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Monday, December 3, 2007

Identifying Eating Disorders and Dieting

There are illnesses that you can get from dieting and they are called eating disorders. There are two main types and they are anorexia and bulimia. There are about 2 million people in the United States that are suffering right now from one of these eating disorders. These illnesses are going to be more likely in girls and women than in men however there are male patients that are battling eating disorders as well.

Anorexia is showing up more and more in teenagers. This is true more so for girls of middle to upper class families. Men and boys suffer from anorexia but not as often. Anorexia is when a person will not want to eat when they need to in order to survive. There are anorexia patients that avoid eating most of the foods that are out there but will also be more likely to follow activities like grueling physical exercises in order to make their weight come down. Usually their weight is already below normal. Gaining weight is the worst fear of a person with anorexia. The excessive weight loss that anorexics usually have will cause hormonal disturbances in women and girls and will seem to have a number of health problems that can occur.

The reason behind anorexia has not been found out yet. There are health experts that believe that biological, nutritional and psychological causes combined will lead to this disorder. There are social and environmental causes like puberty, a death in the family or any other stress related reason could lead to this. There is not one single treatment that will exist for anorexia at this moment. There are medications that are going to treat depression that is associated with anorexia. The psychological and family support is going to need to be there for the patient come of their eating disorder without fear.

Bulimia nervous is a common eating disorder where the patient is going to have a tempting urge to eat. They will have repeated episodes of binging in a very short amount of time. The patients of bulimia are going to be very afraid of obesity and this will lead them to do self-induced vomiting in order to get the food out of their body. Patients will also try laxatives, diuretics, strict fasting, and dieting of any kind. They will also want to do hard physical exercises for their body to prevent the weight gain. These are all going to be hard on the heart and kidney functions as well.

Anorexia and bulimia are far more often seen in girls rather than boys. However there are men that suffer from the disorders. There are around 7% of the young women seeking heath advice or treatment that suffer from bulimia. Like anorexia, the cause of this disorder is not known. There can be no one effective treatment for the disorder. Medication may be used to help treat depression and there is counseling that can help as well. Having the support of family is going to help the bulimic patient as well. Both anorexia and bulimia are dangerous and life threatening to anyone. If you are or know someone that is suffering from either one, this is not a good diet and you need to find help immediately.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Dining Out and Your Diet

There is nothing to argue about, dining out when you are on a diet is very stressful. This is especially true for people that love to eat and like food a lot. This may seem like torture, the right way to go about it is out there for you to eat normally. You do not need to splurge on some things even when you go out to a restaurant. There is no reason why you have to give up dining out all together. Remember that a diet is going to boost your health and to not ruin it and the way that you are feeling.

When you are going out to eat to the fancy restaurant’s the menu is going to get you all worked up. The foods on there that are so fattening, yet so delicious can tempt you. You need to relax and think about eating more your favorite salad or soup before turning to eat the main entrĂ©e. Sometimes you have to watch though what type of soup and salads you are eating. Some are rich in calories and can leave you feeling even hungrier than you were before. Try to take on things like a broth vegetable soup or some salad with lemon or the dressing on the side, this will help in the fact that you do not have to eat it all. More often than other, restaurants will give you more than just one serving size.

It is easy to have guilty pleasures with food when they are eating at a restaurant. Many of the restaurants will have options for those that are dieting but it can still be hard to pass up the tempting calories. You can make your meal healthier with a few things. One example is to order a side salad instead of the fries that most likely come with the meal. You can also order low or no cheese when it comes your burger.

The sauces for a lot of people are hard to resist. They are a large source of fat that you may not even notice. A good idea is to remember that the creamy sauces are worse for your diet. Meat and chicken sauces, light salad dressings and on the side cream sauces will keep your fat intake in a reasonable manner. Keep it all as low as you can get it and you will not have to use all of the sauce that is on your plate.

Having the quality control is very important. Restaurants will bring you a larger portion that what you need most of the time. You should eat less of the meal and dining out can become as safe as your home dinner experience. The best idea is to share your meals with your dining partner. You can also always take the rest of the meal home for the next day. This is like two meals in one. You do not have to wreck your diet with dining out. Keep it under control and you will find that some of the foods are going to be good for you and taste good too.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Four Secrets to Weight Loss

If you are battling with excess weight, than you probably know that losing the pounds can be both difficult and frustrating. However, there are five secrets that many people never know that can make weight loss a lot easier. Losing weight will never be easy, but if you work hard at it, you can reach your target weight over the next few years.

The first secret to weight loss is to talk to your doctor. This might not be a secret per se, but it is something that most people overlook. When you talk to your doctor he or she may be able to look at you health history and determine exactly what is causing your problem. In some causes, your medical condition goes beyond healthy eating and exercising. When you talk to your doctor, you can easily get to the bottom of the problem and learn helpful tips to losing weight.

Another great secret to weight loss is to improve your posture. Ok, this may not be exactly a way to lose weight, but it certainly will make you look thinner! Good posture, whether you are standing or sitting, will add and immediately slim your body. In many cases, we stand up straight in dressing rooms when trying on clothing, but if you truly want to look like you’ve lost weight, good posture is crucial at all times. This can also help with the weight loss process itself because good posture when you perform exercises will lead to more effective workouts.

The third secret to weight loss is to get your whole family involved. It can be very tempting to ditch the salad had have a hamburger with your husband or a taco with your wife, but if the entire family is eating healthy foods, weight loss won’t seem so depressing. Keep the junk food out of the house completely, and everyone will be healthier.

Lastly, one of the biggest secrets to weight loss is to think about your weight in terms of everyday life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the last parking spot at the mall or at work and walk to the front door. Cut out coffee and replace it with tea in the morning. Go outside to play with your children instead of staying indoors. Go out dancing instead of seeing a movie. These little things may not make a big impact on your life in general, but if you do them regularly, the burnt calories will add up and you’ll start to see real results.