Rapid Fat Loss Diets

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Information on Cellulite

By El Bilson

Do you need more information on cellulite? Whenever you look in the mirror, do you see fat deposits that look very similar to cottage cheese? If you still aren't sure you have cellulite, try this trick: squeeze a part of your thigh or stomach - if you notice little bumps, then you have cellulite.

Cellulite isn't just a skin condition women are prone to " it can also be found in men. It also isn't true that only overweight people can get cellulite. Thin people can have cellulite as well. Genes and hormones both play a big part in how much cellulite you will have on your body.

Still need more information on cellulite? This skin condition usually appears on the upper thighs and just below the buttocks. It can also show up on the stomach and the back of the arms. This can be pretty embarrassing " after all, who doesn't want to show off smooth skin at the beach? Here are a few more basic things you need to understand about cellulite:

There are theories regarding what causes cellulite formation and why even lean women are prone to it. However, scientists are mostly still in the dark when it comes to this condition. Some say that because cellulite usually appears after a woman goes through puberty, it could be caused by an increase in hormone production. Unfortunately, this isn't a very conclusive theory, because a lot of things happen after puberty. Hormones aren't the only thing that can have an effect on cellulite.

One theory is that because these fat cells are swollen, the connective fibers underneath the skin can't take the pressure. They feel that this can cause the "orange peel look. These fat cells also hinder the free flowing of blood in the lymphatic system. This can clog up the passage of fluids through areas usually affected by cellulite - namely the butt, hips, thighs, stomach and arms.

Others theorize that cellulite on the body is all about a person's metabolism. It's a known fact that as the years go by, a person's metabolism decreases. This makes it harder to lose weight and shed unwanted pounds. This can lead to more cellulite, especially in older people.

The good news is that there are many body creams out there that can help you get rid of cellulite. Creams such as Revitol or Avotone can help you get the smooth skin you desire. Just lather these products on affected areas just like you would with body lotion to help treat your cellulite problem. Most creams need to be applied twice a day to see results.

As with any other health issue, preventing the onset of cellulite is always better than curing it after it appears. It can never be stressed enough that a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cellulite from forming. Eat a balanced diet with enough fiber, and exercise regularly to keep burning excess calories.

Another good cellulite tip is to try to avoid yo-yo dieting. When your weight fluctuates up and down it makes your skin lose its elasticity. Smoking can also lead to damaged skin. If you smoke, quitting could help reduce the appearance of your cellulite. - 17273

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Stop Tinnitus

By Matt Hellstrom

Many people, especially the elderly may experience the affects of a disorder that is called Tinnitus where they may experience an annoying ringing in their ears. Also you may find that a person suffering from this problem may experience symptoms of sleeplessness and anxiety. These people will then look for the best alternatives to get rid of the problems they have with Tinnitus.

Sometimes people with Tinnitus will use other sounds such as the radio or the television to help them to drown out the noises that come with Tinnitus. They will also stay away from any loud noises due to it being one of the many causes of the Tinnitus disorder.

With the Tinnitus disorder, may people will got through many different problems, and it is recommended that they take the time to change their lifestyles. By getting a new diet that is free of diary, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, fat and salt you will be able to lessen the affects of Tinnitus. In addition eliminating stress will also help you to get rid of the problems.

Try adding natural vitamins and supplements to your diet such as Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B, and Vitamin A to stop tinnitus. These not only help your nerve and neurotransmitter problems, they also help with your blood circulation which will help you relieve the problems associated with Tinnitus. You can get these products by eating foods that are rich in them or by buying supplements at your local pharmacy.

One way to get rid of the ringing in your ears and stop tinnitus, are ear plugs aids and Tinnitus Maskers. The ear plugs cut down on the unwelcome ringing or other sounds that you hear. Tinnitus maskers will allow you to listen to other sounds such as the soft hum of a fan or the blowing of wind through the trees, which will allow you to have more control over the sounds that affect you.

The most important thing to remember, is not to let Tinnitus become a major factor in your life, take control of it by using any one of the remedies such as changing your diet, taking vitamins and dietary supplements, keeping yourself free from stressful situations.

Remember to try to stay far away from loud noises, as these things are at the root of the problems associated with Tinnitus. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you're immune to damage from loud, constant noise, whether it's from music blaring or loud equipment used at work. Take precautions before tinnitus can develop. - 17273

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What Do You Think a Bruise Really Is?

By Carolyn Cooper

We've talked a lot about healing bruises and how to try to prevent them, but through it all, it is important to understand what a bruise really is and what that bruise is telling us. When you get bruises too easily, or when you find yourself in a place where they are just a commonplace inconvenience or bother, it can be easy to lose sight of what they are and what they signify is happening in your body. For instance, it is easy to forget that bruises come in different gradations, ranging from light to critical or life threatening. If you are someone who is subject to easy bruising, make sure that you don't lose sight of what is going on in your own body.

To begin with, a bruise is defined as an injury that occurs to living tissue. Generally caused by blunt impact, a bruise will form when the capillaries just below your skin are damaged. From these broken or crushed capillaries, blood will seep upward toward the skin's surface, accumulating just beneath the skin to create that blue, blacks and green blotches that might be too common for you. While getting can be somewhat painful, they can also be painful and sensitive to the touch. For those people who have lighter skin, even insignificant bruising can look very dark and fearsome.

The fact that some people tend to bruise more than others should cause a focus on the health physical strength of their capillaries. Even in one unique body, capillaries can be diverse in their strength. There can be many factors that might provide the reason why some people bruise more easily than do others, but more often than not, weakened or broken capillaries are likely to be at the root of the problem. If you are attempting to prevent bruising easily that then becomes a riot of colors, keep in mind that capillary health is probably the central cause.

It is also important to make sure that you recognize the fact that bruises might be a sign of certain types of other disorders. Unexplained bruising can be a sign of internal bleeding or even for certain types of cancer. They can also point towards having a condition involving abnormal platelet production or even a blood coagulation disorder. If you see bruising that occurs around the navel that is accompanied by very severe abdominal pain, it can be an indicator for an acute case of pancreatitis.

Spend enough time to be sure that you know about bruising and what causes it before you attempt to treat them. Realizing what bruising really is and how it can affect your body will aid your determining what remedies are possibly going to work well for you. When it comes to bruising, it really is a case of discovering the best solution to suit your actual situation. - 17273

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Usana BiOmega - High Quality Ultra-pure Fish-Oil Supplement

By Angela Giles

Usana Health Sciences, Inc has been manufacturing and marketing health supplements for more than 18 years. It produces a range of nutritional supplements for maintaining optimum health. Usana BiOmega is one such product which supplies essential omega-3 fatty acids that are known to decrease the risk of several debilitating diseases.

Omega-3 is a family of fatty acids, both unsaturated and polyunsaturated, that promote good health in general. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are two such fatty acids that have been clinically proven to prevent the occurrence of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. They also help in artery strengthening and cholesterol control.

More than their benefit to the heart, DHA and EPA stimulate neural development, strengthen the immune system and maintain bone health. Some investigations have also linked them to prevention of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and Huntington's disease and even certain types of cancer.

DHA has been discovered in dominant quantities in the brain cells of fetuses and infants. They have been proven to help in the neural development both before and after birth. Studies have revealed that they can also improve learning, behavioral and other development related functions in young children.

All oily fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon and herring found in cold sea water are a rich source of fatty acids. But along with the beneficial acids, they also contain traces of nickel, lead, mercury and other heavy metals which can be harmful to the health. Commercial refining processes, in their effort to remove contaminants, also tend to remove the fatty acids.

Usana BiOmega is produced in a state-of-the-art facility employing processes like double molecular distillation which removes all presence of contaminants and heavy metals while retaining the fatty acid content. It contains a concentrated dose of both EPA and DHA along with natural preservatives to keep the product fresh in storage.

It has been found in many nutritional studies that the body does not receive through one's diet, an adequate amount of Vitamin D which promotes bone and lung health. Usana BiOmega capsules are therefore packed with additional Vitamin D supplement. A refreshing lemon flavor helps to conveniently overcome the fishy aftertaste of most fish-oil supplements.

Usana BiOmega totally adheres to the norms of U.S.P for purity, uniformity and potency. They have been found to be most effective for maintaining adult health. Their formulations also serve to effectively supplement the nutritional requirements of pregnant women. - 17273

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Kill Hunger in Its Tracks With a Hoodia Shake

By Reagan Miers

I'm a big fan of hoodia shake products because they combine two very powerful natural appetite suppressants - protein and hoodia gordonii. Protein powders have been used by dieters as an effective appetite suppressant for years. Not too many people realize it, but protein shakes alone can stop hunger in its tracks. Now combine it with hoodia gordonii's ability to suppress appetite and you have one hunger-busting product!

Hoodia shakes are a quick and easy product to use, however I do have a few concerns. Firstly, it can be quite hard to find them, and there isn't much choice or variation in flavours because there are only a few products available. What is available, tends to be very expensive, which means you are paying a top price for something that is basically protein powder which has only a small amount of hoodia gordonii in each scoop.

Almost all of the hoodia shakes I have seen for sale only contain around 500mg of hoodia gordonii in each scoop - some contain much less than this. The shake I'm telling you how to make in this article will contain at least 750mg of hoodia gordonii per scoop, and what's more, it will be much cheaper than buying any product that is already available.

One of the great things about making your own hoodia shake is that you can choose what type of protein to use. You can use soy protein or whey protein. You can also choose what flavors you want. There are many popular brands of protein powders available and they come in so many flavors beyond the usual chocolate and vanilla. One popular brand of protein powder has such flavors as banana cream, strawberry, tropical punch, and cookies and cream!

Your hoodia shake is basically made up of a mix of protein powder and hoodia gordonii, so first of all you need to buy a tub of your preferred protein powder. You will be able to pick up a large pack fairly cheaply, and this should last you for around 30 servings. Secondly, buy some hoodia diet tablets. Make sure they contain 100% genuine hoodia gordonii. You can typically expect these products to have at least 750mg of hoodia in each capsule.

Take a glass of low fat milk or water and add to that a scoop of your protein powder. Next you need to extract the hoodia gordonii powder from the diet capsules. To do this gently pull the tablet apart, and add the hoodia powder to your drink. Now you can add some ice if you wish, and then make sure you mix the drink well, before sitting back to enjoy your creation! Congratulations! You have just made a highly effective appetite suppressing shake, for much less than all the stores charge for a hoodia shake.

The real beauty about making your own shakes compared to buying them, is that you are in complete control over the strength of your drink. You can vary the amount of protein powder and hoodia gordonii you use in each drink, and you can even add other ingredients, such as some fibre to suppress your appetite even further. It really is totally up to you. - 17273

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5 Ways to Cut Your Workout Time

By John Foxtruff

Do you know the 2 main reasons men and women stop working out/exercising?

1) Lack of time 2) Lack of motivation

Here are a few things covering up some ways you can get your work outs finished faster. Most of all, no one should spend more than 60 minutes in the gym. Here are the 5 ways you could cut time from your workouts.

a) Try Supersets

I like to use "non-competing" superset. This means, choose two exercises for different muscle groups - and preferably completely opposite movements. For example, choose a push and a pull. That way, one muscle group rests while the other works and you cut the rest time you need between sets.

b) Choose a better warm up strategy for yourself

Don't waste 10 minutes of walking on the treadmill. Instead of doing that use your time doing a total body circuit of body weight exercises as a regular warm up for yourself, finish that then move directly into a specific warm up set for your first two exercises.

c) Pair up some dumbbells and body weight exercises together in your supersets

This will save you a good amount of time at home (you wont need to change the weights that is on the dumbbells between exercises) and in the gym (you wont need to fight for 2 sets of dumbbells).

d) Choose Intervals over slow cardio

The latest research shows more weight loss when people use intervals, and intervals take half as long to do.

e) Limit yourself using isolation exercises

Use a multi-muscle exercise, such as rows, pulls, pushes, and squats. If theirs time, you can put a couple drop sets for your shoulders and your arms if you want. If you got 3 workouts of 45 minutes per week, the use of isolation exercises must be dropped.

In addition to ab workouts, don't spend more than 10 minutes a week working on direct abs training. It's not efficient and won't give you strong ripped abs alone. Workout less, live life more! It is all about short intense training. - 17273

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Food Allergy Or Food Intolerance?

By Jonathan Rigby

You may be hearing more and more about food allergies in recent years. That's no surprise considering an estimated 12 million Americans suffer from these types of allergies, and the number seems to be rising. Because of the prevalence and possible severity of this condition luckily awareness has increased as well.

Some people experience food intolerance instead of a food allergy which can cause confusion; they are different conditions that can cause different reactions.

Many people have an intolerance of certain foods or additives, but this is very different than having a food allergy. An allergy can show within minutes of eating the trigger food, while an intolerance will result in a belated reaction to the food. An allergy is an immune response while an intolerance is more related to improper digestion.

A food allergy is the body's reaction to a substance that it views as possibly harmful. The immune system works to constantly protect our bodies from these things it deems harmful. The allergen is seen by the body as one of these substances so the immune system goes to work trying to protect the body by releasing protective chemicals. One of the chemicals released is histamine, which can affect the nose, eyes, throat, skin or GI tract.

How do you know if you're having an allergic reaction? Some of the signs are a tingly feeling in or around the mouth, swelling of the tongue, throat or lips, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hives or shortness of breath. In more serious cases the reaction can lead to anaphylactic shock which involves several systems in the body and can even lead to death.

The types of foods that cause allergy reactions can be slightly different in different countries, but there are eight foods that seem to be the leading cause of food allergies in most countries. These big eight include peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, seafood, wheat and soy.

Treatment for food allergies, as with most allergies, is to avoid the allergen. While this may seem pretty basic with a food allergy, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Many processed or packaged foods contain hidden allergens. Because of this problem the U.S. now requires companies to list foods that contain any of the main eight allergens.

This labeling has been very helpful for allergy sufferers but it doesn't guarantee the food is completely free of the allergen. In some cases there can be cross-contamination. This happens when a plant produces various foods, one of which is one of the big eight. Even though the machines are cleaned traces of the allergen can remain and be passed to the food.

Allergy sufferers need to educate themselves and know the specifics when reading labels. Many labels now list what other foods are processed in the facility of the labeled food. But it's also important to know the name of all the ingredients that may contain the allergen. For example if you have an allergy to milk protein you will also need to avoid whey.

People with allergies will need to be familiar with the signs of a possible allergy reaction. They will also need to know how to treat themselves to prevent or reduce the chances of anaphylactic shock. Treatment usually involves the use of an epinephrine injector, often called an EpiPen. - 17273

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Tips on how to estimate cost when you buy a water purification system

By Nicos Stylianou

When you want to buy the best water purification system for your home, you are inevitably faced with the issue of cost. You need to consider not only the initial purchase price, but also how expensive it is to maintain it.

Below, I give you a list of the elements that should go into your cost equation. In my analysis, I make references to the most popular water purifier technologies now available, which are: Filters, Reverse Osmosis (RO) units, distillers and Ultraviolet (UV) units.

Tag Price

There is a wide variation of initial cost. As a general rule, it is directly related with the number of contaminants you want the water purification system to get rid of from your tap water. Therefore, it is imperative that before you start your selection process you should get a hold of your water utility's annual report (if your utility is public), or get your water tested though a private lab (if your water supply is from a private source).

As a general rule, the more the pollutants you want your installed system to remove, the more complicated your set up will become. What you will probably end up requiring is a multi stage system possibly combining different technologies. As you realize, each stage introduced will mark up your initial cost.

Just to give you an indication of the tag prices you could expect, there are simple granular carbon filters starting from just $25 and there are water purifiers combining UV, redox and carbon filters starting from $400 up to $800.

Installation cost

More often than not, the purchase price quoted does not include installation cost. This is because within a given type of water purification system different models may or may not require installation; many of them just sit on a counter top or snap onto a faucet and are ready to use.

If the installation of your system is a bit more involved, more often than not you can seek help from a person with minimum technical know how. In the case, however, that more technical skills are required, then a hired professional might cost anywhere from $100 up to around $200. The final cost depends on the modifications you need to make in your existing set up in your house as well as on the complexity of the water purification system itself.

Having said the above, I would suggest you get into the habit to always ask the manufacturer of the water purifier system that you consider buying, whether installation cost is included in the initial price or not.

Running cost

The last cost dimension has to do with the ongoing operating cost of the water purification system. In the performance sheets provided by the manufacturers it is usually expressed as "cost per gallon", where by "gallon" they mean gallon of pure water produced. This cost includes money spent on replaceable parts as well as money needed to cover any other operating costs (such as electricity and water bills). It is usually in the range between 6 to 25 dollar cents.

To give you a rough indication of what this cost actually means for each technology, consider that, as for parts replacement, filters need to be changed roughly once every six months, RO membranes once every two years and UV lamps once a year. Distillers have no parts to replace; therefore their cost is totally based on operating cost that is utility bills. I should also mention here that RO units have exceptionally low efficiency (in other words they waste a lot of water), so expect a high water bill for this type of purifier.

Among the filters, the least expensive (purchase price wise) pour through pitcher filters have the highest cost per gallon because the small canister filters need to be replaced frequently, typically every six to eight weeks. In general, the larger the filter, the greater the initial expense, but the lower the cost per gallon after purchase.

To conclude, what's very important to do before you start thinking about the cost is to establish what you want your water purification system to achieve in terms of two things: Firstly, the type and number of pollutants it should eliminate and secondly by how much it should eliminate them.

So, I will stress again that it is very important that you know what contaminants you want to remove, before you consider buying a water purifier.

After you short list all the systems that are OK with the quality criteria, then you should go for the least expensive. - 17273

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Why You Must Consider this Natural Gout Treatment

By Charles Horner

Bromelain may not be one of the most popular natural gout treatments, but it is very potent. It does an excellent job at helping ease painful episodes. This article will show you why it is well suited to treating your gout pain.

Bromelain is an enzyme that reduces inflammation. It is mostly found in pineapples. It is one of the reasons pineapples are one of the really good natural treatments for gout. Because gout pain usually occurs when uric acid crystals cause swelling in your joints, this enzyme is very helpful in treating the most painful symptom of gout.

Just eating pineapples is not sufficient to help you eliminate gout pain. There is not not enough of the potent enzyme in them. You do have an alternative, however. You can buy bromelain in many health food stores. Bromelain can be used for other health problems, such as digestion irritation and different types of arthritis.

Bromelain has also been suggested by naturopathic doctors in order to reduce blood clotting problems. Make sure you consult your doctor before using, especially if you are on prescription medications.

You will definitely want to inform your physician before taking, especially if you are taking other prescription medications. It is always appropriate to have a physician be able to monitor supplements and medicines you are taking to avoid dangerous interactions.

One problem with bromelain can be if you use too much of it. Medium quantities have not been found to have any negative side effects, however higher doses can create tachycardia, a fast heart rate. It can be the cause for nausea. Loose stools can also be a problem at higher doses.

Since it acts as a blood thinner, you should not take it if your physician has you on Aspirin or Warfarin (Coumadin). This is why you should make sure you discuss your medications with your physician. However, in moderation bromelain is considered safe and is very good at providing gout relief.

If you are susceptible to an acute gout attack, consider taking this incredible natural gout treatment the next time you have an outbreak. Its ability to ease painful swelling will give you the help you need to get back on your feet. - 17273

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