Fast Food: Can you still enjoy it?

A typical fast food meal has a very high energy density. It is more than one and a half times higher than an average traditional British meal and two and a half times higher than a traditional African meal.

Fast foods are "energy dense" foods that can fool people into consuming more calories than the body needs.

Now you know that eating fast food too often or downing too much can wreak havoc on your health and waistline.

Here are some fast food facts that you might want to consider before jumping to that next giant burger:

• Fast foods are often high in calories, fat, sugar and salt.
• Many fast foods are cooked with high-calorie fats and butters.
• Fast food choices tend to lack fresh fruits and vegetables.
• The large portion sizes offered can encourage overeating.
• Many fast food restaurants have begun publishing nutritional information about their foods. In other cases, it is available on request. This information can help you better plan what you order.

Can you still eat fast food?

Of course, avoiding fast-food-related health problems comes down to moderation. And a Big Mac, large fries and large sugary pop aren’t going to help: That’s 1,450 calories, 58 grams of fat (24 of which are saturated) and 1,970 milligrams of sodium.

“Eating fast food is not necessarily a bad thing,” says Melodie Yong, a registered dietitian with the Healthy Heart program at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. “But take your time when deciding what to order.” Yong advises that if you must satisfy your cravings with the biggest burger on the menu, think first: If you’ve had fast food a couple of times in the past week, go for healthier items and smaller portions—and skip the fries or pop. It’s all about setting limits for yourself.

Stress Busters for Women

Research shows women with children have higher levels of stress related hormones in their blood than women without children. Does this mean women without children don't experience stress? Absolutely not!

It means that women without children may not experience stress as often or to the same degree which women with children do. This means for women with children, it's particularly important to schedule time for yourself; you will be in a better frame of mind to help your children and meet the daily challenge of being a parent, once your stress level is reduced.

Reducing stress also reduces your risk for heart disease, the number one killer of American women, and certain types of cancer. Many women who experience PMS and menopausal symptoms will find the severity of these symptoms improved dramatically, once a reduced stress level is achieved. Untreated stress leads many people to depression, anxiety, headaches, and a host of other complaints, making reduction of stress an important factor in improving your total health.

How you can beat stress in your life?

You can find many simple and inexpensive ways to reduce your stress level on your own, like:

• Cut out artificial stress reducers such as alcohol. Alcohol can mask symptoms and often make symptoms worse.
• Eat a well-balanced diet which includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as foods which are high in complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein, and low in fat.
• Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine which has been shown to increase anxiety.

Excerpt from: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/stress/a/stressbusters.htm
By Tracee Cornforth

How to Lose Weight with a Stop Watch!

Once you have recognized that you have cravings and how they can sabotage your diet, it is time to get them under control. Time will be our ally in this task as we recognize the following simple fact: A craving generally lasts only 8 to 14 minutes.

Refusing to give in to a craving will feel somewhat uncomfortable but it will pass. We are not talking about days or hours, only minutes!

First, identify the time of day that you are experiencing cravings. This will allow you to prepare for them by having a healthful snack at hand.

The typical time span of most food cravings is 8 to 14 minutes. I know it feels longer, but as Einstein told us, "Time is relative." Knowing that a craving is limited in duration will give you the power to ride through it.

The Stop! Watch! Method
1. When a craving arises I ask my patients to set a stopwatch (which I provide) for fifteen minutes;

During this time they are advised to drink a large glass of water and eat a protein snack. This allows their blood glucose to become normalized (if it had dropped) and, by "waiting out" the urge, they gain control. It sounds simple but it does work. We have all experienced this phenomenon: on the treadmill, when we want to stop with ten minutes to go and we just count down the minutes; when sitting in a boring lecture and we watch the minutes tick away until the time that the class is over; or even when we give children a "time out" when they are having a tantrum.

Hold on until a specific amount of time elapses. A stopwatch quantifies the time that a craving lasts. And for a dieter to know that there are only a few minutes left is enormously helpful!

2. Drink a big glass of water.

Because our brain may misinterpret the signal for thirst as a signal for hunger, drinking water eliminates unrecognized thirst from the picture. You may just be thirsty, so go for the water first. Drinking a glass of water is filling and good for you, too.

3. Have a protein snack.

If the snack that you chose is in the form of a high-tryptophan source, which include turkey and dairy products, then so much the better.

Your snack should be a food that will benefit your body and that you find satisfying. By the latter, I mean there are times when you might want a food with a creamy consistency -- in such a case, low-fat yogurt is a great choice. At other times, you may desire a crunchy texture -- here I would suggest baby carrots or raw celery stalks. And don't forget to drink at least one 8-ounce glass of water; this assures that you are not misinterpreting the signal for thirst as a hunger signal.

Excerpted from the book: "How the Rich Get Thin" by Jana Klauer, M.D.
From the website: http://womenshealth.about.com/od/weightlossforwomen/a/stopwatchmethod.htm

Statistics on Breast Implants in Women

Women who have breast implants are three times as likely to die by suicide and have a similar increased risk of death as a result of drug use or alcoholism says a new study published in USA Today. The finding confirms earlier reports linking suicide and breast implantation and suggests plastic surgeons should consider mental health screening and follow-up for their patients.

Read more of the statistics here: http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/health/Breast-Implants.html
Article by Suzanne McNevin.

Holistic Pregnancy and Birth

A good birth experience cannot be guaranteed through physical birth preparation alone, but neither does holistic birth preparation guarantee a natural birth. Every woman's experience of birth is unique, and no amount of preparation in body, mind and spirit will ever dictate what a birth will be like. Birth is a journey of personal growth and self discovery, full of surprises and opportunities for learning, just like life itself.

More of this Article Here: http://www.positivehealth.com/article-abstract.php?articleid=139

Article written by Debra Norton.