When The Calorie Calculators Fail You!

February 10th, 2010 by Admin No comments »

Weight LossWhen you’re actively trying to lose weight, having no net loss to report for weeks on end can be extremely frustrating. But even when you think you’re doing everything right, you might be failing to pay attention to some crucial signs your body gives you.

One thing to get familiar with if you want to lose weight is the concept of the calorie. A calorie is a measure of energy, which is used up in your bodily functions, and replenished by the food you eat. The difference between calories consumed and calories burned becomes the weight you gain or lose.

Free online calorie calculators can accurately tell you how many calories there are in most commonly consumed foodstuffs, and how many are burned in common daily activities. Sometimes, however, you just can’t lose weight even though you should have shed the kilos long ago according to the Internet.

What could be going wrong?

Firstly, get rid of the hidden calories – the crackers, caffeinated or flavored drinks, salad dressings, nuts, chocolates etc sneaked in between meals can almost double your daily calorie intake, while you think you’re sticking just fine to the recommended chart. If you’re hungry between meals, eat fruits or salads instead.

Secondly, you might have a hormonal disorder – thyroid is a common culprit – that causes you to gain weight. Take medicines and supplements as required. Or even without a disorder, you may just have a slow metabolism, in which case metabolism accelerators like caffeine, green tea, and vitamin C in small doses could be effective. A faster metabolism burns more calories even while resting.

Also, make sure that you aren’t tired or hungry when you work out. Your stomach should ideally be half-empty while exercising, so eat a light snack about 90 minutes before hitting the gym. If you are feeling sluggish for any reason, you’ll be tempted to skip the toughest exercises, or you won’t be able to perform them with full accuracy, resulting in less burned calories.

Another key to losing weight is to time your routine right. Do not work out excessively, but do so strategically. A short workout 2-3 hours before bedtime, or before a long sedentary phase, will burn more calories even while you’re lying around doing virtually nothing.

All people have different bodies with different needs. If your weight loss refuses to get kick-started despite sticking to a strict routine, consider going for an alternative plan. Remember to listen to your body and read the signals it sends you – slowly but surely, those spare calories will start to burn off.

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A Diabetic’s Guide to Life Insurance

January 28th, 2010 by Admin No comments »

Being a diabetic is tough. You don’t get to eat starch or sweets, you crave them constantly, and all you get is constant pricks of conscience and the insulin needle. But worse than all of that is the look on a life insurance agent’s face once you declare that you have diabetes.

It’s a bit tough to get life insurance at low rates if you’re diabetic, but with some hunting and effort, you won’t end up paying through your nose. Below are some tips towards getting affordable life insurance for diabetics.

  1. Look for bigger providers who also provide non-life insurance. A company which also provides accidental insurance and other policies where it is likely to make a profit, will be more easily able to deal with chronic conditions and the ensuing costs. On the other hand, a company dealing with solely health and life insurance is less likely to have money to spare to grant you an affordable life insurance policy.
  2. Stay healthy. A diabetic with no history of complications or dangerously high sugar levels is much more likely to get affordable insurance, as he/she is less likely to require constant and high payouts for health reasons. If you’re young and have just been diagnosed with diabetes, get your life insurance as soon as possible – the longer you wait, the more you’ll have to pay.
  3. Look for group coverage. When a single insurance company handles all your insurance policies(car insurance, health insurance etc), it gets to know you as a person. The benefits of dealing with you will far outweigh their concerns at having to make repeated payouts on health grounds.
  4. Make sure your insurance company is sensitive to diabetics. While some insurance companies opt for a one-policy-fits-all approach, there are others who are willing to sit down with each prospective customer and formulate a policy that suits their needs.
  5. Look online for quote sites. The Internet can often simplify searches, making it possible to scour a wide range of policies from the convenience of your desktop. Some quote sites will accept your details and give you the insurance rates based on their inbuilt calculators. From there, you can find out which companies give diabetics the best deals.

Diabetes does mean living your life under a few restrictions, but it doesn’t imply having to give up all the pleasures and conveniences that life in a modern world brings with it. With some searching, you’ll definitely find a policy that suits both your needs and pocket.

All the best!

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Five Causes of Breast Cancer

January 25th, 2010 by Admin 1 comment »

Breast cancer is one of the top dangers to women’s health in developed countries today. Unlike HIV, the other killer rising to epidemic proportions, cancer is not an infection – it is not transmitted from one person to another, but still manages to wipe out millions every year. Breast cancer, however, has a lot of specific causes which need to be charted and handled through lifestyle and diet changes in order to prevent the disease from occurring, spreading or recurring.

  1. Toxic foods. Food and oxygen give life, right? True, but how many people tell you that the wrong food – without enough antioxidants – can actually kill you? Too many free radicals or free oxygen atoms in the body are carcinogenic, and adding cigarettes, vehicular pollution, alcohol or drugs to the mix makes it even more lethal. Make sure to eat fruits, drink green tea, minimize consumption of fatty and dehydrating foods, and keep your diet rich in anti-oxidants.
  2. Trace nutrient deficiencies. Vitamins and minerals, though required in very small amounts to keep the body functioning normally, are still vitally important to keep your metabolism in shape. Overloading on empty calories without ingesting the required trace nutrients can absolutely destroy your body if done regularly.
  3. Electromagnetic radiation. We live in an age where exposure to electromagnetic radiation is inevitable. But all electromagnetic radiation, whether from your television, cellphone or microwave oven – can generate free radicals in your body that cause havoc and lead to breast cancer.
  4. Mental Stress. Stressing out is the worst thing you can do to your body. Stress produces an excess of the fight-or-flight hormones, adrenaline and noradrenaline. These keep the blood flowing to your arms and legs – away from your vital organs. Normal metabolic processes like respiration and digestion, therefore, are severely hampered, resulting in the origin or continued growth of cancer.
  5. Cosmetics. Shampoos, makeup, powder, shaving products, skincare products… all these have been linked to cancer in one way or another. Some boost oestrogen levels, causing heightened carcinogen levels, while most are made from coal tar – carbon itself is a carcinogen. So to protect yourself from cancer, minimize your use of cosmetics of all kinds.

Once cancer takes root, there is really no known way out – even the standard treatment of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy has fairly dubious success rates in the later stages. So maintain a healthy lifestyle and take care of your body to ensure that cancer has no way to reach you.

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Adverse Effects Of Smoking, And How To Kick The Habit!

January 25th, 2010 by Admin 1 comment »

Why do people smoke? This is a potent question that everyone answers differently. Usually though, the answer incorporates a few of these elements – for the nicotine kick, in order to appear “cool”, or for stress relief. For these reasons, smokers are willing to live with the chances of emphysema, asthma, or cancer.

Apart from lung disease, nicotine also works as a stimulant by increasing the heart rate. On the other hand, nicotine withdrawal sends the smoker into a restless state, which can be “calmed” down only by a cigarette. This ultimately results in a cycle leading to high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, restlessness and other mental problems.

The very first puff on a cigarette starts this lethal chain – the materials entering the body with each inhalation include carbon monoxide(a potent toxin, depriving oxygen from the body and generating carcinogenic free radicals), hydrogen cyanide(a very poisonous substance), and coal tar – which deposits itself inside the lungs, slowly destroying the thin capillaries and forcing the membranes to collapse upon each other. Apart from these, there are nearly 400 other toxins in trace amounts, which over the years build up and turn the body into a wasteland.

A lot of people are aware of the risks associated with smoking. Some of them accept their doom cheerfully, while others try to quit but fail to do so due to their physical and psychological dependence on the nicotine fix. For them, nicotine patches or sprays can occasionally be useful.

So when you’re helplessly caught trying to quit and being unable to, what do you do?

Firstly, set a date for quitting and make that public. Make sure that you cannot smoke at any point in your daily life without having to answer uncomfortable questions to whoever sees you. Enlist the support of your friends and family(your mother might be most glad to help!) in preventing you from smoking at home.

Try to avoid being around your smoker friends, since that will only increase your desire to have a puff. Get rid of the apparatus you associated with a leisurely smoke – ashtrays, lighters, tobacco, a favourite evening Tshirt, etc. Preferably, engage in a new occupation or hobby to change your routine and keep your mind off smoking until you grow used to being without it.

In the end, we all wish to live a happy, healthy life. I feel that a life where mornings are spent coughing up globs of phlegm, with our lungs slowly giving way, is no way to live. So quit smoking, and feel the quality of your life improve dramatically!

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How To Ditch The Cigarette?

January 25th, 2010 by Admin No comments »

Quit SmokingLong-time smokers often lament that they have fallen a slave to the habit. While some accept that fate cheerfully, others constantly try – and fail – to quit. Even if you’re a smoker who has fallen into the “quit-and-start-again” cycle, there is still hope for you if you play your cards right. Here are a few things to keep in mind while trying to quit smoking:

  1. Figure out what makes you want a smoke. Do you habitually smoke after a meal, while watching TV, or after a stressful conversation? Identify these triggering factors and make sure you find out alternative ways of dealing with them. This will be the toughest part.
  2. Tell everyone you know that you’re quitting. That way, you won’t be able to smoke in front of people without reminders of your decision to quit. Embarrassment, or potential embarrassment, is a potent force for anyone. Then again – some friends may join you in quitting, which will make it even easier!
  3. Put away your entire smoking apparatus. Apart from tobacco products, lighters, ashtrays etc, also put away your favorite “smoking T-shirt” if you have one. Preferably, rearrange your home and office to make it less familiar, and to prevent triggering memories of your beloved “smoking haunts”.
  4. DO NOT smoke “just one” after a rough day. That will start you off on the slippery slope back into the land of phlegm-filled lungs, smoky smells and nicotine. No matter how strong the temptation to smoke one cigarette and never to do it again, you must resist it if you want to quit. Cold turkey, no concessions, is often the best way to break an addiction.
  5. Create a reward-punishment system. Allow yourself a small treat for every day spent without a single cigarette, as well as bigger rewards for one week or one month without a smoke. This could be as small as a sweetmeat, a matinee, or go up to a five-star dinner. Also implement some punishments – like having a hated relative stay over – every time you fall prey to the temptation.

The key to successfully quitting smoking is in … well… quitting. No matter how much you plan, you’ll never know how likely you are to succeed until you actually wake up one day realizing that you’ve been cigarette-free and don’t feel like smoking anymore. So take a deep breath, mourn the loss of your beloved poison for a few minutes, and resolve never to turn back to it.

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