Saturday, February 26, 2011

   

Crappy to Snappy, A Blog to a Better You!  

 Hello, my name is Mary Beth and I am a student working on a blog project for an Advanced Composition College Course.                                                  

My group will be covering “Crappy to Snappy” a blog to a better you.    

We will be offering blogs that might be of interest to you. Our group will be offering information on Health, Wellness and Remedies. To name a few....

·         The use of herbs and homeopathic remedies                                                     

·         Importance of vitamins and nutritional counseling                             

·         Exploring different types of diets

·         A comparison of local exercise organizations  

I would like to mention a little about myself. I have just turned 50yrs old and I have been presented with an opportunity to fulfill a life-long dream of returning back to school. I have three sons, two step-sons, four grandchildren and the family keeps growing as well as my waistline!  I am tired of gaining 5 pounds every year and looking like a beached whale at the shore every summer! I have never blogged before and I hope that you might consider following me as well as my group as we venture on our journey to better health, wellness and happiness. 

My goal: To loose 25lbs for my son’s wedding in September. I have chosen a dress that is 2 sizes smaller. I plan to try Weight Watchers to see if it offers a convenient, simple, low pressured way to lose weight.  OR I am leaning on trying eating 6 healthy mini meals throughout the day and having a Sunday cheat day.  (Middle son’s diet that actually works for him)

It has been stressed via my medical doctor that in addition to my diet that I will also need to increases my exercise as well. (I would like to mention that before starting any new diet or exercise programs that one should consult their physician to avoid any unhealthy risks.) I will choose my diet and then I will be trying a few local places to see what works best as well as cost effectiveness. I plan on trying a Zumba Class, Jazzercise, Spinning class at YMCA, and Curves.

I have just attended Weight Watchers this past week and enjoyed the class. What I found out is that they have been helping people for more than 40 years. This is done by members learning how to create a foundation for making healthier choices and to increase physical activity into their lives. There are weekly meetings that are the cornerstone for the program.

Currently, there is a new program added that is called a Points Plus program. The values take into account carbohydrates. In addition to fat, fiber and calories found in a food. One learns how to select more nutrient dense foods that will give your body nutrition and helping your feel satisfied.  One gets support with people sharing similar experiences. Each person checks their weight privately.

Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition. I was greeted by friendly people and the atmosphere was peaceful as well as invigorating.  I would also like to add that there are different recipes and stories shared of how members have lost their weight for the week. I am still baffled by something.....I had noticed that the men had lost more weight much faster than the women.

Weight Watchers is offering a special thru March 13^th to join for FREE.

With my current school schedule I have found that Weight Watchers meeting day was conflicting with my other classes. In turn, I will be focusing on mini meals for now. I would have loved to have continued to attend Weight Watchers!

I plan on trying the different exercise programs and letting you know about my findings. I must add that I have recently stopped smoking so my heart is not aerobically fit at this time. I will be taking things slowly but I am determined to get this weight off and I will do this. I hope to provide information about the various ways to exercise as to what works the best for me and what doesn’t. I will then continue on my adventure of losing weight and feeling great!

My next goal: To try the Zumba class.  

Thank You for visiting our blog.  I would like to invite you to join along with all of us and encourage your input. We look forward to hearing from you.

*For a meeting near you, call 1 877 WELCOME (935 2663) or visit WeightWatchers.com/findmeeting

Milk. Does a Body Good?

     By Cary Bryson

     My son was diagnosed with acute asthma around the age of six months.  Asthma does not run on either side of our family, nor do we smoke.  My son's asthma attacks progressively worsened, from 1 per month to 3-4 per month.  Chronic wheezing and coughing lingered between the attacks as well.  Around the age of six months I relinquished breastfeeding and introduced him to cow's milk.

     From the time we are able to talk, most of us were told to "drink your milk".  The calcium in cow's milk will make your bones strong and your teeth healthy.  We are taught that the only way to get a sufficient amount of calcium is to drink at least two 8 ounce glasses a day.  Yet, humans are the only mammals that drink the milk of the other species.
  
     Dairy, such as cow's milk and cheese are sometimes called mucus-forming dairy foods.  These common foods can worsen all respiratory conditions and even clog lungs.  When more mucus builds up in the lungs than can be expelled, asthma attacks develop.  Just recently, doctors and researchers feel that undiagnosed milk allergies may have a strong relationship between milk and asthma.

     Milk is one of the two or three most common food allergens.  Half of school-aged children may be allergic to milk without knowing.  Not all reactions to cow's milk are serious.  Most allergies can manifest various ways and can change over time.  Some children may develop severe acne as a teen, which means the allergy moved into a different organ.  Therefore, misleading patients and doctors into thinking the allergy has been outgrown.  Milk allergies may even manifest into eczema, bronchitis, sinusitis, autoimmune disorders, ear infections, frequent colds, chronic runny nose, and sometimes behavioral problems.

     The allergy is not from the cow's milk itself, it is from the antibiotics (penicillin) given to cows to help treat mastitis.  My daughter was diagnosed with 6 or more ear infections in one year before the age of 3 and she frequently complained of a belly ache.  Her treatment for the ear infections was penicillin.  Within 12 hours she was in the hospital due to an allergic reaction to the penicillin.

     I switched pediatricians and he suggested that I limit the amount of milk for my children and eventually eliminate it completely.  At first, I though he was fishing for solutions, but after a few weeks without cow's milk, I was convinced.  My son's asthma attacks went down to 1 per month and the coughing and wheezing subsided.  My daughter also had less ear infections nor did she complain of stomach aches.

     I tried a lot of milk substitutes.  Goats milk, soy milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, and organic milk.  Most come in chocolate and vanilla flavors.  I was concerned about the loss of calcium so I increased our intake of greens by using broccoli and spinach in just about everything.  My son has not had an asthma attack in almost two years and my daughter has had a couple of ear infections in 3 years.  I even stop using dairy for a few weeks when we have the common cold and it shortens the sickness.

     If you or someone you know is suffering from any of the symptoms I talked about, experiment with emliminating cow's milk temporarily or completely.  Give it a try!  You may be surprised with the results.
    

Sources

http://www.naturalnews.com/



    

Anorexia and Bulimia... What you should know!!

Anorexia and Bulimia are terrifying diseases. Both of them have one thing in common, the desperation to loose weight. It may start out as an occasional thing like not eating a day or two to fit in a dress for a date the next day, or wanting to look good for the beach, but they turn into obsessions that can lead to sickness and death.

Anorexia is when a person will deny themselves the privilege of eating because they look at themselves as fat and have an extreme fear that they will gain an excessive amount of weight. Anorexia occurs more in women than in men and usually occurs in young adults. On average a person suffering with this mental disease will not eat at all, or will only consume six hundred to eight hundred calories a day, they will exercise excessively, and may take a large amount of laxatives to clean out their system.

People suffering from this disease continue to do so because they still think of themselves as fat and extremely overweight. They often times get very sick. If you are worried someone you care about may be suffering from anorexia look for signs. Common symptoms include: not wanting to eat in public, weakness, obsessive calorie counting, hiding or discarding food, wearing baggy clothes, and constantly talking about their weight. This disease will turn people into walking skeletons and can lead to death. Its kills ten percent of people that have it every year.

Bulimia is an illness in which a person will eat large amounts of food (binging) and will continue to eat because these people feel a loss in control. When they feel that they can not control what they are putting into their mouths they take matters into their own hands and will make themselves vomit or abuse laxatives to prevent weight gain. A person that suffers from this disease may also suffer from anorexia. They have the same common symptoms except when a person has this disease will often go to the bathroom after meals, and buy large amounts of food that will disappear right away. The disease also affects more women than men.

These diseases will starve the muscles and create a lot more health risks. Your heart is a muscle and can shrink in size. It will cause death. Some health problems it can cause is osteoporosis, neurological problems, diabetes, and multi-organ failure. It can also lead to infertility. Most people with the disease may also commit suicide due to the effects on their psychological state.

These diseases are serious and often are found in people that have very low self-esteem. They will not recognize their weight loss and will always continue to view themselves as overweight. Treatment is available for these diseases and should be taken seriously. These people may feel like their life is in a spiral and the only thing they can control is what they put into their mouths. This may be the leading cause of this disease, but no one is really sure. An eating disorder can occur in anyone. They are serious and should be treated right away. If you know someone suffering from these diseases, or you yourself is suffering from the disease. Get help now (800)-445-1900!!

Written by: Kendra McCracken

Sources:

Http://www.euronet.nl/~jonkr/, Ron Jonk-. "Eating Disorders - Complications of Anorexia." University of Maryland Medical Center | Home. 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/how_serious_anorexia_nervosa_000049_5.htm.

 

"PubMed Health - Bulimia." Bulimia. 1 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001381.

 

Mama's Health. "Anorexia: What Is It, Symptoms, What Causes It, What Are the Medical Risks, Treatment, Prevention." MamasHealth.com: Simple, Easy to Understand Information about Health. 2000-2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp.

 

Herbs for Flu and Common Cold

            By Donald Findley

            The most common illnesses that people suffer from during the winter season are the influenza and common cold.  Although there is no cure for these illnesses the signs and symptoms can be alleviated by using herbs rather than pharmaceutical drugs.  According to Dr. Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.,  the following are some of the herbs that can be useful to treat the common cold and influenza.

            People suffering from a sore throat can use fenugreek.  This remedy dates back to the Egyptians and Hippocrates. Take 20 drops of extract in 1 cup of warm water and gargle it 3 times daily.  It can also be used for soothing skin irritations, nerve pain, and swollen glands.  To use it for this, you need to crush the seeds and mix them in water to make a paste and apply it to the affected area.  Raspberry tea can also be used, place 1 teaspoon of the dried herb in a cup of water and drink daily.  Pregnant women should not use this herb (Mindell, 1992, p. 93-94).

            If you are suffering from a high temperature, you can try using white willow bark.  Dr. Mindell recommends this as a good replacement for aspirin; it is not as irritating to the stomach as aspirin.  The normal dose is two capsules every 3 hours as needed (Mindell, 1992, p.166).  Barberry is a good herb to help induce sweating to help lower the temperature by evaporation, take 3 to 7 drops in a half cup of warm water up to 3 times a day.  Barberry can cause dehydration so you should drink plenty of water (Mindell,1992, p. 218).

            When you are suffering from a headache and generalized muscle discomfort the white willow bark will work, take two capsules every 3 hours as needed.  Feverfew is an excellent herb to use for migraine headaches and fever.  You should take 1 to 3 capsules daily.  Some people require taking feverfew for several months to get the relief from migraines (Mindell, 1992, p. 223). I have personally taken feverfew for migraines it had taken me about 4 months before I noticed a significant relief.

            If you are suffering from nausea and/or vomiting try gingerroot tea or peppermint tea drink one cup daily (Mindell, 1992, p. 219).  I have found sipping them slowly helps that way it doesn’t stimulate the nausea.

            If you are suffering from diarrhea, try catnip, take 1 tablespoon in 8 ounces of water and drink it (Mindell, 1992, p. 68).  Catnip also has a calming effect on people quite the opposite that cats experience.  No one taking tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or drinks alcohol should use catnip.  Valerian and kava which are herbs used to help relax a person should not be mixed with catnip.  Catnip will increase the sedative affects of these drugs and herbs (Diamond, nd).

            People should always consult with their physician before taking any herbs to make sure they are safe and will not interfere with medications that they are prescribed or over the counter medications.

                                                                        Sources

Mindell,E (1992). Earl Mendell’s herb bible. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster/ Fireside.

Diamond, S. (nd). Catnip. Retrieved February 11, 2011, from     http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/HealthInformation/Encyclopedias/Catnip.htm#DrugInteractions

Non-Traditional Treatments for Your Ills

By:  Samantha

            Many people suffer from a wide variety of problems, and many medical professionals use the traditional prescription to treat them.  Most people do not want to take a prescribed medication on a daily basis unless they have no other choice.  These days there are many medical professionals who are starting to use non-traditional methods to treat their patients.  If there is a natural cure for any problem, it would be a much healthier and safer choice than subjecting the body to a synthetic, man-made substance.

            I am sure that most of you have heard of, and probably have seen, the Dr. Oz show.  This happens to be one of my favorites as it is very informative.  Dr. Oz is always telling viewers about different foods and natural supplements that can help with certain issues, and has helped open the door to thinking outside the prescription bottle.  In recent months he has had an array of guests, also in the medical profession, who are promoting the non-traditional practices as well.

            I suppose this is what prompted me to think about my own ailments, many of which my family doctor has no specific explanation for.  I am sure many people tell their doctors about things that are bothering them and still do not have an answer when they leave the office.  I can tell you first hand that this is very frustrating.

            About a year ago, I had been having a recurring high blood pressure reading both at the doctor’s office and at home.  The highest I can remember was 170/105.  Not only is this ridiculously high for anyone, but it was taken when I was relaxed and I am only 27 years old.  This was pretty alarming to me.  My doctor, of course, wanted to put me on blood pressure medication.  After no solution was offered for my other problems, and hearing all the hype about natural treatments I decided to try to fix this on my own.  I had heard before that garlic can help lower blood pressure and started taking a garlic supplement everyday.  Guess what…it worked.  This led me to believe that maybe I could do something about the other ills my traditional physician had not been acknowledging as anything serious.

            My mother had told me about a Nutritional Consultant she knew of and suggested that I make an appointment to see him.  I made an appointment and was subjected to two tests which seemed a bit unusual to me since I had never experienced them before, but both proved to be very interesting.  The first test is called Electro-Acupuncture Testing and the second is called Nutritional Autonomic Response Testing.  I could not believe what I found out, but I am grateful that someone finally validated what I have been suffering from for so long.  Stop by March 7, 2011 to read more about my experience with the Nutritional Consultant and my journey to find a natural answer for my ills.  Please be aware that I am unable to respond to comments until late February 23, 2011 due to my work schedule.  Thanks for reading!

http://www.doctoroz.com/