Health Articles Blog

Statistics show that millions of Americans are overweight. Obesity has become a national epidemic and worldwide has become increasingly problematic. Many people find that they continually overeat and feel hungry even shortly after they have finished a meal. Often they experience cravings for various foods that tend to be carbohydrate or sugar based. Our food choices tend toward high levels of sugar, fats and processed foods that create an imbalance in our bodies. Part of the solution is to reassess your diet. You have to determine which foods you are consuming that are unhealthy and contribute to weight problems. Changing your diet to a balanced blend of high quality nutritional foods will help you to lose weight and become healthier as well.

Understanding Obesity: Obesity creates an extremely high health risk for developing numerous diseases. A growing concern is the rising levels of childhood obesity. Being overweight affects people's health both physically and psychologically. Research has shown a higher incidence of depression and poor self esteem linked to individuals who are significantly overweight. Obesity related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease can be potentially avoided by controlling one's weight. Weight standards are based on a scale known as the "BMI" or

Body Mass Index. This chart can be found online and provides a weight range based on numerous factors to determine what constitutes being overweight. In general, obesity means being 30% over the ideal weight listed for your height, or a bmi of more than 30.

Not long ago, I read a very interesting material about this Hollywood personality that has been into detoxification or detox diet for quite some time. Although she was not the first one to have tried it, she was one of the many people who joined the worldwide "Detox diet wave".

How do we define a detoxification diet?

A detoxification diet is a program designed to cleanse our bodies of surplus toxins and harmful substances that has been accumulated inside our bodies. This can be done in many ways, but can usually be accomplished by consuming organic foods, which helps the body eliminate these impurities from our body through our bowels.

The good thing about it

People who religiously follow a detoxification diet state a lot of improvements in their overall health, including weight loss, fairer skin, better functioning of organs and other body systems, and improvement in mental health too.

The bad thing about it

Detoxification diets don't have many of the bad stuff actually; in fact if there are even bad sides to it, the good sides outweigh them by a long shot. Still, it is necessary to remember that these types of diets cannot provide the right balance of nutrients our body needs. We can therefore say that a detox diet may deprive our bodies of important nutrients the longer we stay on it. And it is for this reason that a detoxification diet is not advised to be applied for a time longer than necessary.

What you need to eat

A good amount of fruits, vegetables, beans, oats, lentils, brown rice, potatoes, steamed fish, unprocessed nuts and seeds, herbal teas, fresh fruit juices and natural yoghurt are just some of the examples of good things to eat when under a detoxification diet.

Right now there is a huge market online offering you diet pills and all sort of supplements.

Offered for sale by many high street stores and many well known companies. You can shop around online comparing prices and offers from the comfort of your own home. Your only decision is are they right for you and is it the right course of action. Well in a nut shell surely you should be consulting some one in the know first a doctor or health adviser.

Choose carefully

What's right for some one else does not necessarily mean that it is right for you. It may work with your friend but not get the results with you. After all we are all individuals and must think like that. Also consider that among the thoroughbreds of the pharmaceutical world online or elsewhere there are as many disreputable companies wanting a fast buck so due diligence is my advise.

If you have serious obese problem and you recognize it you must consult the right medical advise. Pills to choose from are". A prescription pill like Merida may be the way forward. As long as the products taken are regulated through the FDA you can rest assured that there is some comeback.

Other pills that can be taken for weight lose are OTC or "over the counter" pill such as Phentramine.

Natural

The herbal form of a diet pill considered the natural way of dieting. These pills tend to suppress the appetite in order to control the intake of sugars keeping your weight down.

Currently the new pill on the block are the "fat burners" or "fat blockers". These have been developed to stick to the fat in your stomach dispersing it and sending out before it has a chance to be absorbed in to the lining of the stomach. The bottom line is ( no pun intended) is to seek advise use the right pill for you and exercise together with a diet plan of you choice. The natural pills work more safely than others but again if you only steer clear of the calories.

You're four months pregnant, and every time you look in the mirror you shudder-or, worse yet, you burst out bawling! Baby Huey isn't inside your womb; he IS you! So, you swing by the Pill and Swill Drug Store down the street to check out some of those "herbal" diet pills. Your doctor has already told you that diet pills are absolutely taboo at any stage of pregnancy, but he didn't say anything about not taking herbal weight-loss supplements. Everybody says herbs are good for you, too!

You carefully read every word on the boxes. A few warn "Pregnant women should not use this product," but most don't have that warning, so they must be fine for you. After all, the FDA regulates this kind of stuff.

Actually, the Food and Drug Administration regulation of non-prescription weight-loss products and herbal supplements is quite limited. This is because many "natural" weight loss products are labeled as "food supplements," and not as non-prescription drugs, which the FDA does regulate. In fact, most of these "supplements"-whether in pills, capsules or teas-are cathartic in nature, acting as a laxative.

Over the years, several deaths have been attributed to over the counter weight loss supplements. With weight loss resulting from frequent loose stools or diarrhea, the body loses water weight rather than fat. The resulting dehydration and loss of electrolytes, especially potassium, can lead to paralysis, impaired organ function, drastic fluctuation of blood glucose levels, heart arrhythmia, stroke, and even death.