Diet Fads Versus a Sensible Diet

Diet fads are a dime a dozen as we all know. Every year there is one or more new ways to lose weight and sometimes it's just an old diet being revived. The ones with the most hype usually get the most customers and people jump on board to try them while other people jump off after trying it and getting another disappointment.

First of all, the promoters of these fads know that people will come and go like they do through a revolving door, but they aren't too worried because everyone leaves their little monetary deposit on the way through. Some other plans that have a more sensible approach also have people coming and going because many people find it too difficult and/or don't get results as fast or as much as they wanted. Others go through because they try every new diet that comes along thinking they have finally found the magic one and when it doesn't give them the magic, they go looking again.

One present fad is people (mostly women) getting up earlier in the morning and going to a weight loss center and exercising.
We all need exercise, but exercising just to lose weight is a losing game except for the gym owner. People usually come and go with this approach too because it never gives them all the weight loss they desired.

Another approach is the plans that promote "special" foods that they want you to purchase which is rather amusing since all they are trying to do is get you to eat healthier non-fattening foods. All one has to do to get healthy non-fattening food is to learn what is good for the body and then purchase these items from local stores. These "special" foods usually have a pretty special price tag too.

The most important step in losing weight is to feed the body what it needs via healthy food. Food that is super healthy is also non-fattening. For example, one can eat fresh, uncooked fruit and vegetables all day and not get fat. When the body receives proper nutrition it automatically sheds unneeded pounds. There are extreme cases where organs/glands aren't functioning at 100% capacity and this result in weight gain because foods aren't being processed properly, but this malfunction is usually due to improper nutrition in the first place.

The best way to lose weight is to learn what healthy foods are and some basics about how your body processes foods. Then you will come to realize that it is more what you eat than how much you eat. A good place to start is the book shelf in a local health food store and ask questions. If asked, most people would say that they eat healthy, but if pressed further to explain what healthy eating really is, most do not know how to describe it. For some reason most people think that if they get enough to eat in regard to volume, they are giving their body what it needs and this is actually far from the truth. Also, most people will not pay attention to their health until they have problems. The good part is that a healthy diet can correct many problems without involving Doctors or spending a lot of money.

Herbal Remedies for Sleep Problems

Are you having trouble falling asleep? Is your mind replaying the days’ events; are you worried you will not be able to complete all of tomorrow’s tasks; is there a specific deadline at work that has you tossing and turning all night?

If any of these scenarios are keeping you up at night, there are natural sleep herbal remedies which can help. Let’s take a closer look at a few herbs and cures which can help you.

Drink a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed. This herb has been effective in treating insomnia, and also soothes and calms at the same time. It does work! Another herbal remedy is milk and honey This combination is an old but effective method to induce sleep. In addition, having a luke-warm glass of milk alone can activate the sleep process.

Lavender is another herb which depresses the central nervous system similar to anti-depressants. One cup of lavender and mint tea can put you to sleep within a matter of minutes. Lemon balm tea is another fast-acting stimulant which will enable you to relax and produce a calm and sedated sleep. Don't be frightened by the word stimulent. Not all stimulents energize, many calm and relax, we just don't hear them in the news as often as the energy jolting type of stimulents.

While herbs can be of enormous value as sleeping aids, there are other methods you can use to attain a restful uninterrupted sleep. Try not to nap during the day; don’t drink caffeine before bedtime; and avoid medications and alcohol which interrupt sleep.

Determine if your iron level is low; this can be a problem which can readily be resolved with iron supplements. Have some turkey before going to bed; it contains an ingredient which causes sleepiness (Remember Thanksgiving?).
Maybe your mattress is unsuitable for a restful sleep; if so, purchase a new one. There are many new types on the market and you are sure to find one that pleases you. If you can not afford a new mattress, try a bed topper for your mattress. They are available every where that sheets and blankets are sold.

Yoga exercises before bedtime can be of enormous value. Sitting quietly in a room for 15 minutes can calm and prepare your body for relaxation. Soothing music can also be beneficial. Perhaps the sounds of nature or the ocean will be just the relaxation you need.

Rid yourself of any anxiety, which probably keeps most people up at night Let the stress of the day go instead, fill your thoughts with tranquility by thinking of a place or a time which brought you great happiness.

Turn off the TV or any other stimulant that is keeping you awake or read a really boring book! Lie in bed,turn off the lights, and just try to relax.

Remember the movie "Gone with the Wind?" In it, Miss Scarlett says, "I’ll think about it tomorrow." Take her advice. Don’t worry about tomorrow; you will have plenty of time to think about it in the morning.

Sleep can affect your overall health. If the problem persists, there may be an underlying cause for which you should seek advice.

Good Health and Well-Being!

Dave Kettner
Nutritional Supplements, Antioxidant Vitamins, and Herbal Remedies

New Years Colon Cleansing Resolution

Happy News Years 2007!

Many people make New Years resolutions with the intention to start the year by trying to become healthy. This is especially true after the holidays where most of us tend to eat much more than is the norm tending to add on a few extra pounds. The best method to effectively lose those extra pounds while becoming healthier is by cleansing your colon.

Having a colon cleanse can rid your body of excess debris that has been built up in your digestive tract over time. By cleansing your colon, you can successful rid yourself of this hard fecal matter and help your system actually function to its optimum level.

There are many methods of colon cleansing, but the most successful are the products that are all natural with oxygen supplementation and are not harsh on your colon. Please visit All Holistic Health for products that I believe to be the most effective in providing the cleanse that your body needs most.

P.S. Don't forget to continue to maintain your clean and optimized colon by supplementing your diet with MagO7 daily.

Holiday Dieting Remedies

The holidays are here, or soon will be and you are on a diet. There's a very good chance that the temptation to binge on some of the foods on your taboo list will be within easy reach. How will you handle it?

Holiday dieting can be the hardest time to stayed focused especially since there are so many of them. Besides the common ones like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, if you celebrate them, most people forget the various other celebrations like the sporting events, weddings, baby showers, birthdays and the like. Something can be celebrated almost every weekend. What is one to do?

While every intention is to stay on course with the dieting program, sometimes it may not be so easy as social pressures mount. Here are some suggestions to keep you from getting the holiday dieting blues.

Look at your dieting program as a continuing journey and not as an instant destination. If one of the meals exceeds your calorie allowance, look at the next meal and adjust it accordingly. Remember, most people get those holiday dieting binges and the ones that come out of it ahead realize that one meal won't completely sabotage the entire program.

See the bigger picture. If you look at your dieting schedule weekly instead of daily, then one bad meal isn't going to be such a detriment if you have 30 or more meals in that week.

After a meal disaster, just get back into the saddle and continue on your dieting journey again. Most people give up because they feel they have failed and it's no use staying on the diet any longer. The ones that succeed are the ones who move on and don't give up.

Some knowledge of calorie amounts in foods can be very helpful. Find the foods that have lower calories and remember them for your holiday dieting adventures. You will be able to eat more of those lower calorie foods without feeling deprived.

Portion sizes can make a tremendous difference in your success. In calorie dense foods, the size of the portion consumed can amount to 1/3 or more of your daily intake.

There is a signal sent to the brain from the stomach that says it is full or satisfied. This satiety message takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the brain. To decrease the calories consumed in that meal, eat slower. Try chewing your food longer and taking a short break between mouthfuls as that will waste some time to get within that 20 minute window of opportunity.

Drinking water can be very helpful in keeping the diet on course. If you drink water before a meal, your stomach will have something in it and produce a somewhat satisfied feeling. This will help to cut down on the portion size of your meal. This suggestion can work anytime you feel hungry. Interesting enough, sometimes the need for water is disguised as a hungry feeling. So drinking water can not only help your holiday dieting needs, but also anytime you have a craving for food.

The drinking of water also has the benefit of having zero calories. Instead of having a sugar sweetened drink or any alcoholic beverage, have water instead. Remember to look at the total calorie intake taken in a one-week period of time. Water every day will help keep that total amount within control if you tend to binge.

Eating snacks can push up the calorie count in one day. Sometimes people will eat some snacks as a social thing and not really for the hunger satiety. Be aware of this because it can be very easy to consume a high amount of calories with just this action alone. If you need to snack then hopefully there will be a vegetable platter close by. Try eating celery. You can eat as much of it as you want because celery requires so much work for the stomach to digest. This makes the calorie amount negligible.

If holiday dieting is getting you down, perhaps some of the suggestions mentioned can pick you up and give that extra push to stay on track with your goals. Your success will come from taking that continuing journey one step at a time to make your holiday and dieting adventures a good one.