoli; Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and bok choi. These foods stimulate the genes in your liver to turn on the production of enzymes that break down the cancer-causing chemicals in the body. The yellow/green group includes green peas, avocado and honeydew melon. These promote eye health. The yellow/orange group includes carrots, mangoes, apricots, rock melon and pumpkin. These contain carotenoids (beta carotene is one), fierce antioxidants that help prevent cancer and assist to lower heart-attack risk. The white group includes bananas, white peaches, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, mushrooms and are helpful to maintain heart health. The red group includes tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon all of which contain lycopene. Lycopene is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease. The red/purple group includes grapes, grape juice, prunes, cranberries, strawberries and red apples. These foods contain anthocyanins which have a beneficial effect on heart disease by inhibiting blood clot formation.
Related posts
If only we could solve this question, the world (for many) would be a better place! Well, the reality is that there are real answers to this question that will apply to many people. It will take a good dose of reality and a brave heart to stop denying what really happens. Read on to discover some answers that may change your life forever and give you the impetus to lose weight and keep it off! Justification? Being overweight can be used as an excuse for being unhappy, especially when you do not do anything to help yourself. Subconsciously, over-eating is a comfort for many people and this then allows them to hide behind their weight problem and helps them to justify rejection and avoid being hurt. They can then shift the blame of rejection on their weight-problem, without addressing other aspects of their fears. Sometimes it seems easier to hide behind your “weight problem”, than address other matters where you may have a greater fear of failure. Eating Without Thinking? If you are concentrating on another activity while you are eating you are more likely to overeat because you are not fully aware of how full you are feeling. This factor can be difficult to change because it is not a conscious action. Try to only eat when you don’t have a lot of other distractions. Sit down, eat slowly and enjoy the food you are eating, and remember that it is not always necessary to go back for seconds. It takes 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and for your brain to register that you are full. Cravings? The famous “Pavlov’s dogs” were conditioned to eat at the sound of a bell, and we human are much the same when it comes to habitual cravings. If you wonder why you always feel like a chocolate when you sit down to watch a movie, or you have to have a box of popcorn….think again. You are not necessarily craving these foods because you are hungry, but rather consider force of habit. During the time when you have a craving, try to ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. If you are hungry, reach for a low fat snack rather than a chocolate bar or bag of crisps. Indulging? Eating or thinking about food can be a distraction from your troubles and you may therefore be unnecessarily over-eating. Emotions and hormones can trigger certain cravings, for example, if you are feeling low, chocolate and carbohydrates assist the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin helps you feel happier. This is why we might crave sweet or starchy foods during times of sadness or stress. If you identify with any of the above factors, you could be on your way towards discovering what is triggering you to overeat.
Related posts
In Chinese Medicine, many of the symptoms of high blood pressure, such as pounding headaches, dizziness, and pressure behind the eyes are often related to a pattern of Liver Yang Rising or Liver Heat. It is important to see a physician for proper diagnosis and supervision of high blood pressure, but acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine may also be useful for managing your condition. Certain herbs have been shown to have an anti-hypertensive effect. Certain other herbs have been shown to be useful for controlling cholesterol levels and improving cardiovascular function. Acupuncture has been shown to have a general relaxing effect which can be useful in stress related or essential hypertension. In addition, certain points are commonly used in the treatment of patterns that relate to high blood pressure. One commonly used herb for symptoms and patterns related to high blood pressure is Tian Ma or gastrodia rhizome. Research in China has shown it to be useful in the treatment of symptoms related to high blood pressure such as dizziness, numbness of extremities, tinnitus, headaches, and pain behind the eyes. It may have a sedative and tranquillizing effect. It has been shown to have usefulness for renal hypertension and essential hypertension. Another useful herb is Ye Ju Hua or chrysanthemum flower, which has been shown to have a prolonged effect of lowering blood pressure through peripheral vessel dilation. It has also been shown to increase blood flow to the heart. Another herb that is used to clear Liver Heat and is commonly used to treat eye problems that may be beneficial for high blood pressure is Xia Ku Cao or prunella. Chinese research has shown that it has a moderate vasodilating effect. These herbs are often used in combination by practitioners of Oriental Medicine in the treatment of patterns related to high blood pressure. Other herbs may be useful for improving heart and circulatory function. They may also help reduce cholesterol. Shan Zha, or hawthorn berries, have been shown to reduce cholesterol when taken for six weeks or more. It is often used in China to improve circulation and to treat angina pectoris. Another herb that is commonly used in China for cardiovascular problems is Dan Shen, or Salvia. It has also been shown to reduce cholesterol. It also may improve microcirculation in the body. In China, pills of Dan Shen are used in the treatment of angina and in the treatment of coronary heart disease. It also may help promote repair and regeneration of tissues by increasing the body’s metabolism. Certain acupuncture points are also known to be useful in the treatment of patterns related to high blood pressure. Large Intestine 4 is a point that many people know can help to control headaches. It is on the back side of the hand in between the thumb and index finger. It is also commonly used point for blood pressure related patterns. Another point at the vertex of the head, Du 20, is also commonly used. An acupuncturist or Chinese herbalist always takes an inventory of symptoms, along with looking at a person’s tongue and feeling a person’s pulse in order to determine the specific combination of points and herbs that a person needs. Different people with high blood pressure are treated differently depending on the pattern they present. During my time in China, I did clinical rounds in the cardiology department at the Chengdu Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Modern drugs and diagnostic equipment were used hand in hand with Chinese herbs and acupuncture in order to treat conditions such as high blood pressure, angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmias, heart enlargement, and stroke. I even saw Chinese herbs, such as Dan Shen, being given in intravenous and in injectable form. The conditions were diagnosed using modern science and traditional Chinese diagnosis. Drugs were used for symptom control and for emergencies. As people’s condition improved with the use of Chinese herbs and acupuncture, their doctors slowly adjusted the dosage of drugs that they received. The results I saw were better than either form of medicine could have achieved alone. We do not have the benefit of experiencing such a deep synthesis of modern medicine and ancient techniques yet in the West. Nevertheless, I believe that as people learn more about the benefits of Asian medicine, we may someday come close to achieving a more integrated system of care in the West that will be more clinically effective, more cost effective, and result in fewer side effects.
Related posts
Heart disease and stroke are often triggered by high cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol for some is just a matter of changing your diet. Others may need to diet and the help of medications prescribed by their doctor. Either way, lowering your cholesterol can save your life. Changing your diet to lose weight is not the same as changing your diet to control your cholesterol level. While losing weight will certainly improve your health, you also need to monitor your diet to exclude foods that are causing your high cholesterol levels. Monitoring your diet does not mean giving up all the foods you love. Many foods are healthy and good for you. For instance, a good variety of fruits and vegetables (with five or more servings per day), grain products like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta (choose six or more servings per day). In addition, lean meats and poultry ( without skin and up to 6 ounces per day), fat-free and low fat milk , beans and peas , nuts and seeds in limited amounts, and fatty fish ( which can be baked or broiled , but limited to 2-3 servings per week ). You should use vegetable oils like olive oil or corn oil when preparing your foods. There is also a large assortment of spices to give your food that extra pizzazz. There are a number of foods you should omit from your diet if you want to lower your cholesterol. Whole milk and ice cream should be avoided. Additionally, butter, egg yolks, and cheese and foods that include them should be removed from your diet. Finally, organ meats like liver, high-fat processed meats (like sausage and hot dogs), and limit your intake of fried foods. Eating healthier involves knowing how to prepare your foods and changing your diet. If you are not able to lower your cholesterol by diet and exercise alone, your doctor may have to prescribe medication. Dieting and eating healthier to lower your cholesterol will improve your quality of life and significantly reduce your risk of other health problems. High cholesterol is a serious health problem, and you can take action to avoid further health complications.