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Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson

What happens when we laugh? What do we get to experience in our bodies? How do we feel?

I know what laughter does for me. I feel absolutely incredible and energized when I laugh. I want you to feel energized too so keep reading as I share my true story to make you laugh!

First, according to French neurologist, Henri Rubenstein, “One minute of laughter can give the body up to 45 minutes of therapeutic relaxation.” Just imagine what ten minutes can do?

Have you ever heard the story of Norman Cousins, the late editor of The Saturday Review, who was taken ill with a severe connective tissue disease? When doctors gave up on him, he cured himself with large doses of Vitamin C and comedies. He found that ten minutes of belly laughter had an anesthetic effect, and he recorded his experiences in self-healing through laughter in a best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness.

What do you think laughter can do in terms of weight loss?

When you laugh you can burn calories according to experts at Vanderbilt University, and the more you laugh, the more you burn. Those little endorphins know exactly what they’re doing. They’re saying, “Come here little fat cells, come to momma.” They’re unstoppable, like The Terminator, eliminating those fat cells with a vengeance.

Want more endorphins? Start laughing! Laughter = weight loss!

Here’s a few endorphins for you….something to tickle your funny bone, and it’s a true story.

As you know I have been dating, and it’s been a delightful experience. Recently, my partner and I had been e-mailing back and forth and, feeling a little spontaneous, made the decision to meet…right away. I had not seen him for two weeks so was very excited at the anticipation of our rendezvous. I was rushing to get out of the house as I had approximately a 45 minute drive to our destination point. Thus, I left the house in a hurry. As I was driving, I was quickly doing a check:

Shaved legs – Yup!

Lotion on my legs – Yup!

Brushed teeth – Yup!

Painted toenails – Yup!

HOT outfit – Yup! Yup!

Okay, I’m ready!! I cranked up the CD and continued to drive feeling pretty good. Then realized I had forgotten one check point. I took a quick whiff of the underarms. Oh, my gosh! It had been a hot day and I forgot to do the underarm check. Yikes! Odor alert….I was definitely stinky!

I rummaged through my purse checking for lotion or anything I could rub on my underarms….nothing! I started to panic a little as I wanted to be the epitome of a HOTTIE, and a HOTTIE cannot have underarm odor. I mean it’s one of the laws in the HOTTIE creed.

Surely, there must be something down in the depths of my purse……something, anything. My creative juices began to flow when I spotted the tin container. I’ve never tried using these as an underarm deodorant. Is it possible? Well, I’m a person who likes to think outside the box and this was definitely thinking outside the box…or inside the tin so to speak.

I quickly took one out of the tin, put it on my tongue to wet it and then rubbed it on my underarms. Then I smelled my underarms. I could still smell a hint of BO with a little twist of cinnamon, so I licked and rubbed again. Okay, still a slight odor. This called for more licking and rubbing. There I was on Highway 16 heading to Tacoma, Washington licking and rubbing for most of the 45 minute drive. Did it do the trick?

Yes, Altoids had saved the day…and my partner never even knew. He just thought the cinnamon smell was coming from my mouth as I had popped an Altoid right before we met. Altoids, they’re not just for fresh breath!

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Get Slim With Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins’ diet has been a craze for a couple of decades. Here’s how you can gain from it.

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All of you who are reading this article right now have definitely been on a diet at some point or the other of your lives. The battle of the bulge is an ongoing problem and we are always on the lookout for various means to win this war.

Along with exercise, our diet and nutrition also plays an important role in reducing our weight. Hence, this obsession persists in all of us to undertake some form of dieting. But going on a diet is definitely not an easy thing. What to eat and what to stay away from is always a perennial problem.

One of my friends told me that she ate the normal menu which she cooked for the family, but her weight loss recipe is “portion control.” This is a really simple diet plan. In this plan, you cut down on the portion of food you consume. For example, if you usually have two pieces of toast for breakfast, you should eat only one piece. If you normally eat two cups of rice for lunch, cut it down to one cup. In this way, you are automatically reducing your calorie intake by half.

Another popular method of dieting is to stop all intake of fatty foods and sugar. In this diet, you cut down on your oil, butter and ghee intake which automatically reduces your fat deposits.

While I was leafing through a magazine, I read about one of our Hollywood celebrities following the Atkins’ diet. This immediately aroused my curiosity about the diet. Though I have heard about the diet many times, I had no inside knowledge about it. So, I immediately set to work on it and found out certain basic facts’ about the Atkins diet which I want to share with my readers.

The Atkins’ diet made its first appearance in 1972 and was invented by its namesake, Dr Atkins. According to him, this method enables us to lose weight by inducing a change in metabolism. Our body burns both fat and carbohydrates to provide energy. If we reduce the intake of carbohydrates significantly, our body starts burning only fat to provide energy. This method is called “lipolysis”, which in turn induces ketosis. In ketosis, our body burns fat as fuel. Atkins also felt that ketosis will affect insulin production which will result in less fat being formed. And, once your body enters ketosis, your cravings for carbohydrates will reduce significantly which, in turn, will reduce your body weight.

The major difference between Atkins’ diet and other types of diet is that, while most diets restrict calorie, intake, the Atkins’ plan encourages us to eat more. While most of the diets recommend low fat, high carbohydrate intake, Atkins’ does just the opposite. Instead of carbohydrate and sugar, this diet wants us to consume plenty of fat and protein.

The core principle of the Atkins’ diet is that, by limiting carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn its stored fat, rather than carbs for fuel.

The Atkins’ diet has a four carbohydrates stage plan induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance and lifetime maintenance. With the help of these four stages, you can reduce as well as maintain your weight throughout your life.

Induction – phase 1: This phase lasts for two weeks, by the end of which you can obtain significant results. Another point is that, in this diet plan you can begin at any of the phase. But it is recommended to start with induction. As you cut back on your carbohydrates significantly in this phase, you will jump start your weight loss programme. In this phase, only 20 gm of carbohydrates are allowed and hence your weight loss is significant. As you drastically cut down on carbohydrates your body shifts into high gear and starts burning fat. This takes about 48 hours to occur and you may feel hungry and irritated for the first three-four days. But don’t worry, as soon as your fat starts getting converted to fuel, you will feel fit as a fiddle. Induction will strengthen your immune system and also improve our long-term health.

Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) phase 2: In this phase, the weight loss pace slows down as you add nutrient-rich carbohydrates to your diet. During this period, you will boost your body’s ability to burn fats as well as understand your body better. You will find the right amount of carbohydrates which you can consume and still lose weight. Your body will also prepare itself for permanent weight management. The amount of carbohydrates which you can eat is increased to 25 gm per day for the first week and increased in five gm instalment for the next few weeks. If your weight loss is significant, you can increase your carbohydrate intake. A person has to be on OWL till he or she is within three-five kg of their goal weight.

Pre-maintenance – (phase 3): Pre-maintenance is a practice run for lifetime maintenance. In this phase, you are fast approaching your target. As long as you continue to lose weight, you can increase your weekly allotment of carbohydrates by another 10 gm. You will be in this phase till you reach your goal and stay on it for one month. The ultimate goal here is to achieve a state of balance called Atkins’ Carbohydrate Equilibrium (ACE). The ACE is your individual level of carbohydrate intake wherein you neither gain nor lose weight.

Lifetime maintenance phase 4: In this phase, you have to focus on your individual ACE and strive to stay within two kg of your ideal weight for the rest of your life. By following a sensible eating plan, you gain energy, better health and confidence in yourself.

By following these four phases, you not only achieve your dream weight but are also able to maintain it throughout your life. You can learn more about this diet by reading the book, Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. But, as with any other diet, this plan also has its pros and cons. The good point is that this diet recommends exercise as a vital part of the weight loss programme. Another point to be noted is that you cannot start on carbohydrates after you lose weight as this will result in your gaining back all that you have lost.

Medical experts advise that people who have gout, kidney problems, diabetes or are pregnant women should not follow this diet plan. As this diet is very stringent, do consult your doctor/dietician for proper advice.

Your dietician will provide you with a proper menu chart as to what should be eaten, in what quantities, etc, based on your eating habits and general lifestyle.

Happy dieting and hoping to see slimmer and fitter readers.

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Preventing Hemorrhoid in Children

If you think you have a hemorrhoid, first analyze whether you have the correct symptoms. If you do, then you can worry about finding a treatment.

Do you have a hemorrhoid?

Often times, they are so small that people can go their entire life without knowing they have a hemorrhoid. Other times, it’s painfully obvious due to irritation experienced during bowel movement such as itching or pain. Hemorrhoids can be internal, meaning they are inside the anus, or external, meaning they lie underneath the skin around the anus. If you are experiencing bleeding during your bowel movement, chances are you have an internal hemorrhoid.

Hemorrhoid Treatments

Some treatments are very affordable and very easy to come across. For example, you can pick up a creme which numbs the area at any pharmacy or local market. Other medications can be used to shrink the hemorrhoid so it causes less pain and irritation. There are also prescription cremes and lotions which can be used in a more serious situation.

If you have a severe hemorrhoid, it’s possible that surgery might be the best answer. In this case, a doctor will use sclerotherapy and a rubber band ligation. These can be very expensive procedures. Rubber band ligation can be done in a doctors office and doesn’t take very long. Sclerotherapy, on the other hand utilizes an injection of a chemical which is given to the area surrounding the hemorrhoid. This chemical forces the constriction of blood vessels feeding the hemorrhoid. This hemorrhoid treatment causes the hemorrhoid to shrink.

How many of us have heard about the numerous benefits of fiber? Fiber, in its two forms, soluble and insoluble, is very beneficial to our health. Although our bodies can’t break down this particular substance, its presence in our bodies offers excellent digestive and weight loss benefits.

Some of the foods which are rich in fiber include beans, grains, fruit and vegetables. By eating foods rich in this compound, we end up feeling full for hours upon hours. Since our bodies can’t break down fiber, it takes us much longer to digest it. When our digestive track has to work extra hard to break down this compound it uses up more energy which in turn helps us burn more calories. Aside from weight loss benefits, soluble and insoluble fiber offers digestive system perks.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms glue like gel inside our bodies. This particular gel softens stools and slows down stomach emptying for improved digestion. Insoluble fiber on the other hand serves as a natural laxative. This particular compound holds on to water and pushes waste faster along the intestines. When waste is pushed faster along the intestines it leaves less time for cancerous substances in your stool to have contact with the lining of the bowel. Not only does this result in softer stools but it also decreases the chances of colon cancer and hemorrhoids. So if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, gas, constipation, hemorrhoids, or if you want to prevent obesity, colon cancer, gallstones, and other digestive troubles, you should try to incorporate more fiber into your daily diet. Aside from its medicinal benefits, consuming foods rich in this compound will help you lose those unwanted pounds faster. A fiber-rich healthy diet along with exercise is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

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