“Many people use their youth to make their old age miserable.” – Anonymous Youth is characterized by exuberance and gaiety. Throwing all caution to the wind, they are adventurous in nature and are typically curious about anything that arouse their interests. Their young minds are comparable to a sponge that absorbs practically anything it touches, and their restless spirits can become reckless and uninhibited if not properly guided and reined in. Such are the traits of the youth that, without guidance, they can be easily corrupted or intoxicated. Scientists believe that the human brains continue to develop until the age of 21, that’s why teens are considered not just emotionally and psychologically vulnerable. The effects of media in shaping public values is very significant, especially in terms of the youth who may easily emulate what they see, hear or read. The idea that “thin is in” as endorsed by celebrities and models in all forms of advertising to promote weight loss has resulted to unhealthy dieting. The celebrity diets and the images projected by movie stars have indirectly spawned cases of anorexia and bulimia. Constant exposure to advertisements depicting beautiful people enjoying life and alcohol may encourage young people to drink, without knowing its adverse effects on their health and academic life. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are both eating disorders that affect most girls than boys. Girls are considered to be more figure-conscious which explains their desire to engage in different weight loss programs. Their obsession with physical beauty has led them to deprive their bodies of the nutrients they need to maintain health. While anorexic people have an intense fear of being fat and would avoid eating at all cost due to their extreme desire to be very thin, people suffering from bulimia, on the other hand, would take in large amount of food and get rid of it quickly by inducing vomiting or with the use of laxatives. People who develop eating disorders may also be suffering from anxiety disorder and depression. Without proper attention and treatment, emotional problems may become obsessive-compulsive disorder. They become withdrawn and develop social anxiety. On the other hand, teens experimenting with alcohol is very common. Aside from the media, they see their parents and other adults enjoying alcohol occasionally or socially. Seeing them drink beer or wine during special dinners may appear to be harmless. Other reasons why young people are encouraged to drink may be out of curiosity, peer pressure and to be with the “in” crowd, the desire to feel like an adult, and for relaxation or leisure. Though drinking alcohol moderately may have some positive health benefits such as longevity and healthier life, too much alcohol consumption can negate all these potential benefits which could lead to serious health conditions such as liver disease, heart attack, pancreatitis, and brain atrophy, among others. Young people should understand that certain health conditions can be made worse by drinking any amount of alcohol. Those who have history of a hemorrhagic stroke, liver disease, pancreatic disease and those with evidence of pre-cancerous stages in the esophagus, larynx, pharynx, or mouth must never take any alcohol. Young people with a family history of alcoholism are at higher risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. Teens may not realize it but too much alcohol, like drug use, can develop into abuse and even addiction which may become a problem for them and those around them. Adults have the responsibility to provide support and encouragement to the youth who may be veer away from the norms. It may take a lot of understanding to win over young people who are suffering from various emotional problems, anxiety disorder or drug situation. Consulting with health care professionals may help in the situation.
Tag-Archive for ◊ weight loss ◊
Yo-yo dieting, skipping meals, eating fat-free foods, no exercise and low thyroid all have one thing in common – they promote a low metabolism. Your basal metabolism rate (BMR) is the rate at which your body burns food when you are at rest. When you hear people refer to their slow metabolism, they are really saying that they have a low BMR. Metabolism is the reactions that take place inside our cells to create energy. All the food we eat is broken down to produce the energy needed to maintain body temperature, to breathe, to move our muscles and keep our weight in check. A peak operating metabolism can burn up a lot of fuel (food) and create plenty of energy. Conversely, a slow metabolism will store fuel as fat. We can rev up our fat burning furnace quickly with clinically researched metabolism boosting foods and nutrients. Breakfast Eating a protein rich breakfast can increase your body’s ability to burn fat by 25 per cent, and that fat-burning action will last for up to eight hours. When you skip meals, your metabolic rate slows to conserve energy because you are starving your body. When you do eat, the body stores the food as fat because the body thinks you are in a famine. The answer: eat a protein based breakfast every day, such as eggs, a chicken breast, a protein shake or protein powder mixed into plain organic yogurt. Protein enhances your metabolism and stops hunger pangs. Fat for Fat Loss Yes, eating fat can help you lose fat, but the fat you eat must be good fat. Fatty acids from fish or flaxseed oil (omega-3 fats) and conjugated-linoleic (CLA) acid help burn fat. Recent research shows that the hormone leptin is low in those who do not get enough good fats. Leptin is a hormone that regulates appetite, the size of our fat cells and how quickly those cells burn fat. Fatty acids enhance Leptin, decrease our appetite and burn fat faster. Make sure you eat fish a couple of times per week, use extra virgin olive oil, put ground flaxseed on your food, and, if you dislike fish, take fish oil capsules daily. More than 500 studies support CLA’s unique abilities. In 2000, it was reported that even without a change in diet or lifestyle overweight participants had a 20 per cent decrease in body fat and an increase in lean muscle mass. Minimum dosages of 4000 mg per day are necessary to obtain fat loss. Metabolism Boosting Herbs If you are one of those people who have reduced your calories, are dedicated to exercise and still can’t lose weight you will want to add the clinically-researched herbs that kick-start your metabolism. Thermogenic herbs rev up and reset your rate of metabolism making fat loss more effective. Green Tea Sipping a cup of green tea or swallowing green tea capsules can help aid fat loss. In one study overweight participants took three capsules per day containing 200 mg of green tea extract. Participants experienced increased fat loss without accelerating heart rate. Switch from coffee to green tea to achieve a faster metabolism. Drinking three cups of green tea provides about the same caffeine as one cup of drip coffee. The secret to weight loss also lies in your kitchen cupboards. Hot, spicy foods also jump start your metabolism. Have you noticed how curried foods make you sweat? This is one of the symptoms of an increased metabolism. Switch from black pepper to cayenne pepper for faster weight loss. Add ginger to foods and eat hot salsa to enhance your fat-burning furnace. Fat-burning foods and supplements support a healthy diet and exercise program to quickly reset your metabolic rate safely.
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There is so much interest in weight loss and oolong tea (a.k.a. wulong tea) that we are going to look at research supporting the connection. Let’s start at the beginning All tea comes from one plant Camellia Sinensis if it doesn’t come from that plant it is not tea (herbs come from a variety of plants). Over time, the plant has protected itself from photosynthetic stressors by forming chemical compounds known as polyphenols. Polyphenols, which include flavonoids, have the same beneficial class of compounds, antioxidants, that make fruits and vegetables good for you. The difference in green tea and oolong tea is processing. All tea is green when picked. Green tea is heated in order to halt the natural enzymatic reaction (oxidation) of the leaf. Once dried, green tea leaves are then rolled intentionally breaking the cell structure. Oolong tea leaves are plucked, kept under carefully controlled conditions and allowed to oxidize. These leaves are not intentionally broken, leaving most of the cell structure intact. These processing differences make each category of tea beneficially different even though they come from the same plant. The Weight Loss Connection The two main ways to reduce food related body weight are; increase energy expenditure (EE) and inhibit the absorption of nutrients, including fat and carbohydrates. Caffeine is a stimulant so it is widely accepted that the caffeine in tea increases metabolism, hence increasing EE. So the question becomes, is it only the caffeine or are other compounds in the tea contributing to that increase? The Research The Chinese have long believed that oolong tea is beneficial in reducing and maintaining weight. A Chinese study, in 1998, of 102 females showed that continuous consumption of oolong tea for six weeks resulted in a reduction of body weight. This study, along with the question of other compounds contributing to tea’s weight loss benefits, spurred further research. In 2001, Physiologist Dr. William Rumpler, of the US Agriculture Research Services’ Diet and Human Laboratory, investigated the ancient Chinese belief that oolong tea is effective in controlling body weight. The study measured how tea influences energy expenditure (EE) and included 12 male volunteers who were given 4 separate beverage formulas over three consecutive days. The beverage formulas consisted of; 1) full strength oolong tea, 2) caffeinated water with caffeine equal to full strength oolong tea, 3) half strength oolong tea and 4) non caffeinated water. The participants 24 hour EE was measured and resulted in; – EE levels of about 3% higher when they drank either the full strength oolong tea or the caffeinated water versus the non caffeinated water. – Participants burned an average of 67 more calories per day when drinking the full strength oolong tea. – Participants increased fat oxidation (fat burning) by a whooping 12% after consuming the full strength oolong tea versus the caffeinated water. – This data confirms that a component other than caffeine is responsible for promoting the preferential use of fat as an energy source. The increase in fat oxidation in this study is amazing! Drinking oolong tea can actually tell your body to burn fat for energy! Scientists then speculated that caffeine combined with EGCGs worked together to increase fat oxidation. A Japanese study, conducted in 2003, went one step further comparing the benefits of oolong tea and green tea on weight reduction. Eleven healthy young female students participated in this well controlled study. Participants received three different beverage formulas; 1) oolong tea, 2) powdered green tea leaves and 3) water. Both teas were prepared with boiling water. The oolong tea steeped for five minutes and the powdered green tea leaves were dissolved. After measurements were taken, the results determined; – Oolong tea had higher EE levels from beginning to end and at intervals of 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. – EE levels peaked at 90 minutes for both oolong and green tea and remained at their respective levels until 120 minutes. – These results indicate that after consuming oolong tea you will expend more energy then if you were to drink green tea or water and that it can last up to two hours. The concentrations of caffeine, individual catechins and other polyphenols were also measured producing these interesting findings; – The caffeine and EGCG content was much higher in the green tea versus the oolong tea. – The concentration of polymerized polyphenols was significantly higher in the oolong tea versus the green tea. These findings show that it’s the polymerized polyphenols, highest in oolong tea, that link tea to burning fat, not just the caffeine or just the combination of caffeine and EGCGs. Furthermore, the rest of the compounds compared in the teas were similar or equal to one another with no marked differences, reinforcing the results. We have shown that oolong tea significantly increases EE for up to as much as 120 minutes and can even promote preferential use of fat as an energy source making it a healthy tool for reducing and maintaining weight. So what about absorption of nutrients? Oolong tea’s effect on blocking the absorption of fats and carbohydrates is thought to play a key role in its weight reducing benefits. While more studies need to be done, initial studies indicate that oolong tea has absorption blocking potential. There are proven methods for losing weight and keeping it off; exercise, getting enough sleep and eating a balanced diet. Oolong tea can enhance these positive changes and garner faster results. Let’s Face It – Oolong tea is not a quick fix despite the recent advertising claims by slick marketing “professionals.” -Oolong tea does not have to be expensive to be effective. $39.95 is too much to pay for a 30 day supply of low quality oolong. Remember to get what you pay for. – These studies do not indicate that oolongs grown in a specific area are better fat burners than other oolongs. It’s the processing that counts. – Losing 20 lbs in 30 days by adding two cups of oolong tea to your daily routine is nothing more than hype. If this were true, I’d be a size 2. – If you were dieting, drinking oolong and exercising it would be hard to achieve that much weight loss in 30 days. – If it sounds too good to be true, then it is to good to be true! Oolong – The Facts – Oolong teas taste great and are delicious hot or cold. – There is a tremendous variety of affordable oolong tea. – Enjoy a cup of oolong 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to your walk, workout or yoga session and reap the rewards! – Drink oolong in the afternoon to stave off late day sweet cravings and energy slumps. – All of these aid in healthy weight loss and maintenance © 2006 Teas Etc., Inc ————————————————————————————————— This article may be freely reprinted only in it’s enterity and must include the resource box and copyright information.
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Your ideal daily calorie intake depends upon various factors such as your age, activity level and whether you are trying to lose, gain or maintain weight. During the past two decades obesity has doubled in the United States and much the same is true of other countries. If people do not start taking action now they will experience reduced life expectancy. It doesn’t matter how big you are most can afford to lose some weight, even a modest loss of ten pounds has tremendous health benefits. To achieve this you need to find your balance between food intake and physical activity and each of us will have a different equation to deal with. As I say in most weight loss articles that I publish: “To lose weight you need to eat less and move more.” There are no secrets, just follow that simple rule. Fifty years ago life for most people consisted of much activity and it didn’t matter what you ate because you would exercise away excess calories. For many today life has become a very static experience that consists of long hours at work in front of a computer, a drive home and so tired that there is just enough energy remaining to eat and then sleep. It is no surprise that we’re getting fatter. Now for the good news You don’t have to give up your favorite meals to lose weight. You do need to exercise a little more each day and be aware of portion sizes that you eat. It is a fair assumption that people in the United States and other developed nations can afford to reduce calorie intake by about 300 per day. In less developed countries where people are more active in their daily lives this figure will be considerably lower, but they are unlikely to have an obesity problem anyway. Exercise values For a person who weighs 155 pounds (77 kilograms) the following calorie burn-off rate applies for each 1 hour of exercise: Light exercise: Hiking 370 calories Golf (walking and carrying clubs – not in a buggy) 330 calories Stretching exercises 180 calories Heavy exercise: Jogging (5 miles per hour/ 8 kmh) 590 calories Bicycling 590 calories Aerobics 480 calories Note: If you weigh over 155 pounds the calorie burn-off will be greater, below 155 pounds the burn-off lesser. There is no accurate science that applies to each individual. To lose weight and keep it off you should aim at losing one pound (450 grams) each week and to lose one pound you must reduce your present calorie intake by 3,500 calories. How you achieve it is up to you. I suggest 300 less calories each day in your food intake and burn an extra 200 calories each day through physical activity. As you become fitter you will find this ratio reversing. This article is copyright (c) David McCarthy 2005. It may only be reproduced in its entirety with no additions.
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Copyright 2006 Howard McGarity So, you have decided that it’s finally time to lose some weight and get in shape. Congratulations on your determination. Changing your habits can be a real challenge and it is reasonable to seek some support. One of the options that many people choose is to sign up at the gym. This sounds like a good idea but is one that requires some careful thought. Although hard to measure, health club industry statistics predict that fifty percent of people joining a gym will become erratic users or drop-outs within a couple of months. If you are a beginner, or not already in the habit of regular exercise, you are quite likely to be headed for disappointment. There are several reasons why the gym experience may not be your best choice: 1. Inflated Promises. Despite the sales pitch, the majority of glitzy, chrome and glass establishments are not really committed to help you get fit. They are set up to sell memberships because that is where the money is. Profitability actually depends on no-shows because if every member who enrolled tried to use the facilities, you wouldn’t be able to squeeze them into the building. Once you sign a contract and they have your credit card number, you are probably on your own. 2. Will you actually be able to get to the gym regularly? I’ve seen it all too often; you work late, traffic is bad, you have to get home… and shoot, you’ll just have to work out later! Worse still, when you get home, you don’t even take a ten minute walk because…. you’re going to the gym tomorrow. Having a gym membership actually becomes the perfect excuse to do nothing. 3. Beware aerobics classes. This is especially true if you are older, in poor shape or seriously overweight. Most aerobics classes specialize in loud music and fancy footwork. If you are a beginner, forget it. If you can’t keep up, the pep rally mentality and one-size-fits-all instruction will leave you feeling fat and foolish. 4. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Many gyms do not have a thorough orientation program to get you started; nor can you get help when you have questions. During peak hours, early and late in the day, the staff is usually overwhelmed. You will be encouraged to get a personal trainer (probably the best idea… if you can get one with sufficient experience). But this comes with a hefty price tag and pressure to sign up for a long-term package deal. Try this plan instead: Weight loss is achieved primarily by learning what and how much to eat (note I didn’t use the word “starvation”). Exercise assists weight loss, improves general health and fosters a positive attitude that is motivating. Improvements in both nutrition and physical activity must be sustained and consistent but can be quite moderate. Now do five things: 1. Spend your money on a meeting with a registered dietitian who can show you how to eat and will give you guidance on your eating habits. This knowledge will last you for a lifetime and puts you miles ahead of all the other “dieters” out there. 2. Buy a good pair of walking shoes and an inexpensive pedometer. Go to the Shape-Up America website at www.shapeup.org/shape/steps . Also check out www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps and click on “beginner”. Read the information carefully. There is more here than meets the eye. Even if you are in decent shape, don’t underestimate the value of walking. Pick up the pace, include some steep hills; you can get a really good workout. 3. Use your day planner or calendar to schedule your workouts for the week in advance and keep a log of everything you do. Figure on losing an average of no more than one pound per week and chart out short and long term goals. Weigh yourself no more than once a week. 4. Get a partner to join you for a regular walk each week. Better yet, get them to join you on the program and hold each other accountable. 5. When your energy and enthusiasm increases, keep your mind open to the idea of strength training. This will speed fat loss and do more to improve your body shape than any other activity. You can do this at home with almost no equipment. Go out now and get the book “Getting in Shape” by Anderson, Pearl and Burke. Shelter Publications 2002. This is a real gem; easy to read with good basic programs and enough information so you understand what you are doing. If you noticed, all of the steps above are pro-active. You are the one ultimately responsible for taking control of your life and your health. Even if the guys at the gym could do it for you, any improvement will be temporary until you accept the challenge as your own. Good luck and good health. Howard McGarity ”Coach Mac”
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There are literally thousands of diets and weight loss systems throughout the world; pills, shakes, soups, fads, carbohydrates, calories, fats, sugars, you name it. They are all available to you in the interest of helping you lose weight, change your body shape or size or changing the way your body feels. What most people don’t realise that they all pretty much have one thing in common. You need to change your mental state before you can make any of them work! Yes, you may find it a surprise but pretty much 99% of people looking to lose weight have actually subconsciously “chosen” the state their body is in. At the end of the day, YOU alone are responsible for putting the fried chicken in your mouth, YOU are responsible for NOT going for a walk this morning and, most importantly, YOU are responsible and have control of your thoughts, emotions and motivation. Changing your mental state will help you change your physical state, as the old saying goes “you have to change what is on the inside to change what is on the outside”. Many people don’t actually give a lot of thought to what is going on inside, about how they are stopping themselves from doing things and how they can make changes (small or large) that will create a positive difference in their lifestyle. Find out what pain you have to break through to create more pleasure within your body and your mind. Not physical pain, but mental pain. What is it you have to deal with in order to remove the excess baggage (weight) you carry around with you? When you find out what is holding you back from making changes in your life, body and diet, you will find that dieting no longer becomes about food and exercise, it becomes a lifestyle. With the right mental changes you will find that you CAN drink wine, go out for dinner and eat cheese, ice-cream and chocolate, however you must also use balance and thought and consume only in the right moderation. Everyone has the ability, motivation and power to make almost any change positive and successful. Tapping into your mental state, deciding to make a few changes and acting out these changes is what will make all the difference!