which one of these solutions you choose?

How To Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise, Simple Strategies To Ensure Healthy Weight Loss

As we are removing exercise from the equation, the focus will now turn to diet and lifestyle factors. Firstly to be clear a diet is simply the foods that you eat on a daily basis. We are all on a "diet", most simply don't understand what diet means. Now as we want to lose weight without using exercise, we have to look very closely as the foods and drinks that we consume on a daily basis and the calories that we take in to ensure that are eating habits are aligned with any type of weight loss plan.

The first place that we should look at is the food groups that we are eating daily. To ensure healthy weight loss of around 1-lbs per week, we want to be eating starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean sources of protein like eggs, fish and nuts. Some of these foods are known as super foods and contain many vitamins and minerals which are essential for the body and help aid weight loss.

There are only 3 main food groups, carbohydrates, fats and protein. We do have micro-nutrients, but that is a whole other subject. We need to make sure that approximately 60% of the foods that we are eating are carbohydrates.carbohydrates. Carbs are the primary source of fuel and energy for the body, so we need to make sure the body has enough energy for everyday activities. There should only be minimal fat from the foods that we are eating and the remaining will be protein, which will provide essential nutrients for growth and recovery.

So now we have established what the food groups are, we can now look at out "diet" to see what ration of food we are consuming in regards to food groups. This is important because we can identify if we are eating too many calorie dense foods which are high in saturated fat, or if we are lacking nutritional value from any of the food groups.

The best way to go about this is to simply create a food dairy. This can be a simple word planer or you could opt for a smart phone app, the choice is yours, but this has to be the first real step to keep track of what you are eating. A good practice is to plan your week ahead and divide up the foods that you purchase into the given food groups so that you can align your grocery list with foods that give you nutritional value and will help aid weight loss. This is very manageable with a little bit of planning.

Alternatively instead of writing down every food that you eat daily during the week, you could take pictures of the food that you eat and shoot a picture of the food label so that nutritional value and calories are recorded without writing things down. This is a good strategy for busy people.

Many studies have found that people who take pictures of the foods they are eating as a way of recording and tracking food intake found it easier to reduce and remove many of the unhealthy food choices that were on their diets. It is very easy to see how this works, not many people will be very enthusiastic about taking a picture of a greasy cheese burger and chips, over a healthy salad. This theory works well and saves time. It is all a matter of choice.

The next thing to look at would be the liquid drinks that you have daily and in the week. This is important as far too many people drink far too many sugary and carbonated drinks that have almost no nutritional value in them at all. These types of drinks are loaded with calories that will do no benefit to your waistline.

To lose weight we need to ensure that the right types of liquid drinks are in our diets. You should be looking to swap carbonated drinks and alcohol with pure clean water and health drinks like smoothies and shakes for added variety. Water can play a very vital role in any weight loss plan, and is especially important if there is no exercise in a person's lifestyle.

Water is a big player in these kinds of eating plans, because water will often fill the gap of hunger. If water is taken with a meal, there is less chance of over eating and thus reduces the chance of weight gain. Water will also help with the process of digestion and also flush out unhealthy toxins from the body to ensure a clean inside.

As mentioned the best way to add variety with drinks in a healthy eating plan is to throw a few smoothies into the mix. These are a great addition because you can get the much needed 5 fruit and vegetables a day and also they are a time saver. Many people struggle to get enough fruit and vegetables a day into their diets, smoothies provide the ideal solution.

The typical recommendation for healthy weight loss is about 1-lbs per week. You should not look to lose any more than this. This is very manageable without starving the body of needed nutrients. To lose a pound of weight per week, you need to reduce 3,500 calories from the diet that you are on. This works out at a calorie reduction of 500 a day to keep in the healthy range.

Another common problem that many people face in today is that they are sitting around for long period of time in the work place. This can make it tricky to keep to a healthy eating plan without cheating. It has been proven in many studies that people who sit around for long periods of time eat more generally than people that don't. In this case, try to stand up and walk around whenever possible. A few other ways keep the weight from piling on, are to use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of using the car, and walk the dog more often.

Overall the diet is the most important aspect of a weight loss plan, and since we are not exercising or training, this is especially important. It will take a bit of careful planning and commitment to get into the habit of recording the foods that you eat on a daily basis, but within a few short weeks, it will become a regular habit.

My Name Ashley Hubbard, I am a weight loss consultant. I offer practical lifestyle tips and advice to people on how to start losing weight.
Do you want to lose weight but find you struggle with dieting and exercise?
Learn How to get started with these free special reports.
http://healthyweightlossresources.com/
My Facebook page is regularly updated with information related to weight loss. http://www.facebook.com/healthydietplanforweightloss

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The 3 Best Weight Training Options for Building Muscle Mass

Do you think that lifting heavy barbells and dumbbells is the only way to build muscle mass? Then think again. In this article you will find 3 weight training options that are proven to build muscle mass.

Add these weight training options to your bodybuilding repertoire and maximise your muscle gains.

So heavy barbells and dumbbells are taking the fun out of your muscle building workouts. You have enough motivation but weights seem to be going nowhere. What is happening you think!

The solution might be simpler than you think.

No. It does not require any $200 per hour coach to figure it out. You need a change in your bodybuilding option.

Why change works in the bodybuilding world

In one word. Homeostasis.

Homeostasis, also called adaptation or your body's ability to adjust to any new stimulus is the biggest enemy of your muscle building gains.

When you constantly lift heavy barbells and dumbbells, the stress on the muscles, joints and nervous system compounds. Every week the stress adds and finally the body adapts.

It adapts not just to the workout routine, but to the kind of stress itself. At this point your body demands new stimulus, it wants new options to grow.

Your 3 Awesome Weight Training options to build muscle mass

The language of muscle is tension. It does not care how you provide it. Machines, dumbbells or barbells. All it perceives is tension.

With that being the constant factor there are 3 options you have to build muscle.

Each stresses the muscle-skeletal and nervous system differently and hence should be part of your muscle building toolbox.

Option One: Bodyweight Training

Before you reserve bodyweight training only to rehab, travel fitness or when you get back from layoff, let me share a secret.

Bodyweight training, also called calisthenics is becoming the next best thing in bodybuilding, flexibility training and sports.

The new body dynamics researched in calisthenics is showing us how to use it either individually or in conjunction with weight training to maximise muscle gains.

Since bodybuilders are excellent at doing push ups, pull ups and other bodyweight exercises, the best way to incorporate them is by doing single limb moves. Master one arm pull ups and single leg squats for 4-6 weeks and see how your barbell weights go up.

If you are serious bodybuilder, take time for bodyweight training. Your brain and muscles will thank the new stimulus and grow from it.

Option Two: Kettlebell Training

The latest craze for kettle bells has not gone unnoticed by intelligent bodybuilders. Although kettle bells do not provide the incremental poundage increase, they are VERY different in stimulating your nervous system and are more easy on the joints.

Mobility drills have been shown to carry over to heavy weight training easily. All this means more weights loaded and more muscle mass gained.

Option Three: Plyometric Training

Want to increase the recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibers which have highest potential for growth?

Add 2-3 week plyometric workouts to build a new muscle-brain connection that no other form of weight training can bring.

How to add newer weight training options

Heavy barbell and dumbbell training is the bread-and-butter of bodybuilding. But don't fall to the routine.

Intelligent bodybuilders should realise the value other options bring to the table and maximise your muscle gains by adding them.

The best way to add them is by creating a 3-4 week window every 4-6 months. During this time you train exclusively with the newer form of training. At the end of 3-4 weeks, get back to your heavy barbell training.

Conclusion: Business leaders know that the biggest marketing breakthroughs come from non-business world. Bodybuilders should realise the important of adding newer options to their muscle building workouts to keep them fresh, up to date and effective.

Calisthenics, kettle bell and plyometric training are excellent for accelerated muscle training for both beginner and advanced bodybuilders alike as they stimulate your brain and muscles in unique ways to maximise muscle growth.

Mateen Sidd is a Muscle and Strength Coach who is passionate about muscle building and helping skinny hardgainers gain muscle mass NATURALLY without dangerous drugs or useless supplements.

Visit http://themusclesecrets.com for more info. Also check http://www.themusclesecrets.com/build-muscle-gain-mass.html for a complete 7 step muscle building guide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mateen_Sidd/2223682

Medifast Diet Plan Review - Real Weight Loss

The Medifast Diet has gotten lots of press lately; and for good reason. Its been shown to be very successful at its stated goal of assisting with relatively quick and comfortable weight loss.

The diet program involves almost complete meal replacements. These replacements are custom designed for maximum nutrient content as well as low calories (naturally). Their usual diet plan involves using these meal replacements 5 times day, as well as having one "lean and green" meal each day that you prepare yourself; which typically is comprised of some veggies and a lean piece of meat. The meal replacements come in many varieties of shakes, bars, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, soups, puddings, etc. You don't go hungry since you are eating every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

The Medifast weight loss solution has been shown to be effective by many studies. It's more appropriate for someone who wants to lose more than twenty pounds; since such an extensive use of replacement meals is a significant lifestyle change. But if you want to lose more than 20 lbs, then this may be the answer. Because your food intake is so controlled; you basically cannot help but lose weight. 5 lbs a week is typical.

After reaching your goal, the next phase of the program kicks in - 'Transition'. Here you are re-introduced to regular foods, but in a planned way so that you can keep your new weight. After transitioning back to your own foods; the 'Maintenance' program activates, which is designed to help you make healthy food choices and get appropriate exercise.

The best thing to do is to have a look at their site (linked below) and go from there.

For details see The Medifast Diet

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Doug_Bane/36106

Health Benefits and Nutritional Facts of Corn Flakes

Breakfast is, undoubtedly, the most essential meal of the day. But today most of the people tend to miss this important meal of the day due to lack of time. It is important to consume a wholesome breakfast with cereals, fruits, juice and milk. Today majority of the people prefer to consume breakfast cereals as it is easy to cook and requires considerably lesser time to consume. Breakfast cereals include oats, corn flakes and other similar products.

Corn flakes were discovered by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, quite accidentally. He advocated a strictly vegetarian diet for all his patients as he believed that bland food reduces passion and had anti-aphrodisiacal effects.

Health Benefits

Corn flakes consumed with a bowl of milk, nuts and fruits are considered to be one of the most healthiest and nutritious breakfast cereals. Some of the most important health benefits of consuming this breakfast cereal include the following.

Low sugar and calorie: It is considered to be nutritionally beneficial as it includes low sugar content and less calories. As it contains fewer calories, it is also low in fat content. This breakfast cereal is considered to be the best meal compared to the other types of meals consumed for breakfast which are rich in sugar and fat content.

Rich in iron and vitamins: Corn flakes is known to be rich in iron and vitamin content. It is a rich source of vitamin A, B, C, D and E. Most of these products also include nuts such as almonds. There are products which include honey, raisins and so forth.

Flavors: In the earlier days, this unique cereal was available in one flavor. Today it is available in a huge variety of flavors including strawberry, mango, chocolate, banana, mango and so forth.

Milled products: Recent studies have revealed that milled corn products contain a substantial amount of antioxidants such as carotenoids. Carotenoid is a pigment that is found in vegetable such as carrots, spinach, tomatoes and sweet potatoes. The pigment helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Light and digestible: This ready-to-eat breakfast cereal is easy to digest and quite light. Most of the people prefer to consume it as it is available in a range of flavors enriched with all essential vitamins and minerals.

Nutritional Value The nutritional value of your breakfast can be enhanced with the consumption of corn flakes. With a huge variety of added vitamins and minerals, this breakfast cereal contains all the necessary nutritional requirements. It contains all essential vitamins including folic acid and vitamin B12, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin. Daily consumption of this breakfast cereal increases the intake of iron. It also includes only 2gms of sugar so it is considered to be a healthy breakfast cereal by most of the people as it prevents obesity and other health related issues.

Corn oil is another healthy product which helps to prevent heart diseases and cholesterol. This cooking oil is known to be light and healthy. It is used to cook different types of cuisines as it tastes delicious.

Anamika Swami has wide knowledge of B2B Marketplace and Business industries. Get latest updates on corn flakes which are of great demand in B2B space. You can find more free information about corn oil at Dir.indiaMART.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anamika_Swami/720304

Weird Skin With Chronic Lyme Disease? You May Have ACA

What is ACA?

It is Acrodermatitis Chronica Atrophicans, a skin condition that frequently accompanies late stage Lyme borrelliosis (afzelii) but almost exclusively by those of European heritage.

Originally discovered and documented by Dr. Buchwald in 1883, it was not until 1902 when Dr's Herxheimer and Hartmann began to study the phenomena in earnest that clear evidence began to mount. (The full name of the disease now carries the name of Dr. Herxheimer in most references.)

Now it is estimated that close to 10% of all Europeans with Lyme disease have ACA and in fact it is the most common late and chronic manifestation of European Lyme disease. However, given the fact that most doctors in North America do not believe in chronic Lyme disease, it is not surprising that dermotologists would not be trained to recognize ACA, and even Lyme literate doctors are sadly lacking any significant training about ACA.

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans is a skin condition that takes a progressive course that leads to atrophy of the skin in a variety of ways but sharing certain common characteristics.

Not surprisingly, involvement of the peripheral nervous system is frequently observed as a part of ACA (numbness, tingling, pain...)

As we know, clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis are almost unlimited. They can affect the skin, nervous system, muscles, joints eyes, ears, any organ including the heart. With ACA, the skin becomes papery thin and almost shiny and transparent so that the blood vessels, veins, arteries and tissue can be seen through the skin in various degrees which give the skin a pinkish/bluish color.

ACA is most commonly found on the hands and feet but can be found most anywhere on the body. Unfortunately, if you think you have it, there isn't a very good chance of diagnosis.

Doctors absolutely despise patients who come into their office armed with information from the internet. However, you may have a chance if you come armed with the following article from WebMD: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1051695-overview. This site also has some remarkable pictures at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1051695-media.

For your own understanding of ACA, a picture is worth a thousand words. There is a remarkable collection of pictures from Dermis.net (the lead picture for this post is from their site), make sure to click on your flag of nationality to read the text in the correct language: DERMIS.net.

Finally, there is a glaring and amazing point I would like to make - above and beyond the possible diagnosis that many may have been suffering with for years without a clue of its connection to chronic Lyme disease. Perhaps you will have jumped ahead to the obvious question this post raises by the accepted and even honored research by Dr. Hartmann and Dr. Herxheimer over one hundred years ago.

Why and how can it be that the respected doctors of the day believed without a doubt in chronic Lyme disease and studied symptoms and treatment of such while our "advanced doctors have disregarded over a century of research and documentation to cling to their platform of "there is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease."

The next time you are challenged about chronic Lyme disease, you may want to bring up this ignored fact - that chronic Lyme disease is not debated in Europe. Do we even need to ask why?

Jenna Smith is a writer and amateur dressage rider who has published many articles on health and fitness. Struck down with Lyme disease in October 2006, Jenna has devoted her time to helping others with Lyme disease and other health concerns. Jenna's goal is to help people discover cutting edge strategies for healing disease and obtaining optimum health. Learn more about chronic Lyme disease, and claim your free ebooks on alternative treatment protocols at: http://www.LymeDiseaseResource.com and http://www.Neuro-Lyme.com.

Jenna also publishes a Lyme Blog, Lyme Video Blog and a Daily Inspiration Blog, all accessible from the websites, and has published a novel, "The Goddess of Sumer" available at Amazon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jenna_Smith/111331

10 Day Diet For Massive Weight Loss

Here's a "beyond simple" 10 day diet that achieves massive weight loss results. There's nothing extreme to this diet, you won't starve, and you'll have plenty of energy.

This is a great "10 day fix" to get some quick weight loss when necessary.

10 Day Diet For Massive Weight Loss

1. Eat eggs

On this diet, I want you to eat as many eggs as you want, whenever you want. It's as simple as that. Since eggs are high in protein and fill you up, they're perfect to eat all day long.

2. Backeye Peas

Blackeye peas are perfect for this diet because of their high protein and high fiber content. Lot of protein and lots of fiber help to keep your hunger under control. Just eat 1 can of blackeye peas... cost about 50 cents.

3. Chicken breasts

Chicken breasts are great because they're high in protein and have no fat or carbs. They work good with both eggs and blackeye peas to create a very high protein meal with some good fiber. Eat 1-2 chicken breasts each day on this diet.

4. Water packed tuna

Each can of water packed tuna has 33 grams of protein for just 60 cents. It's a good value. Since tuna is versatile, I like it a lot even though by itself I don't really like it's taste. But mixed into eggs or blackeye peas, they're doable. Eat 1-2 cans of tuna a day on this diet.

5. Dark grapes

Dark grapes are a superior choice for snacks since they're high in water content. Basically, you're eating water. It's a good and simple way to get a lot of water each day. Eat as many grapes as you want each day.

This is a simple, yet powerful, 10 day diet that leads to a massive weight loss each time you use it.

If you're sick and tired of getting the same old boring and tired weight loss advice... you know, like "Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, jog, exercise more, and blah blah blah"... then you found the right person. I'll make weight loss easy and enjoyable for you... AND NOT BORING!

First, click http://www.weightlossguide4women.com to get your free 19-page report "How Spinning Around in a Circle Like a 4-year old Child will Skyrocket your Weight Loss Success". This will give you a jumpstart on how to lose 10 pounds fast.

Second... after you get the free report, you'll be sent inside my website for even more unique and little known weight loss tips, tricks, techniques, and tactics. These unconventional tricks are a "shortcut" way on how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks... no mention of eating carrots or celery. I promise.

Third, with my advice, you won't starve, have to go to the gym ever, or basically do anything that is a hassle for your busy life. Listen, I understand you want massive weight loss (perhaps you'll use the 10 day diet above) without changing much in your diet or exercise plans... I get it. I have this completely covered. I've worked with over 3,700 clients. I know a 1 size fits all plan doesn't work. So I've come up with lots of "tricks" to personalize weight loss specifically for you and your lifestyle.

Fourth... there is no fourth. Just enjoy the free report and my website. If you don't lose 10 pounds with just my free information... I'd be amazingly surprised!

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jennifer_Jolan/141264

Water Pollution Sources and Its Effect on Human Health

Water pollution is caused by the mixing of the sewage water, toxic chemicals, and industrial effluents along with the drinking water. It is one of the most commonly observed problems in developing countries. Some developed countries have found the ways to cope with water pollution, but developing nations are still not able to resolve it completely.

The sources of water pollution are as follows:

Industrial effluents: This is the most dangerous sources of water pollution. It is through this source that hazardous chemicals enter in the water and cause disease like cancer. Organic pollutants like dyes, salts, cyanides, suspended solids, greases, and oils are included in the industrial effluents. The monomethyl mercury carried along with the industrial effluents enters human body with water and causes brain damage. Sometimes even direct deaths are being reported by drinking the water mixed with such industrial effluents.

Silt: This is the source of pollution that pollutes the water at very initial stage. During silt, the soil or silt from the mountains gets carried along with the rain water and mixes with the ground water. This also happens during the process of deforestation. This generally is not so hazardous because once the water gets deep these soil particles get deposited at the bottom and you get to drink clean water. In some cases only infecting microorganisms are observed in silt.

Thermal wastes: Thermal pollution of the water doesn't affect the humans, but the life under water is affected badly by it. The thermal and nuclear power stations use the large amount of water and then discharge in again with a very high temperature. The aquatic life is not able to adjust with the hot water and they die. Thus, it makes the water dirty.

Sewage and domestic wastes: This is the cause of the maximum disease that affects the human health adversely. This source of water pollution includes soap and detergents, human excreta and urine, dung, and main source as sewage from house. Maximum microorganisms survive in this water and when it mixes with river water these microorganisms start multiplying. Once the person drinks he/she is surely to fall it due to this. Diseases like typhoid, jaundice, cholera, and dysentery are the most commonly observed disease caused by this type of water pollution.

Radioactive substances: You need to be careful about these radioactive substances a lot because they enter your body and cause cancer. Radioactive substances are released during the atomic explosions. These radioactive isotopes mix with the water bodies and cause the pollution. This water pollution source is very rarely noted.

Agricultural wastes: Nowadays the modern concept of agriculture is being utilized everywhere. This includes the usage of the many chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The crop yield is surely increased by it, but when these pesticides and fertilizers gets incorporated in the water bodies through irrigation, rainfall, and drainage they cause water pollution. Primarily they destroy the aquatic life. No fishes are able to survive in this polluted water. The consumption of this polluted water may cause nerve disorders, leukemia, and cancer. These are the commonly observed source of water pollution that results in various health complications.

John Fitzgerald is the leading author of health care. He is a frequent speaker to community groups on the topics of Deseases,Medicine, Women's Health and general health etc. Visit my Blog For more health articles:
http://healthinforesource.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Adam_Fitzgerald/402030

The Definition of Physical Fitness

Interestingly, the definition of physical fitness has evolved from being focused primarily on athletic performance to include the modern health-related aspects.

The reason for this evolution is because fitness or being fit can be a bit complex or abstract even; hence, the reason for so many different definitions. For instance, government health agencies and other organizations define physical fitness differently although they do agree on certain aspects.

To get some clarification on the definition, you have to first understand that the definition of fitness is comprised of two separate parts. And including both parts makes the definition more accurate. As a matter of fact, the most accepted definition includes a general or health-related fitness component as well as a specific or performance/skill-related fitness (the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or tasks) component. So a definition falls short when it only uses one part.

Let's elaborate on the two parts of the definition.

Some argue that physical fitness should be measured through the use of some type of criteria (for the health-related components of physical fitness). Health-related or general fitness comprises those components of fitness that exhibit a relationship with health status as a result of regular exercise, proper diet and nutrition, and proper rest for physical recovery within necessary parameters. In other words, being in a quality state of health and well-being.

On the other hand, some say physical fitness should be measured through a population-based norm defined by specific achievement scores on various fitness tests that represent desired health standards (for the performance/skill-related components of fitness). Performance/skill-related or specific fitness is a person's ability to perform in a specific activity with a reasonable efficiency such as sports
or other physical tasks.

Therefore, a good general definition of physical fitness is "Good health combined with proper physical development. In other words, a body that is easily able to fight sickness along with a proportionally defined physique."

However, a better definition might be "A set of attributes that are either health related or performance (or skill) related. Health-related fitness comprises those components of fitness that exhibit a relationship with health status. Performance/skill-related fitness involves those components of fitness that enable optimal work or sport performance."

Now after saying all of that, it needs to be stated that it's not very useful to try and define physical fitness as one, and only one, all-encompassing definition because of the very nature of the concepts involved in defining physical fitness. (And, thoroughly explaining those concepts goes further than the scope of this article.)

On a final note, most government health agencies and exercise scientists, are in fact in agreement that physical fitness can be divided into the following types (known as the 5 components of fitness): body composition, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. Because each of these components can be assessed, quantified and measured to give a general idea of a person's physical fitness level.

Know that some sources might discuss agility, balance, coordination, and speed along with the 5 components of fitness to help clarify the picture of establishing someone's fitness level. In addition, you may also find that some sources include mental and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness.

As you can tell from this article alone, when trying to provide a definition of physical fitness, you can clearly see that complete fitness is certainly more than just good general health.

Donald has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. His newest interest is in home computing. Visit his website that discusses product information and good deals on HP color laser printers [http://www.hpcolorlaserprinters.org/] and HP laser printers [http://www.hpcolorlaserprinters.org/hp-laser-printers.htm].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Donald_Holland/92296

Weight Loss - Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight

Hopefully you've heard about how drinking ample amounts of water will help you lose weight. This may be surprising to some, but water is one of the six essential nutrients, along with carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. You probably already know the benefits of staying hydrated or at the very least the general idea of why you should, so we will spare you the details.

Instead, let's focus on how drinking water can help you lose weight.

First, let's be quick to say water is no magic pill for weight loss. Effective weight loss requires work no matter which way you put it. You can recruit effective techniques you may have learned from the latest weight loss magazine but, at the end of the day, weight loss requires willed and steady execution.

With that said, increasing your daily water consumption in a timely manner will certainly assist your efforts. Why is this so?

One reason is because we often confuse hunger for thirst. Thirst is the primitive feeling that occurs when your body is dehydrated and needs more water. The problem with thirst is the following: since your body also sends hunger signals frequently, especially if it's used to receiving intermittent food, there is a tendency for you to consciously mistake these signals.

How do you consciously know if you are thirsty or hungry? Perhaps it's a bit of both, since most people are chronically dehydrated. Nevertheless, most people will eat to satisfy the craving; since it's no surprise that eating is pleasurable.

Oftentimes all you need to do is drink a decent sized glass of water to rehydrate your body and wait a bit longer before you eat once again.

Dehydration is evidently what needs to be avoided, and not only to avoid mixing up sensations of hunger and thirst. If you are dehydrated, you will feel rundown with a general lack of energy. Your body, being the selfish hunger machine it is, will take this opportunity to initiate food cravings. It will mistake the fact it actually needs water to restore its energy levels and choose to lead you to consume food for calories instead.

There's a reason watermelons are a perfect snack on a hot summer day. They are an abundant source of water and, as such, they are the perfect fruit to help you rehydrate. The vitamins and natural sugars included are also a plus. Though it's the significant amount of water, that makes you feel replenished and refresh

By drinking a full glass of water every hour - aim for 8 to 10 glasses per day, you can curb incessant hunger pangs and restore a more natural appetite. If you eat well, exercise, and stay hydrated, there is no limit to the weight loss progress you could achieve.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.

For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Beverleigh_H_Piepers/123142

Exercises and Workouts - Why Machines Should Be A Part Of Your Workout Program

If you've been reading about structuring a workout program, you may have read you should be favoring free weights over machines. And, for the most part, this is very accurate. Free weights tend to offer great advantages in terms of boosting your overall core strength while helping you hit multiple muscle groups at the same time.

But, there are some instances when machines should be a part of your program. Let's look at when this is, so you can decide if they are a must for you...

1. You're Just Starting. The first instance when it's more beneficial to add machines to your program than free weights, is if you are just starting out. At this time, you simply want to gain some confidence with resistance training, and since machines will lead you through the activity pattern, they make it easier to get in those exercises.

Using machines helps you focus on adapting to the nature of strength training and building up your strength level. Then once you have this confidence built, you can move on to using free weight exercises.

2. You're Overcoming Injury. Another time when you might want to use machines to help you in your workout session, is if you are overcoming injury.

For instance, let's say you have back pain. Doing squats may prove problematic as it can place a high degree of stress on your spinal column. Instead, adding in some horizontal leg press can be the way to go. This leg press variation will place less total strain on your back, allowing you to keep working your legs without risking further injury.

For those who want to avoid taking time completely off from their sessions when recovering, machines can provide a viable solution.

3. You're Focusing On The Mind-Muscle Connection. Finally, the last time when weight machines are helpful is when you want to focus on working your mind-muscle connection. Because weight machines take all the balance out of the exercise, you won't have as much to focus on when doing the movement and as such, can zero in on that mind-muscle connection.

Focusing on your mind-muscle connection is important for seeing maximum results, so taking some time each month to work on it can help you achieve more with your workouts over time.

So don't write off weight machines entirely. While you should never rely on them exclusively for your strength training workout, there is a time and a place where they can be very beneficial.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

For nearly 25 years Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of available information but in yourself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Beverleigh_H_Piepers/123142

How to Lose Weight Fat

When a person is looking to lose weight they want to do so in a short amount of time. There are some ways to get the metabolism going and help jump-start the weight loss program. There are some tips on how to lose weight quickly.

Take A Break

When performing one hour of cardio it is recommended to take a quick 20 minute break around the half way point of the workout. People that took this short break lost 20% more fat than people who did not.

Limit the Salt Intake

Salt retains water in the body. A person that eats a diet that is high in salt is able to retain 50 percent more water than those that have a diet low in salt. If a person watches their salt intake they can decrease their water weight.

Drink Water

Water will help flush out the fat cells that are stored in the body. Water will also help improve the functioning of the kidneys so they are more able to flush out the stored fat.

Green Tea

Drinking three to five cups of green tea has also been shown to help with weight loss. People that drink green tea are able to burn off 40% more fat during the course of the day.

Eat Protein

Eating a diet that is high in protein will help jump-start the fat burning process. The body has to use 30% of the calories in protein in order to digest it. Protein can also help increase the feeling of fullness. A person will feel full for a longer period of time reducing the total amount of calories they consume.

Never Skip Meals

Skipping meals will never make you lose weight faster. That strategy will backfires because your body thinks food is in limited supply, so it slows down your metabolism in order to try to conserve energy. Over time, the result is that when you do ingest food even if you consume the same type of food as always your body will be much slower and use the calories as fuel, creating a backlog of undesirable pounds. If a busy day makes a sit-down meal unimaginable, put a couple power bars or a couple chunks of fruit in your purse or briefcase anything that will keep you from going hungry.

These are just some tips for quick weight loss. While it may take some time for a person to get down to their desired weight these tips can help jump-start a person's weight loss program.

If you want to lose weight fast, visit http://www.rapidweightloss.website

Also if you would like to know the latest tips and tricks to lose weight fast come join our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Rapid-Weight-Loss-4U-1700914186808940/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kyle_Dowler/2146939

6 Practical Healthy Recipe Ideas for Weight Loss

Out of convenience, most of us just munch on fast food products and forget how to be healthy. Some say that healthy recipe ideas are far-fetched because it can be costly and hard to maintain just like our weight.

However, all you have to do is read along and be resourceful in following these 6 tips in doing healthy recipes for weight loss.

1. Lean on Protein

You can make easy healthy recipes out of different kinds of meat but the healthiest can be done with fish and chicken. One famous dish is Baked Chicken Casserole which would only require you to use simple ingredients such as pepper and salt to dress the chicken for flavor, then bake it in the oven for 45-60 minutes on an oil-brushed baking pan. This healthy recipe for weight loss can also be done with fish but wrap the fish in an aluminium foil when baking.

2. Be beautiful, eat vegetables

Vegetables are the number one choice if you want a healthy recipe for your idea of weight loss. It has no fat and can be made into various dishes which would not add inches to your waistline. Make sure that when you do a healthy and easy recipe with vegetables, do not overcook to preserve the vitamins it could offer you.

3. In the loop with soup

For those who are into warm and tasty broth, soups are definitely on top of the list for a healthy recipe for weight loss. Soups are very popular because of its ability to give you a tasty experience but at the same time make you feel full and not crave for any more food. The best thing about healthy recipe soup ideas is that you can play with flavors. Just don't forget to avoid preservatives and artificial flavorings.

4. Mad about Salads

Now if you want to overhaul your diet and detoxify, mixing lean meats, fruits, and vegetables is a great healthy recipe idea. A healthy and easy recipe for weight loss should only be dressed with the basics and not those with too much cream as it can also be loaded with empty calories. You can try vinaigrette or a simple mix of spice, soy, and a small sprinkle of cheese.

5. Whip those Fruits

If your schedule is too busy and have no time to cook, just pull out your blender and do this healthy and easy recipe by making your very own sugarless fruit shake. This method is undoubtedly a go for those who want a healthy recipe for weight loss because it does not only detoxify you, it also speeds up your metabolism, which in return makes it easier for you to lose weight. Try the cranberry banana shake for a unique taste of flavour.

6. Healthy Recipe Ideas and Alternatives

If you are a person who adores carbohydrates, too much fat, or too much sugar then your body might be silently asking you to stop. But don't fret; there are alternatives if you want a healthy recipe for weight loss. Are you a rice person? You might want to try the brown or red one for more fiber and less sugar. If you think your body needs fats, go for the healthier ones like the ones in fish, which contains fats that are healthier for you. Another healthy and easy recipe alternative is replacing your sugar cravings with mixed fruits and nuts.

Keeping yourself fit and healthy should always be a top priority even if you are on a budget. Remember, with these healthy recipe ideas, you just have to be more resourceful and use what is available in your kitchen. You don't have to spend much; all you have to do is be disciplined to follow these healthy and easy recipes.

Discover our healthy and easy recipe ideas for weight loss at http://www.facesofony.com/category/food/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Thelma_Okoro/2205752

Slow Down and Don't Rush

Most people are always trying to do way more than they should every day. That is part of our culture of overachievement. We are always told to do more and more and to rest less and less. As a matter of fact, our culture and the media tells us the more we do, the more successful we will become. If we don't do a lot, we won't be successful.

This translates into an even more harmful message. If you don't do more and more, you will become less and less successful. And none of us want to be unsuccessful. We all want to do much more than we're doing. We all think we should be doing more in order to be successful. We have bought into this false image of what it means to be successful. And it is killing us and making us sick. But we still want to keep going. We think that to stop is to be defeated.

This picture is even more harmful if you're an arthritis sufferer. This is because the more you strive to do, the worse you'll feel, and the worse you'll feel the more frustrated you will become, and the more frustrated you become the more pain and fatigue you will feel, and the more pain and fatigue you feel the worse your disability. Now this is not a picture that you want to emulate, right? This is not something that you want to be a part of, right? You want to take care of yourself so that you don't feel worse and worse. But can you get off this roller coaster ride of going faster and faster? If you get off this roller coaster, you will experience less pain and more happiness. That will be the key to your success.

So, as you can see, probably the worst thing that you can do is to keep rushing and trying to do things that you can't do and to keep pushing yourself well beyond your fatigue levels. You must listen to your body. Here are a few benefits of slowing down:

• You will feel less pain and fatigue;
• You will feel less frustrated with your disease;
• You will have less disability;
• You will feel happier and more content;
• You will have a better idea of what you can and can't do;
• You will start caring about yourself more;
• You will start saying no more often;
• You will start realigning your life to your disease and pain levels, which is crucial for functioning effectively;
• You'll be able to enjoy life more;
• You won't feel so desperately in pain all the time;
• You'll sleep better;
• You'll know that you're okay just as you are;
• You won't feel as frustrated.

Given all these benefits, you can't afford not to slow down. But this is especially the case if you are an arthritis sufferer and experience pain and fatigue.

Christmas should be fun and enjoyable. Therefore, it is important for us to take time and enjoy the small things along way. However, the only way we can do this is if we slow down and not rush. We owe it to ourselves to do this.

Irene S. Roth writes extensively on different aspects of arthritis. She has a whole range of e-books available for a small price. To learn more about how to deal with pain and create a happy and fulfilled life, even if you experience arthritis pain, please double click on this link https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/537937 Also, visit her website for more tips on how to manage arthritis at http://www.howtomanageyourarthritus.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Irene_Roth/518661

The Importance Of Recognizing Flu Symptoms Before It's Too Late

Children are the most susceptible to catching the flu and they are the first ones to show the symptoms at the very beginning of the season. This soon spreads to the adults and before you know it, more and more people around you will be ill.

If you can recognize the symptoms early and get treated in the early stages, you will be able to get through until spring without having to miss a lot of work or have the children miss school.

The Advantage of Recognizing The Symptoms

The flu is a respiratory infection. It is caused by a number of different viruses. For those who suffer from various chronic diseases, catching this illness as early as possible is important because it can otherwise get quite serious. Catching it early will also help you get better quicker.

Different prescription medicines are usually given by doctors within the first 48 hours of the symptoms and these medicines will help you control the symptoms and also prevent you from getting some of the more dangerous strains of the infection. With the complete dose of antivirals, you will be back to normal health within a few days.

Difference between the Flu and a Cold

Even though the common cold has very similar symptoms to the flu, there are a few differences. A high temperature, coupled with weakness and aching around the joints and muscles, usually means that you are going in for something more serious than a cold. Headaches, a sore throat, a dry cough and warm skin are also other symptoms that may appear. Some people also suffer from diarrhea or an upset stomach during this time.

Common Flu Symptoms in Children

Children also show very similar signs of getting the flu. A very high temperature along with the chills and a muscle ache will usually mean that your child is falling ill and has a respiratory infection. This is accompanied by a dry cough, a headache, a sore throat or the child may just feel ill and weak all the time. Infants and toddlers usually also show similar signs. Diarrhea, vomiting or bad abdominal pain are also often experienced. However, some young children who show these symptoms could also be going in for pneumonia or bronchitis so it is necessary to get them to a doctor immediately. Those under the age of 6 months don't often fall prey to this illness but if they show any lethargy or problem with their feeding patterns then you should get them checked.

A flu vaccination is also offered to all children, whether they have a history of falling ill or not. You should ideally talk to your doctor and find out how to prepare your family for this season and what precautions should be taken so that everyone stays healthy and any illness can be treated as soon as possible.

Owl Now Urgent Care is an after-hours clinic in Lakeland, Florida. The experienced and trained medical professionals act as a great alternative to visiting an ER in the middle of the night and waiting to get treated. Here, all kinds of emergency medical services are given to adults as well as children. Also check our of new Blog Post on Common Flu Symptoms.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Juanita_Swindell/682332

It's Flu Season, Let's Talk Prevention and Remedies

Before we talk about how to prevent the cold and flu, we should discuss the similarities and differences of the cold and flu. Both the cold and flu are viral infections meaning, you cannot simply take an antibiotic to get rid of them. They have to take their course, and wreak havoc on your body while doing so. A cold will knock you down for a few days before you being to see improvement. However, a case of the flu could knock you down for weeks and could lead to more serious complications such as pneumonia, especially in those very young or very old patients. Both the cold and flu will have symptoms such as sore throat, congestion, cough and headaches. With the flu, a very high temperature can occur for many days and be accompanied by body aches, fatigue and weakness. The flu will hit you hard and quick so if you think you may have the flu, please see a healthcare professional as soon as possible to be tested for the flu virus.

How can you prevent yourself and your family from getting the flu? Luckily, although the flu is very contagious, it is also very easily prevented. The first thing that comes to mind when talking flu prevention is getting a flu shot. Flu shots are very easily accessible to everyone nowadays as you no longer need to make a doctor's appointment to get one. Just head to your local pharmacy and your pharmacist can give you one! How easy is that?!?

You got your flu shot and are on your way to happier and healthier year. But there are other ways you can prevent yourself from getting the flu. What if there is another strain of the flu going around that he vaccine does not cover? What if you just want to give your immune system a boost? There are several ways you can do that:

1) Keep up with proper hand hygiene. Wash your hands regularly and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your purse or car.

2) Take some vitamins. Vitamin C, Zinc and Lemon Essential Oil taken daily can aide in helping to boost your immune system.

But what if you tried everything and you still find yourself sick? What should you do? First and foremost, if you think you may have the flu, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible. A test can be performed to confirm if you truly have the flu or just a cold. If the flu is confirmed, your doctor may want to prescribe Tami-flu or a similar anti-viral medication. You will need to drink plenty of fluids and can take other medications such as decongestants, cough suppressants, aceteminophen or ibuprofen for fever and pain. There are also homeopathic remedies you can turn to in an effort to shorten the duration of your symptoms or alleviate some symptoms.

1) Oscillococcinum - temporarily relieves flu like symptoms.

2) Sinusalia - temporarily relieves nasal congestion, sinus pain and headache.

3) Chestal - temporarily relieves symptoms of the common cold such as nasal and chest congestion, fitful cough, sneezing, minor sore throat, and runny or stuffy nose.

4) ColdCalm - temporarily relieves cold symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion and minor sore throat.

5) Roxalia - temporarily relieves minor sore throat and hoarseness.

After reading this, we hope that you all feel well informed of how to handle the upcoming flu season. There are many prevention options and our pharmacists encourage prevention as there is no real treatment for the common cold or flu. Please remember to see your doctor as soon as possible if you think you may have the flu. Do not hesitate to contact Sienna Compounding Pharmacy for more advice on how you can stay healthy this holiday season!

http://www.siennarx.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lori_Markel,_PharmD/2194313

Do Your Part to Avoid COPD

Experiencing increased shortness of breath, unusual fatigue and an inability to perform the physical activities you've been accustomed to doing may not necessarily be a sign of normal aging.

The combination of the aforementioned could actually be a sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD as it is more commonly known.

COPD is an umbrella term describing a group of progressive lung diseases that restrict airflow, making it a challenge just to draw breath. There currently is no cure for COPD, however, treatment can help control it and minimize the damage it causes.

The two key culprits that typically make up COPD include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Emphysema occurs when the air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs are gradually destroyed making a patient progressively more short of breath. Chronic bronchitis occurs when the lining of the bronchial tubes - which carry air to and from the lungs - become inflamed.

According to the American Lung Association, COPD affects an estimated 24 million Americans and is the third-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer.

COPD most often occurs in people 40 years of age and older who have a history of smoking. These individuals may be current or former smokers. While not everybody who smokes gets COPD, studies have shown most of the individuals who have COPD (about 90 percent of them) have smoked.

COPD may also present in patients with no smoking history thanks to environmental and genetic factors, among others.

• Environmental factors: Long-term exposure to industrial particulate matter, vapors, fumes, gases and chemicals can increase the chance of COPD. Similar prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke and air pollution can also lead to the disease.

• Genetic factors: Sometimes, genetic factors can cause people who neither smoke nor are exposed to industrial dust to develop COPD. This happens in rare cases where a patient has low levels of the protein alpha-1 antitrypsin (alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency), a disorder that runs in families.

The best way to prevent COPD is to not smoke or if you do smoke, quit - now. Smoking cessation helps slow damage to the lungs, and returns the rate of lung function loss to nearly the same as that of a nonsmoker.

Yes, it's tough to quit tobacco use, but there are several options available to those ready to make a healthy change including prescription medications and nicotine product replacements. There also are non-traditional or integrative lifestyle medicine options such as medical hypnosis and health coaching. A physician can help personalize such a cessation plan.

Regular exercise, healthy eating and vaccinations against respiratory illnesses like the flu and pneumonia can help reduce the risk of COPD. Physicians commonly work with patients to create individualized plans for further reducing COPD risk.

BayCare Clinic, http://www.baycare.net, is the largest physician-owned specialty-care clinic in Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. With its 100-plus physicians, BayCare Clinic offers expertise in more than 20 specialties, serving clinical locations in 13 regional communities. Based in Green Bay, Wis., BayCare Clinic is a joint partner in Aurora BayCare Medical Center.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Lynn_Wagner/2203097

Believe It Or Not, Your Body Could Be Rusting Away

Did you know, as we grow older, our bodies begin to rust just like iron and steel? Well it does in a biological sense anyway.

Back in 1979 my wife bought a brand new pick up truck. It looked great! But over the years it has begun to age. One of the biggest signs of its aging is the rust that has shown up on the truck bed and other areas. Left alone and not treated the rust could eventually destroy the truck.

Well a similar thing is happening to our bodies on the cellular level. Instead of showing up as rust it showing up as health problems like Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, gene mutation and Cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, fragile X syndrome, heart and blood vessel disorders, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attack and inflammatory disease. Doctor's generally won't call these health problems rust, but really that is what it is when you look at the science.

What is rust?

We know rust when we see it, right? It is generally red or yellow brown and found on iron or steel. It forms from oxidation especially in the presence of moisture.

As we age, a similar process is happening in our bodies. Health experts call it oxidative stress. It is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract or detoxify the harmful effects.

Free radicals are organic molecules responsible for aging, tissue damage, and disease. They are thieves! They don't have an even number of protons, so they are always looking to steal one from another healthy molecule to become stable. They look to connect with other molecules, destroying their health, which in turn damages the health of the cell and our bodies, too. In other words creating rust in our bodies.

The rust or oxidative stress will continue to grow in our body as long as the free radical molecules are out of balance. Health can only be achieved by addressing the imbalances and moving the molecules back to the balance point.

The process of rusting begins at the very core of how our body works. It occurs in energy production from the Redox biochemical reactions converting food and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide and water.

In this process, tiny molecules are created called Redox signaling molecules. In some cells there may be millions of these generated every second. They carry out their work equally fast. It turns out that Redox signaling molecules are the messengers for our cells both internally and externally. Every system in our body depends on clear, repetitive cellular communication -- and our current diet and exercise isn't helping.

All of our health problems are due to cells that are unable to maintain a healthy Redox potential. Aging, poor diet, mental stress, poor hydration, and inadequate exercise are all part of this imbalance and the rust we have in our bodies.

As long as free radicals are stealing protons from our cells our bodies will continue to have chronic imbalance in cellular health causing chronic oxidation stress that we may not be able to overcome on our own.

So, how do we get rid of this rust and get our healthy body back?

The key is to get the body back to balance. The good news is a bio tech company has figured out a way to produce these Redox signaling molecules outside the living body.

You can research more about Redox signaling molecules by going to http://theredoxdoc.com or visit http://scholar.google.com and searching Redox signaling molecules and the health problem you are concerned about. There have been over 20,000 research papers published on this topic.

Warren Franklin isn't a doctor and doesn't play one on stage, but has a strong interest in health and wellness. He recently learned there is a way to introduce these signaling molecules into the body that are linked to the base of the entire aging process, energy, sickness and disease. It all comes from cellular communication. Our bodies are designed to maintain its own health, to prevent sickness and disease. Our body is the cure with its ability, its purpose is prevention, preservation, and the continuation of the abundance of life. Warren truly believes no matter what your health concern may be the Redox signaling molecules can bring your cellular communication back to optimal levels, improving the health of every system in the body. You can learn more about this exciting new bio technology by going to http://molecularbreakthrough.com or emailing Warren at moreinfo@molecularbreakthrough.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Warren_Franklin/49306

How to Choose Whether to Take Part in Clinical Trials

Deciding to take part in clinical research is a big decision for anyone battling a serious disease like Cancer or Alzheimer's. While there is substantial risk there are also many benefits, the hopeful being that it will eradicate the disease for the individual.

Still the choice is completely up to the patient, they should not be swayed by medical professionals, family or friends. A careful examination of options is best and will put the mind at ease a bit.While trials can be unpleasant and involve ports, tubes, needles and even surgery there are many reasons that people choose to go through clinical research trials. Perhaps there is no other option, or treatments already attempted didn't help.

Others choose to partake in order to advance science for future generations. They want to do what they can to help, even if it means they don't survive.

Pros to Participation

There are many great reasons to take part in clinical research. Some reasons to participate in trials include:

• The possibility of getting access to new treatments that isn't available yet as well as the hope that one may be the first to see success.
• The fact that even if you don't get the actual new treatment, you'll receive free treatment that has already been approved.
• The good feeling knowing that one has helped those suffering the same condition by advancing the disease's treatments in some way, shape or form.
• Extra attention to one's condition and access to a group of nurses and doctors that is very knowledgeable about the disease. This is great for having questions and concerns answered.
• Feeling as though everything possible is being done to conquer the disease.

Cons to Participation

Of course, on the other hand there are many reasons one may wish to forego their chance at participating in clinical research. Among them are:

• Taking the chance that the new treatment may not be better than standard care, and may have side effects that are worse.
• Not having control over which part of the trial one is involved in. There are different treatments used, and not having control over which one is used may be unacceptable to some.
• New treatments may require more availability than the patient is willing to give. Therefore, scheduling conflicts or basically a desire to still do some living may change one's mind about participation.
• Incompatible health care plans could be an issue, although most times clinical research studies are free for participants.

What Happens When Participation is Accepted

Once one has chosen to participate in clinical research, they may have to undergo physical assessments to determine if they are a good candidate. The information obtained will be kept secure, and as soon as possible the potential participant will be notified if they are accepted.

At a first visit, the participant will be given the trial, and instructed on its use. There may also be labs drawn or other tests performed in accordance with the study. In addition, a schedule will be set up for visits allowing the involved person the ability to plan ahead.

First visits will be frequent, even as often as every two weeks. So if the location is distant that could also be a deciding factor. It's important to know that participation is strictly voluntary so if at any time they wish to withdraw, they can. As the clinical research progresses, visits will become fewer and far between. So, that is something to consider as well.

Every study will be different, so length will vary. The good news is that the participant will always have access to medical professionals throughout for questions and concerns. Many advances in medicine have been made through clinical research. Hopefully in 2015 and beyond the amount of adult participants will increase.

FOMAT Medical Research is one of the world's premier medical research companies. It specializes in developing and managing clinical trials in South America as well as providing them with technology to assist their sites with their trials. FOMAT currently has its headquarters in the United States with regional sites in Ecuador and shortly in Peru and Argentina with English-speaking management teams, investigators and clinical coordinators working at all of their locations. The company's international sites count more than 10 million patients many of which have not participated in clinical trials before. For more information on FOMAT Medical Research and the services it provides to the medical community, visit them on the web at http://fomatmedical.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nicholas_Focil/2072915

Learn The Causes, Symptoms And Medications Regarding Epilepsy

Epilepsy is characterized by uncontrolled shaking of the body known as a fit or seizure and may result in fainting. Epilepsy constitutes a long-term disorder. Such disorders may remain undetected for an extended time and appear sometime later in life.

The causes of epilepsy are mysterious though many believed that it might be caused by a rupture of the brain cells, a stroke or brain cancer. The disease can be controlled by medications and therapies, but it is never completely cured. Statistics indicates that 65 million people across the world suffer from different degrees of this disease. Extensive research shows that some cases arise due to drug and alcohol abuse but that fact remains unconfirmed. Epileptic cases are found to a greater extent in the developing countries rather than the developed nations. About 80% of the total cases are found in the developing countries.

Luckily a vast majority of the cases of epilepsy can be managed by medications. If some cases are not controlled by medicines, the solution is surgery or neuro-stimulation, changes of diet too in some cases. Epilepsy need not last lifelong and many cases improve tremendously.

The causes of epilepsy

A variety of causes of epilepsy are claimed and some of them are:

- Head Injury

- Brain trauma

- Infectious diseases

- Prenatal injury

The symptoms of epilepsy

Different types of epileptic symptoms are observed in patients. Symptoms might also be associated with other diseases. It is always important to seek professional help for confirmation. Among many indicators that an epileptic could experience, some common symptoms are as follows:

Kinds of seizures

- Simple focal seizures with no loss of consciousness, but a temporary loss of smell, taste, and other senses

- Dyscognitive focal seizures with a loss of consciousness

- Absence seizures

- Tonic seizures

- Clonic seizures

- Myoclonic seizures

- Atonic seizures

- Tonic-clonic seizures

Diagnosis of epilepsy

Epilepsy can be diagnosed through the following technologies:

Medications commonly used to treat epilepsy

Depending upon the severity of the disease, several medications exist. One should consult a specialist because medications related to neurology can be dangerous. Medications should only be taken after consultation with a specialist. Some medications are:

- Phenytoin

- Carbamazepine

- Valproate

- Levetiracetam

- Ethosuximide

- Phenobarbital

- Lamotrigine

Surgical treatments for epilepsy

    That confusion may be temporary
    Staring spells
    Uncontrolled jerking movements in the arms and legs
    Unconsciousness
    Loss of unawareness
    Psychological symptoms

        Electroencephalogram
        Neuro-imaging
        Video and EEG monitoring
        Corpus callosotomy
        Neuro-stimulation
        Closed-loop responsive stimulation
        Anterior thalamic stimulation

Bhaswati is an article writer of many years and operates from her website WriteThings. Visit her site at http://writethings.net/ayurveda-holistic-approach-to-health-care/#.Vk9XqXYrLIV for more information on her area of expertise.She can able to write on any subject under the sun.It is an honor that she has got connected with many companies throughout the world with her skills and talent of creative writing.

She has worked for different companies like IT, entertainment, music, product based, service industry, advertising and healthcare efficiently.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Bhaswati_C_Mukherjee/1781114

Alzheimer's, What Really Causes It

Several years ago my mother passed away of Alzheimer's after suffering with the disease for more than ten years. The doctors have many theories as to what causes Alzheimer's but aside from recognizing the general characteristics or symptoms of the disease, with the most common being memory loss. They know little about what the cause is and there is no medical cure at this time.

I am going to share a dream with you that my brother told me shortly after Mom died, after which I will present a little about what we presently know about Alzheimer's which apparently isn't much, as it is winning and we are not.

I will talk a little bit about how we as humans work and what the three main systems are that make up who we are. The most revealing aspect of this article will be included there. Three new characters will also appear prior to the close of this article and I will close it with the interpretation of the dream.

The dream

My brother shared with me shortly after our Mother's death that he dreamt that he had gone looking for her out of concern because he had not seen her for a while. He says that while he waited for her outside a gate he thought that he saw her in the distance but there was a herd of elk in front of her intentionally obstructing his view of her as she attempted to get out. He says that finally she was able to get around the elk and through the gate.

Once exiting the gate, he says that she turned to her right and entered onto and climbed some stairs. Now I will come back to this dream and the likely meaning of it after I develop my theory about what causes Alzheimer's.

Where did the name, Alzheimer's come from

Sometimes called Alzheimer disease or Alzheimer's the origin of the term dates back to 1906 when Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician presented a case history before a medical meeting about a 51-year-old female who suffered from a rare brain disorder.

What is Alzheimer's

Wikipedia says that Alzheimer's accounts for 60% to 70% of cases of dementia. It is a Neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and gets worse over time. The disease and its cause is poorly understood with professionals hypothesizing such factors as genetics, head injuries, depression, hypertension, plaques and tangles in the brain and several other possible causes that run the gambit. The diagnosis processes include such things as medical imaging and blood tests.

A most interesting observation of note

One extremely interesting observation is that individuals who maintain active lifestyles and engage in activities that demands exercising of the brain have a lower incidence of Alzheimer. It appears that this is across the board and points to a need for strenuous medical mandates for maturing people to become active participants in brain challenging activities such as playing board games, playing musical instruments and learning a second language. Diet and regular social interactions are also mentioned in the Wikipedia piece.

Alzheimer's Process

The process or stages of Alzheimer's include pre-dementia, early, moderate and advanced memory loss. The patient goes from occasionally forgetting things to progressing to becoming completely dependent on caregivers and being unable to perform any task. They become bedridden and unable to feed themselves. They lose bodily functions and eventually die.

The three of us and a look at how we work

The bible tells us that we (humans) are tripartite individuals. You will find this in the book of Genesis chapter two, initially where we are told that "the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul". You see, the dust is what we now see as our bodies, the breath given is what we (many of us) now know to be our human spirits and the joining of the two caused us to become individuals commonly referred to as souls or perhaps, persons. So, while we see ourselves as individuals, the truth is that we are actually three-in-one creations (sounds familiar, huh); spirit, soul and body. The body, while generally directed by the mind (the mind is an attribute of the soul) seems to have a mind all its own and one that is bent on its own destruction; see Romans 8:13. Our soul is that place in us where volition (our will) resides. Other attributes of the soul are thought to be the mind, the intellect and others.

Contemporary secular society (and dictionary.com) portrays the soul and the spirit as being pretty much the same and refers to it (them) as the immaterial part of man. It gives several options as definitions. I found definitions for spirit and soul in more than one dictionary to be disturbing in terms of its content.

I reiterate, as per the bible, we are tripartite beings. We are spirit, we have a soul and we live in a body. Here is another scripture; 1 Thessalonians 5:23 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The concept of the spirit of man is disturbingly neglected in the secular world and probably to a great extent even in the church. Contemporary professionals (psychologist and psychiatrist etc.) commonly referred to the spirit of man as The Subconscious Mind.

More about The Subconscious Mind - so who is this guy and how does he work

The term The Subconscious Mind was coined about 150 years ago when the psychologists, psychiatrists and the like needed a name for this system that obviously transcended or undergirded the easily contacted conscious mind. Napoleon Hill in his book, THINK AND GROW RICH says this about The Subconscious Mind; "The subconscious mind consists of a field of consciousness, in which every impulse of thought that reaches the objective mind through any of the five senses, is classified and recorded, and from which thoughts may be recalled or withdrawn as a letter may be taken from a filing cabinet".

He goes on to say that "plans, thoughts or purposes may be voluntarily planted into the subconscious mind and that the subconscious mind works day and night and sometimes draws upon the forces of Infinite Intelligence for power with which it transmutes one's desires into their physical equivalent and always through the most practical media available".

As I previously mentioned, the subconscious mind as we have been taught is a name that the mind and behavior professionals gave a human system that they didn't fully understand but whose presence is obvious. They have determined that this system is a vast reservoir of all memory and that it stores everything that one is exposed to from all stimuli and by all the senses. It is like a great motor working day and night, sorting information. It is constantly building and creating based on the information that it has received causing ones' thoughts, verbal commands and imagination to become manifest. It essentially evaluates all the information that it receives, whether it be by default because we didn't bother to check (evaluate) the information at the gate (the mind) or by auto-suggestion which is basically self-programing.

Brian Tracey says this about The Subconscious Mind: "Your conscious mind commands and your subconscious mind obeys. Your subconscious mind is an unquestioning servant that works day and night to make your behavior fits a pattern consistent with your emotionalized thoughts, hopes, and desires. Your subconscious mind grows either flowers or weeds in the garden of your life, whichever you plant by the mental equivalents you create. Your subconscious mind has what is called a homeostatic impulse. It keeps your body temperature at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, just as it keeps you breathing regularly and keeps your heart beating at a certain rate. Through your autonomic nervous system, it maintains a balance among the hundreds of chemicals in your billions of cells so that your entire physical machine functions in complete harmony most of the time. Your subconscious mind also practices homeostasis in your mental realm, by keeping you thinking and acting in a manner consistent with what you have done and said in the past. All your habits of thinking and acting are stored in your subconscious mind. It has memorized all your comfort zones and it works to keep you in them."

Watch Nee (who is in my opinion is the greatest known authority on the spirit of man aside from the bible itself) says this in his book The Spiritual Man; "Spirit, Soul and Body The ordinary concept of the constitution of human beings is dualistic-soul and body. According to this concept soul is the invisible inner spiritual part, while body is the visible outer corporal part. Though there is some truth to this, it is nevertheless inaccurate. Such an opinion comes from fallen man, not from God; apart from God's revelation, no concept is dependable. That the body is man's outward sheath is undoubtedly correct, but the Bible never confuses spirit and soul as though they are the same. Not only are they different in terms; their very natures differ from each other. The Word of God does not divide man into the two parts of soul and body. It treats man, rather, as tripartite-spirit, soul and body. 1 Thessalonians 5.23 reads: "May the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This verse precisely shows that the whole man is divided into three parts. The Apostle Paul refers here to the complete sanctification of believers, "sanctify you wholly." According to the Apostle, how is a person wholly sanctified? By his spirit and soul and body being kept. From this we can easily understand that the whole person comprises these three parts. This verse also makes a distinction between spirit and soul; otherwise, Paul would have said simply "your soul." Since God has distinguished the human spirit from the human soul, we conclude that man is composed of not two, but three, parts: spirit, soul and body."

Finally Regarding The So Called Subconscious Mind

Clearly what has been referred to as The Subconscious Mind is in actuality The Spirit of Man. Watchman Nee says many, many words about the spirit. I do feel lead to point out that he speaks about three important attributes of the spirit, namely intuition (spiritual sensing), conscience (preforms the task of correcting and reprimanding us) and communion. Communion speaks to the human spirit and the Spirit of God interacting with each other.

The Promised Three New Characters Revealed

As I close this article, I suppose that what I wish to impress upon those reading it is the importance of understanding that there are three components to our make up as humans and that we should recognize who they are and how we must manage them. The most important part (person) of our makeup is our human spirit and do understand that that is who he is and not the so called subconscious mind. He is that part of us who communes/interacts with God (The Holy Spirit actually our second character). The final character that is important to note in the presentation is the devil. The bible tell us that he comes but to steal, kill and destroy. I believe that he has targeted many folks to destroy and kill via Alzheimer disease.

What Causes Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a disconnect between the conscious mind (brain) and the spirit of man (the seat of his memory). This disconnect happens when the interaction between the mind and the spirit breaks down. Such a breakdown is likely to occur where one has limited day to day thought provoking activity. The spirit relies on the mind for ongoing assignments and absent these assignments the communication connection is damaged. The resulting passiveness of the mind gives the devil an excellent opportunity to further corrupt the relationship between the soul and spirit. Watchman Nee says this; "The mind suffers the onslaughts of the powers of darkness more than any other organ of the whole man. We should realize that satanic spirits are directing special attention to our minds and are attacking them unrelentingly-as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning".

What's The Answer

Exercising of the mind, just as one exercise his body appears to be one common sense action. Feeding to the mind a diet of positive and active mental food is yet another strategy. The bible tells us to think on things that are just, pure, lovely, honest, true, of good report, things of virtue and things that are praise worthy. Further, the bible tells us to judge every thought; this is an extremely important point. Daily biblically based recitals, I think, is an excellent idea. There is one bible verse that says that God has given us a sound mind.

Consciously resisting negative thoughts is recommended. Think of your mind as having an open door and that someone should be there at all times to only let in that which is good. All else should be turned away.

About that dream

The elk in the dream represents the devil and the obstructed state of mom represents the disconnect between where she was (behind the gate) and where she wanted to be (out of the gate). The eventual exiting out of the gate and up the stairs represents her passing away and ascending into heaven. Death is currently the only cure for Alzheimer's.

Copyright © 2015 THOMAS HART CLEMENTS

THOMAS HART CLEMENTS

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Friendship Tips When Dealing With Alzheimer's Disease

I travel around my state and beyond sharing information and insight about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. I do not offer a physician's perspective or a researcher's clues to these diseases, but instead I give the viewpoint of a caregiver and support group leader. These ideas have tips for support during day-to-day existence and offer solace to the caregiver and hints to family and friends who would like to help out but who feel inadequate, lost, or afraid.
The first and most important is to never argue - you cannot win. Just politely agree or redirect the conversation and move on. While some say this is lying, I believe that it is reality. You cannot make a confused individual come to reasoning status. When the same problem or question reappears, agree, redirect, and move on. Be respectful and state that you'll get to it in a few minutes and then repeat this over and over as necessary.
Another tip is to deal with problems without being negative. Divert attention when necessary again with the few minute idea or suggest later or tomorrow or next week. You must also learn to go along to get along and thus avoid anger and confusion. Realize that sometimes agitation happens, especially with change in routine, weather, or living conditions. Display calmness so that peace can return.
When agitation cannot be avoided, examine the situation to determine the cause so that you can skirt the situation in the future. Unfortunately you cannot always see into the future and determine probable upsets so just know that with Alzheimer's, consistency is inconsistent - every day is new. Disturbances may arrive "out of a blue moon". There might be environmental changes, perception changes, physical or mental decline, or something that cannot be defined. With time most of these melt away.
Without diagnosis and doctor's advice, the early stages of the disease can be extra frustrating and confusing, especially for spouses and family. Since Alzheimer's is an "in and out and in again" disease it is hard to pinpoint exactly what the problem is. Individuals with Alzheimer's in the early stages are good at masking a difficulty by avoiding bothersome situations. Their arguing that "everything is all right" can be easy to accept instead of seeking the truth. Sometimes even a doctor's visit can add to the confusion if s/he is not a trained gerontologist or neurologist. Verify that your physician understands problems of aging; if s/he does not, locate an elder care specialist who does.
When you make an appointment with a specialist who is trained in dementia and Alzheimer's for a thorough examination and diagnosis permit time for him/her to examine your loved one and also make sure that you have request time for just you so that you are able to ask lots of questions and receive thoughtful responses. Forgetfulness has many causes besides Alzheimer's so a proper diagnosis is important. Poor nutrition, infections, stress, depression, or medication reactions are just a few possibilities. Also check medications and medication interactions. As people age, medications react differently. It may be time for an adjustment.
Finally, be concerned about a doctor who in a casual glance concludes "Alzheimer's" without factoring the possibility of other potential problems.
The most valuable tool for caregivers, family, and friends is patience - patience - and more patience. You cannot make sense of no sense. Caregivers need to take care of themselves; it is easy to think you can handle it all but burnout is a frightening sentinel. Continue to do activities together, just know that adjustments may be required, and remember that caregivers also need to do things independently at times for peace and for health. When taking your loved one out for fun tips include avoiding dark places with loud noises, having gatherings earlier in the day when it is light and bright and skip as much confusion as possible. Maybe celebrate a birthday in small increments of people rather than a big, noisy bash.
Repetition is repetition is repetition. Nod and move on. The loved one is unaware of what has been said and so s/he may repeat it over and over. Interact with the your loved one with puzzles, activities, sorting clothes, building models, and conversing as if everything makes perfect sense. Remember what your loved one formerly loved to do and tie it into activities of today. Do not fight food issues. A healthy diet is important but arguments over it are not. Finger foods, sandwiches divided into quarters, small bites help increase food intake. If your loved one only eats ice cream, it is perfectly OK. Many older individuals develop allergies to foods like dairy products. Talk with your doctor if you notice some digestive problems.
Alzheimer's is a terrible disease but it is not contagious and it will not hurt you other than in the heart. The love and tenderness you exemplify travels beyond the tangles of the brain and while your loved one may not be able to respond in the manner in which you wish, s/he is still alive inside.
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