Health Guide

Best Diet to Lose Weight

* Choose a diet that does not promise a drastic weight loss in just a week.

* If you've more than 10-20 kg to shed off, it is imperative that you've a medical check up before embarking on a new diet regimen.

* Choose low fat foods and avoid dishes with high fat additions such as cream sauces, gravies and butter. Prefer meals that are steamed or boiled. Avoid desserts or choose fresh fruits instead.

* Research indicates that higher calcium diet causes you to reduce fat accumulation and increase fat breakdown. Researchers say that calcium inhibits the formation of an enzyme necessary to produce fat. So make sure that you consume enough calcium.

* Eating oatmeal for breakfast can help curb your appetite at lunch. Researchers theorize that the fiber in oatmeal may cause this effect. Foods that are high in fiber have the ability to deceive your stomach, telling it that it's full, even when it's not.

* Recent research indicates that adding foods high in fiber to your diet can actually eliminates calories from your body. A study indicates that increasing your fiber intake from 13 grams to 26 grams will enable your body to absorb about 90 fewer calories. This is enough to make you 10 pounds lighter within just a year - without exercise!

* Any dietary program should be accompanied by exercise schedule. Exercise builds muscle, which helps the body use calories more effectively. Not only does exercise burn calories, it also helps tighten some of the "slack" left behind as that stored fat begins to disappear.

* Last but not the least, 'Be Patient'. Those extra pounds didn't appear in just two or three weeks. So don't expect them to vanish so soon.

In the end we'll just like to say that healthy weight loss begins with a plan that can be followed and adapted to a weight-maintenance program for life. Gradual lifestyle changes lead to permanent weight loss and good health. Losing weight quickly and gaining it back produces a high-fat body, and popping diet pills doesn't change your behavior. So get off the roller coaster and take control of your eating for a leaner body and better health.

Related Links:

Diet Plans and Healthy Weight Loss - Yahoo! Health

Overweight and Obesity "Lose Weight" FDA site

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FIVE FOR CANCER

Five things you should remember about preventing cancer.
Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Discover the pleasure of physical activity.
Stay tobacco free
Enjoy a low-fat diet
Protect yourself from the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

 

Diet and the Cancer Patient Side Effects

Treatments kill cancer cells but they also kill healthy cells. This can cause side effects such as:
Loss of appetite
sore mouth or throat
dry mouth
dental and gum problems
changes in taste or smell
Nausea
Diarrhea
Constipation
fatigue
depression.
It is very important to have good nutrition to minimize the side effects of cancer, prevent or reverse nutritional deficiencies, and to maximize the quality of life.
The best method of calorie intake is by mouth. Sometimes this is not possible.
Other options of intake are:
Feeding Tube
TPN or total parental nutrition- this is nutrition directly through a vein.

 

Protective Dietary Components

Certain foods and nutrients have been shown to protect against certain types of cancers.
Vitamin C - has been shown to protect against cancer of stomach, esophagus, and oral cavity.
Antioxidants- these are certain protective substances found in fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and Veggies- contain vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals.
Vitamin E and selenium- both antioxidants that protect cells against breakdown.
Calcium- Calcium reduces cell turnover rates.
Water- drinking more than 5 glasses a day has been associated with a lower risk of cancer.

 

Dietary Components Associated with Cancer THE BAD GUYS

Excesses of Certain substances such as:
Fat- the end products of metabolism have been found to be carcinogenic.
Alcohol- has been connected with liver, colorectal, and breast cancers
Pickled and Smoked Foods- related to cancers of the esophagus and stomach. that may increase the risk.
Cooking methods have also been found to have a role in cancer. Frying or charcoal-broiling meats at very high temperatures creates chemicals

 

Diet and Cancer

The American Cancer Society recommends 4 rules of thumb for cancer prevention
Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources. 5 or more servings
Limit intake of high fat foods, particularly from animal sources.
Be physically active.
Limit alcohol intake.
Fiber- Insoluble fiber is connected to decreased risk of colon cancer.
Beans, vegetables, whole grains and fruit are good sources.
Salt- some evidence links diets containing large amounts of foods preserved by pickling and salting to increased cancers of the stomach, nose and throat.
Nutrition is an important part of treatment.
Eating the right kinds of food before, during and after treatment can help the patient feel better and stay stronger.
Treatments can have an affect on appetite.
People with cancer have unique nutrition needs.
Eating enough food is usually not a problem. Treatment can have an adverse effect on appetite.
Nutrition suggestions often emphasize eating high calorie, high protein foods.

 

Cancer NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

Nutritional products such as Boost, Ensure etc… can be helpful on a temporary basis to assist with intake of calories and nutrients.
Other supplements is quite controversial. For example, it is counterproductive for patients to take vitamin supplements that contain high levels of folic acid or to eat foods fortified with high amount of folic acid, when on Methotrexate. (metho interferes with folate metabolism).
Antioxidants(Vitamins C, E and phytochemicals or antioxidant minerals), may reduce the effectiveness of RT or CX. May help protect normal cells from treatment collateral damage
No good answer or evidence at this time there fore it would be prudent to advise patients not to exceed the upper intake limits for vitamins and to avoid other nutritional supplements that mass and respiratory capacity

 

Cancer ENERGY EXPENDITURE

cancer treatment can cause fatigue
light regular physical activity during treatment should be encouraged to improve appetite, stimulate digestion, prevent constipation.
Helps to maintain energy level and muscle mass and provide relaxation or stress reduction

 

Cancer ENERGY INTAKE

The need for caloric intake is usually increased during cancer treatments
Nausea, vomiting, taste changes, loss of appetite, bowel changes all interfere wit our usual eating patterns.
Food choices at this time should be easy to chew, swallow, digest and absorb and should also be appealing.
Adjust usual food choices and usual food patterns.

 

The Phases of Cancer Survival

Phase 1: Active Treatment

Phase 2: Recovery from Treatment

Phase 3: Preventing Cancer Recurrence, Second Primary Cancers.

Phase 4: Living with Advanced Cancer – Dietary management

Phase 1: Nutritional Issues During Active Treatment
Energy balance is the most important goal

ENERGY INTAKE
ENERGY EXPENDITURE
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

 

Cancer Body Weight Changes

Intentional weight loss during cancer treatment is not recommended
Some cancer survivors may gain weight during and after treatments
During treatment, a healthy eating plan that meets but does not exceed caloric needs (along with physical activity) is advisable
Healthy weight loss is best initiated after the recovery phase
Obesity is associated with increased risk and poorer prognosis of breast and colon cancers

 

Cancer NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

There are several factors that may contribute to the type and degree of nutrient deficiencies:
The primary organ where the malignancy occurs.
The severity of the cancer at the time of diagnosis.
The symptoms experienced by the person with cancer.
The type and frequency of the cancer treatment being used and the side effects associated with that treatment (surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy).
The effect of the malignancy or disease on food and nutrient ingestion, tolerance, and utilization.

 

Challenges of Cancer Survivors

Highly motivated to seek information about diet and lifestyle changes.
Often receive conflicting dietary advice.
Claims abound on the use of dietary alternatives.
Currently there are many gaps and inconsistencies in the scientific evidence.

 

Types of Cancer

Sarcoma-rise from connective tissue such as muscle or bone and are more common in

younger people.
Carcinomas-which occur in epithelial tissue and are more common in older people. It

includes lung, breast, prostate, and colon.
80% are considered sporadic- meaning the cause is unknown. There are several risk

factors that increase the chance of cancer:
Age- risk increases >50.
Diet- high fat, high cholesterol diets increase risk.

| Posted in » Cancer  

What is Cancer?

Cancer is the 2nd most common cause of death in the US after heart disease.
Cancer kills 1 out of every 4 Americans.
The risk of developing cancer can be reduced by changes in a person’s lifestyle.
Normal body cells grow, divide and die in an orderly fashion.
Cancer cells are different because they do not die, just continue to divide and grow.
Cancer cells form as a result of damaged DNA.
These damaged genes can be passed on, which accounts for inherited cancers.
In other cases, the DNA is damaged by an outside source such as smoking.
Cancer usually forms a tumor.
There are two types of tumors: Malignant and Benign

Malignant tumors spread to other areas in the body. These are the dangerous ones.
Benign tumors stay in one place.

| Posted in » Cancer  

Causes of Cancer

80% are considered sporadic- meaning the cause is unknown. There are several risk

factors that increase the chance of cancer:
Age- risk increases >50.
Diet- high fat, high cholesterol diets increase risk.
Obesity- no clear link but research indicates it is a factor
Cigarettes- increases lung cancer, other tobacco products such as pipes and chewing

tobacco increase cancers of the mouth.
Long term exposure to chemicals- asbestos, radon and benzene.
Exposure to high levels of radiation
Harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.
Some viruses- Hepatitis B, C, HPV, Epsteinn-Barr.
Immune system diseases
Heredity
Recognize the special nutritional needs of cancer survivors during active cancer

treatment
Advise cancer survivors about nutrition and physical activity during the recovery phase

and beyond
Resolve controversial nutritional issues facing cancer survivors

 

Schizopherenia Course

Course :
Most people think when the term schizophrenia is used, they are referring to two personalities in the one body but this is NOT the casewith this severe and sometimes disabling disease. There are many different types of schizophrenia, but most patients who are diagnosed with this condition, have mood and behaviour changes that seem bizarre to others. They often change the topic of conversation for no apparent reason, may not look after themselves, become dishevelled in appearance, withdrawn, and fail to communicate properly with others.Schizophrenics often believe that people are trying to persecute them. They may hear unfriendly voices, or have frightening hallucinations.

 

Schizopherenia Cause,Introduction,Incidence

Schizopherenia Introduction :
Mental illness which causes the sufferer to have a distorted view of the world because of delusions and hallucinations.

Schizopherenia Cause :
No one knows exactly what causes schizophrenia, but there are many theories. There is certainly a family tendency in developing the disease. If your parents, or brothers or sisters have the disease, it is more likely, but by no means inevitable, that you could develop symptoms.Another factor is the environment in which the patient is raised. Family, school or work stresses, particularly in early childhood, may lead a person to escape these stresses by developing schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic disease that requires long term treatment, and in that way it is no different to asthma, high blood pressure or diabetes, except it is the brain that is involved.

Schizopherenia Incidence :
As many as one person in every 200 will be treated for a form of schizophrenia at some time in their life.

 

Back Pain Prevention and Screening

Regular exercise and stretching before participating in sports decreases your risk of back pain.
Strengthening exercises build stronger muscles that can support the back. Stretching increases flexibility and decreases the risk of injury. Swimming and water exercises are non-weight-bearing, and put little stress on the back. In addition to toning muscles, exercise helps keep weight off.


Maintaining good posture and body alignment, lifting properly, losing weight, and quitting smoking will help prevent back pain
Rely on the legs to provide the majority of strength and support when lifting heavy objects. Keep your back straight and well-supported when sitting or driving.

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Back Pain Diagnosis

Doctors rely on results of a physical exam and the patient's description of the pain, including when it began, when making an initial diagnosis.
You will be asked to walk, stand, bend, and sit while the doctor carefully watches your movement and range of motion. The doctor will feel your spine, check your reflexes, and look for weakness, changes in sensation, or for other abnormalities. If symptoms persist, additional tests may be ordered depending on your age, complaints, and medical history.

Blood tests and a spinal x-ray are typically ordered in patients under age 20 or over age 50, or if there has been trauma to the spine, a history of substance abuse, cancer, prolonged steroid use, weight loss without dieting, pain that increases at night or when resting, or if signs of neurological problems are present. X-rays and other tests generally are not called for unless the pain persists for more than a month or special circumstances exist (you have had trauma to the back, cancer, extensive drug use, or other problems).

Computed tomography (CT scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and x-rays of the spine often show abnormalities, even in people who do not have symptoms. CT scans can prove helpful in diagnosing spinal stenosis or bone abnormalities. MRIs can show tumors, disc problems, cysts, and other abnormalities. Blood tests can also help determine if an infection or tumor might be causing the pain. A bone scan can indicate the body's responses to a fracture, tumor, or infection.Depending on the symptoms and physical exam, the doctor will determine a course of treatment.

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Back Pain Risk Factors

Being out of shape and having poor posture increase the risk of experiencing back pain.


The muscles and the skeleton work together to maintain proper body structure and balance. Weak muscles cannot contribute to this relationship effectively, making the skeleton, primarily the spine, bear the burden of supporting the body. This makes the spine overworked and more likely to suffer an injury.


People whose jobs require heavy or repeated lifting, expose them to vibrations from vehicles or machinery, or require prolonged driving are at increased risk for back problems.


Obesity, or carrying more body weightespecially around the abdomenputs additional stress on the spine and the discs that cushion the vertebrae.


Being overweight is unhealthy for many reasons. It puts strain on your heart, puts you at greater risk for some types of cancer, and can make back pain worse. Talk to your doctor about weight loss if you have a bad back and are overweight.


For women, breast weight can add significant stress on the back, neck, or shoulders that can result in pain.


Breast reduction surgery has helped many women ease their back pain. However, it is a good idea to explore other possibilities before opting for surgery. Strengthening the back through exercise, losing weight, or changing bad postural and lifting habits may help, and should be addressed first.


While the reasons are unclear, smoking increases your odds of suffering from back pain. Some sports, including football and cross-country skiing, can put you at additional risk.
Mild-to-moderate exercise can help back pain, so if your activity of choice puts strain on your back, find another one. It is not a good idea to become immobile. You are less likely to develop back pain if you are strong and active.


Degenerative disc disease occurs more frequently with advancing years as the cushioning discs dry out.
The center of the disc (nucleus pulposis) contains more than 85% water in children. However, by the time you are 80 years old, only about 60% of the water remains. Eventually, the disc space becomes smaller, and the vertebrae, left without their cushion, rub against each other and put painful pressure on the surrounding nerves.


Gender, race, and age all contribute to back pain.
Neck pain occurs more often in older adults, while Reiter's syndrome (which causes inflammatory back pain) occurs most frequently in young men. Ankylosing spondylitis (another cause of inflammatory back pain) is more common in men and Caucasians. Osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that can lead to painful fractures, is common in older women.


Emotional stress, depression, substance abuse, and psychological problems can make pain symptoms worse.
Your doctor will have suggestions if you suffer from emotional difficulties. Do not be afraid to bring these issues up during an office visit. Most people experience psychological distress at one time or another in varying degrees of severity.

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Back Pain Symptoms

Back pain can vary from a dull ache to severe, disabling pain. Back pain may be acute, meaning it comes on suddenly for a brief period of time. Chronic back pain persists for more than three months. Ankylosing spondylitis typically starts during the late teen years or early adulthood as a chronic, dull pain in the lower back. The pain may be accompanied by early-morning stiffness relieved with mild activity or a warm shower.
Cold temperatures and dampness may aggravate symptoms. Hip and jaw joints and the eyes may become involved. Patients may experience systemic symptoms, such as fever, poor appetite and general malaise.


Spinal stenosis often causes leg pain that occurs when walking or standing and decreases when sitting or lying down Sciatica, a painful condition caused when the very large sciatic nerve is compressed between two vertebrae, is associated with pain in the buttocks and legs. The pain may radiate down to the calf or foot, often with a tingling sensation

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Back Pain Causes

The exact cause of back pain is sometimes difficult to determine.
The pain may originate in the muscles, connective tissue, bones, discs, or nerves. Because the back is such an intricate mechanism, it may be a while before your doctor has an exact explanation for your pain. It may take several visits to the doctor to understand the cause if your symptoms are not going away.


Most cases of back soreness are the result of strain on poorly conditioned or overused muscles, or an imbalance between the back's support structures. Muscle tension or spasm, back sprains, ligament or muscle tears, and joint problems can cause pain as well.
Seemingly minor movement can cause back pain. Even a sneeze or cough can force a disc to extend beyond its normal boundaries. When a disc slips out of its proper position, it can put pressure on a nearby nerve, causing pain in whatever part of the body that nerve is connected to. In addition, back pain can arise indirectly from other body systems. For example, a foot or knee injury can cause a person to limp, which forces weight to be distributed differently. This places strain on leg and back muscles, and can make your back hurt.


Injuries, age-related changes, deterioration of bone or tissue, inflammation, infections, tumors, inherited disorders, and skeletal and muscle problems can all cause back pain.
A sudden, hard fall or blow can sprain the ligaments.


A common injury from a car accident is whiplash, which happens when the neck is wrenched violently. Whiplash causes pain and stiffness in the neck. In 70% of patients, the condition will resolve within two to three months.


Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by brittle bones, can cause the vertebrae to become compressed and fracture. The rheumatic disease fibromyalgia causes aches, pain, and tenderness in the muscles and soft tissues around the spine.


Problems with other organs can sometimes cause back pain. Kidney stones, for example, can make the lower portion of the back near the waist feel sore.


Degenerative disc disease causes back pain. This disease occurs most frequently due to injury or deterioration of the disc space
Doctors often consider degenerative disc disease to be a wear and tear disease. As the space between the vertebrae narrows, the disc can bulge, protrude, or extrude and irritate nerves, resulting in pain radiating down the leg or arm. A common result of degenerative disc disease is a condition called sciatica. This happens when the sciatic nerve in the lower back is irritated or compressed, which causes pain or numbness in the leg. About 10% of those with back pain experience sciatica. Coughing, sneezing, straining, and other activities that put additional pressure on the spine can increase the pain and numbness of sciatica. Nerve compression can also cause muscle weakness and a tingling sensation in the leg.


Spinal stenosis can cause serious and debilitating pain It may require surgery.
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the opening through which the spinal cord runs. This narrowing is most often caused by arthritis, and therefore is most often found in older people. If the narrowing becomes severe enough to put pressure on spinal nerves, patients may develop low back pain, buttock pain, leg pain, and/or numbness in the above areas. The pain may be most noticeable while walking. Patients with severe stenosis often cannot walk more than one city block before feeling pain. Bending forward can sometimes relieve the pain temporarily. Spinal stenosis may be caused by other factors such as injuries, infections, tumors, or congenital abnormalities.


Inflammation of the spine can lead to disorders called spondyloarthropathies.
Spondyloarthropathies are inflammatory diseases that cause severe pain in the joints. Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, and arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease are all a specific types of this condition. Doctors have not yet determined exactly what causes these conditions. There is a genetic link, however, and people who have the disease in their family are more likely to develop the disease themselves. The body responds to a trigger in an abnormal manner, and the immune system reacts with inflammation. However, scientists do not know yet what this trigger is.

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Back Pain basics

A common complaint, back pain occurs in about 80% of Americans at least once. Any area of the back may become sore, but the lower back (the lumbar region) and the neck (the cervical area) are most prone to pain.

Half of working-age adults experience back pain every year, but only 15% to 20% seek medical treatment. Back pain is the second most frequent cause of pain complaints, after headache. More than half of those with sore backs will have another episode within a few years. Chronic back pain has disabled approximately 1% of the US population, and it is the most common cause of disability in people younger than 45.


Back pain costs the US between $20 billion and $50 billion dollars annually, which includes treatment expenses and the cost of lost productivity in the workplace.


Back pain is often crippling enough to cause absenteeism. Twenty percent of work-related injuries and illnesses are attributed to back pain. Most back pain subsides within four to eight weeks.
Within one month, about 90% of patients suffering from low back pain will be able to resume normal activities. Stiffness and pain in the back of the neck due to mechanical or muscular causes typically lasts for a short period of time and responds to rest and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or pain-killing drugs.


The spine is one of the most complex components of the human body, and therefore is very prone to different types of pain or injury
The spine (backbone) is a column of small bones called vertebrae. Between the vertebrae are cushions called discs. Ligaments hold the vertebrae together, and tissues called tendons bind the vertebrae with the muscles of the back. Pain can result from even minor problems with the vertebrae, discs, ligaments, tendons, or muscles.


One of the jobs of the backbone is to protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs through the center of the vertebrae and connects to the base of the brain. The spinal cord acts as a message pathway by which the brain sends signals to rest of the body. Back pain can result if a bone or a disc that has shifted pinches a nerve. The pain can also occur in the part of the body to which the nerve is connected.


Most back pain responds to a few days of rest and mild painkillers. If your pain does not, it could be a sign of something other than a sore muscle. Talk to your doctor about any pain that is chronic and does not respond to initial treatment.

| Posted in » back and shoulder pain, pain in back