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By HealthWatch, June 25, 2011

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.

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By HealthWatch, November 3, 2010

Sleep, one of the most beautiful words in any language – it conjures images of darkness, dreams, and a feeling of utter relaxation and well-being when you wake up: that is, if you are one of the lucky who is able to consistently find refreshment from a night of slumber. It is known that humans will sleep nearly half of their life away, which can be a disconcerting thought for some, but those moments of sleep is when our bodies recharge for the upcoming day. Anybody can remember a day; multiple even, when they slept badly the night before for any number of reasons, and how badly they felt the next day and how it affected their day-to-day functions.

But for many, sleep can be a harrowing ordeal of tossing, turning, insomnia, and the inability to delve into REM sleep ( the most relaxing state of sleep, which is where dreams are able to occur). And the lingering question in those sufferers minds is, “How can I use healthier sleeping practices to ensure I wake fresh and wide-eyed for the day instead of the dreary, groggy, mental state I usually find myself in?”

There are many ways to contribute to healthier sleeping practices, so it is with great pleasure that I am allowed to share some of these practices with anyone who suffers from horrid nights of sleep.

One of the main things that people forget is that you must dedicate at least eight hours of sleep a day; every day. Your body needs to be fully refreshed for the day to come, and trying to skirt by on four or five hours for weeks on end can be very unhealthy for not only your physical, but mental state as well.

Some sufferers will visit their physician and obtain prescription sleep medication – and it works, truly; but there are a myriad of side effects of such medication. Natural supplements of melatonin and Valerian root have consistently helped men and women alike receive deep, refreshing sleep without the need to use a potentially addictive medication.

These are just a few healthier sleeping practices, there are many more, but even following these two; you may find the restful sleep you have always craved.

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By HealthWatch, November 3, 2010

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.

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By HealthWatch, March 11, 2010

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.