Answers for the Four Big Questions About Patient Transportation

We all know ambulances are there in case of an emergency, but what happens when you need to go to the hospital for routine care but can't get there? Non-emergency patient transportation fills this gap with safe and comfortable service.

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How Group Fitness Training Classes Can Help You Become Fit

Health is truly our wealth. Finding time to do some exercises in the morning, afternoon or evening will yield great benefits to anyone. Such benefits include strengthening our bones and muscles, boosting our energy and providing a clear mind and good mood. On the other hand, there are still some who chose to remain inactive with their lifestyles. Some common reasons for inactivity are busy work schedule, no motivation to start getting into proper fitness or they just don't feel like putting out a sweat. With more and more people choosing this kind of lifestyle, the result can be alarming.

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Intelligent Software to Detect Posture Problems

Most people know that adopting the correct posture is a critical component to achieving good spinal health, but many people are worryingly unaware of the other important bodily functions that are influenced by posture. Blood pressure, headaches, pulse rate and lung capacity are among the physiological functions most commonly affected. Breathing and hormonal production are also at risk of being influenced.

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Reality About Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

We are blessed with countless treasures by nature. Especially for human beings, there are different species of animals and plants which have proven their worth by presenting us the solutions of our health issues. The fruits and vegetables coming from plant genre and the meat from animal groups have solved a lot of our problems over the decades.

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Is Aspirin Easy to Use?

Aspirin to some, acetylsalicylic acid to others, this synthetic compound helps relieve pain and reduce inflammation. So it comes to no surprise that many doctors recommend it when dealing with fevers or pain recovery. A few even believe it can help prevent heart attacks.

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Four Steps To Optimal Health

1. Decide - You must first decide that you have the ability to lead a life of improved health. As time goes on your understanding will expand and within one month you will go from desiring improved health to living for optimal health.

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What Is Nasal Fracture Surgery?

It's no surprise that the nose is the most common broken bone on the face. It's just jutting out there waiting to be broken, and typically, blunt force trauma is the culprit, i.e. a fist fight or automobile accident. Unfortunately, though, this common occurrence is very unpleasant and painful, and in some cases, may require cosmetic surgery to repair.

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6 Morning Habits of Naturally Thin People

The post 6 Morning Habits of Naturally Thin People appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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5 Ways You Can Literally Lose Weight In Your Sleep

The post 5 Ways You Can Literally Lose Weight In Your Sleep appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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VED Analysis Of A Meaningful Relationship In Old Age

A relationship is a unique invention of humanity. For a relationship to succeed, it must be meaningful. There are 3 types of ingredients needed for success of any relationship. We can classify these ingredients as: Vital, Essential, and Desirable. As we grow older, the body's ability to produce these ingredients diminishes, Which affects the relationship quality.

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The Importance Of Water To The Human Body

For centuries, humans have been searching for a magic elixir or potion that can extend life, heal sickness, and make us feel euphoric and forever young. Recent studies are beginning to show that the elusive liquid has been right under our noses the entire time.

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This Is How to Cut 3,500 Calories In One Day (Yes, Really)

On the Stop & Drop Diet, many of our testers lost a pound a day during the initial Kickstart eating plan. We know what you’re probably thinking: “Really? Can you really lose a whole pound in one day?” The answer is yes—and this is why. As a general rule, a deficit of 3,500 calories will lead to a pound of fat loss. Cut 3,500 calories out of your day, and you will lose weight quickly.

In order to drop that many calories and still have enough to eat, you’d have to already be eating almost 5,000 calories a day. I couldn’t believe most Americans eat that much, but consider the example in the chart below. This is how much weight you could lose by switching to Stop & Drop’s Kickstart meal plan from a typical day of eating.

Follow the easy meal plan (on the right) for a day of delicious food, and see how many calories you cut from your daily routine. For even more tasty options, check out these smart food swaps for every craving. To learn more about the Stop & Drop Diet, visit stopanddropdiet.com.

Read More: How to Lose a Pound a Day By Eating Your Favorite Foods
Read More: 12 Perfect Food Swaps for Every Craving

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How to Lose a Pound a Day While Eating Your Favorite Foods

 

You embrace vegetables. You choose skim milk over half-and-half. You opt for whole wheat bread over white, mustard over mayo. So why does the number on the scale keep creeping up?

The possible culprits, of course, have been the subject of other successful diet books. You might be prone to wheat belly. You might lack belly-slimming MUFAs. Perhaps you suffer from an imbalance of gut bacteria. But even if you have one of these conditions, chances are excellent the following three factors are helping to pile on the pounds and make you hold on to extra weight. The fix starts here.

 

1. Similar Foods Don’t Equal Similar Calories

Having written about health and weight loss for more than 20 years, I consider myself savvy about food. But as I researched Stop & Drop Diet, I was surprised to find huge calorie differences among foods that seem very similar.

Take the humble burger. If you make your patty with ground beef; top it with lettuce, tomato, a couple of slices of cheese, and a big squirt of ketchup; and plop it in a regular bun, that’s a 570-calorie meal. If, instead, you make your burger with 95 percent lean ground beef, replace the cheese with sautéed onions or mushrooms, and use less ketchup, you can slash 332 calories—without sacrificing any taste. Or consider the restaurant menu at TGI Fridays: The ten-ounce Jack Daniel’s sirloin has 130 more calories than the ten-ounce grilled sirloin. Why? Extra carbs in the sauce.

 

2. Small Calorie Differences Matter

Sometimes calorie differences are not that dramatic: One slice of Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Honey Wheat Bread is 120 calories; a piece of the brand’s Whole Grain Honey Bread is 110 calories. A Freschetta frozen pizza has 50 more calories per serving than a Newman’s Own version. The large bowl of Vegetarian Minestrone soup atAu Bon Pain has 80 more calories than the small. But over time and in larger portions, these differences add up. You could gain up to 20 pounds a year by consistently adding these few extra calories to your meals.

 

3. Oversize Portions Befuddle Your Brain

California Pizza Kitchen has a Chinese chicken salad that I used to love—until I found out it had 790 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 39 grams of sugar! Luckily, CPK offers half-size portions of its salads—and I’m not hungry even though I’m eating only half as much. How can that be? Study after study has found that the more food we’re served, the more we eat. In one study from Penn State University nutrition professor Barbara Rolls, PhD, people who bought a bigger portion of pasta ate nearly 50 percent more calories than those who had a regular size.

Whether it’s because we were told to “clean your plate” as kids or because we hate to waste food or we just don’t notice how much we’re eating, this tendency to eat all we’re given has become a big problem. That’s because the portions we’re given have grown. In the mid-1950s, McDonald’s sold only one size of fries, and it was one third the size of a “supersize” order in 2002. Burger King sold only a 3.9-ounce burger in the 1950s; in 2002, one option was more than three times that size. If the only change you make to your eating habits is to make your portions smaller, you will shed calories and pounds.

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The Stop & Drop Solution
I decided to write Stop & Drop Diet (and the accompanying online course, available at stopanddropdiet.com) because I knew weight loss could be simpler. No one wants to outlaw carbs, subsist on smoothies, or forgo dessert forever. As any serial dieter can tell you, too-restrictive plans are almost impossible to stick with. This is my first book that includes comprehensive information for people who frequently eat out and rely on convenience foods. You’ll learn how making smart choices at every meal and snack can add up to big calorie savings—and a big change on the scale. You stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop the weight—up to a pound a day.

With the help of registered dietitian Mindy Hermann and the Reader’s Digest health team, I went aisle by aisle through the grocery store to evaluate more than 40,000 products. Then we gathered information from popular chain-restaurant menus, along with recipes for everyday dishes you’re likely to cook at home, such as pancakes, chili, and spaghetti. The result: the ultimate guide on what to stop eating, and what to start eating, to lose.

The heart of the diet is a three-phase plan that offers mix-and-match meals that are calorie controlled and nutritionally balanced. Kickstart, the first phase, accelerates weight loss so you can shed pounds quickly for maximum motivation. The second phase, Steady Loss, allows a slightly higher calorie allowance—you keep losing weight while still enjoying your favorite foods so you don’t feel deprived. The final part, Maintain, ensures you stick to your healthy habits to keep the weight off.

But the soul of the plan is a comprehensive guide to the best (and worst) food choices wherever you are, whether you’re cooking at home, perusing the grocery store, or dining out. Across soups, salads, breakfasts, sandwiches, main dishes, drinks, desserts, and snacks, Mindy and I identified more than 700 delicious, accessible foods to eat and drop weight.

 

Real-Life Results
To ensure that Stop & Drop Diet was as simple and effective as I envisioned, I recruited nine Reader’s Digest readers and employees to try it with me. Every single one of us lost weight—at least a pound a day in the first five days for the majority. Everyone agreed that the plan was easy and convenient. “I needed something that would fit with my hectic schedule,” says Karen Woytach, 34, a stay-at-home mom of three who lost 18 pounds after 21 days. “Knowing I can go to the grocery store, stick to my budget, and feed my whole family is a huge part of why I was so successful.” Angela Mastrantuono, 47, who dropped eight pounds in the first five days, “couldn’t believe the foods you’re allowed to eat.” For Donna Lindskog, 48, it was all about Stop & Drop Diet’s flexibility. “It gave me solutions I could easily find at a fast-food place or restaurant,” says Lindskog, who shed 12 pounds in 12 days. “I was eating more balanced meals, so I had fewer cravings. I was more satisfied while eating less.”

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The Nutrition Behind the Diet

You can lose weight if you make swaps based purely on calorie counts, but over time you might deprive yourself of valuable nutrients. I worked with registered dietitian Mindy Hermann to make sure all the meals in Stop & Drop Diet are high in protective nutrients and low in health-harming ingredients. Power up with:

Lean protein to boost metabolism and muscle strength. Dieters on a high-protein, high-dairy diet lost more fat and gained more muscle than those eating less protein and dairy.

Fiber to keep you full. Researchers compared a high-fiber oatmeal breakfast with low-fiber cornflakes. Oatmeal eaters had less at their next meal.

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), found in nuts and olive oil, to help shed dangerous belly fat.

Calcium to burn more calories. In the Framingham Heart Study, people who ate the most dairy gained less weight and fewer inches around their waists than people who ate less dairy.

Vitamin C to boost your immune system and fat loss. People deficient in vitamin C may have a harder time shedding not only colds but also pounds.

And stop eating:

Saturated and trans fats, which raise cholesterol and increase inflammation. The 41,000 people in the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study were more likely to gain weight if their diet was high in these fats.

Sodium, which can raise blood pressure and cause bloating.

Added sugars and other refined carbs, which contain empty calories and raise blood sugar.

Each day of the Stop & Drop Diet meal plan provides about:

• 60 g protein
• 25 g fiber
• Less than 2,400 mg sodium
• 75 mg vitamin C
•  1,000 mg calcium

Read: 12 Smart Swaps For Every Food Craving

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Cut Calories to Lose Weight: 12 Perfect Food Swaps For Every Craving

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The Top Three Reasons You Should Major in Sports Medicine

There are innumerable majors to pursue when you go to college. The field of sports medicine is often overlooked, but it provides surprising benefits.

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Understanding Chiropractic Treatment

A Chiropractor is a health expert who deals with matters related to the spine. By understanding X-rays and getting a detailed case history, they use spinal adjustment techniques in order to reduce any interference that is experienced with its functioning and thus aim to make you healthier. It is the belief of chiropractic treatment that a well-functioning spine and nervous system can help improve the overall functioning of your entire body.

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Urgent and Primary Care: Why They Are So Important

Owl Now Urgent Care is an after-hours clinic which takes care of all the urgent medical requirements of patients. An excellent alternative to the emergency room in a hospital, this clinic has highly skilled and experienced professionals who take care of all kinds of medical problems.

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Preventing Sports and Fitness Related Injuries

While preventative medicine may begin in the doctor's office, to be truly effective, it must extend far beyond the confines of an exam room, reaching out onto the field, the court, in the pool, or at the gym. Part of keeping your body strong is knowing how to prevent injury, whether that be from macro trauma-tissue damage resulting from a single injury-, or overuse. There are several ways in which athletes and fitness enthusiasts can help themselves and others in preventing injury.

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Evolution of X-Ray Machines

Find out when was first x-ray machine invented and how this radio imaging device has developed over the years to change the course of medical history. The first successful ultrasound took place in the year 1947, several years after the discovery of X rays.

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Signs And Contraindications For Laser Therapy

Laser has been utilized effectively as a part of physical pharmaceutical and restoration for over 30 years in different parts of the world. Infrared laser therapy includes bringing the vitality of light.

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A Salute to A Father Happily Approaching 94, In Spite of Dementia, Knee Arthritis, & Urine Blockage

'If there is an old tree in the courtyard, which doesn't give fruits, don't cut it off. Let it stay there, even if it does not give fruits, it will always give shade.' - An old Indian saying. Old parents are like the good old trees, who provide cool shade to the family, even when they enter second childhood, when they are in 80-90s. In old age, we are all, vulnerable to dementia, arthritis, and heart problems - high or low B.P., and Cholesterol issues. We learn more about life, by caring happily for our old parents or parents-in-law. It helps us to grow as better human beings.

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How to Get the Perfect Leg Resistance Band?

People have started to realize the importance of leading a healthy life and are taking many steps to achieve their target by resorting to various exercise forms. There are different forms of exercises are available now that are touted to help one to gain a perfect, well toned and healthy body. When we think about exercise, a lot of equipments and tools come into our mind.

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Reasons and Factors to Join Fitness Gyms

Keeping the body healthy, fit and fine should be the foremost priority of every individual. With fitness centres abounding around you, being in shape has become a lot easier these days. Choose your centre carefully to give your body is share of fitness.

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5 Things Your Nails Are Trying to Say About Your Health

Your nails say a lot about you, such as your favorite polish color or even how meticulous you are with your hygiene. However, they also say a lot about your general health. From signaling that you may be suffering from a respiratory condition to suggesting that you may be suffering from thyroid disease, here are five things your nails can say about your health.

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How to Choose The Right Hospital For Your Treatment

If you require to get treatment at a hospital, whether medical or surgical, it is important that you select the best hospital for treatment. Here are the criteria to consider while selecting the right hospital.

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pH Balance: Easy Tips On How To Balance pH Naturally

This article will give a simple approach to balancing pH as well as understanding the implications of out of range pH numbers. This little known, and often misunderstood, aspect of health can be the missing key that so many need to move forward in their journey to optimum health.

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A Cup of Hot Herbal Tea for a Healthier Cold Season

The winter season can be very harsh and cause us to endure many respiratory problems and related complications, mainly, cold and flu. The flu also can cause certain health conditions, like diabetes, asthma, heart and lung disease, to become worse. The CDC affirms that getting a flu vaccine is the single best way to protect yourself and your family from this serious disease. We still have no cure for colds or the flu. While some conventional medications can prevent the flu or shorten how long it lasts, others ease symptoms for a little while. Many natural remedies can give you short-term relief as well, and a few may help you get better. Therefore, it is worthwhile to investigate the nature of herbal teas, popular as home made remedies in all cultures, and discover what effects they may have on our health.

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Low Carb or Low Fat? Treadmill or Elliptical? Surprising Answers to 8 Contentious Health Debates

1. What’s healthier in your coffee—sugar or artificial sweeteners?

Winner: Sugar.

Go ahead and opt for the real stuff. Not because artificial sweeteners aren’t safe (they are, confirms the FDA), but the premise that we should eat “real foods” in moderation is persuasive. Whereas your body knows how to deal with sugar 
(i.e., you burn it for energy and, 
if you eat too much of it, store the 
rest as fat), emerging animal research suggests that, on the other hand, a habit of artificial sweeteners may interfere with metabolism and blood sugar regulation, possibly even contributing to weight gain and glucose intolerance. (One possible exception: People with diabetes, who must closely monitor their blood sugar levels, should talk to their doctor about the healthiest choices for them.)

But more important than how 
you sweeten your java is your overall 
intake of sugar or artificial sweeteners, says Elisa Zied, RDN, a former spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the 
author of Younger Next Week.

The World Health Organization says adults should limit sugar intake to about six teaspoons total each day (one can of soda can have about 
ten teaspoons). While FDA recommended limits for sweeteners vary, Zied advises using no more than 
a couple of packets a day.

 

2. Which provides a superior workout—treadmill or elliptical?

Winner: Treadmill.

You can raise your heart rate and burn calories on any piece of cardio equipment, but every time your foot comes down on that treadmill belt, you get the bonus of building bone strength too, says Jessica Matthews, senior adviser for health and fitness education for the American Council on Exercise. Unlike the elliptical, only weight-bearing exercises—such as walking, jogging, jumping rope, and weight training—help to 
preserve bone density.

Most exercisers also simply like 
the treadmill more than the elliptical, found a recent study published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills, which is a helpful factor if they’re 
trying to stick to an exercise program. That said, folks with arthritis or who are overweight may find the lower-impact elliptical to be more comfortable for their joints, says Matthews.

 

3. Which diet is more effective for weight loss—low fat or low carb?

Winner: Low carb.

Researchers have been bickering over this diet dilemma for decades, but last year, a randomized study funded by the National Institutes 
of Health firmly tipped the scales in favor of low-carbohydrate diets.

At the end of 12 months, low-carb eaters lost more weight than did low-fat dieters (about eight pounds more). But a low-carb diet doesn’t mean no carb, points out Melina Jampolis, MD, president of the 
National Board of Physician 
Nutrition Specialists.

Low carbers in the NIH study, for example, took in about 30 percent of their calories from carbohydrates—about 110 grams of carbs a day for 
a 1,500-calorie diet. That equates roughly to a cup of oatmeal with 
half a cup of blueberries and a 
teaspoon of brown sugar, a small 
apple, a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt with half a cup of high-fiber cereal, and one piece of whole wheat bread, as well as a lot of veggies and 
protein. Plenty of wiggle room for pasta lovers.

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4. Which is better when you’re tired—exercise or an extra hour of sleep?

Winner: Exercise.

Both sleep and exercise are essential to your health, but tacking on an 
extra hour after a full night’s sleep 
is not going to be as beneficial as 
a morning sweat session.

A single workout can reduce 
depressive symptoms and lower blood pressure for hours, even in people without hypertension, studies have found. What’s more, workouts can be energizing. A 2006 review of studies by scientists at the University of Georgia found a strong link 
between physical activity and a 
reduction in fatigue. Randomized-controlled experiments done by the same researchers in 2008 and 2010 
confirmed: Working out doesn’t zap 
energy—it builds it.

 

5. Which is the better germ fighter—soap or hand sanitizer?

Winner: Soap.

While soap doesn’t kill microbes, 
as the alcohol in some sanitizers 
can, washing with suds and water makes for cleaner hands, according to the infectious-disease experts at the CDC. Multiple studies have found that the combo of running water, lathering with soap, and friction 
from rubbing hands for 20 seconds 
removes the highest number of certain sickness-causing bacteria and viruses. No need to use warm or hot water—it doesn’t seem to help clear any more germs than cool water does and may actually dry out your hands more. When you can’t get to soap and water, a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol is a decent second choice, says the CDC.

 

6. Which is healthier for your feet—wedge heels or ballet flats?

Winner: Wedge heels.

Both allow for even distribution 
of your body weight, since there’s ample contact between the sole 
of the shoe and the floor (versus, 
say, stiletto heels). But more support can put wedges on top, says Michele Summers Colon, DPM, a podiatrist and shoe designer in El Monte, 
California. “Very flat flats are the worst shoes you can wear,” says 
Summers Colon. “There is no 
support for the mid-foot, so the 
ankle tends to roll inward, causing ankle, calf, and even knee soreness.”

 

7. Which toothbrush works better—electric or manual?
Winner: Electric.

Studies have seesawed, but finally 
a Cochrane review of 56 studies 
confirmed in 2014 that powered brushes remove 11 to 21 percent more plaque than do manual ones and reduce other symptoms of gum disease better. Another helpful 
feature of many electric brushes? The timer. “Patients often don’t 
realize how little time they spend cleaning their teeth,” says Ricardo 
Vidal Gonzalez, DDS, of the Mayo Clinic. “Most dentists agree that proper brushing takes at least two minutes and recommend that to their patients, but many people brush less than a minute.”

Good brushing is one of the most critical ways to promote not only good oral health but systemic 
health as well, Dr. Gonzalez adds. “An infection in the mouth can 
negatively affect the cardiovascular system, diabetic patients, and the health of pregnant women.”

While most generally healthy 
people can keep their mouths in shape by brushing with a regular toothbrush twice a day, he says, those with gum disease or issues 
like arthritis, which can make 
regular brushing tough, will probably get more benefit from an electric.

8. Which is preferable for 
good digestion—yogurt or 
a probiotic supplement?

Winner: Yogurt and other fermented foods.

“Food is always the best way to get your nutrients,” says Gerard Mullin, MD, director of Integrative GI Nutrition Services at Johns Hopkins 
University School of Medicine in 
Baltimore and author of The Gut 
Balance Revolution. The synergistic effects of all the components in whole foods can’t be duplicated in 
a supplement. When you’re shopping for probiotic-containing foods such as kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, 
kefir, yogurt, and kombucha, look 
for live and active cultures on labels. If you can’t stand the taste of foods that contain probiotics, ask your doctor to recommend a high-quality 
supplement, says Dr. Mullin.

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Five Things To Consider When Choosing Health Clubs

Are you thinking about joining a gym? Here are five things you should think about when shopping for health clubs.

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Avoid Long-Term Issues By Treating Your Car Accident Knee Injuries

Do not overlook the health of your knees if you are in a car accident. They are extremely intricate and sensitive spots, and this article reveals the extent of damages they can receive from car accidents.

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The Link Between Responsibility, Epigenetics and Health

The words RESPONSIBLE and RESPONSIBILITY are two words, I feel, that need to be resurrected from the dead. These words need to be re-taught, re-learned, promoted and once again held in high-regard like they once were. Is it just me, or have you noticed that our society seems to be losing personal accountability for just about everything?

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What You Must Know About Genetically Modified Animals

Well there has been a debate on whether genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption or not. There are some people who totally have no problem with GMOs while others who are against this types of food.

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Health Equals Wealth

How you prioritize your health is the secret to long lasting wellness and overall quality of life. Do not sacrifice comfort for price when you buy workout gear such as shoes and proper breathable workout clothing.

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Why Health Equals Wealth

When it comes to health and wellness and improving your quality of life, it isn't always the cheapest to do so. The costs of eating properly, gym memberships, personal training, high quality workout apparel, and high quality supplements can take up room in your purse or wallet. While this may be dismal for excuses not to live a healthy lifestyle, opting out for cheaper convenience may opt more on your own health in the long run.

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Your Lighting And Your Health: Are Your Lights Preventing Sleep?

The increasingly intense and prolonged exposure to artificial light after sunset is closely associated with sleep deprivation, a condition that predisposes to health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease... And the spread of the LEDs can worsen the situation.

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Combining Pilates With Yoga Can Do Wonders

Both yoga and pilates require a great deal of focus and an incorporation of breathing. The focus of the breathing is more intense with yoga than with pilates but both use it. Yoga in some ways is considered to be a meditated form of exercise while pilates is a full body workout. When putting the two together you can find yourself aligning your body in a way that feels more natural and accurate to your overall body and health. Many times in both forms of exercise the term centering is used a great deal to describe some of the movements and the concentration needed to perform them.

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Education, Awareness, and Charity

Many communities have amazing walking and running events to celebrate holidays such as 4th of July, Veteran's Day, and Thanksgiving. Loving to run and inspired at the thought of bringing such an event to my small town, the idea of a turkey trot hopped into my head.

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How to Connect With Others to Improve Your General Health and Wellbeing

Learning, hobbies and volunteering are great ways to connect with others, to wallow in passions and engage in adventures, and all the while, improve our health and wellbeing. All we need to do is take one small step!

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Benefits of Boot Camp for Women

In the world of fitness, there is a new trend that is sweeping the nation as people look for an alternative to a traditional gym. This ever-growing alternative is leaning towards women-only fitness boot camps and they are revolutionizing the fitness industry as we know it. This is a trend that is reaching new heights as boot camps are popping up everywhere.

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8 Healthy Habits You May Not Realize You’re Overdoing

The post 8 Healthy Habits You May Not Realize You’re Overdoing appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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The Danger Of Dehydration In Cold Weather

On a hot summer day, when the sun is blazing and the sky is completely cloudless, the beads of sweat on your brow prompt you to ensure that you are consuming plenty of water. This is especially the case when you are doing hard physical work or exercise outdoors - because your body loses fluid much faster. The fluid loss from your body, which stimulates thirst when the weather is warm, does not trigger the same reaction when the temperature drops. This is not just because you feel cold, it's because cold temperatures affect thirst sensations.

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Undergoing an Orthopedic Surgery? Tips to Select Your Surgeon

Choosing an experienced orthopedic surgeon is crucial for a successful surgery and faster recovery. Orthopedic surgeons that perform a high volume of surgeries each year are known to have much higher success rates than their counterparts who only perform very few of the orthopedic surgeries. There are several other considerations you should be aware about, such as post-surgery recovery, need for physiotherapy etc. Here are some tips to help you find the best orthopedic surgeon for your surgery.

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Why Nice Doctors Are The Best Doctors

Studies have shown that a doctor with a good bedside manner, in addition to being pleasant to be around, can actually be good for your health and wellness. In this article we will discuss how you can make sure that you find the right doctor and keep you from falling into the hands of 'less than kind' physicians.

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Stretch It - Feed It - Rest It: Growing Tall After Puberty

Having a tall height has a lot of advantages; from personal to professional matters. As much as we hate to admit it, taller people have a wider array of options compared to short ones. The former can catch more attention and land more jobs compared to the latter.

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How Bathroom Bidet Sprayers Can Save Our Children's Education

An article which encourages a different view of thinking to combat the problems of teacher absences. For far too long, society has continued along the same path, with the resulting consequences of poor performance and disruptions to our children's education. However, it is time for a proper rethink into our bathroom and toilet habits, and seriously consider the relationships between poor performance and toilet paper use.

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Are You Making These Mistakes With Your Family's Hygiene And Health?

An investigation into how we can reduce our children's illnesses through better hand hygiene and using bathroom bidet sprayers instead of toilet paper. Most people might not know the germs and bacteria on their hands after using toilet paper.

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The Moringa Oleifera Tree - Top 10 Healthy Benefits Of The Miracle Tree of Life

About a year ago, an Australian friend boasted about a plant that she grows in her garden. She talked about the magnificent properties of this plant. I was so intrigued, the next day, my husband and I found it at our local Nursery plant store. This 6 inch plant went on to grow to nearly seven feet tall. The next year we ordered seeds and grew several pots. This was new to us, but not to many others around the world.

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15 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked From Best to Worst for Your Weight

The post 15 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked From Best to Worst for Your Weight appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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How to Gain Height Naturally

There are hundreds of tips on how to gain height - but sometimes you don't have hours on end to spend sifting through information in order to find the best information. We have spent countless hours sorting through all the height increasing tips and found you the best answers to the question how to gain height. First things first, you may think that taking the "wonder pills" that are advertised on early morning telly is the way to go however, if you do buy into these companies you will not find out how to gain height you will learn how to get ripped off instead you should do more natural things so you can gain height this is by eating well, having adequate sleep and doing stretching exercises - if you do these three things your body will produce Human Growth Hormone and this will lead to a massive increase in your height.

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Tips On Choosing The Right Chiropractor For You

If you are looking for a chiropractor, spending some time to get the right one will save you a lot of money and time. Anything related to your health should be dealt with carefully and chiropractic treatment is no different. Get a good professional so that you get the right treatment and see the best results.

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How Can Olive Oil Benefit a Human Body?

Olive oil is considered to be the healthiest form of fat that can be consumed. It doesn't have any ill effects on the body and thus can be used for varied purposes.

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5 High-Calorie Soups Ruining Your Diet (And What to Eat Instead)

5 Fattening Breakfasts Ruining Your Diet (And What to Eat Instead)

My Life As a House (Aka: "Casa" Court Appointed Special Advocate)

In 2011 a new estimate states that 1 in 12 women and one in 20 men in the U.S. will develop some sort of autoimmune disease in their lifetime. What is interesting to note is women are more likely to be diagnosed or experience symptoms than men. Why is that? Read on to find out why.

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The Carnage of Foolishness

Choices abound when it comes to your fitness. Many people will blindly head off to a gym and load up on everything that is offered only to walk away in 4 to 6 short weeks worse than when they started. From there, it's all down hill.

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Breakthroughs to a Better You

A breakthrough is a sudden discovery or achievement. Breakthroughs are the ability to exceed beyond your own ideas and decisions about something and they are the stepping-stones to a more powerful and expansive YOU. They expand your perspective and enlarge "your world". They provide greater vision. Breakthroughs are the pools of motivation to swim in if you want change.

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Human Fetal Tissue - Are You Consuming It?

Can it possibly be true that human fetal tissue is now in some foods, personal care products and vaccines? Surely it would have to say so on any label or informed consent form, right?

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How Functional Fitness Benefits Seniors

Functional fitness is all about teaching your body to handle real-life activities. Functional fitness involves putting your body through the paces that are necessary for everyday life.

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You Really Can Take Care of Your Child's Health and Here's How

One of the major issues that concerns a parent is the health of his/her child. Being the most important duty of a parent is to motivate a child to lead a healthy life, parents can have a positive impact on the health of their children simply by setting a beneficial example. Being a single person or in a relationship without children, it would probably be a tough task to sort out the difficulties other people of your age have when it comes to ensuring good health to a Child.

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7 Best Fitness & Nutrition Apps

Keeping track of your fitness and nutrition goals has never been easier. With lots of great free apps on the market, you never have to pick up pen and paper again. Here are 7 of the Best Fitness & nutrition apps available on the market today.

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You Are Losing Time And Cash On Doctor Visits

The things you do - or even do not do - during your doctor's visit will surely have a profound effect on just how well it will go. You understand your own body, signs and symptoms, and also your issues better than anyone else and thus have got a whole lot to add to any kind of conversation with the doctor. In this article, ten crucial actions to take to have a much better doctor appointment.

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Tackling Dehydration - 3 Useful Remedies To Consider And 3 Basic Mistakes To Avoid

Water plays a vital role in many bodily functions and processes. It plays a significant part in dissolution and distribution of essential nutrients, vitamins, and mineral to the cells in our body. Digestion, metabolism, regulation of body temperature, lubrication of joints, and removal of toxins---the body relies heavily on water for performing these important functions.

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Top Things You Should Do To Achieve Healthier Living

Maintaining good health is the key to longevity and the key to keeping suffering at bay. Bad lifestyle habits have led many people to diseases and health problems, some of which can be fatal. A few changes in the way you live your life can bring plenty of positive changes to your life and achieve healthier better living. Below are some of the changes or things you can do to start living a healthier life.

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Elements That Play a Role In Boosting Good Health

Healthy living is very important, especially in the modern world where diseases and illnesses seem to surround us. Plenty of modern conveniences and lifestyle changes have contributed to poor health that is to blame for the endless suffering a large number of people go through today as far as health is concerned. If you want to improve your health, there are key elements that you should think about for your approach to better living.

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Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care Explained

Stiff muscles, sore backs, and a myriad of other issues plague the body as it ages. Chiropractic care is a commonly recommended treatment for these sorts of problems. However, many people don't understand the intricacies of chiropractic care, what it entails, or even why it can be beneficial. However, the following benefits can be just the relief from pain a person needs.

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Medical Supplies - New Technology Allows Customers to Buy From Manufacturers Directly

Wouldn't it be great to have free access to an online portal, a Medical Supply Store, which allows you to buy your products and supplies directly from the manufacturers? You simply place your order and wait for it to be delivered. Well, that now exists.

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What You Should Know About Flu Vaccines For Children

The flu vaccine is given annually to children who are above the age of two. It helps to protect these children from various kinds of illnesses that are often in the air during the season. More than a hundred kids die from flu in the country every year so it is important to try to prevent as many diseases as possible. It can also cause a lot of complications that can last for years if not treated properly. This makes it essential for all children.

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Slow Down! Enjoy Your Food and Enjoy Your Life

How long does it take you to eat a meal? 5 minutes, 10, 20? You may have learned that it takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to get the message that you are full. Many of us don't spend enough time eating to wait for that message. In addition to preventing overeating, eating more slowly can have other significant benefits.

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Simple Ways of Having A Healthy Day

Skincare products are there to help you achieve a beautiful natural skin tone. It is however important to note that a healthy lifestyle is equally important if you would like to be happy with your life. Put yourself on a healthy diet and perform some simple body exercises to realize just how much transformation you are able to achieve within a short time.

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Why Many Health Experts Strongly Recommend Group Fitness Training

One of the best ways to improve health and maintain a healthy fitness level is through exercise and fitness training. However, not everyone likes to exercise especially when they do not have anyone with them. And so, many health experts actually recommend group fitness training.

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Concussion Puzzle's Missing Piece

Neuroelectrical scans should be the gold standard for assessing concussions. They should be comprehensive and encompass visual and auditory processing.

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Understanding Sclerotherapy - A Basic Overview Of This Treatment

One of the many ailments that affect the human body as a result of venous disorders is Varicose Veins. This condition creates a situation where the blood flow in legs gets sluggish while making its way back towards the heart due to faulty valves in veins. The result - the affected leg veins become swollen and begin to protrude from under the skin, taking on a knotty appearance that is characteristic of the varicose vein condition.

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Symptoms, Causes And Treatment Of Spider Veins

Most of the people wouldn't know that spider veins and varicose veins are actually two different conditions with the latter more serious than the former. Varicose veins are raised, large and swollen blood vessels usually developing in legs in a twisted pattern. Spider veins are also twisted, however, they are of a different color. Spider veins are smaller than varicose veins and can be red, blue or purple colored blood vessels. Both these veins are visible through the skin.

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Can A Robot Go to Work for You? Or Perform Your Next Surgery?

According to a new study, the market for telepresence robots is developing rapidly and will have a significant impact on collaboration and communication in the enterprise, education, healthcare, and consumer markets. But what are telepresence robots and what do they do? Telerobotics is the area of robotics concerned with the control of semi-autonomous robots from a distance, chiefly using a wireless network or tethered connections.

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Chiropractic Healing Therapy: To Get Better Health Standards

The Chiropractic is a healing therapy which deals in the curing of the muscle and bone system of the human beings. This also involves the healing of the nervous system.

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A Guide on Natural Solutions For Life

Himalayan precious stone salt is far better than conventional iodized salt. It has been used since ancient times and is scientifically proven to be best for health.

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How to Use Himalayan Salt to Gain Better Health

This article expands the idea of Himalayan salt as a huge health benefit. The medical and other advantages of Himalayan salt reveal its importance and usefulness.

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Build the Perfect Healthy Sandwich for Weight Loss

 

I could eat a sandwich every day for the rest of my life. Love the taste, the mouthfeel, the satiety, and the portability. What I don’t like is that those bread calories can add up pretty quickly, especially if I stray from standard sliced bread. (Calories in wraps and tortillas can be deceptively high). There are so many ways to make a really satisfying sandwich that slims.

Let’s talk protein first. The key is to choose lean, lean, lean: you don’t want to waste precious calories on fats in bacon, fatty steak, or fried chicken. Veggies are easy, but don’t stop with the obvious lettuce and tomato. You can fold in extra nutrients and fantastic flavor by trying fresh or roasted peppers, darker greens like spinach or kale, or leftover grilled veggies.

Finally, compare calories in different spreads. Mustard is almost a freebie, while mayo and “salad dressing” (e.g, Miracle Whip) are nearly all oil, with lots of calories. Sometimes I’ll use hummus or guacamole as my spread, but I use a light hand so I don’t blow calories out of the water.

Use this chart to mix and match your favorite ingredients for a perfectly portioned sandwich every time.

 

 

 

Reader’s Digest’s Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello calls her latest book, Stop & Drop Diet, her easiest plan ever. The book and online course teach you how to stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop up to five pounds in the first five days—and keep losing. You’ll get a mix-and-match 21-day meal plan designed for weight loss and balanced nutrition, plus hundreds of easy weight loss tips and tricks via videos, quizzes, slideshows, and other interactive tools. Learn more and buy the book and course here.

The post Build the Perfect Healthy Sandwich for Weight Loss appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Chiropractic Care For Your Well-Being

If you have just heard about chiropractic care, you may be a little skeptical about visiting a chiropractor. But this form of treatment can make a big difference to those who suffer from different kinds of pain and discomfort. Not only does this type of treatment help to get rid of the pain but it is also a good treatment for your regular well-being.

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Getting Familiar With The Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine is available as a shot or as nasal spray. The vaccination process is completely safe for children above the age of six months and adults. Here is a little information that will help you understand the importance of this annual vaccination.

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How to Redefine Failure

Last week during a coaching session, a client told me "If I measured my success solely on this past week, I'd feel discouraged. But since we're shifting focus to making lifestyle changes, I feel successful. Overall, I've made a lot of improvements".

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Organizations That Don't Take HIPAA Privacy Security Audits Seriously Could Get Into Serious Trouble

Business Associates and Covered Entities alike have been at the receiving end of HIPAA audit from the Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) inspectors for a while now. Why this sudden clamor for HIPAA compliance? It is because the federal government has now trained its guns on HIPAA compliance from Business Associates and Covered Entities in view of the fact that there have been several cases of noncompliance, which have resulted in costly errors and have had a major impact on patient safety.

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Benefits of Drinking Coffee Pre Workout

Every morning we see people drinking massive cans of energy drinks in the gym and we just don't get it... why spend hours working out to look and feel great only to drink a load of rubbish? Remember muscles are made in the kitchen so make sure you choose a pre workout energy drink that is 100% natural and has positive effect on your body...

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Chiropractic Secrets Straight From Those Who Work In The Know

You most likely have to seek chiropractic care if back issues are constantly plaguing you. Though your back is strong, it can be still fragile and should be maintained together with other parts of the body. Not being educated about taking care of your back and relieving pain can be a serious issue. By reading on for great tips, get more information.

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Can I Eat Fruit If I Have Diabetes? 4 Compelling Reasons You Should

Extreme low-carb diets skimp on fruit because, they claim, fruit contains natural sugars that turn into sugar in the body. It’s true that all carbohydrates from food eventually end up as blood glucose—including the carbs in fruit. That said, fruit has a much lower impact on blood sugar levels than other truly harmful foods like candy bars and soda. That’s because, like vegetables, fruit is mostly water. What isn’t water is fiber, and that fiber slows the progression of fruit sugars into the bloodstream, causing a slow, steady rise in blood sugar rather than a huge spike.

Here’s more: Fruit isn’t just not bad for your diabetes. It’s good for it, and for your waistline too.

1. Fruit fights inflammation. Peaches, plums, and nectarines contain special nutrients called phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds travel through the bloodstream and then to your fat cells, where they affect different genes and proteins for the better, finds research done at Texas A&M University.

2. Fruit prevents diabetes. Flavonoids are nutrients found in plant foods, and especially in many types of fruit. Research shows that these compounds can lower the risk for developing type 2 diabetes, probably because these nutrients improve insulin sensitivity. Harvard’s long-running Nurses’ Health Study found that women who consumed more anthocyanins (the pigment that makes blueberries blue and strawberries red) were much less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than women who consumer fewer of these health-promoting compounds.

3. Fruit slims you down. New research suggests fruits may actually be more important than vegetables when it comes to long-term weight loss. A Utah State University study followed the eating habits of 77 overweight and obese individuals to see what effects fruit consumption would have on their weight. Months later, when the researchers crunched all the data, they determined that it was fruit that was the deciding factor in weight loss.

The more fruit people ate, the more weight people lost. This study is no anomaly. When a Danish team looked at all the available studies about fruit and body weight, they found that, out of 16 studies, two indicated that eating more fruit helps you lose weight; five found that eating more fruit reduces your risk of gaining weight or becoming obese; and four studies found the same inverse association as the Utah study: the more fruit you eat, the fewer pounds you weigh.

4. Fruit bolsters health. Along with vegetables, fruit protects against heart disease, stroke, and cancers of the stomach and colon. It also helps fend off depression, which is common in people with diabetes.

Sold? We sure hope so. One way to ensure you consume more fruit is this: Shop local. Local produce (fresh, juicy, and full of sun-ripened flavor) is everywhere these days, thanks to the increasing popularity of farmers’ markets, backyard gardens, and community gardens. This food trend can motivate you to eat more produce, reaping the big weight-control and health benefits.

Recent research shows that the experience of growing produce or shopping at a farmstand inspires people to eat more fruits and vegetables. If you’re among the many adults who aren’t eating the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended 2 to 2.5 cups of vegetables and 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit a day, getting up close and personal with your produce could help.

 

 

Based on groundbreaking science, the 2-Day Diabetes Diet makes it easy to prevent, treat, or even reverse type 2 diabetes. No forbidden foods. No carb counting. Just restrict what you eat for two days a week.  Learn more and buy the book here.

The post Can I Eat Fruit If I Have Diabetes? 4 Compelling Reasons You Should appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Build the Perfect Healthy Cereal Bowl for Weight Loss

My biggest rule with breakfast: stop eating carb-only meals (jumbo bagels, I’m talking to you). They might give me a quick rush, but they’re missing the protein I need for energy in the morning. I also make sure to fit in calcium. (Experts recommend we get at 1,000 mg of calcium in our diet every day).

Cereal is a quick way to get key breakfast nutrients in one simple bowl: fiber from grains and fruit and calcium and some protein from milk. But: It’s easy to over-pour, which can triple your calorie intake and set you up for a mid-morning blood-sugar crash. If you’re a cereal lover, use this chart (and measuring cups!) to see what a true healthy cereal portion looks like. If it’s a lot smaller than you’re used to, don’t worry. The fiber from the fruit is more satisfying than it looks.

For an even more filling breakfast, add a tablespoon of your favorite chopped nuts, such as walnuts or almonds.

 

Reader’s Digest’s Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello calls her latest book, Stop & Drop Diet, her easiest plan ever. The book and online course teach you how to stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop up to five pounds in the first five days—and keep losing. You’ll get a mix-and-match 21-day meal plan designed for weight loss and balanced nutrition, plus hundreds of easy weight loss tips and tricks via videos, quizzes, slideshows, and other interactive tools. Learn more and buy the book and course here.

The post Build the Perfect Healthy Cereal Bowl for Weight Loss appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Top Four Health Mistakes Teens Make

There are four common health mistakes teens make that can be avoided. By learning about them, and what you can do to fix them, you could be doing yourself and your body a huge favor. Read on to learn more, and how you can make simple changes in your life for better health.

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Does Chiropractic Care Care Really Make Good Sense?

Do you have the exact same bothersome injury that never ever appears to vanish? Are you enduring unnecessarily discomfort and pain?

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Health Care Advancements in Gulf Countries

The report of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to get admitted in the hospital has been breaking event by the end of New Year celebrations and festive ceremony in Saudi Arabia. The region where New Year is assumed to be benchmark for gala, this report on 31 December made nation speechless and less active.

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Rise Of Digital Health Stat Ups While Public Companies Yet To Pick Up Their Pace

The digital health technologies is an effort to bring a change in the medical world, with various apps available on mobile now anyone can call for medical help from anywhere and at any given point of time. Various start ups are constantly working towards the benefits of digital health and doing their best to reach out to maximum number of people.

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Diabetes and Exercise: 10 Science-Backed Reasons to Start Working Out

1. Reach your weight loss goal faster. Study after study shows that regular physical activity can help you to burn more calories, torch more body fat (especially belly fat), reduce your blood sugar levels, and build more sexy, sugar-sipping muscle. In a 2011 study from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, women who followed a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and exercised regularly lost an average of 19.8 pounds in a year. In contrast, those who only exercised lost an average of 4.4 pounds and those who only dieted lost 15.8 pounds.

 

2. Maintain that goal for life. Exercise also helps you keep weight off, which is a major challenge once you’ve lost those extra pounds. In one 2010 study from the Arizona Cancer Center, women who did muscle-building moves on a regular basis were 22 percent less likely to put on pounds and body fat than women who didn’t strength train.

 

3. Manage blood sugar more easily. Think of activity as a sponge that helps soak up excess sugar that’s circulating around your system. When muscles contract, your body sends out armies of sugar-moving proteins called GLUT-4 transporters that carry sugar molecules from your bloodstream into your cells. This process doesn’t rely on insulin (the hormone that tells cells to let blood sugar in). And the benefits can last for hours after your activity ends. End result: better blood sugar control. In one amazing 2012 study from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, published in the journal Diabetes Care, people with diabetes who exercised at a moderate pace for a half-hour just three or four days a week slashed their exposure to the damaging effects of high blood sugar. The researchers found that while non-exercisers’ blood sugar levels spiked to high levels nearly eight hours each day, exercisers’ blood sugar levels stayed in a healthy range almost three hours longer every day. This difference lowered their long-term risk for diabetes-related complications like nerve damage, vision loss, and kidney problems.

 

4. Reduce insulin resistance. Exercise makes your cells more likely to obey insulin’s “Hey, open up and let the blood sugar in!” messages more readily. This benefit kicks in after just a week of exercise. Insulin resistance fell by 30 percent in one 2007 Tufts University study.

 

5. Drop cortisol levels. High levels of this stress hormone trigger inflammation and worsen blood sugar control. Exercise helps reduce the emotional stress that can lead to these chronically high cortisol levels. Almost any form of exercise or physical activity can be a natural stress-buster.

 

6. Build calorie-hungry muscle. Muscle draws sugar and fatty acids from your bloodstream, burning them for energy around the clock. There’s some disagreement over exactly how many calories each pound of muscle burns. Some say only about 5 calories a day, but others estimate closer to 50. Either way, that’s much more than your fat stores, which burn few calories at all. Trouble is, we start losing some of our muscle mass every decade beginning in our mid-thirties. With less muscle on board to burn calories, losing weight and keeping it off can be more difficult—another reason to build muscle with strength training.

 

7. Melt more belly fat. In a 2006 Johns Hopkins University study, 104 women and men who walked on a treadmill or rode exercise bikes three days a week and did a strength-training routine lost 18 percent of their belly fat. This combination beats walking alone. In a 2010 study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, women who walked and performed a simple strength-training routine three days a week slimmed their midsections 2 percent more than those who just walked.

 

8. Improve heart health. Your heart and arteries age faster if you have blood sugar problems, thanks to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation, stiff arteries, and other effects, say University of Colorado experts. In a 2011 review, these experts noted that cardiovascular health declines twice as fast in people with diabetes as in people without diabetes. The antidote? Aerobic exercise plus strength training, which the researchers say may slow the damage.

 

9. Need less medication for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. That’s important because some of these meds can cause weight gain. In a 2012 National Institutes of Healthy study of 5,145 people with diabetes, those who followed a healthy diet and got regular exercise lost weight and needed less medication (and less expensive, name-brand medication) for optimal control of their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

 

10. Improve total body health. Exercise can strengthen your bones, lower risk for certain cancers, improve your sleep, and lift your mood.

 

The post Diabetes and Exercise: 10 Science-Backed Reasons to Start Working Out appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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7 Daily Eating Habits You Should Steal From People Who Rarely Feel Tired

Sticking with a healthy, energy-boosting diet isn’t rocket science. It requires balance, moderation, and variety: a balanced intake of macro- and micro-nutrients, moderation in terms of portion size and calorie intake, and variety of different foods within each category (grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, fats, and lean protein). There isn’t a particular diet that’s guaranteed to crank up your energy. But in my opinion, the Mediterranean approach hits the sweet spot for how to eat for optimal health and energy.

Follow these general rules every day and you’ll wake up with more energy and avoid the post-lunch energy slump.

1. They wake up their bodies with breakfast

 Even if you’re not starving in the morning, having a morning meal kick-starts your metabolism and sends a signal to your body and brain that it’s time to perk up. It doesn’t have to be a large meal, and you don’t have to eat it the minute you get out of bed. When you do eat, have a combination of carbohydrates and protein: at the very least, a piece of whole-grain toast with almond butter or a small bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. If you’re hungry, have a bigger meal such as quinoa topped with avocado and a poached egg, or a heaping bowl of oatmeal with bananas, raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon.

The carbs will replenish your energy reserves and raise your blood sugar; the protein will increase alertness and provide feelings of fullness—and the combination will set the stage for an efficient, productive morning.

If you truly can’t stomach the idea of eating breakfast, it probably means you ate too much the night before, a good habit to kick.

 

2. They eat often

 If you’ve been in the habit of eating erratically throughout the day, kick it. Plan and map out your meals and snacks so that you’re eating something every 3 to 5 hours. Whether you opt for three square meals and two small snacks or five mini meals spaced throughout the day is up to you. Either pattern will help keep your blood pressure steady and your energy level on a more even keel.

 

3. They stick to “real” food

 Try to get the most nutritional bang for every bite by sticking with foods that offer a significant amount of nutrients for the calorie value—and come from identifiable sources. Good choices include vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, and seeds. Bad choices: refined breads, fried or fatty foods, sweets, desserts, and processed snack foods, all of which provide you with lots of calories but little in the way of nutritional value.

4. They put color on their plates

Brightly hued fruits and vegetables—such as tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, yellow squash, broccoli, kiwifruit, kale, spinach, bell peppers, blueberries, eggplant, leafy greens, and others—are loaded with antioxidants that neutralize damaging chemicals called free radicals. These unstable molecules can injure cells, laying the foundation for a host of illnesses. Antioxidants prevent or fight these detrimental effects while also boosting immune function. There’s actually a way to measure the antioxidant levels in food—it’s called the ORAC value. You can look it up here to see how your favorite foods, herbs, and spices rank.

 

5. They harness omega-3 power

 Found in fatty fish (salmon, haibut, tuna, lake trout, sardines, and anchovies) as well as flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and fortified foods, omega-3 essential fatty acids reduce harmful inflammation throughout the body, protect the function and integrity of cell membranes, and enhance brain function. Research suggests that regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids boosts mood, memory, and other measures of cognitive function, which can boost your focus and energy. Try to include these food sources on a daily basis.

 

6. They let themselves snack

 If it’s done right, snacking between meals keeps your mood and energy level on an even keel, fills in nutritional gaps in your diet, better regulates your appetite, and enhances your weight-control efforts. But don’t make the mistake of associating snacks with treats. Snacks should consist of good-quality, nutrient-rich calories. Combining complex carbs with protein and healthy fat will provide a slower, more sustained rise in blood sugar, giving you lasting energy and feelings of fullness. Good choices include hummus with baby carrots and snap peas, low-fat plain yogurt with whole blueberries, whole-grain crackers with peanut butter, or a mix of nuts and dried fruit.

7. They drink water by the bucket load

 The human body has no way to store water, so we need to constantly replenish the fluids we lose through breathing, urinating, sweating, and other bodily functions. Many people are walking around in a mild state of dehydration, which may contribute to why they feel tired, weak, or lethargic. A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition found that when women were put into a very mild state of dehydration with exercise or a diuretic drug, they experienced a sense of fatigue, low mood, headaches, and loss of focus.

Thirst is not a good indicator of your hydration status. Some data suggest that by the time you feel thirsty, you’ve already lost 2 to 3 percent of your body fluids.

If you’re dehydrated, you might feel fatigued before you feel thirsty. Get in the habit of carrying a water bottle with you and refill it regularly throughout the day. There’s no need to drink vitamin water or energy drinks unless you’re an endurance athlete; otherwise, you’re just adding unnecessary calories (and expense) to your day.

 

In the new book The Exhaustion Breakthrough, Holly Phillips, MD, shares the proven science (and tips that work for her patients) to sleep better, eat and exercise for energy, solve underlying health issues, and take control of stress. Learn more and buy the book here.

The post 7 Daily Eating Habits You Should Steal From People Who Rarely Feel Tired appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Why Eat More Fiber?

Most health experts these days are encouraging consumers to eat more fiber. This is due to the evidence that insufficient levels of fiber in the diet can lead to several diseases. Common among these diseases are diabetes, constipation, obesity and colon cancer.

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ICT: Operation Rooms Are No Longer a Gamble

Just like iMRI, iCT is also imperative and is a very useful tool in driving better success in operation rooms, this kind of operation room is going to be the future of conventional operating rooms, surgeons are now able to see the outcome of their surgery during surgery time thus increasing chances of success and reducing any further implications. Also, even with its high price, many hospitals from around the world are opting to have such technology on their hands to increase their medical care services to a much needed sector in medical field, which is the operation room, this gives these hospitals an advantage over others for curing brain, spine and trauma surgeries.

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5 Calorie-Bomb Salads Ruining Your Diet (And What to Eat Instead)

The number one caution with salads is: Pay attention to the dressing. In researching my book Stop & Drop Diet, I came across a lot of restaurant websites that list the calories and nutrition in their salads, with and without dressing. What an eye-opener! Salad dressing can add hundreds of calories to a pretty innocent-sounding salad. Those little packets have too much dressing (of course it’s hard not to use it all), and the dressing tends to be packed with calories.

In fact, many of the salads I recommend don’t include dressing at all. I find that just the addition of a few flavorful ingredients like olives or artichokes can add enough oomph that dressing isn’t even needed. In other cases, just a few dashes of vinegar (try red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar) or a squeeze of lemon juice does the trick. At home, you can give your salad a few sprays of oil from a Misto or pressurized can, toss it, and then sprinkle with vinegar and fresh herbs. The oil softens the sharpness of the vinegar. If you really miss having a creamy dressing, try my secret: 0% plain Greek yogurt blended with some fresh herbs!

My second caution pertains to toppings. Some salad toppings should come with warning signs because they’re so high in fat and calories and have very little that is good for health or weight loss. I’m talking to you, fried croutons, fried wonton noodles, crumbled bacon, shredded or crumbled cheese, and candied nuts. Instead, I enjoy a bit of avocado or nuts and seeds for MUFAs.

Finally, when I have a salad as my meal, it has to have protein to be balanced and satisfying. Nothing fancy here, maybe grilled chicken breast, lean steak, or salmon. My tuna is always packed in water, not oil, and I like to keep a couple of pouches handy for a quick addition to a garden salad.

Here, take a look the shocking number of calories you can save when you start making savvier salad choices.

 

Stop: Cheesecake Factory Small Salad Caesar with Chicken (980 calories)
Start: Au Bon Pain Chicken Caesar Asiago (no dressing, 250 calories) (pictured below)

Stop: Applebee’s Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad (1290 calories, 82 g fat)
Start: Half size California Pizza Kitchen Chinese Chicken Salad (395 calories 18 g fat) (pictured below)

Stop: Potbelly Uptown Salad, with Potbelly Vinaigrette (624 calories, 42 g fat)
Start: Denny’s Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad, with balsamic vinaigrette (360 calories 9 g fat) (pictured below)

Stop: Panera Chicken Cobb with Avocado, with BBQ ranch dressing (800 calories, 62 g fat)
Start: Cosi Cobb Salad—Lighter Version (538 calories 33 g fat) (pictured below)

Stop: Applebee’s seasonal Berry and Spinach Salad (620 calories)
Start: Panera Greek Salad, no dressing (370 calories) (pictured below)

 

 

Reader’s Digest’s Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello calls her latest book, Stop & Drop Diet, her easiest plan ever. The book and online course teach you how to stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop up to five pounds in the first five days—and keep losing. You’ll get a mix-and-match 21-day meal plan designed for weight loss and balanced nutrition, plus hundreds of easy weight loss tips and tricks via videos, quizzes, slideshows, and other interactive tools. Learn more and buy the book and course here.

The post 5 Calorie-Bomb Salads Ruining Your Diet (And What to Eat Instead) appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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Do You Know What You're Putting In Your Mouth?

So if there was ever a case of "buyer beware" this may be it. Should you just stay away from your favorite supermarket?

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Why You Need to Drink More Water

Your body is made up of approximately 60% water, therefore for your body to function properly it requires adequate amount of water intake. Just as individual caloric needs vary, a person's water intake varies by age, activity level such as exercise, weight, medical condition, and environment. Healthy substitutes for soda and fruit juices.

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4 Tips On How To Grow Taller

Height is associated with power in the society. If you look closely, you will find that most of the business leaders are tall men and women. Tall people also tend to make more money that shorter people. Dating experts have also shown that tall men date and marry beautiful women compared to their shorter counterparts. If you are short should you commit suicide or have low self esteem? No. If you have self discipline, there are a number of things that you can do and grow taller. Here are some of the things that you can do:

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8 Real Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight (And How to Get Out of the Rut)

Click here to learn more about the Stop & Drop Diet.

1. You eat when you’re not hungry

A lot of us are slaves to the clock. When I was growing up, my mother had dinner on the table promptly at six o’clock. Even if I wasn’t especially hungry then, you can be sure I ate—and I cleaned my plate, because that’s what we did in our house. Who knows how many extra calories I ate that way? I’m not saying that your meals should be unplanned. In fact, it’s best to make sure you eat regularly to keep from getting so ravenous that you lose control and can’t stop eating. But if you’re in the habit of eating when the clock says to, instead of when you’re actually hungry—which researchers at the University of Minnesota found is one of the main reasons people eat when they do—you tend to lose touch with what “hungry” feels like and eat more than you really need.

Keep your schedule flexible if possible and listen to your tummy. On weekends, for example, I find that two main meals is all I need or want. I’ll linger over coffee (or go for a run), then find it’s 11, sometimes 12 o’clock before I’m hungry enough to want to eat. Or I’ll have a healthy breakfast, then get caught up in my day and have what I call an “afternoon dinner” at 3 or 4.

 

2. You eat when you’re distracted

Do you see crumbs or smudges on your computer keyboard, the touch screen of your phone, or your TV’s remote control? That’s a telltale sign that you’re doing other things while you’re eating. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for multitasking, and I definitely have days when I eat in front of the computer. Here’s the problem. Ask me how it tasted and I might not be able to tell you, because I was preoccupied by my work.

Researchers in Ireland interviewed a group of 66 adults on what made portion control difficult. One of the main factors, they reported, were elements of the eating environment—socializing with friends and family, watching television, or working on a computer or phone—that diverted their attention away from what they were eating.

A review of two dozen studies showed that being distracted at one meal may even cause people to eat more later in the day

.

Focus on what you’re eating, and I bet you’ll enjoy your food much more—and you’ll also enjoy knowing that you haven’t stuffed yourself with empty extra calories.

 

3. You dine out for every meal

Occasional indulgences are not the problem. What is: We are eating out more and more often—over a 40-year period from 1970 to 2010, we nearly doubled the percentage of calories we get from food away from home. And we are all too often unaware of how many calories are in the dishes we eat. A study of fast-food eaters in Philadelphia and Baltimore found that they underestimated their meal by up to 400 calories!

Restaurant meals tend to be higher in calories, saturated fat, and sodium than homemade meals, and lower in calcium, fiber, and other weight-friendly nutrients. I’m not saying you should never eat out—far from it—but one of the kindest things we could do for our waists and our overall health would be to eat out less often. If you’re in the habit of always grabbing a bagel on the way in to work, stock up instead on Nature’s Own Plain Thin- Sliced Bagels. If you like a deli hoagie for lunch, bring your own turkey sub. You get the idea. And when you do eat out, look for entrées that are grilled or baked, not fried or smothered in sauce, and for side dishes that pile on the veggies (again, you’re looking for steamed, sautéed, or otherwise simply prepared vegetables).

 

4. You’re a slave to “healthy brands”

If you’re trying to drop pounds and be healthy, your best bet is to choose foods from the restaurants and brands that emphasize fresh, whole ingredients and prepackaged portions, like Chipotle, Jamba Juice, KIND, Lean Cuisine, and Weight Watchers. Right? That’s what I thought before I started working on the Stop & Drop Diet. But picking healthy foods is not as simple as finding a “healthy” brand and sticking to it.

In a February 2015 New York Times article, a group of reporters gathered 3000 meal orders from Chipotle—which proudly proclaims on its website, “We’re all about simple, fresh food without artificial flavors or fillers”—and calculated the calories, saturated fat, and sodium in them. The typical order, a burrito, weighed in at more than 1000 calories! This isn’t to say that you can’t find a healthy meal at Chipotle. The same article highlights several Chipotle meals that clock in at around 545 calories, including crispy steak tacos, a veggie bowl, and a carnitas burrito, and it’s possible to get even lower by changing the fillings and toppings you choose.

KIND, another brand that touts itself as “healthy and tasty,” was recently taken to task by the FDA, which found that several of its products did not meet the requirements to use the claims “good source of fiber,” “no trans fats,” “low sodium”, “+ antioxidants,” and “+ protein,” among others. In its defense, KIND noted on its blog, “Nuts, key ingredients in many of our snacks and one of the things that make fans love our bars, contain nutritious fats that exceed the amount allowed under the FDA’s standard.” Having delved into the research on healthy fats for my first book, Flat Belly Diet!, I agree with KIND on this one. That said, many KIND bars are higher in calories or fat than, for instance, a Quaker or Nature Valley or Kashi bar. And some Quaker, Nature Valley, and Kashi bars may be higher in calories and/or sugars and/or sodium than some KIND bars.

Bottom line: Every restaurant and every brand has some dishes and products that are healthier than others. In order to get the full story about any given food, you need to look beyond the brand and beyond the health claims spouted in advertisements and printed on the front of the box.

5. You starve yourself

 While it’s true that in order to lose weight, you need to eat less, that does not mean you need to starve yourself! In fact, starving yourself often has the opposite effect. To your body, your extra fat is a necessary hedge against the day that there’s no food to be had. We humans evolved during a time when there were no grocery stores or restaurants or even farms. How did our ancestors survive when there was a drought that killed off the leaves and berries they foraged? Or when they failed in the hunt? They lived off the fat they had built up during more plentiful times. Which is why, when you suddenly slash the amount of food you’re eating, your body reacts by hanging on to every bit of fat it can.

The same thing happens when you skip meals. Skip breakfast and you’re likely to overdo it at lunch since you’re so hungry. Skip lunch and you may be too ravenous by dinner to make smart food choices. A study of eight years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that people who skip breakfast tend to be heavier and have a larger waist than those who eat a healthy breakfast.

 

6. You have a list of “forbidden” foods

The Atkins Diet. The South Beach Diet. The Paleo Diet. The Dukan Diet. So many popular diets today recommend cutting out or drastically cutting down on carbohydrates that there must be something to the low-carb thing, right? Well, it’s true that, on average, Americans eat more carbs than we really need, especially refined carbohydrates like those in white bread, pasta, cakes, and cookies. Among our top sources of calories, in fact, are cakes and cookies, breads, pizza, pasta, and sugary drinks. So if you cut back on these foods, you will automatically slash your calorie consumption and lose weight. And, because excess consumption of refined carbs has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other chronic diseases, you’ll be healthier if you eat fewer of them.

But of course, when you suddenly stop eating an entire food group, you are automatically cutting calories and your body reacts accordingly.

It thinks you’re starving and responds by slowing your metabolism and hanging on to every calorie it can.

Plus, your body misses the nutrients it’s not getting. For example, dairy products are a top source of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium. Eliminate them and you’ll have to work hard to make up those nutrients. There’s a psychological aspect to it, too. Tell me I can’t have something or restrict the amount I can eat, and suddenly it’s the only thing I want. Next thing you know, you’re craving those forbidden foods like nobody’s business, and you feel like you’d mow down your own mother to get to a piece of bread.

The same is true for low-fat diets, low-salt diets, and pretty much any other diet that forbids specific foods. Which is not to say that these types of diets can’t be healthy. But most people find that they’re hard to sustain over time because they often require a lot of cooking or buying specialty food items. And a diet certainly won’t work if you don’t follow it.

7. You rely on dieting alone

 While you can lose weight even if the only movement you make all day is walking from your bed to your desk chair, it’s much easier and faster to drop pounds if you combine diet and exercise. If you are burning an extra 200 to 300 calories per day, that’s 200 to 300 calories less you have to carve out from your diet to get the same calorie deficit. Plus, exercise generates natural endorphins, so you feel better and have more energy even if you are a little hungry. All of which makes it easier to stick with the diet.

And once you’ve lost the weight, exercise has also proven to be key to keeping it off. According to the National Weight Control Registry, established in 1994 to identify and investigate the characteristics of people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off for more than a year, 94 percent increased their physical activity in order to lose weight, with the most frequently reported form of exercise being walking. To keep it off, 90 percent report that they exercise an average of an hour a day.

 

8. You feel bad about your weight

 If you get depressed every time you step on a scale, or only see your fat butt when you look in the mirror, or refuse to have a photo taken because you’re ashamed of what you look like, then you need to stop. No matter what you weigh, if you don’t love your body, you will never truly win the weight loss battle. If you feel guilty about your eating habits and ashamed of your body, you will always feel deprived. While you may lose weight initially on the diet, you will soon slide back to your old food choices and gain it all back again.

The only way to finally, truly lose the weight and keep it off for good is to stop feeling bad about your weight and your body.

If you love and respect your body, it will not feel like a chore to research restaurant entrees before you go out to eat or to read nutrition labels in the grocery store or to cook for yourself and your family. Instead, it will be a privilege to take care of yourself by making smart, healthy food choices.

Focus on how much better you feel physically and mentally. One study showed that people who reported feeling alive and energetic were more motivated and more successful at maintaining their weight loss.

 

Reader’s Digest’s Editor in Chief Liz Vaccariello calls her latest book, Stop & Drop Diet, her easiest plan ever. The book and online course teach you how to stop eating unhealthy versions of the foods you love so you can drop up to five pounds in the first five days—and keep losing. You’ll get a mix-and-match 21-day meal plan designed for weight loss and balanced nutrition, plus hundreds of easy weight loss tips and tricks via videos, quizzes, slideshows, and other interactive tools. Learn more and buy the book and course here.

The post 8 Real Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight (And How to Get Out of the Rut) appeared first on Reader's Digest.

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