Do You Want To Lose Extra Weight? Try Atkins Diet!

The Atkins Diet, created by Dr. Robert Atkins, is based on the theory that consuming too much carbohydrates, especially the refined carbs as those found in white bread, sugar and high-fructose corn syrups, is responsible for the high incidence of obesity-causing metabolic disorders amongst the Western population - and lifestyles based on too little physical activity only adding to the problem of obesity and diabetes.

The other unique feature of Atkins Diet is that saturated fats are not considered the main nutritional culprits - it is the trans-fats found in hydrogenated oils that need to be shunned along with carbohydrates. Thus, Atkins Diet is one that is drastically restricted in carbohydrates and is relatively rich in proteins and saturated fats.

Dr. Robert Atkins formulated the Atkins 's Diet sometime in the sixties. The inspiration was an article featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Atkins adapted these ideas to formulate a diet and tried it on himself, and the results were startling. He treated thousands of overweight patients and expounded his diet in a series of books. The rest is history.

The logic behind Atkins 's Diet is quite simple: your body fulfills a major part of its energy requirements by burning carbs as fuel. And so, if you deprive it of carbs by substituting them with proteins and fats in your diet, the body would run out of fuel and, therefore, be forced into fat-burning mode (ketosis).

All the energy requirements of the body would then be met with by burning the stored body fat, leading to rapid fat loss and weight loss. When the body is in the state of ketosis, one also tends to feel less hungry and so consumes less calories than what one would normally do.

There are four phases in Atkins Diet: (1) Induction, (2) Ongoing weight loss, (3) Pre-maintenance and (4) Lifetime maintenance.

The Induction phase is the most restrictive phase, with the allowed intake of carbohydrates being restricted to a meager 20 net grams/day. This is required in order to push the body into a state of ketosis. A multivitamin supplement is highly recommended during this initial phase.

In the following phases the intake of carbohydrates is then gradually increased (up to a reasonable amount, though still far lesser than the average carbohydrate consumption), but sooner or later the body gets have used to a low-carbs diet.

Foods Recommended in Atkins Diet

1. High-protein foods such as meat, fish and eggs are a must. However, they must not be breaded, nor should they be consumed along with sauces, which are high in carbohydrates.
2. Low-carb vegetables/fruits are fine too. Some examples of such vegetables are spinach, herbs, celery, radish, sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower and Avocado. For a comprehensive list of low-carb veggies/fruits, you can always run a check on the Internet.
3. Cheese - all kinds of cheese can make a part of Atkins Diet. Butter is good too, but you shouldn't go overboard.
4. Olive oil is the preferred choice amongst cooking oils. Trans-fats have to be strictly avoided. But nuts are great.
5. As far as drinks go, Atkins Diet recommends 8 glasses of water a day. Drinks with sugar content are a big no-no - and that includes sugared tea and coffee. Diet sodas are okay though.
6. Psyllium comes highly recommended, as it is rich in fiber.
7. Sugar is out, while sugar substitutes are okay - but must be taken in limited amounts.

Many people follow the Atkins Diet and many results that have been published in esteemed review journals have spoken in favor of this diet, as they haven't observed any serious side effects. But some controversies and questions still remain, e.g., whether it would be suitable for people having kidney problems. So, before latching on to Atkins Diet diet, it is best to consult your doctor first.

Using Health Vitamin As An Alternative For Children's Well Being

Children are not known for their love of healthy eating, and this is where a health vitamin comes in handy. Try as we might to make sure they're getting enough fruits and vegetables in their diets to keep them topped up with all of the key vitamins, it can be a constant battle.

If your kids look at vegetables like some kind of evil presence, you may need to find other ways to make sure that they are getting the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy and develop normally. For many parents, the easiest way to do this is with a health vitamin supplement.

The market is packed with health vitamin options. Some are better than others depending on your child's age and diet. For infants, the only realistic option is a liquid vitamin mixture.

Babies can hardly by expected to swallow a pill and aren't likely to do much better with a chewable until they have all of their teeth. Liquid vitamins don't keep their potency for long after the packaging is opened, so keep them in the refrigerator and don't hold on to them past their expiry dates.

Young children can be enticed to take their vitamins in a variety of ways. Many companies make chewable tablets which look and taste a lot like candy. Popular characters from the Flintstones to Bugs Bunny or even Pokemon give the vitamins a kid-friendly look. Getting to choose from a range of characters can actually make your child excited about taking a health vitamin.

The sweet taste makes these go down a treat, but be sure that your children understand that the vitamins are not actually candy and they shouldn't ever have more than one per day. (If your vitamins seem to be disappearing too quickly, keep them out of reach with your other medications so that the kids can't help themselves to extras.)

If you don't want to give your kids a sugary children's supplement, or would prefer not to spend the extra money on them, you can use the non-chewable adult tablets. Adult health vitamin pills can be split in half to provide a lower dose.

If your child is too young to swallow a vitamin whole, try grinding it into a powder and mixing it with some applesauce or honey to disguise the taste. Some parents find that mixing the ground vitamin tablet into a glass of fruit juice does the trick.

Once your child is old enough to start learning to swallow pills, you may find that you need to provide a bit of incentive. The first few tries to introduce a health vitamin this way are likely to lead to some bitter experiences!

A small, cash reward for a successful attempt is one way to motivate your kids to keep trying. Another is to offer something sweet, like honey, after the pill has been swallowed. This will get rid of any lingering aftertaste from the pill.

Getting kids to eat right is a challenge for most parents. But a simple multivitamin can provide the peace of mind that your children are getting the nutrients they need. Getting them to take a vitamin supplement using any of these easy methods gives you one less struggle in your day

What Are The Causes Of Childhood Obesity

Today, the rise in childhood obesity has several causes. The main cause of obesity is certainly children eat too much and/or not perform regular exercise or being generally inactive. The extra calories that are not able to burn up through exercises or physical activities will translate into fat, and when this fat becomes excessive and more, one will become obese. This difference results in weight gain and will vary from children to children that was due to few factors such as genes, health issues, physical inactivity as well as psychological issues also contribute to weight gain and may be what the causes of obesity are. Even though the main cause of obesity is underlying disorders, nevertheless, it is also closely related to people lifestyles as well.

Poor eating habits and food choices

Today, the way we prepare food and the no of time per day is totally different as compare with our ancestors did in the old time. During the old time, everything need to be cooked from scratch, but now with the help from modern equipments, the time and effort to prepare food became simple and faster. This is one of the reasons why now fast food restaurants dominate our diets.

By study how the children eat today; you will know what the main cause of childhood obesity is. Small changes in their daily diets can have large help enabling you to prevent childhood obesity. The best healthy choices of food include vegetables and fruits instead of sugary snacks. The most popular choices include carrot and bananas, celery sticks, apples and even salads that include a large variety of vegetables. By helping children understand and choosing the correct and better foods during the childhood time, definitely will ensure that they make the correct choices as they move into adulthood.

Bad behavior is also one of the causes. This group of children eats food that is low in nutrition and high in fat. This group of children eats fast food meals, rich desserts and drinks with a lot of sugar. They also usually overeaten, and the food that they consume has many empty calories. In other words, the food that they eat does not provide enough nutrition for a children needs. This same group of children eats lots of sweets food which in general have empty calories.

Lack of Exercise

Lack of regular exercise is a factor that has contributed to this being one of the causes of childhood obesity. Children who spend a lot of time watching TV programs will have a greater risk of child obesity than those who go outside playing or sporting. This is typically true when the children are eating fast food while watching television or playing video games.

In the pass, children like to play sports more often, enjoy outside activities as forms of entertainment and walk to school. But now a day, children are completely opposite from the pass. The sports our children like to do these days include watching television, playing computer game, surfing internet, chatting, and any game they choose while exercising only their mind, head and hands only. When you combine the poor choices in food and the lack of exercising, there is a high chance that childhood obesity will end up lead to disease.

Genetics

Genetics and DNA have been found to be a contributing factor in the causes of childhood obesity. Unfortunately, some children are naturally predisposed to obesity. These children are born with genes that cause them to put on weight more quickly than other children. The children with certain genes end up storing the fat more easily than other children. There is not much that these children can do about their genes, but there are steps that they can take to conquer the obesity.

Children parents can also aid in determining your chances of dealing with childhood obesity. If children parents had a problem with overweight, chances are the children will deal with the same issues. This makes it very important that you keep an eye on your children and their action and habits. Our DNA can not be changed. We can do some small changes in other areas that can make a great deal of improve on your child obesity. Some small changes, such as walking to school, playing outdoor games rather than letting children stay at home and avoid exercise. The simple and regular exercise can help your children avoid childhood obesity.

Psychological issues and Stress

Some study say that about 10% of people that are mildly obese was cause by psychological or stress problems. Some children have a difficult time dealing with stress so they use food as a comfort when they feel, and many children are prone to eating in response to negative emotions like being bored, feeling anxious or being angry.

Each child has to contend with different factors in their lives. The causes of obesity are can also be viewed as being weakness, a lack of willpower or a lifestyle choice of overeating and not exercising enough.

Environments

The environment too plays a role in the causes of obesity. The family home is an important place to learn about proper nutrition and enough physical activity. Attitudes, Habits, and beliefs about food selection and how to spend family leisure time are critical factors to forming a healthy relationship with food. Children spend a lot of time in school, their food choices at school become important and it was influenced by the school eating environment.

Modern lifestyles have improved our quality of life but also contribute greatly to physical inactivity. Cars are used for short trips, and the number of walking trips the average American children takes each year have decreased. Today only about 10% of public school students walk to school compared to the large no of student a generation ago.

Why Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?

Let me start with the facts. These “facts” are not just hypothetical ideas. They are actual statistics and actual studies that show that chiropractic care for children is not only safe, it is vital. Take these figures into account:

- A study done by Abraham Towbin, M.D., an expert in pathology, shows that“Spinal cord and brain stem injuries occur often during the process of birth but frequently escape diagnosis." (Towbin, A., "Latent Spinal Cord and brain Stem Injury in Newborn Infants", Develp Med. Child. Neurol, 11:54-68,1969) This often leads to something known as Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome, a primary cause of upper respiratory infections including ear infections and chronic tonsillitis. (Gutman, G., "Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome In Infants and Small Children", Manuelle Medizin, 1987)

- A study in which Blocked Atlantal Nerve Syndrome was corrected with chiropractic care showed that 40 out of 43 children studied who were suffering from ear infections improved with chiropractic care alone within two weeks of being adjusted. (Froehle, R.M., J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1996 Mar-Apr;19(3):169-77)

- A study by J.E. Upledger showed a definite and significant relationship between restrictions in movement of the upper neck area of the spine and children with learning disabilities. (Upledger, J.E., J Am Osteopath Assoc, 1978 Jun;77(10):760-76)

What we have going on here is a high prevalence of something known as “birth trauma” that is causing children to suffer as they grow. When bones misalign they press on nerves. When this happens, the whole body suffers as a result. These misalignments are known as “subluxations.” So the question is what type of healthcare practitioner is trained and qualified to diagnose and correct such a condition? Only a Doctor of Chiropractic can do this, particularly one who has specialized training in the care of pediatric patients.

Birth trauma causes DIRECT impingement on the tiny nerves of a child. However, there are two other major reasons why subluxations may occur indirectly: mental stress and toxic stress. While mental stress may not be so prevalent in childhood years, toxic stress is, particularly because many vaccinations contain compounds such as thimerosal and formaldehyde as preservatives. A child’s immune system isn’t even fully developed until after the age of two years. Thus, vaccinating a child before the immune system is even capable of handling such an antigen can impair the immune system’s response at a later time. This is why many children still may develop a disease even though they have been vaccinated against it.

I am often asked by mothers-to-be what is the safest way to give birth in order to minimize the occurrence of birth trauma. They are pleased to learn that the upright or squatting positions are not only easier on the baby, but they are much more comfortable on mom as well. The baby has the benefit of having a gravity-assisted birth that minimizes the amount of force being placed on the baby’s head and neck. Mom doesn’t feel as much pain because the baby is not pressing down on the sacral plexus of nerves as it usually is in the typical “lithotomy” position (mom lying flat on her back with legs up in stirrups). These safer, less painful positions minimize the chance that both mom and her baby will suffer from a subluxation.

Children who receive regular chiropractic care do indeed live healthier lives. While I was a chiropractic intern at Life University in Marietta, GA, I met many people my own age who have never been sick in their life. They said that the key to their abounding level of wellness was that they have never received a vaccination and they’ve been receiving chiropractic care since the day they were born. I have seen for myself how much happier and vibrant children who receive chiropractic care are. It is so heartwarming to see children who no longer have to take medications such as Ritalin, asthma medications, or antibiotics because they started receiving chiropractic care instead. Seeing a child who was once sickly be able to laugh and play with other kids in an optimal state of wellness gives me the greatest joy.

Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity: Physical Effects

Obesity can be a problem as early as kindergarten for some children. Children who suffer from obesity will most likely endure a lifelong struggle with physical and emotional consequences.

Physical effects of obesity in children include difficulty keeping up with physical activities, problems sleeping, and trouble with breathing. Not only are obese children more often affected by asthma, they also have problems with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is being recognized with more frequency as the incidence of pediatric obesity rises. Clinically significant effects on learning and memory function have been documented in children with obstructive sleep apnea as a consequence of obesity. (Must, Aviva, Ph.D., ET AL, 2003 "Effects of Obesity on Morbidity in Children and Adolescents" Nutrition in Clinical Care, p. 8).

Childhood obesity clearly impacts the health of the growing child. Furthermore, it is considered an important disease because of its link to long-term health problems including type II diabetes, hypertension, some forms of cancer, lack of energy and asthma. The incidence of type II diabetes in children is expected to grow in parallel with the rise in obesity. Onset diabetes in childhood is a predictor of early onset of diabetes complications including cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and amputations (Must, p. 131). Approximately 60% of overweight five to ten year old children experience at least one associated biochemical or clinical cardiovascular risk factor, such as hyperlipidemia, elevated blood pressure, or increased insulin levels, and 25% have two or more (Koplan, JP, Deitz WH., "Calorie Imbalance and Public Health Policy" The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999. p 1579).

Children from lower income families are at a greater disadvantage because the majority of this population resides in neighborhoods with intimidating playgrounds. Concerned with street safety, children are often kept inside by parents and they tend to spend more time in front of the television or playing video games.

Playgrounds in lower income neighborhoods tend to be filthy, with broken bottles, trash and graffiti covering the park. Although the playground has basketball courts, swings and jungle gyms, they are generally not child friendly. The parks are usually populated with young adults hanging out, intimidating the younger children. This is not a safe environment for children to play in and not one in which children could safely play unsupervised.

Schools are contributing to childhood obesity by failing to make physical education an important part of the curriculum. Children don't get enough exercise at school. Time allotted for gym is inadequate and infrequent. Teachers can try to compensate by providing their classes with additional outside play time. The physical education program is extremely vital and deserving of more attention.

Implementation of after school programs that emphasize physical activities such as kickball and basketball should be a priority. There is a need for an after school athletic program at the elementary level to augment the physical education program and provide a safe, healthy environment for lower income children as well. This would be a benefit for children as well as parents, and an important factor in reducing obesity in children.

Helping Children With Obesity Problems

Obesity in school aged kids is out of control. It is the parent responsibility to establish limits and control the amount of food the child eat, children lack this ability.

Here are some tips that will help you keep track of your child's food and eating regimen and help him fight childhood obesity. By eating poorly and not having good eating habits will effect the eating habits of your child and will lead to being lazy and becoming heavier and unhealthy. Your entire family will benefit from eating healthy eating and physical activity. As a parent you need to take a role in trying to create good habits and help your children establish healthy eating and exercising rituals, this will help in the long run.

Child obesity has lead to a number of other health related issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease from the combination of improper nutrition and lack of exercise. For the sake of her child's health both as a child and throughout his or her life, breastfeeding is the very best possible thing you can do when your child is young. A recent study in obesity suggests that children who are breastfed by their mothers during the first year of life are less likely to develop obesity as they get older.

If you are concerned about your child possibly being overweight then you need to decide whether the excess weight is part of a growth pattern that may change over time or whether there is a weight problem. Forget all the drugs and diets, feed your children healthy food and monitor what they eat, this will help your child in the long run.

It is important as parents that we take more responsibility to ensure healthy living for our children and to ensure they eat enough so they are healthy and they grow up eating healthy foods, we must understand what is healthy weight and what is weight that is leading to becoming obese. Yes they need to eat enough to be healthy and to grow properly, but we must know where to draw the line between what is a healthy weight and what is excessive weight. As parents, we can not take the stand that it is healthy for our children to be round and plump.

One reason: children have increased the amount of calories they eat each day by as many as 300. Did you know that more than 60% of American youth eat too many fatty foods, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. A journal is just a tool for you to help your child eat better.

Many of the foods children are eating today are fried or fast food type. To keep your children healthy and at an acceptable weight make the meals yourself so you know what you are putting into the food, you are able to control the portions of food and include healthy types of food like vegetables, fruit and many other types of food.