Todays Health & Fitness » Cancer

Losing Weight the Herbal Way

lvine — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:15:20 +0000

Nowadays, there is an urgent need for so many overweight people to shed their excess weight. Not only would losing a good few pounds, be good for their physical appearance, but it would also lead to a healthier lifestyle and less pressure on their body and will also make them feel better about themselves. But what dieting option should they take, there are so many available? There are the usual and more unusual food diets, there are exercise programs, with or without exercise machines, pills, potions and supplements and, now , even a soap that is supposed to help you lose weight while you are bathing .

An alternative option to help you lose weight is to take herbal remedies. Herbal weight loss remedies are the chosen method for many people, because of the use of natural ingredients. If you want to lose weight fast , this option is not for you, but if you are happy to lose weight over a longer period, this option is certainly kinder to your body. The progress is slower with herbal products due to the more subtle and sensitive effects of herbal medicine which originates from plants and natural herbs.

There are so many herbal weight loss products to chose from these days, you only have to search Google to find thousands of adverts for the latest "best" products. This is great because it gives you a fantastic choice of product and price. But, let me offer you some words of advice before you make your choice. You need to check carefully the ingredients used, because some ingredients have side effects that are not advised , for example:

St. John's wort - this works by increasing the production of a chemical in the brain. Not usually a problem , but if this is not used properly it may cause tiredness and itching, mild gastrointestinal difficulties and may increase sensitivity of the eyes and skin.

Senna - this is the herbal laxative. This is one of the main ingredients in some herbal weight loss teas. This works by stimulating the colon, the side effects this can cause is dehydration and in some cases , colon difficulties. Also on the odd occasion it can become addictive and bowel movements become a problem without it.

Chromium picolinate - a synthetic compound used in herbal weight loss products, it is a nutrient which taken correctly helps control blood sugar levels, but if taken in too high a dosage could cause dehydration and possible damage to chromosomes.
Having now given you the fright of your lives , please don't worry too much, all i want you to do is check the ingredients carefully, look into any possible side effects, take the recommended doses and you should be fine .

Ok, let's get more cheerful .

Organic food - people who eat organic food regularly, claim that eating and drinking organic produce not only helps the environment but also benefits their body. Not only does eating organic food keep you healthier and therefore save you on medical costs, but it is known to be better for your weight than the factory produced, chemically processed foods.

Green Tea - Studies have taken place and show that drinking Green Tea, or green tea extract products, helps burn extra calories. actually the weight loss study showed that people who drank green tea were found to lose 2-3 times more weight than those who didn't. A welcome side effect of drinking green tea is that it also gives you a surge in energy .

Caffeine - coffee certainly gives you a surge in energy and with caffeine making you feel more active , these work together and if you listen to your body and increase your activity , will also increase the rate of calorie burn. But be careful , as we all know coffee/caffeine can be addictive.

Apple Cider Vinegar - this is the largest ingredient of a lot of herbal pills and supplements and this certainly helps with cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and weight loss.

Gymnostemna Pentaphyllum - sometimes known as the immortality herb (not sure why, but it will hopefully help you live a few more years ) this helps by producing healthy blood pressure and flow, cutting down artery blocks and again, increases the rate of fat burning, thereby being great for weight loss.

As i stated earler , Herbal products will not give you rapid weight loss, but are a natural method of losing weight which is more gentle on your body.

Tags: green tea extract products, organic food, Health, natural ingredients, herbal weight loss

Is Organic Food Good For Staying Healthy

Guest Blogger — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:23:39 +0000

One of the most important aspects of staying healthy is with the food that we eat. The food that we eat at each mealtime, or snack time determines the kind of nutrients that we would be getting. The certain amounts of these nutrients also matter as any excessive or insufficiency may lead to complications and eventually illness on the individual. Staying healthy with organic food has been frowned upon by a majority of the society as fast foods and processed food products are made available in the groceries and supermarkets. These processed foods are advertised with as much flavorings as budget to keep them in the
diet of the people.

Organic food has been known to be superior in beneficial outcomes to the body than their artificial and processed counterparts. Better Bowel Movement

Organic food, available in the market in the form of fruit and fresh vegetable , and organically fed animals tend to give a higher stability in bowel movement. Firstly, the fiber contained in the freshly produced foods are still chemically and pharmacologically unchanged. This high fiber content or quality is able to absorb the fluids in the intestines and form a solid fecal mass,
good for excretion. Think if these fibers as a broom passed through our intestines. The higher quality of the bristles, the better efficiency there is in sweeping away old fecal deposits in the intestinal tract. This therefore allows better nutrient
absorption on succeeding nutrient passes.

It Reduces Health Risks

With artificially prepared market produce such as vegetables, fruits, and meat, the individual ingesting them are subject to all the pesticides and artificial drug enhancers that were used. Some of these harmful chemicals embed in the produce and may not be properly cleansed until cooking.

Organically prepared meat and produce are grown without the chemicals, pesticides and the like which would have been created to kill pests thereby reducing the risk of unwanted illness. Common illnesses that occur with chemicals accidentally ingested are related to the gastrointestinal tract.

Contains Higher Nutrient Levels

Organic foods retain the natural amount of nutritive value that they should ideally be containing. As opposed to artificially processed foods, these organic foods have not yet been subjected to the different processing methods which transform the original food product into several forms. Changing its structure, and application of heat to organic food in question, as well as
with simple slicing, would cause a part of the nutrient value to disintegrate and be lost in the whole process.

The principal culprit is canned goods which go through multiple processing bins, and artificial flavorings in order to resemble the intended food product. Furthermore, the main harmful ingredient of canned goods is preservatives. Making it simple, chemical agents and preservatives employed or decelerating normal process of deterioration of all organic products.

Better Environment

With the method of growing for organic food products, the environment is saved from chemical alteration by the chemicals and pesticides that should have been otherwise used. Ecological balance is helped maintained in this method and would result to a better living environment of the individual as well.

Patronizing the idea of staying healthy with organic food is a good way to maximize nutritive efficiency in a person's body system and out of a person by the environment and its contribution to the individual's well being.

Tags: Staying Healthy With Organic Food, organic food, common illnesses, nutrient absorption, drug enhancers

Our Girl And Organic Baby Food

Guest Blogger — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:41:11 +0000

Organic food is important part of the health nutrition and can be included into Atkins Diet. But for a baby?
Organic baby food is often a rarity in supermarkets and not all parents have heard of it; although a rarity, it is yet expected to become very popular in the near future. Organic baby food comes from ecological crops where no pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers and other chemicals are used. Meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits are grown following the lines of traditional agriculture, and relying on on the gifts of Mother Nature alone. Mass production of organic baby food has increased over the last five years and it seems to have a very promising future. Let's see what advantages organic food has for babies and how it keeps them safe and healthy.

During the first year of life, a baby's digestive system is immature and delicate. Plus, nutrients consume in the first twelve months is very high because this is the time of the fastest growth rate of the human body. Evolution therefore depends on food and its properties to support it. Organic baby food provides a level of purity in the ingredients that is not by far matched by non-organic products. With non-organic products, the body also absorbs the chemical substances used for treating the food. The system cannot eliminate all of these chemicals, and in time they tend to accumulate, clog the organs and cause an intoxication of the body. This is often a very harsh test for a young body.

The number of organic baby food items allows for allows for diet variation. Organic cereals can be fed to the baby since four or six months of age, and they are very nutritive. Organic rice flakes are the most suitable during this period, with the gradual use of wheat, corn, barley and rye in combinations. Lots of manufacturers of organic baby food produce varieties of combined cereal matching different stages of development. Besides cereal, everything the baby eats has to be as pure as possible.

The choice of fruit and vegetables poses the least of challenges, because such organic products are commonly available with hypermarkets and local markets too. For travelers, canned organic baby food is an ideal alternative to fresh puree. Pasteurized and enriched with vitamins, such food items have a superior nutritive value. Plus, more nutrients and superior quality of the ingredients results from the organic nature of such food. Consequently, next time you buy baby food, look on the label to make sure that it reads 'organic'.

Tags: baby, pesticides insecticides, Health, organic food, vegetables and fruits, nutrition, atkins diet