Personal Health Information - Mens Health - Womens Health

Food Addictions

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:07:47 -0500

The unexplained craving for certain foods occurs from time to time. Often it is not even hunger, just craving a specific food. There may be no real reason other than to eat the food that is causing the craving.

This can occur as a result of boredom or perhaps viewing something that is suggestive of food. Perhaps watching TV and seeing a commercial that was advertising hamburgers. The next thing that occurs is an unexplainable craving for a hamburger or in the worse case scenario mysteriously finding yourself in your car headed for McDonald's.

Although this may sound weird it happens more often than most would care to acknowledge. Anyone can become addicted to food.

High Cholesterol

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:15:03 -0500

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in the blood. The body needs a certain amount to maintain cell membranes and perform other vital functions, but high levels lead to blocked arteries which can cause a heart attack. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by two types of protein: low density lipoproteins (LDL) which carry three-quarters of the cholesterol, and high density lipoproteins (HDL). Total blood cholesterol is measured, and separate measurements are taken of LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol. High LDL and total cholesterol levels increase the risk of a heart attack, as does a low level of HDL (below 0.9 millimoles per litre). Doctors recommend keeping total cholesterol below 5.6 millimoles per litre, ideally around 5.2 millimoles per litre, and your HDL level as high as possible.

Why Are We So Stressed Out?

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:43:20 -0500

We are living in very difficult times and things just are not getting any easier. There are times when life seems terribly unfair, even painful, yet we manage to get by day after day and we hope and pray that things will get better soon.

Do You Know About Nutrition?

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:32:16 -0500

Two out of every three deaths can be traced to nutrition related causes, dietary deficiencies and overweight conditions. The most prominent causes of death in Western society are heart attack, stroke and cancer. Other health problems are diabetes, osteoporosis, fatigue, digestive problems, stress, headaches, and obesity. All of these are based around nutrition.

Medications for Teenage Obesity

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:28:14 -0500

There is pharmaceutical relief for teenage obesity. Though the medical community is firm in its message that lifestyle changes have to be implemented to effectively deal with childhood obesity, there are medications which can be prescribed for overweight teenagers.

The Importance of Multivitamins

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:29:23 -0500

A multivitamin is a nutritional supplement containing many different types of vitamins, as the name suggests. However, many brands of multivitamins also contain minerals, trace elements, and other nutritionals. Multi-vitamins are convenient because it is not necessary to take dozens of individual vitamin pills each day. Instead, these all-in-one vitamin pills contain many vitamins in controlled dosages.

Why Babies Should Be Breastfed

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:17:47 -0500

Many studies have been published in the last couple of decades showing that breastfed babies usually were happier and healthier than formula fed babies. The reasons for this weren't clear at first, but as more studies were done and science gained a better understanding of how the human body processes food, some reasons became clear and once again Nature showed that her wisdom was, as usual, more advanced than man's mental capabilities.

Are you Lactose Intolerant?

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:14:03 -0500

If you suffer from nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, or diarrhea after drinking milk or eating dairy products, you may be lactose intolerant. This is a common reaction. According to some reports, between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant.

Lactose is the sugar found in milk and other dairy products. The small intestine produces an enzyme called lactase whose job it is to break lactose down into two simple sugars called glucose and galactose. The glucose is then absorbed into the bloodstream for nourishment. If your body does not produce enough lactase, the unaltered lactose makes its way into the large intestine and begins to ferment, producing acids and gases.

Sushi Diet

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:31:30 -0500

Sushi, popular for centuries in Japan, has become immensely popular in the Western world in recent years. You may soon find yourself invited to enjoy sushi with friends at a sushi bar or restaurant. Despite the common reaction of distaste at the prospect of eating raw fish, sushi is actually a simple and delicious food that can easily be enjoyed by adults, children, vegetarians and even the extremely squeamish.

Eat Seaweed? Why?

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:36:58 -0500

Have you ever thought of eating seaweed as a healthy nutritious food? Probably not. Grocery store isles are not exactly brimming with shelves stocked with seaweed. Quite the contrary, you would be lucky to find any seaweed product there. So it would be no wonder if this item were missing from your kitchen cupboard at home, and how many recipes in your cookbook are there that calls for seaweed as an ingredient. You won't find it in your average menu plan. It is not something people usually consider when thinking about food unless they are into sushi, which is often served with seaweed.

Diabetes and Exercise

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:33:08 -0500

There are two main types of diabetes, type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin.

Organic Foods

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:25:21 -0500

Are you concerned that the food you are eating may be harmful to you and your family? With news reports about GM (genetically modified) foods, health scares about eating beef, chemicals on food affecting people's health and the intelligence of children, it's no wonder that many are looking to organic foods as an option.

Vacation Nutrition

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:03:27 -0500

Sticking to a nutritious diet while vacationing can be one of the most difficult things to do. After all, a vacation is for having fun and that includes eating good food! However, if you learn how to make smart choices, a nourishing diet is really not that difficult when you're away from home. This is probably not the best time in which to start a healthy diet, but if you are currently making healthy choices in your foods already, modifying your diet slightly to accommodate traveling is not as hard as it may seem.

Benefits of Healthy Eating

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:48:41 -0500

Healthy eating is the basis of good health and is a key element in healthy human development, from the prenatal and early childhood years to adulthood. Healthy eating is equally important in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases and is critical to your children's wellbeing. It is generally agreed that it is best to stick to basic dietary principles of eating less, do more exercise, eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains and avoid too much junk food.

So what are the benefits of healthy eating? Well, here are a few:

Smart Foods

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:04:05 -0500

Eat your spinach is now more of a poignant phrase then ever before. Food has been liked to helping your body in many positive ways. Food has also been linked to hurting your body in ways such as calories, fat, and cholesterol. Now food is being linked to helping your brain stay young and healthy. Everyone could use some brain protection, especially if you're in school and relying on the brain to deliver you that degree you've been seeking. This article looks at a few specific foods that helps the brain.