HealthyHealingAlternatives

The way to lose fat is Simple: Burn off more calories than you consume.

As simple as it may sound, many people find that it is hard to loose weight, they blame it on their genetics, and they give up. The problem with these people is that they expect too much, too soon. The first thing you have to know is that losing weight takes time. To do it the right way, it takes effort and consistency. The people that give up, are the ones that try crazy starvation diets and vigorous exercise to meet the rule of burning more calories than they consume. These people however can not meet the consistency rule, because you can’t starve yourself consistently! What you have to do is make adjustments to your eating and exercise habits.

The degree of these ajustments will depend on how much fat you want to lose, and how much time you want to spend to lose it.

My theory is that if you are going to do anything in life, you do it right, you do it hard, you do it the first time, and you don’t give up. Most people will have a problem with simply deciding they want to lose weight, then trying to do it. First, they need education. Understand that it needs to be a gradual process. If you have read my informative getting-started article, you know that food provides you with energy measured in units called calories. When you eat, your body takes the vitamins (calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin a,b,c, etc) and sends them to do work in their appropriate places, then breaks down the food so that your body can function. These functions include everything from your heart beating to running.

When your body doesn’t get enough energy (calories), it goes into your body’s fat stores for energy. And that is what fat is - energy! Energy that your body hasn’t needed in the past so it has stored it as fat to be used in an emergency. Well, you don’t want that fat, or energy, there. So what are you going to do about it? Use your body fat as energy! All this requires is a slight calorie deficit.

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Popularity: 53% [?]

Natural Remedies for Toothache and Gum Disease
by Emily Kane ND, LAc

Toothaches and gum diseases are usually only related in that they both occur in the mouth. They have, generally speaking, very different causes and therefore will be discussed separately in this article.

The classic toothache is almost always caused by nerve pain due to an exposed nerve root. While it is true that receeding gums can expose nerve roots, causing “tooth” pain, another scenario is that of a filling worn down or fallen out. Chewing gum regularly will make fillings come out more quickly; avoid it if possible. Usually a toothache requires a trip to the dentist, however there a number of treatments you can access relatively easily if you can’t see the dentist right away.

First of all, avoid very hot or very cold foods or beverages, such as hot coffee or ice cream. Also, avoid hard to bite foods such as raw carrots or apples. Gentle pressure onto the hurting tooth through the cheek may provide some relief. You could also try holding a warm wrung out towel against the cheek or jaw over the painful area, or a castor oil pack. The castor oil pack is a marvelous tool for pain relief anywhere. Simply apply a generous layer of castor oil to the area that hurts (in the case of toothache apply the oil to the cheek; putting castor oil in your mouth could cause stomach cramps or loose stools), cover with a layer of saran wrap then apply a hot towel or heating pad to the area. Be careful not to burn the skin. Rest with the heat on for at least 20 minutes.

The castor oil will stimulate “drainage” of the blood congested with microbes, in the case of infection, or with pain producing elements, such as cytokines, in the case of dental nerve irritation. Castor oil is available in most health-food stores.

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Popularity: 51% [?]

The adjustable gastric banding surgeries, including Lap Band surgery, is a form of restrictive weight loss surgery designed for obesity patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater or between 35 and 40 for those who have conditions that are known to improve with weight loss. The Swedish adjustable gastric band differs greatly from the Lap-Band because it wasn’t designed for use with keyhole laparoscopic surgery. An American company, INAMED Health, designed the BioEnterics LAP-BAND Adjustable Gastric Banding System, which was originally introduced in Europe in 1993.

If someone has a dependency on alcohol or drugs, they won’t be eligible for adjustable band surgery. And mentally disabled or emotionally unstable people won’t be considered for lap band surgery. However failure of dietary or weight-loss drug therapy for more than one year can make one eligible for the adjustable gastric band procedure.

Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract like ulcers, esophagitis or Crohn’s disease do not make someone a good candidate for lap band surgery. In general, gastric banding, including the Lap Band procedure and weight loss system, is indicated for people whose Body Mass Index is above 40, or those who are 100 pounds (45 kg) or more over their estimated ideal weight according to the 1983 Metropolitan Life Insurance Tables or those between 30 to 40 with co-morbidities which may improve with weight loss (those are: blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, and arthritis).

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Popularity: 66% [?]