Weight loss

Helpful Tips to Treat Arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammatory and painful joint disorder. There are many kinds of arthritis, all of them unpleasant: osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis and many more. Joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and a constant ache are common among arthritis suffers. Instead of just enduring it, which some do, there are some things that sufferers can do to find relief.

Diet

A diet can contribute to arthritis. A diet can also help treat it. Eat fresh, unprocessed foods. Eliminate fast food and cut back on sugar. Drink more water. Eat foods high in omega-3, like fish. Sufferers could talk to nutritionists about what to eat.

Medication

There is debate on using medication to treat arthritis. Some say that it only treats the symptoms, not the cause. Even with that in mind, pain meds or anti-inflammatory drugs can be taken to ease the pain while attacking the cause. Pain meds vary with different types of arthritis, but acetaminophen is good for osteoarthritis and ibuprofen is good for inflammatory arthritis.

Therapy / Lifestyle

Therapy is a good treatment. Joint or musculature problems are common, so careers in physical therapy are popular. Instead of therapy, or in conjunction with it, people should also try some lifestyle changes. Regular exercise and weight loss is always good. Regular use of the joints keeps them strong and limber and weight loss can decrease the amount of strain on the joints.

Surgery is an option, but should be considered only as a last resort. A love for highly processed foods and an affinity for sedentary lifestyles may make treating arthritis seem difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. And isn’t being rid of arthritis worth the effort?

Filed Under: General Health Tagged With: Arthritis, Health, Inflammation, Osteoarthritis, Pain, Physical therapy, Weight loss

Exercising For Your Health

Exercise is great for the body and mind. Exercise can range from doing chores around the house to working out to a DVD or even on a video game console. When you are trying to lose weight and get in shape, exercising is the way to go.

Many times a drug addiction can make you put on weight, especially if you become clean and stop doing drugs. While you may have gone to a rehab center such as MichaelsHouse.com where they showed you how to recover from an addiction, they likely didn’t cover what to do about any weight gain you’ve experienced.

The first thing to do in order to get in shape is to make sure you are on a healthy diet. Exercise is almost pointless if you are still constantly eating junk food whenever you want. Choose a diet plan that you can stick to, such as Weight Watchers or The South Beach Diet. Once you know you will do well on this diet, you can then begin to exercise.

You never want to start dieting and exercising on the same day if you’ve never done both before. Starting a diet can be hard enough on its own, because you will often go through sugar or caffeine withdrawal for the first few days while your body gets adjusted to the healthy food. After your physical symptoms go away, you can then incorporate exercise into your lifestyle.

If you hate exercising like many people do, try working out on one of the many video game consoles that now offer exercise plans. You can play games and compete against other people, and before you know it an hour will have gone by with you exercising. The Nintendo Wii has many games designed to give you a good workout, so make sure you pick the video game console that is right for you.

Filed Under: Medical Care Programs Tagged With: diet, Health, Weight loss, Weight Watchers

Build Muscle Strength Using the Slow Burn Technique

Strength training increases bone density, restores muscle, improves cardiovascular fitness, and promotes weight loss. Many people who need to improve their strength don’t want to use a weight lifting machine or go to the gym. If you are one of those people, there is good news. Using the slow bun technique, you can build your strength in as little as 30 minutes a week.

This technique involves exceptionally slow motion. This technique is safe. There is less chance for injury. It is more effective. Because there isn’t any momentum to the motion, muscles worked harder. It’s more efficient. A 30-minute weekly routine gives you the same benefit compared to spending 3 hours with conventional weight lifting. Here are three exercises to get you started.

Bicep curl. Sit on a straight-backed chair. Hold a 5-pound weight in each hand. Keeping your elbows close to your side, bring the weighst toward your shoulders. Take 3 seconds to move one inch. Take 7 seconds to bring the weights all the way up. Squeeze your upper arm muscles for a few seconds then very slowly lower the weights down to your lap.

Leg lifts. Strap a 5-pound weight around your ankles. (If this is too heavy use a lighter weight.) Lie on your right side with your hand holding your head. Slightly bend your right leg. Slowly raise your left leg taking 3 seconds to move it the first inches and then 7 seconds to raise it all the way up. With your leg in the air, squeeze your buttock muscles for a few seconds before slowly lowering your leg. Change legs.

Push-ups. Do a kneeling pushup. Take 3 seconds to lower yourself one inch. Take at least 7 seconds to lower yourself the rest of the way down. Don’t touch your forehead to the floor. Slowly push yourself up. When your arms are almost straight, lower yourself back down. Do push-ups for 100 seconds.

Filed Under: Medical Care Programs Tagged With: Weight loss, Weight training

Improve Your Health by Jumping Rope

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Children jump rope to play and have fun. They donâ€™t think of it as an exercise program. Adults who want to lose weight can take a lesson from them. Adults should view jumping rope as a playful, enjoyable activity that helps them lose weight and get into shape.

There are many benefits for choosing to jump rope for your workout program. You lose weight and improve your cardiovascular system. You save money because jump ropes are cheaper than treadmills or elliptical machines, are readily available at retail stores, and are long lasting.

When you first start a workout program, jump rope for two minutes and rest for two minutes. Gradually increase the length of time to your workout program. Once you can jump for at least five minutes, add different steps to your repertoire.

The basic step is a double bounce for each rope rotation. When you conquer that step, add the heel-tap step. To do this step, jump and land on your right foot while you tap the heel of your left foot on the ground in front of you. On your next jump, switch feet.

When you are ready for another challenge, add the toe-tap step. This is identical to the heel-tap except after each jump you alternate tapping your toes behind you on the ground.

The knee lift is another step you can add to your routine. This is a modification of the basic double bounce step. Do one bounce step. On the second bounce, lift one knee so that your thigh is parallel to the floor. Do another bounce step and on the second bounce lift the opposite knee.

When you have mastered these steps, add the jumping jack step. Jump once and land with your feet spread about two feet apart. On the second jump, bring your feet together as you land. Repeat.

Want to master a challenging trick? Do the front cross. To do this, jump one normal jump. Then, cross your arms in front of you, jump through the loop, then uncross your arms and continue jumping.

Filed Under: Medical Care Programs Tagged With: Business, Foot, Health, Physical exercise, Shopping, Skipping rope, Sport, Weight loss

Issues with Prescription Drugs for Weight Loss

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Weight loss is a serious problem for a majority of Americans. The 2009 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index showed that 63 percent of all adults in the country were obese or overweight. According to the index, one out of every four Americans is obese and nearly four out of every 10 Americans are overweight.

Prescription drugs are one of the tools available to doctors in the weight-loss battle. Experts, however, warn that it’s important to understand that simply making a choice from a prescription drugs list isn’t likely to have any effect on your weight. Instead, the battle against obesity must include a healthy diet and regular exercise. Extra weight is accumulated over many years of little exercise and poor eating habits for most people. Removing the weight often requires a lifestyle change to ensure that any weight loss success is more than temporary.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic say there are a number of issues for the doctor and patient to consider before turning to prescription drugs. It’s important that the patient has first tried to lose weight through diet and exercise. If the extra weight is serious and has led to other complications, such as elevated blood pressure, Mayo Clinic diet experts say that prescription drugs can be helpful in some cases where other methods of losing weight have not been successful. However, they recommend that prescription drugs for weight loss be used only for patients who need to lose at least 5 to 10 percent of their body weight. Additionally, patients should be aware of any potential side effects from the weight loss drugs. The popular weight loss drug Meridia, for example, was shelved in 2010 after studies linked the drug to serious heart attacks. Finally, cost can be a factor as well. Some weight loss drugs are very expensive and are not covered by traditional insurance plans.

Filed Under: Medical Care Research Tagged With: Body weight, Food and Drug Administration, Health, Mayo Clinic, Obesity, Patient, United States, Weight loss

Get Rid of Belly Fat to Improve Your Health

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Waist circumference is a reliable test to measure you health. The smaller your waist, generally the healthier you are. Too assess whether or not your health is at risk, measure your waistline.

To do this, lie down on the floor. Wrap a soft tape measure around your natural waistline, which is above your hipbone but below your belly button. Measure your waist without holding your stomach in or holding your breath. For men, your waist should be less than 40 inches. For women, it should be less than 35 inches. If it is larger, you are at risk for heart disease and other physical problems.

To get rid of belly fat, drink six to eight glasses of water a day. Water increases your bodyâ€™s ability to metabolize fat. Your liver deals with metabolizing fat. If you do not drink enough water, your body makes your liver do the work you kidneys should do. This overworks your liver so it canâ€™t do a good job metabolizing fat. Drinking plenty of water gives your body enough fluids so your liver can do its job.

Some people think that there are magic foods — such as avocados, nuts, olives, and chocolate â€“ that will help them lose belly fat. While these foods do have good fat (monounsaturated), they are high in calories. If you eat too much, you will gain weight instead of losing it.

Increase the amount of whole grains in your diet. A recent study showed that a diet rich in whole grains eliminated extra fat from the waistline. Whole grain foods change the glucose and insulin response of your body making it easier to use stores of body fat. Reduce refined grains and eat a diet that includes more whole grains — and eat five servings of fruits and vegetables.

People think that they have to do hundreds of sit-ups or crunches to flatten their belly. Those exercises will strengthen your stomach muscles but wonâ€™t reduce belly fat. Only by eating a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and exercising at least an hour a day will you truly lose your belly fat.

Filed Under: Medical Care Research Tagged With: Abdominal obesity, Adipose tissue, Fat, Health, Shopping, Waist, Weight loss, Whole grain

Lose Weight by Eating Smaller Portions of Food

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To maintain optimal health, you need to control the serving sizes of the foods that you eat. Nutritionists recommend that you daily eat at least 3 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 6 ounces of grains, and 5.5 ounces of meats and beans.

Controlling portion sizes is critical to a successful weight loss program. Large serving sizes result in weight gain. Smaller serving sizes help you to lose weight.

When you sit down at the dinner table, it is difficult to really know what constitutes a cup serving or what is the correct serving size for meats and grains. Here is a simple guide that will help you determine the appropriate size for your servings.

A cup serving is equal to the size of a baseball. Half a cup is equal to the size of a light bulb. One ounce is the size of a golf ball. Three ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Three ounces of fish is the size of your checkbook. One tablespoon (for measuring salad dressings, butter, peanut butter oils, or mayonnaise) is the size of a poker chip.

When eating a baked potato, choose one that is the size of a computer mouse. When eating lunchmeat, it should be the size of a compact disc. Muffins and biscuits should be the size of a hockey puck. One-and-a-half ounces of cheese is the size of three dice stack on top of each other.

When eating dinner, mentally divide your plate into fourths. Vegetables should take up half of your plate. One-fourth of your plate is for your meat and one-fourth is for whole grains. Keeping your different servings within these dimensions will also help you maintain proper serving sizes.

Sweets and special treats should be kept within portion control, too. A piece of chocolate or a brownie should be the size of a package of dental floss. A slice of cake should be no bigger than a deck of cards. One serving size for a cookie is equal to the size of 2 poker chips.

Filed Under: Medical Care Research Tagged With: EAT., Health, Playing card, Portion control (dieting), Programs, Serving size, Shopping, Weight loss

Exercise at the Right Intensity

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There are three main reasons to participate in an exercise program: to lose weight, to improve your general health, or to train for a competitive sport. Each reason has recommended length of time and intensity of your workout. You need to adjust the intensity and the length of your exercise program to fit your specific need.

If your goal is to improve your general health, you do not need to exercise as hard as someone who is trying to lose weight or someone who is training for a competitive sport. You should be able to carry on a conversation with an exercise partner while you are working out â€“ and not be out of breath. If you have to stop talking to catch your breath, slightly slow the intensity of your workout. If you donâ€™t have a partner to talk to, monitor your heart rate instead. Your heart rate should not be over 35 percent of your maximum heart rate.

If your goal is to lose weight, the duration of your workout program is more important than intensity. Instead of doing a 15 or 20 minute exercise routine five times a week, work out for at least one hour a day for five days a week. To see if the intensity is within the appropriate range, monitor your heart rate while you exercise. Your heart rate should be 50 to 70 percent of your maximum recommended heart rate.

The talking test does not apply if you are training for competitive sports. Many of the competitive sports workout routines include sprints or periods of intense workout. If you train for a 400 or 800-meter race, you would expect to be out of breath at the end because of the intense duration of the activity. If you are training for a marathon, you will definitely be huffing and puffing at the end of your run. When you train for competitive sports, most of the time you will have a coach that will track the intensity of your workout and the length of time that you exercise.

Filed Under: Medical Care Programs Tagged With: Exercise intensity, Fitness, Heart rate, Physical exercise, Shopping, Sport, Train, Weight loss

Diet Pills are No Quick Fix

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Everyone is looking for a quick fix. Whether it’s a rags to riches in 7 days or incredible weight loss in just 24 hours, everyone thinks there is a better way to do things than with plain ole fashioned hard work and dedication. The same is said if you head into your local drug store. There are more than enough vitamins and supplements and diet aids to try and give you that beach body you have always wanted. They sell well and are certainly enticing when you see the before and after results but that doesn’t mean they will do you any good to take. So it’s about time you had the record set straight on diet pills.

They have no proven effectiveness. This is often scoffed at by the consumers as they read the back of the box and see the enticing tale of exactly how it keeps your body looking cut and trim. The fact is that these messages haven’t been approved by anyone so there is nothing that makes them true. Generally speaking these companies speak in circles using a little bit of medical fact and then blowing it up into something more. Perhaps it has an herb that has been linked, albeit slightly, to weight loss. They then load up this drug in a cocktail and tell you it’s going to make you lose weight. There is no government evidence that it works just the promise of a bunch of people who have one concern: to make money.

When you see a before and after picture and it says “results not typical” know that this could be more true. There is nothing typical about it. These people went to extreme circumstances to arrive at their new and improved body. This is not the body you are going to get when get on that weight loss pill. The most effective body shaper is eating right and making sure you get your exercise. Anything else is just fluff in a bottle and in the end it’s likely to do you more harm than good.

Filed Under: Medical Care Supplies Tagged With: Anti-obesity medication, Health, Shopping, Weight loss