So one of the most common misconceptions when people visit fast food restaurants is that its the main food items that are the cause of their weight gain….i.e. the big macs, the whoopers, the burrito supremes, when in fact the slow killer that has remained somewhat dormant in the news is that it’s really the sugar content found in the diet coke and potato products that lead to the slow gain of weight, especially when people who try to stay “healthy” yet are under a time crunch opt for the salad or more “healthier” options when visiting these fast food restaurants. This primarily is seen in mothers trying to satisfy their children’s craving for their happy meals while at the same time stay healthy themselves. Want to really lose weight? Go for the water or non-soda option on your salad. While at it, skip the fries, and with that all other potato-based products, especially potato chips.

According to a recent report by the New England Journal of Medicine, just one extra serving of french fries resulted in an average of 3.35 extra pounds gained every four years, accompanied by the findings that even just an extra handful of potato chips each day could potentially add 1.69 pounds in the same time period. So next time you’re thinking about a quick snack, don’t reach for the bag of chips, try opting for something more healthy, like carrot sticks, celery, etc.. The same exact advice that you’ve been given to keep your children from becoming obese before it’s even up to them to make their own dietary decisions.

In the same report, they also tracked sleeping habits of the participants. Those who had a decent amount of regular sleep (mind you by decent I don’t mean too much) were also prone to lose weight rather than gain it. That was defined as:

People who slept between six and eight hours per night gained less weight over time than people who slept fewer than six hours or more than eight.

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Now if you’re practicing a balanced diet that includes proper amounts of vegetables and other essential nutrients, that also has been shown to counter-act the occasional ‘binge’ at the fast food counter. It’s those that live hectic lives, i.e. having to take care of children and/or work, that sometimes will go without that natural balance which displaces the starch/sugar/carbohydrate levels in your body and results in the additional weight gain.

So as I said, next time you’re at the drive-through, think twice about ordering that diet coke and large fries…..the salad won’t counter-act the effects they’ll play on your body in the long run.

Speciality pharmaceuticals group Shire just posted its first quarter earnings with an extremely strong increase in sales in their hyperactivity treatment group of medications especially in the US market. In fact, they’re making about 19% more than they were this same time last year (keep in mind thats $972 million dollars).

Quoting one of their representatives:

“Sales of our ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) treatments INTUNIV, VYVANSE and ADDERALL XR were all up and the overall ADHD market in the US showed good growth.”

It seems like just another example of drugs being over-prescribed to me. “ohh, johnny didn’t do well on his test? He probably has ADD, let’s talk to a doctor and get him some treatment.” Meanwhile what little Johnny needs is less Xbox 360 and more studying. Parents are now-a-days looking for quick fixes for just about everything and sadly this has become one of them. Let’s keep in mind what we’re prescribing our kids shall we:
Adderall is just a version of amphetamine salts. Remember amphetamine? If you’re old enough it was probably called Dexedrine back when you first heard about it, but that’s just the medical prescription form that they had back then. Even if you don’t remember Dexedrine, you surely remember what the drug called “speed” is right? Think of it as a medically toned down version of the same stuff that is sold on street corners and first became popular by the beatnik generation (who’d usually inject it).

Now, back to adderall, if you think just because it’s not Ritalin that it can’t be that bad you’re wrong. It’s actually (on the scale of how addicting not to mention harmfull if used over time) far worse. From growth stunting, death, heart problems and high blood pressure as starters, this one can be a real problem if taken improperly. These drugs were made to be a supplement to real treatment for their ADD/ADHD. By that I mean behavioral treatment. It’s not just something you get prescribed and then forget about it until each month when you have to go refill the prescription, it’s something you treat with education on how to better train your brain to focus. Whether that’s getting in the habit of taking excessive notes, using a stress ball or other one-handed object to occupy yourself as you engage in another task or any other of the hundreds of treatments that can easily be learned. This isn’t alternative medicine i’m talking about. No new-age, hippie, take some vitamin C and you’ll be fine stuff, this is actually how to treat ADD/ADHD. Just think twice about having your child be prescribed any ADD/ADHD medicine. You don’t want them to still be taking it 10 years from now….because I promise you not only will they have been affected negatively by the drug, they also will most likely be taking a dosage thats 4x higher due to a growth in tolerance.

For more information on the drug visit drugs.com or the WebMD.com section on the drug.

Sometimes it is easy to fall into a sedentary lifestyle and just let ourselves go and become fat and out of shape. The television is too alluring, the potato chips taste too good, and the sodas are both addictive thanks to it’s sugar and caffeine content but also dangerously delicious! And it is so easy to fall into this lifestyle as well, after all, it is the easiest thing you can do. Sit down, watch television, and eat your favorite foods and slurp down your favorite drinks. Heck, if you’re a freelancer it makes it even easier to fall into this routine. Just start working on your couch one day, then the next, and next thing you know you haven’t been outside or interacted with people face to face in weeks!

Or you could take charge and start doing a little exercise each day. What?! Sounds preposterous, does it not? I am not asking you to become Lance Armstrong or a rock climber, or to even breaking out a serious sweat. Just do something, well, actually let me rephrase that – do ANYTHING.

All I am asking is that you devote twenty minutes a day to any exercise, be it light or heavy. Yes, yes, it is hard, but that is the point; this is going to build your muscles and trim away that fat. Those potato chips encircling your waist are soon going to fall off and you will wonder exactly where the old you went!

It does not matter if you do the lightest, least stressful exercises you can think of; but do them for a daily twenty minutes, and I guarantee you will not only feel healthier, but look better as well! Think of it as rehab for your body. So what if you can’t run around the block one time without getting sick. Try walking it. Then after a few days walking around the block, walk around another. Soon you’ll be logging some serious walking time, at which point you can re-try the job around the block to find that it’s a piece of cake!

That method works with just about every other type of muscle in your body. Regardless of how small of a weigh or low of a resistance, if you keep at it that muscle of yours will slowly build up until you one day find yourself looking (and feeling) better than you did in high school.

Who says yogurt is just a diet food? Apparently not researchers and doctors around the world as evidence is continually being released that this tasty snack contains loads of microscopic warriors in the form of beneficial bacteria that are a must for good health.

The National Institute of Nutrition has released data stating that a cup of yogurt (250 mg) contains 370 mg of calcium. This is 30 – 40 % of most adults’ daily needs! Not only that but at eight grams of protein per cup, yogurt meets 20 – 25 % of the average daily needs of an adult not to mention is a great source of the B vitamins your body needs on a daily basis. Bet you didn’t know this either – A cup of yogurt contains 250 mg of potassium – which is the same amount that your average sized banana has!

Yogurt sets up an efficient little health factory in your intestinal tract and creates B vitamins for you and also provides lactic acid, a key protein aid, calcium and iron assimilation.

Now if you’re on a low calorie diet, yogurt will soon become your best friend. It is easily available anywhere from grocery stores to even gas stations and is a snack that tastes great at any time of the day (also when eaten at night); it is low in calories and can easily fill up your appetite when eaten combined with a high-fiber vegetable or fruit as a combo.

Lookout America – Yogurt may just be the perfect ‘health food.’

It is a common misbelief that drastic measures are required in order to have flawless, youthful skin. Women search for the best skin treatments out there that normal can cost up to $400 an ounce that at most offer only small proof that they do half of what they guarantee not to mention those that go and get expensive cosmetic surgery. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to how to get rid of wrinkles. Do you want a cheaper and simpler answer to prevent premature aging? You can improve your skin in 7 days or even start to see those wrinkles fade by pursuing these simple anti aging tips. Some are as simple as just adding certain fruits that are high in anti-oxidants like Cupuacu Fruit or other berries known for their health properties.

Healthy skin is wet and produces adequate total of oil from the sebaceous glands, generating a natural “glow.” Plump skin cells fit together like a delicately assembled mosaic, where any one has its own place. When skin cells dry out, yet, they proceed to lift & apart at an point of view, giving skin a lifeless, flaky demeanor that creates the skin appear earlier.

The 2 primary causes for dry skin are environmental factors (weather, chemicals, the use of the wrong private care commodities ) and poor diet. In order to demeanor superb on the outward, you should first delight your-self right from in.

A unchanging balanced diet is the number 1 defense contrary to wrinkles, outbreaks, dry skin and negligence down the aging routine. However, there are sure dishes that have holdings that are most critical for that glow that we hunger for. Here we’ll talk about some of these dishes and you’ll see how swiftly you can achieve time-honored, radiant skin without breaking the bank.

Wrinkle Free Tip #1 Eat Plenty of Fruits & Vegetables

The tone pigments that create bright orange & red refill antioxidant levels in your skin. These vegetables replenish your skin’s supply of antioxidants, so try to eat as much fruit as you can when it’s available. Free radicals are highly reactive oxygen molecules that damage cells & contribute to only around all that can go wrong with skin, from lack of moisture to crinkles.

Top picks involve SWEET POTATOES, TOMATOES, AND CANTALOUPE.

Your body can’t store a lot of wrinkle-fighting vitamin C, so you want to keep your reserve up. The easiest, simplest anti aging tip to get ahead this is to include some citrus every day.

Top picks include ORANGES, LEMONS, LIMES, GRAPEFRUIT.

Vitamin C helps keep collagen-the supportive protein fibers that stop the skin from sagging-strong & resilient (Flimsy collagen means lines and wrinkles. ) Since collagen breakdown unequivocally picks up in your mid-30s, an additional anti aging tip is to eat citrus early & mostly to conduct off aging.

Wrinkle Free Tip #2 Drink Plenty of ‘light’ Teas Everyday

You can get a potent antioxidant known as EGCG that does any classes of great things for the skin. Where is the foremost place to find it? It is in teas such as black, green, or white (not herbal). Brew a teapot full each morning & then you can splash four to six cups throughout the day.

Top pick : GREEN TEA

EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate ) is a good multi-tasker. EGCG reduces the inflammatory chemicals involved in acne and sun-related skin aging. It likewise helps to prevent skin cancer, and it has a calming outcome on growth cells. In addition, green tea holds L-theanine, a de-tensing amino acid- and anything you can do to stop the upsurge of the stress hormone cortisol helps you keep collagen fibers intact.

Wrinkle Free Tip #3 Eat Plenty of Green and Leafy Vegetables Each Day

By eating leafy greens, regardless of whether they’re in a salad, solidified, raw, or steamed, can definitely boost your levels of vitamin A which is one of the most skin-essential vitamins out there.

Top pick : SPINACH, TURNIP GREENS, BROCCOLI

These vegetables distribute a hefty supply of vitamin A, which supports skin cell turnover, the routine that keeps cell expansion & growth. Without adequate vitamin A, your skin becomes dry, difficult, and scaly.

Wrinkle Free Tip #4 Eat More Protein-Fish, Turkey and Chicken Everyday

There are several cold-water sorts of fish that can supply your skin a leg up in advantage : age-fighting omega-3 greasy acids and the physic powers of protein. Try beans or tofu as a high class protein source as well.

Top picks : SALMON, TROUT, TUNA, ATLANTIC MACKEREL, SARDINES, PACIFIC HERRING, MOST SHELLFISH

Omega -3s duel inflammation which is presently considered one of the top skin-agers, & they likewise benefit strengthen against sunburn, enhancing the results of your SPF sunscreen. Protein is further due to build and repair skin cells & it makes enzymes and hormones that assist keep it intense.

Wrinkle Free Tip #5- What Foods to Avoid to Achieve Healthy Skin

Junk food and snacks should especially be avoided when making an effort to retain able-bodied skin. Eliminating soda, sugarine and alternative empty-calorie dishes will not just develop your skin’s appearance, but it will assist take off the additional pounds.

Fried dishes are especially bad, because hot-processed oils (such as those established in the supermarket ) truly construct no money radicals and can destroy that look you’ve been applying so hard for.

Alcohol & caffeine should also be avoided, as these and additional sorts of diuretics make the body fluids and essentials minerals, which dries out your skin.

These 5 anti aging tips are elementary & easy to include into your busy lifestyle. All of these dishes are simple to discover in your local supermarket or illness store, & will price you much less than the myriad of skin care commodities which promise impractical results.

By following these anti aging tips, in only a few day, you’ll notice that your skin will begin to create adequate amounts of oil naturally, and will no longer show signs of being lifeless, scaly, flaky, or close. Chapping and cracking during the winter will be abundant reduction likely to occur as well.

Most importantly, these anti aging tips will assist you to slow down the results of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, brownish-red spots, enlarged pores & sagging skin. Also adding fruits like cupuacu to your diet will help by boosting your immune system.

It’s a proven fact that the older you get, the more water your body needs in order to perform it’s daily functions. Just because you’re not feeling thirsty doesn’t mean that your body couldn’t use a refill! As an adult we’re made up of 43 to 45 liters of water. These waters need to be filtered, eliminated and then replenished daily. If
they are not, the rivers, streams and oceans of our body become polluted with digestive, respiratory and metabolic acids. We experience what we consider ‘dehydration’ when these acid levels start to build up. The older you are the faster that will happen, including the faster dehydration can turn into a more threatening problem.

It is important to understand that because of a gradually failing thirst sensation, our body becomes chronically and increasingly dehydrated from an early adult age. With aging, the water content of the cells of the body decreases. The ratio of the volume of body water inside the cells to that outside the cells changes from a 1.1 to almost 0.8. This is a very drastic change and causes one to lose their desire for hydration.

It is the loss of water volume held inside the cells of the body which causes a reduction in the thirst sensation! As a result, chronic dehydration sets in which causes symptoms that equal disease when the variety of emergency signals of dehydration are not understood.

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This probably applies to half world population)
* In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
* Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
* One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the University
of Washington dieters studied.
* Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
* Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back
and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
* A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic
math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
* Drinking just 5 glasses of water daily:
– decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%,
– slashes the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and
– 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer

Keep in mind that when we are born our bodies are about 90% water and 10% matter. As an aging adult the body begins losing water, dehydration sets in and hydration falls to about 70% water and 30% matter. Upon death the body is only 50% water. In reality, we die of dehydration. So does our skin over the years.

The latest diet craze to sweet the nation involves a food item not typically seen in any traditional diet plan, Introducing Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet.

Dr. Sanford Siegal first developed the cookie diet in 1975 as a way to treat chronically obese patients (patients who are unable to keep off any weight lost due to exercise/dieting). He has treated more than half a million patients with the sugary diet and claims that there is less risk of obesity in the very low-calorie diet.

“I have yet to see the first case where anyone suffered any ill effect from eating a low-calorie diet,” said Dr. Siegal in an ABC News report.

The 1,000-calorie a day regimen, which ABC News has reported celebrities like Jennifer Hudson, Denise Richards and Kelly Clarkson have all reportedly tried is dangerously lacking in nutrients found primarily in vegetables and fruits.

Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet may result in quick weight loss, it’s nutritionally unsound and can even result in weight gain, experts say.

Cookie Diet followers drink water and eat six uniquely developed 90-calorie cookies each day, followed by a 500-calorie dinner of lean protein and sparse vegetables. With reports being mixed, there have been a bunch of documented success stories.

Josie Raper told “Good Morning America” that she went from being a size 24 to a size 6 in a little close to six months by following this diet.

“When I started the Cookie Diet, there was no splurging or sneaking little snacks,” Ms. Raper told “Good Morning America.”

I was very strict in keeping to the diet including waiting until the Monday of Thanksgiving to start this program so that I could get through every single holiday without snacking or caving in to my cravings.”

According to Josie Raper, she has been on the Cookie Diet for two years now and hasn’t regained the weight.

Weight loss experts say the Cookie Diet’s basic flaw is that it does not help dieters to retrain their eating habits, this results in a greater chance of the dieter falling off the diet or ‘cheating.’

“If you lose weight through diet and exercise alone and don’t change anything else in your life, you are probably going to gain the weight back,” says registered dietitian Anne Fletcher, author of “Thin for Life” and “Weight Loss Confidential.”

When you don’t deal with the underlying reasons for why you’re overeating, you’re definitely more likely to gain weight. This is like putting a band-aid on a gunshot wound, it fails to treat the core reason for why the individual is overweight in the first place.

The diet also worries Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, because it lacks in serious good nutrition.

“I am concerned that if someone were to follow this over the long term, there are many different nutrients that they would be missing that you would normally get by eating regular food,” he told “Good Morning America.”

Cookie consumption as a weight-loss strategy is just another fad diet, says Dr. Stuart Fischer, who wrote “The Park Avenue Diet.”

“Every study shows that when people change foods only and rely on that to lose weight, they have a 95% failure rate. This cookie diet relies heavily on sweets but to lose weight you need to forget what sweet tastes like. When you lose your sweet tooth, you are about a fourth of the way to reaching weight-loss success.”

“It just doesn’t exist.” But Fischer says the diet is so low in calories that followers won’t have the energy to do any of the necessary exercise, which he says is important to maintain good heart health. He also added that staying on a cookie-heavy diet will most-likely result in dieters falling into a rebound phenomenon.

“The body goes into a starvation state,” Fischer explains. “And it holds onto every morsel and calorie until the person’s weight goes higher than it was before.”

Dr. Siegal is frequently in the news. Over the years he has been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, New York Daily News, CNN, and the Fox News Channel. Thanks to the recent resurgence of interest in hypothyroidism (“super-foods”) that was sparked by Oprah Winfrey, multiple media outlets have aired features on Dr. Siegal and his work.

You can usually tell how old someone is by looking at their eyes. They’re more than just ‘Windows To The Soul’ but also a way to show your age. Why is this so? Your area around your eyes will typically be the first to start sagging and becoming wrinkled which is natures sign of aging. You have to keep in mind that the body has three main types of skin on it. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest, most delicate skin. The skin on your face is more like the paper found in business cards and the skin on the rest of your body is more like file folder paper.

Think about how easily tissue paper is damaged or wrinkled. The very same type of thing happens to the thin skin around your eyes, which is why you should not treat the skin around your eyes the same way you would treat the skin on the rest of your face, or especially the skin on the rest of your body! Have no fear, there are simple routines that are easy to start and if you do them often (once a day is recommended) you can prevent and even reverse some of these signs of aging!

1. Do not rub your eyes!!. Rubbing your eyes either with your fingers or a wash cloth can wrinkle the skin around your eye area. When your are touching your eye area, use the pad of your ring finger, which is the weakest, softest finger on your hands and pat the area, instead of rubbing it. This holds true for applying moisturizer, concealer, or any other eye product. Eye makeup should ideally be applied with an appropriate cosmetics brush. When removing your eye makeup, use a cotton ball to prevent the pulling and tugging that may occur with a wash cloth or your fingers.
2. No Regular Soap For The Face. Most soaps are made to clean the “file folder” skin on your body and are not always gentle enough for your eye area. In addition, many soaps have a high ph, which can lead to irritation or dryness for normal to dry skin or even increased oil for combination to oily skin. Many soaps also contain lards or fats that can block pores and lead to increased acne. Be sure to use a gentle cleanser, specific to your skin type on your face and an eye makeup remover formulated specifically for your eye area.
3. Apply daily moisturizer around the eye area daily. It’s important to use a moisturizer on your face to help trap the moisture so your skin looks more like a firm grape than a weathered tennis ball! Since the skin around your eyes is so thin and doesn’t have much fat, it’s important to use an eye cream that not only moisturizes, but strengthens and firms the skin in that area and also encourages collagen and elastin production. Your body stops producing any significant amount of collagen on it’s own after the age of 16, but thankfully, there are moisturizers on the market that can actually help this process along and diminish and prevent wrinkles. If you already have poor skin try using something like Res-V Youth, it’s been promoted on many popular TV programs as a relatively inexpensive way to get rid of wrinkles and other signs of aging.
4. Get your beauty sleep. Researchers say that your body ideally needs 8 hours of sleep per day. While your sleeping, your body is working to repair sick and damaged skin cells. So, the more sleep you get, the more time you’re giving your body to naturally fight the signs of aging. It is literally the least expensive, most natural way to get that fresh, relaxed glow we’re all after.

These basic tips, if followed, can help reverse (also prevent) the area around your eyes from a lot of the damage that time will cause. The “Before” picture in this article is a picture of my eyes when my daughter was 4 months old, I wasn’t getting enough sleep and I wasn’t taking care of my skin. Flash forward to the “After” picture, just 8 months later on my daughter’s first birthday. This was taken after I’d been fully rested and happily back on my daily skin-treatment routine. If I can do it, anyone can!  Start following these 4 simple steps and I guarantee you will notice a difference. This is safe for all ages, all skin tones, all body types! Don’t show your age!

According to a medical research study released yesterday, overweight Americans spend close to 42% more on health care than your average “normal-weight” citizen.

Consumer as well as corporate spending on weight-loss related treatments is projected to top over $147 billion a year in 2008, according to the new study which started in 2006 to track both a series of test patients as well as national consumer spending trends. That figure accounts for almost 10 percent of all medical spending in the USA for this year!

Overweight and obese Americans spend close to $1,429 more on health care each year than the roughly $3,400 spent by those Americans who fall within the “normal-weight” range.

Most of the excess spending is for prescription drugs needed to manage obesity-related conditions, said Eric A. Finkelstein, one of the study’s authors and the director of the public health economics program at the Research Triangle Institute, a nonprofit research organization.

The results were presented on Monday at the first Weight of the Nation conference, which was held in Washington by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they’re getting worse rapidly,” Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the C.D.C., said.

The average American consumes 250 more calories per day than just two decades ago, Dr. Frieden noted, and don’t forget that thanks to advances in modern technology, the average time spent exercising has decreased compared to that same time period. This could be part of the blame for our rising obesity rate which currently represents the single greatest contributor to the over-all increase in diabetes cases reported in the US. Time spent exercising includes both strenuous physical activity as well as physical labor.

According to a medical research study released yesterday, overweight Americans spend close to 42% more on health care than your average “normal-weight” citizen.

Consumer as well as corporate spending on weight-loss related treatments is projected to top over $147 billion a year in 2008, according to the new study which started in 2006 to track both a series of test patients as well as national consumer spending trends. That figure accounts for almost 10 percent of all medical spending in the USA for this year!

Overweight and obese Americans spend close to $1,429 more on health care each year than the roughly $3,400 spent by those Americans who fall within the “normal-weight” range.

Most of the excess spending is for prescription drugs needed to manage obesity-related conditions, said Eric A. Finkelstein, one of the study’s authors and the director of the public health economics program at the Research Triangle Institute, a nonprofit research organization.

The results were presented on Monday at the first Weight of the Nation conference, which was held in Washington by officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they’re getting worse rapidly,” Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the C.D.C., said.

The average American consumes 250 more calories per day than just two decades ago, Dr. Frieden noted, and don’t forget that thanks to advances in modern technology, the average time spent exercising has decreased compared to that same time period. This could be part of the blame for our rising obesity rate which currently represents the single greatest contributor to the over-all increase in diabetes cases reported in the US. Time spent exercising includes both strenuous physical activity as well as physical labor.