Is a high protein diet the best way to lose weight? There have been some famous diets that advocate this, most notably the Atkins Diet. There are also some more recent diets, such as the New High Protein Diet that are slight modifications on the Atkins Diet. All of these diets tell you to eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates, and insist that this is healthier and will allow your body to burn calories more efficiently.

When it comes to diets, you can always find many experts on both sides of a question or debate. The high protein diet is no exception. The first thing we should look at is the question of whether this is a safe and healthy way to eat. The answer is, it depends. A very high protein diet can put stress on your kidneys. This is especially true if you are prone to kidney stones or other kidney-related problems. In fact, if you have this kind of health issue, you should not go on a high protein diet without consulting with your physician. Read the rest of this entry »

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.

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As soon as Botox was approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in 2002, there was a huge demand for Botox injections for wrinkles. Botox remains one of the most popular anti aging procedures available, and is often chosen as an alternative to face lifts and other plastic surgery.

What is Botox?

Botox is derived from a highly poisonous substance called botulinum toxin which is responsible for the form of food poisoning known as botulism. Botulinum toxin makes the muscles unable to contract. It began to be injected in tiny doses into the muscles around the eyes in the 1980s to treat uncontrollable blinking spasms and crossed eyes. That’s why the rights to Botox are owned by the opthalmic product manufacturer Allergan Inc.

The opthalmologists using Botox to treat eye spasms soon noticed that it also had the effect of reducing wrinkles around the eyes. Clinical trials then began for its use for cosmetic purposes. Read the rest of this entry »

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Weight is measured in terms of body mass index (BMI). For adults, a healthy weight is a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is a BMI of 25 to 29.9. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

Health experts say roughly 66 percent of American adults are overweight. The Obesity Society reports, 25.6 percent of Americans are obese. The extra weight is hard on the body and increases the risk for many types of chronic health problems, like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, liver and gallbladder disease and respiratory problems.

Obesity in African Americans

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports rates of overweight and obesity are higher among African-Americans than whites. In a health survey conducted between 1999 and 2000, researchers found 69.6 percent of blacks and 62.3 percent of whites were overweight. There is a much higher disparity in rates of obesity, with 39.9 percent of blacks being obese versus 28.7 percent of whites. Among African-American women, four out of five are overweight or obese. Low-income African-American women have the highest risks of being overweight.

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MSNBC has this article about losing weight as you get older. Thought it would be great info for people that are struggling these days.

While time may adorn you with new lines on your face, a new color hair (gray) and a new waistline, the passing decades are not to blame for all of the changes in your body. Your eating habits, your attitude and your approach to everyday experiences also play key roles.

As we age, our bodies lose muscle and gain fat. Our nutritional needs change, as well. But you don’t necessarily feel these changes on a daily basis. Metabolism gradually slows each decade after age 20, so it’s not as if you suddenly wake up 10 pounds heavier. It creeps up slowly. Fortunately, you do have some control over your changing body and slowing metabolism. Some strategies to help you avoid a midlife diet crisis: Read the rest of this entry »

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Healthy eating is the first step to making sure that you are getting yourself more fit. There a a lot of great advantages to eating better and these include more energy, better concentration and less stomach and digestive problems. Currently, the typical American diet is low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. As a result, more Americans than ever are overweight, obese, and at increased risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Older people are most likely to improve their eating habits, but nutrition is important for people of all ages, says Walter Willet, M.D., chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health. “We know that when people have health problems or their friends become ill, these are strong motivators of change,” says Willet. “The more serious the health condition, the more serious the change. We’d rather people made changes early and prevent health problems in the first place.”

So what if you’re feeling trapped by a diet full of fast-food burgers and cookies? You can work your way out slowly but surely. Here are tips to move your eating habits in the right direction.
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High blood pressure, alias hypertension, is a leading killer. It has no respect for sex, occupation, social status or religion. Cardiovascular diseases account for approximately 50 percent of deaths in this country. Not only is hypertension one of the leading cardiovascular illnesses, but it is an ancillary hazard of many other illnesses.

People suffering from obesity, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, and a long list of other illnesses are susceptible to high blood pressure—and to its complications.

High blood pressure can be helped by fitness

Although no precise blood pressure reading demarcates normal from high, North American adults at rest may be in for trouble if their blood pressure is consistently higher than 140/90. Not so with “low blood pressure.” In fact, statistically speaking, persons with “low blood pressure” have a greater life expectancy. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have written before about the best way to suntan and the best ways to get rid of a sunburn but now that Summer is here and I really do get concerned about the people that read my suntanning articles.

I worry that people will get sunburned, I know that people can easily get skin cancer from overexposure to the sun but also I remember how hard I tried in my late teens and twenties to get the best suntan possible with the skin type that I have.

These sun worshipers bake themselves carefully and with proper apparent care. They are careful to turn and twist their bodies in a way best calculated to get an even, rich suntan over as much of their skin as possible. They slather themselves with the latest lotion that promises to keep out harmful sun-ray effects and most importantly guarantees a deep tan.

“Ah, it feels so good,” they say. And I, with a trace of the sun worshiper still in me, agree. The warmth feels like a balm. Vitamin D is brought to the body by the sunlight’s effect on the skin. The pimples of acne can diminish or disappear when the sun’s ultraviolet rays play upon them.

Any teen-ager who winces with pain of sunburn when clapped on the back can testify that the extra time in the sun is never good. For everyone there is an amount and degree of sun beyond which danger lies.

Even a person who tans readily and easily may get harmful changes in his skin if he has too much exposure. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: acne, blisters, chills, fever, lupus, oatmeal solution, olive oil, pain, physician, skin cancer, sun oil, sunburn, Tennis, Vitamin D

Well Summer is here, or at least close to being here and the summer driving season has started in earnest by now. I have always loved how people in North America that are satisfied at being strangers in their own city will start up conversations with strangers at a campground so easily when on vacation.

Anyway, one of the real challenges for most people is the lack of exercise on a car trip. You pack up the car on Friday night, drive to the next hotel or campground and don’t move until you are there. Then you get out of the car and are stiff. There are a few ways to avoid this and I hope you take advantage of them. I found and edited a bit this article by Mike Strawbridge on car exercises that you can do while on the road.

Exercises to do while driving

Tummy toner – Sit up straight in the seat in a normal driving position. Breathe in deeply into your lower abdomen. Now instead of exhaling, push the air up to your chest, filling your upper lungs. Now slowly exhale. You will feel your posture improve and get a big rush of energy by doing this exercise. Don’t be surprised if you have to readjust your mirrors due to a higher seating position. Read the rest of this entry »

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Vitamins during pregnancy are very important.

If you have ever attempted to go on any kind of diet that involved reading the information on the nutritional labels of your food you are all too familiar with the fact that those little words and symbols can start to look like Greek after a while. If you’re not a doctor or a nutritionist you probably have no idea of what Vitamin B or Folic Acid are, much less why they’re important. The first step to conquering pregnancy nutrition is understanding what you’re eating, how much you should eat, why you’re eating it and how it’s going to help your baby.

A quick note. In the following section you are going to see several mentions made about the negative consequences of overdosing on specific vitamins. You must understand that this overdose very rarely occurs because of the foods you eat. More often it is because mothers have chosen to consume extra supplements in an attempt to “help” their baby or they have forgotten to tell their physician about other vitamins and supplements they take on a regular basis.

Be sure when you go in for your prenatal appointments that your physician knows exactly what vitamins, medications and supplements (including herbal) you take, regardless of how insignificant you may believe them to be. Read the rest of this entry »

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The first thing you must understand is that pregnancy is not the time to be counting calories. If you are on a diet that involves severely restricting your caloric intake get off it. Right now. For the next nine months you have permission to not suffer for beauty. Not only is restricting calories not going to result in weight loss (you’re going to gain some as the baby grows whether you like it or not) it could potentially harm your baby.

Not getting enough calories during pregnancy can lead to the baby not having what it needs to develop properly. Low birth weight is a common complication, as is poor fetal development. The baby may have any number of deficiency-associated birth defects. In short, it is vitally important that when you are pregnant you get enough to eat. You can burn it all off after the baby is born, although to be honest if you have time to worry about your weight you will be handling new motherhood much better than most!

The first thing you want to do is calculate your pre-pregnancy Recommended Daily Caloric Intake. If you are a health buff or have been living on a terminal diet you may already know this number. If you do not you can visit one of the following sites to figure it out, or consult with your physician. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: birth defects, diet, low birth weight, motherhood, physician, pre pregnancy, pregnancy, third trimester