Weight and See

Lose weight? I’m happy being the weight I am, says Judith as she struggles up the stairs to bed. I’m fat and happy says Leslie, as she realises she can’t fit into the seat to drink her coffee in the café and has to call her friend to change venue. I’ve always been big, I’ll diet tomorrow, my husband likes my curves. No-one likes a skinny woman. Sound familiar. We’ve all said it at some time, for sure. But are we kidding ourselves? Are we looking in the mirror and seeing ourselves for what we are. 

For some, because weight loss is a slow process, and a difficult one for the majority of people, it is easier to stay the weight we are, and to do nothing about it. In this society of fast-food, fast Internet connection, fast trains, and fast everything, weight loss is possibly too slow. If only we could lose three stone in a day, and then do everything that’s needed to keep it off. Certainly there would be thinner people on the street, and thinner in most cases means healthier.

Think body image. Do we, who are overweight, see ourselves as slimmer than we are? Perhaps we look in the mirror and see a different person staring back. An excellent way of kick-starting that diet and therefore starting a health regime is to go clothes shopping. Not many people can stand the scrutiny of themselves in a cubicle without clothes on, staring at themselves in their less-than-white underwear. If you’re like me, you pull in your stomach, avoid looking at the legs and arms, and get out of there as quickly as possible, (minus the outfit!) 

Think on this before eating your doughnut… 88% of women have dieted at some point, and yet obesity remains a problem. Dieting should be simple… take in less than you use – in energy, that is. Women should stick to 1500 – 1800 calories, and men 2000 – 2300. Let your fat be released into your body, instead of hanging around the hips and thighs. 

Cut down on high-sugar drinks

Diet with a friend for support

Eat more fibre – it’s more filling

Eat smaller portions

Ask for the sauce on the side in restaurants

Cut down on ketchup and sauces – or cut them out

Eat more fruit and veg

Drink water

Drink green tea – high in antioxidants that may inhibit fat digestion

Take an interest in YOU

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BONES – MAKE OR BREAK

To help keep your bones healthy and to keep osteoporosis at bay, you will need to consider a few options. If only it were that simple… take a few supplements, do a couple of exercises and drink milk. No, it’s not like that, and you need to consider a few other things to have healthy bones, and to continue to have healthy bones into your retirement and beyond.

Osteoporosis is where the bones become weak and break easily. It sounds like something that happens to the very old, but don’t be disillusioned. It can happen at any age, especially for those who have had Anorexia. Although bone density decreases with age, osteoporosis causes the bone density to increase much quicker. If we have poor diets, the risk is greater. If we do little exercise it also greater. Read on, and see what you can do to help prevent this ‘silent epidemic’. 

Do’s

Eat a balanced diet. Include foods such as dairy, almonds, soya beans, tofu which are rich in calcium. Also sesame seeds and dried figs.

Do weight-bearing exercise, such as jumping or jogging. Even walking up stairs two at a time will have the same effect.

Go out in the sun, as this will give your body much-needed vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium. Have as much as twenty minutes a day, if possible.

Don’t’s

Don’t smoke. This will inhibit cells to strengthen bones.

Don’t drink too much. Keep to the guidelines of 2 – 3 units a day for women, and 3 – 4 units a day for men.

If you lose a lot of weight, combine this with exercise to help strengthen bones. Anorexia is a massive cause of osteoporosis in young people. 

 

Our society spends thousands of dollars on health and health products, and accessories to make our bodies look beautiful. Go to any drugstore and see face products on the shelf, costing the earth. But what do we do about our insides? Don’t forget that our skeleton is as important as our skin, and that without a healthy skeleton, no amount of skin products will help maintain our looks. There is no substitute for exercise and a good diet.   

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FAT CHANCE – KNOWING THE TRUTH

Take a look at four types of fats and we’ll make your life easier for sure.

SATURATED fat

MONOUNSATURATED fat

POLYUNSATURATED fat

TRANS fat

All fats have certain things in common. The first being, they are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They all contain calories. They are all a source of energy. If you eat too much of any of these fats, you will put on weight, and probably feel lethargic. Not one of these fats in excess will make you feel good.

However, we need fat. Our body needs fat. But do we need all of them?

Saturated.

These are ‘saturated’ with hydrogen, and come in the form of hard fat, like lard. It is found in animal food, such as dairy and meat. Think cheese. Some oil contains saturated fat, like coconut or palm, found in many processed baked products. 

Too much saturated fat can increase cholesterol in the blood. This in turn increases heart disease. 

Monounsaturated.

This is liquid at room temperature, and is an unsaturated fat. Olives and olive oil contain this type of fat. Also avocado and many spreads. This type of fat has been linked to low blood pressure, and is typical of the Mediterranean diet.

Replace saturated fat with mono, and you will find health benefits. Cook with olive oil, but in moderation. Eat nuts, and avocado.

Polyunsaturated.

These fats are essential for our body. We do not produce these fats, so need to supplement them through food. We need Omega-3 and Omega-6. Omega-3 is found in green vegetables and oily fish, as well as rapeseed oil and flaxseed. Omega-6 is found in sunflower oil, and corn oil, as well as meat, chicken and nuts. Make sure you have a well-rounded diet, including oily fish at least twice a week.

Trans.

Trans fats are made. Unsaturated oil is hydrogenated, which gives it a higher melting point, and makes it more solid. This is usually to give it a higher shelf life.

Processed foods are the usual source of trans fats, and food such as cookies, cakes, cheese, pies and pastries are the biggest culprit. Some margarines contain trans fats, but many manufacturers are cutting these out, and have changed their way of thinking. 

There are no health benefits to trans fats. Luckily, trans fats have been reduced by the food industry over recent years. Check food labels, however.

Don’t forget… olive oil is healthier than butter and hemp seed oil is a good source of Omega-3 for people that don’t eat fish.

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GIVE ME STRENGTH

Not only can exercise burn fat and help build muscle, it can also strengthen bones, which, obviously, is necessary and vital for our skeleton. In simple terms, we need strong bones to keep us upright, to allow us to walk, sit and, well, be.

We need to take care of our bones, and our skeleton, the same as any other organ or tissue. These days, women spend a fortune on make-up and skin products, and that’s what we can see on the outside. Do we forget what’s on the inside? We mustn’t forget… Bone supports our soft tissues, it protects our organs, and also stores fats and minerals. Bone is also the site of red blood cell production in the marrow.

 

Our bones are living structures, and need nourishment as well as care. Calcium is stored in our bones, and released into our bloodstream. When older, and our hormone levels change, bone density can decrease and our structure becomes weaker. Osteoporosis is a risk during the time of decreased bone density, sometimes due to hereditary, and sometimes being female. And of course, because of diet.

To help bone density, and to help decrease problems associated with it, cut down on alcohol and smoking. Alcohol depletes calcium, and smoking affects production of hormones. 

Calcium-rich foods help bone density, so stock up on dairy, dark green vegetables and nuts. Also try fish, eggs, cod liver oil, and plenty of sunshine!

Regular exercise is also a must, and can strengthen bones. Don’t be put off by thinking you need to have a complete exercise regime. Instead, think of exercise that will impact, like jogging or jumping. Even walking up the stairs can help, especially two at a time. Do this ten times. Leg squats are good, just by standing on one leg and holding the back of a chair. Squat down as far as is comfortable by bending the knee. Pull abdominals tight, and don’t twist your ankles, knees or hips. Do this fifteen times.

To strengthen arms, sit on the stairs, leg outstretched. Place your hands either side of your bottom and push yourself off the stair you are sitting on. You should be lifting yourself up. Then lower yourself slowly, keeping elbows into your sides. Do this fifteen times.

Start off slowly with these exercises, and build up. If in doubt, consult your doctor. For more information on National Osteoporosis Society, check out www.loveyourbones.org.uk or phone 0845 450 0230.

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WAIST NOT WANT NOT

Did you know that fat around your stomach can be toxic, and that you can add years to your life by losing inches from your waist?

Along with a fat stomach often goes raised blood sugar.  This also can mean raised blood pressure, and unbalanced blood fats. This is known as ‘Reaven’s’ syndrome, named after Gerald Reaven, who first noticed the risk factors. It is often now called the metabolic syndrome, which can be present in the body for years before type 2 diabetes appears.

As we know, it is vital to control the level of glucose in our blood, and the two hormones, glucagons and insulin both do this job: glucagons to raise blood glucose, and insulin to lower it.  When insulin is released into our system, our liver and muscles along with other tissue are stimulated to absorb more glucose from the blood. Often tissue becomes less sensitive to insulin, and this is insulin resistance. This means the pancreas needs to work harder by releasing more insulin to bring down the glucose levels.

Blood fats levels – or dyslipidaemia – are not just about high cholesterol. It is about unhealthy lipid profile, or fats, and the balance between the fats may be unhealthy, even if your cholesterol is low. Along with the expanding waistline may go raised blood pressure, insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia. Even though these features may be in low amounts, mixed together they may be dangerous. 

According to a Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study, men with the biggest waists were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with smaller waists. In fact, the likelihood was 12 times higher. The bigger your waistline, the more likely you are to have heart disease, cancer or a stroke. In fact, a high waist size was found by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, to almost double the risk of premature death, even if cholesterol etc was normal.

In order to cut down on your waist size if it is larger than normal – less than 31 ½ inches in women – you need to exercise for 30 minutes a day, and include a good balanced diet. This means foods with a low glycaemic index - GI – unrefined carbohydrates and protein.    

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A Weight Loss Tracker

Keeping track of your weight loss is crucial. This allows you to see whether you are achieving your weight loss goals or not, so you can come up with more effective weight loss programs. Several websites are offering free download of an online weight loss tracker. You can use this to your advantage and avail of an online weight loss tracker over the internet.

How it works

A website that has an online weight loss tracker usually asks you to input the following:

1. Your current weight

2. Your weight before you entered into a diet program

Your weight goal

An online weight loss tracker will then compute these data and produce a data that shows how much weight you have lost from your past weight.

Advantages

The benefits of getting a weight loss tracker are abundant. Not only will you see concrete results on how much weight you have lost, but it can also serve as a motivational factor that can push you to lose weight once you see that there are positive results.

It is important, though, that you put in the correct information in an online weight loss tracker. After all, you do not want to deceive yourselves about your weight loss progress.

Is it accurate?

The question remains, however, if these weight loss trackers are accurate or not. It takes a leap of faith when it comes to trusting this weight loss tool. In the end, it is still better to consult a professional to know your accurate weight loss progress. They have the right tools to compute and they can also give you sound advice to further improve your weight loss progress.

Dieting

The best way for you to lose weight and achieve your weight loss goals is to undergo diet and exercise. By employing these techniques you will be able to achieve your desired weight in no time.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_England

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Setting Realistic Goals For Your Weight Loss Goal Worksheet

Weight loss is not supposed to be a blind man's journey. It is not about waking up one day and wanting to lose weight. Rather, weight loss is a long term process of losing weight through healthy means and keeping the weight off with a healthy lifestyle. To kick start your weight loss journey, it is best to have a weight loss goal worksheet at hand so you can realistically set your goals and plans.

What it is

A weight loss goal worksheet can help keep track of your weight loss journey so you can monitor how much you have achieved in a specific amount of time. Ideally, your weight loss goal worksheet should be checked and consulted regularly by a doctor, so he can guide you on your journey, just in case you've lost your way.

What is contains

Your weight loss goal worksheet contains the basic information including your height and weight at the start of your weight loss program, your body mass index (BMI), and your weight loss goals. There are many weight loss worksheets available on the internet. You can also make your own weight loss goal worksheet or you can consult with an expert to come up with a personalized and realistic worksheet.

The path to weight loss

In your weight loss journey, you might be tempted to find a shortcut so you can easily achieve your weight loss goal. But do not cheat your way to weight loss! It is important to undergo a healthy diet and exercise regime that will help promote healthy weight loss. The advantage of having a weight loss worksheet is you can set real goals and once you have achieved that goal, you can now start maintaining the weight you have lost.

One essential - yet difficult - part of weight loss is weight loss management. A weight loss worksheet can help you in weight loss management with ease.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_England

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Water Weight Loss - How to Make Water Work For You

Water is fundamental to our very survival and well-being and whilst we can survive for up to a month without food, we can only manage one week without water before we succumb to dehydration and then die. Not only is water a crucial part of any healthy diet, but it is also an excellent ally in any weight loss regime, and can significantly help the dieter shift that excess weight in a number of different ways which are considered in more detail as follows.

The liver is the filtering system of the body, helping to remove any toxins present within the food we consume (alcohol, caffeine, nicotine all constitute toxins) and is also directly responsible for converting the stored fat present within the body into energy to help provide the necessary "fuel" required in order to effectively power the various chemical reactions that are conducted throughout the body.

The liver therefore metabolizes stored fat into energy and the rate at which the liver will achieve this is directly proportionate to the amount of water that is actually present within the body as the water acts as the fuel for the "engine" which is the liver.

Water weight loss is also achieved by again, those chemical reactions which are conducted throughout the body. As we consume and ingest water, our body has to expend more energy (and therefore increases the metabolic rate thereby meaning more calories are burned) in order to raise the temperature of the water to a sufficient level (which would be equal to your body's current temperature.)

Finally, water weight loss is further achieved by drinking water, because whenever we feel hungry, more often than not, the brain actually requires more water. The problem is, because food also contains water, the thirst impulse is mistaken for the hunger impulse.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Kramer

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Permanent Weight Loss - Effective and Practical Solutions

There are so many weight loss products on the market; some of them offer a quick and easy way to lose weight. As a general rule, if it's too good to be true, it's most probably is: there is no "magic pill" for weight loss. The healthiest way to lose weight and fat is in a slow and steady manner.

In fact, researches show that the slower you lose weight, the less likely you are to gain it back. Start with small changes and slowly adjust to the lifestyle that fits you best, and keeps you healthy.

Here are 10 Simple Strategies to help you get started with your Healthier Life:

1. Forget the Word "Diet". A diet is temporary, is hard to keep and when it's over, you gain back the weight. What we're focusing on is a Lifestyle shift: permanent changes that you can live with for the long run.

2. Set yourself up for Success! Surround yourself with a Supportive Circle, Eliminate temptations you might encounter during the day, Make a Grocery list before you go shopping and stick to it, and eat Healthy Foods and Soups at the beginning of the meal.

3. Make a Plan. Set realistic goals with dates, and explain to length how you plan on achieve them. Write down the purposes of your lifestyle change. Print out the plan, and place it somewhere visible, so you'll always be reminded of where you're going and how you're getting there.

4. Drink Water. So simple, yet so effective. Water raises your metabolism and helps fight hunger, among many other benefits. Have a bottle of water with you wherever you go, and try limiting all of your fluid consumption to water whenever possible.

5. Exercise. Exercise has many benefits other than fat loss. Create opportunities to be active: Park far away and walk the distance, use stairs instead of the elevator, ride your bike to the store, walk your dog... Be creative and vary your activities to avoid getting bored.

6. Eat many small Meals. 5 Small meals spread evenly over the day are preferable over 3 large meals. This keeps your metabolism high and prevents you from being hungry. Mind portion sizes; you should be eating the same amount of food in more meals.

7. Don't Miss out on Breakfast. Some consider skipping breakfast a "calorie saver". The truth is, you'll compensate for the calories you saved and then some. Always eat breakfast within one hour of waking, preferably rich in fibers.

8. Seek Knowledge. Learn things such as how to read nutritional contents of food, what your body needs and what it doesn't, what a glycemic index is and so on. As you learn more, the quality of your food based decisions will rise.

9. Plan Ahead. This is especially important for busy people. When you're not at home, there's nothing easier than to say: "There are only fast food restaurants around, I have no choice". Planning ahead allows you to foresee these situations and bring food from home when needed.

10. Do not be discouraged by Failure. Winston Churchill said: "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm". You willslip from time to time, but the success of your plan depends on what you do next: Throw your commitment out the window, or forgive yourself and move on.

There's much more to healthy nutrition than what I can fit in this space. My Personal Guide to Weight Loss and Healthy Living is totally free and has more useful articles, tips, and information. You're welcome to visit at http://www.northreviews.com/healthyliving

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Asaf_Atiya

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How To Lose Weight After Menopause

I was recently asked this question by a female customer:

- Since I've been going through menopause, I can't seem to lose one pound. Do you have any special advice for me? It's very hard to just keep dieting and dieting and see no results.

My answer:

Seeing results in your weight loss program is the best motivator there is. As we age, it gets harder to build muscle and lose fat. We will all go through this phase. Now, should we surrender? Of course not. A woman in her 50 can still totally transform her body...

First of all, make sure you follow the fundamentals:

- Drink a lot of water

- Eat six smaller meals a day instead of three big ones

- Exercise

Weight training in particular becomes EVEN MORE important as we age. This will allow us to age with grace and not be "crippled".

Women especially tend to suffer from osteoporosis after menopause. Weight lifting helps keep your bones stronger and "denser". By following the proper steps, you can lose fat - no doubt about it. However, the older we get, the less forgiving our body becomes so we don't have that wide of a margin for errors or for "messing around".

If you follow a proper fat loss plan, you will lose fat and increase muscle - it's just that this will happen at a slower pace than if you were in your early 20's or 30's.

I'm not a doctor and I try to avoid answering "medical" questions - but I'll give you a hint: Talk to your doctor about hormone-replacement therapy. There may be a way for you to "turn back the clock" so to speak. Don't talk to just any doctor who is clueless. Find a smart endocrinologist who is "human" and understands what you are trying to do (lose fat and build muscle so you are stronger and look sexier) and see if he can recommend something that will help you. Ask questions and see if he has experience with this type of treatment. You don't want to be nobody's guinea pig...

Something else that is important is your mental perspective. Did you know that many people die a few years after they retire from their job? This can happen in their 70s or even their 60s or 50s. Age isn't really important. What's interesting is that these people say: "Ok, since I'm retired, that's it, I'm finished." Then, they get depressed and give up on life completely.

Going through menopause can have a similar effect on a woman's body. The trick is to know how to fight back. In any case, DON'T QUIT. Some people live up to 120. Being 52 years young is far to early to say that you are "finished". See? It's all a matter of perspective...

Why Almost Everyone Is Dead Wrong About Weight Loss - Including How To Lose Up To 28 Pounds in 4 Weeks And Keep it off - Without Diet Pills or Aerobics and Without Feeling Hungry. Lose weight with this simple weight loss program

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Black

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The Winter Blues

Ever heard of Selenium? Well, we’ll give you a clue… it is found in food. But not just any food. Selenium can reduce anxiety, therefore improving your mood. If you’re a big meat-eater, you’re in luck, and for the lovers of oysters and tuna, you, too, will gain benefits from these ocean snacks. And, hey, for once vegetarians have it all in the form of Brazil nuts. Hard to believe, but Brazil nuts contain 2,500 times the Selenium found in other nuts. No wonder South Americans like to party! Chocolate covered Brazil nuts sure are mood-enhancing, when you consider how rich in Phenylethylamine chocolate can be. Phenylethylamine is known as the love drug, so watch out if you have a penchant for chocolate Brazils. And careful not to overdose on euphoria if you serve up a bed of oysters followed with a Rib-eye steak around Valentine’s Day. 

When you’re in the supermarket, look out for foods that release neurotransmitters in the brain. By that, we mean foods such as fruit, grains, or bread. These contain serotonin, which calms the brain, and can improve depression, especially during winter. Clinical studies have shown that many patients are deficient in folic acid that lowers the seratonin content and causes the blues. Cereals and orange juice in the morning can improve folate levels and so inhibit depression. Follow this by eating green, leafy vegetables with your evening meal and you’re on the way to a great spring break.

The blues can also be reduced with the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. As well as oily fish, it is found in walnuts, olive oil, and pumpkin seeds. Cases of depression is low in countries where fish is a main staple, and research by the United States National Institutes of Health showed that women who ate fish during their pregnancies were less likely to suffer from depression.   

As usual for the caffeine addicts out there, the news is not good: steer clear of sugar and coffee. These give you a high, before giving you a slump. Add alcohol to the list, and by then you should be as fit as the proverbial fiddle.  

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Walking, What's That?

Most of us take the car everywhere. The school-run, the supermarket, the mall… even to the local store to stock up on milk and butter. Dogs have to be taken in the car in order to have a walk. It can take longer waiting in the traffic than it does throwing sticks to your pooch in the park. And when you’re there, do you sit on the bench and wish your life away? Have a rethink. Can you walk your dog to a park? Can you walk it from your door rather than ushering it into the back seat where it mucks up your windows with its wet nose? Stroll to the deli to pick up your bagels on a Sunday morning. Whatever the weather, walking is fun.

So beneficial is walking, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, glaucoma and hip fracture. If walking is combined with healthy eating, it is the correct route to weight control. It can control blood pressure by strengthening the heart, which could ultimately mean less medication for those popping pills for hypertension.

The benefits of a brisk walk would probably be too many to mention. Heart attacks would be fewer if we put on hat and boots in winter, or even a strappy little number in summer for the fashion-conscious amongst us, and took on those paths and sidewalks designed for pedestrians. Not only would we be lowering our risk of a stroke, or keeping our cholesterol levels down, we’d be living life to the full. Filling it with memories instead of reruns of Taxi or Frasier. Think of constipation, depression, stress, back pain, lack of sleep. 

For an hour a day, for five days a week, take a walk and we may be halving our risk of a stroke. This is according to a Harvard study of eleven thousand men. Can we afford to ignore it? Once the habit is broken of taking the car everywhere, exercise can be built into the routine of daily lives. Soon, it will be like eating breakfast, or brushing teeth. If an hour a day for five days a week proves too much, cut it down to an Optimum Walking Pace for three hours a week, apportioned however it suits. For women, this is associated with a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of heart disease, according to the Nurses’ Health Study of 72,000 women. It’s got to be worth dressing up and going out for, with or without the dog.  

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Relax Don't Do It

Back pain can be debilitating and a constant misery. In today’s society, there are many causes of bad back, and, believe it or not, stress is one of them. Despite the pills, the self-help books, and the therapy, people still suffer from pain, day in and day out. 

Tension causes stress hormones to be released into the body, tightening muscles and increasing pain.

It is not always possible to get rid of the source of stress. After all, not everyone can give up a job, or change something that is happening to themselves or a member of their family, but sometimes, certain measures can help. For example, yoga, gentle exercise, swimming or a brisk walk, can help clear the head and relieve tension. Also, a positive state of mind will certainly counter stress levels. Instead of saying, ‘I can’t’, say, ‘I can’. Instead of thinking life is handing you a raw deal, think the opposite, that some things are put in place for good reasons. 

*Emily, who was approaching 65, was experiencing back pain for no apparent reason. She was consumed with worry about her job, and didn’t get on with her boss, Mary. She was close to giving it all up, when instead she decided to confront the situation with Mary, who was astounded that Emily felt that way. After a long discussion it appeared that Emily came across as efficient and stand-offish, which in turn made Mary feel uncomfortable. She subconsciously avoided speaking to Emily. Once it was out in the open, Emily’s back pain subsided, until one day she realised she no longer experienced discomfort. 

Try facing life head-on, but do it in a positive way. *Emily’s name has been changed.

Avoid gimmicks and use common sense.

Obviously there are many good things on the market to help bad backs, but there are also many gimmicky ones, too. Far be it for us to name these in this article, but you know what they may be, just by using common sense. As a rule of thumb, use simpler methods first before spending wads of cash on something else. For example, a soft bed is good for backs, not a hard one. Acupuncture may work, and will be worth trying. Keep exercising. However gentle, some exercise is better than no exercise. Look up your local Pilates class, or try Salsa dancing. Your local paper will give you details of what happens in your area. There’s sure to be more than you thought. 

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Killer White

No, not a shark, but it may as well be. The ‘Killer White’ in question is plain old sugar. The stuff you’ve been using for years, to make apple crumble, to sprinkle on bread as a cheap pick-me-up, to stir into a cup of coffee to boycott the bitterness. Yes, good old white sugar.

Are you lacking in energy? Has it gone on for months? Coupled with this, do you have a constant thirst that won’t go away? Then perhaps you should visit your GP for a glucose test. This will reveal whether you have the symptoms of Diabetes. 

Diabetes comes in a few shapes and sizes, and most common in the middle-aged and elderly is type 2. In this case, the body still makes insulin – the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels – but it either doesn’t work effectively, or the body isn’t making enough. For those with type 2, diabetes can often be managed without drugs. Cut down on sugar, and sugary foods. Check those supermarket labels before buying. Watch out for high-content sugary fruits, cakes and breads. You may need to do some research before choosing a new diet. The British diet contains far too much sugar in the processed foods we buy off the shelf. Invest in a breadmaker, to make your own, or source good bread made by local bakers, often found in markets or small towns.  

Type 1 diabetes can be more serious, and needs to be treated with injections as well as a change of lifestyle. When the blood sugar level drops too low, a hypoglycaemic episode can occur, leaving the person shaky, sweaty and unable to think straight. If untreated, it can result in fainting, coma or even death.

During pregnancy, insulin can make the baby larger than normal, so often women are not allowed past 38 weeks, and are induced. There is also a greater risk of stillbirth. Another problem with diabetes can be with the eyesight, and retinal bleeding. Diabetes can increase the risk of eye problems, such as glaucoma, cataracts and blindness, due to the damage of blood vessels by uncontrolled glucose.

To get the correct treatment, ensure you speak to your doctor. You may wish to speak to a support group. For advice, check out www.diabetes.org.uk.

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Keep Warm and Circulate

 

Poor circulation affects many people, some without knowing it. Do you notice a dull ache around the kidneys? Are your ankles swollen? Do your legs, hands or feet fall asleep? These are just a few of the affects of poor circulation.

Statistics show that 75% of women experience cold hands and feet. This is an excessive amount, and shows that something is going on, and we shouldn’t take it for granted. There are a few rules to follow to help the circulation and ensure glowing health. 

Lifestyle has a direct impact on circulation, good or bad. Choose a poor lifestyle and you have poor circulation. Good lifestyle may ensure good circulation. By this, we mean cutting out certain things, as well as adding things, like out list below. 

Add:             

Eat garlic

This helps cut cholesterol and prevent vessel blockage.

Eat watermelon

A great source of lycopene, watermelon can prevent plaque build-up in the arteries to ensure good circulation.

Eat oranges

Containing bioflavonoids to strengthen capillary walls, oranges are also rich in vitamin C, and can improve blood flow through the body.

Eat pumpkin seeds

US studies has shown vitamin E can lower the forming of clots in the blood, and pumpkin seeds are a main source of vitamin E.

Eat Walnuts          

To increase the elasticity of the arteries, eat a few walnuts a day, containing omega-3 fatty acids. 

Cut out:

Smoking

Smoking lowers the oxygen in our blood, which will eventually affect the extremities, and fur up the arteries as well as hardening them. 

Unhealthy snacks

Limit the intake of saturated fats, as well as trans fats. Check out labels on supermarket foods to begin with, as some fats are hidden and not obvious to the uninitiated. 

When out and about, walking, shopping or perhaps sitting in the car, think about your body. Imagine the blood circulating more than a thousand times a day delivering oxygen to the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and vital organs. Imagine giving the system a boost, to ensure excellent flow of the blood. If you are less able, you can still follow the above advice to ensure good health. You can still think of ways to help good circulation and to cut down on cholesterol. It’s about change, it’s about perseverance, but it will have a huge pay-off. 

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