Health

How To Treat High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy?

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High blood pressure is a malady that is associated with several complications. In some cases hypertension nurtures complications or diseases while in others it is a by product of various complications and physical states of humans.
A woman on family way has been often found afflicted with high blood pressure. The cause of this hypertension is also debatable like other types of hypertensions. Well, there could be two or three possible reasons of it. Wherein, the most prominent one is preeclampsia.
In case of this pregnancy induced hypertension, initially you witness a surge in systolic BP by thirty mm and diastolic BP by twenty mm. Presence of protein contents in urine confirms this type of hypertension.
It is just because of this preeclampsia resulted hypertension a pregnant is constantly required to keep track of blood pressure. This blood pressure complication usually arises in mid pregnancy. Women who have conceived for the first time are very much susceptible to preeclampsia. Pregnancy in late thirties or forties may also be a cause of such high blood pressure.
Among most pregnant women this preeclampsia propelled surge in BP is witnessed after six or seven months of pregnancy. This high blood pressure usually prevails till the delivery. Once the child is borne the hypertension lowers down and vanishes within few days. If a woman suffers a greater surge in blood pressure in her later stage of pregnancy, cesarean delivery before the scheduled date of delivery remains the only option. For, only the delivery would result in normalcy of blood pressure.
Although a less severe case of preeclampsia is difficult to be identified, a reasonably higher level of preeclampsia hypertension could be identified with constant headache, frequent vomiting, dizziness and blurring of vision.
A pregnant woman must be informed of various symptoms of this hypertension so that she could take immediate action once she finds herself with these symptoms.
This hypertension originates probably due to placental disorder. It is said that placental blood vessels constricts to result in hypertension. Women may also suffer from this complication due to less than required intake of various vitamins and nutrients that are essential during pregnancy. Some hormonal disorders may also contribute to this hypertension.
All in all, I would suggest all pregnant women to take preventive measures for preeclampsia as it adds to the ordeal of being pregnant.
The author writes about a number of different topics. For more information on blood pressure visit http://www.blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/ and also visit the article page: http://www.blood-pressure-updates.com/bp/blogs/bp-basics.htm

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

Do You Have Low T?

by Cheryl Winter, MS, RD, RN
Nationwide, an estimated 13 million men age 45 and older suffer from Low T. Just what is Low T? Low T is Low Testosterone. There is new research suggesting that overweight men are more than twice as likely as other men to have low testosterone. In addition, men with diabetes are also more than twice as likely to have low testosterone compared to other men. It is estimated that fewer than 10 percent of men with the condition are currently receiving treatment. Unlike “women’s menopause,” this condition is not a natural course of a man’s life cycle.
Low testosterone can also be affected by other medical conditions, not just from being overweight or having diabetes. High blood pressure, asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can also affect testosterone levels and increase one’s risk for low testosterone. Symptoms of low testosterone can include a low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depression and fatigue. In addition, however, low levels of this male hormone can also contribute to higher body fat, reduced muscle mass, and decreased bone mineral density, therefore this condition is not just isolated to libido, but instead impacts many aspects of one’s health. A low testosterone level can be easily diagnosed with a simple blood test, and treatment involves testosterone supplementation. However, the risk of enlarged prostate exists with testosterone supplementation, and therefore treatment must be carefully monitored to prevent negative effects to the prostate. Men with prostate cancer cannot be given testosterone supplementation.

This new information and astonishing prevalence rate of low testosterone among men who are overweight and/or who have diabetes, is just one more reason why the management of these two conditions is so crucial. Forget the little blue pill, it may be that all you need is a healthy meal plan to promote health and weight management. For men with diabetes, managing blood glucose levels is very important. This may at first seem like a daunting task but its benefits will be reaped in so many different aspects of one’s health. Nutrition Therapy and weight management are the cornerstones for controlling diabetes, as well as many other medical conditions. If you have diabetes, it is crucial that you learn how to manage it with proper nutrition and a meal plan, as well as with activity, and daily blood glucose monitoring. If you are overweight and have never been tested for diabetes, be sure to see your physician to be screened for this disease. In addition, see a registered dietitian to help you promote a healthy and appropriate weight. Even a weight loss of only ten percent of your body weight, may be all that you need to reduce your risk of low testosterone.

Cheryl Winter has a Master of Science Degree in Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science Degree in both Nutrition and Nursing. She is also a registered dietitian, registered nurse, and diabetes specialist. Find out how she can power you to Health, Wealth & Success. Sign up now for the free monthly e-zine, The STEP-POWER Weigh, at http://www.HealthStepsRx.com

Article Source: Wellness Article Library

Fat Loss Nutrition: What the Food Industry is Hiding from You

by Natalie Beech

As obesity in the US becomes an epidemic, more and more people are going on a diet. Is there a connection? The fact that diet foods such as low-fat and low-carb products are a $7.6 billion-a-year business might have something to do with it. Is the food industry keeping you fat with processed foods, so it can sell you more diet products? And is avoidance of both processed and diet foods the only solution for weight loss?
Getting the basics of fat loss nutrition right, along with the right kind of exercise, will lead to weight loss. The problem with many diets is that they are not balanced. They cannot be maintained long-term. And when you stop dieting, the weight piles back on. Focus on fat loss nutrition, rather than actual weight loss. An approximate guide is that for every 3 grams of protein at a meal you need to have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of fat. More important still is the type of fat, carbohydrate and protein you eat.

Fat Loss Nutrition: Good Fats, Bad Fats

Low-fat is the myth that has fuelled the diet industry, with complete disregard to the quality of fat you consume. The 'ugly fats' are the 'trans' fats or hydrogenated fats in fried and processed foods which are the toxic fats that are dumped in the body's fat tissues. These fats are difficult to shift, so fat loss nutrition has to increase the balance of good fats. Although omega-6 fat is a 'good fat', our diet contains too much of it in relation to the other 'good fat' omega-3. This imbalance contributes to insulin resistance (see Carbohydrates below for more information). So, not only do you need to reduce your omega-6 fat intake (vegetable oils, grain-fed beef and many processed foods), you need to increase your omega-3 fats (in fish, fish-oil capsules, or flaxseed oil). This will bring your essential fat intake (and yes, they are essential to health) to a more balanced one-to-one ratio.
If I told you of a saturated fat that was good for your heart and increased weight loss, would you believe me? Saturated fats, like coconut oil, are no longer the enemy. Coconut oil has the ability to increase your metabolism and burn fat for energy, as well as helping to regulate blood sugar - an essential in weight loss
Fat loss Nutrition Tip: Use coconut oil for cooking, and extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings.
> Carbohydrate Quality and Fat Loss Nutrition

Insulin resistance is the key to weight loss. Reverse it to burn the fat off. It is not so much the fat in the foods we eat but the excess carbohydrates from our starchy and sugary diet that is making us fat and unhealthy.
We consume far too much bread, cereal, pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, mostly as processed food. Good for the food industry, but not for fat loss nutrition and for you. These processed carbs stimulate the over-production of insulin, which leads to insulin-resistant cells. The sugar in your blood has no place else to go except to your fat cells, resulting in bulging stomachs and rolls of fat.
Increasing the fiber in your diet plays a powerful role in fat loss nutrition and weight loss. Eat brown rice rather than white rice or pasta. Grains should be limited to start but when you do eat them, make sure they are whole grains. Fill up on vegetables which are a great source of fiber.

Protein

Eating a little protein at each meal will help to slow down the digestion of carbohydrate, so you don't get that sugar surge. Of course this does not mean the high-fat burger and fries meal. Fat loss nutrition means the low-fat protein of lean white meat, fish, beans and lentils. Beware the low-fat processed foods like low-fat yogurts which are high in sugar.
The fat loss nutrition approach means that even snacking on a handful of pumpkin seeds with an apple can help to slow down the sugar release.
Is Fat Loss Nutrition Really This Simple?

Weight loss has little to do with willpower. Fat loss nutrition is all about the right balance and quality of foods, and the right exercise. This balance is easily obtained by avoiding all the low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet fads and avoiding processed foods as much as possible. If you get the fat loss nutrition right, you don't have to be overly concerned about how much you eat and you won’t go hungry.
Natalie Beech discovers the truth about fat loss nutrition and healthy weight loss. Get the latest information from a nutritionist's point of view at the Fatloss-Fitness Website

This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

How to Choose the Right Exercise

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Only you can determine the form of exercise you would want to engage in. Your choice may depend on the type of activities you enjoy or hate, whether you want to pay any membership fees or not, and your willingness or reluctance to invest in exercise equipment.

You should realize that if you attempt to undertake an exercise that you are not particularly fond of, you are more likely to give up on it very easily and quickly. For example, if you hate running, you are less likely to trade an hour of your sleep just to go out jogging. If you can't identify anything you like to do, then settle for something that you least hate like walking in lieu of jogging.

Walking is a wonderful exercise for everyone regardless of their fitness level. While anyone can walk as an exercise, individual programs vary in terms of intensity and time interval or distance walked. Walking can also be a shared exercise and you can easily find a partner to walk the distance with. Having someone to talk to makes the trek seem faster, more enjoyable, and less of a chore.

You can choose any kind of exercise as long as you start lightly. From a low intensity level, you can gradually increase the intensity of your regimen over several weeks to ensure the duration and sustainability of your workout program. Besides, you are likely to just injure yourself if your start out too hard too soon.

If you think that you rate poorly in physical fitness, you could start a daily routine of walking for ten minutes and increasing the time allocation by five minutes after every two or three weeks. You can also vary your walking route in order to maintain your interest. Or you can invite some friends to join your walk, perhaps a different person for each day.

If you can’t see yourself enjoying a brisk walk, consider signing up with a gym. Gyms typically have several programs you can enroll in and you can also seek the assistance of their fitness trainers to help you develop your own workout regimen. Choose a gym that provides good service. Try to assess how well they treat their members before and after signing up since what you will be paying for includes their time and attention. Check the equipment and try the exercise machines to see if they are well maintained. Listen carefully and be alert for any squeak or irregular noises as these indicate poor maintenance standards. You wouldn’t want to compromise your safety with poorly maintained gym exercise equipment.

If you are still undecided on what to pursue, you may wish to look into sports like golf or tennis. Both provide great opportunities for socialization and making new friends. Tennis offers excellent fitness training but it is a very demanding sport and therefore not advisable for someone who is not yet physically fit. If you are only starting out, your best option is golf.

After years of neglect, I found that my health had suffered. My website, contains the result of my journey back towards health.
Paul Strachocki
Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

Healthy Diet

by Trish Powell

Healthy Diet

To maintain good health, we need to eat a healthy balanced diet. Couldn’t be easier could it? Due to our diverse life styles, eating a balanced diet is much harder than we imagine. Most articles dealing with healthy living tend to list food sources that are beneficial and give reasons why we should eat more of them, that’s fine as far as it goes, but how do you manage it?
This article is not so much about the right foods, you know what they are, nor is it about a weight loss diet; though if you are overweight, along with some exercise and a healthy diet you will lose weight. This is about strategies that we can adopt to help us eat a more balanced diet long term.
Let’s start right there, there are no right and wrong foods. The idea that there are some foods you must not eat is totally wrong. There are though foods you should try to eat more of and those that you should eat less of. You may be able to remain on your diet longer if you realize that you can have an ice cream or chocolate, you just can’t do it too often. In other words it is the balance we are after.
Making ridiculous changes to your diet overnight probably isn’t a good idea, after a few days your resolve is going to weaken and you will end up reverting to your old ways. It is better to make small changes, this way it will have a more lasting effect.
Before you consider your actual diet, look at your lifestyle. This is very important because you need to plan your meals around your everyday activities. Often people will say “It’s hard for me to eat properly because I go out a lot.” or “I’m a shift worker and meals are never at the right time.” These are valid reasons, but they can be overcome with proper planning.
To overhaul your diet you will need to work out what you are consuming now. Be honest with yourself, if you are drinking ten cups of coffee and eating doughnuts every day then acknowledge the fact. Sometimes it can be a shock when you add it all up, rather like getting home after shopping and you wonder where all the money went. Yes tally it all up and you will be surprised.
Once you have come to grips with your actual diet, as opposed to what you thought it was, you can take steps to improve it. Let’s take the ten cups of coffee and doughnuts as an example. The obvious solution is to cut down, but you should have a plan. How many cups of coffee should you have a day? Now if you cut out just one cup per day for the next week, then drop off another cup for the next week etc. although taking some time this will work without being hard work.
Do the same for the doughnuts, and though in the beginning you may wish to supplement with a health bar try to wean yourself of even these and change the coffee and doughnut for a piece of fruit. Just don’t go cold turkey and give up everything in the one day, unless you have very good will power, that way leads to failure.
Quiet often our diet is governed by what is easiest, enter soft drink and fast food; instant gratification equals long term problems. Here is another myth buster, it is not always the fast food that is the problem; if you were to have a beef patty with salad and a bread roll laid out on a plate, it would be considered a healthy meal. Why then if you put them together is this bad for us? First did you notice we didn’t have the fries with that? But mostly it is the soft drink! When did you last have a burger without a soft drink? And don’t think because you have a diet coke it doesn’t count. It is the fizz that makes you fat!
Spur of the moment eating doesn’t allow for healthy meal planning, try to plan meals in advance. If time is an issue try cooking more than you need for one meal and freezing the remaining portions for another occasion. Don’t do your shopping in a hurry, allow yourself time to look at other options that might be quick but healthy, if you are in a hurry you will always pick the same things.
The saying a little of what you fancy does you good is true, the art is in knowing how much a “little” is. Eating is a great social activity and it is easy to end up eating and drinking more than we planned when we get together with friends. To over indulge once in a while is not a problem, but if you have a busy social life, or business requires you to dine out on a regular basis, then you need to work out a strategy so that your healthy eating plan isn’t compromised.
Choose the healthier options on the menu, forego the side orders, restrict the number of courses you have, don’t have the coffee to finish, any or all of these will keep you on your healthy diet.
A healthy diet won’t just happen, it doesn’t work just to give up this or that, or to go on some fad diet. If you are in for the long haul, and you could be living to a hundred, you need to be on a healthy balanced diet for the rest of your life. Not a weight loss diet but a balanced one. This will not happen unless you put in the time and effort to plan a strategy and set some healthy eating goals
Trish is a life coach and author specialising in health wellness and relationships. For the full story on healthy eating and other wellbeing topics visit her web site.
http:www.wellbeing-information.com
Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

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The Science Of Muscle Building

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Bodybuilding involves more than just lifting weights. It pays to have an understanding of human kinetics. How do muscles work?

Muscles develop by making them work. Muscles can only work when the body is in motion. They work extra when we are in full motion. Thus, to develop the muscles to the maximum, we must make them work to the best of our abilities. Hence, the bodybuilding principle of “No Pain, No Gain.”

You can’t grow your muscles by doing nothing. You have to move around a lot. The only thing that will grow in points of inertia, if you remain stationary, is your weight. If you want muscle growth and power, you must work your body methodically. Muscle training is called a workout.

Muscles can be toned (or conditioned) by regular activities like brisk walking, jogging, and doing other slightly heavy works. But toning muscles will not grow them in size and beauty. You have to do more —lots more — to have stunning muscles. You have to workout. By the very term “workout,” you can have a good idea of what it takes to grow muscles.

Bodybuilding procedures using weights and other heavy-duty activities are the best-known muscle growers so far. You have to devote your life into this if you want extra visible muscles on you. You also have to do away with vices like smoking, drinking liquor, eating junk foods, etc.

Muscles grow in size only when they are moving. Try to be still in front of a mirror and you’d see no sign of any bulking muscle taking shape. Now, clench your fist hard, and muscle evidence will show at least on your forearm. This simple principle illustrates the potential of muscles being developed through repeated and graduated motions. As muscles are subjected to repeated exertions that gradually increase intensity, they grow and toughen.

The more intense the muscle activity, the better and faster the muscle is developed. Hence, a systematic muscle development program incorporating increased muscle stimulation builds more muscles effectively. If your exercise features no such system of increasing efforts and challenges to your muscle strength, your muscles can only grow so much. Some exercises do form muscles, but only to a certain extent. The muscles built only become regulating muscles that enable you to perform normal tasks effectively. But they cannot exceed in performing beyond such tasks.

On the contrary, a fully developed muscle does not only allow you to do normal tasks; it is calibrated to reach its full potentials — far beyond what regulating muscles can do. Bodybuilding helps you develop your muscles to the extreme.

If you want to possess a well-sculpted muscular physique everybody else would be dying to have, then visit the free info website at http://www.the-firm-body-sculpting-system.com and find out how to finally have the rock-hard, eye-catching muscular body of your dreams… no matter how many times you’ve failed before!

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

Tea: Can Tea Reduce Your Stress Level?

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Our lives are busier today than ever. We work longer hours and have hectic family lives, too. All of this activity can lead to higher stress levels, and the physical symptoms that accompany such high stress levels.
High levels of stress can lead to headaches, vision troubles, joint stiffness and other physical symptoms. Over time, these symptoms can turn into more significant physical problems. Long term exposure to extreme stress causes serious back and neck problems, psychological problems and even high blood pressure in some people.
In addition, stress causes our bodies to release the hormone cortisol. Cortisol often causes weight gain; meaning that too much stress can often make you fat. There are two important pieces to managing stress in your life.
The first piece to managing stress is reducing it where you can. Take a look at your life and remove the things causing you stress wherever possible. For example, does your high traffic commute cause you to arrive at work already stressed out? Consider public transportation, carpooling, working from home or altering your hours to avoid traffic.
Is your family life too hectic with sports and activities? Consider reducing the number of activities your family participates in. Keep the ones that bring the most pleasure, but allow your family a few nights at home with no activities.
The second part of preventing stress from causing you physical and emotional difficulties is managing the stress you can’t avoid. No matter how hard we try, none of us will be able to completely rid our lives of stress.
So, get rid of stress where you can, but then learn to manage the stress you have left. How you react to stressors in your life is critical, and it is something you can have some control over.
Employing stress reduction techniques on a regular basis can have a powerful influence on your ability to manage stress. Some of the most popular stress reduction techniques include:
Exercise – Not only is exercise good for the body, it’s good for the mind, too. Exercise can relieve physical symptoms of stress like tight muscles and can relieve psychological symptoms, too, since focusing on the physical and rhythmic elements of exercise can often relieve the stress that’s weighing on your mind.
Yoga and Stretching – Yoga and its relaxing stretches can be a great way to soothe the mind and work out the kinks in the body. Like other forms of exercise, yoga helps free your mind from your stresses and worries, too.
Meditation – Many people swear by their meditation routine. Meditation teaches your mind to “turn off”. Whether your meditation consists of 5 minutes of sitting in a quiet room with your eyes closed or a more complex routine including music and guided meditation, it’s a very successful stress reduction technique.
When you teach your brain to “turn off’ for a few minutes, you’ll also find that you’ve taught it to focus more intently when needed. This can be beneficial when you need to concentrate to work out problems.
There are numerous other stress management techniques that work for many people. Pilates, crafts and hobbies, music and dance can all be great ways to relieve stress. The key is making the time to do the things that help you to cope with the stress in your life.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

When you’re under stress, your diet can either help or hurt you. Eating nutritious foods can make you feel better. On the other hand, foods full of sugar and fat can weigh you down, making you feel worse than before. So, eat a healthy diet to stay at your best even when stress is getting you down.
Some studies have suggested that you can benefit from drinking tea when you’re under stress. In particular, a study conducted by the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products in China studied the effects of tea on women under stress.
Fifty five Chinese women were studied over a period of time while under a regimen of oolong tea. The women’s stressors and physical symptoms of stress were monitored.
The women were divided into three groups. One group received daily doses of oolong tea, one group received barley tea and the third group received water. Barley tea is a very popular beverage in Asia and is made from barley kernels rather than the camellia sinensis plant, where regular tea comes from. Barley tea is considered to be an overall healthy beverage.
During the study, participants received their test beverage twice in the morning and twice in the evening. They were also subjected to work and deadlines designed to cause stress.
The results of the study concluded that the women who consumed tea showed reduced signs of physical stress related symptoms like headaches, stiffness in the neck and back and eye fatigue.
Those participants receiving oolong tea showed greater benefit than those receiving barley tea. However, participants receiving barley tea showed greater benefit than the participants receiving water.
In addition to relief in physical symptoms, participants receiving oolong tea also showed a reduction in the amount of cortisol released by the brain.
This study’s conclusions provide powerful help to those of us trying to reduce the stress in our lives. Simply ensuring that we drink tea on a regular basis may help us to cope with the stress in our lives more easily and may help us reduce the physical problems that go along with stress.
We may even be able to decrease the amount of cortisol released by our bodies during stress, avoiding the weight gain that so often accompanies periods of high stress in our lives.
Tea is a delicious and healthy beverage. It has no side effects and is generally well tolerated by everyone. There’s no reason why we can’t all add tea to our diets to help us manage stress more effectively.
Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

by Demos Christos

Have you heard that you need to drink more water? Most of us have heard that we need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, eight ounces each. But why?
Our total body weight is about 70 percent water, so we must keep our bodies well supplied. Few people can last more than ten days without water. Yet our bodies are constantly losing water. This happens through the skin, breath, kidneys, bowels and even tears. If we drink beverages such as tea and coffee, we need to drink more water to replace what these mild diuretics cause us to lose. Even drinking liquids with sugar, milk, fruit and vegetable juices increase the body's need for water since water is needed to digest these. Some of the water we need is obtained from solid food, since even solid food is made up of a great deal of water. For example, bread is about one third water. An egg is about 74 percent water, and a watermelon is about 92 percent water.
Still, many health professionals recommend in addition to other drinks and food, we drink two quarts or two liters of water each day and even more if we exercise or live in a hot climate. And, the more salt you eat, the more water you will need to dilute it. I have even heard that if we wait untilwe feel thirsty to signal that we need to drink water, we are already somewhat dehydrated. Personally, I find the more water I drink, the more my body seems to want.
I like to think of the many health benefits I receive when I drink my water. Drinking enough water helps prevent kidney infections and the formation of kidney stones. Water helps to remove waste and toxins from my body. And on a hot day when I am perspiring, a cool breeze feels so good as my body's water helps to regulate my body temperature. Water also helps lubricate my joints and colon. I once read of a man suffering from constipation even though he was eating large amounts of wheat bran. The problem? He was not drinking enough water! Drinking plenty of water even improves our appearance. Good nutrition and drinking plenty of water helps keep the skin good looking. And drinking lots of water helps to lose weight. There are no calories, cholesterol or fat in water. If your tummy is full of water, you may not be tempted to eat as much.
Oh, I know what you are thinking. The thoughts of drinking two quarts of water is not too appealing. But you can do it. Some increase their daily water intake by adding lemon to it. I like to keep track of how much water I drink each day to make sure I am drinking my two liters. So in the morning as I start my day, I fill two containers with water, each with a capacity of one liter. My goal is to have one liter consumed by early afternoon. Then I know I have the rest of the day to drink the other liter. This is in addition to any green tea or other beverage I may drink during the day. And a one liter bottle of water is easy to carry with me wherever I go.

So be sure to drink enough water, and remember, there is no substitute for it.

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

Sweet Tooth: Fact or Fiction

by Glenn Antoine

While for a long time I did not understand the scientific foundation for why my sweet-tooth seemed to always win out I knew very well that was a battle that I would eventually always loose. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but my willpower could only hold out so long and then I would succumb to the temptations of sweets. In order to fully understand this we need to take a little trip through history.
Now the history I am talking about is more like ancient history, more specifically pre-historic history, because that is were this whole problem started. In all fairness for millions of years it wasn’t a problem because much like any animal in the wild we never knew when our next meal would be. If you have any doubt about that statement, just take an hour or so and watch one of those animal shows on your television. Often they talk about the fact that a pride of lions for example may not make a kill for a couple of weeks. The problem here is, if they don’t kill something many times they don’t eat. Imagine going for a week or two weeks before you had a chance to sit down for a good size meal.
What do you think you would do once you were able to sit down to that meal? More than likely it would be a long while before you would get up from the table. That is the way you are wired at the genetic level. Deep down in your DNA you are wired to eat as much as you can, when you can, simply because for millions of years you had no way of knowing for sure when you were going to get your next meal. That same genetic code is what drives you today, because your DNA does not know that you have a surplus of food waiting at every corner today.
Worse than that, our genetic wiring has us programmed to eat foods that are sweet and/or high in fat. Why – you ask? When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from it is very important that you take in the maximum amount of calories possible to sustain your bodily functions until such time that you get another meal. Not only are the calories important, but the type of calories. While the news media and all the hype about foods high in fat give fatty foods a bad name, the truth of the matter is that your body needs fats to function. These essential fats are very important for your brain functions, your nerves, and the list goes on. Again if you are going between long periods of time between meals, you are programmed to desire the tastes of foods high in fat. If you are starting to feel like the odds are stacked against you, you are correct, but the good news is that as you understand more about what is going on in your body you can eat foods that are good for you, but will turn off the alarms that drive you to eat the foods that are not so good for you.
I am sure that you all know that there are parts of the brain that process feelings of pleasure and thus when something triggers that portion of the brain we tend to remember that and what to repeat that feeling of pleasure. Most notably, sexual experiences set off these triggers in the brain and as such there is no problem with keeping the human species alive and well. Needless to say, food also plays an integral part in the pleasure centers of our brain, in conjunction with the parts of the brain that tells us when we are full. Without getting in to all of the details of the biochemical signals that play a role in that series of communications that tell us we are full, that brownie was really good, or hey you really want more of that ice cream, I will tell you that there are a series of chemicals (Ghrelin, Leptin, Cholecystokinin, PYY) that control all of these essential communications. While I’ve covered this in-depth in another article I will mention that it is well documented that some of these chemicals measure lower than they should in over weight people leading researchers to believe that this flaw in their chemical makeup is leading to their weight problems.
By now you are starting to understand why your willpower to stay away from that second helping, to avoid the fatty foods or to simply pass on dessert is under constant attack. Would you be surprised to know that the fast food industry, the manufactures of processed foods, and the food industry as a whole have known this information for a long time? As a matter of fact that understand everything that I have just mentioned and exactly how all these chemicals interact to bring the most pleasure to that all important section of our brain. As a matter of fact the food industry and those responsible for marketing these products study this at length, many times in the form of study groups or taste tests. Armed with this information they make sure that they can maximize the response all the way from your taste buds in your mouth right to the point of when you body is going to tell you that you have had enough and worse yet, all the way to the point when your body is going to start a craving for more of what you just finished.
With what seems to be all of the odds stacked against us there are still many things under our control. Additionally, you can take heart in the fact that you are not in this battle along. By many estimates close to 70% of the US population is overweight to some degree and yet with all of the information that is known about appetite, diet and our biological make-up we seem to have no solution to the problem. You may or may not be aware of the fact that when it comes to track records the group of drugs with the worse record of all are weight-loss drugs. The reason being is that people will loose weight for a given period of time and then our genetic programming kicks in and we are right back to where we started before. Unfortunately, we have become a society of instant gratification which is not a good way to approach any kind of weight-loss program. In short we don’t gain weight over night and as such we should not expect to be able to get the weight off over night. Combine all of the weight-loss drugs on the market and the 50 million or so diets programs that are available to you on the market today and in short you have a fantastic recipe for total confusion.
While there is nothing sexy or mysterious about the real answer there is one available to all of us. That answer is to eat a highly varied natural foods diet. That means eating lots of unprocessed foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, fish and when possible eating fruits and vegetables in their raw uncooked state. Additionally, eating much smaller more frequent meals is one of the best things that I have ever done. If you think about it that makes a lot more sense in that you body has to deal with smaller quantities of food and as such you body is much better equipped to take full advantage of the calories and nutrients that you have taken in. Not to mention as a bonus you just feel like you get to eat more, but in reality you will have eaten less total calories. For me personally the best way of eating is more of a Mediterranean type of diet. When traveling through the Mediterranean regions all of the meals typically focused on lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains/whole grain breads, lots of seafood combined with some red meats and for the most part most of the foods that I ate where all organic foods. As you now know we are preprogrammed genetically to really like the fatty and sweet foods, but by sticking with a highly varied natural foods diet our genetics will not rule our waistlines.

References:

1) Wikipedia: Appetite - href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appetite

2) Time Magazine: Science of Appetite - href=”http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1626795_1627112_1626670,00.html

3) FAQs.org (Appetite) - http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/A-Ap/Appetite.html

4) Stephen Cherniske, M.S., The Metabolic Plan, The Random House Publishing Company, 2003, ISBN: 0-345-44102-8

5) Wikipedia: Blood Sugar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sugar

6) Wikipedia: Glucose - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose

7) Paul Zane Pilzer, The New Wellness Revolution, pg 62 – 76, John Wiley & Sons, 2007 ISBN: 9780470106181

8) Wikipedia: Cholecystokinin (CCK) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholecystokinin

9) Wikipedia: Ghrelin - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin

Glenn has combined his passion for health and fitness with a great business model that allows him opportunities that would have otherwise not been possible. For more information visit http://www.opportunityofyourlife.com/

Article Source: Natural Health Directory | Natural Health Articles

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