Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Facts about Obesity and overweight


  • Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese.
  • Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer.
  • The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.

Health Problems Related to Severe Obesity Scary but true

Severe obesity is a serious health condition that can lead to an earlier death. An individual who is 20% heavier than his or her ideal weight (determined by standard medical and insurance data) is considered obese. Severe obesity, more than 100 pounds overweight, occurs when the body stores excess energy in the form of fat. It is a complex disorder that may be the result of biochemical, physiologic, genetic or inherited influences on weight maintenance. Environmental, cultural, socioeconomic and psychological influences may be contributing factors. A variety of medical problems, including high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, sleep apnea, depression and arthritis, have been associated with being overweight.

Cardiovascular problems are common among obese people. High blood pressure can lead to the development of heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Severely obese people are approximately six times more likely to develop heart disease. The heart in an obese person is required to work harder, which can lead to early development of congestive heart failure. Severely obese people often have elevated cholesterol levels in the blood, which can contribute to heart disease and the hardening of blood vessels. Diabetes, which frequently strikes the obese, is another risk factor for developing coronary heart disease.

An overweight person is 10 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes (adult-onset diabetes). High blood-sugar levels in diabetics damage body tissues. Diabetes is a major cause of kidney failure and is the leading cause of adult-onset blindness. Diabetes causes over one half of limb amputations and is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Obesity can also cause respiratory problems. Breathing is difficult as the lungs are decreased in size, and the chest wall is very heavy and difficult to lift. Daily activities such as shopping, yard work, stair climbing and exercise may be hindered by breathing problems.

While obesity does not cause asthma or bronchitis, it interferes with breathing and may aggravate an attack. Obesity, however, may cause sleep apnea, a serious condition that occurs when people stop breathing during sleep. When soft tissue in the throat collapses around the airway, a complete blockage occurs and the person stops breathing. In the long-term, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances and sudden death.

For the severely obese, particularly those over 350 pounds, obesity hypoventilation is a concern. Often associated with sleep apnea, this abnormal breathing condition results in the accumulation of toxic levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Musculoskeletal problems, such as low back pain and arthritis, are common among the obese. Because the entire weight of the upper body falls on the base of the spine, the spine may wear out in obese people, resulting in arthritis of the spine or disc problems. Most of the weight of the body is borne by the hips, knees, ankles and feet, which tend to wear out more quickly in obese people, resulting in arthritis. Obese patients have poorer results with joint replacement surgery and some surgeons refuse to perform such surgery on severely overweight people.

Obese people are more likely to have heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) where stomach acid backs up into the esophagus. Increased stomach pressure from abdominal fat results in a high rate of reflux in obese people.

Urinary incontinence may result from a large, heavy abdomen that causes the valve on the urinary bladder to be weakened. As a result, leakage of urine may occur when coughing, sneezing or laughing.

Venous stasis disease, or diseased blood veins in the legs, may occur in obese people. The pressure of a large abdomen may increase the workload on delicate valves in the veins of the lower legs, eventually causing damage or destruction. Blood in the leg veins, which is normally carried to the heart, backs up, causing higher pressure in these veins. This leads to swelling, thickening of the skin and sometimes skin ulcers.

Obesity may also cause female hormone abnormalities or an alteration in the balance of female sex hormones. Infertility, ovarian cysts, and absent or irregular menstrual periods may result.

In addition to a supervised diet and exercise program, obese individuals may benefit from surgical treatments, which may provide dramatic improvement in their health.

Source : http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/

And http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/984434798.html

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Herbalife tea -benefits

Herbalife tea : This delicious, low-calorie instant tea mix helps you stay energized and refreshed while you manage your weight.

 

Here is few benefits

 

 

  1. Tea contains antioxidants. Like the Rust-Oleum paint that keeps your outdoor furniture from rusting, tea's antioxidants protect your body from the ravages of aging and the effects of pollution
  2.  Tea may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Unwanted blood clots formed from cholesterol and blood platelets cause heart attack and stroke. Drinking tea may help keep your arteries smooth and clog-free, the same way a drain keeps your bathroom pipes clear. A 5.6-year study from the Netherlands found a 70 percent lower risk of fatal heart attack in people who drank at least two to three cups of black tea daily compared to non-tea drinkers.
  3. 4. Tea protects your bones. It's not just the milk added to tea that builds strong bones. One study that compared tea drinkers with non-drinkers, found that people who drank tea for 10 or more years had the strongest bones, even after adjusting for age, body weight, exercise, smoking and other risk factors. The authors suggest that this may be the work of tea's many beneficial phytochemicals.
  4. Tea protects against cancer. Thank the polyphenols, the antioxidants found in tea, once again for their cancer-fighting effects. While the overall research is inconclusive, there are enough studies that show the potential protective effects of drinking tea to make adding tea to your list of daily beverages..
  5. Tea is calorie-free. Tea doesn't have any calories
  6. Tea increases your metabolism. Lots of people complain about a slow metabolic rate and their inability to lose weight. tea has been shown to actually increase metabolic rate so that you can burn 70 to 80 additional calories by drinking just five cups of green tea per day. 

Enjoy your tea!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Eat More Oats.

Eating a bowl of oatmeal each morning is the perfect way to start your day off right. 


1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.

3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.

The difference between insoluble and soluble fiber, besides the foods that they come from, is what they do in your body.

Insoluble fiber's main role is that it makes stools heavier and speeds their passage through the gut, relieving constipation. Soluble fiber breaks down as it passes through the digestive tract, forming a gel that traps some substances related to high cholesterol, thus reducing the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Oatmeal has a pretty bland taste, which makes it hard for the average person to consume every morning. Here are ways you can make it taste better.

1. Make the oatmeal with milk instead of water. This will also add calcium and more protein.

2. Add Stevia powder to the oatmeal. It will naturally sweeten up the taste without adding sugar.

3. Stir in your favorite-flavored protein powder to it after it's been cooked. This gives the oatmeal a pretty good taste plus it adds protein. Combine this with using milk and you'll have a meal that is high in fiber, calcium and protein!

4. Add fruit such as blueberries to the oatmeal.

You should aim to eat roughly 1 cooked cup of oatmeal each morning for optimal health benefits. And play around with the above preparation suggestions until you find a taste that you fall in love with.

Your heart and body will thank you for it!

Also see : http://www.eatmoreoats.com/health.html

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

How to get a balanced diet


How can we get balanced diet with Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Vitamins, Fiber in the correct proportions?

 

Add 2 big scoops of F1 and 1 Big Scoop of F3 with 150 ML of low fat milk or any fruit juice and 150 ML of water and mix it. You will get all the required balanced diet.

Monday, March 23, 2009

A Balanced Diet

A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, mineral salts and fibre. It must contain these things in the correct proportions.

1.    Carbohydrates: these provide a source of energy.

2.    Proteins: these provide a source of materials for growth and repair.

3.    Fats: these provide a source of energy and contain fat soluble vitamins.

4.    Vitamins: these are required in very small quantities to keep you healthy.

5.    Mineral Salts: these are required for healthy teeth, bones, muscles etc..

6.    Fibre: this is required to help your intestines function correctly; it is not digested.

7.    Balanced Diets: we must have the above items in the correct proportions.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy. They contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. The first part of the name "carbo-" means that they contain Carbon. The second part of the name "-hydr-" means that they contain Hydrogen. The third part of the name "-ate-" means that they contain Oxygen. In all carbohydrates the ratio of Hydrogen atoms to Oxygen atoms is 2:1 just like water.

We obtain most of our carbohydrate in the form of starch. This is found in potato, rice, spaghetti, yams, bread and cereals. Our digestive system turns all this starch into another carbohydrate called glucose. Glucose is carried around the body in the blood and is used by our tissues as a source of energy. (See my pages on respiration andbalanced chemical equations.) Any glucose in our food is absorbed without the need for digestion. We also get some of our carbohydrate in the form of sucrose; this is the sugar which we put in our tea and coffee (three heaped spoonfuls for me!). Both sucrose and glucose are sugars, but sucrose molecules are too big to get into the blood, so the digestive system turns it into glucose.

When we use glucose in tissue respiration we need Oxygen. This process produces Carbon Dioxide and water and releases energy for other processes. Now try my starch test in the Virtual Laboratory

Proteins

Proteins are required for growth and repair. Proteins contain Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen and sometimes Sulphur. Proteins are very large molecules, so they cannot get directly into our blood; they must be turned into amino-acids by the digestive system. There are over 20 different amino-acids. Our bodies can turn the amino-acids back into protein. When our cells do this they have to put the amino-acids together in the correct order. There are many millions of possible combinations or sequences of amino-acids; it is our DNA which contains the information about how to make proteins. Our cells get their amino-acids from the blood. Now try my Biuret test in the Virtual Laboratory

Proteins can also be used as a source of energy. When excess amino-acids are removed from the body the Nitrogen is excreted as a chemical called urea. The liver makes urea and the kidney puts the urea into our urine.

Fats

Like carbohydrates, fats contain the elements Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Fats are used as a source of energy: they are also stored beneath the skin helping to insulate us against the cold. Do not think that by avoiding fat in your diet you will stay thin and elegant! If you eat too much carbohydrate and protein, you will convert some of it into fat, so you will put on weight. You must balance the amount of energy containing foods with the amount of energy that you use when you take exercise.

You must have some fat in your diet because it contains fat soluble vitamins.

 Vitamins

Vitamins are only required in very small quantities. There is no chemical similarity between these chemicals; the similarity between them is entirely biological.

§         Vitamin A: good for your eyes.

§         Vitamin B: about 12 different chemicals.

§         Vitamin C: needed for your body to repair itself.

§         Vitamin D: can be made in your skin, needed for absorption of Calcium.

§         Vitamin E: the nice one - reproduction?

 

Mineral Salts

These are also needed in small quantities, but we need more of these than we need of vitamins.

§         Iron: required to make haemoglobin.

§         Calcium: required for healthy teeth, bones and muscles.

§         Sodium: all cells need this, especially nerve cells.

§         Iodine: used to make a hormone called thyroxin.

 

Fiber

We do not // can not digest cellulose. This is a carbohydrate used by plants to make their cell walls. It is also called roughage. If you do not eat foods materials which contain fiber you might end up with problems of the colon and rectum. The muscles of you digestive system mix food with the digestive juices and push food along the intestines by peristalsis; if there is no fiber in your diet these movements cannot work properly.

A Balanced Diet

You must have carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals salts and fibre in the correct proportions. If there is not enough protein, you will not be able to grow properly and you will not be able to repair yourself i.e. wounds will not heal properly. If you do not have enough energy containing foods you will feel very tired, you will not have enough energy. If you have too much energy containing foods you will become overweight. If you think that you are overweight you might try taking more exercise to "burn off" some of the excess food which you ate at you last meal.

 

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Don't Skip Breakfast

When you skip breakfast, you are likely to become tired when your brain and body run low on fuel. By mid-morning, you might grab a cup of coffee or wolf down a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This might work for a few minutes, but by lunch time you are hungry, crabby, and perhaps your mood might make you a little more prone to make unhealthy choices at lunch.

Skipping breakfast is a common strategy for losing weight, but not a smart one. Many people believe that they will lose weight if they skip meals, but that just isn't true; the body expects to be refueled a few times each day -- starting with breakfast.

Actually, eating breakfast is good for weight loss. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

Making a Healthy Breakfast with Hebalife Shakes

It is easy to make a tasty and very healthy breakfast, even if you're in a hurry. Just throw it all into the mixer and within a few minutes a delicious healthy breakfast is ready, full of vitamins, minerals and healthy herbs, with much more nutrition than common breakfast cereals.

You can choose and mix between several flavors: vanilla, chocolate, tropical fruit, cappuccino, Dutch Chocolate and Strawberry. The cocktails you make can be standard and simple, but they can also be the fruit of your own imagination and creativity.

2 big spoons of Vanilla Formula 1

1 spoon of F3 Protein powder

250-500 ml of low fat milk or soy milk


Where Fat Comes From


Researchers have found that most fat cells arise from cells in the walls of blood vessels in fat tissue. This insight may lead to new approaches to prevent and treat obesity.
White adipose, or fat, tissue plays a role in regulating our metabolism, reproduction and life spans. Fat cells form throughout life, but despite scientists’ growing understanding of the roles these cells play in the body, little has been known about how they develop.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Herbalife Weight Loss Program

This program very easy to use, and no need for any excerise, you will losse the weight within 3 weeks gauranteed.