« Older Entries

A Quick Look at Some of Today’s Most Effective Diets

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

mediaimage
The Idiot-Proof Diet

The idiot-proof diet is all about calorie shifting. That is, in this diet, you shift your food intake throughout the day instead of eating just 3 meals a day. The diet is popular because it’s actually very easy to follow and there are hardly any restrictions when it comes to the types of food you can eat.

The ‘calorie shifting’ model takes place because you eat every two and half hours. The theory is that because your body is consuming calories (energy) constantly throughout the day, it’s always in ‘burning calories’ mode instead of the ‘saving calories’ mode.

When you sign up for the diet, you get access to a diet handbook, an 11-day diet-plan and a diet calculator. You get to pick what foods you like to eat so don’t think that you’ll be tarving in this diet!

NutriSystem

The NutriSystem way of dieting is all about proper meal planning. People love this diet because it takes away the burden of trying to figure out what to eat during their dieting phase. You see, a lot of people actually get confused as to what they can eat when they want to lose weight. That’s not really surprising because there’s so much information out there and for every yay sayer, there is a nay sayer so it’s really tough to know what to eat.

However, with NurtiSystem, they do all the meal planning and portion controlling for you. You just need to sign up to any of their diet programs (e.g., Women’s Program, Men’s Program, Vegetarian Program, etc.) and order a multi-day (usually for 28 days) diet program.

After you choose your diet program, a menu is presented to you and you simply choose what you want to eat. The meals are then delivered to your doorstep at various intervals during your diet program.

The South Beach Diet

The South Beach Diet is popular because the name alone conjures bikini-clad bodies! Add to that the fact that it was founded by a cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston, then you have a sort of ‘doctor recommended, doctor approved’ seal on the diet as well.

At first glance, the South Beach Diet looks a lot like the Atkins Diet in the sense that it restricts carbohydrates during the initial phase of the program (there are 3 phases). The first phase (14 days) encourages ‘normal eating’ in the sense that you can pretty much eat whatever you want but you must NOT eat bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, or baked goods. Fruit is also not allowed. No sugar. No alcohol.

The second phase allows you to SLOWLY introduce these items back into your diet but at lesser levels that you consumed them before of course. The third phase is more about general maintenance.

Weight Watchers

Probably one of the longest running diet programs out there is Weight Watchers. It believes in the overall approach where food, exercise, behavior and support are addressed.

Weight Watchers is known for advocating a point system for foods. Using this system, one calculates the calorie intake of the foods he or she eats. The number of points you can have in a day varies depending on your weight. The beauty of the program is that there are no gut-wrenching food restrictions so you never feel deprived of anything. However, the point system teaches you how to balance your meals so that even if you indulge on one food item, you don’t go overboard and consume too much in a day.

Tags:

Warning Signs That May be Symptoms of a Health Problem

The image source is Pexels.

If you’ve been feeling a little odd recently, you may be suffering from a serious illness. Usually, serious health problems don’t come out of nowhere. The body system often tries to warn us early enough with certain signs so that we make a timely diagnosis and get the right treatment. Nonetheless, we both know that it’s not always easy to interpret certain signs and link them to a serious underlying health problem, but that’s why this article is here. Keep reading to discover the top warning signs that may be symptoms of a serious health problem.

Chest pain
If you’re experiencing a crushing pain in your chest area, you may be experiencing a heart attack. You could also be experiencing a lot of pressure, tightness or a squeezing sensation in your chest, indicating a serious heart problem. In some cases, the pain may shift to your shoulder, arm, back or jaw. If you’ve been having such sensations, don’t ignore them anymore even if you’re sure you’re not having a heart attack.

Pain in the abdomen
There are many things that often lead to abdominal pain, and some of them are not as simple as you’d think. A minor issue like a stomach upset caused by a certain food can lead to abdominal pain as much as the more severe health conditions, such as cancer and gastrointestinal disease. Although you need to pay attention to the length and severity of the pain to determine whether it could be a sign of a serious underlying problem, you’d be safer seeing a medical professional as soon as the pain sets in.

Loud snoring and breathing issues during sleep
Although snoring is rarely a sign of a health problem, if it’s loud and followed by other signs, such as gasping for air during sleep, morning headache and excessive daytime sleepiness, then it could be a sign of sleep apnea. You can find an expert who can help you with your sleep apnea in Illinois or your particular locale. Usually, this condition occurs when your throat’s back muscles relax, narrowing or closing your airways as you breathe in. When that happens, your brain senses your breathing difficulty and wakes you up from your sleep briefly so that you reopen your airway.

You may find yourself snorting, gasping or choking in a pattern that lasts for between five and 30 times per hour. Generally, sleep apnea disrupts normal sleep, creates daytime fatigue, and contributes to heart problems and many other problems. You should therefore see a health professional immediately if you’ve been experiencing the aforementioned symptoms.

Unexplained weight loss
To some people, losing weight is a dream come true. Unfortunately, if the weight loss is unexpected or sudden, you should be concerned, as it could be a sign that a serious condition is developing. For instance, during the progression of many types of cancer, such as stomach cancer, leukemia, pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer and lung cancer, the victims tend to experience weight loss. That means that if you’ve not been making an effort to lose weight, such as through exercising and dieting, and you’re losing a lot of weight, you need to consult your doctor as soon as possible.

Tingling sensation in the arms
Have you been experiencing constant uncomfortable tingling feelings in your legs, arms, feet or hands recently? If you have, then you may need to see a health professional soon. Tingling is one of those body signs that are very easy to ignore although it may indicate an underlying serious medical problem. According to Mayo Clinic, one of the most common signs of diabetes is tingling or burning sensation in various parts of the body, such as the feet and arms.

Medical professionals also associate the sensation with circulation problems and many other diseases, like multiple sclerosis, anemia, Buerger’s disease and kidney problems. The good news is that tingling is usually followed by other symptoms if indicative of a serious health problem. That means that if tingling is the only sign you’re experiencing, then you can wait before seeing your doctor. If the sensation is intense, and it’s being accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, then you need to see a doctor immediately.

Conclusion
If you care about your wellbeing, you need to pay more attention to your body. Seeking professional medical assistance every time you experience one or more of these signs is a great way to take care of yourself and avert potentially fatal health problems.

Tags:

How to manage Bland Diet

What is a bland diet? It is a diet specially set to treat certain gastrointestinal or stomach problems such as heartburns, ulcers and gas.

mediaimage
An answer to a question, what is a bland diet, is that it is a simple treatment for people suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis and dyspepsia.

Bland diet is a dietary regimen for people suffering from stomach disorders. Hence, it is quite understood that ingredients of a bland diet are soft food items, which are easy to digest with a capacity to keep the acidity to low levels. Questions about diet may be asked to your physicians and he/she can suggest the diet or recommend a dietician to do it.

Diet medical questions may include the queries about the food stuffs to eat and food stuffs to avoid during the time while a person experien ces any gastrointestinal disorders. However, before a dietician could decide the bland diet for a person, he/she needs to seek answers to several medical questions related to the person such as any food allergies or irritations associated with any food items and emotions medical questions of people.

Bland Diet:

The diet prescribed as a bland diet will include food items that are easy to digest and low in fiber and acid contents. Even giving up alcohol and smoking is advised while patient is on bland diet. Also a patient is advised to have 4 to 6 light meals after regular interval to avoid heavy and large meals.

Chewing food properly and eating slowly helps in the digestion of the food. Adequate sleep, avoiding smoking and controlling anxiety are supportive treatments for the standard treatment of the problem.

Allowed Food Items:

• Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt with low-fats and other dairy products are easily digested and hence, can be included as a part of bland diet. However, there is no restriction on ice-creams and one may consume even ice creams during bland diet, but it should not have any product such as nuts that are not allowed in bland diet.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh vegetables and fruits are allowed to a bland dieter. However, while carrot, squash, green peas are good to eat in a bland diet, broccoli, onions and green peeper should be avoided as it forms gas. In fruits, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas are allowed.

• Proteins
Protein requirement of the body, while on a bland diet should be met with soy products and meat. Fried chicken and greasy hamburgers are not allowed to be consumed, while grilled and baked chicken is allowed.
Low-fat peanut butter and eggs are also efficient to meet the body’s protein requirement in a bland diet.

• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are contained in whole grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, corn flakes, white rice and sweet potatoes. All these food items are allowed.

Bland diet is designed for treating certain medical circumstances such as gastrointestinal problems. Hence, to answer what is a bland diet, we can say that this is a diet that aims at improving the digestion with the help of a timed-routine diet and soft to digest food items. Once the problem is controlled patients can return to their normal diet.

Tags: