Fat Kills You

Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid plays a supporting role in the secretion of hormones, such as cortisone. In so doing, Vitamin B5 assists body
metabolism, wards off body allergies and helps keep the skin, muscles,
and nerves in optimum condition.

The human body also needs the help of Vitamin B to release energy as
well as to metabolize fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Without this
vitamin, the body will encounter problems with creating
neurotransmitters, certain hormones, and haemoglobin. This gives you an
idea how important this vitamin is to the body’s vital functions!

Great sources of Vitamin B5 are beef, brewer’s yeast, eggs, fresh
vegetables, kidney, legumes, liver, mushrooms, nuts, pork, royal jelly,
saltwater fish, and whole-wheat foods.

Vitamin B5 Deficiencies

Research also indicates that lack of enough Vitamin B5 in the body can
lead to fatigue, headaches, nausea, depression, and even moodiness.

If you find yourself prone to infection, fatigue, abdominal pains, sleep
disturbances and neurological disorders, you might consider taking
prescribed amounts of Vitamin B5.

Is your diet utterly lacking in non-refined foods? Are you taking a lot of
alcohol? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will need
more Vitamin B5 in your system.

Vitamin B5 Dosage

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is between 10 to 100 mg.
Exceeding the limit usually leads to diarrhea; with taking 15 or more times
the limit usually leading to hypersensitive teeth.

Vitamin B5 performs best when taken with the rest of the B complex
vitamins, and with Vitamin A, C, and E.

Check out http://www.123-nutrition.com for more advice on nutritional supplements and vitamins.

The very first thing you want to do before you even consider the surgery is really contemplate if surgery is the only way to lose weight. If you have exhausted every diet or new lifestyle of eating, the last resort should be Gastric Bypass Surgery or another name is Bariatric Surgery.

First of all what is Obesity?

This results from too much accumulation of fat once it exceeds the body’s skeletal and physical needs.

According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health) 20% more than you "ideal body weight" is when excess weight becomes a health risk.

Almost 2/3 of the adult population, approximately 200 million, are overweight or obese.

What is Morbid Obesity?

Morbid Obesity is when it reaches the point that one or more obesity-related health conditions result in significant physical disability or even death.

Clinical Severe Obesity is also the same term as Morbid Obesity. Morbid Obesity is more or less defined as being more than 100 lbs over your ideal weight or have a Body Mass Index of 40 or more.

It is considered a chronic disease, meaning that it develops over time.

What Causes Morbid Obesity?

Believe it or not and despite conventional medicine wisdom, it is not just the result of overeating.

There is much research shown, that in quite a few cases, the significant underlying cause is genetic. There have been studies done that has shown that once the problem is established, efforts of dieting and exercise or fitness programs are really limited to provide effective long-term relief.

Science is always continuing to find answers. But until obesity is much better understood, the control of obesity is something patients need to work on for their entire lives.

It is very import to understand that the medical interventions, including bariatric surgery, should not be considered as medical cures.

Weight loss surgery attempts to reduce the effects of excessive weight and alleviate the serious, mental, physical and social consequences of the disease.

You want to take into consideration the benefits and consequences of weight loss surgery before you undertake the procedure.

The first thing you want to do is make an appointment with a Bariatric surgeon who will accept your insurance.

It is important that you go to a meeting setup by your doctor where other people have had the surgery or are contemplating the surgery even before you make your decision.

Stomach stapling is a major surgical procedure, whereas Gastric Banding is not. Both have its advantages and disadvantages.

Please check for other gastric bypass articles. There will be a series of articles pertaining specifically to this type of weight loss surgery.

Your medical doctor can determine if the weight loss surgery is right for you depending on your age and medical condition.

Copyright 2005
Article can be reprinted as long as the links are active

Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes and Obesity
http://www.gastricbypassreviews.info
http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com

Strict “no carb” phases of low carb diets have developed a reputation for giving dieters severe headaches. Dietitians have identified a number of different factors that could cause these headaches. They vary from person to person.

One of the factors is caffeine. Most low carb diets prohibit caffeinated drinks because they cause fluctuations in blood sugar, which can potentially jeopardize the efficacy of the diet. The Atkins diet suggests that dieters begin scaling-down caffeine consumption before they start the induction phase of the diet to minimize unpleasant withdrawals.

Another factor is wheat and sugar addictions, which can be the byproduct of reliance on refined carbohydrate products for a quick boost in blood sugar levels. If you snack to increase your blood sugar level, you may be addicted to carbohydrates, according to Dr. Atkins. Again, you may want to begin scaling down your snacks before you start the induction phase to minimize withdrawal symptoms.

The last factor is dehydration. If you are losing weight rapidly on a “no carb” initial phase, you are also losing a lot of water that is bound up in your carbohydrate reserves. In fact, you are actually losing four-times as many grams of water as you are grams of glycogen (or stored carbohydrates).

In addition to preventing dehydration, your body needs to replenish all of the water it loses daily to simply maintain organ functionality, flush out toxins, replace electrolytes, and promote good skin health.

Most low carb dietitians suggest that you consume 8 eight-ounce glasses of water each day. This is especially important if you are losing more than the average amount of water each day, so make sure you are sticking to the “8 x 8″–or whatever amount you can drink comfortably each day–so you don’t become dehydrated during the first phase of your low carb diet.

The key to preventing low carb diet headaches is to make sure you are consuming enough water and to scale-down your potential “addictions” before you start.

If you have already started your low carb diet, there is nothing you can do about these headaches. Most experts suggest that you simply wait it out. If they don’t go away after four days, then you may have food allergies, in which case you should halt the diet and consult your physician.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

Most people make an excuse that they don’t have time to workout, they are too lazy to spend any time on workouts. Whatever time they are left with, they want to relax, watch TV or listen to music .Here are a few excesses that may just be a solution for you. These can be done while listening to music or during tv commercials.

PUSH UPS

Place the body in a face down and lift the body on both the palms and feet keeping the body straight. Take the chest toward the floor while exhaling and push up with the power of the arm and chest muscles while inhaling. If floor push ups are to difficult for you, start off with standing push ups with you hand on the wall, then pushing yourself back. Repeat at least 8 - 10 times, increase the number of repetitions as the exercise gets easier .Push ups effect your chest and arms the most . To effect your chest the most do push ups with your arms placed wide apart.

SQUATS

Stand with legs shoulder width apart and feet pointed forward. Sit down and stand up make sure that the knees don’t lock. Don’t move too far forward, try to keep your neck in line with you spine. Repeat this 20-25 times depending on the comfort level too start with and then increase the no of repetitions as you get used too the exercise. Squat is the best exercise for complete leg fitness. It can do wonders to your thighs hips and butts. For better results squats may be done with weights.

BICEP CURLS

Biceps curls can be done while sitting on a chair or while standing. You need a pair of dumbells. Hold a dumbell in each hand. Lift the dumbells alternatively without bending your elbows. Repeat this atleast 10 times. As you get used to the exercise you can increase the weights or the number of repetitions. Biceps curls is an effective exercise to increase your arm size.

——> Random Tip: Take a break once a week to give your body some rest.

About the Author:

Jasdeep: for http://www.weightloss-health.com/muscle_building.html your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Weight Loss and Muscle Building.

Look out for highly effective and recommended muscle building programs from the best in this field and a chance to go through muscle building articles directory at Muscle Building Programs and Supplements Reviews

If you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.

We all know the nasty sensation of coming down with a cold: when you feel like your head is stopped up, when your nose is constantly running, and when nothing tastes right.

Most of what we call colds are technically known rhinitis, and are caused by various micro-organisms settling on nasal or throat surfaces, and the body’s reacting to them. When your nose is running, your body is trying to get rid of those organisms.

The important thing is to let the body get rid of the junk. People are always trying to avoid sneezing, runny noses, and congestion. But the problem is that they are often treating the symptoms, and not the problem itself. Water treats the problem. Make sure you have plenty of water to let the body do its job.

One of the reasons the old advice ("Rest, and get plenty of liquids!") was good advice was you could have time to let the body work on getting rid of whatever is causing problems. If you take something to stop your runny nose, all you’ve done is give yourself a dry (and usually sore) throat, and prevent the body from blowing out what’s causing the problem.

It’s not easy to conduct a business meeting if you’re nose is constantly running. It’s not easy to teach if you’re constantly sneezing. But those are some of the ways your body is trying to cure you. If you possibly can, take some time off, rest, and you will recover much faster.

Your body will be going through a great deal of water, and you need to replenish it frequently. It’s easy to forget how much liquid goes out in a runny nose (and probably not something you want to ponder a lot, either!) And every time you sneeze, your body loses water. So a good rule of thumb is for every time you sneeze or blow your nose, drink some water. Every time. Now the problem is that most folks just don’t feel like eating when they have a bad cold. Neither do they feel like drinking. So you may have to fool your body into thinking that you’re drinking something special that’s not just the water it needs.

The easiest way is to slice a lemon (or lime) and put a slice into your glass. Unlike sugar and other things we are prone to add to water, the trace of lemon adds nothing but taste: no calories, no caffeine, and no carbohydrates.

Another trick is to heat the water. That’s right: serve up plain, hot water in a special cup, and maybe jazz it up with lemon, too.

And as long as you’re drinking your quota of 20 glasses of water a day, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy some other liquids. Hot broth, juices (though not too much: your body needs a rest from digesting, too!) and hot teas can be enjoyable, and help alleviate the boredom.

If you’re drinking tea, you might want to go with herbal, decaffeinated teas. I have nothing against caffeine, when used in moderation, and I drink caffeinated tea almost every day. But when you are sick (whether from a cold, or from something else) allow your body to clear out some of the corridors. Don’t give it the extra task of dealing with caffeine … at least not now.

The important thing is to keep consuming liquids. Your body may be cleansing out some toxins, and it needs fluids to do that job. Monitor factors such as the color of your urine. If the urine is a dark or brownish color, you need more liquids. (A rule of thumb is that urine should be a light straw color. If it’s darker, immediately drink down 2 glasses of water).

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is ‘Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,’ and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

Although it is obviously not possible to turn the clock back entirely, we can take many steps now to ensure that not only do we slow down the aging process, but we can also reverse many of the signs of aging that we may presently be experiencing.

The biggest key in the fight against aging is of course our diet and nutrition. The old adage, “you are what you eat” is absolutely true! It is impossible to expect to be healthy and vital if we are not eating the nutrients we need to keep our bodies performing at its best.

I truly believe that the increase in lifestyle diseases that we are presently seeing is in great part due to poor diets and junk food. It is very important to try to increase the amount of whole foods that we eat and decrease the amount of processed foods that we eat.

Processed foods have almost no nutrients left in them … they are considered “empty calories”. But even worse than that, the preservatives, additives and chemicals that are in these processed foods interfere with many bodily functions including hormones. These chemical toxins are called “xenoestrogens” and they often trigger a condition called “Estrogen Dominance”.

What is Estrogen Dominance? Simply explained, it is when the ratio of Estrogen and Progesterone get out of whack and you have higher levels of estrogen, compared to progesterone. There are many things in our modern society that contribute to this imbalance including birth control pills, caffeine, alcohol and xenoestrogens (which are caused by external toxins and pollutants like detergents, pesticides, plastics etc.), as well as impaired liver function and even stress!

The hormonal imbalances caused by Estrogen Dominance have many negative effects on the body and can make you feel a lot older by triggering many symptoms like poor memory, “foggy brain”, weight gain and difficulty losing weight, increased facial hair, decreased sex drive, vaginal dryness, darkened skin pigmentation, water retention and much, much more. Estrogen Dominance also increases the risk of many lifestyle diseases like cancer, fibrocystic breasts, breast cancer, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and much more.

Estrogen Dominance is much more common than people think, thanks to the world we live in. And it is happening to women at younger and younger ages, even to women in their twenties or thirties! So how do you combat estrogen dominance? One of the most important changes you can make is losing weight if you are overweight, since this triggers a vicious cycle of hormonal imbalances and weight gain, especially in the abdominal area.

But of course, how you lose weight is just as important, if not more, than just losing weight. If you lose weight following unhealthy weight loss diets, you could be unbalancing your hormones even more. The better method is to lose weight in a slow, steady fashion by eating healthy, nutritious food and NOT starving yourself.

If instead of following an unhealthy diet, you follow a healthy eating program you will not only lose weight, but will have many health benefits as well. Check out these little-known, powerful anti-aging benefits you get from eating a healthy, balanced diet:

- Eating a healthy diet decreases free radical production through proper nutrition, which is a powerful anti-aging technique, as well as decreasing the risk of developing different types of cancer

- Eating healthy also helps to promote anti-aging by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides to healthy levels

When you follow a healthy diet and do not skip meals or starve yourself, you actually speed up your metabolism and increase fat burning capabilities. Dieting is one of the best ways of slowing down your metabolism, which of course makes losing weight very difficult. Yo-yo dieting is a good example of this. Each time you lose weight and gain it back, you are slowing down your metabolism so that each subsequent diet gets harder and harder to lose weight.

- It is also possible to make a few simple changes to your diet so that the food you eat stabilises your blood sugar levels and reduces insulin and improves insulin resistance … ultimately decreasing the risk of Diabetes. And did you know that Insulin is a major culprit in weight gain?

- And here is a very powerful anti-aging secret: eating a healthy, balanced diet supports your liver! If your liver works better, your body detoxifies more efficiently, which improves all areas of your health (including cellulite reduction the natural way), as well as supporting your immune system which is of course very important for good health

And not only do unhealthy diets unbalance your hormones, one thing that many people don’t think about when they decide to lose weight following unhealthy fast weight loss diets: the faster you lose weight, the bigger the chances that you will be left with loose, sagging skin! A healthy eating program decreases the chances of having loose, sagging skin, because you lose weight in a slow, steady way, which gives your body a chance to firm up your skin. There are also many foods you can eat that promote healthy, firm skin tone. (The “Diet Free … At Last!” Weight Loss Program teaches which foods promote anti-aging and also which foods you can eat to help to improve skin tone and prevent loose, sagging skin.)

About the author

Geri Richard is the owner of the “Diet Free … At Last!” Weight Loss Program website. This program teaches you how to lose weight the healthy way, without hunger, food cravings or starving yourself on endless diets. It even includes a free e-book that focuses on how to reverse aging and improve your health and quality of life. Visit the website at http://www.weightloss-dietfree.com to see how you can get this free e-book.

You are welcome to reproduce this article on your website or newsletter provided it is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and a live hyperlink to our website.

——————–
Things Around The House
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Don’t feel that just because you don’t have any weights at home, that you can’t get a GREAT workout! Try using these items for the corresponding exercises. Change them around to increase or decrease the resistance to make it the perfect workout for YOU!

· Backpack Swing- Take a backpack and fill it with books. (this is nice because you can add or take out books based on your needs). Stand holding bag in front of you with straight arms. Let the bag swing down between your legs and behind you a bit. Bend the knees naturally. Swing the bag forward and up, keeping arms straight until bag is overhead. Play with where you hold the bag to make sure you have control of it, especially when overhead. Let momentum happen. This is a fantastic full-body warm-up. *Watch for ceiling fans!

· Milk Jug Bent Over Row- A full gallon milk bottle weighs about 8 pounds. Fill it to make it the weight you desire. Hold in one hand (or you can use 2 containers, one in each hand). Bend at the waist to about 90 degrees and slightly bend the knees. Let arms hang straight down. Pull your elbow(s) up, pulling the jug towards your chest, as if you were starting a lawn mower. This is a great back and bicep exercise! *I suggest using containers with a screw on cap rather than the kind that snap on. Don’t ask me how I discovered this!

· Dog Food Squats- Grab a bag of dog food. Hug it close to you. Keeping your back as straight as possible (think "chest up"), bend the knees to about 90 degrees and stand back up. You are working quads (front of thigh), hamstrings (back of thigh), and glutes (butt), as well as abdominals! *Beware of dog!

· Kid Press- Really! If you have a young child, lie on your back while you are holding them on your chest. Press them up until your arms are straight and still over chest. They will LOVE this! If you don’t have access to a child, push-ups will do fine! Great for chest and triceps (back of arms). *You may want to use a spotter or at least do it over a soft run or on a couch just in case!

· Kitty Litter Carry- Bag or bucket, scoop-able or not, they all work! If it’s in a bag, hug it like the dog food; if it’s a bucket, hold it from the handle. Now, simply, walk! Go as long as you can carrying the litter. You can do it inside in a hallway, back and forth, or outside. Great for legs, shoulders, biceps, back, and muscular endurance. *Be prepared to explain rationale to neighbors!

· Laundry Detergent Curls- Hold a box or bottle of laundry detergent and curl it like you would a dumbbell. Arms down straight and by your sides. Bend elbow to brink soap towards same shoulder. Working biceps. *Item can also be used for the "clean and jerk". J

· Couch Dips- Sit on the edge of the couch with your hands face down on the couch next to you. Slide forward so that your butt is hanging over the edge and you are supported only by your hands. Bend elbows to lower butt towards floor. Push back up and repeat! Great exercise for triceps! *Do it doing commercials.

· Overhead Rock Press- Find a rock or large stone outside (or 2); ones that you can hold in one hand. Hold the rock(s) by your shoulders and press them straight up overhead. Lower and repeat! This exercise works the shoulders and triceps. *Make sure rock is not too heavy as you could strain your back!

· Chair Hamstring Raise- Lie on your back with your heels on a chair that’s in front of you. Knees and hips are bent at 90 degrees. Pushing down through your heels, raise your hips up towards the ceiling. Pause at the top and lower. Great for hamstrings and low back. *Beware of dog!

· Stair Calf Raise- Stand on the edge of a step so that your heels are hanging off (on the balls of your feet). Let your heels drop below horizontal and raise up as high as you can onto your toes. Great calf work! *May be done one leg at a time.

· Couch Cushion Crunch- Put a couch cushion on the floor. Lie on your back on the cushion with your knees bent so that your feet, butt and low back are on the cushion, but your upper back and shoulders are on the floor. Cross your arms across your chest, and lift your shoulder blades off of the floor. Pause, lower and repeat. For abs of steel! *Put cushion back on couch.

Wes Norris, CSCS
http://www.AllAroundFitness.org
http://www.DesigningExercisePrograms.com

The difference between weight loss, and steady or weight gain, can be as little as 100 calories a day. Well, that is according to the American Dietetic Association, and it is very easy to believe the underlying truth in that.

Most overweight people in the US and UK put on weight very slowly over the years. A weight gain of 2lbs per year, which is about average, may seem very little. In fact, it is very little, if it stops there and you take it off again. However, a steady weight gain of 2 lbs per year for 10 years is 20lb. In 20 years it is 40lb. Now, that is a serious weight gain that can increase vulnerability to chronic disease. If you are in your 20’s now, you can look forward to a weight drift upwards of 60 lbs by the time you reach your 50’s.

That, for sure, is not a healthy trend. But the cause of that 2lb weight gain each year could be as little as an extra 100 calories a day regularly over the year. So, if you can cut out 100 calories a day, you may keep your weight under control over the years. Or how about doing that little bit extra that will use 100 calories per day? Neither task is that difficult; you just need to ensure you do it every day.

Examples Of Cutting Out 100 Calories Per Day Intake

Here are just a few examples of what 100 calories a day means, and how you may cut it out of your regular diet:

1. Do you drink non diet soft drinks? An 16 ounce can could add 250 calories, so if you switch drinks to a lower calorie drink, or just cut them out altogether, that’s a significant saving in calorie intake.

2. Are you a beer drinker? Even a 12oz light beer is 100 calories or so, which means cutting out one beer will achieve your daily reduction need.

3. Are you a coffee lover? Do you drink your coffee with whole milk? If yes, you can save 100 calories a day by drinking two of your regular cups with skimmed milk instead of whole.

4. You think salads are low calorie? Maybe, but not if you plaster them with dressing. One packet of French dressing can have 160 calories in, so if you usually use the whole packet in a restaurant, try using just under half instead.

You will find many more examples of easy 100 calorie savings. If you look at your diet now, and then check the calories on all the items you think may be high calorie, you will soon find an easy way to reduce your calorie intake by 100 calories a day. That is not too painful a diet experience.

How To Burn An Extra 100 Calories A Day

Would you prefer to burn that 100 calories instead of cut it out of your diet each day? If so, here are a few ways to burn 100 calories extra:

1. Vigorous cycling on a stationary exercise bike should use up over 100 calories.

2. Swimming energetically for just 10-15 minutes should burn more than 100 calories.

3. Walking at about 3mph pace for half an hour should also use up more than 100 calories. You can burn up 100 calories in only 10 minutes that way.

4. Do some aerobics for 15 minutes. That alone could shed that 100 calories. Make it enjoyable by putting on some of your favourite dance music.

5. Do you like golf? Play more often if you can. Just half an hour of golf activity, carrying your own clubs, could help you shed 120 calories.

There are many more similar examples to the above, so make them as pleasurable and easy as possible. 100 calories intake or burn is very modest. Do it every day, and your weight may be under control. Start while you’re young and normal weight, and that’s a good investment for your future health.

This weight loss article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website.

As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high in fat. And if you’ve done research on the different types of fats, you probably heard the two big buzz words surrounding fats today–”good fats” and “bad fats.” Up to that point, you may have thought all fats were bad–or good, but only for low carb dieters.

In this article, I am going to go over which fats are “good” and which fats are “bad”–and how much of each you should consume with your low carb diet.

Let’s start with “bad” fats.

1. Saturated fats.

As a low carb dieter, you will run into these often. Saturated fats are in fatty meat cuts, cheese, milk, and poultry with skin. Many low carb diets, such as Atkins, have suggested in the past that dieters consume saturated fats, but most now insist that dieters consume more “good fats.”

Saturated fats increase bad cholesterol (LDL), which can cause heart disease and certain types of cancer. If your low carb diet is high in saturated fats, you should consider scaling this back to a level that satiates your cravings, but doesn’t jeopardize your health.

2. Hydrogenated Fats (trans-fats).

Hydrogenated fats are man-made, but they take on many of the traits of saturated fats. They are specifically re-engineered to stay hard at room temperature.

You can find hydrogenated fats in sweets and cookies, which you most likely will not be eating on your low carb diet; however, you can also find it in any margarine products, so it is important to check the ingredient labels on food products before you purchase them.

Now, for the “good” fats:

1. Monounsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats are natural fats that lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and prevent “good” cholesterol (HDL) from getting lower. As a low carb dieter, you will probably encounter a lot of monounsaturated fats in the form of canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and nuts

Not only are these sources carb-free or low carb, but most of them are also high in protein, promote good heart health, and may reduce the risk of some cancers.

2. Polyunsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats are also natural fats. They come in two major groupings: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. As a low carb dieter, you can find Omega-3 in most types of fatty fish, such as salmon and trout; Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in most seed oils.

Omega fatty acids help to reduce bad cholesterol, promote brain health, and reduce incidence of sudden death from heart attacks.

As a low carb dieter, you will encounter a lot of fats. It is important that you eat saturated fats to satiate your hunger and prevent cravings, but you should also focus primarily on “good” fats–poly and monounsaturated fats–to increase your “good cholesterol,” lower your bad cholesterol,” and prevent certain types of cancer.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

From jeweled necklaces to ankle bracelets, and all the tops and bottoms in between, we suddenly see Bling on every one and every thing! You instinctively knew that something about diamonds and rubies made you feel good when you first saw them sparkle on your friends, and they made you feel even better when they were shining on you.

However, did you know that many of the gemstones we have come to know and love as Bling could actually heal you both physically and emotionally? Yes, now you can justify owning gems in every color because more and more evidence is surfacing that they can actually heal you. As Bling is dominating the fashion scene from the living room all the way to the red carpet, it is not just for frivolity anymore. Bling is much more than simply a fashion statement ~ it is a newly recognized medicine ~ a healing energy that has been used for centuries.

After years of study, practitioners of alternative medicine and complementary health, as well as acupuncturists and even some forward thinking medical doctors now recognize gemstone therapy as a legitimate healing art. It is a form of energy medicine that is on the cutting edge of health care. In a time when we are all looking for a cure and realizing that many of the traditional treatment methods are not only laden with side effects, but simply do not work, gemstone therapy is certainly worth a try. Besides, Daahling, what other therapy offers glamour as a side effect?

Many professional and even Olympic athletes are reporting dramatic improvements in their performance when using various therapeutic gemstones. Glen Christiansen, a Swedish Olympic record holder, has now broken nine world-swimming records! Glen reports, “the experience that I am having with the Green Tourmaline necklace is that it gives me a lot of strength. And I recover faster from hard workouts. (Curiously enough, it gives me more sexual interest and power.)” He definitely recommends the Green Tourmaline to athletes who do endurance sports like swimming, bike riding, tri-athletes, marathon runners, and athletes who do technical sports like golf and tennis.

Athletes are not the only ones discovering the healing qualities of beautiful stones like diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are proudly wearing their latest Bling ~ beautiful, therapeutic gemstone necklaces. Television actress Bonnie Hunt reports that she “feels calmer” after putting on her Mother of Pearl necklace. Clint Eastwood, Uma Thurman, and Angela Bassett all own Carnelian necklaces which promote vitality and happiness, and the lovely Halle Berry has a necklace made of Leopardskin Jasper to bring harmony into her life. Whether they are seeking strength, emotional support, spiritual uplifting, or physical healing, stars can easily have it all as they work, play, and even as they walk the red carpet (is that work or play?).

The good news is that gemstone therapy is becoming more common and is for not only athletes and celebrities, but is available to anyone wanting to experience it. According to Michael Katz, author of GEMSTONE ENERGY MEDICINE, Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit, “?a minor revolution has taken place. The paradigm on which energy medicine practices are based has become more widely accepted. This paradigm sees the human being as an integral part of a universe in which, on a fundamental level, matter is a form of energy. In this paradigm, each person is a unique system of interconnected fields of energy and information. Treatments used in energy medicine address this most fundamental level of the human form, affecting the very stuff of which we are made. These treatments target the underlying causes of illness and discontent, rather than merely the symptoms. By using this approach, energy medicine aims not only to improve our health but to transform it. Today this new, energetic model of the human being and human health is not only embraced by large numbers of people, it has excited the interest of many physicians and medical researchers.”

Michael Katz has been exploring gemstones as energy medicine since 1988. He has seen a lot of progress in this field and says; “Doctors and patients are experiencing that energy medicine works - often where conventional medicine does not. Chronic debilitating illnesses, common ailments, aches, pains, and everything in between have responded to energy medicine practices. Energy medicine is shedding light on the true nature of health and disease and offering solutions to seemingly intractable health problems - often leaving those who practice it healthier and more vital than they thought possible.

One of the most powerful forms of energy medicine is gem therapy. Here, too, a change has taken place. Once relegated to the fringes of the healing arts, the therapeutic uses of gems were not widely adopted by either doctors or the public. Offering neither a coherent model of the human being’s energetic nature nor precise therapy protocols and tools, gem therapy practices were inconsistent at best and ineffective at worst. Today, all that has changed. Pioneering information and effective new practices are allowing gem therapy to take its rightful place as a cornerstone of energy medicine.”

Mr. Katz goes on to say “thousands of people around the world - physicians, homemakers, Olympic athletes, business people, celebrities, and many others - have come to experience remarkable healing by applying therapeutic gems with these new methods. Confirmed during over a decade of clinical experience, these discoveries have yielded gem therapies that work - both as primary treatments and as complements to other healing modalities. Emotional maladies, mental complaints, and acute and chronic illnesses of all kinds have responded to these gem therapies in unprecedented and exciting ways.”

Discover for yourself that Bling is not just for beauty anymore. Get serious about your jewelry and choose stones to compliment personal areas where you need support. Select your gems carefully and they will not only make you look good ~ they could also make you well!

For more information on Gemstone Therapy and specific gems for specific ailments, please visit http://BlingSpa.com/