There are literally thousands of diet food plans to choose from, whether you are ready for one or not. You may find one while reading your favorite magazine or while watching your favorite television show. You might find one while you are wandering around on the internet. You might even have one emailed to you by a well meaning friend, whether you asked for it or not. Or you may find yourself being handed a diet food plan from your doctor, especially if he is not happy with all of your test results and numbers. But if you are not careful about the kind of diet food plan that you are starting, you will have zero success and may even cause yourself to gain weight in the long run. There are … Read entire article »

Obesity, the medical term for weight equal to 20% or more over what is deemed to be the ideal weight, is not only a medical condition but is also a risk factor for a number of other health conditions. Being obese can put you at risk for increased aches and pains as well as increasing the risk factors for more serious health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. There are other conditions that can be caused or made worse by being obese such as liver or gallbladder disease. For women of a certain age group, obesity can also cause or exacerbate problems with fertility, usually because of a condition known as PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). In the past, the doctors based their judgment of obesity solely … Read entire article »

Current research has revealed a promising relation between a high protein diet and low blood cholesterol levels. Many people with high cholesterol levels take medications to control their cholesterol levels. In this article we will examine the role of cholesterol and how its levels are linked to proteins in the diet. Cholesterol is vital to maintain the integrity of brain cells, keep the membranes intact and the cells working. The protein receptors, imperative for inter-cellular communication, also anchor in cholesterol molecules present in these membranes. However, brain-cell membranes do more, as they contain receptors for key chemical messengers in the brain. These receptors permit cell-to-cell communication, and cholesterol helps to keep these attachment points functioning properly and the cells communicating normally. Serotonin, a key messenger, has an anti-depressant effect, and proper functioning … Read entire article »

Nutritional status is one of the important parameters that decide the course of post surgical recovery. The concept of nutritional status in surgery involves various aspects of perioperative nutrition that includes both preoperative and postoperative nutritional status. Many studies show that preoperative acceptable nutritional conditions help to prevent early and late postoperative complications. Klein et al. published a study in 1996 that compared 2 groups of patients: a previously malnourished group and another in agreeable nutritional condition. Both groups had undergone elective lumbar spinal surgery. It was reported that out of 26 postoperative complications, 24 were in the malnourished group. Based on the study findings, the study authors recommend that close attention should be paid to the preoperative nutritional status of patients undergoing surgical procedure. The researchers propose that individuals with … Read entire article »

Diabetes is a disorder caused by the pancreas’ inability to release enough insulin to handle the blood sugar in the body during digestion. There are three types of diabetes: Type I, or juvenile diabetes, Type II, also called adult onset diabetes and Gestational diabetes. Each type of diabetes has its own considerations and warnings for good health. Proper nutrition is important no matter what type of diabetes has been diagnosed. Type I diabetes affects about 10% of all diabetics and is typically diagnosed at a fairly young age. Type II diabetes is typically discovered sometime after the age of 30, however, with so many children being obese, it is being found at younger and younger ages. The mechanisms for Type I and Type II diabetes are very different – juvenile diabetes … Read entire article »

Concentrated protein supplementation is highly recommended for bariatric patients for two specific reasons. The primary reason is to aid short-term recovery after bariatric or weight reducing surgery. The secondary is for maintaining long-term good health. Bariatric surgery can be minor or major. In addition, it can be very traumatic to particularly overweight bariatric patients. Wound healing demands amino acids to generate new protein tissue, concentrated protein supplementation is ideal for that. Over the longer term, you would not be able to consume as much, and depending upon the extent of the surgery, food intake could be dramatically reduced. If this is the case, then the food that you should eat must be as nutritious as possible. If you filled your diet full of sugary foods and plant or vegetable foods, you would … Read entire article »

Did you know that more than 34 million Americans are considered to be obese and that more than 20 million of these people have tried many times to lose weight, with little to no success? Most of these people tried fad diets, which are never really a healthy way to lose weight. In fact, there are a lot of fad diets out there that can actually cause a lot more harm than good. And even when people do lose weight while on fad diets, they almost always gain that weight back and then some, once they go back to their normal eating habits. So, is there a healthy way to lose weight and keep it off? Yes. It’s called a healthy lifestyle. Everyone should be following a healthy, well-balanced diet … Read entire article »

These days, many people who are overweight and not able to lose it the traditional way through diet and exercise are opting for gastric bypass and other weight loss surgeries to help solve their problem. Most people think that if they are overweight, they fit the criteria to have these types of procedures done. However, there are cases where some people are so obese that the surgical procedures may actually endanger their lives. In such cases, most physicians will refuse to perform the surgery until the patient has lost a specific amount of weight. Usually, the diets they must go on are extremely restricted and are rigidly supervised. In fact, in extreme cases, some patients actually are hospitalized so that their diet can be constantly monitored. There are a few different … Read entire article »

Cardiovascular disease kills over sixteen million people worldwide every year and is the direct cause of over 30% of all deaths in that same time period. In the United States, both heart disease and strokes account for over 40% of all adult deaths (Source: Natural News 2006). In 2006, there were over 450,000 coronary bypass surgeries performed in the United States and there were over 2,000 heart transplant surgeries the following year (Source: The Texas Heart Institute Heart Information Center). The risk for developing heart disease of any kind can depend on a number of factors, including: - Family history - Weight - Diet and exercise habits - Smoking - Gender - Other health risk factors Family history of any type of heart disease may increase your risk of developing certain conditions and may also increase your … Read entire article »