Eat to Lose !

Women succeed at weight loss when they get a handle on their portions and eat in a balanced way," says nutritionist Lisa Young, PhD, RD, who dished out the dietary advice for our program. Her three key tips:

Get your protein.
Research shows that protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, low-fat dairy, and lean meats can increase satiety, meaning they help you feel full longer. "Eat them with every meal, especially breakfast, to curb the urge to snack all day long," says Young.

Eat early.
Have breakfast, even if it's simply oatmeal or a hard-boiled egg. It jump-starts your metabolism and prevents late-day bingeing. Studies have found that dieters are most successful when they start their day with a meal.

Get a "hand-le" on portions.
"Most of us eat too much—period. To lose weight, you have to eat proper portions," says Young. Use your hand to measure.

Food	How to measure
Meat, fish, poultry	3 ounces = palm of hand
Cheese	1 ounce = 1 thumb
Mixed nuts	1/4 cup = 1 layer on palm
Butter/oil	1/2 teaspoon = 1 fingertip
Cereal/popcorn	1 cup = 2 cupped hands
Cooked pasta	1/2 cup = 1 rounded handful

 

Ref: Prevention.com

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Exercising but Not Losing Weight? Here's Why

1. ALWAYS DOING THE SAME WORKOUT.

People often fall into the trap of hitting the treadmill for 30 minutes every time they work out.It works at first, but then your body starts to adjust to the routine, and you burn fewer calories. To keep seeing results, change one workout factor like intensity or duration every trip to the gym, then completely switch your activity every three to four weeks.

2. DISTRACTIONS.

If you can watch TV during your workout, you’re not working hard enough. Instead of relaxing while you run, try interval training. After a five- to six-minute warm-up on a cardio machine, work as hard as you can for one minute, then reduce the intensity for two minutes. Alternate back and forth for five rounds, making sure to increase the number of intervals you do each workout.

3. HOLDING ON TO THE HANDLEBARS.

When your arms take your body weight off your legs, you burn fewer calories. If you have to hold on or lean, go slower. (Supporting yourself without assistance gives you a better core workout as well.)

4. NOT USING THE INCLINE.

Setting the treadmill on an incline increases the activity of your glutes and hamstrings so you make them even stronger and burn more calories. Depending on your fitness level, set the incline at between 6% and 10%.

5. OVERFUELING.

You don’t need to sip sports drinks all afternoon, then eat an energy bar at the gym, and then follow that up with a post-workout shake. Instead, limit yourself to about 300 calories—the same number you burn in an average 30-minute workout. Any more and you’re not going to get thinner.

Ref: Article by Kimberly Flynn and Men's Fitness

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The Concepts of Conception: What to Ignore About Getting Pregnant

If you’re thinking of starting a family, get ready for lots of advice. And get ready to hear some unfounded, partially true or flat out wrong information. Some of it is predictable -- it’s been around for years, perhaps centuries. While the list of common, unhelpful advice is long, here are some of the more common bits of “wisdom” related to getting pregnant that you can safely ignore.

Getting Pregnant? Don’t Listen To This!

1. You’ll be pregnant within a few months of trying.

In fact, 80 percent to 85 percent of women become pregnant within one year of trying, 90 percent to 95 percent are pregnant within two years, and the remaining 5 percent to 10 percent are considered to have fertility problems. Estimates for chances of getting pregnant are 20 percent to 30 percent per menstrual cycle. The chances will vary depending on a number of factors (including age, current and past medical problems, certain medication use, timing of intercourse, and the fertility of one's partner) but many healthy, fertile couples are not pregnant even after six months. It is common that couples only need to wait a bit longer and learn more about the best time to have intercourse (based on the woman’s menstrual cycle, or ovulation pattern). Referral to an infertility specialist is generally reserved for couples who have been unsuccessful after trying for a year, although for women 35 years of age or older, referral may be recommended after six months.

2. You cannot get pregnant if you have sex while you have your period; and, during each menstrual cycle, there is only one day in which a woman can get pregnant.

There is virtually no way to categorically identify a time when it’s impossible to become pregnant after having sexual intercourse. If sex happens, pregnancy may follow. However, there are clearly times of the month when fertility is much higher and other times when it is quite low. Here’s the important biology to know:

An egg is released from the ovary during ovulation and can be fertilized for only 12 to 24 hours after its release — presumably, that’s where the “one day” fertility myth comes from. However, sometimes more than one egg is released, so that an egg may be “available” for up to two days. In addition, sperm can last up to five days in the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. It takes sperm a couple of days to make the trip to the fallopian tubes to meet the egg, so, you increase your chances of getting pregnant by having sex during the one week period that starts five days before ovulation and ending two days after ovulation. The trick is knowing when ovulation will occur (see below).

Ovulation occurs 14 days before the beginning of your next period, not, as many people believe, 14 days after your last one. (The one exception is if you happen to have a regular cycle of 28 days, in which case you ovulate 14 days before and 14 days after your last period.) The big problem is this: Trying to time sex to an event that’s going to happen in the future is quite difficult and not terribly accurate. Unless your cycles are highly regular, you may not know when that is. For example, if you have regular, 30-day cycles, you should ovulate on day 16, counting from the beginning of your last period; but if your cycles vary in length, it will be impossible to guess without help. That help could come in the form of kits that measure hormones or body temperature monitors that can help you predict when you will ovulate.

Because menstrual cycles and ovulation dates tend to vary for a given person, timing sex to avoid pregnancy (rather than to seek pregnancy) is also not terribly effective.

If you have sex toward the end of your period and you happen to ovulate early in your cycle, it is certainly possible to get pregnant, even after having sex during your period.

Remember that the “rhythm method” was a way to improve the chances of getting pregnant, not to avoid pregnancy. Stated another way, given the nature of human biology, it is easier to increase your odds of getting pregnant by having sex at an particularly favorable time than it is to avoid pregnancy by having sex at a particularly unfavorable time.

3. The chances of getting pregnant are greatly affected by the couple’s position during or after intercourse.

There is a certain intuitiveness about the effects of position on the chances of pregnancy. Gravity is perhaps the most obvious reason one might expect position to matter: Sperm must swim through the cervical opening, into the uterus, up the fallopian tubes to where the egg is. All of this effort might seem easier if the sperm did not have to swim "uphill," but the fact is, sperm can be found in the uterus 20 minutes after intercourse regardless of the position of the partners during or after sex, and there are millions of sperm involved in the effort. Thus, as appealing as the suggestions may be, there is little evidence that assuming a particular position during or after intercourse will dramatically affect fertility. Lying still (versus moving around) or lying on your stomach will not reliably increase fertility. And, clearly, these are not reliable ways to avoid pregnancy.

4. The chances of getting pregnant are greatly affected by the type of underwear the man wears.

This myth is derived from the knowledge that sperm are stored in the testicles which, in turn, reside in the scrotum. This location outside the body cavity is much cooler than the rest of the body; when body temperature is elevated or when men wear tight-fitting clothing that keeps the testicles nearer to the body, sperm counts and sperm activity may be reduced. That’s why men with low sperm counts or other fertility problems are advised to avoid hot baths or tight-fitting clothing that might elevate the temperature of the sperm. However, for the vast majority of healthy men, fertility is not appreciably affected by what they wear or how they take their baths. Men with normal fertility cannot reliably increase it by changing from briefs to boxers; nor should men rely on their choice of undergarments to avoid parenthood.

5. Fertility plummets after age 35.

The effect of age on fertility is gradual, without a specific age of onset. In fact, a reduction in fertility can be detected as early as age 27 and it declines each year thereafter; by the time you are 35, it declines by an estimated 3 percent per year; for each ovulation, the chances of pregnancy are about half what they were at age 25. And, young women can have fertility problems, especially if there are risk factors such as prior sexually transmitted disease, chronic medical problems or certain gynecological surgeries in the past.

6. If you’re having trouble getting pregnant, there’s probably a problem with the woman’s anatomy.

When a fertility problem can be identified, estimates vary regarding how often it is related to male, female or a combination of factors. However, the man is responsible for at least part of the difficulty conceiving in up to 60 percent of cases (being solely responsible in 20 percent to 30 percent and contributing to a combined problem in another 20 percent to 30 percent). A problem solely with the female partner is said to account for about 35 percent to 40 percent of infertility cases and some small proportion cannot be traced to either partner.

Why All the Myth?

Perhaps it’s because reproduction seems so mysterious in the first place that so much myth has built up around it; on the other hand, getting pregnant is fairly straightforward most of the time. Knowing a few of the basic biology facts regarding timing and proximity of sperm and egg are usually all that is necessary. For those who have difficulty conceiving, of course, it’s not simple at all -- proof that what most couples take for granted is actually a remarkably complicated system. And there is a lot that we still do not understand.

The Bottom Line

If you are planning to start a family, congratulations and good luck! Do what you can to increase the chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby.But whileit’s important to think ahead and look for advice from reliable sources, don’t believe everything you hear. Talk with your health care professionals about any health concerns you have, past medical problems or medications that may be relevant, and whether there is any reason to wait before trying to conceive.

Ref: The Harvard Publications

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Potential complications of Diabetes type 2

Diabetes mellitus  is a syndrome characterized by disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) resulting from either low levels of the hormone insulin or from abnormal resistance to insulin's effects coupled with inadequate levels of insulin secretion to compensate.

We often read about Diabetes and the standard ways to control it. With the soaring incidence of Diabetes across the world, the need of the hour is to conquer Diabetes, especially Diabetes type 2 that operates at the cellular level and addresses a key problem that every type 2 diabetic has. All type 2 diabetics have a deficiency of key nutrients the body needs to support healthy blood sugar levels. Your cells simply do not process blood sugar like they should.

The WSN Diabetic Pack Breakthrough Benefits Include:
Lower Blood Glucose Levels, Higher Energy Levels, Easier Weight Loss, Lower Cholesterol Levels, Higher Quality of Sleep, Less Dependency on Medications

Two very common yet with crippling and at times even fatal complications of Diabetes type 2 are neuropathy and High Blood Pressure.Though there exist a long list of potential complications of Diabetes mellitus type 2, we'd like to focus on the most common two of them.

Diabetic Neuropathy:

Diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes, is damage to the nerves that allow you to feel sensations such as pain. There are a number of ways that diabetes damages the nerves, but they all seem related to blood glucose being too high for a long period of time.

Diabetes-related nerve damage can be painful, but it isn't severe pain in most cases.

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

The areas of the body most commonly affected by diabetic peripheral neuropathy are the feet and legs. Nerve damage in the feet can result in a loss of foot sensation, increasing your risk of foot problems. Injuries and sores on the feet may go unrecognized due to lack of sensation. Therefore, you should practice proper skin and foot care. Rarely, other areas of the body such as the arms, abdomen, and back may be affected.

Symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy may include:

• Tingling
• Numbness (severe or long-term numbness can become permanent)
• Burning (especially in the evening)
• Pain

In most cases, early symptoms will become less when blood glucose is under control. Medications can be taken to help control the discomfort if needed.

To prevent peripheral neuropathy:

• Work with your doctor to keep your blood glucose under tight control

To help prevent the complications of peripheral neuropathy:

• Examine your feet and legs daily
• Apply lotion if your feet are dry
• Care for your nails regularly.
• Wear properly fitting footwear and wear them all the time to prevent foot injury

The WSN Nerve Support Formula Breakthrough Benefits Include:
Reduced Tingling or Numbness in the Fingers, Toes or Legs; Ability to experience touch without pain; Reduced Feeling of Cold,; Burning or Pain in the Hands, Feet or Legs; Improved Sense of; Balance and Coordination; Reduced Pain and Cramps; Less Dependency on Medications .

High Blood Pressure due to Diabetes:

Hypertension is an important risk factor for the development and worsening of many complications of diabetes, including diabetic eye disease and kidney disease. It affects up to 60% of people with diabetes.

Having diabetes increases your risk of developing high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, because diabetes adversely affects the arteries, predisposing them to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis can cause high blood pressure, which if not treated, can lead to blood vessel damage, stroke, heart failure, heart attack, or kidney failure.

Compared to people with normal blood pressure readings, men and women with hypertension have an increased risk of:

• Coronary artery disease (heart disease)
• Strokes
• Peripheral vascular disease (hardening of the arteries in the legs and feet)
• Heart failure

Even high yet normal blood pressure or pre-hypertension (defined as 120-139/ 80-89) impacts your health. Studies show that people with normal yet high range blood pressure readings, over a 10 year period of follow up time, had a two to three fold increased risk of heart disease.

The WSN High Blood Pressure combating formula breakthrough benefits Include:

Lower Blood Pressure Levels; Less Dependency on Medications ; Absolutely NO Side Effects; Reduces Tension; Helps Eliminate Muscle Cramps; Higher Quality and More Restful Sleep

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Add Perfection & Health to your Smile!

Being a Dentist myself, I know it well that a smile is something really important for all of us. Having a perfect and a healthy smile is something everyone of us aspires to achieve.

With the advancements in cosmetic, reconstructive, and TMJ dentistry with pain free procedures; attaining a perfect smile is far from a dream. Yes, it's a very much possible and an achievable reality. I am on a constant lookout for the latest advancements and services in my field I recently came across a very impressive and reliable dentist, St.Petersburg Dentist.

The amazing results offered by the st. petersburg cosmetic dentist lured me to give a thorough read to his dental practice website. Besides the effective routine dental treatments including the Invisalign, construction of dentures and periodontal care, tampa dentist offers efficient specialist services.

Making use of the latest and most innovative technologies to offer painless treatment, this dental practice is no wonder among the very efficient in adding perfection and health to every smile. We dentists believe, that dental health and general health go hand in hand, we offer a variety of treatments that are designed to keep your teeth and gums in the best condition possible.

The most striking feature among the services offered by the tampa dentist is the effective and painless management of temporomandibular disorders.

Having said that, I would like to enlighten you about what exactly is a TM joint and what are it's disorders.

What is a TMJ ?

Jaw and bite disorders affect tens of thousands of men and women each year.Your TMJ is the ball-and-socket joint on each side of your head where your lower jawbone (mandible) joins the temporal bone of your skull.The lower jaw has rounded ends (condyles) that glide in and out of the joint socket when you talk, chew or yawn. The surfaces of the condyle and the socket of the temporal bone are covered with cartilage and separated by a small disk, which absorbs shock and keeps the movement smooth. The muscles that enable you to open and close your mouth stabilize this joint.

Signs & Symptoms of TMJ disorder:

Pain or tenderness of your jaw
Aching pain in and around your ear
Difficulty chewing or discomfort while chewing
Aching facial pain
A clicking sound or grating sensation when opening your mouth or chewing
Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth
Headache
Uncomfortable bite
An uneven bite, because one or more teeth are making premature contact
You may feel pain or tenderness, even when you aren't moving your jaw. But in most cases, the pain or tenderness worsens when you move your jaw.

Jaw clicking is common and doesn't always signal a problem. If there's no pain or limitation of movement associated with your jaw clicking, you probably don't have a TMJ disorder.

In most cases, pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders can be alleviated with self-managed care or non surgical treatments, but more severe cases may need to be treated with dental or surgical interventions. For such chronic cases, St.Petersburg Dentist offers effective and painless treatment.

Remember, no smile is perfect till it's backed by good health. It's never too late or too early to explore and experience expert oral care.

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Beat The Blues

 Can herbs and other natural treatments help ease the blues?
Sometimes they can, but it is important to distinguish
between the blues and depression.

In any given year, at least 3.5 million Australians and New Zealanders take antidepressants (also known as SSRIs – selective seretonin reuptake inhibitors) and the figures are increasing.

The good news is that these medications have brought great relief to many. The bad news is that not everyone responds well to the drugs and some may experience unpleasant side effects – fatigue, weight gain, lagging libido and mood changes. The negatives may outweigh the benefits.

It’s not surprising. According to the US Archives of General Psychiatry, depression is one of the most common ailments for which people turn to complementary medicine – treatments such as herbal remedies that are meant to enhance conventional medical care, not replace it. But depression is very different from the blues. It is a serious condition that should be treated by a qualified health professional.

Some signs are easy to recognise – persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, or thoughts of suicide or death, which require immediate treatment. But there are subtler signs as well that an expert can usually detect earlier than a layperson. These can include:

• Low self-esteem;
• Loss of interest or joy in once-pleasurable things;
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions;
• Poor appetite or overeating;
• Sleeping too little or too much;
• Pessimism; irritability, agitation;
• Worry, anxiety, excessive crying;
• Unexplained aches or pains.

See a health care professional if you have any of these symptoms to a degree that interferes with your work or family life.

Ref : Reader's Digest

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Seven Myths About Fitness

Don’t let these beliefs and excuses get in the way of getting fit

Muscle turns to fat when you stop exercising

False Muscle and fat are different types of tissue and one cannot turn into the other. But muscle consumes more kilojoules even when you’re not exercising; so if you allowed your muscle mass to drop but ate the same amount you’d store the excess kilojoules as fat.

Weight training builds unsightly bulk on women

False Women don’t have enough testosterone to develop Popeye-sized bulges. Only serious body-builders can get serious bulk.

To lose weight I must eat less

False If you eat more than you burn off you’ll get fat, but boosting your activity level is actually a better way to balance the equation than eating less. On a very low kilojoule diet your body goes into survival mode, slowing your metabolism and resorting to burning lean muscle.

You can sweat weight off in the sauna

Not fat, you can’t Any weight you lose is just water through sweating and this must be replaced quickly.

I’m too busy to exercise

False If you can’t make time for the gym, try using the stairs instead of the lift. At home, gardening or playing football with the children will burn more kilojoules than a brisk walk for the same duration. If it’s leaving you warmer and breathing more heavily, it’s working.

Lots of sit-ups will give me a “six-pack”

Not necessarily “You won’t get muscle definition unless you reduce overall body fat,” says Nick Morgan of the Lilleshall Human Performance Centre.

Men can’t get cellulite

True, because there’s no such thing. “Cellulite is just ordinary body fat plus gravity,” says Catherine Geissler, professor of human nutrition at King’s College London. “It’s just more obvious in women because they carry extra fat in areas where the skin sags.”

Ref : Article by Johanna Sharples

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8 Secrets to Optimizing Your Exercise Plan

We'd be lucky if having the motivation to move was all it took to make exercise a part of our daily activities. When it comes to making motion an aim we often find ourselves face-to-face with the most persistent of obstacles. Here are some tips for conquering time when it threatens to bump exercise plans from your date book:

1. Book yourself.

Don't have time for all this exercise? Sometimes it's a matter of perception -- other people's. If coworkers, friends, or even family can't understand why you take time for exercise but not for what they think is important, keep your priorities to yourself -- but schedule your exercise in your date book. That way, when sticking to your guns on workouts, you can merely say you're keeping a prior appointment.

2. Keep it interesting.

Some people have a high tolerance for routine -- and may even elevate it to ritual. But if your attention span is closer to monkey than monk, try to introduce variety into your workout on a regular basis. One way to do it: Change two things about your routine every week. It could be as simple as adding repetitions, resistance, or sets -- or substituting one exercise for another. Change isn't just an antidote to boredom, it allows you to continually challenge muscles in new ways, which makes you stronger faster.

3. Try slow motion.

Want to try a difficult challenge that's easy on joints? Lift a light weight only one time -- but do it very slowly. Pick out a weight about half what you'd normally lift 10 times. Take 15 to 20 seconds to lift the weight, hold for another 15 to 20 seconds, then take another 15 to 20 seconds to bring it back down. The constant stress through the entire range of motion will work muscles in an entirely new way.

4. Judge gym transit time.

Made the decision to join a health club? When choosing, follow the golden rule of gym location: Keep it within a 15-minute drive. Any farther and your chances of actually getting there for a workout drop considerably.




5. Spread the effort.

If doing an entire full-body workout all at once is too fatiguing or demanding on your time, try doing only one part of the workout each day. If your workout has 12 exercises, for example, do the first three on Monday, the next three on Tuesday, and the rest on Wednesday. On Thursday, start the routine again. That way, you're still doing each exercise three times during a one-week period without exhausting yourself with your routine.

6. Hold on to your gains.

While giving your muscles a chance to rest is important to making them stronger, there's inevitably a point of diminishing returns when it comes to slacking off. How much rest is too much? A good rule of thumb is to expect about a 10 percent loss of your strength gains after about 10 days. The more training you've done, the slower your strength will decline. The bottom line: To maintain your gains, you need to keep exercising regularly.

7. Count backward.

Problem: Strength exercises are no fun when the last repetitions are tough to do. Interpretation: If you're challenging your muscles enough to want to quit, you're probably doing them at just the right intensity. Mental trick: Your final repetitions will seem easier if you count backward from your target instead of forward from zero because you'll be thinking about how few you have left, rather than how many you've already done.

8. Get off the floor safely.

For exercises and stretches that require you to get on all fours, it's easier to get back up again if you walk your hands back until you're in a kneeling position, place one foot on the floor in front of you with your knee bent at about 90 degrees, then use your leg as a support for your hands as you stand or ease yourself into a chair.

Ref : Reader's Digest

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Shoes Too Tight? Keep Your Feet Happy

It's pretty amazing that we all don't suffer with achy feet. Leonardo Da Vinci, artist and engineer, said that "the human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art."

According to The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, each foot has approximately 100 working parts including 26 bones and 33 joints. Twenty-five percent of all the bones in your skeleton reside in your feet, and they work hard.

It's no wonder that 20 percent of all musculoskeletal related office visits involve the foot and ankle area. Perhaps Leonardo should have also warned us that artistic and durable do not often go together. Interestingly, it's not just the pounding that gets your feet into trouble - it's often the shoes. Hard to believe but a significant number of individuals are wearing the wrong size shoes or sneaks.

This is in part because most of us do not realize that your shoe size actually changes as an adult. Even though the bones in your feet stop growing in your teens, your feet still expand with age. Your arch drops, leading to a lengthening of your foot and the ligaments weaken resulting in widening or "splaying" especially in the forefoot area.

The overall result is a longer, wider foot and the need for shoes or sneakers one or two sizes bigger and with a wider toe box area. Women are particularly susceptible. Most of their lives, they have jammed their poor feet into tight narrow high heeled shoes, almost the modern versions of foot "binding" popularized in China where women's feet were tightly wrapped to keep their feet small and aesthetically pleasing.

It's no wonder that over 70 percent of women complain of foot pain. One study found that women stopped on the street were much more likely to be in a shoe too tight than their correct size.

This leads to many painful foot conditions like bunions, corns, calluses, neuromas (pinched nerve) and more. I recall a sweet older patient who came into my office and when asked how I could help her, she took off her shoes, pointed to her feet and said "these dogs are barkin'." Of course her shoes were two sizes too small.

Fashion is part of the problem, especially with kids who will often sacrifice proper fit to get a pair that is cool. Also, with the rapid growth spurts, even a shoe that fits well one month may not the next. Parents need to check often. Also, for both kids and especially adult shoewear, cost does not always equate with comfort.

So how do you keep your feet happy and healthy? Learn to listen to them. If they are "barkin," first be sure you are in the right footwear. Also, follow these tips:

• Get both feet measured every time you buy shoes.
• Shop at the end of the day when your feet tend to be their largest (swelling etc).
• Be sure there's plenty of room in the toe box area. Toes should wiggle freely not feel pressured or cramped. There should also be a thumb's width space between the tip of the toes (especially the longest one) and the end of the shoe.
• Ladies, try tracing your foot on a piece of paper. Next, place one of your "high fashion" shoes over the tracing. It should be pretty clear why your feet hurt.
• Never think that you can "break-in" a shoe. The shoe always wins that battle.
• A good shoemaker can help with minor pressure or hot spots, or a heel area that's too loose. Remember, I said minor, not major adjustments.

If symptoms persist, see an orthopaedic surgeon or podiatrist who can help you better understand and resolve your foot problem and also assure that there is not other medical issues going on since systemic conditions (like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis) can begin with foot related issues. Also, foot pain can be referred from other areas like a pinched nerve in your lower back. Get things checked.

Be kind to your feet - use them, but don't abuse them. It's hard to keep a smile when your feet are frowning.

Ref: DrNick.com & YahooHealth.com

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How To Control Binge Eating

Lately with all the stress I've been accumulating, I turned all my attention to food to clear up my mind. This is a serious problem which dieters must face atleast one time in their life during dieting and yes, it has a name.

Binge eating also known as Compulsive Eating is a condition where a person has no control over his/her eating and so eats more than needed.

Characteristics of Binge Eating
A person with a binge eating problem usually shows the following characteristics:

• Periodically does not exercise control over consumption of food
• Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time -- more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time.
• Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes.
• Eats until completely full.
• Eats large amounts of food even when they are not really hungry.
• Usually eats alone during binge eating episodes, in order to avoid discovery of the disorder
• Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food
• Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating.

Triggers of Binge Eating
The causes of binge eating disorder are still unknown. Most binge eaters show signs of depression. Emotional cues such as anger, sadness, boredom, and anxiety can trigger binge eating. Impulsive behavior and certain other emotional problems can be more common in people with binge eating disorder. However, many people also claim that binging occurs regardless of their mood.

Dieting's effect on binge eating disorder is also unclear. While findings vary, early research suggests that about half of all people with binge eating disorder had binge episodes before they started to diet. Still, strict dieting may worsen binge eating in some people.

Effects of Binge Eating
People with binge eating disorder can get sick due to a lack of proper nutrition. Binging episodes usually include foods that are high in sugar and/or salt, but low in healthier nutrients.
People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become very depressed.
People who are obese and also have binge eating disorder are at risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Most people with binge eating disorder have tried to control it on their own, but have not been able to control it for very long. Some people miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat. Persons who are obese with binge eating disorder often feel bad about themselves and may avoid social gatherings.
Most people who binge eat, whether they are obese or not, feel ashamed and try to hide their problem. Often they become so good at hiding it that even close friends and family members don't know they binge eat.

How to control Binge Eating

• People with binge eating disorder, whether or not they want to lose weight, should get help from a health professional including physicians, nutritionists, psychiatrist, psychologists, or clinical social workers for their eating behavior.
• Treatment with medications such as antidepressants may be helpful for some individuals.
• Also seek therapy sessions with like-minded people who suffer from binge eating. The type of treatment that is best for an individual is a matter for discussion between the patient and his or her health care provider.
• A form of therapy known as cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches people how to keep track of their eating and change their unhealthy eating habits.
• If ever a binge period is overcoming you, keep these healthy snacks at hand.
• A weight loss program might be the best option for obese people.

Just keep in mind that Binge Eating is a "psychological problem" and thus, with motivation and support from your close ones, a cure is possible.

Ref: Mayo Clinic.com , Diethack.com, Wikipedia

Picture courtesy: HealthNews-Stat

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Sleepy-Foods: Foods that promote sleep

How foods can affect sleep?

What you eat affects how you sleep. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods keep you awake.

Sleepers are tryptophan-containing foods. Tryptophan (which is converted to an amino acid called L-tryptophan) is the raw material that the brain uses to build sleep-inducing substances (relaxing neurotransmitters) serotonin and melatonin. Adequate serotonin levels promote deep, restorative sleep. Eating carbohydrates with tryptophan-containing foods makes this calming amino acid more available to the brain. A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear those amino acids that compete with tryptophan from the bloodstream, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep-inducing substances. Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain.

List of foods for a good sleep

Foods that are high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein are ideal for promoting sleep:

• Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
• Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
• Honey
• Almonds
• Banana
• Seafood
• Meats
• Poultry
• Whole grains
• Beans
• Rice
• Oatmeal
• Hummus
• Lentils
• Turkey
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Avocado
• Eggs
• Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds
• Papaya
• Mushrooms
• Grapefruit

Ref : HealthAssist

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