Wake Your Metabolism Up!

Your metabolism is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Therefore if your sluggish metabolism is a result of poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle you need to boost your metabolism back to normal.

There are "two things" that you should do in the morning to boost your metabolism throughout the day:

• Exercise: it is the best way to kick-start your metabolism. Research shows you can actually burn more calories throughout the day by exercising in the mornings. Morning exercise also gets the blood flowing to your brain, helping you to feel more alert throughout your day. Do your exercise at awakening on an empty stomach


• Eat breakfast: by skipping breakfast you are missing the first opportunity of the day to jump-start your metabolism. Have a healthy breakfast 30min after your morning exercise

Try it, it really works!!

The Golden Rules of Nutrition

Hi there, every week for 6 weeks I will give you five new "Golden Rules" to be followed. Are you ready for the first five? Here they are:

• At awakening drink ½ glass of tepid water with ½ squeezed lemon in it.


• Never skip breakfast or any other meal.


• Eat 5-7 small meals daily (every 2 ½ -3 hours) to keep your metabolism going.


• Finish all meals without feeling completely full.


• Start meals with a small salad and never eat fresh fruit at the end of a meal.

Go to part 2 >>

How can you succeed with your weight loss plan?

The only person that can help you succeed is "YOU"! Now its time to take action and get in shape once and for all! I am not saying that weight loss is easy, its hard in fact, but it’s not the actual process of loosing weight that’s most difficult, it’s talking yourself into sticking to the plan daily and for long enough to make a difference.

Thinkg about this: "it’s the little things that you do that can hinder your weight loss", like keeping your favourite comfort foods at home, taking the escalator instead of the stairs, or engaging in negative self-talk. All your bad habits need to go! And they need to go NOW!

Below are five simple reminders that can help you rearrange your lifestyle to fit your new healthy weight goals:

• Kill off negative self-talk: stop saying to yourself "I'm such a loser. I will never lose the weight". Instead say to yourself: "I want to be healthy and I deserve to feel good about myself. I will succeed!"
• Do not label your food as "good" or "bad". Just think about healthier options and you will enjoy your food more
• Replace negative eating behaviours with new behaviours SLOWLY!
• Set achievable goals, do not try to change evrything from one day to another
• Try to cut out unhealthy foods and replace them with healthier options daily

If you think my advices are helpful, please do tell your friends to visit my blog.

Obesity: is it really an epidemic?

Every day we are bombarded with newspaper stories on obesity and how bad this is for our nation. Stories about our children dying before their parents with obesity-related diseases make your hair stick on the back of your neck. Unfortunately the concept of obesity is not always understood. Obesity is defined as a BMI (Body Mass Index) greater then 24.9. To make it more understandable we need some mathematical calculations:

• Take your height in meters, e.g. 1.70 equal to approximately 5ft 7”, i.e. 2.54cm = 1 inch; 0.3048 = 1 foot
• Then convert your weight into kg, e.g. 63kg equal to approximately 10 stones, i.e. 450gr (0.450 kg) to 1 pound; 6.35 kg to 1 stone
• Take your height in meters, e.g. 1.70, and square it, i.e. 1.70 X 1.70 = 2.89
• Now finally take your weight and divide it by the square of your height, i.e. 63kg/2.89 = 21.8. This is your BMI

Now compare it with the classes of weight:

Underweight = less then 18.5
Normal = 18.5-24.9
Pre-obese = 25-29.9
Obese class 1 (moderate) = 30-34.9
Obese class 2 (severe) = 35-39.9

If you scored above 25, do not despair, a healthy and balanced diet could do miracles even for the big sizes. Do not say to yourself “I cannot do it!”, you can, anyone can, you just need the will to do it. And another thing: do it for yourself!

We do live in a society where obesity is becoming an epidemic, but strangely enough we eat fewer calories and fat then our grandparents did, and the calories are still falling. Why is then obesity rising? Well a simple answer is that we exercise less then 20 years ago and we eat more “calorie dense foods” then 20 years ago, although with fewer calories. Our body needs home made food and what we are actually giving to him its fast foods and snacks. Why don’t we start from today? After you read this go shopping and by some fresh vegetables and some chicken or some salmon. Go home relax and enjoy cooking, you will see how distressing this is. The smell of freshly cooked food coming out of your windows will be the envy of all your neighbours.

Don’t forget: “Start with little achievements to get to the big ones!”

What if someone close to me has an eating disorder?

If you are worried about a friend or family member remember that it can be difficult for someone with an eating disorder to realize there is a problem. Often family and friends are the first ones to notice, but it is important to remain calm and non-judgmental. Communicate that you care for that person and that you will be supportive, regardless of his or her weight or eating habits. Two good next steps are to contact a health-care professional and to find information on eating disorders to share or discuss.

Set a time to talk

Set aside a time for a private, respectful meeting with your friend or family member to discuss your concerns openly and honestly in a caring, supportive way.

Communicate your concerns

Ask your friend or family member to explore these concerns you have with a counsellor, doctor, nutritionist, or other health professional who is knowledgeable about eating issues. If you feel comfortable doing so offer to help in making an appointment or accompany your friend or your family member on their first visit.

Avoid conflicts

If your friend or family member refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem or any reason for you to be concerned, restate your feelings and the reasons for them and leave yourself open and available as a supportive listener.

Avoid placing shame, blame, or guilt on your friend or family member regarding their actions or attitudes

Do not use accusatory “you” statements like, “You just need to eat” or, “You are acting irresponsibly” instead, use “I” statements. For example: “I’m concerned about you because you refuse to eat breakfast or lunch” or, “It makes me afraid to hear you vomiting”.

Avoid giving simple solutions

For example, “If you'd just stop, then everything would be fine!”.

Express your support

Remind your friend that you care and want your friend to be healthy and happy.

Who is most at risk to develop an eating disorder?

Adolescents and young adults are most likely to develop an eating disorder, but research indicates that the onset can occur as young as childhood or later in adulthood. Eating disorders can affect males and females, all socio-economic classes and different ethnic groups. Statistically women are more affected than men, due to stereotypes that favor thin women. However, eating disorders are not just a "woman’s problem", males preoccupied with shape and weight can also develop eating disorders as well as dangerous shape control practices like steroid use.

What are the treatments for eating disorders?

If you have an eating disorder it is important to realize that treatment is a critical step towards successful recovery, infact 60% of people with eating disorders who receive treatment recover and go on to enjoy their lives. Without treatment up to 20% of people with serious eating disorders die. Individuals who try to stop on their own have incredible difficulty and often return to the disorder. The sooner you acknowledge you have an eating disorder and seek help, the better your chances for recovery. 70-80% of people who receive treatment respond positively, and although relapses can occur, treatment provides a foundation for full recovery.

Treatment for an eating disorder will consist of a number of components, which include a comprehensive assessment, a coordinated care plan, psychotherapy, inpatient treatment or hospitalization and, if needed, medication.

Comprehensive Assessment

• Physical exam - to assess an individual’s current state of health
• Nutritional counselling - the nutritionist works with the patient on an eating plan
• Psychiatric evaluation - to understand the patient’s mental and emotional state

Coordinated Care Plan

A coordinated care plan will outline the interaction of different types of therapy and care for the patient, i.e. treatment would include a psychiatrist, a nutritionist, a doctor, and perhaps a family therapist, if family issues are involved. Treatment may initially focus on establishing healthier eating patterns and stabilizing health problems first, and then move on to treat the affiliated family and psychological problems.

Psychotherapy

• Cognitive behavioural therapy – This type of therapy focuses on helping the patient change their thinking and the behaviours that result from their thinking. Therapy might focus on self-esteem issues as well as rigid definitions of beauty as it relates to weight and body type
• Interpersonal therapy – Interpersonal therapy focuses on a patient’s relationships and life situation

Inpatient treatment or hospitalization

If a patient’s health is at risk inpatient treatment may be necessary. Treating the health and malnutrition issues immediately is vital and a live-in centre or hospital will allow for complete control over the beginning of the recovery process.

Medication

Medication is commonly used for the treatment of bulimia and sometimes in the later phases of recovery for anorexia.

What are the social effects of eating disorders?

If you have an eating disorder you might not be aware of how much damage you are doing to your body and to your self-esteem. Although different eating disorders have different physical and emotional effects they all impair the body’s normal functioning, cause long-term health effects and significantly impact your social and emotional well-being.

What are the physical effects of eating disorders?

Anorexia

• loss of menstrual periods
• dry, brittle bones due to significant bone density loss (osteoporosis)
• dry, brittle nails and hair, or hair loss
• lowered resistance to illness (depressed immune system)
• digestive problems
• muscle loss and weakness
• severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure
• fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness
• long-term health problems including low blood pressure, low heart rate, low body temperature, poor circulation, anaemia and stunted growth
  

Bulimia

• dehydration (can lead to irregular heartbeats, heart problems, and even death
• inflammation of the oesophagus from frequent vomiting
• tooth and gum problems
• bowel irregularity and constipation from laxative abuse
• vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• chronic kidney problems or failure
  

Binge eating disorder

• obesity and related health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, liver and kidney problems, certain types of cancer
• decreased mobility
• shortness of breath

What are the main types of eating disorders?

There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
Anorexia is associated with a distorted body image, like thinking you are fat even though you are underweight. Serious health consequences can result from starvation and about 1% (or one out of 100) women between the ages of 10 and 20 have anorexia.
Bulimia is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (rapid consumption of vast amount of food in a short period of time), alternated with purging (self-induced vomiting or usage of laxatives). About 4% (or four out of one hundred) of college-aged women have bulimia.
Binge eating disorder refers to a pattern of consumption of large amounts of food even when a person is not hungry. About 1% of women have binge eating disorder, as well as 30% of women who seek treatment to lose weight

What are the risk factors for eating disorders?

You might develop unhealthy eating habits in your efforts to control or alleviate emotional difficulties and unconsciously turn to food to ease your pain or exert some control over your life. Common circumstances and risk factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders include:

• Family problems or a troubled home life
• Major life changes like divorce, death of a loved one, puberty, moving to a new place, starting high school, etc
• Romantic or social problems
• Physical or sexual abuse or trauma
• Psychological Factors like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness
• Interpersonal Factors like difficulty in expressing emotions and feelings, history of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight
• Social Factors like cultural pressures that glorify "thinness" and obtaining the "perfect body"

In some individuals with eating disorders, the brain chemicals that control hunger, appetite, and digestion may be imbalanced. In this case a Nutritionist might be able to help through prescribing some specific supplements.

Eating disorders: what are they and how do they effect people?

Hi there, it's me again, this time talking to you about unhealthy eating behaviours and eating disorders, which are often due to psychological or emotional difficulties. If you are constantly worrying about your weight and obsessing about food then you might develop abnormal and unhealthy eating behaviours.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorder might mean:

• starving yourself or limiting calories,
• eating only certain things at the expenses of a healthy and balanced diet,
• eating lots of junk food in a short period of time (binging),
• taking drastic measures to reduce or maintain your body weight (binging, vomiting, taking diuretics or laxatives, excessive exercise)

You might think that your efforts to control your eating habits are a healthy way to achieve the body you want, but if they control your life things may have gotten out of control. Maybe you have started with a plan to lose a few pounds, but your behaviour has turned into an unhealthy and destructive eating pattern. Eating disorders can significantly damage normal body functioning and can be life-threatening!!!