Healthy Living Tips

MikeA August 25th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

A wholesome way of life is the first line of defense against high cholesterol. Diet and exercise alone however, often aren’t enough and an individual might have to take cholesterol prescription drugs. It is advised by doctors that cholesterol lowering drug treatments ought to be taken when an individual smokes, has had a heart attack or coronary artery illness, has LDL levels above 190mg/dL, has HDL levels less than 35mg/dL, has high blood pressure, has diabetes, or has a family history of heart illness. Different medications can help to reduce blood cholesterol levels. They may be prescribed on their own or in combination with additional medicines. Your health care provider can identify the optimum drug or mixture of medicines to suggest.

Mike Alexander
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Fibrates

These drugs (Gemfibrozil, for example) are often the first choice for lowering triglycerides and increasing HDLs. Fibrates perform best at lowering triglycerides and in some cases increasing HDL or greater cholesterol levels. They aren’t very efficient at lowering low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. This is why fibrates are generally used in individuals whose triglycerides are high or whose HDL is low. Fibrates are very efficient at lowering triglycerides or blood fats. In addition, they act to raise the levels of HDL or good cholesterol. Fibrates might be used in combination therapy with the statins.

Resins

Colestid and Questran are resins that can lower LDLs by as much as 20 percent. Unfortunately, both medicines can trigger gastrointestinal side effects, and doctors advise that long-term use may perhaps trigger bleeding disorders, vision problems and vitamin deficiencies.

Statins

These are the most powerful class of cholesterol-lowering medicines, and include lovastatin, fluvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and cerivastatin. Statins function in the liver to help prevent the formation of cholesterol. They are most efficient at lowering low density lipoproteins or poor cholesterol, but also have moderate outcomes on lowering triglycerides or blood fats and raising high density lipoproteins or great cholesterol.

Most of the side effects from statins are of a minor nature and commonly go away as the body becomes accustomed to them. Muscle problems and liver abnormalities are rare, but the health care provider could possibly order regular liver function tests. Women who are pregnant or individuals who have active or chronic liver illness are advised not to take statins.

Combinations

Certain cholesterol medications merge a statin and niacin, as is the case with Advicor, for example. No investigation studies have yet shown that taking these combination medicines decreases cholesterol any further than does taking niacin along with a statin separately. Nevertheless, the combination drug might be a lot more convenient simply because it eliminates the requirement to take niacin along with a statin separately. A consultation with a health care professional really should be made initially prior to getting a combination medicine.

The combination medicine of ezetimibe and simvastatin, known collectively as Vytorin, is no more efficient than is simvastatin (Zocor) by itself. If a patient is on this combination medicine, he or she ought to continue to take it unless the physician instructs otherwise.

Summary

Most cholesterol medications are well tolerated, but efficacy differs from person to person. If one decides to take a cholesterol medicine, the physician might recommend periodic liver function checks to monitor the medication’s effect on the liver. One must also keep in mind the significance of healthy lifestyle choices. Medication can help control the cholesterol, but lifestyle matters, too.

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MikeA July 28th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

In the past it was accepted wisdom that the way to cut cholesterol was simply a matter of avoiding eggs and reducing fat intake, but it now seems that it is a lot more complicated than that. The great thing is you will find many more methods to bring good and bad cholesterol in line.

Mike Alexander
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Consume A lot more Good Fats

Monounsaturated fats, found in nuts, avocados, and olive oil, lower bad cholesterol (LDL) without having bringing down good cholesterol (HDL). Replace butter with olive oil, use skimmed milk instead of whole and eat lean meat.

Eggs Are Alright

Eating saturated fat is what raises blood cholesterol the most, and eggs are low in saturated fat. Therefore, eggs are ok to eat. in fact, eggs are superb source of nutrition. But two groups of people are sensitive to eggs. If both cholesterol and triglycerides are high, eggs should be avoided. They should be skipped as well if an individual has an inherited lipid disorder. Generally, this small group of people have very bad cholesterol amounts at an unusually young age, which means their bodies cannot handle cholesterol properly.

Watch Out For Saturated Fat

More than any other food, saturated fat stimulates the liver to create LDLs. But there’s another bad fat to watch out for. Trans-fatty acids (TFA) are produced when unsaturated fat is chemically processed, which turns it into a solid. Not only do they increase LDLs and total cholesterol, but in high amounts they may also lower HDLs. Meals labels don’t list TFAs, which are discovered in solid stick margarines, shortening, deep-fried fast foods, and numerous pastries, crackers, and cookies. Figure that in any meals containing hydrogenated oils, if the label lists 2 grams of saturated fat per serving, the meals has 2 more grams of TFAs.

Lose Weight

Excess weight is bad for the arteries simply because it lowers HDLs. In any group of people, the heaviest will generally have HDL amounts 10 to fifteen per cent lower than the leanest. If an individual is more than ten or twenty pounds overweight, his or her HDL amounts can get eight to 10 points lower.

Check Your Thyroid

Hypothyroidism, if left untreated, can significantly increase cholesterol amounts. Symptoms for this problem are tiredness, increased sensitivity to cold, hair loss, weight gain, joint stiffness, and depression. A TSH blood test diagnoses the problem in its earliest stages. Hypothyroidism is easily corrected by taking daily medication, such as Synthroid or Levthyroxine. Both are less expensive than cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Exercise

Raising HDLs by diet alone is tricky, but the combination of normal physical exercise and strategic eating gets them up. At least thirty minutes a day of vigorous physical exercise can increase them by twenty per cent. Exercise also dramatically affects triglycerides.

Toast To Your Heart

Though a daily alcoholic drink of any kind can increase HDLs by five to ten per cent, only red wine is loaded with antioxidant flavonoids that discourage LDLs from clogging arteries. Red wine has 10 times as numerous flavonoids as white wine simply because grapes, seeds, stems, and skins are steeped in the vat longer.

Lights Out

Cigarette smoking depresses HDLs at about nine per cent

Relax

Stress produces a harmful effect on arteries. Losing your temper with others and always burying resentments elevates LDLs.

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MikeA July 17th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

Cholesterol is important to a person’s overall health and bodily features. It can be a kind of lipid, which serves as an energy source in the form of body fat. It also forms part of the cell membrane of each cell in our body. Because it is a hard body fat, it gives the membranes rigidity and stability. It also builds, repairs, and holds cells together and regulates membrane fluidity over the range of physiological temperatures. Within the cell membrane, it features in intracellular transport and nerve conduction. What this all means, of course, is that cholesterol is not all bad news.

Mike Alexander
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Brain, Nerve Tissues, And Liver

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Cholesterol is found in large amounts in the brain, nerve tissues, and liver, and is utilized to create steroid hormones, including cortisol, cortisone, and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and of the sex hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, which can be why people who are being prescribed with cholesterol-lowering drugs are worried that sexual feelings may diminish. The hormone aldosterone regulates water and sodium balance in our body and is made out of cholesterol. Cortisol is really a hormone that regulates metabolism, suppresses inflammation and is produced as a response to stress. This is the reason why people who have high cholesterol amounts are advised to relax simply because when one is under chronic stress the body manufactures a great deal a lot more cholesterol.

Serotonin

Cholesterol is important for the function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin is really a chemical that assists in protecting us from depression. Several studies have shown that low cholesterol amounts are associated with depression and violent behaviour.

Myelin Sheath

Cholesterol is the primary body fat discovered in the myelin sheath, which coats our nerve cells and enables electrical impulses to occur in our brain and spinal cord. A healthy myelin sheath is required for greater concentration, faster learning and sharper memory.

Synthesis

Cholesterol is also an intermediate compound from which your body synthesizes bile acids (cholic and chenodeoxycholic), which aid in digestion and with the absorption of dietary fats and body fat soluble vitamins from food. This is the major route of exit of cholesterol from our body. Bile is secreted into our intestines and leaves your body in bowel movements.

Skin

Cholesterol in the skin covers and protects us from dehydration, cracking and also the drying effects of external elements. It assists in maintaining skin that looks plump and wrinkle-free. Cholesterol even has a role in wound healing, as high amounts of it are discovered in scar tissue. Also, the cholesterol in skin is the precursor of 7-dehydrocholesterol, which can be ultimately converted to vitamin D. Vitamin D boosts the immune system and assists in maintaining normal blood pressure. Obtaining a bit of sunlight on the skin most days of the week can help lower cholesterol amounts by facilitating its conversion into vitamin D.

Further Research

Recently, cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signalling processes and assisting in the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. Some research even suggests that cholesterol also acts as an antioxidant simply because it assists in transporting body fat soluble antioxidants around our body, such as vitamin E, vitamin A and several antioxidant enzymes.

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MikeA July 13th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

There’s a tremendous amount of talk in the health arena nowadays about cholesterol. Surely, just about adult alive today (in the western world, at least) will have heard of it. Yet, just a generation ago, most people on hearing it mentioned, would have asked “what’s that?”. And in the generation before the word was unknown and only ever mentioned in medical circles. How things change! Despite the talk though, how many people know what it really is? Very few, I suspect, but I hope this article will enlighten some.

Mike Alexander
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Its Function And History

Image by zimpenfish via Flickr

Cholesterol is really a kind of fat created in the liver from fatty meals that you consume, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. It performs an important role in enabling the body to function normally. It is present within the outer layer of each cell in the body and carried within the blood by molecules known as lipoproteins, and stored within cells  in the form of cholesterol esters. Cholesterol may be the main sterol, a combination of steroid and alcohol, synthesized by animals, but little quantities are also produced in plants and fungi.

Francois Poulletier de la Salle was the very first to identify cholesterol in solid form in gallstones in 1769. But, it was in 1815 that chemist Eugene Chevreul named the compound “cholesterine”.

Where It Comes From

Generally, the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people do not need to consume it. Your liver makes about 1 gram of cholesterol a day and people eat approximately 150 to 250 milligrams with every meal they consume.

The synthesis and use of cholesterol must be firmly controlled to prevent over-accumulation within the body. Abnormal deposits of cholesterol and cholesterol-rich lipoproteins within the coronary arteries will eventually lead to atherosclerosis, which is one of the leading contributory factors in diseases of the coronary arteries. Apart from affecting the heart, atherosclerosis may also block blood flow to other essential organs, including the kidneys, intestines and the brain.

Analysing The Level

Cholesterol levels are identified through chemical analysis of a blood sample obtained from a prick to the finger or from a vein within the arm. To obtain accurate results, fasting from food and drinks should be done nine to 14 hours prior to the test. The amount of cholesterol present within the blood can range from 3.6 to 7.8 mmol/litre, but a level above 6 mmol/litre is really considered high and a chance variable for arterial illness.

Raised cholesterol frequently starts in childhood. Some children are at higher risk than others due to a family history of high cholesterol. Saturated fatty acids are the chief culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart illness. But trans fats and dietary cholesterol also play a part in elevating blood cholesterol levels.

Daily Limits

Some of the additional dietary cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver. But, it is still suggested that people ought to limit their average daily cholesterol consumption to less than 300 milligrams. If an individual has heart problems, daily consumption should be limited to less than 200 milligrams. But, even those with a healthy heart ought to remember that by keeping their dietary consumption of saturated and trans fats low, they can substantially lower their dietary cholesterol consumption.

Individuals with extremely high blood cholesterol levels may require an even more significant reduction. Simply because cholesterol is found in all meals from animal sources, care must be taken to consume no more than 6 ounces of lean meat, fish or poultry a day. It is also best to use fat-free and low-fat dairy products. High-quality proteins from vegetable sources such as beans are excellent substitutes for animal sources of protein.

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MikeA June 16th, 2010

Foreword By The Editor

The following excellent article by Jason Fowler covers one of the most sought-after secrets in the world of weight loss: how to lose belly fat fast. Tried everything else? Then do yourself a favor. Don’t miss reading the About The Author paragraph when you come to the end of the article and follow his links.

Mike Alexander
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The Wrong Way

If you’ve been working conscientiously in an attempt to lose tummy fat as swiftly as possible, then we recommend you definitely read this article.<

Lots of you have been making an attempt to lose tummy fat the wrong way. The most evident ones we have spotted are:

1. Starving yourself just so to be sure you lose pounds quickly
2. Doing hours of cardiovascular expecting to burn more calories
3. Performing 100 to 5 hundred crunches a day just with a hope to tighten those abs.

We have to tell you that all these attempts to lose tummy fat are completely pointless. They are less than giant fat legends which has been keeping innocent folks like you from learning the real secret to losing fat fast the right and efficient way. Now for the effective ways.

Right Way Number One

Interval coaching is obviously the most effective way to raise metabolism and burn fat. It not only boosts your constitution in the workout, it also burns fat even while you are asleep! Recent research also proves the undeniable fact that interval coaching has proved to burn more fat from the belly area due to intense core work and lower body mobility.

Right Way Number Two

If you want to lose tummy fat and get the best abs you could possibly imagine, then you want to brace those abs from the interior. There is an intestinal wall that needs to be strengthened to stop the loose jelly effect that occurs in your body even though you are not fat.

Exercises like stability ball crunches, leg thrusts, bench crunches, hanging knee raises will effectively brace the abdominal muscles behind that thick skin.

Right Way Number Three

Eat more frequently. The more you keep the food away from your body, the more the body attempts to survive with the current energy thus slowing the fat burning process. If you eat more frequently with the right combination of food, you will speed up the fat burning process and continuously lose tummy fat fast. The correct combination of meals pertains to lean protein and high nutrition fibers in every meal.

Combine All Three

To get maximum benefit from each of these three methods, all that you need to do is follow all three together and you will have a great looking body in weeks. That way you will lose your tummy fat really quickly.

About The Author

If you like step by step action plan on how to Burn Stomach Fat, go How To Reduce Belly Fat here.

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MikeA June 7th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

Doctors may suggest a knee replacement operation when knee suffering and loss of function is severe and drugs and other remedies no longer alleviate the pain. The doctor will usually request x-rays in order to inspect the knee bones and cartilages and check the extent of injury to evaluate whether the pain might in fact be coming from a different source. Even though knee replacement surgery is widely carried out on people who are overweight (due to the fact that they are much more predisposed to knee problems) this type of surgery is not recommended for those who are severely overweight because replacement joints are so much more prone to failure.

Mike Alexander
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The Need For Surgery

People of both sexes who are overweight have an increased likelihood of needing knee replacement surgery and the more overweight they are, the more likely it is. Males who are overweight are five times more disposed to a knee replacement than those of normal weight, and females are four times more likely to need it.

Overweight patients in all age groups represent the highest proportion of recipients for knee replacement surgeries. However, although overweight people are credited with most knee replacements, the more overweight they are, the more prolonged the process usually is before they can have the surgery. The difference in waiting period is not an issue of discrimination against those who are overweight but rather, according to the specialists, that fast track procedures for knee replacements tend to cater to patients who pose less chance of complications.

The usual result of doing a total knee replacement on a severely overweight person is a longer hospital confinement, the necessity of using rehabilitation services instead of normal recuperation at home, and an increased risk of complications. These effects become more pronounced as the body mass index (BMI) increases. The morbidly obese, in particular, can suffer from increased wound problems, infections and medial collateral ligament avulsion.

The Effects Of Surgery

Knee replacement involves attention to the ends of bones in a damaged joint. The surgery creates new joint surfaces and the edges of the injured bones of the thigh and lower leg, and commonly the knee cap, are covered with synthetic planes coated with metal and plastic. Typically, orthopaedic surgeons change the whole frontage at the edges of the bones of the thigh and lower leg. However, it is more common to change the inner knee planes or the outer knee planes, depending on the site of the injury. This is called unicompartmental replacement. People who are good candidates for unicompartmental surgery have better results with this procedure than with total joint replacement. Orthopaedic surgeons commonly cement knee joint parts to the bones.

Joint variations as result of osteoarthritis may well extend and injure the ligaments that attach the thigh bone to the bone of the lower leg. After the operation, the man-made joint itself, and ligaments all over the joint which were left behind, typically give sufficient strength for the injured ligaments not to be an issue.

Regional anaesthesia is normally used for knee replacement surgery, although, the exact choice of anaesthesia is dependent on the surgeon, the general health of the patient, and to some degree, on the patient’s own preference.

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MikeA May 27th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

Weighing too much is one of the biggest causes of health problems. Even a small reduction in body weight can decrease your chances of developing the most common chronic disorders as you get older. If by now you are suffering from a medical disorder, weight loss can usually assist you in controlling it. In certain circumstances, losing weight can actually lend a hand in decreasing, and even doing away with, the necessity to take medicines at all.

Mike Alexander
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Hypertension

This is one of the main causes of cerebrovascular accident (stroke) that could result in an enduring medical problem or even loss of life. You can reduce your risk of developing hypertension if you strive to keep your weight within a healthy range. A large quantity of fat in the abdominal area increases your chances of having cardiac disorders and regular aerobic exercises are the best way to get rid of it. If your waistline is over 40 inches, you are even more at risk of having hypertension. Your body mass index (BMI) is also a significant guide in determining your likelihood of developing cardiac problems. Strive to maintain your BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 for optimal health.

Hypercholesterolemia

High levels of cholesterol, or more particularly, bad cholesterol can lead to a number of cardiac complaints and other maladies. This disorder can be caused by eating too much food because the actual quantity means there is a higher likelihood of the wrong kinds of food, especially those heavy in saturated fats, being consumed. People who are overweight also tend to eat a lot of ‘fast foods’ and ‘junk foods’ because of its convenience and they are a known source of saturated fats.

Tendons And Joints

Another thing about being overweight is that it puts extra pressure on your joints, especially those in your knees, hips, and lower back. Because of this extra pressure, the cartilage, which is the tissue that cushions and protects the joints, gradually wears away, causing a form of arthritis known as osteoarthritis. Over the years, the damage to the joint may be so severe that it must be replaced surgically. Inflammation of the tendons, called tendinitis, is another common problem in overweight people. Tendons can become irritated and inflamed, especially the Achilles tendon (which stretches from your calf to your heel) from simple, everyday activities such as walking. Weight loss reduces the pressure on the joints and the tendons and therefore lessens the chance of injury. Losing weight can also ease the aching and swelling caused by osteoarthritis.

Stomach Troubles

If a person is overweight, the excessive fat in the abdominal cavity increases the pressure inside it. This can cause gastric acid to leak and go up into the esophagus which leads to stomach acid reflux. This is not only uncomfortable in its own right but can be a precurser to different forms of the medical complaint known commonly as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). People suffering from this disorder, especially when it is pronounced (which is more often than not the case among the overweight), can find their quality of life severely compromised

Self-Esteem

Those who are fat often acquire a skewed impression of themselves as they think they are seen by others. Lack of self confidence can have an unfortunate effect on certain facets of personal health and social conduct and, in severe cases, can even lead to total social withdrawal. In fact, many overweight people deliberately hide talents that would be appreciated by the community at large because they fear drawing attention to themselves. This fear of ridicule is sometimes reinforced when they find themselves being picked upon because of their body shape.

The Obesity Predicament

Those who are obese are aware they are in a predicament. They understand that their figure is not what it is supposed to be. They also know that, even though they can’t admit it, they eat more than they should. The trouble is that they might not be knowledgeable about how to change their behaviour to benefit themselves. Food consoles them. They might consider themselves useless because they cannot overcome their weight issues, which makes things even harder. Yet, they may not be equipped with the tools and support they need. This is invariably the case when they spend time among people who have no problems with their weight and really cannot understand or relate to what they are going through.

Summary

These are just a handful of the ways that being overweight can negatively affect a person’s health. The good news is that more people are becoming conscious of the complexity of weight issues and its prevention. However, recognition that being overweight can lead to increased chances of having one or more medical disorders as a direct result is important. If you weigh more than you should, you are in danger of having the following:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Arthritis
• High cholesterol
• Gastro-intestinal problems
• Joint replacement surgery
• Low self-esteem
• Social problems

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MikeA May 21st, 2010

Foreword By The Author

Most people who are overweight are already aware of the fact that it poses a risk to their overall  health. However, many do not know the extent of that risk nor the precise aspects of an overweight lifestyle that can cause the most serious harm to the body. A lot of the data about obesity centers on the dangers to internal organs but the major risks in being overweight are most often linked to an occurrence of high cholesterol.

Mike Alexander
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Good Cholesterol And Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a form of protein and is a main component of lipids, or fat, found within the blood. There are in fact two types, commonly known as good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. High cholesterol is a phrase which is generally understood to mean a higher than normal level of Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). LDL is known as bad cholesterol due to its association with blood vessel disorders. The higher the levels of LDL, the greater the chances of circulatory problems including heart disease and stroke. High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), on the other hand, is known as good cholesterol.

High Cholesterol Causes

You may have inherited high cholesterol from your parents but eating too many or too much of the wrong kinds of food is the more probable cause. People who consume large quantities of foods heavy in saturated fats in particular are more inclined to have higher LDL levels than people who consume only moderate or small amounts of saturated fats. Despite the fact that having excess weight does not automatically mean you get it from fatty foods, continuous consumption of these foods will result in weight gain. Whether diet is the main culprit or not, people who are overweight generally have higher levels of LDL than those who are not overweight .

Overweight people often don’t have enough HDL either (good cholesterol) and their triglycerides are also often too high. In addition, being overweight raises the chances of getting hypertension and diabetes, both of which are linked to cardiac problems. Body mass is governed by what you eat and your way of life. Being too fat might possibly lead to heart and circulatory problems when your Body Mass Index (BMI) is more than what is normal (32% for females and 25% for males).

High Cholesterol Treatment

Physicians often recommend that those who are overweight should receive cholesterol screening, dietary guidance, a schedule of gradually increasing physical activity and, if needs be, an LDL controlling medication. They recognize that the best solution for the obese is to lose weight. Losing just 5 lbs to 10 lbs (2.3 kg to 4.5 kg) can lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. Weight loss can help to prevent hypertension and can also help lower LDL. It is especially important for those with a cluster of risk factors which include high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and/or a large waist measurement (more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women).

Regular physical activity is highly recommended for everyone and lack of it is a known contributor to obesity. Exercise can increase good cholesterol, decrease bad cholesterol, and is particularly important for people who have elevated triglyceride levels and depleted good cholesterol levels. Putting on the weight due to bulkier muscles caused by weight training and eating plenty of protein foods does not necessarily lead to cholesterol issues, always provided that these are lean proteins.

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MikeA May 7th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

It’s a well-known fact that excess weight leads to the development of a number of health issues such as joint disease, high blood pressure and cardiac problems, as well as increasing the chances of having cancer and post operative morbidity. Now, there is growing evidence that obesity tends to promote gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as ‘Acid Reflux’, as well.

Mike Alexander
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The Statistics

In contrast to people of normal weight, those who have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 kg/m2 have a 50% higher chance of having GERD, and those with a BMI of over 30 kg/m2 are twice as likely to have GERD. Furthermore, the chances of contracting GERD seem to rise in a dose-response relationship to the increase in weight. For example, 3.5 BMI units leads to a 2.7 times increased risk of GERD, whereas a decrease of 3.5 kg/m2 of BMI cuts the chances of having GERD by 40%.

Acid Exposure

What actually causes the relationship of obesity with GERD is still unknown. However, it was noted that being overweight has been associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure, impaired gastric emptying, decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure and increased frequency of transient sphincter relaxation. All of these things can lead to increased esophageal acid exposure.

Being overweight are risk factors for acid-related esophageal diseases. It was suggested that future studies should examine the mechanism by which being obese can cause these complications, as well as the potential effects of weight loss. In the meantime however, it is prudent to counsel all overweight patients who present with GERD-related diseases that weight loss may help improve symptoms.

Sex Comparisons

It was also noted in one study that there is a clear link between BMI and reflux symptoms in both men and women. Compared with persons with a BMI below 25, the likelihood of developing gastro-esophageal reflux disease is 3.3 times greater for severely obese men with a BMI over 35. Severely obese women, on the other hand, are 6.3 times more likely to develop GERD than women with normal weight.

The risk is even worse for women with a BMI over 35 who have taken estrogen-only hormone replacements. They are 33 times more likely to have gastro-esophageal reflux disease compared to that of normal-weight, non-hormone users. It is known that obese women produce estrogen-like substances in their fatty tissue, which may explain why weight loss helps reduce the risk of gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Summary

Excess weight puts abnormal pressure on the stomach, which can inhibit the lower esophageal sphincter from opening and closing normally. For those who are obese, weight loss of even 10 to 15 pounds can help to prevent GERD. Doctors also recommend that people who already have this ailment should wear loose clothing to keep the unwanted extra pressure off their stomachs.

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MikeA April 24th, 2010

Foreword By The Author

This is the fourth in a series of articles about branded diet plans for the overweight. This time, the topic of attention is the GI (Glycemic Index) diet, which was first established to aid diabetics. Diabetics need programs which are able to prevent blood sugar levels from changing too much. As a result researchers created a system to determine how a specific food influences blood sugar. It is now gaining in popularity as a general weight loss diet.

Mike Alexander
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Interpretation

The Glycemic Index categorizes foods rich in carbohydrates by allocating them a number ranging from 0 to 100. The number indicates the rate at which the food increases blood glucose levels during its absorption. The greater the number, or index, the quicker the sugar is absorbed.

A food is considered to have an elevated GI value if its rate is 70 or more. A medium Glycemic Index food has a value of 56 to 69 and a GI value of 55 or lower is considered low. Foods with a low GI value are best as they digest more naturally and help provide a steady supply of energy over the course of several hours, making you feel full longer.

Difficulties

However, the major difficulty with the GI diet is that there isn’t a clear-cut rate fixed for every existing food. There are several online sites which give numbers for a specific food, but the numbers given are quite far from each other. It is certainly not apparent where the rates emanated from.

One more negative comment about the Glycemic Index is that the rates don’t suggest the concrete means meals are supposed to be consumed. People don’t consume a food item one by one, particularly in curiously big quantities taken during the study. The effect of the whole meal is more important than the GI of each individual food in the meal. Fats and protein decelerates absorption of food. The GI diet doesn’t consider that, neither does it take the variations in everyone’s absorption of food or diverse ways in preparing meals.

Effort

For all the effort a GI diet requires, there is little apparent pay-off in terms of improved weight control. The Glycemic Index diet has not been shown to affect weight loss, despite the belief that controlling blood sugar will control appetite and insulin, and therefore control food intake and fat storage.

However, in spite of everything, a lot of doctors concur that the GI diet, if used accurately, could be an excellent method in losing weight, particularly in those who battle with typical low-calorie diets or weight watchers who have a hard time restraining their desire for food.

Summary

The Glycemic Index diet is like the low-carbohydrate diet, although not as rigorous, and aims at the kind of carbohydrates, not the amount of them in every food. There is also a focus on the correct timing of the two basic types of meals, a carb or protein meal. The science behind the timing and types of meal makes GI dieting a potent way to help lose fat stores, safely and relatively quickly.

This diet is a good choice for anyone who wants to maintain stable blood sugar levels, or who has obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, and who wants to lose weight as fast as achievable. Although it’s really more of a way of eating than a diet, a growing number of folks follow the GI way to achieve their weight loss goals.

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