Stress Causing People to ?Super Size?
August 14, 2007
Stress Causing People to "Super Size"
by Georgianna Donadio D.C., M.Sc., Ph.D.
It is currently reported that two out of three adults is either overweight or obese, and the numbers continue to climb. As a result, statistics demonstrate that a significant portion of our population is being diagnosed with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Even more shocking is that we are experiencing these conditions at earlier ages than previously reported. It is not unusual today, to hear about a young person in their 20’s diagnosed with mature onset diabetes, normally developed during middle-age.
On May 7, 2004, a controversial and award-winning movie aimed at exploring the obesity epidemic hit theatres. In "Super Size Me", a tongue-in-cheek look at the legal, financial and physical costs of our hunger for fast food, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock explores the horrors of school lunch programs, declining health education and physical education classes, food addictions and the extreme measures people take to lose weight. As a centerpiece of the film, Spurlock puts his own body on the line, living on nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days following three rules:
Overweight - Answering Your Critics
August 13, 2007
There are those that walk amongst us who have followed all the advice, diligently dieted and exercised with genuine effort for long periods of time, yet still fail to lose their excess weight.
Even more heartbreaking for those of us who genuinely struggle with obesity are the accusations of sloth and laziness from those thin people who eat junk all day long and show no physical sign of their own gluttony. “Why can’t you just be like everyone else?”, they demand. “It must be all your own fault.”
“After all,” they say in derisory voice, “Losing weight is easy. Just eat less and exercise more. If you don’t lose weight, you are just weak willed.”
Every person who has never had a real problem thinks they know all the easy answers. All those underlying unwarranted generalisations we face from others just about every day of our lives is a little recognised yet very real and severe form of discrimination, based on the same types of wrong thinking as prejudice against race, skin color, creed, gender, and other well recognised forms of hatred.
In fact, life experience has taught me that the less a person actually knows about obesity and weight loss, the more they think they know.
Humulin or Lantus, Which Insulin For Your Child?
August 13, 2007
Humulin or Lantus? When my daughter, who was 8, was first diagnosed the Children’s Hospital that was treating her put her on an insulin program of short acting Humalog NPH and long acting Humalin N. You should have seen me that first day of training after a long night in the emergency room where she was diagnosed. I was a raving lunatic to begin with so my brain was mostly mush at that point. Add to that everything began with “H”. Mix this “H” with that “H” but first charge this “H” with air, then draw this “H” first followed by that “H” but make sure you roll this “H” between your palms and for crying-out-loud don’t shake that “H”. Anyway I guess osmosis worked and all of that information finally seeped in. We were officially diabetic now.
For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Humalog and Humalin (short and long acting insulins) are mixed in the same syringe and injected 3 times a day usually before meals. Your child is allowed a certain amount of carbohydrates for each meal that the doctor figures out based on age, weight, etc., and that’s your number. My daughter’s was 65 carbs max per meal and 35 max per snack. However your child hits their magic number that’s it. Whether it’s 65 slices of ham or half a pop-tart. Plus she had to eat 6 times a day at certain times everyday.
Learning to Love Your Curves
August 12, 2007
Learning to Love Your Curves
by: Rebecca Jennings
In today’s world, the pressure to be thin and slinky is still intense. Although the average woman in America is a size 14, the media and entertainment industry are still obsessed with thinness. Despite the increase in plus size models and clothing options, women are still encouraged to love themselves when they hit their tiniest size rather than loving their curves.
So how do you learn to love your plus size self? It isn’t just a matter of waking up one day and deciding that you are beautiful and worth it. You may have to start small. We’re here to give you some solid tips on how to improve your self image as a plus size woman and start seeing the beauty in the mirror.
Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - L-Carnitine
August 11, 2007
L-carnitine is synthesized in the body from the amino acids lysine and methionine but it can also be found in nutritional sources such as red meats, dairy products and avocados. Its main role in the body is to help metabolize food into energy. L-carnitine does this by transferring long chain fatty acids into mitochondria where they are oxidised to produce energy.
L-carnitine is heart friendly and has been used for many years in the treatment of heart disease. Studies have shown that it can increase the heart’s output and function, stimulate energy supply to the heart and improve overall cardiac performance.
Many bodybuilders use it for the following reasons:
1. It promotes muscle growth.
2. It increases energy.
3. It helps to burn fat.
4. It helps to prevent muscle fatigue.
L-carnitine is a relatively safe supplement provided the manufacturer’s recommendations are followed. As with all supplements, remain aware that l-carnitine could be contained in other products so read the labels carefully to ensure your daily intake does not exceed four grams.
Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.
Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss
August 10, 2007
Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you’re not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.
Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. For example, if you plan to exercise for 60 minutes, you might start with 20 minutes of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of rowing.
Now, please don’t get the impression that you have to be in great shape to do this or that it has to be 60 minutes long. You can start with something as simple as a ten minute walk followed by ten minutes with an exercise video. This is cross-training too. You can gradually build up from there.
Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program; walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination of aerobic exercises will do. You simply go from one to the next with very little time between them.
Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to you in several ways:
Quit Smoking - Prepare To Succeed
August 9, 2007
Quit Smoking - Prepare To Succeed
by: David Olsen
For many smokers the desire to quit smoking is strongyet it seems no matter what they do, they just can’t seem to break this devastating habit. The inability to quit smoking causes many to privately belittle themselves and curse their seeming weakness.
For others it seems they simply wake up one morning and decide to quit smoking. What makes the difference in these people? Is someone who decides to quit smoking like this a stronger person than the one who has yet to become a non-smoker? Let’s evaluate.
First off, most people even smokers don’t really enjoy smoking. For some the nicotine addiction is strong. Nicotine is very addictive, and breaking this addiction by not smoking can be very trying and difficult. Even after months have passed, there are those who will start smoking again. So, if you’re one who has yet to quit smoking don’t berate or belittle yourself.
By the same token, don’t give up on the idea to quit smoking. Yes, nicotine is addictive, but it is an addiction that can be broken. There are several aids available to help you quit smoking. There’s gum, there’s patches, and there’s even inhalers containing nicotine, that will gradually help you wean yourself from the addiction as you quit smoking. All of these aids do have merit.
Depression in Teenagers: Now What Can We Do?
August 8, 2007
No doubt you have seen the recent news headlines about a federal panel that recommended to the FDA that anti-depressant medications carry the strongest possible warning label for use in children and teenagers. This recommendation to the FDA shook the medical community, especially those who work with depressed young people. The biggest problem from the treatment community’s point of view was not the recommendation for the warning label, but the way that the media protrayed the panel’s recommendation.
The panel reported that 2% to 4% of children and teens who were given anti-depressants for the treatment of depression became suicidal, that is they had suicidal thoughts, or made suicidal attempts of one kind or another. None of the 4,000 children and teens studied committed suicide.
What the media did not report well is the fact that 15% of children and teens with depression who receive no treatment will commit suicide. These 15% will not just think about it, but will actually kill themselves.
So what are we to do? If the media had their way it seems that no teens with depression would receive anti-depressants. As a result the suicide rate for those who could be using the medication would rise from nearly zero percent to about fifteen percent. But at least we wouldn’t have to be concerned about evil medications.
Do You Have Hot Buttons?
August 8, 2007
You may ask, “What are hot buttons anyway?”Hot buttons are those that, when people push, you turn red and out comes the anger, resentment, insecurity, and other negative emotions you wish weren’t a part of your life.Remember the last time your boss made a comment about the project you completed? For some reason, his assessment just sent you through the roof. What about when your partner told you that you are gaining weight? Did you get upset and begin feeling insecure about your relationship? What if your manager or teacher doesn’t spend much time talking with you? Do you feel less valued or respected?Some people avoid these hot buttons being pushed by simply avoiding people. Unfortunately, avoiding people can often mean “avoiding” the opportunities that can potentially change our lives for the better.
If you want to reach your dream, be successful, enjoy your life and make a positive impact on others, you must be willing to confront the fact that you have certain hot buttons. Face them and deal with them!Imagine walking into every situation and circumstance lacking a single hot button that could be pushed.
The Jiggle Effect on Faster Weight Loss
August 7, 2007
Exercise Physiologists who study the effects of
exercise on weight loss, have determined that
the “jiggling” or shaking of excess body fat
when someone walks fast or jogs, in combination
with the muscle contractions invlovled in that
activity, causes weight loss. I call it the
“jiggle effect”. 
This effect is caused by chemical messengers in
the body - in response to the “jiggle” and
muscle contractions - they say, “hey body, this
person needs to be able to move more efficiently,
let’s get rid of some of this fat”. So, above
and beyond the normal caloric expenditure of that
activity, these chemical messengers cause fat
loss to happen more easily.
So, how can you take advantage of the “jiggle”
effect? The more you “jiggle”, and the more
intense the muscle contractions, the more
pronounced the effect. Thus, faster walking
is better than slower walking, and a slow
jog is better than a fast walk. A good way
to incorporate this into your aerobic exercise
is to use “intervals”.
