Cutting This One Thing from My Diet Helped Me Get a Handle on My Anxiety

Some 18 percent of Americans suffer from anxiety, according to the National Institutes of Health, but Alison Lundberg wasn’t one of them—until a personal tragedy a few years ago left her riddled with anxiety on a daily basis. “It was just a general sense of anxiety,” she explained about her feelings after unexpectedly losing a family member. She felt jittery, restless, and emotional. “I had never experienced the problem, so I wanted to quickly take action to stop the uneasiness.” A therapist suggested cutting caffeine, and Lundberg agreed to give it a try.

In fact, it’s well known in the medical community that caffeine can actually trigger anxiety attacks, as it stimulates the body’s “fight or flight” response, according to Everyday Health. “I was looking for alternatives to prescription medicine,” she shared about her journey to a caffeine-free lifestyle. “I wanted to look at ways to cut stimulants, and anything I might be consuming that triggered anxiety.” It wasn’t easy though, because Alison admitted to a daily routine of Diet Coke and coffee before being faced with her traumatic loss.

“I was not afraid to start each day with a Diet Coke and continue drinking throughout the day, with coffee serving as a treat, whether it was meeting up with friends or to cap off a delicious meal,” she says. It was this routine, everyday consumption that made cutting caffeine so incredibly difficult. Still, Lindbergh went cold turkey on soda and coffee, replacing colas with sparkling water and coffee with calming herbal teas. “The first weeks were challenging. The dependency was real. It was also the habitual acts like taking comfort in sipping a hot cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, or knowing I needed to power through a meeting.”

The positive results came quickly, though, and improved with each passing day. Alison soon noticed decreased anxiety and increased overall energy—two side effects she was more than happy to have instead of a hot drink on a sleepy weekend morning. “After the caffeine was out of my system and the headaches proved to be just temporary, it took a bit of time but my body started providing plenty of energy for me to be successful in my day.”

The physical effects helped Alison jumpstart her personal stress management and confidence makeovers too. “It’s an amazing feeling to be free of any addiction, big or small. To no longer be dependent makes you feel incredibly independent, and the natural energy I’ve found is much more satisfying than anything chemical. I absolutely noticed my anxiety lessened, and I was able to have a stronger grasp on controlling my emotions.”

Could you be drinking too much coffee? Mind the signs that you could be over-caffeinating.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2m4Hycj

This Is What Really Happens When You Bring Your Own Lunch to Work

Any New Yorker or big-city native knows that lunch hour isn’t exactly the most affordable. Though you can scrounge around for special deals, the average meal will cost you upwards of $12—and that’s not even including a bottle of water or a bag of chips, much less a cookie.

I consider myself a balanced person. In terms of money, I’m at the midway point between being frugal and enjoying myself. The same goes for my health and nutrition standards. So, when I decided to implement a BYOL (bring your own lunch) program into my life, I knew it would be an adjustment, but not an impossible one.

Here’s what happened when I took matters into my own hands and packed lunches to bring to work every day for two months:

The Good: Saved Money

First and foremost, I noticed a significant change in my bank account. I knew I would save money on lunch, but I didn’t know just how big of an impact it would make on my overall weekly spending budget. No longer was I spending exorbitant amounts on a salad. Instead, I allowed myself to spend that money on better, more useful things—or at least treat myself to a morning cup of joe outside the office.

And while I don’t have an exact dollar amount of how much I saved, I can say with full confidence that my paycheck didn’t deplete as quickly, and I certainly didn’t feel as guilty when going out for a steak dinner on a Saturday night.

The Good: Got Creative

Bringing my own lunch allowed me to put my culinary skills to the test. I was able to whip up warm quinoa bowls, eccentric salads, or filling soups with ease. (Just make sure your salad of choice isn’t secretly a calorie bomb.) It felt different than cooking a rushed, weeknight dinner. Making a batch of weekly lunches became a therapeutic process for me. On a week where I was truly on my A-game, I’d go to the grocery store early on a Sunday afternoon, and spend that evening making meals just how I’d want them, each in their own container for Monday to Friday. On other more busy weeks, I’d prepare lunches the night before. From time to time, I got bored of the same old meals, which was quickly solved with a little help from recipe blogs and cookbooks.

The Bad: Cooped Up

I did, however, notice that eating at my desk meant getting out of the office and away from my computer less. Going out for lunch is a good excuse for fresh air and a little bit of sun, so when I began eating at my desk, I noticed the clock would often strike 5 p.m., and I hadn’t been outside since the morning. (Find out what healthy people do on their lunch break.)

The Good: Felt Powerful

Oddly enough, packing lunches to bring to work gave me a sense of power and control that I didn’t have before. With each packed lunch, I felt empowered and healthy—as if I was taking back something that was previously taken from me. A little voice inside my head said, “You got this. You’re in control. You can do something good for yourself every single day.”

The Bad: Anti-Social

Lunchtime, especially in the city, is often the one time of day we get to socialize with co-workers or friends. I noticed that when bringing a homemade lunch, I was often left sitting at my desk by myself, with no one to engage in conversation with besides those I’m texting.

So, will I continue? Certainly, but I won’t make it a strict five-day a week eating plan. Instead, one day will be reserved for eating out with a friend, because after all, we need a little variety and balance now and again.

To kick start your own BYO-lunch plan, try these healthy, nutritionist-approved snacks for your next workday.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lQJfcE

What You Need To Know About Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Mini gastric bypass surgery development was designed to reduce operating time, reduce complications and simplify the surgical procedure for weight loss gains. It is considered to be more beneficial compared to the standard gastric bypass procedure and more people are considering the mini bypass to achieve their weight loss goals quick, easy and with reduced risks.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2llM2ax

The Pros And Cons Of Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

Mini gastric bypass is a simple and short inexpensive technique in weight loss surgery. It is basically a simplified form of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. In the mini procedure, more of the intestine is bypassed compared to the standard gastric procedure. Your pre-operative weight, height and weight loss expectations that you have will help your surgeon decide the actual length of the bypass but it is usually between three to around seven feet. In the mini gastric bypass, bile and digestive enzymes are not diverted from your stomach.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2mqld9U

Diet or Exercise: The Final Verdict on Which Is Better for Weight Loss

You’ve heard it over and over again: Diet and exercise are the key to a healthy weight. As it turns out, though, one is far more important than the other. If you’re looking to drop pounds, your best bet is to focus on food.

Despite the constant message to burn fat and calories away at the gym, people who only change their diets lose more weight than those who only increase physical activity, according to a report in the journal Systematic Reviews. In fact, another recent study in the journal PeerJ found that over three years, people who got 30 minutes or more of physical activity a day actually had higher rates of weight gain than those who exercised less. So why isn’t gym time the miracle weight-loss machine we’ve been led to believe?

Basically, it’s way easier to avoid calories in the first place than to try to burn them off, says registered dietitian nutritionist Marjorie Nolan Cohn, MS, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Working off a 100-calorie cookie is one thing, but it would take hours at the gym to negate 1,200 calories from a burger and fries. “You can’t exercise off a weekend of terrible eating,” says Nolan Cohn. Committing to a 30-minute workout program? Easy enough. Turning your entire eating plan on its head? Not so much.

Plus, if you don’t pay attention to portion sizes, you might eat more after you start a new workout routine, says Nolan Cohn. Not only will your appetite increase naturally from the energy burn, but you might also slack off on healthy food choices. “There’s this idea that you’ve earned it to eat something because you worked out,” says Nolan Cohn. “It winds up holding people back.” Half an hour on the treadmill might blast away 300 calories, but just one slice of cake could totally negate that hard work—and then some.

You might have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. That’s true, but it doesn’t mean you should claim that bigger number on the scale is all muscle. “That’s a few pounds, not 20 or 30 pounds,” says Nolan Cohn. “It’s not an excuse for the weight gain.” If you’ve been exercising without results, your diet is probably to blame.

Still, don’t cancel your gym membership. The Systematic Reviews study found that pairing diet with exercise was even more successful for weight-loss than diet alone. Exercise doesn’t just burn calories and build muscles—it boosts endorphins too, says Nolan Cohn. “It improves feelings of positivity or accomplishment,” she says. “When you combine those forces [of diet and exercise], it reinforces losing the weight and keeping it off.” While adding exercise to a healthier diet doesn’t lead to additional weight loss in the first six months of a program, those who both diet and exercise have better long-term results over a year, found a review in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Plus, weight maintenance is just the beginning when it comes to reasons to exercise. Studies have linked physical activity to all kinds of other healthy benefits, from heart health and immune system function to mental health and sleep improvements. “The list just never ends,” says Nolan Cohn.

MORE: 8 Exercises That Flatten Your Belly (Without a Single Crunch)

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2m48rxw

Healthy Living: Secrets You Need to Know

Healthy living is a term which makes us think about a right balance and a perfect functionality of mental and physical health. In most of the cases, we find the health of both, mental and physical one, quite connected. Accordingly, when one gets poked, the other automatically.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lYyCF5

The Concept of Alkaline Water - Basics, Uses, Benefits and Side Effects

Wondering what good can alkaline water do to your body? Check this easy guide to know everything that is essential about this popular concept.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lgeOJG

If Your Squats Don’t Follow These Steps, You’re Doing Them Wrong

You may not realize it, but you squat almost every day. You may have done a squat when you went to grab something from the bottom drawer of your dresser or when you go to pick up your kid. But, doing a squat for the purpose of building muscle and control of your body is something that requires a little more thought. Make sure that you’re not doing these exercise moves that actually work against you.

Maurice Williams, Owner of Move Well Fitness, says that doing a squat correctly depends on the make up of your body. “Things such as limb length, flexibility and past or current injuries can dictate how you squat,” says Williams.

The two muscles that you need to keep in mind when doing a squat are your calves and hips. Making sure that they are stretched and warmed up before you start doing squats is essential. “They are responsible for helping your butt muscles move in and out of the squat. If they are not flexible, your form could be on shaky ground, which could lead to injuries,” says Williams.

The National Academy of Sports Medicine outlines these steps to performing the ideal squat:

1. Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, your back straight, and your head up with your eyes forward
2. Squeeze your glutes and push your shoulder blades towards your spine
3. Descend as though you are sitting in a chair, keeping the knees aligned over the second and/or third toes
4. Come back up keeping your glutes engaged and your eyes forward; repeat for as many reps as you want

If you are having trouble maintaining this body position as you squat, there are a few things you can do. Place a stability ball in between your back and a wall. Perform the squats while moving the ball up and down the wall to keep proper back placement. You could also try squatting onto an actual chair to make sure that your knees are tracking over your toes properly.

It’s important to know how to do a squat properly so that you not only get the most out of it, but also so that you don’t injure yourself. Now that you know how your body should look and where your muscles should be placed, try incorporating this technique into the squats you do in your everyday routine. Try this variety of squat exercises to tone your body.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lifhMf

The Inspiring Secrets of People Who Lost 50+ Pounds—and Kept It Off

Eat like a caveman

Kyle Kranz is a 29-year-old former athlete who lost 85 pounds after gaining weight steadily after suffering a bad injury because of a car accident in middle school. “I was unable to play football and soccer like I previously had,” he says. Then a friend of his, who was starting to focus on his health a bit more, invited Kranz to join him during his freshmen year of high school. While in high school, he credits his weight loss to 75 percent dietary changes and 25 percent working out, which for him, consisted of mostly lifting weights, since the accident didn’t allow him to run. But the greatest difference for Kranz came from curbing what he puts in his mouth every single day. “You lose weight quickly when your diet changes from fast food, soda, and chips to meat and vegetables. I was the high schooler eating pre-portioned and pre-prepared—thanks for the help, Mom!—chicken breast and veggies for lunch. I also found out I actually enjoyed lifting weights, and put together a fairly respectable home gym in a spare bedroom,” he says. Though he eventually recovered and was able to become an endurance athlete, doing everything from swimming to cycling to running, Kranz maintains a caveman-like attitude toward nutrition. “My favorite health advice is something I read from Michael Pollan, when he said, ‘Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’ Eating real food and not processed junk was the biggest game changer for me,” he says. (Follow these 40 fast, easy tips to lose weight.)

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lhqa0s

How to Increase Energy and Productivity in 4 Steps

Everyone wants to know how to increase energy and productivity, but there aren't many of us willing to do what it takes to achieve it. Most of us would simply like for someone to hand us a magic elixir that says, "drink this" (insert energy drink of choice here) and call her good. Nope, that is not the way to get the results I'm guessing you're looking for if you are reading this article.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lA39su

Involving Hispanics in More Trials

Studies indicate the Hispanic population is under represented when it comes to various studies. Being able to gather information on how their bodies tend to respond to certain medications is important. This is why many companies are conducting more clinical trials Hispanics are involved with. They are specifically looking for individuals of this decent to participate.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2l7hcSG

Reputation Is Important When It Comes to Credible Studies

LatAm clinical trials continues to be a leader in this industry. They have a very good reputation for being objective, offering excellent studies, and sharing results. They don't always like outcome of their findings, but they aren't biased in what they report with them. They continue to try new studies with integrity, with specific desired outcomes, and to offer information.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lgQzfb

Everything You Need To Know About The Flu Shot

Does everyone have to take the flu shot every year or is once every few years enough? Also, it is really necessary to take it at all? These are one of the most hotly debated topics every year just before the flu season starts and with so many myths and misconceptions doing the rounds it is really difficult to know what is the best thing to do.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lvEEwh

Dealing With Influenza In Children

Everybody knows that influenza outbreaks happen every year starting sometime around the end of October and ending sometime in April. But did you know that it is not the same virus that causes these influenza symptoms every year? The virus that causes an outbreak one year is different from the virus that causes the next year's outbreak. This is one of the reasons why the CDC advises people of all ages to get a flu shot every year to protect themselves before the flu season starts.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lvHz8h

Use Water Purifiers To Stay Fit And Healthy

Everyone has his own style of achieving fitness. Some run, do exercise, sum chooses to walk, and some just drink water. Well the last one is the most unique way to stay fit. Some people also say that drinking water is the best exercise fuel as one just can't resist for long without drinking water.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lu4O2C

This Quiz Tells You Exactly What Workout You Should Be Doing

Note: There is a widget embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's widget.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lppqsZ

Thinking of Taking a Protein Powder? 7 Tips to Finding the Best One for You

Protein powder shopping can be stressful. Walk into any health food store and you’ll be met with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with jugs of protein powder in plenty of flavors and described in terms you probably don’t know. Once you know the protein basics, though, it’s really quite simple to choose. William Suggs, a personal trainer in New York City and a licensed sports nutritionist, shares his tips on how to find the best protein powder for you.

Figure out what your goals are

“It’s important to know that all proteins are not created equal. You can technically try any of them, but they all do different things,” says Suggs. Narrow your selection by identifying why you want to add protein powder to your diet in the first place. Are you trying to lose weight, build muscle, or just sneak in extra nutrients?

If you’re trying to lose weight…

…you may consider using a protein shake as a meal replacement or healthy snack option. In that case, look for one that is labeled “concentrate.” “These digest slower, so you get the satiety of a meal with the benefits of increased protein,” he says. Concentrate powders contain a high percentage of protein but with added carbohydrates, minerals, water, and fats. If weight loss is your goal, avoid mixing with anything but water. “Adding milk or yogurt is just increasing the calories and digestion time,” says Suggs. “Optimize the taste by using a shaker cup with a little ice and water. This helps break down the clumps pretty well.”

Fuel your workout with isolates

“An isolate protein powder is good before and after working out because your body will digest it faster. It delivers proper nutrition to fuel your workout and help you recover afterward,” he says. “When you exercise you’re breaking down muscle tissue, which is being fueled by that protein powder you had before.” That’s why isolates are especially good for toning and building muscles, because the protein is absorbed and useable by the body fairly quickly.

Give your diet a boost with casein

Casein is a slow digesting protein (it can take between six and eight hours to fully digest!), so this powder is frequently taken right before bed. “You can take it at night when you sleep and you won’t have that extremely full feeling in your stomach,” says Suggs. This is also an option is you’re really trying to bulk up your muscle mass—since your body absorbs the protein while you slumber, you’ll have a jumpstart on your daily protein intake as soon as you wake up the next morning.

Find your favorite type of protein

Just like there are different types of protein powders, there are also different types of protein that make them up. Whey is a milk protein and one of the most common; it contains all the essential amino acids, which boost energy and can even reduce stress, according to the Cleveland Clinic. You can also choose soy protein, a dairy-free option that has benefits beyond the gym (it helps reduce high cholesterol, supports bone mass, and can even ease symptoms of menopause in women). Other plant proteins are pea and hemp; Vegan Smart makes a line of protein and other nutritional shakes that are completely plant-based. Here’s how to eat more protein without even trying.

Content continues below ad

Read the whole nutrition label

Once you’ve identified the type of powder and protein you like, don’t forget to read the entire nutrition label. “Pay attention to the fat and sugar content. Many powders also use artificial sweeteners, which you’ll see on the ingredient list,” says Suggs. It’s a good idea for everyone to choose a powder that’s low in fat and sugar, but diabetics should be especially mindful of the sugar content and any other ingredients that may affect blood glucose levels. People with irritable bowel syndrome should choose a powder without artificial sweeteners or lactose sugars.

Don’t drink too much

Whether you’re striving for a smaller waist or bigger muscles, chugging protein shakes isn’t the answer. (Find out the silent signs you’re having too much protein.) “You can’t drink protein shakes all day, every day because the protein is absorbed quicker than if you were to eat meat or another food form of protein,” says Suggs. “If you can’t digest it all, it’ll turn into fat. Don’t exceed 20 or 30 grams in one sitting.” Stick to the serving size and be mindful of how much protein you’re ingesting throughout the day.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2kM4FsO

Don’t Even Think of Cutting Out This Food If You Want to Lose Weight

Before you purge the cupboards of crackers and toss out everything in the fridge that isn’t celery in preparation for a new diet, you’ll want to pause long enough to take note of a new study. While it’s tempting to banish carbs completely, as many trendy diets advocate, a team at Tufts University in Boston has found that people who ate whole grains absorbed fewer calories from their food—an amount equivalent to nearly a cookie a day.

In the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the Tufts researcher team found that swapping white rice for brown rice and whole grain cereal for more sugary options, increased calorie loss. Before you scoff and say—they’d lose even more if they cut carbs completely!—it might surprise you to learn that the whole grains they ate reduced the amount of calories they absorbed during digestion and also sped up their metabolism. (Find out why low-carb diets aren’t the answer.)

The researchers observed 81 men and women, aged 40 to 65, over a six-week study period. Participants were divided into two groups—those eating whole grains such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-grain pasta, and those eating more refined grains, including white bread, white rice, and regular pasta. They even underwent blood testing to make sure they weren’t straying from their assigned grains group. Tufts researchers provided all of the food for study participants so they could ensure that nothing else in their diet was changed except for the type of grains, and it’s worth noting that participants consumed much of the sugar and fat that an American diet usually includes.

At the end of the six weeks, Dr. Karl reported that the differences in calorie intake were measurable. The men and women who ate whole grains took in fewer calories a day than their counterparts who ate the same diet with American-style processed grains. The change in grains could add up to a loss of 5 pounds a year, though researchers weren’t measuring weight loss in this investigation. “People who were eating whole grains compared to people who were eating refined grains had a larger excretion of energy in the stools, so they were not absorbing as many of the calories that they were eating,” Phil Karl, PhD, who worked on the study, told NBC News. “They were going more, pooping more frequently, and in larger volumes. Potentially, they were not digesting as much energy from their diet.”

The research team attributes that effect to the fact that the greater amount of fiber in whole grains is not digested, and in turn, it can pull out other undigested foods with it, according to Dr. Karl.

“There was about 100 calories per day difference in energy deficit in the whole grain group,” Dr. Karl said. “There also seemed to be a slight difference in resting metabolism, how many calories a person burns while sitting still, as the whole-grain eaters had a slightly faster metabolism.”

Researchers admit that “human weight loss and weight gain is not an exact science,” but their findings could prove significant in helping people slow the steady weight gain that often occurs as we age.

In order to take advantage of the benefits of the study for yourself, simply swap out your favorite carbohydrates for whole grain versions and include more whole grains in your diet in your general. Go for brown rice, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, whole oats, whole grain oatmeal, and even things like whole corn tortillas.(Also check out the ancient grains that are on their way to becoming the next quinoa.)  Look for brands with “whole” in front of the first ingredient, and make sure they have at least three grams of fiber per serving. Here are more tips on how to include whole grains in your diet.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2loicoU

Finding The Most Suitable Orthopedic Surgeon - What Matters?

Long term joint pain, muscle or tendon pain can be frustrating. These pains make some of the most common musculoskeletal problems and they can be as a result of strains, sprains and overuse. The pain is most common on shoulders, back, knees, hip and ankles. It may be a good idea to seek medical assistance when the pain takes a bit longer to subside so you can reduce the chances of it developing into a more serious issue.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2ljVE8T

I Took a Selfie Every Week for a Month to Lose Weight. Here’s What Happened.

Confession: Two years ago, I worked out six days a week and weighed 15 pounds less than I do now. What happened to me? I changed jobs, turned 50, fell in love and got a little too comfy wearing yoga pants. So when I read that about 71 percent of participants in a study who had weekly pictures taken (along with measurements and other data) lost weight, I was intrigued. It made sense to me to see visual progress in pictures instead of just relying on the scale. I decided to try it myself.

The difference with my experiment is the study participants had the research staff take photos, measurements, and weight. I wasn’t about to let anyone take a picture of me, so I decided I would take full length selfie of myself every Monday for a month. I figured it would be a good way to stay motivated and get my mind in the right place.

Week One

The first picture was downright depressing. I knew I had gained some weight but—yikes!—I had gotten soft, too. The pride and joy of my body was my abs and now they resembled Pooh’s belly, and not in a cute way.

Week Two

By week two, chaos broke out. We bought a house and the closing process went so quickly we were able to move in right away! Simultaneously, our holiday guests were still in the old house and contractors were coming and going, fixing things at the new house. I spent a lot of time between two houses instead of walking in the mornings like I had been the first week. Although I wasn’t getting a traditional workout, I thought all the constant moving would help melt off the pounds. (Literally. I was moving boxes up and down three flights of stairs.) However, week two’s selfie produced no visible results. Quite honestly, I didn’t expect too much until the third week, but this was a buzz kill. Time to get serious.

Week Three

I decided to amp up my weight loss/fitness regime. By trade, I’m a writer, so naturally I’m on my butt most of the day. I set my kitchen timer to go off every hour during my writing hours and got up to do about 10 minutes of exercise. I rode my stationary bike or hopped on my elliptical. Sometimes I hit the mat and cranked out some push ups and crunches. I started drinking more green tea during the day and less wine and beer during the night. I set up my gym in the basement of the new house and started exercising in the morning.

Week Four

Week four came and I put the same clothes on I had been wearing each Monday. Still, no change. I’m not as disappointed as I thought. I felt like I gave myself the fresh start I needed to get back in shape.

Lesson Learned

The study lasted 16 weeks and my little experiment was only four weeks and the first half of virtually no focus on diet or fitness. Although I haven’t lost a single lousy pound or even half a inch, the good thing is my resolve hasn’t wavered. I know that the number on the scale may not budge right away but my psyche is moving in the right direction: To get back on track to eat healthier and be more active again. I’m going to keep up with the selfies because like the study concluded, seeing is believing.

While the selfie trick didn’t work, these easy weight-loss tips will!

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2kGJH9G

What Is Scoliosis and How Can Scoliosis Surgery Be Avoided?

Scoliosis is a serious spinal deformity that can lead to serious health problems. This article describes what scoliosis is and how to detect it. Also, the mainstream medical management of scoliosis versus the chiropractic management of scoliosis is discussed.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kRIAVv

Understanding How Much Water to Store and Proper Containers To Use

In the world of prepping, it is important to know and understand what you need to stock up on and what is not so important. Stockpiling an inventory of items is part of prepping, you want to make sure are accumulating the right items to survive during a time of crisis.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2leHwfD

Here’s Exactly How Many Calories You Add When You Trick Out Your Coffee

If you depend on coffee to wake you up in the morning or keep you going throughout the day, don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone. A recent study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that more than 160 million people in America drink coffee on a regular basis—and most don’t take it black. Instead, roughly two-thirds of java lovers add cream, sugar, or other flavorings to their cup ‘o Joe without considering the possible health impact.

But come on, a dash of cream never hurt anyone, right? Wrong. “These add-in items are often dense in energy and fat but low in nutritional value,” says Ruopeng An, the University of Illinois Kinesiology and Community Health professor who conducted the study.

If you take your coffee black, you don’t have much to worry about in terms of calorie intake. But if you enjoy sprucing up your coffee with a bit of sweetness (and we can’t exactly blame you), you’re likely consuming an extra 69 unnecessary calories each time. “More than 60 percent of those calories come from sugar, with fat accounting for most of the rest of the extra calories consumed,” Dr. An found. (Find out 100 easy ways to cut 50 calories.)

That’s right, you’re actually drinking calories from sugar and fat in your morning coffee. (Especially if you’re guilty of frequenting Starbucks.) “These daily intakes may seem small, but the extra calories every day can add up to extra pounds,” Dr. An says. This is particularly true for anyone who drinks multiple cups per day, most (if not all) days of the week.

If you absolutely must sweeten your coffee, one of the best natural sweeteners you can use is a powder or liquid made from the green, leafy Stevia plant. This sweetener doesn’t just add sugar-like sweetness (it’s actually 100 to 300 times sweeter than sugar), it also miraculously offers numerous health benefits, including lowering high cholesterol, potentially preventing heart disease, and having anti-inflammatory properties.

The good news: Once you’ve switched to a zero calorie sweetener like Stevia, you can use your leftover calorie budget to eat a banana (89 calories), a 100-calorie pack of snack pack, or a handful of pistachio nuts (83 calories). Unlike artificial sweeteners and creamers that leave you drinking on the pounds, these snacks are calories that are worth it.

Learn more about why all calories aren’t the same, which will help keep your jeans zipping up effortlessly over time.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lpVvBE

Have Fun With a New Adventure

Indoor rock climbing is fun, exciting, and a wonderful way to get some exercise. If you often avoid working out because it is boring, this is going to change your mind! This is a fun activity that you can do with friends, your children, or with your significant other. It is challenging and it takes time to learn the basics. Yet it can be a wonderful way to spend your time!

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lSy29s

Learning the Basics of Wall Climbing

You don't have to be nervous about wall climbing. You may feel uneasy as you aren't sure what to do or how to do it. You may be afraid of falling, even with a safety harness on or worried about others watching you. Don't let fear hold you back though because this can be a great deal of fun! It can also be a wonderful way to get some exercise as your whole body is involved.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kWMdfa

How Can You Get A Fit And Slim Body?

The desire to look fit is nothing wrong. We all do have the same feeling at some point of our life and the fatter ones out there will definitely agree with what I say. Slimming down not only gives you a great look but also makes you look attractive.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lPmJCn

RO Water Purifiers - Your Source To Health

Water is the most demanded and the most important medium on Earth as well as in the human body. It is the basic necessity to lead a life.Here are some of the disadvantages of consuming tap water, further in this article, we would also tell you the benefits of pure water and why having water purifier is so important to our health.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kC14bF

Is Losing Strength After 40 Natural?

As a guy who's busted through that magic number I want to put an end to that lie. And there are many out there. You and me have been misled about getting stronger after 40 and there's plenty you can do about it once we debunk all of the lies:

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lju7Vx

Why Stay Gluten Free - Here's The Reason

Everybody on earth can attain a healthier lifestyle when he/she tries to focuses on the content of food. It is always a piece of good advice from experts when asked to stay away from starchy products and processed options because they of its gluten content. When you make a habit of switching to this habit of diet always do try to stick to it. For this one must also ensure that they put the matter of health wellness as their first priority.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lGLf8y

Exercising Your Mind To Start Falling In Love With Yourself

Your life style has an impact on everything that is around you or attached to you, including your fitness. Your poor fitness lifestyle can also give rise to other factors like nasty body hate. Fitness can be better described as a very effective way to alter your body, focusing on all positive approaches.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kOLBIK

The Magic Ingredient that Reduces Your Sodium Intake AND Boosts Flavor

Put down the saltshaker, and pick up a lemon! The key to reducing the salt content in home cooking could be as simple as adding lemon juice or lemon zest to your dish.

The American Heart Association recommends cooking with citrus, vinegar, or other spices to reduce the amount of salt needed for flavoring, but Sunkist Growers and researchers from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island found a solid link after conducting a small taste test study.

Chefs produced control recipes using chicken, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, soups, salads, and grains. They then whipped up versions of each control meal with 30 percent less salt, 50 percent less salt, 75 percent less salt, and no salt, and added varying amounts of lemon juice or lemon zest to each. Taste testers took a seat at the table and got right down to eating, then dished on which they liked most.

Turns out, eaters preferred all reduced sodium plates over the full-salt versions. They chose the 75 percent salt reduction when it came to vegetables, the 50 percent reduction with pork, fish, and salad dressings, and the 30 percent reduction with chicken, beef, grains, and soups.

“The results of this research show that flavor and health considerations do not have to be mutually exclusive,” said Global Master Chef Karl Guggenmos, WACS, AAC, of Johnson & Wales in a statement.

Reducing your salt intake can keep your blood pressure, overall heart health, and weight under control. (Find out the signs you’re having too much salt.)

Joan Wickham, director of communications for Sunkist Growers, suggests sticking to traditional lemons when it comes to seafood. “When you’re looking for that tangy, acidic punch, regular lemons will give you that bright acidic hit,” she says. (Did you know adding lemon to your water could have these amazing benefits?)

If you like to experiment, Meyer lemons (a cross between a mandarin and a lemon) are increasingly popular in the culinary world, and she recommends using those for adding a more sweet and subtle lemony flavor to baking or to zest with.

“Meyers are incredibly aromatic and have a brighter floral scent and a gorgeous golden color on the peel. Any recipe that calls for zest is a great opportunity to use Meyers,” she says. Meyer lemons also have a high juice content and sweeter flavor than regular lemons, so you can add them to salad dressings to balance out the vinegar. Have some leftover? Check out these 34 genius uses for lemons.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2l451YC

10 Ways Your “Healthy” Salad Is Making You Gain Weight

You go crazy with the toppings

Quick service salad bars can be tempting with their endless array of toppings, so it’s easy to turn your fresh tossed salad into a chaotic jumble of flavors. To avoid extra calories and a grumbling tummy from too much variety, try to follow a theme. If you’re craving Mexican, choose fresh veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers; add black beans or grilled chicken for protein; top with a little bit of low-fat Mozzarella cheese or a few avocado chunks and drizzle with lemon juice. Your taste buds and stomach will thank you. Find out how to eat more vegetables without even trying.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2lKhcbY

Uses Of Apps In Surgery

As mobile communication technology is expanding globally in smartphones, handheld tablets and hybrids of the two, there was a profound change in the software and hardware that are used for everyday tasks. Health workers have increasing access to this technology. Surgeons have experienced challenges to introduce such technology because of potential interference of complex devices in the operating room, but later work to change this paradigm. The use of medical applications for smartphones is growing topic of interest. A quick scan reveals a wealth of (free) program designed to help with point-of-care decisions, medical education and patient education. For example, they can be used to access information about drugs and drug interactions, read books and articles, performing medical budget, determine prognosis and take professional development. Applications are available for Android and iOS. They allow surgeons to support the pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative care.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lIaseM

Get Tipsy the Healthy Way

Some healthy alcoholic drinks that will get you in the right mood and in the right state of health. There are many health tips out there but none like this one. Before we jump in and read further, let's go through the warning signs.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lcilvR

3 Reasons Why Flu Vaccinations Are Useless And How To Prevent The Flu Naturally

The U.S Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as "the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses." But did you know that getting flu vaccinations has life-threatening risks for a 1.5% benefit? Read on to find out why flu vaccinations may be harmful and its natural alternatives.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lbUlcg

The Essential Key Takeaways You Get When You Have Good Health

People of today have a very busy schedules and very diverse lifestyles. Everyone would live to maximize their time and make up for everything they want to do. This is not something bad, many aspire to multi-task as much as they can but then stress and illness kicks in, it's a different story already. Investing in quality health care is a serious matter you need to have in life. When you are signed up in effective health care services, you and your family's future are protected. You can experience a better quality life, expect a longer lifespan and could prepare early from perhaps, the worst things that could happen when sickness come by.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kowYrV

Turmeric: Nature's Wonder Drug - Or Not?

Unless you've been living underground, you have likely heard an overwhelming amount of information related to turmeric this past year. Somewhere along the way it was awarded super-spice status and now can be found almost anywhere you look, from supplements, to grocery store products, to even toothpaste! The benefits of this wonder-spice are mainly anti-inflammatory in nature and for that it has been reported helpful in many diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and possibly even cancer.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kZJFeX

On the Paleo Diet? Then You Need to Be Eating These Snacks

Purely Elizabeth Grain-Free Granola

Healthy granola is hard to find because most supermarket options are loaded with sugars and unnatural additives, not to mention grains and oats that make them Paleo-unfriendly. Unlike your typical granola, Purely Elizabeth is grain- and oat-free, plus it’s low-sugar. The low-carb granola clusters are perfect for the Paleo diet because they’re high in protein, thanks to cashews, dried coconut flakes, seeds, and cashew butter. The grain-free granola comes in two different flavors—banana nut butter and coconut cashew.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2knCVWl

Tips To Help Prevent Indigestion - Time To Replace Bad Habits With Good Ones

Good digestion isn't as simple as chewing an after dinner mint. If five people sit down to dinner the chances are that one of them will suffer from indigestion. The simple truth about indigestion is that in the vast majority of cases the symptoms can be cured permanently by getting rid of bad habits and replacing them with good, new ones.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lGfUzI

Heart Attack - Now No Longer a Distress

For many years heart failure has been a matter of intense debate. This has propelled many researchers to find a one stop solution for this outbreak. Alas! We have been unfortunate in this regard. So let's take a Pledge at this very hour and make it unfaltering that not even a single person ends up in a cardiologist's office in the first place itself. Yes, it is now possible to seal the fate of this condition star. All we ought to do is simply follow some of my reckoning tips and experience the difference.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lxw5hE

Is Looking Fat Now the Latest Trend?

Governments throughout the world are concerned about how much of humanity are now large or even obese members of society. Why has this come about? The way of life today has discouraged home cooking and encouraged the establishing of so many fast food outlets. Through this phenomenon it is so easy to stop and buy a take-out meal either for lunch or to take home with you after work.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kzO6OW

Stop Body Hate: Seven Mindset Qualities to Love Your Body

Body hate is a nasty consequence of rising popularity of a fitness lifestyle. As much as fitness is about changing our body in positive ways via exercise and diet, it rarely involves exercising our mind to treat our body right. Even the whole idea of going to the gym often begins with a thought that there is something wrong with our body. Suppressing, avoiding, or exacerbating, we all are dealing with our body hate in many unhealthy ways. To start making peace with our body requires these seven mindset characteristics that can be trained.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2lto5hH

What to Drink at the Bar if You Want to Lose Weight

Your healthy eating plan is going great—you’ve been carefully planning your meals and avoiding liquid calories. But when friends invite you out for drinks, there’s no need to miss out. You can still join in the fun without derailing your diet.

Sugar is the big danger in cocktails. (These are signs you’re eating too much sugar.) Despite what you may have heard, alcohol itself actually doesn’t have much (if any) sugar because it’s been fermented. The trouble comes when you over-pour a high-calorie liquor, then add sugary mixers like simple syrup, tonic water, and juice.

You can still enjoy a fun cocktail like a mojito or sea breeze if you’re watching your diet. Just ask the bartender to use less simple syrup, less alcohol, or more sparkling water, says registered dietitian nutritionist Sonya Angelone, MS, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “The idea is to dilute the alcohol,” she says. “You can have a refreshing, fun drink when you want to be fun and not feel like you’re being a teetotaler.” Ask for a wine spritzer instead of a full glass of wine to make your drink last longer with less calories.

If you want to enjoy a stronger drink without knocking too many back, order a pricier liquor or wine. Just knowing that you’ve spent more money on it will probably encourage you to milk it longer, says Angelone. “It’s expensive, so you want to savor every drop,” she says. Try it with a wine above your usual price point, or a higher-shelf liquor on the rocks or with seltzer and lime. If you order fewer drinks throughout the night, you might even save some money.

You’ve heard it before, but it’s worth repeating: Sip a glass or two of water for every “real” drink you have. Sure, it will save you calories, but it will also help fight the dehydration from alcohol. People often mistake thirst for hunger, so could end up ordering bar food you don’t need, says Angelone. “You’re not meeting your needs of hydrating, and you’re eating extra calories, and your inhibitions are lower,” she says. “You’re setting yourself up to overeat.” Those salted peanuts will just make you thirstier, so you’ll drink more dehydrating alcohol and start a vicious cycle, she says. Learn more about why drinking makes you hungry.

Eat before you get to the bar to avoid the temptation of greasy munchies. If you can’t get food first, sip a glass of water and browse the menu as soon as you arrive, says Angelone. Decide right away on a healthy, satisfying choice, like chicken satay or shrimp cocktail. “It will help take away your appetite and give you some protein,” says Angelone.

MORE: What Is the Safest Amount of Alcohol to Drink?

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2ks4ZuP

On a Low-Salt Diet? 9 Healthy Snacks to Curb Your Cravings

Apples with peanut butter

Peanut butter can be a great low-salt snack, but you have to make sure of one thing—that the only ingredient is plain ground organic peanuts, no salt added. One tablespoon of peanut butter has only 3 mg of sodium, while one medium apple has just 2 mg. “The apple provides you with fiber and water for hydration, and the peanut butter provides you with protein for satiety,” says Keri Glassman, RD. Mind the signs that you’re eating too much sodium.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2ljFpKb

12 Insane Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water Every Morning

Lemon water may help you lose weight

Lemon water may be a dieter’s best friend. “The polyphenols in lemon may aid in reducing appetite,” registered dietician Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies. Rodent studies have shown that the polyphenols in lemon do help to prevent weight gain. Plus, she adds, “when you drink a glass of water, especially before a meal, this helps to fill your stomach, offsetting the amount of food needed to feel satisfied.” Lemon-flavored water is also a healthy option to replace your morning glass of orange juice—think of all the calories saved! To make lemon water, use whole lemons (not lemon juice in a bottle). “Try squeezing the juice from one lemon into 8 to 12 ounces of water,” Palinski-Wade says. You can also grate in a bit of the zest (just wash the lemon first). “Enjoy it cold or warm, but if you will be having it to promote weight loss, drink it chilled with ice,” she says.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2kIDhes

5 Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil

Coconut food is on the list of foods that fall under the category of superfood. The oil offers a lot of benefits, such as improved brain function, weight loss and a lot of other skin health benefits. Here are 5 major benefits of the product for you if you are going to use it for losing weight.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kIFFld

Scientists Developed Fertilized Eggs From Mouse Stem Cells

Japanese reproductive biologist, Katsuhiko Hayashi at the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, headed the research that published its findings in the journal known as 'Nature' on how they had been able to produce mouse eggs from mouse stem cells under laboratory conditions and then pushed the eggs towards fertilisation, yielding a fertile offspring as the end result. This is usually a territory that scientists tread with utmost caution.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kLrD20

Malaria-In-A-Dish Paves the Way for Better Treatments

A new method to examine potential antimalarial drugs and vaccines possessing the potential to treat the liver stage of malaria infection has been engineered by a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) using human liver cells, derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Malarial infection caused approximately 500,000 deaths globally every year. This innovative methodology could possibly present fresh prospects for customized antimalarial drug testing and the progress of tailor made medication to fight the condition.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kkwoyD

Is It Still Important to Stretch Before a Workout?

We’ve all heard time and again how important it is to stretch before and after working out to avoid injury. But a scientific analysis of studies on the subject turns that wisdom on its head. Instead, it shows the opposite: that stretching before exercise—especially static stretches, where you lengthen your limbs and hold the position for a count of say, 30 or 60 seconds—can actually cause more issues than it prevents, and can also hinder performance. “Static stretching while your muscles are ‘cold’ can actually increase the chance of injury,” says Jari Love, certified personal trainer and creator of the workout system Get Ripped.

That doesn’t mean you should throw yourself full throttle into a workout right when you come to the gym off the street. You do still want to get your blood flowing and prepare your muscles for movement. You’re just going to do it differently. “Perform stretches that will mirror the exercises you plan on doing,” Love recommends. The stretches should be dynamic, which means performing gentle repetitive movements that gradually increase the range of motion within your normal range of motion.

So is static stretching completely out? Not exactly. “The best time to stretch is after a workout, or after working a particular muscle group,” Love says. Static stretches should be held for about 30 seconds. Keep in mind that a stretch should not feel painful. There might be a little discomfort before your muscles are flexible, but never push past that feeling of tension towards pain, or you’re setting yourself up to get hurt.

Here are Love’s three best post-workout static stretches:

1. Seated hamstring stretch: Start with one leg straight in front of you and the other knee bent, allowing the bent thigh to rotate out to the side. Place your arms on the ground behind your pelvis and sit with a straight back, so that the posterior ligaments of the pelvis and spine are not loaded. Move your upper body forward until you feel the first sign of tension in your hamstring. Hold 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
2. Standing hip stretch: While standing, take a step back with your left foot, and with a straight back, lower the other knee into a high lunge until you feel the first signs of tension in the front of your hip and upper thigh. Do not extend past the point where your front knee forms a 90 degree angle. Hold there for 30 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg.
3. Supported back chair stretch: Kneel on the floor in front of a sturdy chair with your forearms crossed and resting on the seat of a sturdy in front of you. Breathe in, and as you exhale, let your head and chest sink below the chair seat until you feel the first signs of tension in your upper back. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and feel your shoulders and upper back stretch.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2kz8r5m

Free Yourself of Envy and Malice, It Could Kill You

Our physical well-being goes way beyond just working out and eating right. Temperament is another major factor that has a great impact on a person's physical health.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2kq7QD6

5 Types of Dresses to Show Off Your Favorite Body Part

If you love your arms, try ruffles or a cap sleeve design

Although strapless or sleeveless might seem like the most obvious choices for the girl who loves her arms (and they are great options!), a short ruffle around the shoulder or jeweled cap sleeve bring the eye to the arms even more. Another way to make sure your arms get as much attention as possible is to choose something asymmetrical or one-shouldered. This is how to dress to look 10 pounds thinner.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2jM5EUv

Are You Overfat? The New Weight Problem to Worry About

“Overfat” is the new overweight.

Current health measures such as body mass index (BMI) and weight don’t accurately reflect how much excess harmful fat we are storing in our bodies, explains Phil Maffetone, CEO of MAFF Fitness Pty Ltd, a health and wellness program in New South Wales, Australia. Overfat is a better way to refer to America’s ever-expanding waistlines and the health risks associated with them. “Overfat is defined as an excess amount of body fat that impairs health,” says Maffetone, who just published an article on the new concept in the journal Frontiers in Public Health. “It’s not ‘Gee, I don’t look good in the mirror,’ or ‘I don’t fit in my clothes anymore,’ it’s about health.”

As many as 5.5 billion people worldwide may fall into this emergent category. That means that up to 76 percent of the world’s population is overfat and at-risk, Maffetone says. The overfat category also includes normal-weight people who have risk factors for heart disease and diabetes including abdominal obesity.

The reasoning is pretty straightforward: You may tip the scale at your current weight, but that number reflects much more than just fat—muscles, water weight, and bones are part of our body composition. Same with BMI, which is the height-to-weight ratio. “Height and weight don’t reflect body fat,” Maffetone says.

The new term comes at a time when doctors are questioning the value of BMI as a comprehensive health measure. “While the use of BMI is useful clinically, many people are misclassified,” says Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, the director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C. “There’s always a lot of attention on those who are very fit and muscular, but misclassified by BMI as being overweight, and this is actually a much smaller population than those who have a normal BMI but low levels of bone and muscle and higher levels of body fat.”

These individuals tend to have at least as many health issues as those who are traditionally overweight. “These folks are often missed by their doctors and others, so they don’t get the treatment or attention needed to change their lifestyle and address these problems,” Dr. Kahan says.

Does this mean you can kick your scale to the curb?

Maybe, Maffetone says. “Hopefully this is the first big step to get us out of dark ages of being overweight.”

There is no standard cut-off or accepted way to measure ‘over fatness’ … yet. Until there is, place a tape measure around your abdomen, just across the belly button, Maffetone suggests. “I have a cut-off of 33 inches for women and 38 inches for men, so you want to fall below that to be normal fat,” he says. Measuring waistline once a month is usually sufficient to capture any changes in fat, Maffetone says.

Other weight experts see value in the new term. “The overfat concept resonates,” says Rachel Lustgarten, MS, RD, CDN, a dietitian at the Comprehensive Weight Control Center of Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian in New York City. “Internal or visceral fat in the abdomen is dangerous fat and can’t be measured by pinching, which is why measuring waist circumference, using a body composition calendar or having body composition measured by your doctor or a fitness professional can provide a better idea of where you stand,” she says.

Some scales can measure lean body mass too. “These are all good tools for a ball park measurement that will tell you if you should reach out to your doctor or a dietitian to discuss lifestyle changes or other ways of losing fat,” Lustgarten adds.

Losing fat starts with eating clean. “Eat real food, not junk,” Maffetone says. “This includes fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, fish, nuts and seeds.” Avoiding refined or processed carbs will also help the effort, he adds. These nutritious foods are even healthier than you thought.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2k4zCno

Learning A Few Healthy Eating Tips For Kids From Health Experts

It can be really hard for some parents to get their kids to eat healthy. It is one big challenge, especially when the kids start going to school and they see the variety of tasty junk foods that their classmates consume. But with careful planning and creativity, you can effectively maintain your child's good diet even if there are all sorts of temptations around them.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2koYwiH

How to Control Stress Eating

Do you reach for a bag of chips or a bowl of ice cream when you feel anxious or depressed? Here's why stress eating is so hard to resist - and how you can conquer this bad habit.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2jKUvmD

The Right Fitness Center - What to Consider

This is a facility that offers its clients a place that has exercise equipment for the purpose of getting physically fit The memberships of these fitness centers can be as inexpensive as $10 a month or as much as $700 a year. It depends on the location of the center and the amenities and equipment offered. When you are choosing a fitness center there are many things that you should consider before making your final decision.

from Health and Fitness Articles from EzineArticles.com http://ift.tt/2jCWGsA

17 On-The-Go Snacks Nutritionists Always Keep in Their Bags

Apples

The old apple-a-day advice is still very much alive and well among health practitioners. Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD, associate clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, often keeps an apple with him during the day. “It’s loaded with pectin to help keep you feeling full, and there are plenty of varieties for your taste,” he says. “Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Cripps Pink (Pink lady) are my favorites,” he says, noting that large apples run about 100 calories. For the staying power of protein, consider adding a tablespoon of peanut butter or a cheese stick.

from Diet & Weight Loss – Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2jVPwTs