Hi again, and in this post I just want to look at some more tips for weight loss that might be useful to anyone who is looking to lose some of that extra flab or shrink that spare tyre! Its not going to be anything like an earth shattering set of weight loss tips, as in reality there are no magic solutions to this, but what I'll cover here is pretty basic stuff that people tend to overlook or just don't realise.
There's a big secret that's being kept from most people about losing weight by the media and companies that specialise in weight loss products, plans and systems. They do their utmost to convince everyone that losing weight is simply impossible unless you use their great new product or get on this or that ground breaking new diet. But its mostly a load of poppycock. Losing weight is really all about you.
By that I mean there is only one person who will benefit from losing weight and getting fit and healthy if your current state is not so great and that person is you. The media and diet mongers tend to gloss over that fact and make you believe that you can't do anything without some kind of help. But that's just not true.
You can make the decision to do something about your body shape and what you weigh and you can decide to see it through or not. You choose whether you will eat healthily and get plenty of exercise or eat junk and spend all your free time lodged on your sofa in front of the TV. You decide. Not a diet company or nutritionist. You. Only you.
And this is probably the greatest weight loss tip of them all.
The realisation that everything comes down to how you decide to live your life and that no one else can live it for you is a truly inspirational moment. Its life changing and even reading this won't do it for you! You have to do it for yourself.
So all the advice about what you should or should not do to make the extra pounds drop away is there but you have to choose to use it and then to stick with it and see it through so that it works for you. And that leads me nicely on to the other hugely important tip I have to help you lose weight.
You can't allow yourself to cheat.
Cheating is what most failed dieters do then blame it on the diet. They sneak high calorie snacks when they think no one is looking and then swear blind they didn't! Problem is, while there may not be anyone looking, you are mistaken in thinking your cheating is going totally unobserved. That's because there is one person who is always looking at you when you cheat or when you don't. That person is you!
So remember, if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself and no one else. So next time you decide to do something about the amount you weigh, make a commitment to yourself to see it through no matter what. Don't cheat, not even a little bit and don't even think about blaming amyone else when the buck stops squarely in your lap!
Think about that!
My Health Today
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Does Nutrisystem Work for Weight Loss?
In this post, where I want to look at the validity of probably the most popular diet food delivery plan, the question must be asked, "Does Nutrisystem work for weight loss?" Let's see what we can uncover...
Well there are certainly plenty of Nutrisystem reviews out there that are supposed to help individuals who are thinking of trying to drop some weight by using this product. But how many of them really tell you how Nutrisystem performs and how it can help you to lose weight effectively rather than just being a sales pitch?
Ok, lets see what Nutrisystm is all about.
The whole system is based upon providing the consumer with ready, prepared meals that are low in calories and fat, low GI while being nutritious and healthy options to your regular meals. They also recommend that you prepare and cook some fresh vegetables to go together with the Nutrisystem meals to bulk them out or else its possible you might feel hungry faster than you would like after eating one of their set meals on its own.
As people are habitually lazy, this extra step may be skipped over by many, which may reduce the effectiveness of the plan. That's because if you're already used to large meals, then the smaller Nutrisystem meals may not fill you up the same and you could feel hungry in between meals. That's a danger because then you might be tempted to reach for the snacks, like potato chips, biscuits etc that will totally blow the diet out of the water!
So put in a little extra endeavor to add some green vegetables to the meals. They're low in calories while their extra volume will satisfy your hunger. They're also good for your health! You wanna lose weight, right?
Nutrisystem's complete meals might additionally result in the production of gas in some folks. That'll be for those who have been used to a thoroughly terrible diet of garbage food. Their bodies have to get used to digesting healthy food and this can cause gas. Get used to it and laugh it off as a part of the weight loss process for heaven's sake!
The Nutrisystem meals are easy to get ready. You merely grab one out of the freezer then put it in the microwave. It's pretty painless and good for busy mothers who are short of time. So does it work?
If you sit on your lazy behind in front of the TV, don't do any exercise whatsoever and sneak candy bars when you think no one is looking, then you will not lose any weight. In this case, don't go blaming Nutrisystem. They are not the ones who are cheating!
However, if you stick to it, don't cheat by snacking on crap in between meals and give yourself a better chance by doing some light exercise every day, like walking or swimming or suchlike, it will work and you'll lose weight. In the end, its all down to you and how much you want it. To find out more, click the Nutrisystem image.
My Health Today
Well there are certainly plenty of Nutrisystem reviews out there that are supposed to help individuals who are thinking of trying to drop some weight by using this product. But how many of them really tell you how Nutrisystem performs and how it can help you to lose weight effectively rather than just being a sales pitch?
Ok, lets see what Nutrisystm is all about.
The whole system is based upon providing the consumer with ready, prepared meals that are low in calories and fat, low GI while being nutritious and healthy options to your regular meals. They also recommend that you prepare and cook some fresh vegetables to go together with the Nutrisystem meals to bulk them out or else its possible you might feel hungry faster than you would like after eating one of their set meals on its own.
As people are habitually lazy, this extra step may be skipped over by many, which may reduce the effectiveness of the plan. That's because if you're already used to large meals, then the smaller Nutrisystem meals may not fill you up the same and you could feel hungry in between meals. That's a danger because then you might be tempted to reach for the snacks, like potato chips, biscuits etc that will totally blow the diet out of the water!
So put in a little extra endeavor to add some green vegetables to the meals. They're low in calories while their extra volume will satisfy your hunger. They're also good for your health! You wanna lose weight, right?
Nutrisystem's complete meals might additionally result in the production of gas in some folks. That'll be for those who have been used to a thoroughly terrible diet of garbage food. Their bodies have to get used to digesting healthy food and this can cause gas. Get used to it and laugh it off as a part of the weight loss process for heaven's sake!
The Nutrisystem meals are easy to get ready. You merely grab one out of the freezer then put it in the microwave. It's pretty painless and good for busy mothers who are short of time. So does it work?
If you sit on your lazy behind in front of the TV, don't do any exercise whatsoever and sneak candy bars when you think no one is looking, then you will not lose any weight. In this case, don't go blaming Nutrisystem. They are not the ones who are cheating!
However, if you stick to it, don't cheat by snacking on crap in between meals and give yourself a better chance by doing some light exercise every day, like walking or swimming or suchlike, it will work and you'll lose weight. In the end, its all down to you and how much you want it. To find out more, click the Nutrisystem image.
My Health Today
Saturday, August 29, 2009
What are Zone Diets?
When it comes to staying fit and healthy, one of the important points to remember always is that you need to be healthy from within as well as from the outside. That means that your diet is every bit as important as getting plenty of daily exercise and fresh air. There are plenty of different diets around that offer this or that benefit, but for the most part, you need a well balanced diet that provides all of your body's nutritional needs.
Where most diets fall down is in their attempts to cause weight loss by omitting certain food groups. This is not such a great idea as when you deprive your body of certain food groups, you are also depriving it of the nutrients that are specific to those food groups and could actually be doing yourself more harm than good.
The Zone Diet is a good compromise between low calorie, low GI foods and retaining all the major food groups in your diet. It works on the main principle of dividing your diet into 40% carbohydrates combined with 30% protein and 30% fats. Now many people's immediate reaction to this is why does it include such a high percentage of fats? Aren't fats bad for you and don't they cause weight gain?
Well, actually that's not the case depending upon which types of fats you're talking about. The fats in the Zone Diet are primarily unsaturated or mono unsaturated fats such as those found in good foods such as olive oil, sunflower and other seeds, nuts, omega 3 and 6 acids (essential fatty acids) and similar. What it does not want you to make that 30% up with is fats from dairy products or animal fats which are known as saturated fats. These are the ones that will cause higher levels of cholesterol and plenty of related problems, whereas the good fats actually create the opposite scenario of lower bad LDL cholesterol and higher levels of good HDL cholesterol.
The Zone diet is not just a food diet, by the way. It also promotes combining diet with daily exercise to help your body burn off excess calories to promote weight loss. Its a more rounded diet plan in that it promotes balance and harmony with your body along with plenty of fresh air and exercise to promote good health and vitality.
All in all, the Zone Diet is one of the better plans around and one that is well worth opting for over the other less healthy fad type diets.
My Health Today
Where most diets fall down is in their attempts to cause weight loss by omitting certain food groups. This is not such a great idea as when you deprive your body of certain food groups, you are also depriving it of the nutrients that are specific to those food groups and could actually be doing yourself more harm than good.
The Zone Diet is a good compromise between low calorie, low GI foods and retaining all the major food groups in your diet. It works on the main principle of dividing your diet into 40% carbohydrates combined with 30% protein and 30% fats. Now many people's immediate reaction to this is why does it include such a high percentage of fats? Aren't fats bad for you and don't they cause weight gain?
Well, actually that's not the case depending upon which types of fats you're talking about. The fats in the Zone Diet are primarily unsaturated or mono unsaturated fats such as those found in good foods such as olive oil, sunflower and other seeds, nuts, omega 3 and 6 acids (essential fatty acids) and similar. What it does not want you to make that 30% up with is fats from dairy products or animal fats which are known as saturated fats. These are the ones that will cause higher levels of cholesterol and plenty of related problems, whereas the good fats actually create the opposite scenario of lower bad LDL cholesterol and higher levels of good HDL cholesterol.
The Zone diet is not just a food diet, by the way. It also promotes combining diet with daily exercise to help your body burn off excess calories to promote weight loss. Its a more rounded diet plan in that it promotes balance and harmony with your body along with plenty of fresh air and exercise to promote good health and vitality.
All in all, the Zone Diet is one of the better plans around and one that is well worth opting for over the other less healthy fad type diets.
My Health Today
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Handicapped Shower Stalls
Handicapped shower stalls are one of the necessities of a good handicap bathroom layout especially for people with disabilities, wheelchair users, the elderly, people with debilitating illnesses and conditions and anyone with mobility issues. So let's take a brief overview look at what a handicap shower enclosure entails and what makes it different from a regular shower cubicle.
Well the first comparison to be made between a regular shower cubicle and a handicap shower stall is the size. By necessity, a disabled shower stall is much larger than its regular alternative. This is because it needs to be able to accommodate a wheelchair and make it possible to wheel it in, turn it around and then wheel it out again once the user has finished.
The next big difference is that a regular shower will have a raised base and a lip or water container to keep the water inside the enclosure, whereas a handicap shower will have a base that is flush with the floor of the bathroom and either a collapsible water retainer or water stopper that is flexible or a gully covered with a fine mesh grille so that a wheelchair can enter and exit without experiencing a bump or having to negotiate a step up or down.
Another thing you'll notice where the two will differ is that a regular shower nearly always has a closable shower door or a curtain and a handicap shower has its front wide open. It can of course be fitted with a heavy duty shower curtain as one of the handicap shower accessories that are available, but wheelchair users tend not to like this addition as it can be a nuisance to get past.
The final difference we'¡ll lok at here is that a handicapped shower stall will be fitted out with grab rails and also a handicap shower chair so that the user can take a shower in the sitting position with grab rails to help them transfer from a wheelchair to the shower seat and back again. The grab bars also act as steadying handles and are there to assist with movement as well as to maximize safety.
So there you see the differences between the two types of shower enclosures and why things are the way they are with regards to handicapped shower stalls.
My Health Today
Well the first comparison to be made between a regular shower cubicle and a handicap shower stall is the size. By necessity, a disabled shower stall is much larger than its regular alternative. This is because it needs to be able to accommodate a wheelchair and make it possible to wheel it in, turn it around and then wheel it out again once the user has finished.
The next big difference is that a regular shower will have a raised base and a lip or water container to keep the water inside the enclosure, whereas a handicap shower will have a base that is flush with the floor of the bathroom and either a collapsible water retainer or water stopper that is flexible or a gully covered with a fine mesh grille so that a wheelchair can enter and exit without experiencing a bump or having to negotiate a step up or down.
Another thing you'll notice where the two will differ is that a regular shower nearly always has a closable shower door or a curtain and a handicap shower has its front wide open. It can of course be fitted with a heavy duty shower curtain as one of the handicap shower accessories that are available, but wheelchair users tend not to like this addition as it can be a nuisance to get past.
The final difference we'¡ll lok at here is that a handicapped shower stall will be fitted out with grab rails and also a handicap shower chair so that the user can take a shower in the sitting position with grab rails to help them transfer from a wheelchair to the shower seat and back again. The grab bars also act as steadying handles and are there to assist with movement as well as to maximize safety.
So there you see the differences between the two types of shower enclosures and why things are the way they are with regards to handicapped shower stalls.
My Health Today
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Handicap Shower Accessories
It would be remiss of me to write a health related blog without talking about mobility issues that concern people with disabilities. There are many of these and cramming them all together in one post would not do them justice, so I believe it is a good idea to dedicate several posts to this side of the health spectrum that not too many bloggers cover in any great detail.
This post will get things started by looking at one room in the home in particular that can be a welcoming haven for getting cleaned up or a nightmare collection of accidents waiting to happen. I mean the bathroom. An in particular the shower enclosure in the bathroom.
This is all about the need for maximum accessibility, especially for wheelchair users to be able to get in and out of the shower easily without mishap and to be able to enjoy a shower in comfort with ample grab rails to keep the ship steady.
Handicap shower accessories come in all sorts and are designed especially for the needs of people with disabilities. There are shower seats that are specially designed to be non slip, sturdy and be able to take the weight of a grown adult without collapsing as some cheaper shower seats are prone to do. There are shower curtains of good quality that are made to last while being resistant to stains, heat, tearing etc and shower curtain rails strong and sturdy enough to take their additional weight.
There are many different types of shower soap and shampoo holders, racks, towel racks and holders, permanent non-fogging mirrors, molded water retainers that are flexible for wheelchairs to easily run over but will keep the water inside the shower enclosure where it should be.
All these things are necessary handicap shower accessories that make the using of a shower that much more civilized and comfortable for people who need them. Ok, that's where we'll leave it for this outing, but in future posts I'll be looking at other mobility issues. See you then.
My Health Today
This post will get things started by looking at one room in the home in particular that can be a welcoming haven for getting cleaned up or a nightmare collection of accidents waiting to happen. I mean the bathroom. An in particular the shower enclosure in the bathroom.
This is all about the need for maximum accessibility, especially for wheelchair users to be able to get in and out of the shower easily without mishap and to be able to enjoy a shower in comfort with ample grab rails to keep the ship steady.
Handicap shower accessories come in all sorts and are designed especially for the needs of people with disabilities. There are shower seats that are specially designed to be non slip, sturdy and be able to take the weight of a grown adult without collapsing as some cheaper shower seats are prone to do. There are shower curtains of good quality that are made to last while being resistant to stains, heat, tearing etc and shower curtain rails strong and sturdy enough to take their additional weight.
There are many different types of shower soap and shampoo holders, racks, towel racks and holders, permanent non-fogging mirrors, molded water retainers that are flexible for wheelchairs to easily run over but will keep the water inside the shower enclosure where it should be.
All these things are necessary handicap shower accessories that make the using of a shower that much more civilized and comfortable for people who need them. Ok, that's where we'll leave it for this outing, but in future posts I'll be looking at other mobility issues. See you then.
My Health Today
Friday, March 27, 2009
Allergy Asthma
Hi everyone! I'm back here at "My Health Today" this time with a look at some of the modern triggers that can set off allergy asthma from a lay person's standpoint.
This is completely unscientific and totally unfounded, but not without a good smattering of educated guessing as to some of the glaringly obvious causes of one of the latest epidemics to affect 21st century people in ever greater numbers. Especially young people, which is the most upsetting part of this whole thing.
One of the most frightening things you can observe is your own child gasping for breath for no apparent reason and feeling helpless in the face of what could be a life threatening allergy asthma attack. So what is it that has caused this terrible disease to spiral out of control and affect so many people?
You might notice that health officials and government ministers will not be giving away anything useful, especially if it comes even close to the truth. So we, the mere mortals, the plebs and peasants that make up this fair land will have to figure it out by ourselves.
Isn't it lucky we aren't all as stupid as most government ministers thinks we are!
Let's see now, the rate of increase of:
1. automobiles on our streets, especially the rise in those burning diesel fuel might prompt one to equate it with the steep rise in the number of allergy asthma patients. No? Well, I think yes.
2. the use of pesticides and other noxious chemicals sprayed on our food crops. Fruit and vegetables, the mainstay of a healthy lifestyle are all poisoned with a cocktail of God knows how many different flavours of bug killing potions. So they may have been tested individually for toxicity, but where are the reports to prove that combined they are not responsible for not just the rise in asthma cases?
3. construction of concrete based buildings. Didn't think of that one, huh? Well, cement contains lime, which is known as being very, very bad for the lining of the lungs. Portland cement dust particles are so fine that they can pass through a filter through which even water cannot pass. This dust gets kicked up into the air very easily and is distributed across the country by the wind. To breathed in by our children. Nice.
4. pollutants in our water that leech into drinking water sources from industrial works and, surprise surprise, the spraying of crops. This pollution includes phosphates and nitrates present in chemical fertilizers. It also includes herbicides (weedkiller to us plebs!) and fungicides (think anti-athletes foot).
5. aviation and the cheap air rides. Yep, all that extra flying time put in by the budget airlines means ever more aircraft in the sky. They all have to be fuelled by something and that something is good old aviation spirit (a derivative of oil, like a fine petroleum spirit). This produces carcinogenic exhaust gases just like cars and trucks, except it floats down on us from above.
Ok, that's enough from me. I think these several points provide us with plenty of reasons why asthma is on the rise. You just have to think it through yourself with common sense to see why things are the way they are. You can find out about a natural treatment that can alleviate the breathing problems associated with this disease in the form of salt air inhalers here: http://clearairways.com.
You don't need some smiling, smirking, cheesy faced politician to tell you a bunch of bare faced lies and wrap them up as the truth to see it for yourself. Unless of course you really are as stupid as the very same politicians think you are.
Which of course I don't believe for one second.
My Health Today
This is completely unscientific and totally unfounded, but not without a good smattering of educated guessing as to some of the glaringly obvious causes of one of the latest epidemics to affect 21st century people in ever greater numbers. Especially young people, which is the most upsetting part of this whole thing.
One of the most frightening things you can observe is your own child gasping for breath for no apparent reason and feeling helpless in the face of what could be a life threatening allergy asthma attack. So what is it that has caused this terrible disease to spiral out of control and affect so many people?
You might notice that health officials and government ministers will not be giving away anything useful, especially if it comes even close to the truth. So we, the mere mortals, the plebs and peasants that make up this fair land will have to figure it out by ourselves.
Isn't it lucky we aren't all as stupid as most government ministers thinks we are!
Let's see now, the rate of increase of:
1. automobiles on our streets, especially the rise in those burning diesel fuel might prompt one to equate it with the steep rise in the number of allergy asthma patients. No? Well, I think yes.
2. the use of pesticides and other noxious chemicals sprayed on our food crops. Fruit and vegetables, the mainstay of a healthy lifestyle are all poisoned with a cocktail of God knows how many different flavours of bug killing potions. So they may have been tested individually for toxicity, but where are the reports to prove that combined they are not responsible for not just the rise in asthma cases?
3. construction of concrete based buildings. Didn't think of that one, huh? Well, cement contains lime, which is known as being very, very bad for the lining of the lungs. Portland cement dust particles are so fine that they can pass through a filter through which even water cannot pass. This dust gets kicked up into the air very easily and is distributed across the country by the wind. To breathed in by our children. Nice.
4. pollutants in our water that leech into drinking water sources from industrial works and, surprise surprise, the spraying of crops. This pollution includes phosphates and nitrates present in chemical fertilizers. It also includes herbicides (weedkiller to us plebs!) and fungicides (think anti-athletes foot).
5. aviation and the cheap air rides. Yep, all that extra flying time put in by the budget airlines means ever more aircraft in the sky. They all have to be fuelled by something and that something is good old aviation spirit (a derivative of oil, like a fine petroleum spirit). This produces carcinogenic exhaust gases just like cars and trucks, except it floats down on us from above.
Ok, that's enough from me. I think these several points provide us with plenty of reasons why asthma is on the rise. You just have to think it through yourself with common sense to see why things are the way they are. You can find out about a natural treatment that can alleviate the breathing problems associated with this disease in the form of salt air inhalers here: http://clearairways.com.
You don't need some smiling, smirking, cheesy faced politician to tell you a bunch of bare faced lies and wrap them up as the truth to see it for yourself. Unless of course you really are as stupid as the very same politicians think you are.
Which of course I don't believe for one second.
My Health Today
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Acne Treatment
There are many aspects to health and so much to write about it often gets tough to know in which direction to go next! My last post Gout Remedies, looked at gout treatments etc mainly because it is something I suffer with from time to time, so I know plenty about it. A subject that I also happen to know a fair deal about is acne, as I suffered pretty badly with it as a teenager, but it managed to stick with me throughout my twenties as well, which was not much fun.
So as you can imagine, I sought out just about every known acne treatment I could lay my hands on. Most of them were useless, some were downright dangerous, whilst others actually helped in various degrees. Here's a shortlist lowdown on what worked and what didn't for me. You have to remember that everyone is different and that what will work for one person may not work for another...
First off were all the cosmetic face washes and creams. Most of them did a good job of drying my skin, which of course cut down on the greasiness and went some way to preventing spots, although I was never convinced they really did much good as acne is primarily caused by a hormone imbalance or by bad diet rather than oily skin. So in the end all I was left with was incredibly dry, flaky skin which ended up being just as embarrassing as the acne it was meant to cure.
So that meant looking at diet, but when you're a teenager, do you give a rat's arse about what you eat? Not bloody likely! Hamburgers, pizzas, chips, oh yeah, brink it all on baby! Sweets, fizzy drinks like lemonade, cola etc, chocolate, cakes, biscuits. Yep, everything that is absolutely terrible for your health just happens to be most teenager's staple diet. trying to cut out any of that was incredibly difficult, although I did notice a difference after a while. My weight, while not excessive went down some as well, so it was a double win-win.
Lastly, the hormone imbalance was something that I never got to the bottom of and eventually age did its thing and the acne went all on its own. I'm guessing that as my age increased, my diet overall improved and so my hormones settled down to where they should be.
So my own personal experience is that most acne treatment methods that you go and buy didn't work for me at all. Natural acne treatment methods like good diet, exercise and drinking lots of plain water rather than fizzy drinks is the key to reducing the problem as far as possible as it all ties in and allows your body's hormone levels to balance out better.
So there you have it in a walnut shell.
Terry Didcott
My Health Today
So as you can imagine, I sought out just about every known acne treatment I could lay my hands on. Most of them were useless, some were downright dangerous, whilst others actually helped in various degrees. Here's a shortlist lowdown on what worked and what didn't for me. You have to remember that everyone is different and that what will work for one person may not work for another...
First off were all the cosmetic face washes and creams. Most of them did a good job of drying my skin, which of course cut down on the greasiness and went some way to preventing spots, although I was never convinced they really did much good as acne is primarily caused by a hormone imbalance or by bad diet rather than oily skin. So in the end all I was left with was incredibly dry, flaky skin which ended up being just as embarrassing as the acne it was meant to cure.
So that meant looking at diet, but when you're a teenager, do you give a rat's arse about what you eat? Not bloody likely! Hamburgers, pizzas, chips, oh yeah, brink it all on baby! Sweets, fizzy drinks like lemonade, cola etc, chocolate, cakes, biscuits. Yep, everything that is absolutely terrible for your health just happens to be most teenager's staple diet. trying to cut out any of that was incredibly difficult, although I did notice a difference after a while. My weight, while not excessive went down some as well, so it was a double win-win.
Lastly, the hormone imbalance was something that I never got to the bottom of and eventually age did its thing and the acne went all on its own. I'm guessing that as my age increased, my diet overall improved and so my hormones settled down to where they should be.
So my own personal experience is that most acne treatment methods that you go and buy didn't work for me at all. Natural acne treatment methods like good diet, exercise and drinking lots of plain water rather than fizzy drinks is the key to reducing the problem as far as possible as it all ties in and allows your body's hormone levels to balance out better.
So there you have it in a walnut shell.
Terry Didcott
My Health Today
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