Losing weight for good is a big topic. There will also not be much said about some fairly obvious health issues. If you smoke or have a problem with alcohol or drugs, you probably realize that this isn’t good for you. The same with overeating. Some of the methods here can help you with these issues, but I am not going to go into any detail about subjects that are so extensively covered all over the mainstream media and internet. The same with the advice to exercise. I do refer to exercise in the breathing chapter, but I don’t spell out “get x number of hours of exercise per week.” Exercise is important, but it should be tailored to you as an individual. I don’t want to imply that what I haven’t written about in detail is not important. It just isn’t the focus of this report.

What I am doing here is presenting a solid foundation upon which you can build. If you do have specific health challenges, need to lose a lot of weight, get into better shape, everything here will definitely be a good base upon which to add anything else you may need.

One final note about the focus of this report. I try, as much as possible, to give positive rather than negative advice. What I mean by that is, except where it is absolutely necessary (as with the chapter on junk foods!), I try to keep the focus on the positive –what is good for you rather than on what to avoid. Read the rest of this entry »

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Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: allergy, animal products, antibiotics, athlete, Autism, Ayurvedic medicine, cancer, dairy products, depression, diabetes, energy, healthier products, healthy products, heart disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, meditation, nutritional product, obesity, Organic products, particular systems, reflexology, relaxation, restaurant food, Sleep deprivation, strenuous sports, sweet products, Swimming, vegetarian diet

Are you trying to lose weight fast? The 5 tips that follow will help you. Keep in mind, however, that if you want to lose weight and keep it off that you have to change your lifestyle. That means following these tips consistently. It can be difficult to change life-long habits. Starting out is usually the hardest part. Once you develop healthier patterns, they too can become habits!

1. Eat Healthier Fats -the latest research shows that it’s not so much fat itself that is the problem when it comes to health and weight loss, but the kind of fat. In general, it’s a good idea to avoid trans fats, which are found in many junk foods, margarine, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and commercial sweets such as cakes, cookies and donuts (you can find healthier, organic versions of these products). Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: animal products, beverage consumption, energy, food, meditation, obesity, oil, relaxation, Sleep deprivation, Weston Price Foundation

Do you have trouble maintaining your motivation to lose weight? The problem many people have is that they’ve been struggling with their weight for many years. So the whole subject has become stressful to them, and they go through cycles of trying and then giving up. How can you stay motivated in the long run?

The first thing you have to do to improve your motivation is a bit of a paradox. You have to stop worrying about your lack of motivation! Stress is actually at the heart of many, if not most, problems, both physical and emotional. Your stress about your weight and how you look and feel is actually making it harder for you to stick to an effective weight loss plan. Now, don’t get stressed about that! The first thing that you want to do is relax and accept where you are right now. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: meditation

For those attempting to lose weight, it might feel a bit intimidating at times. Often, people feel after a while when they don’t get the results they want, that they should just surrender in their quest to lose weight. While diet and exercise are important, one’s mental state is also very important as well as understanding the differences in terminology when seeking to lose weight. Remember that there is a distinct difference between physical movement and actual exercise.

True fitness comes from a dedicated, constant, and somewhat grueling habit of movement in a way that gets the heart rate up each day. This is how to lose weight in terms of exercise. As for food consumption, anyone can eat low fat or reduce their carbohydrate intake. But the only way to really lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume, and that means eating less.

Controlling one’s mental state and way of thinking is another way to get rid of excess body fat. By thinking about new techniques and resolving to follow a new path, one can lose weight much more effectively.

Willpower of course also plays an important role when trying to shed pounds and keep them off. If you “think thin” you can often combat some difficult obstacles so that the weight can be lost. Overcoming negative thoughts and focusing on positive energy is important. Combine this with meditation and deep breathing, and results will be better.

Come up with a simple formula to lose weight, and then stick with it. For example, a person only needs to burn off about 500 calories each day for one week and they can lose a pound of fat. If you think of this formula each day and remind yourself of the importance of it, the odds are more likely that you’ll stay with a plan to do just that.

A lot of people lose sight of their weight loss goals because they do not stay motivated and can often “fall off the wagon.” Another reason is because people lose patience when they do not lose the pounds fast enough. A change in attitude can work wonders for those trying to lose weight.

Staying strong mentally and keeping up the new lifestyle change physically can help to alter the path of weight loss you’re taking and steer you towards a more productive direction. Without the proper mindset, losing weight can be very arduous but with the right frame of mind, it can be definitely achieved.

Tags: food consumption, meditation, positive energy

There are literally hundreds of diets, pills, and programs available on the market today for people who are interested in losing weight. While some methods might work better than others, the Ayurveda method of losing weight has been proven to work well time and time again. This method of weight loss is attributed to Buddhist monks and Indian religions. It is natural and works rather quickly; so many more people are starting to try this weight loss plan.

There are three basic principles to Ayurvedic weight loss. The first is to control one’s eating habits and not overdo it by gorging on food. The second principle is to exercise regularly, and the third key is to avoid the causes of weight gain as much as possible.

A very important element of the Ayurveda way to lose weight involves drinking water first thing in the morning. This might be a bit difficult but after a while the body gets used to it. Try to drink several ounces of water upon first waking, and then about 45 minutes later, breakfast can be consumed. A very light breakfast is important, and then juice or water should be consumed before lunch.

Some foods are considered to be real metabolism boosters. These include papaya, mango, ginger root, pineapple and dark greens to name a few. All of these things should be incorporated into your diet in some shape or form, as they are both healthy and touted to kick start metabolism, thus boosting weight loss. Incorporating essential oils into the diet is also important. Olive oil tastes delicious and is great for the heart. A diet high in fiber is definitely recommended.

Sipping hot water throughout the day is another important part of the Ayurvedic way. Ginger tea a few times a week is also ideal, as well as fasting on nothing but liquids one day per week. This can include soups and skim milk as well as teas and water. Of course, breathing properly is also a very important part of the weight loss process.

Practice yoga or meditation and learn to breathe deeply. Breathing properly can add more oxygen to the bloodstream, which will help the weight come off. Massage is a very good bonus that can help remove some fatty deposits around the body. Exercise activities like biking and running or brisk walking at least three to four times per week are also recommended. Recognizing the importance of liquid consumption and awareness can help you lose weight healthily and naturally.

Tags: food, Massage, meditation, olive oil

An interesting study was released a while back from West Virginia University is getting some play on CNN today. The study followed over 100 people and looked at how regular coping mechanisms worked compared to using meditation and mindfulness to combat stress.

An intensive program that teaches meditation skills may help people reduce the psychological and physical effects of high stress, according to a new study.

Kimberly A. Williams, Ph.D., at West Virginia University in Morgantown, and her colleagues assessed the benefits of the program that taught participants to “discern a relaxed from tense body and come to understand experientially how mental and emotional states influence the body and vice versa.”

They recruited 62 “stressed-out” subjects from the community. Past studies of similar training programs have shown the benefits in patients with confirmed psychiatric diagnoses and/or chronic illness. This is the first study to examine the benefits of such a program within a community setting, in people who reported abnormally high stress but not at a level that constitutes a psychiatric disorder. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Alternative Medicine, CNN, Kimberly A. Williams, meditation, Morgantown, Prevention Research Center, psychiatric disorder, the American Journal, West Virginia University

High blood pressure remedies can be useful for people suffering from this dangerous condition. High blood pressure or hypertension is usually diagnosed when the blood pressure is consistently 140/90 or more (including being over one of those measurements but not the other).

Normal pressure is defined as between 90/60 and 120/80. Between 120/80 and 140/90 there is a gray area where you have a slightly increased risk of the complications associated with hypertension (including stroke, heart attack and kidney failure) but not so much that hypertension would be diagnosed. If you are in this band you should have your blood pressure checked regularly and take steps to lower it.

There are many things that you can do to help control your high blood pressure. The best is to combine them all.

Reduce Weight

There is a strong link between obesity and hypertension. If you are overweight your doctor will already have suggested that you try to lose some weight. However, it is best to lose weight slowly and you probably want to deal with your hypertension fast. So it is good news that there are other high blood pressure remedies that you can try too.

Reduce Stress

Stress is well known to lead to high blood pressure. There are many stress busting techniques that you can learn but one of the best for lowering the blood pressure consistently is meditation. A few minutes of deeply relaxing meditation morning and evening can have a big effect on your stress levels throughout the day.

You can learn meditation with a local class or on your own from a CD. Most Buddhist groups teach meditation but it is not only a Buddhist practice. Many yoga teachers include meditation in their classes or you may find relaxation classes which will be based around meditation.

Avoid Salt

Salt can cause or contribute to high blood pressure when the levels of salt in the diet are too high for the kidneys to process quickly. How much difference salt makes to blood pressure depends on the individual and how efficiently their kidneys deal with salt. Some people are salt sensitive and even a diet that is moderate in salt will contribute to hypertension. But most of us eat high levels of salt and a reduction will help almost anybody who has high blood pressure.

This does not necessarily mean you have to stop using salt completely. A pinch of salt in a pan of vegetables will not give you much sodium. However, you should not add salt at the table or eat foods that are high in salt – including most packaged foods.

So throw out the TV dinners and start cooking from fresh. A diet based around fresh vegetables, fruits and grains with some beans and low fat dairy products will be best for your hypertension. Check the sodium content on any frozen, canned or packaged foods. Cut down on meat, fats and sugar as well as salt.

If your diet has not included many fruits and vegetables until now, it may also help to increase your potassium consumption to balance out some of the sodium. High potassium foods include bananas, cantaloupe, spinach and yogurt.

Other Substances To Avoid

Alcohol can make hypertension worse. Subject to what your doctor says about your individual condition, you can probably have the occasional alcoholic drink but you should avoid drinking a lot at one time or drinking regularly. Some people find it easier to quit completely.

Liquorice raises the blood pressure so you should always avoid liquorice if you suffer from hypertension. This may sound easy but liquorice can be found as an ingredient where you might not expect it. It is often used in medications, e.g. for coughs, sore throats and peptic ulcers, so always check labels.

You should also avoid non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Motrin and Ibuprofen.

Consult with your doctor to have your blood pressure checked and ask about high blood pressure remedies for your individual case.

Tags: anti inflammatory, coughs, fat dairy products, heart attack, high blood pressure, hypertension, kidney failure, meditation, obesity, peptic ulcers, relaxation, sore throats, stroke

The Native American herbal medicine tradition is often overlooked these days in favor of Chinese or Ayurvedic traditions. This is a great pity when all of the herbs used by the native healers grow wild in the USA. Instead of growing them in our gardens, we pay hundreds of dollars to have the equivalent shipped to us in bottles from China or India. At the same time, we ignore many of the other lessons that Native American healing has for us.

Traditionally it was believed that the power of herbal medicine to heal rests partly in the plants, partly in the healer and partly in the person being healed. Today, conventional western medicine encourages us to believe that all power lies with the doctors and the medication. We do not take any share of the responsibility for our own sickness or healing, and that is a great mistake.

While some plants certainly have medically observable effects, it is also true that our attitude when we use a remedy has a great deal of power. Belief that the treatment will help you is important, and so is having a genuine wish to get well that is not undermined by a desire for the attention that being sick can get us.

The power of herbal treatments used by Native American people was reinforced by the trust that they had in the spiritual, almost magical, power of the healers. The medicine man or shaman was chosen according to his birth position in society and his natural talent. Often there would be a family connection with medicine and tribal religion. It might be considered that blind faith in modern doctors would have the same effect, but it does not because the spiritual aspect is missing.

Medicine was seen as a question of dealing with the spirit as much as the body, and many ceremonies were practiced both by healers and also by the person being treated or his or her family. A major effect of the ceremonies that the healer performed was to increase his awareness and concentration so that even without any of the laboratory tests that are done these days, he could correctly diagnose the problem and see the best remedy – not just for the disease, but for the person. Ceremonies undertaken by the afflicted person would cleanse the body and mind to prepare them to make the best possible use of the remedy when it was taken.

This spiritual aspect of herbal medicine is completely ignored today. We take herbal remedies in much the same way that we take chemical medications, assuming that the substance has all of the power and we have none.

In fact, many doctors as well as alternative medical practitioners today would agree that it is the sick person who does the healing, and not the remedy. The body’s ability to heal itself, known as homeostasis, is at the root of all recovery. It works by expelling toxins, fighting back against disease with antibodies. All that medication does is to help the process along and remove obstacles to recovery.

If we can get away from the mainstream western view that the body and mind or spirit are two separate things, the importance of a spiritual aspect to healing becomes very clear. The state of the sick person’s mind is as important in the recovery process as the state of his body.

This does not mean that we have to perform tribal dances or complicated rituals. We can replace them with other spiritual practices including meditation and prayer. But studying the spiritual aspect of Native American herbal medicine can help us shift our focus and understand that in a sense, we always have to heal ourselves.

Tags: antibodies, chemical medications, China, Herbal Remedies, India, meditation, United States

Poor Bob Harper, I remember when Biggest Loser first started he was everyones favorite trainer. Bob always wants to be friends with the contestents, he cares how they feel and most of all Bob really wants to see everyone do well and feels hurt himself when people struggle with weight loss.

Well this year it looks like the tables have turned. Although the Biggest Loser couples would not have seen this last season when Bobs team did not do well for the first time since the Biggest Loser started but the producers of the Biggest Loser moved even farther into showing Bob Harper teaching the crew about Yoga and meditation. . Bob says that once you are in control of your mind then you will be able to lose the weight. I totally agree with Bob but it seems this seasons team has had a bit of a shift in focus. Everyone wanted to train with mean old Jillian. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Biggest Loser, biggest loser couples, bob harper, head, jillian, meditation, nice guy, the Biggest Loser, Weight Loss

Aromatherapy has become a standard alternative medicine that many people use and believe to work. I know very little about Aromatherapy except for the simple fact that in the shower I find that the different smells of our different soaps make me react differently emotionally. Aromatherapy is very esoteric and new age but I still wanted to learn more so I went hunting for some Aromatherapy info and found it. Jeffrey Meier wrote the following article that presents lots of the background on Aromatherapy as well as a lot of the uses.

There is a rumor going around that there are certain oils that not only leave you feeling fresh and light, but also have certain healing properties. Have you heard that rumor? Yes? I have too, which prompted me to want to find out more. In my research, I was led down a path toward aromatherapy. Do you want to know more? Let’s explore together!

According to my research, aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses essential oils and other scented plant compounds in order to positively affect a person’s mood or health. On the technical side, the reason that the essential oils are different than other herbal products is because of the distillation process which recovers the lighter “phytomolecules.” Trust me; I don’t know what they’re talking about either. However, what I do know is that many praise its benefits and highly recommend it, so my research took me in the direction of learning what different types are available, and why they are so helpful.

History
Before we go into the types of aromatherapy, I wanted to look at the history of this great medical tradition. Unlike many other natural medical alternatives, the roots of aromatherapy are grounded in the West. The term was coined by a French chemist named René Maurice Gattefossé who was dedicated to researching the healing properties of essential oils. During one of his chemistry projects, he accidentally set his arm on fire. When he submerged it in the nearest cold liquid he could find, he realized immediately that the pain in his arm was relieved. He looked at the vat and saw the cold liquid was NOx PH232, which is also called lavender oil. And after a few days, he saw that the recovery time for his burn was significantly decreased; in addition, his redness, inflammation, blisters and scarring were almost non-existent, helping him to further realize its healing properties. Not long after, a protégé named Jean Valnet continued Gattefossé’s work by treating wounded soldiers with essential oils during World War II. It was with these two chemists that aromatherapy was born.

How Aromatherapy Works
Aromatherapy is said to work as a preventative measure to treat the body before a disease is able to present itself. There are two reasons alternative medical practitioners say that aromatherapy works. One is that the scent from these special essential oils has a very positive effect on the limbic system (the set of brain structures that support emotion and memory). The other is that essential oils are said to have a direct pharmacological effect on the body. However, studies have yet to prove that the effect is actually true.

The two ways that essential oils are used in aromatherapy are at the scent level and the skin level. As mentioned before, at the scent level, the aromatherapy oils are said to activate the emotional centers of the brain. When taken at the skin level, as found with the burned Gattefossé, the oils have healing properties that speed up recovery time and act as a treatment to kill microbes and fungi; they are also used as massage oils by some. There is also a third way essential oils are used, even though this is not recommended for home use. This third way is to take the oil internally. When this is done (under professional direction and supervision), the oils are said to positively stimulate the immune system.

Uses of Aromatherapy
There are many different types of essential oils that are used in aromatherapy – and they all have different ways of stimulating the body. For example, basil essential oils are used in perfumes as a way to help sharpen concentration, reverse depression and relieve headaches. Bergamot is another essential oil with significant effects, such as clearing both the urinary and digestive tracts, as well as relieving cold sores and the chicken pox. And the more popular tea tree oil is known as an antiseptic and disinfectant. But there are many other essential oils out there. Some include black pepper (surprised?), cloves, lemons, and thyme. But when considering any aromatherapy essential oil treatments, keep in mind that they are all highly concentrated and should therefore be kept away from small children, just like any other medication.

Acceptance and Criticism of Aromatherapy
Some countries, France in particular, consider the use of essential oils to be one of their mainstream forms of medicine and even considered it to be its own branch of medicine like dentistry. In France, they use the essential oils as antiseptics, as well as antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial treatments, and the oils are regulated just as prescription drugs are. In order to decide which essential oil to use, they call upon a technique called the aromatogram, which involves culturing a sample of infected tissue then growing the culture and dividing it among Petri dishes. The dishes are then inoculated with different essential oils to determine which has the greatest effect, and that is how the appropriate oil is chosen.

While the aromatherapy form of alternative medicine is highly respected by some, there are others who don’t believe in the effects of aromatherapy and feel that it is another way to sell a dream to those who are looking for a “quick medical fix.” Those who believe in aromatherapy, however, disregard this sentiment and say that, just like deciding to use the other disregarded alternative forms of medicine, including herbs and minerals, acupuncture and even meditation, it is up to every individual’s interpretation of what works for them that matters. In other words, don’t knock it until you try it.

Aromatherapy is still in the process of being accepted in the Americas, but is becoming more appreciated by those who are tired of internalizing synthetic pharmaceuticals that seem to have tons of side effects and essentially have the potential to do more harm than good. Though it is still in the beginning stages of acceptance, there are plenty of alternative medicine practitioners who are willing to give it a try. It seems that many are noticing that the Earth has an abundant supply of what we need to keep us well. And as this becomes more recognizable, there will be more opportunities to try the unique forms of alternative medicine available, including acupuncture, and of course, aromatherapy.

Tags: acupuncture, Alternative Medicine, Americas, appropriate oil, aromatherapy, aromatherapy essential oil treatments, blisters, burn, chemist, chicken pox, cold sores, depression, essential oils, France, herbal products, inflammation, Jean Valnet, Jeffrey Meier, lavender oil, Massage, medical alternatives, meditation, natural medical, oil, pain in his arm, René Maurice Gattefossé, synthetic pharmaceuticals, Tea tree oil