Fat Kills You

Health & Fitness Information to improve your life

Archive for May, 2007

Are You Ready To Lose Weight?

I know, I know. What a crazy question!

Considering that we’ve all tried so many diets until we can give calorie counts in our sleep - where do I get off asking a question like that?

But bear with me please. This may actually get you closer to your weight loss goals than you think!

We’ve heard it a million times but it’s true:

Losing weight permanently is not just a quick fix.

It’s not taking a magic pill and waking up the next morning with a body fat count of 10%. It’s not reading the latest diet-book-of-the-week and ‘poof!’ you’re a size 6. It’s not getting into ‘the zone’ for half a day and all your weight troubles disappear.

But you know that right? We all know that!

But if we know that why do we jump from diet to diet to diet? From weight loss plan to weight loss plan?

Why do we keep trying the latest way to lose weight? Why do we get discouraged so easily? Why do we give up and think it’s just not possible?

Here’s the truth: Losing weight is a life change, plain and simple.

Funny how we cut ourselves some slack with other life changes like moving or getting married or having a baby, but not with losing weight! Why not?

Are all those infomercials promising fast, easy weight loss getting to us? Are the constant images of thin models and size 0 actresses making us think it’s easy?

I don’t know what it is but it seems that the first thing we have to do when deciding to lose weight is ask ourselves if we’re really ready for that kind of life change.

Are you ready to change your eating and exercise habits for good? Are you willing to move permanently towards a healthier way of life?

We also have to realize that letting go of extra weight requires letting go of other things as well. Like the way we might do things, or the way we think about food and eating. It requires us to be open to change, to be ready to see what works and what doesn’t.

So before we choose a method of losing weight, we should decide if we’re truly READY to lose weight or not.

Key point: It’s ok, if you’re not!

For one reason or another you might not be ready yet for a change in your lifestyle - that’s ok. Accept yourself and wait until you are truly ready.

BUT if you are ready, if you are determined to lose weight WHATEVER it takes, if you’re open to the kind of life changes losing weight will require-then look out baby. Here you come!

Because when you decide that you’re truly ready to lose weight, nothing will stop you!

This article was brought to you by the experts at Diet and Weight Loss Reviews .

For more free weight loss tips and diet reviews, visit http://www.freetobethin.com.

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Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss #1

I am so grateful that you’re taking steps to take control of your life. You will be amazed when we work together how much you’ll uncover about yourself. You’ll understand how your thoughts have contributed to your being overweight and you will take daily steps to put together a new plan of action for yourself. I imagine that you are tired of living like this and want some new, something better for yourself. I am here to help you and I know you can do it!

As an integrative body therapist, I work with energy and thought processes. With this in mind, we’re going to begin this lesson with a discussion on energy and how you attract excess weight.

Everything is made up of energy. The couch you’re sitting on, the table, even money is made up of energy. Our bodies are nothing but pure energy. Since everything is made up of energy, these things are affected by the Natural Laws of the Universe. These Laws are designed to manifest whatever we put our thoughts on. In simple terms, whatever you put your mind on, is what you’re going to get.

We’re going to look at one of the Natural Laws-the Law of Attraction. How does this apply to being overweight? When you hold negative thoughts in your body, symptoms appear based on those thoughts. In your case, you hold excess weight. You may be experiencing other symptoms as well, but your main focus right now is your weight. You hold negative thoughts in your body and this attracts excess weight. According to Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, outlines weight issues in her book and anger is the driving force underneath the weight. It can be anything from anger at being denied love, anger at the parents or anger at one specific parent-often the father. In my case, I was angry at both parents, but more so my father.

Now, I’ll be giving you homework assignments because I like this to be interactive and have you contribute as well. So here’s your first homework assignment. It’s very simple. Identify who you’re angry with? You can include yourself. Once you’ve done this then describe why you’re angry with the person(s) you’ve identified and be specific.

We’ll be peeling back layers and these are simple steps to uncovering some layers. I will then address how you can release this anger so you can experience pure joy and love. In your case, especially of your body.

You are great just the way God intended you to be! You just need to peel back a few layers to reveal the wholeness that is already there. Thank you for letting me be part of your journey.

Tami Close
Weight Loss Expert
http://www.tamiclose.com

Tami Close is an Integrative Body Therapist. She is certified in Rapid Eye Technology and has a basic and advanced certificate in Emotional Freedom Techniques. She is also a Reiki Master. Tami is a recipient of a grant from the Sumasil Grant Foundation in her work with RET and EFT. She is a master trainer and has a B.S. in Training and Development. She is a #1 best selling co-author, Wake Up…Live the Life You Love Finding Personal Freedom. The other authors include Mark Victor Hansen, Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra and others.

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Feng Shui for Your Health and Vitality

How many of us wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, happy and full of energy? How many of us, after a few hours in the office, still feel full of energy? Why certain environments uplift our spirits and make us breathe deeper, while others drain our energy? We seem to have forgotten how deeply connected we are with the space we live in and how important is for our well being to live in a balanced environment.

As our lives are certainly not getting easier, the need to create a healthy and vibrant home environment cannot be overestimated. We have to have a safe, peaceful and energetically balanced space where our bodies can let down the daylong protective shield and focus on regenerating and self-healing.

Feng Shui is an ancient art and science that has been used for over 5,000 years to heal, balance and enrich people’s lives. It is a very complex body of knowledge that reveals how humans are connected to their environment and shows numerous ways to change specific aspects of one’s life by changing the living or working space.

Being aware of this deep connection and its influence on all aspects of your life, it would be wise to employ feng shui knowledge in your home (and business!) to improve your health, vitality, and general well-being.

One of the main theories of Feng Shui is the theory of Five Elements, which are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. The elements are the five manifestations of Chi, or universal energy, and are represented in your environment by colors, shapes, textures, smells, taste, etc. They interact with each other in certain ways, the basic cycles being Constructive (where each element supports the other) or Destructive (where one element destroys the other). Understanding this theory and its applications in your life can be a very powerful tool indeed. In order to experience high vitality levels and an increased level of well-being, feng shui masters recommend living in a place that supports and nourishes your birth element.

Each of us has a predominant element, which is calculated by the year of birth. (You can find out your own element from specific tables in many feng shui books or by visiting our website) Once you know your own element, look around your place and see which element is predominant in it. Yes, any specific environment also has its own predominant element. For example, if your living room has purple curtains, art with predominant red-orange colors, lots of candles, a fireplace, objects in triangular, pointed shapes etc; the energy in the room is predominantly Fire.

If your birth element is Wood, and you live in a Fire environment you will tend to experience headaches, inability to relax, have constant arguments with you family, often feel "burnt out." As Fire burns the Wood, you need to focus on reducing the element of Fire in your environment, thus improve your well being. To remedy this situation, you may want to bring some of your own element (Wood) and/or the element of Water (which puts down the Fire.)

Wood element can be brought into your environment by colors brown and green, plants (green bamboo is especially powerful!) objects in rectangular shapes, actual wooden objects and other. Water can be represented by actual water (a fountain) or images of water ? oceans, lakes, rivers; as well as mirrors, wavy and curved shapes, colors black or deep blue, etc. The scenario described above will also be true for a person whose birth element is Metal, as Fire melts the Metal. However, an Earth or Water person will feel very good in that environment, and you can easily guess why. Both of these elements are not overpowered by the Fire energy.

An old Chinese proverb states that feng shui consultants double as doctors. And for a good reason. The art and science of Feng Shui has a wealth of recommendations, cures, solutions for every person and virtually every space, be it home, business, garden, etc. Just like your body has a specific anatomy, the space you inhabit also has its own anatomy, with its own "do’s" and "don’ts." Specific areas of your life, as well as specific body organs relate to specific areas of your home. For example, East is the area "responsible" for Family and Health. The element of East is Wood; therefore it is wise to avoid the placement of objects representing either Fire or Metal in this area of your home/business. If you suffer from certain body ailments, you can choose to place in the East area a picture, or any other representation of a medicine plant particularly healing for you (for example dandelion for liver problems)

Here are some feng shui remedies to improve your Health and increase Vitality:

  • Keep the center of your House clean, clutter free and open. This is considered the Heart of the House and is a sacred area in many old cultures. No heavy objects should be placed here. The center of your space is a very good place for a fountain, some crystals, bells/chimes with a harmonious sound, happy pictures of your loved ones, or any other items that speak to your heart.
  • Reduce or eliminate metal objects from your Bedroom, as metal conducts electricity. Work on reducing the electromagnetic fields in your bedroom. Provide an ideal space for your body to regenerate, replenish and heal itself during sleep. Do not sleep under beams or sloped ceiling. Do not sleep with your feet in line with the door. Have a good, supportive headboard. Choose a natural mattress.
  • Become aware of the quality of air in your space. Aerate your home often and use essential oils like lavender, chamomile, sage, frankincense, bergamot, etc to purify the space, uplift the spirits and improve your sense of well being. Consider using an air ionizer should this be necessary. Have specific plants that purify the air, such as peace lily, boston fern, spider plant, etc. Color green is very healing.
  • Have a pleasing welcoming entrance. It should be well lit, spacious and have uplifting energy. If you face a wall or stairs, apply specific feng shui cures or your life could be stuck in unnecessary struggles.
  • Surround yourself with objects you love and people that uplift your spirits. Try to spend some time in nature at least once a day. Make your home a healing refuge from the stress you encounter during the day by applying various feng shui cures and reducing the internal pollutants present in most homes.

By following these simple, basic feng shui recommendations you can greatly improve your sense of well being. You can bring healing beauty and harmony into your life and create an environment that is fully supportive of you and your loved ones.

Rodika Tchi, MSc, is a professional feng shui consultant. Her Vancouver-based company offers feng shui information, services and products. She can be reached at www.TchiConsulting.com

About The Author

RODIKA Tchi, MSc, has been a researcher and practitioner of the field of feng shui for over 8 years. She has several feng shui certifications from the International Institute for Feng Shui and Geobiology based in Germany and happy clients in many countries. Raised in Europe and educated in the US, Rodika lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and consults internationally. She can be reached at www.tchiconsulting.com

rodka@tchiconsulting.com

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Pineapples: The Healing Fruit Of The Tropics (Includes A Recipe For Pina-Banana Orange Smoothie)

For a natural and tasty way to improve your health and boost your healing capacity, add fresh pineapple and pineapple juice to your diet. Pineapples are nutritionally packed members of the bromeliad family. This delightful tropical fruit is high in the enzyme bromelain and the antioxidant vitamin C, both of which plays a major role in the body’s healing process.

Bromelain, a natural anti-inflammatory with analgesic properties, encourages healing, promotes well-being and has many other health benefits. Bromelain is very effective in treating bruises, sprains and strains by reducing swelling, tenderness and pain. This powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect can also help relieve osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and reduce postoperative swelling. Additionally, bromelain can relieve indigestion. The enzyme contained in fresh pineapple helps break down the amino acid bonds in proteins, which promotes good digestion.

Pineapples also provide an ample supply of vitamin C, a commonly known antioxidant that protects the body from free radical damage and boosts the immune system. Vitamin C helps build and repair bodily tissue and promotes wound healing. The body uses vitamin C to help metabolize fats and cholesterol, absorb iron, and synthesize amino acids and collagen. Collagen is one of the primary building blocks of skin, cartilage and bones. Vitamin C also decreases the severity of colds and infections.

Furthermore, due to its high vitamin C content, pineapples are good for your oral health as well. Recent studies have found that vitamin C can reduce your risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Besides increasing the ability of connective tissue to repair itself, vitamin C also increases the body’s ability to fight invading bacteria and other toxins that contribute to gum disease. Periodontal disease, which destroys gum tissue and underlying jaw bones, has been linked to heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

So if you are searching for a natural way to enhance your body’s healing mechanisms, promote overall good health and tantalize your taste buds, pineapples are the way to go. Choose the fresh fruit because it has the most healing properties. Unfortunately, most of the bromelain in canned pineapple is destroyed due to the heat used in the canning process.

When choosing a fresh pineapple, do not judge ripeness solely based upon color. There are several varieties on the market that range from green to golden yellow. The most important factor in determining ripeness is smell, let your nose help you decide. Ripe pineapples give off a sweet, fresh tropical smell. Avoid pineapples that give off an unpleasant odor or have any soft spots or areas of dark discoloration. Once home, let the pineapple sit on your counter at room temperature until ready to use. This will preserve its sweet and tangy flavor.

To prepare pineapple, you need to peel it, remove the eyes (the thorny protrusions within the puffy squares of the skin) and the fibrous center. One way to do this is to remove the top of the pineapple with a sharp knife. Then cut the pineapple lengthwise into 4 wedges (quarter it) and place each pineapple wedge horizontally on a cutting board. Carefully cut the fruit from the outer skin, and cut out the eyes and fibrous center core.

Another way is to cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, place the pineapple vertically (upright) on a cutting board and carefully slice off the outer skin. With a sharp paring knife or the end if a vegetable peeler, remove the eyes. Don’t cut too deep, just enough to lift out the section that contains the eye. Then, slice the pineapple crosswise and remove the fibrous core individually with a cookie cutter.

Once the fruit is prepared, it can be diced and eaten fresh, added to salads and entrees for an exotic flavor, or made into tasty tropical drinks and smoothies.

To get you started, try Monique N. Gilbert’s delicious, nutritious, cholesterol-free smoothie recipe. It’s high in bromelain, vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin (vitamin B-2), iron, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and soy isoflavones.

Pina-Banana Orange Smoothie

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1 frozen banana

1 cup fresh pineapple

1/2 cup soymilk

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

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Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Makes about 2-3/4 cups (2 servings)

Copyright © Monique N. Gilbert - All Rights Reserved

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. is a Health, Nutrition, Weight-Loss & Lifestyle Coach; Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor; Recipe Developer; Freelance Writer and Author of Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com

She has offered guidance in natural health, nutrition, fitness, weight-loss and stress management since 1989. She has received international recognition for helping people get healthy, manage stress, lose weight and keep it off. Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and healthy living. For more information, visit her website.

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The Ultimate Weight Loss Red-Flag Guide

Weight Loss Red Flag Guide

Despite claims to the contrary, there are no magic potions or effortless ways to burn off fat. There are thousands upon thousands of weight loss web sites, low carb diets, diet pills and other “so-called experts” that prey on desperate overweight people and use overly optimistic claims that get you to believe and buy into their flat out lies — reaping billions of dollars each year while your left still overweight and looking for answers.

In an effort to help and keep you from falling victim to the countless bogus weight loss claims of all the diet pills and many other weight loss products (essentially saving you money and time), here is a little guide that helps set the record straight as well as provide you with red flags to watch out for when researching or looking for weight loss help and support. A portion of this information is via The United States Federal Trade Commission…

If They Say … “An easy plan for losing up to 13 pounds in two weeks with little or no exercise…A program to let you keep losing”

“These patients started losing weight as soon as they went on the diet within the first week. These patients kept losing too…20, 30 even 50 pounds within months. They kept it off too.”

Sorry, But The Truth Is … Red Flag Claim 1 –

Lose two pounds or more per week (for a month or more) without dieting or exercise.

The Truth — Meaningful weight loss requires consuming fewer calories and/or increasing exercise. Ads that promise substantial weight loss without diet or exercise are false. A claim is false if it states or implies that users can lose lots of weight fast without changing their lifestyles, even if the ad doesn’t mention specific amounts of weight loss or time periods.

If They Say … “Eat cake… a hamburger… toast with butter… and practically anything else you enjoy! This simple plan gets you thin - without sacrificing your favorite foods!”

“One of my overweight patients refused to give up his daily dish of ice cream. As a result of the diet he lost 30 pounds quickly. His weight has stayed off even though he never exercises and he still has his daily ice cream.”

“Lose weight by eating more meals! Astounding reason on page x…”

“You decide how many pieces of meatloaf you want — and the pounds still slip away!”

Sorry, But The Truth Is … Red Flag Claim 2 –

Eat what you want! The more you eat, the more you lose and we’ll show you how.

The truth — It is impossible to eat unlimited amounts of food ? any kind of food ? and still lose weight. Any claim to that effect in an ad or commercial is false. Some products may help curb appetite or cravings. For these products, its okay to say people can eat what they want so long as it is clear from the ad or commercial that people will not want to eat as much food as before they started using the product.

If They Say … "The Super Fat-Fighting Formula inhibits fats, sugars and starches from being absorbed in the intestines and turning into excess weight, so that you can lose pounds and inches easily."

"These diet pills block fat before your body absorbs it; the pounds will melt away effortlessly."

Sorry, But The Truth Is … Red Flag Claim 3 –

Block the absorption of fat or calories, and lose substantial weight.

The Truth — No fat blocker or diet pills can block enough fat or calories to cause lots of weight loss. Even the very few legitimate fat blockers must be used with a reduced-calorie diet to work.

If They Say … “Got a little extra baggage in your belly… thighs… buttocks? Here’s the only sure way to trim the fat in those “trouble spots.”

“We once thought a diet couldn’t target fat in specific areas of the body. But the “xxx diet” changes that and proves that you can.”

Sorry, But The Thruth Is .. Red Flag Claim 4 –

You Can’t Spot Reduce — Period!

The Truth — You absolutely can’t tell your body where it will lose weight and shed pounds (spot reducing). The notion of a food or diet tricky enough to burn fat in specific areas is flat out ridiculous. You can “build up” specific areas in your body thru weight training, but losing weight in specific areas that you may want to improve is simply NOT possible.

If They Say … “But I have lost 6 pounds the very first week on this new low card diet…”

“I lost 11 pounds the first 2 weeks on this diet.”

“Lose 13 pounds in 2 weeks with this brand new diet — Guaranteed!”

Sorry, But The Truth Is … Red-Flag Claim 5 — Water Weight, Water Weight, and More Water Weight –

The Truth — Glycogen, your primary source for energy, attracts water. Your muscles are mostly made up of water. When you limit your carbohydrate intake, you hold onto less glycogen. Therefore, the initial weight loss you experience is due to water loss from your muscles. This can account for 4-10 pounds in the first week. Rapid water loss is the trick behind these diets. They make it appear quick and easy, while in reality it is a temporary solution.

The Weight Loss Bible is collection of weight loss secrets from the worlds elite fitness professionals, figure models and dietitians. World renowned Liz Guzzo MS, R.D. and Mari Kudla contribute to weight loss magazines such as Muscle & Fitness Hers, Oxygen, and Flex magazines — just to name a few. Their “Weight Loss Bible” has been said to make weight loss … “amazingly simple to understand and easy!” For more info: http://www.ultimate-weight-loss-bible.com

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Build 80 Pounds Of Muscle?

Is it possible to gain 80 pounds of shredded muscle without Steroids? Yes, but very difficult. A realistic goal for packing on muscle would be 7lbs/year….yes, 7lbs/year-without steroids. Arnold in his day (late 70’s early 80’s) weight around 240lbs ripped up at a height of 6′2″. So if you weight 190lbs for example and you are around the same height, it could take you up to 7-8 years to get in that kind of shape.

However if you are shorter, say around 5′8″-5′10″ you can actually “look” just as big with less muscle gains. A guy who’s 5′9″ 215lbs looks every bit as big as a guy who’s 6′2″ 240 in terms of muscle bulk. So the taller you are the more time it is going to take. The good thing is when you do it without steroids the muscle you gain is really your, so you keep most of it when and if you stop lifting. Another cool thing is you will get a lot stronger and harder before you really start growing. So you will FEEL great before you actually LOOK great.

One other factor, it also depends on a person’s body type. There are 3 basic ones:

Endomorph: naturally bulky frame, usually with a lot of both body fat and muscle. These guys usually can put on both muscle AND fat at a rate that is faster than 7lbs/year.

Ectomorph: naturally thin. Low body fat, Also known as “Hard gainersā?? Without steroids, to put on 7lbs of muscle in a year is really good. On a positive note, because hard gainers usually will have naturally low body fat, any shred of muscle they gain will show. So ectomorphs can “look” as though they weight a lot more.

Finally, Mesomorphs: These guys are the gifted one when it comes to gaining muscle. Usually they are naturally muscular with low body fat. If you are an endomorph or have some endo in your genetic pool, you can definitely pack on more than 7lbs of muscle per year….as long as you are keeping up on your nutrition which is another story.

Note: It is rare that a person is 100% of any of these body types. There is usually a mix with one type being dominate

Joel Mosley CPFT & LICENSED PRO BOXER

http://www.buildingmorethanbodies.com/

joel@buildingmorethanbodies.com

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After WLS: Walking for Wellness

Step for step, mile for mile, walking is the best cardiovascular activity you can include as part of your weight loss surgery success story. Walking is easy, accessible, inexpensive, individual and effective. It is the gold-star sport for real people with real lives. Formerly stigmatized as cheap transportation and a senior citizens’ sport it is now a credible and fashionable form of exercise. And it’s been around for a long time ? anthropoids stood upright and put one foot in front of the other thousands of years ago and we haven’t looked back since.

Now validated, as a vigorous fitness activity walking has become America’s most popular physical activity with over 20-million people stepping out regularly. Studies abound touting the benefits of walking: including weight loss, lowered risk of stroke or heart disease and improved mental well-being. While it may sound trite, 30-minutes of walking a day will keep the doctor away.

Be sure to record your walking activity beginning on the very first day. Find a notebook, a journal, or a computer program where you can record your time and distance each day. This may sound silly the first week when you are taking 5-minute walks, but very soon you will rejoice at your progress if you have a record of where you began.

To achieve maximum benefit from this walking program, you will need a good pair of soft athletic walking shoes, preferably with ankle support. I suggest you get these prior to surgery so you don’t have the "no shoes" excuse to put-off your walking program. Give them to yourself as a gift acknowledging your bravery and courage to make this positive change in your life.

Next, plan where you will walk. Raise your hand if you already own a treadmill! Mine was stored in a forgotten corner of the basement, bought with the best intention, but abandoned for a number of excuses. Get that old friend out and put it where you’ll use it. most treadmills for home use are rated at a 250-pound weight limit. Fresh out of gastric bypass surgery, most of us exceed that limit. Fitness equipment manufacturers say that if the weight limit is exceeded, but at a slow pace for short duration, the treadmill should not be damaged. I say, take your chances and walk on the treadmill. It won’t take long before you drop below the weight limit and in the meantime you are becoming stronger and fitter by taking short walks on the machine.

If your climate and neighborhood are equitable plan a walking route out-of-doors. Prior to surgery measure your route by the quarter mile. One determined patient I know walked one driveway further each day until she made it all the way around the block. Counting driveways is how she marked her progress. Good for her!

Do you prefer to walk in the climate-controlled mall? Plan a walking route there ? just be sure to swiftly step past the bakery and candy store. Many malls have early hours when people can gather and fitness walk without having to navigate around shoppers.

For best success sip water throughout your walk. Wear comfortable clothing for easy movement. Avoid exercising in extreme weather ? too hot or very cold.

Now equipped with great shoes, comfortable clothes, a walking route and a journal to record your progress you are ready to take your first step! Here is my plan to walk your way into a healthier life.

Copyright © 2005 Kaye Bailey - All Rights Reserved.

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.

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Evening Primrose Oil and Co-Enzyme Q-10: A Dynamic Supplement Duo for Women

During the past few years, I’ve become more interested in the subject of health and wellness. During this time, I’ve found the amount of information and variety of supplements overwhelming. The rows of jars and bottles that line the shelves at health food stores and supermarkets seems infinite.

I believe that it’s essential ,in our pill popping society, to be judicious when choosing to start a new supplement routine. It’s imperative to do research and speak to your doctor or health practitioner before making a final decision.

Every individual needs to assess their own needs and restrictions before choosing a supplement. Personally, I’m in my early 30’s,increasing my exercise levels, and dealing with a bit of mood irregularities and depression. I was already taking a multi-vitamin, but looked into two supplements that I had heard a lot about but had never tried: Evening Primrose Oil and Co-Enzyme Q-10.

Co-Enzyme Q-10 or vitamin Q10, is sometimes referred to as ‘the fountain of youth’. It was identified in the 1950’s and occurs naturally in the body. It protects the body from free radicals, which are nasty chemical elements that can damage the body’s cells. Co-enzyme Q-10 is considered an anti-oxidant that has been prescribed to help treat and prevent various forms of cancer. Found in varying levels in different body organs, the heart happens to have high concentrations of Q10. A deficiency of this energy nutrient can lead to hypertension, angina, and fatigue. It has been shown to increase stamina in athletes, and keeps the cells of the body in good working order.

As a bonus there is also evidence to suggest Co-enzyme Q-10 can help to prevent gum disease. I look at this supplement as an oil change for my body. It helps with regular maintenance and keeps me high energy. My sister is a chiropractor and this was the one supplement she highly recommended. A recommended dose for daily maintenance is 30 mg, three times per day. Keep in mind that Co-Enzyme Q-10 is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

I’ve recently learned about and started using another supplement called Evening Primrose Oil. This supplement is ideal for women and can help with the symptoms of PMS, ease arthritic joint pain and swelling, prevent diabetes, help skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and exzema, protect against the effects of aging, counter female infertility, and nourish nails, scalp and hair. Evening Primrose Oil is pressed from the seed of the Evening Primrose flower. It it chock full of the fatty acid GLA or gamma-linoleic acid which exerts anti-inflammatory and other healing actions.

Our own bodies produce GLA which aids in prostoglandin production. Prostoglandins are required for proper cell function and rejuvenation, but need to be restored regularly. Everyday stresses on the body such as aging, high cholesterol, alcohol use, poor diet can lead to a deficiency in prostoglandin, and it has been shown that good GLA levels can help the production of this hormone. Usually 3 doses of 1000mg per day is recommended, but check with your doctor or health practitioner.

Perhaps you don’t need every supplement you’re currently taking, or maybe there are areas of your health that need more attention. Assess your individual needs, research the product and speak to your doctor or health practitioner. Take control of your health!

Jane Arnold is a freelance writer and part-time health buff. You can get more health and beauty tips at her website at: http://www.girlyside.com/girlyside.html The website is a girl’s guide to health, beauty, love and leisure. Sign up for the free newsletter at http://www.girlyside.com/newsletter.html

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The Ultimate Weight Loss Product Guide

Are you one of the many who may be tempted by advertisements for diet pills and other weight loss products promising easy, quick ways to lose weight? Were you aware that a simple 30 minute infomercial can cost anywhere from $80,000 to 120,000 dollars to make. Pretty crazy don’t you think? Yet time and time again you see countless weight loss infomercials selling product after product.

Fad Diets and many diet pills are pitched by persistent advertising and many people, possibly even you will join the parade of followers. Yet 95% of the time, these weight loss products will prove to fail you once again — leaving you with nothing but charges to your credit card and set-up to regain all those pounds. So why are people constantly and willingly paying their hard earned money for these weight loss products?

“Stop Throwing Your Hopes Into Every Weight Loss Product That Comes By”

We want you to stop being their guinea pigs and understand and realize just how many of these diet pills and other weight loss companies are cashing in at your expense. To help you avoid getting “trapped or suckered” into believing or choosing a weight loss product or service that does nothing but contribute and add to the problems.

Stop Getting Taken! The following factors are exactly what many weight loss products and services use and exploit in order to get you to buy into their utterly false claims…

Factor 1 — HOPE Hope is a good thing, you need hope. But the problem is that many times you have such high hopes that you put those hopes into anything, regardless if its legit or not. By putting your hopes of weight loss into products and services that are not providing the necessary means you need, your ultimately setting yourself up for failure and your hopes will get crushed. Have hope, just make sure you put your hope into the right service and don’t let your strong sense of hope blind you into not seeing the red-flags and other lies.

Bottom Line — Don’t let your strong sense of hope make you believe things that are not true!

Factor 2 — Emotion Lets face it, your weight and appearance can be a touchy, emotional subject. And it should be, its your life! But how many times have you seen a weight loss infomercial where someone breaks down into tears while talking about how miserable they were when overweight and how deeply happy and relieved they are now … and how they owe it all to that particular weight loss product or “revolutionary system.” The product is doing this intentionally!

Weight loss products know you’re emotional about how you look … they also know that when your emotional, it causes you to act on impulse. They have a better chance to “hook- you” when you’re emotional and “touched.” Products try to stir up your emotion in an effort to get you to act impulsively and buy into their claims. You should be emotional about your health and the way you look, but don’t let them use your emotion against you. Don’t let your emotion blind you into not seeing the red-flags and real reason that they’re really there — to get the “2 easy payments of $39.99″ out of you!

Factor 3 — Marketing Savvy & Media Just because you’re constantly seeing weight loss ads and commercials for diet pills and the new “xxx diet” does not mean it works and is credible. Just because you see a celebrity hosting the weight loss infomercial or program (who has been generously paid off … do you really think a movie star is going to do an infomercial for free?) does not mean it’s effective. What it does mean is that they have thousands, if not millions of dollars to pay for advertising and marketing so they can get their product in front of you, be it radio, television, internet etc. so they can constantly “pitch you.”

How affective is marketing? Recently, a diet pill company was making the bogus claim “take our weight loss pill and you can eat what you want and burn fat as you sleep” and made $152 million in profit over 3 short years by doing radio commercials at over 600 stations across the country! That is until the Government stepped in and cracked down! And all the restaurants that are adding the “new xxx diet approved” menus, all they’re doing is trying to make money too! Restaurants know that people are willingly paying, so why wouldn’t they add low carb diet dishes (even though the number of calories in these dishes are alarmingly high and will cause you to pack on pounds!)

Realize, that just because you see a weight loss product time and time again on the television or radio does not mean it will be effective in losing permanent weight. All these weight loss companies are trying to do is get their product in front of you over and over so it will be there when you’re ready to buy. Many people make the mistake of assuming a product is credible simply because it’s constantly on television.

Factor 4 - Repetition Diet pills and other weight loss products figure they more they can get in front of you, the more likely you’re going to buy it when that time comes. Lets face it, if you were interested in building a deck, when that time comes don’t you think your going to choose the “smith deck company” that you saw time and time again on TV. Most people will simply use the one that’s most convenient and right there. Many times people just pick the first product or service that comes to their head and have high hopes that everything will just work out. Unfortunately, many times it’s no different with weight loss products.

This is exactly why you see the same infomercial every day, every hour of the day for like 1 month straight … and then all of a sudden it’s gone. They get in, make their money on desperate people looking to lose weight, and then they get out! And if you see it again in like 3-4 months down the road, this means they made a lot of money on it previously and are back to make more. They wouldn’t be there if they weren’t making money - period!

The product is trying to pound it into you head and keep coming at you because they know, the more you see it, the more likely you will be to buy it. Don’t get suckered! Just because they are always there, does not mean it will help you.

Factor 5 - Pressure This is a big one. The bottom line — when people are pressured they act impulsively. Often times you put way to much pressure on yourself. In today’s society so much emphasis is placed on health and appearance. People feel pressured to look a certain way and this is certainly the case with being overweight as people will do anything to lose weight. Weight loss products go out of their way to put additional pressure on you, knowing that it will cause you to act and buy. Many of the weight loss infomercials are very good at the art of getting you to believe that … “finally this is it, the only product that’s going to change your life!” The truth is that all they’re doing is adding additional pressure.

Bottom Line — Don’t let the pressure you feel to lose weight allow you to buy into and believe false claims. A sense of urgency to lose weight is good, but don’t feel so pressured that it causes you to act impulsively and spend your hard - earned money on the first thing you come across that sounds good. When you feel pressured, it will allow you to start believing and putting your hopes into things that are not true because you feel like “I need to do something about my weight and I need to do it now!” Weight loss products know this and that is what they are wanting you to do. Don’t allow it and don’t allow yourself to be one of their guinea pigs! It will just cost you in the end!

General Rules To Keep In Mind When Dealing With Weight Loss Products

Be Realistic — If there was a way to “lose 30 pounds in 30 days and keep it off” or “eat what you want and still lose weight” don’t you think that we would all look like supermodels?

Use Common Sense — If there were magic diet pills or easy way to lose weight and keep it off, don’t you think the top movie stars and celebrities who make millions and millions of dollars would have it.

Allow Yourself To Believe Both Sides — If you’re going to make the mistake of believing the lies and fabrications many weight loss products are telling you, at least allow yourself to believe that they may indeed be “lying and deceiving you” as well. It’s only fair that you allow yourself to look at both sides as this will help you to form a better judgment.

“If It Was That Easy…” Lets face it, if it was as easy as all these health and weight loss infomercials and ab contraptions make it, the statistic of 95% failing would not exist! There would be no problems. Don’t believe their lies and fabrications

Kenny Leonard is the President Of Excel Media and the creator of The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible. The much talked about Weight Loss Bible is authored by Mari Kudla, who is the 4th ranked IFBB Fitness Professional And Figure Model in the world. She has been featured and contributed in numerous world wide media weight loss giants such as Muscle & Fitness Hers, Oxygen, and Flex magazines — just to name a few. Her new book, “The Ultimate Weight Loss And Fitness Bible,” has said to make weight loss …”amazingly simple to understand and easy” More info at http://www.ultimate-weight-loss-bible.com

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Pranic Therapy - Part I

Pranic Therapy Part I - An Introduction

Pranic Therapy is an alternative system of Medicine using therapy with the Universal Stream of Consciousness, the Cosmic Prana.

Pranic Therapy can be effectuated by proper knowledge of the psycho- physical organism, physical and mental discipline and opening all our channels to the Cosmic Prana. This is normally effected in seven steps

The Seven Stages of Pranic Therapy

  • Knowledge of the Psychosomatic Machine
  • Regulation of Sleep, food & Exercise
  • Relaxation
  • Attunement to Biorythms ( Circadian Rhythms, Solar & Lunar Rhythms )
  • Removing mental blocks ( Difficult due to Repression )
  • Overcoming Prajnaparadha ( Fault of Awareness due to misuse of our cognitive & conative functions)
  • Opening the system to the Cosmic Prana ( Opening all channels to the Divine Shakti )

    Introduction

    With the advent of rapid industrialization, urbanization and the breakdown of family life after the Second World War, social life in the West became tense & stressful. The spread of materialistic ideas and ideals and the erosion of faith in Morality & the Law Divine & the social disturbance caused by the Vietnam War brought a sense of futility & meaninglessness in the Western psyche.The limitations of the Western system of chemotherapy & adverse side-effects of antibiotics, sedatives and certain other drugs and the disillusionment with the promises of science & technology made millions turn to Oriental philosophies, divine practices & systems of therapy.

    The response from the Orient was benevolent. Favoured by the social revolution that swept through several countries in the West in the 1960s, these countries, especially the US, came to be flooded with Gurus and Yogis. Yoga, TM, Reiki - all attained world-wide popularity.

    Three Modern Movements

    As a byproduct three modern movements came into being.

    They are Neo-humanisn, interreligious dialogue and Holistic Health. The term ‘Neo-humanism’ refers to a basic change in modern man’s attitude towards himself and his fellowmen which is characterised by

  • the recognition of the essential goodness of man
  • focus on existential problems
  • striving for higher transcendental experience.

    The contribution of Ramakrishna Movement to inter-faith dialogue was immense. Other movements like Maharshi International University & Self Realisation Fellowship contributed to this change in the human mindset.

    Holistic Health

    Holistic Health refers to a modern movement which regards health as a dynamic state of the total human being. Although the symptoms of a disease may be found in certain tissues or organs, health is not a mere removal of such symptoms by the treatment of the affected tissues or organs, but a state of multidimensional experience, according to this perspective. The mind, body & environment are in a state of dynamic interaction & the maintenance of this interaction in an optimum state of efficiency is what health means. In other words ” To be healthy is to have the ability to live with full use of our faculties and be vigorous, alert & happy to be alive, even in old age, despite an occasional bout of illness.” This ” operational health” has been defined as wellness. It is a sense of all-round well-being as contrasted with illness. .

    The greatest aspect of holistic health is its recognition of the role played by mind in health. ” Mind is omnipotent ” said Freud & he had shown that the Unconscious played a key role in causing certain diseases which came to be described as psychosomatic diseases. He looked upon the Unconscious chiefly as the repository of negative emotions. His early disciple Carl Jung expanded the concept of the Unconscious to make it include good emotions and even spiritual urges. Adler, another disciple of Freud showed that the ego could alter unconscious behaviour.

    The connecting link between the body and mind was not clear. The work of the Canadian endocrinologist Hans Selye brought the much needed connecting link. In his classic work ” The Stress of Life ” Selye showed that mental stress was the root cause of several types of common illness such as hypertension, hyperacidity etc. The ’stressor’ (the original source of stress ) excites the hypothalamus in the brain. This vital organ which controls the autonomic nervous system activates the pituitary to secrete the stress hormone ( known as ACTH ) which stimulates the secretion of several hormones and steroids (including the well known, adrenaline or epinephrine). More sugar is released into the blood & BP is increased as a result of these changes. According to Selye, stress is unavoidable in life. ( The emotional centre in the brain, when upset, stimulates the oxintic cells to secrete more hydrochloric acid in the stomach which leads to hyperacidity.) When it goes beyond a certain tolerance level ( which varies from person to person ) the system breaks down resulting in illness.

    To the scientific picture of body-mind interrelationship given above, certain new concepts were added. One was the idea that if negative emotions could cause illness, positive emotions can cause “wellness”. The attention of medical experts & the imagination of the public was captured by this innovative idea when Normal Cousins, editor of Saturday Review, published a convincing account of his recovery from a debilitating & incurable disease of the connective tissue. The patient’s understanding of the disease & his active participation in the recovery process was highlighted by his case.

    The most difficult and controversial aspect of holistic health is another idea that by creating proper awareness within himself man could exercise a certain degree of voluntary control over the healing processes taking place in his body. After the aftermath of Pavlov’s demonstration of conditioned reflexes, another Russian scientist K M Bykov and his colleagues showed in 1924 that several involuntary processes such as regulation of body heat, heart rhythm, production of urine, BP etc which were mediated by the autonomic nervous system could be brought under voluntary control. The above finding was corroborated later during experiments conducted on animals under ‘operant’ (voluntary)conditioning. Hundreds of people found that they could bring under control their heart rhythm, brain waves etc with the help of the biofeedback technique. Indian Yogis in the West also demonstrated that they could alter metabolic rate, heartbeat, body temperature etc simply by their will power, without the use of any biofeedback instruments.

    More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.zodiaccomputers.com/Html/yoga.htm

    Holistic health practioners invaded the scene at this juncture. They showed that not only certain organs but the working of the whole system such as the digestive system, the respiratory system, circulatory system etc ( known as the Systems concept ) could be regulated simply by changing one’s life-style & affinities. It was claimed that even diseases such as cancer could be cured or held in check be creating strong faith & the right type of consciousness.Despite the exaggeration and the propaganda which accompanied these claims, the basic idea that man can consciously regulate involuntary and unseen physiolo- gical processes came to be accepted as a fact by the medical community.

    Various meditation techniques like Transcendental Meditation, Zen, Yoga were becoming popular in the West in those days. Apart from the spiritual benefits, (In Transcendental Meditation, the existence of a fourth major state of Consciousness called Transcendental Consciousness was proved by Dr Keith Wallace in his Phd Thesis ) practical Yoga teachers showed that Meditation also produced other beneficial effects such as reduction of tension, lowering of BP, relaxation of muscles, increase of concentration & work efficiency & even increase of immunological resistance to diseases. As a result, some form of Meditation has become an essential part of most holistic health programmes.( Dr Harold Bloomfied says that TM can be used as an adjunct to psychiatric practice.)

    The success of Acupuncture, herbology etc which came to be recognised as ‘ Alternative Medicine ” , lent much support to the holistic health position. Two great discoveries strengthened this position. One was the discovery of ‘biological clocks’ in nature and the existence of biorhythms in the human body. The other discovery was that the brain produced certain neuro- modulators called endorphins which have the property of reducing pain. The production of these natural painkillers is influenced by our thoughts and endorphins are produced when our EEG brain waves are in an alpha state ( 8.5 cycles per sec).

    The remaining portions can be read from G Kumar’s ebook Pranic Therapy. To get the Ebook contact mailto:zodiac20@vsnl.com?subject=PTEbook

    About The Author

    Article by G Kumar, Astrologer & Epistemologist of www.eastrovedica.com.

    Recently he was awarded a Certificate by the Planetary Gemologists Association ( www.p-g-a.org ) as a Planetary Gem Advisor. He has 25 years psychic research experience in the esoteric arts. Kumar is contactable at zodiac20@vsnl.com. The address of his physical shop is Zodiac Computers, 3/528 Tkss Bldgs, East Nada, Guruvayur Kerala, India 680101. Office Phone +91 0487-552851. Home Phone +91 0487-422060. He is the editor of the Z Files, a popular philosophic Ezine, rich in esoterica. TO subscribe contact mailto:zodiac20@vsnl.com?subject=subscribe.

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