Helping Your Child Lose Weight
I was a chubby child. My mother, out of love and fear, tried everything to help me lose weight - bribes, threats, punishment, diets, commiseration, even hypnotism and diet pills. I usually lost weight, only to put it back on shortly after she stopped doing whatever she was doing. Her biggest worry was that I’d be unhappy - that I’d be picked on and unpopular, and no one would like me because I was fat. Now that I’m a mother myself, I can completely sympathize with her motives, but these days my concerns about my children’s weight are far more serious than a little name-calling.
Aromatherapy And Weight loss
All of us will like to see ourselves well groomed and fit enough to look great and flaunt those athletic physiques among friends and relatives. Unfortunately, it is not always possible for the most obvious reasons; we simply can not maintain our body weight. For some people the dilemma of being overweight starts first in the mind: It is all psychological and once the mind is healthy, the slimmer body will automatically follow. Mentally, aromatherapy can help you to fight stress and lift your mood.
The Health Benefits Of Green Tea
There few drinks with as many important health benefits as green tea, and the Chinese have long known about the many benefits of this exciting foodstuff. The Chinese have been using green tea in traditional medicine to treat problems ranging from headaches and insomnia to depression and stomach aches.
Modern research
Research done by modern scientists has backed up the traditional benefits of green tea, with many studies, both in Asia and the West, finding solid evidence of the many health benefits associated with drinking green tea on a regular basis. On often cited study showed a sixty percent decreased in the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women who drank green tea on a regular basis. The study concluded that a compound in green tea served to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
In addition, other research seems to indicate that green tea has the ability to lower both total cholesterol levels and the ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL).
Some of the many conditions for which green tea is thought to be effective include cancer, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular problems, infections and lowered immune system function.
The power of green tea
The secret to the power of green tea is thought to lie in the fact that it is so high in polyphenols. The most significant of these ingredients is thought to be epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is known as a powerful antioxidant, and it has been shown to both inhibit the growth of cancer cells and kill cancer cells without injuring healthy body tissue. EGCG has been shown to be effective at lowering the level of bad (LDL) cholesterol, and in helping to prevent blood clots from forming. This may be why green tea has shown such promise in preventing heart disease and stroke.
In addition, scientists have been studying the role green tea may play in what has become known as the French paradox. Many people find it amazing that the French, who eat diets rich in fatty foods, have a much lower level of heart disease than do Americans. The answer to the French paradox is thought to lie in the healthful benefits of red wine. Red wine contains resveratrol, which is a polyphenol thought to mitigate the effects of the fatty French diet. Studies have shown that EGCG, a main ingredient of green tea, is twice as powerful as the ingredients found in red wine.
What makes green tea so special?
While green tea, oolong tea and black tea are all made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is different in the way it is processed. The leaves of green tea are steamed, which helps to prevent the oxidation of the important EGCG compound. Black tea and oolong tea, on the other hand, are made from leaves that are fermented, and this means that the EGCG they contain is converted to other, less effective, disease fighting chemicals.
In addition to its many traditional health benefits, there is even evidence that green tea can be helpful when trying to lose weight. One study found that those who consumed a combination of green tea extract and caffeine burned a higher number of calories than those only taking caffeine.
The Acai Berry Is A Well-Kept Secret Of The Amazon
For many years, the acai berry has been a well-kept secret, but that is beginning to change. Today more and more people are discovering the health enhancing power of this antioxidant rich food from the Amazon.
The acai berry is a dark purple berry that is very rich in a number of nutrients, including all important antioxidant vitamins. The acai berry grows naturally on the top of the many palm trees found in the rain forests of Brazil and the Amazon. The fruit of this tree is harvested in the wild by local farmers and used to make a fruit bulb with is quickly frozen to preserve its nutritional value.
The power of the acai berry
Acai berries contain very high concentrations of nutrients known as anthocyanins. These chemicals are the same ones thought to give red wine its many health benefits. In addition, the acai berry contains large amounts of protein and fiber, as well as healthy omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids.
It is easy to see, therefore, why the acai berry and its fruit pulp has been gaining popularity so steadily. Those concerned about their good health have long been looking for a ready source of antioxidants, protein, fiber and fatty acids, and the little acai berry contains all these important elements and more.
There are many places to purchase acai berries and the juice made from them. These sources include health food stores and whole food retailers. As the acai berry grows in popularity it is likely that even traditional grocery stores will begin to carry this special fruit and juice products made from it. For now, however, the acai berry and juice can be found mainly at specialty and organic grocery stores.
In addition, there are also a number of internet retailers who sell a wide variety of products made from the acai berry. These products include the fresh frozen juice made from the rich pulp of the acai berry, and this is one of the most nutritious product made from this antioxidant rich food.
What to look for
When shopping for acai berry products, however, it is important to buy only from the most reliable suppliers, since how the product is harvested and packaged can have a significant impact on its nutritional value. It is important that the acai berry be wild harvested, and even more important that it be quickly frozen to retain its all important nutrient value. Products that have sat on the shelf too long, or those that were packaged improperly will lose a significant portion of their healthful benefits.
Fortunately, there are a number of excellent manufacturers who sell a wide variety of acai berry products that have been harvested and packaged using the traditional methods of the farmers of the Amazon. These traditional farmers have been working with the acai berry for many years, and they understand how to harvest, freeze and package these delicious berries to retain their nutritional value and their good taste. After all, these farmers have long known of the many benefits of the acai berry, and they are eager to share those health benefits with the rest of the world.
A Simple Plan for Weight Loss
 One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week?
If you’re going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here’s how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
* Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
* Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
* Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
* Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
* Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
* Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
* Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
* Love those fries and can’t give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
