Guest Posts

In the last six weeks I am actually down almost 15 pounds. Yes you heard it right. However, the journey was not without any hiccups. My incidents can either make you feel like you have completely failed or can make you learn a lesson from them, although I have learnt a lot from my mistakes and have moved on. The days seemed to just fly by and the scale has been moving down little by little every day.

Well, everything worked well because of good planning. I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I was implementing the right plan for me. And this can help me to get a healthy weight and regain my life again. I know many people have miserably failed to stick to their strict diet, however, I am sure that if I can plan it out, and so can you. All it needs is determination and the right guidance.

Plan 1- Do not be afraid to try new foods

Diets are popular. Almost 25 million internet users worldwide Google search the word ‘diet.’ It seems like every other week a new diet pops up out of nowhere. What was a hot diet half a year ago has been long forgotten today. In 2012 we’ve, amongst others, seen the Juicing diet, Michael Phelps diet, Beyond diet and the Adriana Lima diet. It is not likely many people will be on one of these diets today.

So what’s the current flavour of the month? Let’s explore which diets have seen the biggest increase in interest compared to last month.    

Number 5: Detox diet. Increase in searches: +130%

The detox diet is known for its cleansing effects. The foods in this diet are not contaminated by chemicals; they’re purely organic. The diet gets rid of food containing colourings, pesticides, and preservatives. A diet like this involves drinking large amounts of juices, and limiting certain foods, so that all irritants are eliminated from the body. 

It's amazing how many people go about the process of losing weight all the wrong way!

Some people focus on extreme dieting, cutting back on their calorie consumption until their bodies are almost starving.

Some people focus on lifting heavy weights, hoping that increasing their muscles will burn all of the fat around their midriff.

Some people focus on high intensity or long duration cardio, expecting that they'll burn a lot of fat - when all they do is cannibalize muscle.

The key to losing weight is to combine a good aerobic (cardio) workout with weight training and a healthy diet. Only by doing these things will you actually lose weight.

Or will you?

The Damage is Already Done…

The University of Adelaide has shed some interesting light on our body's reactions to diets. PhD student Stephen Kentish is the one responsible for this study, which provides a fascinating insight into how a high fat diet affects the human body.

With more than a third of American adults classified as obese, there is no question that there is an obesity epidemic in this country.  Despite this, as a medical professional, I remain encouraged by the cultural changes and improved understanding I see occurring in regards to obesity.  While I typically encourage obese individuals to implement a medically-supervised regimen for weight loss and health, I also alert them to some of the side effects associated with significant decreases in body mass and what they could do to alleviate their impact.

A common negative side effect of massive weight loss that I often see is the impact on skin. Rapid weight loss can result in stretch marks and loose skin since the sudden change in mass fails to give the skin enough time to compensate with regard to elasticity. For many patients, the result is loose skin that remains after the weight loss goal is reached.

Fortunately, there are means for reducing the impact of significant weight loss on skin elasticity:

We all have our own motivations for running. My mother used to ask me and fellow runners, ‘what are you running away from?’

It’s not something that I can explain to non-runners, but I can say that we all, those of us who run, would like to run better, faster, and reduce the risk of injury.

And that’s why I’m telling you, as a fellow runner, that you need a running app for your android or iPhone right now. A good motivator to expand your current running workout routine or to get started; check out these top apps for runners to see what you’re missing out on!

Couch to 5k

Older adults may tend to disagree, but teenagers today are under a great deal of pressure. College admission requirements continue to increase, along with the cost of tuition. State-mandated school tests are also on the rise, as are educational requirements. Teenagers engaged in school activities find themselves in very competitive situations, and often outside help in the form of lessons, extra practices and tutors is required to keep pace. There are also the social pressures of just trying to fit in. All of these stressors can leave teenagers feeling overwhelmed and result in high anxiety and nervousness.

Recent studies, however, indicate that at least part of teenage angst can be blamed on diets lacking in Omega-3.

As independent and hard working women, we all want to stay in shape, feel good ourselves inside and out and have that confidence that will shine through every single day. We all dream of that lean, healthy and toned body, but the question remains, how do we achieve just that especially when we are home bodies? Well you don’t have to look any further because in this article we will provide you with seven great exercises for women at home. They are easy exercises that will help shape your body as desired. Let’s begin with our amazing exercise routine tips.

1. Walk or Run however way you can

Whether you have a treadmill at home or choose to walk around your neighborhood, walking or running is definitely a great way to stay in shape. First and foremost, it is an excellent way to get in some cardiovascular activities in your life. It really works out your heart making it work to help you stay away from certain medical diseases and also shed off some much needed pounds. If you’re a beginner, try walking or running around 10 minutes every day or every other day. Then as your start feeling like you’re getting used to it, try adding in a few minutes at a time until you reach around 30 to 45 minutes.

There is much discussion these days about nutrition and healthy eating. Why has obesity become a major health concern in the United States? What can explain the growing interest in locally grown foods? Can local governments regulate what foods citizens can buy and consume? Why is healthful eating determined not only by what a person buys but also by where she lives?

All of these questions seem to lead to an even larger question: is nutrition a personal or public issue? The current thinking on this subject, as reflected in scientific studies, popular writing, and news reports tends to indicate that the answer to this question is “yes, nutrition is both a personal choice and a public responsibility.”

Photo: “Family Grocery Day” at the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club in Dallas

With beach and pool season in full swing, many of us are trying to adopt an exercise regimen to keep our bodies in top shape. Summer is great because you can move your workout outside, and there is so much variety in exercise to try. Summer also provides for incorporating a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables to rejuvenate your body before and after you exercise. Read on for some tips on how to keep your body safe throughout your workout this summer!

Many Americans consume alcoholic beverages on a daily basis. From a cook battering food on the restaurant menu in beer, to a person drinking a glass of red wine for heart health, alcohol is being consumed in large numbers. While everyone certainly does not abuse alcohol, there are many that overuse the substance and unknowingly cause adverse effects on their liver.

The liver is the organ responsible for filtering blood before it passes to other areas of the body. Located on the right side of the stomach, the liver serves several other important metabolic functions as well. These include detoxifying chemicals and altering drugs. Enzymes can be found within the liver; it is their job to alter drugs through a process called drug metabolism.  As with any other organ, without care, the liver can be easily damaged through unhealthy activities. This is not limited to alcohol alone; fried foods or foods with high fat content can inflict irreparable damage on the liver and impede its functionality. The problem with alcohol in particular, however, is that the liver delays carrying out its other important functions in order to metabolize the additional alcohol in a person’s system.

Causes of Liver Disease