Yodle Local Articles » diet

Getting the Right Nutrients

Monica Gavin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:39:08 +0000

The nutritional facts section on food and drink labels is probably not a foreign concept to you. In fact, you may even read every label before you eat checking for calorie totals, grams of fat and serving size. By striving to eat right, you know that trans fats are major red flags and finding a delicious snack under 100 calories can bring the same excitement as finding a five-dollar bill on the street.

Have you ever carefully looked at the nutrients you are getting? Even though measuring caloric intake is a great way to maintain a healthy diet, another section of facts on the label should be equally as important. While it may look like an awkward alphabet, the list of vitamins, minerals and proteins provided are crucial to keeping yourself healthy.

Monica Gavin, M.D., of the Azani Medical Spa and a diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, often coaches patients on the benefits of consuming a healthy diet, urging them to eat organically and to cut out fatty foods. Dr. Gavin also instructs her patients to keep an eye on how many of the basic vitamins and minerals they are getting because meeting nutrient recommendations should go hand in hand with keeping your caloric intake under control.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Dietary Guide report, many Americans consume more calories than they need without meeting recommended intakes for a number of nutrients. In adults, the intake levels of vitamins A, C, and E, along with fiber, magnesium and potassium are a growing concern. Below is a guide based on suggestions from the USDA food guide and Dr. Gavin on finding out how you can incorporate the recommended amounts of each into your current diet.

Vitamin A Sources: The USDA recommends 1,052 micrograms a day.

A three-quarters cup of carrot juice contains 1692 micrograms.
A half-cup of cooked spinach contains 573 micrograms.
A half-cup of canned mixed vegetables contains 474 micrograms.
A medium-sized sweet potato baked with the peel contains 1096 micrograms.

Vitamin C Sources: The USDA recommends 155 milligrams a day.

A half-cup of raw guava contains 188 milligrams.
One medium-sized kiwi contains 70 milligrams.
A half-cup of raw strawberries contains 49 milligrams.
A half-cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains 48 milligrams.

Vitamin E Sources: The USDA recommends 9.5 grams a day.

One ounce of dry roasted sunflower seeds contains 7.4 grams.
Two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 2.5 grams.
A half of a raw avocado contains 2.1 grams.
A half-cup of tomato sauce contains 2.5 grams.

Fiber Sources: The USDA recommends a total dietary fiber intake of 31 grams a day.

A half-cup of canned kidney beans contains 8.1 grams.
A half-cup of cooked lima beans contains 6.6 grams.
A whole-wheat English muffin contains 4.4 grams.
A small, raw pear contains 4.3 grams.

Magnesium Sources: The USDA recommends 380 milligrams a day.

One ounce of almonds contains 78 milligrams.
Three ounces of cooked halibut contains 91 milligrams.
A half-cup of canned spinach contains 78 milligrams.
A half-cup of cooked artichoke hearts contains 50 milligrams.

Potassium Sources: The USDA recommends 4,044 milligrams a day.

A non-fat eight ounce container of plain yogurt contains 531 milligrams.
A half-cup of cooked lima beans contains 484 milligrams.
A three-quarters cup of prune juice contains 530 milligrams.
A half-cup of cooked winter squash contains 448 milligrams.

Still, eating the perfect foods that contain large amounts of these nutrients may be a feat too large to accomplish every day while still staying within an designated number of calories. While Dr. Gavin stresses the importance of eating foods rich with these nutrients, she recommends taking dietary supplements as well.

Many supplements can be found at drug stores or doctor’s offices that provide a large enough dosage of a specific nutrient that it may be meet the total requirement for the day. By speaking with your doctor, you can assess which supplements would be best for you and how to use them in conjunction with the vitamins and minerals you are getting from your current diet plan.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Tags: diet, fiber, fruits, magnesium, nuts, potassium, supplements, vegetables, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin e

The Importance of Managing Your Age

Monica Gavin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:21:30 +0000

We successfully manage our bank accounts, stock options, careers and finances so that everything runs efficiently. We plan and organize so that we are able to get the best results for our time and money. But why are we so easily skipping out on managing our age? Getting older doesn’t have to mean letting yourself go. You don’t have to accept every gray hair and wrinkle that you see. And you certainly should not accept common ailments like high blood pressure and weakening heart conditions associated with getting “old.”

If we put half the energy we do managing outside forces on our lives towards managing our age, everyone would look much younger and much healthier, explains Monica Gavin, M.D., of the Azani Medical Spa in Pennsylvania and diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Without your health, you have nothing, she says.

Regaining Power: When it comes to the aging process, you don’t have to raise your white flags and surrender. You can fight back, and it won’t take much. All you need is awareness and the determination to say that you are going to become an active part of your aging process.

Staying Active: The best way to stay healthy as your birthdays come and go is with exercise. According to Dr. Gavin, being physically active is your first line of defense. You have to have a plan of action and to think ahead about how you will continue to make exercise enjoyable while catering to the abilities of your body. There is an equal balance between testing your body and pushing it too far.

Eating Right: Being an educated consumer is a large part of the age management process. Reading labels, counting calories and being accountable for what you consume will eliminate unnecessary weight gain and loss of stamina generally blamed on aging.

Reducing Stress: Stress can speed the aging process. It is important to evaluate the biggest stressors in your life and work towards managing them so that they are no longer as big of an issue. This may require the help of a professional to look at your habits from an objective perspective and offer some suggestions on easing your stress. For some, this means meditating or practicing yoga. For others, taking up a hobby like fishing or joining a book club can help separate them from stressful situations.

Replacing Lost Hormones: As men and women get older, they lose some hormones associated with their younger, more energetic former selves. For men, this is a loss in the levels of testosterone, and for women, it is the loss of estrogen. Unfortunately, your body will never naturally resume creating these hormones and levels will continue to decrease over time. However, many advances have been made in replacing lost hormones in both genders safely and effectively.

Getting Results: Taking the time to realize that you should be your first concern can bring major changes to your life. Not only are you actively managing how you age, but you will see an increase in your self-esteem and confidence as well because you know that you are doing your best to look your best. With lower levels of stress, you can also focus on more enjoyable aspects of your life. Soon eating right and exercising will not seem like chores but part of your daily routine.

Tags: aging, diet, estrogen, exercise, hormone replacement, meditation, stress, testosterone, yoga

What is HCG?

Monica Gavin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:49:09 +0000

In the healthcare industry, it is often common to see the same medications, techniques and hormones used to treat different conditions. Botox is great for crossed eyes and for sweating, and Naltrexone which was originally used to help calm alcoholism and other addictions also successfully treats fibromyalgia. Even the hormones that our bodies produce create have benefits far beyond what we believe they were originally created for.

One of these multi-use hormones is human chronic gonadotrophin, more widley known as HCG, and it is now being used in an unconventional way. HCG is originally produced during pregnancy. It is made by the developing embryo soon after conception. Early detection of a pregnancy is actually determined by the level of HCG found in a woman’s urine.

HCG protects the fetus from malnourishment. If the mother is underfed or starving, she will suffer but her fetus will still be able to thrive and develop off of the hormone. It is one of a mother’s first instinctual ways to protect her unborn child.

Now, Monica Gavin, M.D., of the Azani Medical Spa, and diplomat of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine is using HCG to help patients who have had trouble losing weight in the past. Medically prescribed, the hormone works to block hunger and cravings and allows the user to survive off a caloric intake of just 500 calories a day. While most people’s stomachs may growl from just reading the figure, those on Dr. Gavin’s plan feel nourished.

HCG also works as an energizer by breaking up fat and turning it into energy. So, if you partake in the diet plan, you will have no fatigue and not have to worry about low blood sugar the way you might if you were drastically reducing your food intake otherwise.

The weight-loss process starts by giving yourself an intramuscular injection once a day for 42 days. Dr. Gavin guides her patients through the correct way to give the injection so that it can easily be done at home. About 99% of Dr. Gavin’s patients choose their upper thigh as their injection site.

The 42-day cycle is then followed by a six-week restricted diet. Some patients return after completing the six weeks to start receiving the HCG injections again if they are having a particularly difficult time keeping the weight off or if they had a large amount of weight to lose.

HCG injection cycles can be used up to three times for weight loss and control but most patients are able to successfully keep off the weight after just one 42-day treatment cycle.

The hormone is best recommended for use after your body has completely matured. For women, patients this is usually at age 18 and for men it is 21. There is no age limit for the treatment and as long as your medical workup indicates that you are healthy enough to start the diet plan, you can use HCG well in to your 60s and 70s.

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.

Tags: diet, hcg pregnancy, hormone, how to lose weight at a med spa, Medical weight loss treatment, weight loss

In-Home Meal Preparation for Your Elderly Loved Ones

Dale Anderson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:29:55 +0000

When your loved one begins to need help with daily life, you want to do all that you can to make his life easier and more comfortable. But, just because they need help with some things throughout the day does not mean they need to live in a nursing home. Uprooting them can be traumatic, and they can feel violated and resentful. There are many levels of needing care before one should consider a nursing home, especially with the many kinds of care offered by multi-service caregiver agencies like Right At Home. The Tacoma, Washington, Right At Home’s president, Dale Anderson, explains one of the more basic levels of care they offer — meal preparation.

There are two reasons your loved one may need help preparing meals, and the presence of one or both of these reasons is enough of a call for a caregiver. The first reason is they may simply not be able to get around and handle grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning up, and all the tasks that come with meal preparation. The second reason is that they may have some sort of medical condition that requires certain dietary needs. A professional caregiver tends to any or all of these needs, either as its own service if your loved one only needs help with meal preparation, or as part of a greater service if it’s just one of the things needed.

If meal preparation is the only service needed, an agency like Right At Home would assign a CNA, or certified nursing assistant, to your loved one. This is because no specific medical services are being performed, so a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN) is not necessary. A CNA can come and perform the types of services associated with meal preparation, but also has the training to assist and care for your loved one in a case of need or emergency. More specifically, the caregiver is carefully trained for this meal preparation service, so there is virtually nothing they cannot do for your loved one.

Meal preparation can also be performed by an LPN or RN, as well, when it is one of several services being performed, or the specific dietary needs are extremely sensitive and medically oriented. For example, if your loved one needs 24-hour care from an RN, meal preparation is obviously one of the tasks performed throughout the course of the day. Also, your family member could need to eat certain things at certain times of the day, take in certain nutrients, or avoid certain ingredients. While all levels of caregivers handle this sort of preparation, an LPN or RN is an expert even in more advanced circumstances.

Within the blanket service of meal preparation are a few tasks. Your family member’s caregiver will perform the grocery shopping, especially in instances where your loved one has limited or no driving ability. This could be as simple as supplying your loved one’s home with food he or she likes to eat and what is good for them, but it could also involve dietary planning – another aspect of meal preparation in itself. Your caregiver will work to be a sort of dietician and nutritionist in one. He will structure a diet that is healthy and beneficial. He will consult with your loved one to make sure everything is understood and he is happy with this plan.

Meal preparation also involves cooking, of course. The caregiver will take time and prepare a healthy meal that your loved one will enjoy eating. From there, the caregiver will maintain the dietary duties by monitoring how the diet is affecting the patient. He will see if everything is working well and providing the right nutrients or if changes need to be made.

Tags: diet, food, in-home care, in-home services, meal preparation, meals

How Food Impacts Teeth

Isabelle Farmer — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:29:54 +0000

Dr. Isabelle Farmer is a practicing dentist at Houston SmileDocs in Texas. A graduate of Texas A&M University and the University of Texas Dental School, she went on to start her dental practice in 1984. Here she explains what foods might be hurting—and helping—your overall oral health.

The foods that you are eating affect your whole body, and that includes your oral health. Eating too many sugars and animal proteins can easily lead to tooth decay and other issues. And enjoying a diet that is high in fibers, along with fruits and vegetables, will help any person keep his teeth in good shape for years to come. Not only that, but the particular foods that people are eating are specifically reflected in the health of their gum tissue, which is why poor habits can lead to a host of major issues including periodontal disease.

We all have a sweet tooth—after all, most human beings crave sweet things at some point. But the trick is to satisfy that craving in a way that is still healthy and good for you.

Foods to Enjoy

Fruits and Vegetables: As a substitute for sweets like chocolate and candy, I encourage patients to enjoy things like fruits that will strengthen their immune system, while also satisfying their cravings. Not only that, but eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will also make you less vulnerable to things like periodontal disease. I say this because anything that strengthens your immune system is also going to help you fight periodontal and gum problems, too.
High Fiber: High-fiber foods are good because they help clean the surface of your teeth at the same time while you are eating the food. So not only are you getting the benefits of a healthy meal, but you are working to actually make your teeth a little cleaner at the same time. One way that many people get fiber is from cereal, but the cereal you eat doesn’t have to be loaded with sugar. As a way to get the benefits from cereal—mainly, fiber and the great taste—without the downsides—sugar—I recommend that people buy as plain of a cereal as they can find. Then, they can sprinkle however much sugar they choose on top of the cereal.

Foods to Avoid:

Sugars: Anything that is packed with too many sugars is going to be bad for your health and also for your teeth. Excess sugars lead to tooth decay and other problems. Unfortunately, kids are really getting this sugar pretty much everywhere. I find that sodas are the worst, however, which is why I advise patients young and old to curb their soda habits. Or, at the very least, I encourage them to read the label and see how much sugar is actually in the product they are drinking three times a day.
Animal Proteins: In this country, we eat too much animal protein in all of our meals. The animal protein that we eat should be the garnish on the plate, not the entirely of the meal. Instead, the fruits and vegetables should be the main portion of the meal, and the animal products should just be on the side. If we did that, everybody would be a lot healthier from the standpoint of our teeth and also just our general health.

Tags: diet, food, teeth

What Effects Can Diet Have on Behavior?

Harvey Howard — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:14:28 +0000

Harvey Howard is the owner of My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a certified special education teacher, elementary teacher, guidance counselor, and student assistance professional located in New Jersey. Here he discusses how the foods parents feed their children can impact their performance in school and life.

The effect that diet has on children is huge. The amount of sugar and different chemicals that we parents put into our children these days is phenomenal, and that can create different allergies that your child might not otherwise have.

When it comes to the types of food parents pick out, the more whole, natural foods you feed your children the more your child is going to have a balanced central nervous system. Loading kids up with colors, dyes, and other processed chemicals just gives their nervous system more to interact with and puts them at risk in the long term. So less is better when it comes to feeding your kids processed foods.

Overweight children are becoming a crisis in our culture. There is a lot of research on the effect of being overweight, both in terms of development of diabetes, heart conditions, and clogged arteries. You are even seeing kids with high blood pressure at 12 years old now based on diet, which is why I explain to parents that they should be putting thought into the foods they put on their child’s plate.

The concept of what goes in makes up who you are, another factor that people overlook. Once food goes in your mouth, your body is absorbing it and it isn’t just going on through. If your body is absorbing it, then it’s staying in there. That’s why we tell our kid to drink milk—because it has calcium and they need it for their bones and their organs. Well, whatever else you are eating is getting absorbed into your bones as well, whether that is unhealthy food, processed chemical, caffeine, or trans fat.

Avoid Sugar

Specifically, avoiding sugar as much as possible should be the ideal for parents. Of course, on you child’s birthday, you are still going to give him a birthday cake with sugar in it. That’s fine. But a proper diet is about the moderation of sugar—and specifically avoiding candy, sodas, and other things like that early on. Kids are going to get that stuff—it is coming eventually. There is no way to avoid it in our society. But the more sugars and processed foods you give your child at an early age, the less chance you’re giving their body to develop in a healthy manner.

Avoid Caffeine

Another thing parents should not be giving their kids is caffeine. That includes anything that has caffeine in it, too. Chocolate is something that has caffeine in it, for example. So the less chocolate children get early on, the less caffeine effect they are going to get in their bodies. Many people don’t seem to get this. I see parents’ feeding their 1-year-olds chocolate candy or giving their toddlers a can of soda in place of a bottle. That type of diet puts weight on in the long term.

Avoid Trans Fats

Any kind of trans fat and any type of food with trans fat in it is not good for your child. If the food is not good for adults to eat, then it is surely not good for a child under five years old to eat it. Things like that are very counterproductive, because you do not want to load up your child’s arteries with all these fats.

So diet is radically important in kids’ self-esteem, how they relate, and how fast they are. Kids who are overweight are not as fast, agile, or balanced as their peers. It is to a large degree a parental outcome of their children’s weight. Kids who are overweight are eating too much food and they are eating the wrong kinds of food. It can affect their behavior, whether they are irritable, cranky, or upset—that is surely oftentimes an outcome of diet.

Tags: behavior, diet, healthy diet

The Truth About Detoxing for Health

Sarah Matthews — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:35:31 +0000

At age 26, Tricia thought her modeling days were over. But when the 5 foot 10 inch glamorous blond was suddenly offered some cash for an unexpected modeling shoot, she realized that she needed to lose weight fast if she was to fit into size 2 outfits. What do do?

Well, Tricia did what many American girls do all the time – and some American boys as well. She went on a one-week detox and lost 12 pounds How did she manage to do it? She went on the Cabbage Soup Diet, took a couple of vitamins and drank loads of water. Although she smelled like a rank diaper, her eyes had lost all their luster and her skin looked sallow, she just managed to fit into the dresses she needed to wear.

Needless to say, when Tricia went off her diet she quickly regained all the weight – with an extra 3 pounds on top. And her gut two three weeks to recover. “You are supposed to do the Cabbage Soup Diet for not more than three days, and I was on it a bit more than a week,” she admits. “I had a constant tummyache and was farting all the time. It was nasty!”

The idea of a detox sounds too good to be true – and many health professionals say it is. Yet many of us, especially those who are overweight, lack energy or both, are enticed by the idea of a good old detox to eliminate bad toxins in our diet and cleanse our systems from top to bottom. But are the claims really worth the hype?

Detox Legends and Myths

If you are considering a detox of your own, here are a few legends and myths about detoxing which you may not have been aware of…

TRUE: Nature has a way of detoxing our bodies naturally, without us resorting to starvation or other fad diets to do the trick for us. That way is called our natural digestive systems, with the help of the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin and other necessary organs. And don’t forget the bowels.

TRUE: Drinking water can help me flush out bad toxins. Yes, but don’t overdo it… 64 ounces a day is usually considered enough. And drinking fancy bottled water or herbal concoctions will not speed up elimination any faster – stick with plain old water, as it’s healthy and a lot cheaper.

TRUE: Eating raw foods is good for me. Yes, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables are great. But some foods are actually better for you when cooked such as tomatoes, which release lycopene, a natural anti-carcinogenic.

TRUE” Good habits are better than detox. Up your fluid intact, cut out recreational drugs, nicotine and alcohol, lower your caffeine levels and eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies while avoiding consuming too much sugar, fat and processed foods (see below).

FALSE: Detoxing is great as a quick fix to kick-start a diet. While you may initially seem to lose loads of weight, you will actually be losing primarily necessary fluids, which you will regain back quickly once you start eating normally.

FALSE: Long-term detoxing can be good for me. While a healthy person can survive on a short-term detox of just a few days and emerge relatively intact, anything longer can be dangerous. Most detox diets mean you are depriving yourself not only of necessary vitamins and minerals, but also of the fluids your body so desperately needs to be healthy and function to the best of its ability.

FALSE: Colon-cleansing products are wonderful – and necessary. The problem here is that detox diets intended to flush all “harmful” bacteria from your colon will also unwittingly get rid of all the good bacteria as well, leaving you more susceptible to certain types of infection.

FALSE: Colonic irrigation is a great way to get rid of nasty bacteria quickly. Under the supervision of a qualified professional, a rare irrigation should do no more harm that result in a nasty yeast infection, as the good bacteria disappears with the “bad.” Too often, people are often left with unexpected surprises they hadn’t bargained for, such as a punctured colon.

FALSE: I am sure my doctor would encourage me to detox, as I am overweight. As no scientific evidence supports detox plans, virtually all traditional doctors do not encourage their patients to try them, although alternative naturopaths often do.

Healthy Yet Cool

If you need to lose weight quickly or are looking for a way to start a healthy, balanced diet under the supervision of a medical professional, Madelyn Fernstrom, Ph.D. and C.N.S., a well-known diet and nutrition expert, recommends these simple steps for a healthful detox:

Stick with unprocessed foods
Eat at least 7 to 9 servings of produce a day (fresh or frozen)
Choose vegetable proteins over red meat, poultry, or fish
Gradually cut back on caffeine (to avoid severe headaches)
Eliminate alcohol
Drink half your body weight for ounces of daily water (150 pounds, drink 75 ounces water) or at least 64 ounces.

Most people don’t stop to ask if there is any scientific proof that a detoxing plan will actually have any positive health benefits or if anything is dangerously inherent in the plan. There is little evidence that detox programs really work, despite their growing popularity. So next time you think about trying a detox yourself, keep in mind that a healthy diet combined with long-term healthy eating habits and regular exercise will have much more far-reaching results.

Tags: detox, detoxing health, diet, fad diets, health, weight loss

Medical Weight Loss Treatment

Angela Maguire — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:22:29 +0000

Many are tired of fighting the weight loss battle alone. They’re turning to medical weight loss treatment for help and support.

With super-slim celebrities on every magazine cover and non-stop commercials for diet pills playing on the TV, it’s easy to see why today’s society is feeling the pressure to be thin. Still, for those struggling with their weight, the issue usually goes beyond image. Being overweight can not only affect your self-esteem, it can affect your quality of life and certainly your overall health.

Many are tired of fighting the weight-loss battle alone. They’re turning to medical weight loss treatment for help and support.

What is Medical Weight Loss Treatment?

Medical weight loss treatment is a term that applies to any procedure performed in a medical spa setting that is aimed at helping you lose weight. Today, there are many options for medical weight loss treatment, ranging from the mild and non-invasive, like nutritional advice and counseling, to the extreme, like gastric bypass surgery.

Who Needs Medical Weight Loss Treatment?

Anyone who would like to lose weight may want to consider medical weight loss treatment. It may especially appeal to those who have tried to lose weight on their own without much success, or those who cannot seem to lose weight even after changing their diet or exercise habits. Certain procedures, like bariatric surgery, are only recommended and available for those who suffer from morbid obesity.

What are the Different Types of Medical Weight Loss Treatment?

The medical weight loss treatments available to you will vary greatly upon which physician or medical spa you choose. Here are some treatments that are commonly available:

Counseling: Speaking to a counselor or psychologist throughout your weight-loss journey can be surprisingly effective in helping you lose weight, and the benefits may extend to other areas of your life as well. Often times, people who struggle with their weight are dealing with other issues as well. They may be self-conscious, and the weight problem may affect their self-esteem, causing depression and anxiety. This can even compound the weight problem, as they may feel uncomfortable working out in public or seek comfort in food. Speaking to a counselor is a relatively risk-free option, and one that may prove to be a shortcut in realizing and addressing your issues with food and/or body image issues.

Nutritional Counseling: Making positive changes in your diet can impact your weight loss and your attitude as well. A nutritional counselor will look at your current diet, health history, and weight-loss goals in order to determine a diet that’s healthy and practical for your lifestyle. The dangers of nutritional counseling are slim with an educated and well-trained professional. However, if a diet doesn’t feel right, it may be time to discuss any diet changes or even seek a second opinion. Extreme diets, like a liquid diet or long-term fast, can be dangerous and even counter-productive.

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Medical Weight Loss as a Solution for Obesity

Kelly Brown — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:52:55 +0000

Medical weight loss may be the answer from anyone suffering from obesity that has never learned healthy eating and fitness. The plans often include added boosters such
as appetite suppressants and vitamin supplements, but they are medically supervised and designed for those whose weight is a threat to their health. Even medically
supervised, there are still some dangers, but many whose lives are unfulling due to
their weight may want to consider if the pros outweigh the cons.

What Is It?

Many turn to medical weight loss after other attempts at weight loss have failed.

There are a number of medical weight loss programs across the country. Many include a combination of weight loss injections, appetite suppressants and counseling. Some of these methods include vitamin cocktails that boost weight loss and another uses the pregnancy hormone, HCG. Human chorine gonadotropin is believed to play a role in the break down of abnormal body fat. It enables “good” fat and muscle to remain healthy and intact, which is a benefit that even normal diet and exercise fall short doing. The hormones can be pair with appetite suppressants and are in liquid form and not give as shots.

Another option, which is given in injection form, is Lipo B shots. This is a
combination of a variety of vitamins and minerals meant to boost the metabolism. It
focuses on helping the liver with its natural function. It frequently includes a shot
of B-12, an energy booster and choline, which is responsible for the transport and
metabolizing of fats and cholesterol in the body. Paired with those two are inositol,
which also aids in the metabolism of fat and cholesterol, and methione, which acts as
a lipotropic agent to prevent excess fat build up. Lipotropics are three amino acids
essential for the functioning of the liver, which removes fat and toxins from the
body.

A typical program will include a combination of blood and metabolism customization,
diet medication, B-12 shots, booster pills, customized meals, supplements, and
meetings with doctors and counselors. Some programs also offer group counseling
sessions and support.

Who Needs It?

Anyone that is significantly overweight will benefit the most from a medical weight
loss program. Those that have never learned to eat properly will work with doctors to
design a diet that is healthy and suitable for their lifestyle. While skeptics often
doubt the lasting effects of weight loss “crutches” like shots and cocktails, these
programs are designed to use those as a boost while also educating. Often, when
someone has a significant amount of weight to lose, the best way to bet started is
with immediate drastic results. This gives them motivation to keep losing. Over time,
the develop a healthy lifestyle.

Benefits

The major benefit of medical weight loss is immediate and often drastic weight loss.
Most of the programs use natural substances that are found in the human body. Patients
are monitored by doctors and their vital signs are observed closely, often on the
weekly basis. Paired with low calories foods plans, medical weight loss protects
muscles in the body while ridding it of excess fat. This means patients are not left
with the saggy skin that is often a result of drastic weight loss. Women using the HCG
weight loss plan have also reported improved sleep, decreased irritability, and
increased energy without a stimulant effect. Some people react poorly to vitamin B-12
and feel as if they have been injected with caffeine. The energy boost from HCG does
not have this side effect.

Risks

Risks are relatively minimal, and resemble what someone would find with any drastic
weight loss program. Patients may experience dizziness, an intolerance to cold
temperatures, constipation, dry skin, and head aches. These are all due to the calorie
restricting included in the diets. Lipo B shots should not be used by those suffering
from sulfa allergies. Some that do utilize only the B-12 for energy boost. Those use
HCG may also experience breast tenderness, headaches, and swelling. It should also be
noted that the use of HCG is not approved by the FDA for weight loss.

The programs are typically very expensive, but in some cases, may be covered by insurance. Many have complained that maintenance success rates are disappointing. The programs requires just as much, if not more, commitment than an unsupervised weight loss plan. If someone does not educate themselves while utilizing the vitamins, supplements and hormones, than there will not be lasting results.

If you are considering a medical weight loss program, do as much research as possible beforehand. Be sure it uses FDA approved supplements. Also speak with the doctor about how they will monitor your electrolytes, fiber, calcium, vitamins, minerals and Omega -3 intake. You should be comfortable with your program and choose one that you feel will bring you the most success in the long run.

Tags: diet, exercise, fat, health and medicine, medical weight loss, obesity, weight loss, weight loss program

Plastic Surgery: Should You Get It? A Consumer Checklist

Sarah Matthews — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:47:04 +0000

Everyone wants to be beautiful, and many of us are not content with the maxim that beauty is only skin-deep. If you think that having a smaller nose or a more shapely bosom will make you look better, you might be right. But will going under the knife solve all your problems and give you new-found confidence, incredible self-esteem and an entirely different outlook on life? Probably not.

From a desire to please your partner at the expense of yourself to intense jealousy of someone else's perceived physical perfection, here are some reasons to abstain from that nip and tuck...

Surgery can only change the way you look, it can’t change who you are underneath your new appearance. So if you are miserable, unmotivated and a complete malcontent with a small chest, after breast augmentation surgery you will no doubt become miserable, unmotivated and a complete malcontent with a bigger bra!

If you are not sure about whether surgery is right for you, have a look at our checklists. Check most of the reasons to have surgery and you’re on the right track. If you tick too many of the reasons not to have surgery, you may want to reconsider.

Top 6 (Possible) Reasons to Have Plastic Surgery

If you are experiencing pain due to a physical irregularity that plastic surgery can fix or you’ve spent three years eating healthily and dieting but still can’t shift that stubborn tummy fat, plastic surgery may be what you need…

1. You have a physical problem – irregularity – that needs to be fixed. Maybe you have been left with an uncomfortable Cesarean scar, or your teeth were stained as a child. Or perhaps you suffer from excruciating back pain as the result of very large breasts, and believe that a breast reduction will alleviate the problem.

2. You have realistic expectations. You know that surgery will not change your life, and that self-confidence comes from within. You don’t expect to be a different person after surgery, you just expect to look a bit better.

3. You have investigated many options of getting the work done, have spoken in person to at least three different surgeons and have a good idea of what you want – and the ways that are open to you to attain it.

4. You have exhausted all other means of changing your looks. That means you have dieted, exercised and done everything you can to look better on your own, all to no avail.

5. You have put aside the required amount of money necessary to have the surgery done, and you will not go into great debt as a result of it. You may also have worked out a payment agreement with your surgeon, discussed possible insurance details etc.

6. You know that the result of having the surgery far outweighs all possible complications. If the risks are greater than the rewards, it might be worth considering. But is it really worth dying under the knife – in a botched attempt to have a cuter chin? Other risks included scarring, irregularities, an asymmetrical or simply bad outcome, anesthesia risks, allergic reactions etc. Cosmetic revision makes up about one-tenth of all cosmetic operations, so tread carefully…

Top 6 Reasons to Avoid Having Plastic Surgery

From a desire to please your partner at the expense of yourself to intense jealousy of someone else’s perceived physical perfection, here are some reasons to abstain from that nip and tuck…

1. You are trying to fix an emotional or psychological problem with a physical solution. If you are depressed, unhappy and miserable, now is not the time to have surgery. Instead, take a good look around you and see how to improve your life, and perhaps seek professional help. Once you are happy with other parts of your life, it may be time to re-visit the idea of surgery once more.

2. Your spouse keeps cajoling you to get a procedure done. Maybe your husband wants you to have bigger boobs, or a tighter vagina. Or he keeps telling you that you’re fat and ugly, and you believe that having surgery will make him love you more. Our advice? Ditch him!

3. You believe that surgery will make up for other things you lack, such as a good education, money, children, a spouse – even a sense of humor! Looking better will do one thing for you and one thing only – it will make you look better. That’s all, folks.

4. You believe that plastic surgery will make you happy with everything in your life. Some people think to themselves, “I have a great husband, fantastic kids, a beautiful house and a solid job. If only I have a flat tummy/bigger boobs/less bumpy nose/insert here.” Well, if you had the surgery you’d probably find something else that’s lacking. It’s a slippery slope – one that not everyone can slide down!

5. You are obsessed with what other people think of you – perhaps you were teased at school or ostracized at the office, and you believe that having surgery is your personal revenge. It’s not. Learn to be happy with yourself first – and it doesn’t matter if you have big boobs or not!

6. You are jealous of your daughter/best friend/neighbor/colleague. Janet Cunliffe recently spent $15,000 to look like her 29-year-old daughter, Jane. They now have identical hair and identical figures, and close to identical features. “It doesn’t bother me at all. She’s my mom at the end of the day,” Jane said in a recent interview. “She’s my best friend. I think it’s good she wants to look younger and be younger — because who wants to be old? I wouldn’t.” Well, honey, the only real alternative – at the end of the day – is death.

If you are considering plastic surgery, talk to your doctor first about all the possible implications, and think long and hard about what it will actually do for you. Don’t do it just to please your partner, to make you a happier person, or to fix something else that is missing in your life.

If you do eventually decide that plastic surgery is the right option for you, take your time in finding the right Board-certified surgeon and do your research carefully. Remember, you can always change your mind before you have any procedure done, but once you do there is no going back!

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care an appropriate health care provider.

If you are considering plastic surgery, check out the following links to find specialists in your area:

Tags: diet, physical irregularity, physical solution, plastic surgery

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