Rapid Fat Loss Diets

Friday, March 6, 2009

Making Consistent Fitness Progress

By Rick Steel

I had a friend who had body dysmorphia back in college. He had a desperate need to lose as much fat as possible - as well as build more muscle. And lots of veins had to stand out on his body in bold relief.

He even thought of enlarging his muscles, perhaps because he's not satisfied with his body build. Not like me, I'm totally satisfied.

It was also peculiar because he even had plans of improving his running speed. Aside from that, he even wanted to train more to develop ultra-endurance. Probably so he could run away from all his emotional hang-ups.

And by the way, he didnt just want his limbs to look shapely with muscles. He wanted all those muscles to look proportionately large. If he felt his muscles were getting too large, he worried about the size of his back and even his arms. If his chest looked rather small, he worried that his other parts of the body, like his forearms, were getting too big. I made fun of him a lot.

I have known this guy for over two years, and one thing that I couldnt forget about him is the fact that he was always into every fitness goal there is. However, I dont think that his persistence got him the results he wanted.

I guess he needed to choose one.

Want to be a better runner? Alright " practice your running and dont worry if your arms shrink a bit. Want biceps that bust out of your sleeves? Okay " but you might want to ease up on the jogging a bit and not worry if your lung capacity goes down a microcosm while you focus on building muscle.

Now heres the kicker: While you want to FOCUS on just one fitness goalthat doesnt mean you cant ACCOMPLISH several.

The most common goal among all is to drop the extra 20 pounds off ones body.

With this circumstance, losing body fat should be at the top priority. A fat-loss routine, by then, should involve strength training. This exercise should be able to increase ones metabolism. Another thing that this could do is help tone the arms, legs, and even the midsection. One could even become as toned as me, Rick Steel.

Always remember that obsession toward several fitness goals is not advisable. If that happens, then your efforts are spread over a wide range of activities. Unfortunately, with this, you will never be able to accomplish your goals. Then you'll never be as awesome as Rick Steel. - 17273

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Preventing the Occurrence of Hypertension

By Katie A Price

Hypertension is the increase in blood pressure beyond normal levels for a long period of time. Usually, people in middle to late adulthood are often diagnosed with hypertension. There are many causes of hypertension that can traced back to ones lifestyle. Upon the diagnosis of hypertension, you may be asking what things you can do in order to prevent yourself from having it. Before thinking about that, you first need to know that 120/80 is the normal reading for blood pressure. If you go beyond that reading, then you should start taking action now.

If you want to know what your blood pressure is, then you need an instrument known as sphygmomanometer. This instrument is a good tool to use when taking blood pressure readings. There are various types of sphygmomanometers that are available in the market today. You would notice that blood pressure readings consist of two numbers. The first number is called the systole, while the second number is called the diastole. It is important to take note of these numbers because these two are indicative if a reading is abnormal.

Hypertension is said to be genetic in origin. A person who has a relative with hypertension will have greater chances of developing it too. When a disease is said to be genetic or hereditary, this means that it can not be easily avoided. A certain strand in their familys DNA is probably carrying that disease gene.

One risk factor for hypertension is a sedentary lifestyle. If you have less physical activities or if you are used to just watching television without doing other activities, then you are at great risk for developing hypertension. Make an early start by changing your lifestyle from sedentary to active. Instead of just watching television all day, try to start by doing simple household chores and gradually increase your physical activities.

Exercise always brings good things to your body. With exercise, you are able to improve your bodys overall circulation. Exercise also strengthens your lungs and heart muscles. During exercise, you require more oxygen for your muscles therefore your lung muscles are doing extra work. Your heart muscles are also pumping more blood to be distributed in your system. Exercise also burns off unwanted fat.

Hypertensions greatest causative factor might be high cholesterol foods. If you are fond of eating foods rich in fat, then you should start lowering down your consumption to avoid developing high blood pressure. A high fat diet will build up fat within your arteries causing the pathway of your blood to be narrowed. Narrowed blood vessels will cause an increase in blood pressure.

Avoid eating foods rich in sodium because it causes hypertension. Truly, eating at a fast food restaurant is enticing. Most of us if given a choice between home-made vegetables and McDonalds crispy chicken, the latter will probably be the choice of the majority. Sodium is an electrolyte that causes the cells to release water. When sodium is present, water retention will follow. Because the cells release water, it adds up to the pressure within the blood vessels walls causing an elevation in the blood pressure.

All of the ways to prevent hypertension involve lifestyle changes. Hypertension is not an easy illness to manage because a lot of changes will occur in a persons body with hypertension. Having hypertension will make you at risk for different kinds of diseases. Usually, maintenance drugs and lifestyle changes are the management for hypertension. - 17273

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Acai Health Secrets Revealed

By Carter Sinclair

Amazonian locals have been reaping the rewards of Acai health for many years. Their diets can consist of up to 50% Acai, and their health shows how great a fruit this really is. Even without the fancy medical care we are so used to, these Amazonians often live healthier and longer lives than we do.

Brazilian surfers often dominate competitions, and one of their secret weapons is Acai. Acai fruit juice can give you a boost of energy that is as strong as, and longer lasting than coffee. Many athletes find that is a great way to increase performance long term, without the negative side effects of other methods.

Acai fruit also can improve your vision. It contains anthocyanins, that are known to help your eyesight improve. It even helps your night vision.

A recent scientific study at the University of Florida discovered that the Acai berry was able to cause a self destruct response in many leukemia cells. The research on Acai's cancer fighting properties is still very new, but researchers think this could be a big breakthrough in the war on cancer.

On the ORAC chart Acai has the highest value. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity stands for ORAC and it measures the antioxidant content in foods. Antioxidants cure the damage to cells that were caused by free radicals. This gives a boost to the immune system and slows down the aging process. They improve your appearance of your skin and hair.

The Acai fruit also contains high levels of Omega fatty acids and other benefits. Omega fatty acids help to improve your mood, reduce cholesterol, and can improve brain functioning. People who do not enjoy eating fish will benefit from Acai because it contains all the essential fatty acids that fish contains.

If Acai health wasn't enough, it is also one of the best tasting fruit juices on the planet. It tastes more like a treat than it does a health food, and makes for an amazing morning or post work out smoothie. - 17273

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The Super Food Amazon Acai Berry

By Jorandy Eck

A growing movement of organic health remedies has been appearing recently. People are starting to look for natural ways to improve their health because of all the horror stories they've heard from prescription drugs. During this time a category of foods called Super Foods have revolutionized what a health food is.

These super foods are often fruits and vegetables from exotic locations that have been used by the locals for their amazing health benefits for ages. The Acai Amazon berry is the king of this group of amazing food.

A staple in many South American diets is the Acai berry fruit. They have seen first hand how wonderful the acai fruit is. Many of their athletes have used the Acai berry juice to increase their athletic performance by giving them a long lasting surge of energy. This purple berry is grown in South America for great nutritional value to all who ingest it.

Man scientists are excited about some early research performed with the Acai berry. Researchers at the University of Florida have used Acai berry to cause cancer cells to self destruct.

One of the best sources of antioxidants in the world is from Acai. Free radicals are constantly attempting to break down our cells. Antioxidants help to stop these free radicals from doing any harm by fighting off oxidation.

To live longer, healthier lives antioxidants have been used to help us feel and look younger as well as strengthen our immune system.

There a are other health benefits you can get from the Acai fruit. Acai contains a large amount of Omega fatty acids. Essential fatty acids help to improve general brain functions, fight depression, and reduce cholesterol. - 17273

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The Acai Berry The Natural Energizer

By Carter Sinclair

The Acai berry is one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world when it comes to nutritional and healthy food. The studies that have come out showing how poorly nourished most people are has lead to a craze in the health food industry and Acai berries are at the top of the list of the healthiest and best for you.

The Acai berry is about one inch in diameter and is very small in size. The seed makes up about 80% of the berry. The berries are green, or the most known ones are purple. The seed doesn't have nutritional value but is used for livestock feed and top soil.

The skin and the pulp of the fruit offers the most nutritional value. This is what is used for such foods as ice creams, yogurts, juices, and often they can be sold frozen or dried. The berry contains one of the highest ORAC which is why the food is so sought after.

The ORAC measures the level of antioxidants in a fruit and their ability to fight off harmful free radicals. Acai berry scored over a thousand on the assay. This means that it is very potent and very good at fighting off free radicals. Current studies on the Acai berry are revealing benefits such as amino acids, fatty acids, and other nutrients that the body needs for energy and metabolic functioning.

Acai berry is an energy drink that provides the body with more energy than coffee or other caffeinated drinks and still maintains great nutritional value. It provides you long lasting energy that isn't in the form of drinks laced with sugar.

Acai berries have a taste like a mix between strawberry and chocolate. This makes it very tasty on its own but works great with any number of other foods. This is why Acai has so many different types of different drinks, juices, supplements, etc..the versatility makes it amazing to add to any particular diet choice. - 17273

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The Land Of Cajun Food

By Dan Sewinski

There really is very little science to this particular form of cooking that includes a lot more than mere lagniappe from the pantry or the spice cabinet.Cooking in the heart of Cajun country is an art form.

Cajun cooking is something that has often been imitated around the country and around the world but can very rarely be accurately duplicated. One of the fascinating things about Cajun cooking is the fact that there are very few exact recipes.

Even more amazing is that from day to day one person can make the same dish over and over and it is quite likely to taste a little bit different each and every time it is made.Most, if not all authentic Cajun cooking is done to taste rather than measurements.

Cajun food is often made even more delicious or mysterious simply by the mood of the one doing the cooking. I'm sure that many of you have watched as Emeril Lagasse makes some special concoction and exclaims 'Bam!The major reason for this is that in addition to being an art form in and of itself,

There is a reason that many southern cooked dishes are referred to as soul food and you should not for one second forget that New Orleans is in the heart of the Deep South.there is a good bit of that when it comes to Cajun cooking. Something that goes far beyond the ingredients in the recipe and somewhere into the heart and the soul of the cook in question.

The most difficult thing, perhaps when it comes to preparing good Cajun dishes outside of the New Orleans region is finding the right ingredients. It is nearly impossible to find the fresh seasonings and spices that are essential to most Cajun cuisine outside the heart of the old south.

If you are determined to learn to make Cajun food of your own, you must first find the ingredients.Not only that, but fresh crawfish and andouille sausage are a little difficult to come by during the heart of a Michigan winter.

There are some grocers that will carry a limited stock of Cajun seasonings on their international food aisles. Keep in mind that these sources are extremely limited.Specialty food shops or those that will special order might be your best bet.

After you buy all the necessary food, now you play some jazz music while you cook to set the right atmosphere. Many of the favored Cajun meals need a good couple of hours to prepare in order to be slow cooked so this should be kept in mind beforehand.

Cajun food is not to be rushed-much like the citizens of the Big Easy. The food will be ready in time and as the one cooking the food you must learn to accept that about Cajun food. It has a way of letting you know when it is ready that is almost mythical until you've experienced it for yourself.

Cooking Cajun food will try your patience, try your talents, and in some cases zap your energy, as it tends to be an emotional process for many. On the other end however, Cajun food is some of the richest and most delicious food on the planet. Mastering the ability to cook this wonderful food will make you a slave to its flavor for many years to come. - 17273

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Should You Get Your Own Home Gyms

By Carol

Like most people, you've probably decided that this year will be the year that you'll finally get into shape. You resolutely tell yourself that you'll tone down and get that washboard stomach. And you know what that means...hours, and hours of working out at the gym. So let's discuss the merits of setting up a home gym.

The number one benefit of having a home gym is convenience. If you're like most people, you don't have a lot of time to work out, not to mention driving across down to a gym. So why not just have a gym in the comfort of your own home? Not only is it going to save gas and cut back on travelling time, but you'll more likely burn more calories since everything you need is right in you house.

Another advantage is money. Monthly fees and training sessions can add up, making working out at your local gym a bit pricey. Perhaps if you spent hours there everyday, it would all be worth it. But let's be honest, just how much time do we spend at the gym? Just how often do you really go, and it worth what you're paying for? Having your own gym is only a one time investment, and you're free to work out as much as you want, whenever you want.

Usually people feel a bit uncomfortable working out in public. Let's face it, it's not easy working out next to some athlete with a six pack, while you're there trying to get rid of your beer belly. For some people, it can be a bit embarassing. Having a home gym will let you work out from the privacy of your own home, so you can work out away from prying eyes and at your own pace.

But before you go out and break the bank buying all these expensive equipment, consider the amount of money that you might have to spend. Set a budget, and buy only what you can afford. It may be tempting to get everything you see, but you don't have to buy them all once. You can start by purchasing a few equipment, gradually adding on to it when you start to build more complex routines as your workout progresses.

One good place to start is by investing in a treadmill or a medicine ball. Those two pieces of equipment are more than enough to prime you for more advanced workouts.

So I hope these few tips have been a great help, and you'll be running out to start your own gym! Remember that this is the year that you will get into shape, so be resolute and don't delay this any longer! - 17273

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Bodybuilding Supplements to Build Muscles

By Allen Brian

How to tell what kind of muscle building supplement is the best? Since there is so many brands of supplement that you can choose from for improving your workout. It is not easy to choose the right for building your muscle. What we talk about here is selecting the muscle building supplements, which could help us to achieve the best results.

Protein is good and effective body building supplement and it is recommended by many muscle building experts. Protein helps bring all the necessary muscle building enzymes to where they need to be. Boosting energy level is important for building muscle and protein can help you with that.

Whey protein is one of the best protein supplements you don't want to miss when applying your program. The right dosages and amounts of whey protein are crucial for having good results of muscle building.

Creatine is another bodybuilding supplement you should take into account. Creatine is good for combating tiredness and enhancing your muscle building workout. Creatine is good and can boost your muscle building results. Though your body will produce it but you can still take creatine supplement to enhance its level.

Muscles will get pressured or stressed while doing working out exercises recommended by your bodybuilding program. Your body will generate NO (nitric oxide) against this stress or pressure. If your working out exercises is extremely stressful, then you will need reload nitric oxide with muscle building supplement. Nitric oxide would also have some side effects with sexual health; so if you think this is the best body building supplement for you, by all means, choose it.

Glutamine is another body building supplement that is considered one of the best for the maximum results. The muscle building enzymes should be bringing to muscles. Glutamine can help with that and can make muscles growing larger.

Everyone has his own opinion of the number 1 body building supplement. While picking supplement, you have to take your goal into consideration and select one to help you accomplish the goals. Each specific supplement provides for certain results, so picking the right one will make the difference between having an effective workout as opposed to an ineffective workout.

Confirmed results are very important while picking the supplements you use. The exaggeration usually occurs in many supplement companies. So before buying supplement, remember to check the affiance of the supplement. In order to make right choice, check out the reviews of certain products. Picking the best body building supplement can truly enhance your workout regimen and contribute to a beautiful body as an end result. - 17273

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Fitness Infos - What to Consider Before Buying Weight Loss Pills

By Gregor Mahrer

Are you looking to lose weight? If you are like many other individuals who are hoping to lose weight, there is a good chance that you may turn to weight loss pills, also commonly referred to as diet pills. Although weight loss pills are a great way to help you lose weight, you need to be cautious when using them.

If this is your first time attempting to use weight loss pills, also commonly referred to as diet pills, to help you lose weight, there are a number of important factors that you should first take into consideration. These factors may help to make it easier, as well as safer, for you to find and buy weight loss pills. Just a few of the many factors that you should take into consideration, when looking to buy weight loss pills, are outlined below.

One of the many things that you need to take into consideration, when looking to buy weight loss pills is that of cost. Weight loss pills, as you will soon find out, are sold in a wide range of different prices. It is common to find weight loss pills that sell for as low as twenty dollars, but others that can sell for three or even four hundred dollars. It is important that you find a weight loss pill that you can afford to buy. If you cannot afford the cost of weight loss pills, you may want to examine more ?natural,? ways to lose weight.

The manufacturer in question and their history can give you great insight into a weight loss pill, like if it is one that truly works or not. If a company regularly has a bad reputation of selling weight loss pills that do not work, there is a good chance that you should stay away from that manufacturer and all of their products. Although weight loss pills are often associated with poor results, it is also important to remember that the wrong weight loss pills may also put your health at risk.

In conjunction with examining the reputation or history of the weight loss pill manufacturer in question, you are also advised to examine all of the weight loss pills that you would like to try. As previously mentioned, there are many weight loss pills that work great and others that do not work at all. To save yourself time and money, you will want to try and find the weight loss pills that have been proven successful. One of the best ways to go about doing so is by visiting online weight loss websites or message boards, reading product reviews.

It is also important that you first examine the ingredients in a weight loss pill before you make your final purchase. Most importantly, it is important to determine whether or not you are allergic to any of the ingredients. It is also important to see if any of the ingredients in your preferred weight loss pill are chanceful or if they have been recalled. The best ways to find out this information is by consulting with a healthcare professional or by performing a standard internet search. You may want to perform an individual standard internet search with the study of apiece ingredient.

Weight loss pills are sold by a number of different retailers, both on and offline. If you are shopping online, it is important to make sure that you are doing business with a reputable and trustworthy retailer. If you are shopping locally, it may be a good idea to avoid buying weight loss pills from dollar stores or discount stores.

The above mentioned factors are just a few of the many factors that you will want to take into consideration, when looking to buy weight loss pills. Generally speaking, weight loss pills are a great way to help you lose weight, as long as you know exactly what you are buying. - 17273

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Foods That Equate to Health

By Dr. Lorna Mistranski

Research has shown that a traditional Mediterranean diet provides assistance in protecting the body from type 2 diabetes.

A Mediterranean diet is abundant in olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish, but low in meats, dairies, and alcohol.

The current studies are showing that the body has a positive effect in regards to cardiovascular disease when a diet such as the one explained is implemented.

Researchers gathered 13,000 graduates from the University of Navarra in Spain with no history of diabetes and recruited between December 1999 and November 2007; each graduate had their dietary habits and health were subsequently tracked.

The subjects started the study off by answering a questionnaire that was designed to gauge their overall dietary habits. The 136 questions that were given to the participants, specific questions were asked on how they cooked their foods, what types of oils they used, and dietary products they used.

Researchers were able to gather information from the participant's lifestyle, risk factors, diet, and other medical conditions by administering a series of questionnaires every two years. From this data, scientist were able to pick up cases of the 13,000 that developed diabetes.

The researchers found that participants who stuck closely to the diet had a lower risk of diabetes. A high adherence to the diet was associated with an 83% relative reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.

An important thing to note is that participants who stuck strictly to the diet were thought to have the highest prevalence of risk factors for diabetes such as older age, a family history of diabetes, and a higher proportion of ex-smokers.

This assumption proved to be false; If fact, say the authors, they had a lower risk of diabetes, suggesting that the diet might provide substantial protection.

The characteristics of the diet include a high intake of fiber and vegetable fat, a low intake of trans fatty acids, and a moderate intake of alcohol.

In addition, a key element of the diet is the abundant use of virgin oil for cooking, frying, spreading on bread, and dressing salads.

The scientist finished by calling for larger cohorts and trials to confirm their findings. - 17273

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Fitness - Weight Loss Pills: Should You Use Them

By Gregor Mahrer

Have you been trying to lose weight with the use of exercise and healthy eating? If you have, have you still been coming up short on your weight loss goal? If you have, you may be interested in seeking help through the use of weight loss products, namely weight loss pills. Although you may be thinking about giving weight loss pills a chance, you may be wondering if you should.

When it comes to determining whether or not weight loss pills are right for you, there are a number of different questions that you will want to ask yourself. These questions can help you truly determine if weight loss pills are right for you. A few of the many questions that you may want to ask yourself, concerning weight loss pills, are outlined below.

One of the many questions that you will want to ask yourself is if you have really tired losing weight. Losing weight ?naturally,? often involves exercise and healthy eating. Have you been exercising? Exercising can involve visiting your local fitness center, putting an exercise video in your DVD player, or something as simple as taking a nightly walk. Eating healthy involves cutting all sweets from your diet or at least significantly reducing them. If you haven?t taken these steps yet, you may want to first try losing weight naturally. If that doesn?t work, weight loss diet pills may be something for you to consider.

If you regularly find yourself eating more food than you should or more food than you need to, why do you think that you do so? Are you just eating because you are bored or does your body sense that you are hungry? This is important question that you need to answer, as many weight loss pills are designed to suppress your hunger. While this can help many individuals reduce the amount of food that they eat and the number of calories they take in, it will only help you if you think that your body is telling you that you are still hungry. If you are what is commonly referred to as a ?bored eater,? there is a good chance that you will still continue to eat.

Another question that you need to ask yourself is if you can afford the costs of weight loss pills. When examining the cost of weight loss pills, you will find that they are sold for a wide range of prices. Although it is important to make sure that you can afford the cost of weight loss pills, it is important that you do not comprise quality for costs. If you cannot afford the weight loss pills that come highly rated and recommend, you may just end up wasting your money on weight loss pills that may not necessarily work. That is why it is advised that you consult with your doctor or search for weight loss diet pill reviews online, before making any purchases.

The above mentioned questions are just a few of the many that you may want to ask yourself, before you automatically go out and buy weight loss pills for yourself. As a reminder, it is important that you do the proper amount of research before you buy weight loss pills, should you decide to do so. Weight loss diet pills are not all created equally; therefore, they have varying results. - 17273

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Variety and your Vegetarian Diet

By George B. Siba

A vegetarian diet includes grains, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, herbs, nuts, and seeds. It is important to keep your vegetarian diet filled with a mixture of diverse, and nutrient rich foods. With some creativity, and planning, you will be amazed how much variety you can enjoy.

Nuts and seeds are a good place to get high quality protein. I only like to eat them whole, halved, sliced, pured, ground into flour, chopped, toasted, roasted or raw. Cashews, Brazil nuts peanuts, walnuts, almonds are some of my favorites. Sunflower and sesame seeds are outstanding for sprinkling over salads and other vegetable dishes.

A good substitute for meat in dishes like casseroles is beans. Beans have many health benefits, and they should be eaten often. Some of my favorite beans are kidney beans, split peas, haricot, red, green or brown lentils, black beans, and chickpeas.

Some of my favorite ways of eating beans are refried beans and guacamole, baked beans with cranberry sauce, beans with collard greens, just about any beans with butternut squash, and beans with green chilies. My crock pot just about always has something cooking with beans.

Beans, peas, lentils and other dried legumes need to be eaten with grains such as rice, barley or wheat, which also contain protein, because only together do they contain all the essential amino acids that are found in meat and other animal products.

Soy beans are special among beans in containing all the essential amino acids without the addition of grains. Soy beans products are important for that reason. There are many ways to eat soy. There is soy milk, yoghurt, cheeses, tofu and soy meat substitutes.

One way to add variety is to explore ethnic vegetarian dishes. Mexican, Italian, Caribbean, Greek, Cajun and especially Indian all have many vegetarian recipes. Many of the meat dishes can still be cooked with only slight variations. Pasta with tomato sauce, bean burritos, tacos, tostadas, pizza, beans and rice, bagels, baked potatoes, vegetable soups, whole grain bread and muffins, sandwiches, macaroni, stir-fry, salads, veggie burgers with French fries, breakfast cereals, pancakes, and waffles are a few of my favorite dishes that are great without meat.

Many grocery store freezer sections carry a collection of meat substitutes such as veggie bacon, hot dogs, burgers, and breakfast sausages.

Dairy products can be replaced with soy milk, soy margarine, and soy yogurts, which you can find in health food or Oriental food stores. Nut and rice milks can be made by blending nuts or cooked rice with water, blinding and straining.

Vegetarian diets are low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants and lots of goodness. There have been many studies that show that vegetarian diets have significant benefits and can help prevent certain horrible diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. - 17273

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