Do you really need to join a gym or health club to keep the pounds off? Or is using expensive diet pills the way to go? Regardless of all the hyperbolic advertisements we see every day about these two popular subjects, the real path to losing and keeping the weight off could be something much simpler — and far less expensive.
A recent study conducted by Stanford University revealed that individuals who use a pedometer to keep track of how much they walk daily lost significantly more weight than those who did not. The study, which was conducted by Dr. Dena Bravata and colleagues in California, looked at the research data of 26 existing university studies, encompassing more than 2500 individuals of varying gender and age.
The research also suggests that people using pedometer’s on a daily basis exercise more often and have lower blood pressure on average than non-users. What is not exactly clear in the research, however, is whether people who use a pedometer are simply more motivated to begin with, or if the assistance of the pedometer is making a significant difference.
Many pedometer programs advise users to set daily goals — often pedometer users will strive for 10,000 steps per day, or roughly 5 miles. Perhaps having this goal is an important factor in the increased health benefits to these small, practical devices.
Further studies showed that using a pedometer was highly correlated with both weight loss and a reduction in body mass index. Systolic blood pressure was also found to be lower on average among pedometer users, suggesting that these inexpensive, hip-worn devices could have a greater impact on both personal health and weight than previously realized.
The Stanford study was quick to point out that the positive effects of wearing a pedometer has so far only been measured over the short-term. The extent of benefit these devices may have over longer periods is still unknown. But because there are no known negative effects of using personal pedometers on a daily basis, most doctors and researchers are recommending them as a first line of defense to stay healthy and remain at an appropriate weight.
With so many people these days rushing out to join health clubs or investing in expensive state-of-the-art home gym and exercise equipment, it’s interesting that a small and inexpensive device such as a pedometer could actually have a greater effect on both an individual’s weight and personal health. Sometimes the simplest ideas really are the best.
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The holiday season is here and many people will find that their delicious holiday meal was more harmful than healthy. American Airlines just announced that five employees became violently ill after eating a turkey dinner this Thanksgiving and many who enjoyed meals in the homes of friends and family will also suffer the same fate. When it comes to holiday cooking, there is no substitution for education and being properly advised on the best way to prepare your meal. This includes everything from roasting a turkey to serving eggnog.
Many people turn to the Internet for new recipes and last minute holiday meal ideas, however the information provided on the Internet, may not always be accurate. This is often commonly found when people submit their own recipes that may not have the correct temperature settings or may not recommend an adequate cooking length. One of the best ways to determine that you are cooking and preparing your holiday meal in a manner that will not promote food borne illness or sickness is to check with the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) or the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to find the best current standards and policies for preparing and handling food.
At first, it may seem as if you already have enough knowledge to ensure that the meals you prepare are safe. However, there are many aspects that can contribute to food borne sickness and illness after the holiday meal. For example, many people may prepare the meal correctly, yet they may not know the best way to freeze the leftovers. Additionally, they may not know how long to store the foods and then use them again. Therefore, it is vitally important to ensure that you are following proper safety handling cooking, freezing, and storage.
When it comes to the proper way to handle, thaw, cook, and store a turkey, you can find current and up to date information at the “Let’s Talk Turkey” fact sheet from Food Safety and Inspection Service website.
In addition to all of the tips and guidelines on the site, there is also a hotline that is run by the USDA that will answer any questions that you may have regarding food preparation and safe handling. It is always best to find the answer to any questions pertaining to safe handling, freezing, cooking, and storing food. The phone number is: 1-800- 535-4555. They also have a toll free number for the hearing impaired. It is: 1-800-256-7072
In addition to safe handling, cooking, and storing procedures for turkey, it is also important to understand that preordered meals may also contribute to food borne illnesses, as was experienced with the American Airlines crew. It is recommended to eat prepacked or previously prepared meals. It is advisable to eat any previously prepared meals within two hours of its arrival. Any time longer than two hours will give ample room for bacteria to develop and grow causing serious sickness and food borne illness.
Obesity refers to the unwarranted calorie ingestion making it difficult for the body to burn off. Every year sees an increase in obesity percentage, and now it has become one of chief health problems in the world. Lots of diets, pills, medications, and painful and painless surgeries are invented just to combat this ever growing problem. But at the end of the day, obesity still remains as a problem without being affected much by such efforts to alleviate it. Although medications are the most common way to lose weight in an instant, there’s a far safer option and those are herbal medicines. Among these options is the widely accepted hoodia gordonii.
Basics of hoodia gordonii
Hoodia gordonii was drawn from the extracts of a plant looking much like a cactus that is commonly bred in deserts, such as the Kalahari Desert and the ones found in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. In the past few years, the plant has gained popularity in the market as a major weight loss supplement. The plant has been discovered to possess an active molecule, steroidal glycoside known as P57 which operates by suppressing the appetite of a person. In short, it is capable of instructing one’s brain that you aren’t hungry.
It was discovered as a new diet pill when the San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert made assertions that they have been using hoodia for years now when they want to fend off their appetite and thirst all through out their hunting journeys. By eating the bitter-tasting plant as they cut off its stem, their hunger diminishes abruptly.
According to recent studies, the hoodia usually breeds in a bundle having green standing stems. More often than not it is mistaken for a cactus when in fact it is a succulent plant which has 13 classifications.
Tracing back the roost of hoodia
It was in 1963 when the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched in their laboratory in South Africa the extensive study of hoodia on the account of the San Bushmen’s assertions. They tested animals by injecting hoodia extracts on them and after days results showed that they lost weight.
A group of scientists from the British Company, Phytopharm who are working with South African scientists were the ones who separated the active component of hoodia gordonii to be P57. In the long run, the pharmaceutical monster Pfizer found out hoodia and showed some interest in building up a hoodia drug. Pfizer in 1998 gave back the rights to hoodia to its original discoverer who now settled an agreement with Unilever.
Due to continuous studies, hoodia has now been proven to be harmless and successful. In fact, plant is now sold in various forms such as capsule, powder, liquid and tea in drugstores, health food store and even on the Internet. Just make sure that you are purchasing an original hoodia product as there are rampant reports of fake hoodia goods circling the market. A certification regarding the authenticity of the hoodia product should be your basis when buying this product if you don’t want to end up taking a fake drug which might cause you more harm than good.
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Nature has provided us not only with food but also with things that can heal us as well. There are lots of herbal products in the market available in capsule form. Company claims that these herbal medicines could heal a certain diseases. Although the claim is quite exaggerated, it could help with your goal in one way or another. For example, herbal medicine claims to help you lose your weight. This could be true, but all they could do is to get you to eat less. Unless you exercise, this food supplement will still amount to nothing. Whatever their function is, plants can give us something that will help us be healthier and prevent illness.
But it is not only plants that have such a magical power. Other natural “products” of nature also have healing properties. When taken properly, water has been proven to heal a number of conditions, and controlled water therapy has been used for decades.
In spas and massage centers, another property of nature is being used. Stone therapy has been very popular in spas nowadays for their healing properties.
Stones are used to control the chakra flow of our body. Chakra flow is a very loose term for energy but could also be referred to as a blood flow and proper realignment of the body.
Therapists will use either hot or cold stones in their therapy. Hot stones, which could be from 125-135 degrees Fahrenheit, are placed in different part of the body. When applied, the effect is almost instantaneous. You will basically feel the heat as they are placed in certain points in your body. If you have tight muscles, hot stones will definitely work for you since hot stones could sooth the muscles and loosen them. Most of the time, stress could be addressed by hot stones when they are properly placed and administered by professionals.
On the other hand, cold stones are applied to heal other conditions. They are usually placed in the body to foster better blood circulation. In a long shot, this will help you lose some weight. Better blood circulation means that your body will flush out all the bad chemicals from your body, and that only healthy properties are left. Cold stones can also heal inflammation and swelling in certain parts of the body.
Stone therapy usually is not applied alone, but together with other forms of therapy. Acupuncture, as well as aroma therapy is often associated with this therapy.
But if you don’t have any complications, stone therapy will still work for you. In a regular stone therapy session, therapists will often place stone in strategic places in your spine. Since everything in the lower part of the body goes through the spinal column, it’s just natural to place the stones near your spine to foster healing in various parts of the body. If there’s a specific part of the muscles that needs healing, hot stones are placed there.
Stone therapy is a soothing session. It will leave you rejuvenated and relieved of all stress. With constant therapy, you will always have a good disposition as well as a healthy body.
Finding a therapist is always challenging in any situation. Usually people seek professional help because they can’t deal with some of their emotional problems normally. Since people are already pre-occupied with their emotional problems, they tend to be careless in selecting their therapist. Sometimes, the choice of therapist could be so careless that they just go with the first name that comes out in the yellow page.
Faster healing goes hand in hand with selecting a right therapist. When you are confronted with this problem, it’s always better to be calm. The only way you can select the therapist correctly is to have a clear mind even for a short time. Asking for help will only work if we ask the right people.
There are different factors you should consider if you select your therapist. You can ask your friends to go ahead and do a little research to get someone according to your specifications. But it’s still better if you do a little research yourself.
1. Expertise – not all therapists are the same and there are no therapists who can help with all emotional problems. Each therapist has their own special field. Interview the therapist on what field they are good in. It’s quite impossible that a therapist would have to lie to get a client so you’ll be assured that the therapist will tell it to you straight if they can help you.
2. Availability – ask your therapist how often your session will be. Common practice is weekly but they can suggest better approach. It’s also best to ask your therapist if they can be approached or called when something is wrong or if there’s an emergency.
3. Gender – some people find it comfortable to speak with people with the same gender or would like to share their thoughts to the opposite sex. But this should not be the first category. Always be open-minded on what the therapist has to say to you. If your friends will recommend someone, don’t look at their gender first. There are many therapists who can sway the thoughts of their clients even when they are not the preferred gender of their client.
4. Tools – there are different tools in therapy that are often employed by therapists for their client. If you’re familiar with different types of therapy and actually prefer one, ask your therapist about it. They should be able to offer other forms of therapy to compensate your need.
5. References – nothing beats the word of mouth as a form of advertisement and therapists are not an exception. A reference is always a good option in knowing what they can do or what they have done.
6. Fees – unfortunately, fees will always suggest who you can and cannot get. But the options are always unlimited if you know where to look. There are therapists who offer their services for free but only after a number of sessions. There are non-government organizations who offer assistance to certain types of problems.
Remember that help is always out there. Whatever emotional pain you are experiencing, there will always be an answer somewhere.
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Acne is one of the most common skin problems people have to deal with. But before you can treat acne or avoid acne altogether, it is first important to understand what acne really is and why it occurs. Basically, you need to understand that acne is a skin disorder that results from hormonal imbalance and the skin oil glands. Have you wondered why teenagers are the people who are mostly affected by acne? Well, here is the reason: their hormones are changing during that time and this affects the oil production in the body and it can even stress out an individual which may cause the acne to worsen.
Acne is commonly called pimples but acne; in general, encompass other kinds of skin conditions such as blackheads, whiteheads, and zits. Acne usually occurs during puberty and it usually affects some particular areas in the body including the face, neck, back, and shoulders, although it can affect other areas as well. You should note that while acne is a major inconvenience for most people, it is not actually a life-threatening situation even though it can cause emotional distress in some people.
Now that you know the basics of why acne occurs, it is important to look deeper into how acne actually develops so you will be able to prevent it. Acne develops mostly in the sebaceous gland found in the skin although it is concentrated in the pilosebaceous units. But it is not really the subcutaneous glands that are the problem because this is found throughout the body. Rather, the problem with acne starts when the follicle which is connected to the subcutaneous glands, gets clogged up. This clogging can happen if the body produces a lot of oil or sebum. The reason why acne is mostly concentrated on the face, neck, and the back is because most of the pilosebaceous glands are found there.
When the oil is prevented from leaving the skin through the pores, you can expect to have acne. This is because the bacteria that are commonly found in the skin will get connected with the sebum and this can cause you to get pimples. Now you may be wondering how this happens, well, you should note that the bacteria that usually causes acne are actually the ones that induce the white blood cells in the body to go to the area and fight the bacteria. These white blood cells coupled with the pus are also the ones you will commonly see when you pop a pimple. You should also expect to experience inflammation when you experience acne. Some signs of inflammation include swelling in the skin, pain, and redness. The comedo or what we commonly refer to as pimples are the most common condition in acne. But other kinds of acne can also develop including papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts.
There are factors that can worsen your acne condition, among these are allergy reactions to some skin products, environmental allergens such as dust and dirt, scrubbing of the skin, and even stress. You should avoid these factors to minimize acne. Now that you know the basic about how acne develops and the common causes of acne, it is now important for you to know the proper treatment for your condition.
However, you should also be aware that a treatment that can work for one person may not necessarily work for another because the causes of their acne may be different. In addition, there are also several types of skin including oily, normal, dry, and combination. So you cannot expect that different kinds of treatments can work for you. In line with this, you should also discover the type of skin you have so you can buy the proper medication and have the right treatment for your condition.
If you are experiencing severe acne though, it is best if you consult with a dermatologist because self-medication may worsen your condition. The dermatologist can also provide you with the necessary medication that is not available commercially. So you should consult with a dermatologist if you want to get rid of acne. It is difficult to avoid acne altogether but doing all these measures will ensure that you can have acne under control and enjoy a good complexion.
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Chakra meditation has existed for thousands of years in the east. This powerful meditation has been passed on from generation to generation, used until now, and the effects are known and mostly proven by those who religiously follow them. When the meditation found its way to the west, it became a powerful tool, and along with yoga it has swept millions into meditating for health and stress relief.
Chakra meditation focuses on seven points in your body. When you go through the meditation, you are guided to focus on each point until you complete them. At the end of the meditation you’ll be feeling better about yourself because the focus points in your body have been given attention. The effects of this is both psychological and physical. Through meditation we tell our body to do something and the brain responds by trying to heal itself more.
At first you focus on your crown chakra, or the top of your head; brow chakra or the third eye located just between the eyes; the heart chakra is to concentrate at the center of your chest to focus on your heart and others near to it; solar plexus chakra is concentrating just below the point of your heart chakra, and the orange chakra focuses on your abdomen. The root chakra focuses on your perineum.
Each of these chakra points has some role in your life. When you concentrate on each of your chakra points, you concentrate on a certain trait in your life as well as some parts of your body, and not just the concentrated part. For example, you concentrate on your heart chakra and you concentrate on love; when you concentrate on your orange chakra, you consider the taste, emotions and sex life.
The effects of this meditation are mostly psychological. Constant meditation releases the stress in your body and makes sure your body will stay aligned. Centering is a known effect of this type of meditation. Chakra meditation requires the person to sit straight and be constantly in this position in a relaxed manner. The person somehow is loosened in a good way since the muscles in their body are relaxed and stress is forced out. Indirectly, stress will prevent you from feeling bad and calming yourself, which will also be helpful.
Before you go and jump into this type of meditation, watch out. This meditation is quite sensitive, and when the meditation is done in the wrong way, it will just do more harm than good. Most of the time, the proper body position is not done and stress will not be released. Get someone to help you as much as possible with the mediation. In your local yoga centers there are professionals who are experienced in this type of meditation, and who can guide you in proper positioning.
Meditate your way to health. These practices will not only benefit your in body, but it will also do wonders on your way of thinking as well.
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Garlic is just a simple food ingredient, but what’s under your nose is one of the most powerful herbal medicines that you can use. The facts are in and you can never go wrong when you use garlic in your food.
The most active ingredient found in garlic is thiosulfinate allicin. Along with other ingredients, it can prevent common diseases that afflict most of us today. Infections can also be prevented with the regular use of garlic. Whether it would be viral, fungal or bacterial, garlic is able to prevent any of these infections. Use them regularly in your food and you will see the difference. People who have used garlic as part of their daily diet are healthy in terms of healing the wounds inside and outside of their body.
There are other health conditions that could be enhanced by garlic. Constant use of garlic has also been proven to lower blood pressure. If taken raw, its effect is even stronger. The best thing about garlic with blood pressure patients is that it can cure and not just prevent this type of condition. Most of the patients who are suffering from high blood pressure can take at least a seed after meals, and that can make their blood pressure go lower. It’s so effective that it is even advised against those who are suffering from very lower blood pressure.
Here’s a fun fact about garlic: research has proven that when you take garlic for more than 20 weeks, it will actually make you almost invincible against tick bites. If you are planning to go to an exotic area in the near future, better start with your garlic. The recommended dosage is 1.2 grams a day for 20 weeks.
But don’t just get any garlic: there are many types of garlic on the market. The most recommended type of garlic is those that have the freshest and strongest odor. If you really wanted to have the therapeutic effect of garlic in your body, you should consider eating it raw. At first, it may taste really bad but just like any other discipline, it just needs practice for this to work out. Before you know it, garlic will become an integral part of your life.
Of course the bad side of garlic is its smell. Be prepared to have the “garlic breath,” especially after the intake. On the other hand, the odor will just go away if you brush your teeth regularly. Another bad thing about garlic is when eating it raw. There are concerns about cancerous effect based on the amount of intake. Don’t just gobble all the garlic that you can have in your lifetime. Limit yourself to 29 grams of garlic every week.
Garlic is really a wonder herb, and it’s located right under our noses. Just grab a bottle at the market and make yourself healthier slowly but surely.
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