Pure Power - Laying Down The Law

It is a law of nature that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but can be converted from one form to another. Keeping this in mind, and knowing that the things we eat and drink are used to build our bodies, the high prices of organic products in the supermarket may be justified. After all, who would not be willing to pay a bit more to ensure that what we put into our bodies is as pure as possible, with the least amount of genetic modifications or added artificial preservatives? Likewise, a glass of tap water from your kitchen sink is likely to taste a bit different from the ice cold water you gather in your hands fresh from a mountain spring, untouched by human hands or mechanized processes.

Pure and Simple
Not all of us have access to markets which sell products that are whole, pure and healthy. In fact, a majority of people in the world, when they do have access to enough food, are faced with a choice between affordability and quality; you cannot always have both. Inexpensive food like what is available at fast food restaurants is terribly unhealthy in most cases, while the purest and freshest ingredients are off limits to anyone without a healthy disposable income. It is not an ideal situation, but with a bit of creativity you can alter your eating habits to ensure the highest quality energy is entering your body.

Along with purity comes simplicity, by virtue of pure products being free of a lot of chemical additives and processing. When you learn to live with a limited list of items that provide the necessary nutrients for good health, you are free to experiment with novel ways to add flavor and texture. Most of the recipes that come from peasant societies are based on high nutritional value for a low cost, and modern women would do well to modify such dishes to suit their tastes. For example, there is no need to pay money for canned soup containing dozens of additives and preservatives, not to mention sky high quantities of salt, when you can make a delicious soup from a handful of lentils and a couple of carrots. When you add a few spices to the mix and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, you will be amazed at how enjoyable it can be to eat well.

Addition By Subtraction
If you wonder how you can incorporate strategies like this into your life to feel the power of pure energy, you might take a look at success stories of people who have made the change.

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Is Cereal Allowed On The Nutrisystem Diet?

I sometimes hear from folks wanting to know if they will still be able to eat their favorite food on Nutrisystem. Sometimes, they are asking about comfort foods like pizza or hamburgers. Other times, they are asking about their favorite staple - that they go to time and time again - like cereal.

I might hear from someone who says: "I am a cereal fiend. I love it. It is not unusual for me to take it far past breakfast. Sometimes, I even have it for dinner or for a snack. Are you allowed to have cereal on Nutrisystem? And if so, what kind?"

The answer is that yes, you have all types of cereal options (including hot and cold) on Nutrisystem. I will go over some of the details below.

Cold Cereals: I think that most people who ask about cereal on Nutrisystem are referring to the cold cereals and not the oatmeal. I will outline the oatmeal a little later. But for now, let's talk about your cold cereal options.

The Sweetened O's: This cereal is a lot like the frosted O cereal you find in the grocery store. There is a hint of sweetness to it. A serving is only 110 calories and it is rated over four out of five stars by dieters.

The Granola Cereal: I love granola but it is often not included in any diet plan because regular granola can be very high in fat. This version isn't. It only has 2.5 grams of fat and it includes both granola and almonds. It is rated a perfect five start by over 400 users. It's extremely popular. I have to agree with the good reviews. This is my favorite cold cereal on the menu.

Nutri Flakes Cereal: I would compare this to flaked, bran cereal. It does have a bran type of taste, which is why I prefer it with fruit like blueberries or strawberries. But many people do like this, which is why it has a four star rating.

Oatmeal Or Hot Cereal Options: There are basically two flavors to choose from here. Apple cinnamon (which is rated four stars) and maple and brown sugar (which is rated four and a half stars.) I find both quite good, but of the two, I prefer the apple and cinnamon because it does contain chunks of apples in it and I like fruit in my oatmeal.

I hope that this article has shown you that you don't have to give up cereal while on this diet. You are absolutely allowed to have it and you have a decent amount of choices also.

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How To Lose Body Fat - 4 Key Tips

Knowing how to lose body fat is something that will shave a lot of time from your journey to achieve the results you desire. Of course it's going to take some effort on your part to reach your fat loss goals but having a "road map" to attain those goals helps a lot.

In order to have an understanding of how to make the body lose fat, it's important to know how the fat is deposited in the body. Your body needs food to acquire the necessary energy to function and feed its cells. The energy in food that your body needs is commonly referred to as calories. The more calories the food contains the more fuel the body can acquire from it. Your body must first digest the food before it can use the energy in the food. As the level of difficulty in digesting the food increases, the more the number of calories burned also increases.

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are the three categories of fuel that the body uses. This fuel nourishes the body and keeps the body functioning. The calories that are left over end up eventually being stored in the fat cells. Your body uses a part of the food's fuel for nutrition while the excess fuel ends up being stored as fat in the "fat cells" of your body.

Fat cells are often deposited in the chest, hips and the region around your waist. As the cells become bigger, your physique acquires a doughy look. The body has a limited number of fat cells, and there is only so much fat these cells can store. Once the threshold is reached, fat begins to accumulate in the muscle lining of your arms and thighs, creating some relatively unattractive limbs.

Here are four secrets for burning fat:

1 - Eat fat burning foods

2 - Add fat boosters to your diet

3 - Increase water intake

4 - Build muscles

If you focus on these four things, you'll be well on your way to developing a beautiful toned body. The only thing standing in the way of a lean sexy physique is you. Make these fat burning tips a part of your lifestyle and you will see results in a matter of weeks. The right diet plan will show you how to combine the fat burning foods to keep your body melting away the flab. There are countless delicious recipes to make the switch painless. Add a weight lifting exercise regime and you will sculpt your body into an object of desire.

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Can You Control Anxiety Naturally to Avoid Spikes in Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure occurs in one of every three adults. The culprit? Many believe it is something called hypertension. Actually, that isn't accurate at all. Hypertension is just a medical term for high blood pressure, not the cause. Some have come to believe that the root word "tense" means something like anxiety or anxiousness, but not true. Anxiety is certainly a cause for some people, but most of the time, it has only a minor influence.

But, yes, hypertension is on the rise in our society, but this is largely due to diet issues. High grain intake and low fat intake is exactly the wrong combination to follow when trying to avoid high blood pressure. Also, there have been links to high blood sugar with high blood pressure. So avoid these things, and a frequently proposed solution to high blood pressure is medication. This works for some, but not most. In fact, most people on high blood pressure medication still have issues with high blood pressure.

So, what are you supposed to do to control it? Think of something more natural than medications. The answer is simple: control your diet. Eliminate grains and sugars. Balance the omega fats. Normalize your weight, especially if you are obese. Also, eliminate caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant linked to hypertension.

Get a grip on your emotional life. Yes, anxiety can cause blood pressure spikes, but it is rare. It doesn't hurt to get a handle on things. How? Exercise. Exercise is a key ingredient when dealing with anxiety. Think of serotonin as the stress reliever. We all want less stress, right? Stress leads to anxiety problems. Exercise releases mass amounts of serotonin into your body as you exercise. Ever wonder why you feel so good going for that walk? This is why. Get out and about. Think of it like a drug. After all, we learned in school anything that changes the way the mind or body works is a drug. Exercise does that. Feel depressed? Hit the gym for thirty minutes or go for a thirty minute walk. It's not complicated, and it does so much good for your body!

And get some sun. And no, I don't mean roast yourself to death in a tanning bed. Get out and get some sun. It has been proven that sun light can help reduce the amount of stress you feel. Ever wonder why students sometimes have class outside on a nice day? This would be the answer.

So, can naturally managing anxiety help avoid spikes in blood pressure? Yes and no. It's always great to manage your stress in life, especially with diet and exercise, but anxiety isn't usually the cause. It can be, but not usually. The best recommendation is repeated above: exercise. Exercise will drop your anxiety levels for starters. It will also burn calories and help you get your weight under control. Most definitely monitor your diet because doing so will not only reduce your risk of hypertension, but you will feel better while you exercise too.

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The 5 Best Exercises To Lose Belly Fat

Getting a slimmer tummy and losing weight takes time and commitment. You have to implement a proper exercise and diet plan. Here five exercise plans to help you lose weight. You cannot expect to do every exercise all in one day, but give each one a go and see which best suits you. The best exercise to lose weight is based on two elements, what actually works and what you enjoy and can stick with.

1. Go Jogging.

The first on our list of the best exercises to lose weight is jogging. It is one of the belly fat exercises that also helps you slim down while keeping your heart rate up and giving your lungs a good work out. For most people, jogging takes them away from the hassle of everyday life, giving them much needed stress relief.

2. Going For A Swim.

Swimming is another great belly busting workout. It keeps your body hydrated and allows you to do many exercises without your body weight holding you back. Swimming is one of the best exercises to lose weight because it is effects several other parts of your body while working your waistline. Swimming helps your lungs to build stamina so that you are able to hold your breath for a longer period and it exercises your arms and legs simultaneously.

3. Resistance Or Strength Training.

Resistance or strength training is often regarded one of the best exercises to lose weight. This is due to the fact that muscles burn more calories, even while they are not working. Women are sometimes not too keen on this type of exercise as they don't want to build big muscles. But you can avoid big biceps if you concentrate on exercising the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest.

4. Zumba.

Attending a zumba class a few times a week can provide the best exercise to burn calories. Zumba is a Latin-based dance exercise session that is fun and easy to follow. Zumba is one of the best exercises to lose weight because in one class, you can burn up to 900-1000 calories! If you are a woman that equates to almost all but 400 calories of your daily diet and all but 700 if you are a man.

5. Cycling.

Riding your bike is another one of the best exercises to lose weight. Riding your bike gives your body a lot of variety. Biking up a hill gives you a hard workout and really makes you push yourself. Biking down a hill gives you the little bit of rest that you need. Biking not only works your abs, but your legs and arms as well. When biking, always be safe; wear a helmet, bring a water bottle and wear reflective clothing.

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Dissolving Phobias With EFT

Phobias Can Be Debilitating

Most people caught in the grip of a phobia feel helpless to change it. They're so afraid of something-spiders, snakes, flying, small spaces, crowds-that they often limit their lives trying to avoid whatever it is that their phobia centers. They often try various therapies in an attempt to control the phobia. But nothing seems to help. Their fears often become more powerful and entrenched over time.

Phobias Come From Past Events

Often, something happened in a person's life that seemed threatening at the time--whether or not it was objectively threatening doesn't matter. Our species learned to survive by paying special attention to what we perceive as threatening and trying to make sure that we're not in danger in that way again. Almost drowning in a flood, for instance, or being on a very bumpy flight and fearing that the plane will crash. Sometimes an event is hooked unconsciously together with a scary time and itself comes to represent threat. For example, many people who lived near the ocean during the tsunami in Japan or during Hurricane Sandy are now afraid of the ocean, even when there's nothing threatening going on. Those are two pretty direct examples of specific events resulting in ongoing phobias. Sometimes it's not so obvious what created a phobia-but through exploration, the cause can be discovered.

EFT Can Help Cure Phobias

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a method that often succeeds in relieving people of their phobias. What they were afraid of, after relatively few sessions with an EFT practitioner, loses its charge and becomes matter-of-fact, just like everything else. A good EFT practitioner will ask questions to get at the source of the phobia. This often involves helping clients describe the fear reaction in detail and then to remember events in the past that feel the same to them. It can be surprising what memories arise.

EFT Tapping

Emotional Freedom Techniques is the official name of what's often called just EFT or EFT Tapping. It involves focusing on a topic-for instance, successive specific parts of phobias, and tapping on acupuncture meridian points. Over time, acupuncture has gained credibility as it has relieved many different conditions. When done correctly, EFT Tapping, which uses the same meridian points, is also often very successful in relieving phobias as well as a number of other problems.

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Helpful Tips for Improving Memory and Focus

Younger and younger people are complaining about memory problems. Many find it difficult to stay focused on anything for more than a few minutes at a time. If you are interested in improving your memory and focus, what can you do? Here are a few helpful tips that you can implement.

Creating the Right Circumstances for Remembering

Let's start with memory. Really the two work hand in hand though. A key to memory is being focused. You need to pay attention to what it is that you want to remember, whether it be a name, a phone number, or a grocery list.

Repetition is another key to memory. Repeating something out loud, writing it down on a calendar or a to-do list, and even telling someone else about what you have to remember are all positive memory aids.

Associations and comparisons are also powerful memory tools. If you learn something new, the best way to remember it is to make a connection with something that you already knew. Compare or contrast your previous beliefs on the subject.

Finally, you can use certain memory aids such as a mind palace, a mnemonic device, or a means of organizing thoughts such as chronologically, alphabetically, or by subject.

Develop the Ability to Focus

Now let's talk focus. One of the biggest problems with focus today is that there is always something to distract us. The TV is on. Our cell phone is buzzing in out pocket. The tablet is chiming that a new message has arrived. Finding time for peace and quiet is vital for focus. A quiet room is best, but noise canceling headphones will do in a pinch. You can try some soothing music such as classical music (which is also good for memory and learning coincidentally).

Often times, lack of sleep is a person's greatest obstacle to focus. Be sure to get a proper night's rest each night. This allows your mind the time it needs to clear out unnecessary stuff. With that done, your brain won't have so much crowding out your thoughts during the day.

Diet and exercise can also have an effect on focus. While it is true that too much exercise can wear a person out and leave them too tired to think straight, a little cardio each day will keep blood flow to the brain at optimal levels. More oxygen means a brain that is running at its best capacity. Also, big meals can make you drowsy and affect focus. Try eating smaller meals more often. Too much sugar can also lead to a loss of focus, especially if your blood sugar spikes and then plummets, both of which are tough on the brain.

In the end, you may find that a combination of these factors are what you will need for improving memory and focus. Implement as many as possible, and see what works for you. Before long, your brain will be working like you've always wanted it

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How to Grow Taller Fast - Tips For Men

Many men wish that they could be just a little taller. It would help make them more attractive and even feel better about themselves. Also not to mention the boost in self confidence. Being short is something that causes a man to have a low confidence level. But being tall changes everything.

There are many ways to grow taller fast. Eating a well balanced diet is a good place to start. Getting the right nutrients and avoiding fats and sugars is always a good idea. Make sure you are eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Ever since childhood our parents have always told us to eat our vegetables and it's because they really do help us a lot. Eating the right amount each day will help make you taller.

Another way to grow taller fast is exercising. Exercising a few times a week will help your body become more flexible and vulnerable again to grow. And know by exercising I don't mean lifting weights but instead doing stretches. Stretches don't take a lot of effort and you won't be sweating at the end of them. A very simple stretch that we all know is touching your toes. Just simply stand up straight then slowly bend down to touch the tip of your toes. It is so easy that you could start right now. By doing this you will be well on your way to getting taller. By following these easy steps you will get to that height you always dreamed of.

There are other natural steps you can take if you want to grow taller, regardless of your age. Doing the wrong thing can actually stunt your growth.

Don't give up on growing taller if you aren't happy with your current height. There are specific methods you can use today that will help you grow 2 - 3 inches taller in the next six weeks.

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How to Get Tall Fast - Amazing Ways to Boost Your Height

We all have a desire to look tall and proportionate all through our life. Looking smart and balanced is our right and we have full freedom to find out different remedies to stand tall and add a few inches more to our natural height. So today after going through thus article you will get a free and complete technique and guidelines to boost your height. Let's go further to know what are the amazing ways to boost your height and make you look stunning and personable?

It's not very easy to make your bones grow after your growth period has passed. You need to carry on special diet and exercise in order to maintain that growth level in your body. Some amazing ways that will surely lead you to get tall are;

A good sleep; actually, a good sleep is very much essential to increase your growth level, as it is said and proven that the hair and muscles grow every night to some extend when we sleep during our sleeping period the human body produces growth hormones, so a proper sleep of 7-8 hours at night is very essential.

Foods that contain calcium, like skimmed milk, eggs and low fat cheese are very essential, which helps in complete development of bones. Calcium is the basic factors responsible to lengthen and build up bones.

Having proteins and fruits are equally important as proteins are known as the building blocks of the body and are responsible to build up muscles and tissues will help in the instant growth of height. And fruits contains citrus juice that produces some tissues that help fight with the micro organism obstructing the growth hormones.

Some wrong eating habits like consumption of coffee, alcohol, and sugar can be responsible to block the growing hormones in the body.

Perform the exercise like jumping, stretching and hanging on a regular basis. Back stretching can lead to give your spine a stretch and enlarge the size of the bones which will make you grow tall. Swimming is another important exercise that can give a stretch to your bones.

These are some very simple but amazing ways to boost your height. You may not realize how quickly these ways result in you getting taller. So enjoy practicing this program and look proportionate forever.

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How To Lose Body Fat - 4 Key Tips

Knowing how to lose body fat is something that will shave a lot of time from your journey to achieve the results you desire. Of course it's going to take some effort on your part to reach your fat loss goals but having a "road map" to attain those goals helps a lot.

In order to have an understanding of how to make the body lose fat, it's important to know how the fat is deposited in the body. Your body needs food to acquire the necessary energy to function and feed its cells. The energy in food that your body needs is commonly referred to as calories. The more calories the food contains the more fuel the body can acquire from it. Your body must first digest the food before it can use the energy in the food. As the level of difficulty in digesting the food increases, the more the number of calories burned also increases.

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are the three categories of fuel that the body uses. This fuel nourishes the body and keeps the body functioning. The calories that are left over end up eventually being stored in the fat cells. Your body uses a part of the food's fuel for nutrition while the excess fuel ends up being stored as fat in the "fat cells" of your body.

Fat cells are often deposited in the chest, hips and the region around your waist. As the cells become bigger, your physique acquires a doughy look. The body has a limited number of fat cells, and there is only so much fat these cells can store. Once the threshold is reached, fat begins to accumulate in the muscle lining of your arms and thighs, creating some relatively unattractive limbs.

Here are four secrets for burning fat:

1 - Eat fat burning foods

2 - Add fat boosters to your diet

3 - Increase water intake

4 - Build muscles

If you focus on these four things, you'll be well on your way to developing a beautiful toned body. The only thing standing in the way of a lean sexy physique is you. Make these fat burning tips a part of your lifestyle and you will see results in a matter of weeks. The right diet plan will show you how to combine the fat burning foods to keep your body melting away the flab. There are countless delicious recipes to make the switch painless. Add a weight lifting exercise regime and you will sculpt your body into an object of desire.

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Requirements To Building Muscle Effectively

Building muscle isn't tough, but it does require time, commitment, and some intelligence for most of us. Some people are naturally muscular, lean, and strong but that doesn't describe me and it probably doesn't describe you since you are reading this.

Here are the three requirements to build muscle effectively: exercise, rest, and nutrition.

The exercise part is the most obvious to people. Resistance exercise does work best, either free weights, exercise machines, rubber exercise bands, or similar. Now you can potentially build muscle with aerobic exercise, for example build big muscular legs through skiing or biking a lot, but that is a side effect of that type of exercise and to build an evenly muscled body you need some type of resistance exercise program. Now it just might be that you work construction or do other work that involves physical labor and get your exercise that way, but that is not most of us. Most of us have fairly sedentary jobs.

Of the options available to most of us, free weights certainly work best. Although machines etc. have their place and you can even use them exclusively, you will see the most benefits the fastest from free weights. Make sure you have someone show you the ropes: a personal trainer, a gym employee, etc. and be careful to avoid poor form as injuries are more likely then.

Also of course get a medical doctors okay before starting any exercise program! This is critical.

Rest is also important. Did you know that muscles do not grow when you exercise, but when they are recovering during rest periods between workouts? It is common for beginners (and others) to be too "gung ho" and over train. Severe soreness, lethargy, and moodiness can be symptoms of overtraining. Some soreness is certainly OK, and you will learn to tell "good" soreness and "bad" soreness apart quickly.

You need to make sure you do not work each body part too often per week, too hard at each workout, and that you get adequate sleep. I find that I need more sleep when I have extra heavy workouts. Also factor in other exercise you may get, including sports and aerobic exercises.

Nutrition is critical! As the saying goes, you cannot out train a bad diet! Protein requirements are perhaps the most obvious as they go up, but general healthy eating and nutrition is even more important when building muscle.

Learning to cook can help enormously with nutrition. Basic cooking skills are simple, and when you control the ingredients, you know exactly what you are eating. I always suggest people start with a healthy recipe or two they enjoy and then expand their cooking. Basic healthy cooking is very easy, and fun!

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What Are The Pros and Cons of Creatine

There is no doubt in making the remark that creatine is the most popular supplement when it comes to gaining weight. And there are also some feelings that go against the good reputation of creatine. So, a little insight answers and more scientific answers to some questions would certainly help to understand the pros and cons of creatine.

What science says about creatine?

Creatine falls under the category of amino-acid type compounds. Human body produces creatine naturally. What science says is that half of the creatine that is needed for our body is created from the amino-acid of the body. Then what is about the other half? The other half comes from the food we eat. Fish and red meat abounds in creatine. Liver & Kidneys help to produce the creatine for the body. Blood is the medium through which creatine reaches to the muscles. Creatine supplement could be regarded as something like iron supplement or protein supplement.

Can creatine really increase strength?

If you are one of them who think that you would take creatine and the strength will increase, probably you are not right. You need to know a bit more to get a clear conception of creatine. Our muscles consist of two types of fibers. Type I is slow and type II is fast. Type I is filled with adenosine triphosphate. Adenosine triphosphate is fueled by Oxygen resulting in increased endurance of the body. The type II is the type which is influenced by creatine. The type II creatine increases the strength of the body and the more the exercises, the more strength is achieved. So, if a proper routine is followed and regular exercises are made along with taking creatine, it would certainly increase the rate of your strength improvement.

Does creatine cause kidney and liver problems?

It is true that there has been a lot of rumors going on about creatine that it damages liver and kidney. It could be declared boldly from the scientific point of view that creatine is not responsible for damaging kidney and liver. Yes, the word 'rumor' should be taken into consideration here. Because all the claims that had aroused were totally baseless and no real case came in front of us. However, as too much water retention takes place while taking creatine, the lack of water might arouse as an issue. This could be regarded as one of the cons of creatine. But this is not a problem at all if you drink a good amount of water. There are people who drinks soft drinks more and less water. These kinds of cases could also be deleterious to health. It is not a big deal but drinking water has to be increased. There are some people who think creatine is just like drugs. But this is a baseless claim and in no way it is acceptable that creatine is compared with drugs.

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Peripheral Neuropathy and Diabetic Foot Ulcers

What is peripheral neuropathy?

One of the major complications associated with diabetes is peripheral neuropathy. This process of nerve damage gradually takes place after many years of having diabetes and uncontrolled blood sugar. The condition affects the sensory, motor, and autonomic nerves of the body. Muscle strength and balance are diminished with motor neuropathies. While autonomic neuropathies manifest as loss of hair and disfunctioning sweat glands in the lower extremity and can present as erectile dysfunction in very advanced cases. Sensory deficits, which include numbness, tingling or even pain, are often the first symptoms to develop. Many people that are developing the condition may not notice the gradual onset of symptoms. Diabetics may be unaware of of these gradual changes until their doctor informs them that they have the condition. Some may experience shooting pains in their feet that become worse at night, making it difficult to sleep.

Lack of sensation in the lower extremity can be very dangerous because it increases the risk of developing sores, open wounds and ulcers on the feet. If the wound becomes infected, there is a likelihood that the infection can spread and amputation of the affected limb may be necessary if it is not treated soon enough. Losing a limb becomes a large burden for patients in their daily activities and adds additional costs to their medical care. Because of this, it is recommended that a comprehensive foot exam be performed annually in all diabetics.

Muscle weakening associated with motor neuropathy acts as an added detriment because it can lead to development of foot deformities, such as hammertoes, bunions or limitation of motion in joints of the lower extremity. These defomities may rub on shoe gear and cause skin breakdown. Coupled with a numb foot, these deformities increase the patient's risk of developing foot wounds.

Foot exam The physical exam involves a thorough review of the skin health, blood supply, nerves and muscle strength of the lower extremity. The skin is assessed for hair growth, any discoloration and wounds. Diabetics have an increased risk of developing poor blood supply also known as peripheral vascular disease. This in turn greatly increases their risk of acquiring a dangerous infection and non-heeling wounds of the feet. The neurological portion of the exam involves measuring the patient's ability to feel a small flexible fiber under their feet with their eyes closed. Additional testing evaluates their ability to detect vibratory sensation. Patients that develop peripheral neuropathy may not be able to tell the doctor when the bottom of their feet is touched with a monofilament. These patients are at an increased risk of developing unnoticed foot wounds.

Diabetic foot wounds - how are they treated? Repetitive trauma to the foot leads to development of a hard callus, which increases pressure on the foot when the patient walks. The person with a numb foot continues to exert pressure on the callus, which forms a deeper wound that can subsequently lead to infection. An ulcer develops when a break of the skin occurs. The depth of the wound plays a large role in how serious the infection can be and how it can be managed. A rim of callus usually surrounds the wound. Once the wound becomes infected, the foot may become red, leak fluid, and may have a foul smell. As the infection progresses, thick yellow fluid can leak from the wound. It is important that callus and any wound is medically evaluated and appropriate medical treatment is started as soon as possible. Initial treatment involves debriding the wound to remove any dead tissue covering in order to expose the underlying healthy tissue in the wound. Any callus that surrounds the wound is also removed. A culture is obtained to find out which bacteria are involved with the infection so that appropriate medical therapy with antibiotics can be initiated. Negative pressure wound therapy a small vacuum placed over the wound can be used in some cases to quicken the healing process. Some of these infected ulcers may require intervenous antibiotics and hospitalization.

In addition to antibiotics and debridement pressure from the shoe and the ground must be reduced or eliminated to allow the wound to heal. Offloading pressure from the wound sight is accomplished in many ways. Sometimes a wheelchair or crutches are needed to completely remove weight from the foot. An orthotic or shoe insert with cutout areas under the wound can reduce pressure from causing additional damage. There are also many other ankle-foot braces and cast that remove pressure from the foot. One of these braces is the Bledso Boot. This boot has a layer of auto-molding foam in the foot bed, which reduces pressure on the wound. It also prevents movement at the ankle therefore reducing friction that can cause tissue breakdown. Another type of device made to eliminate pressure from the bottom of the foot is called the Toad Brace. This apparatus is molded to fit and grip around the top of the lower leg and the knee. This construct floats the foot off the ground and completely offloads the bottom of the foot. After the wound heals it will be necessary to use an offloading orthotic and a shoe designed to fit this inner sole.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, it is important to check your feet daily for wounds. Areas of your feet that receive high pressure may develop calluses, which increase the risk of a wound forming in that area. Seek help early from your doctor so that a proper treatment regimen can be started. A wound that is deep and does not heal leads to further complications, such as bone or systemic infection. Disregard for the condition of your feet, especially if you are diabetic, can lead to loss of a limb.

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How To Come Up With A Home Exercise Program That Will Keep You Fit

Almost everyone understands the importance of working out on a regular basis, even without enrolling in a gym. Remaining active and burning the excess fat in the body goes a long way to keep people healthy and to improve their self-esteem, since most people who are overweight are prone to life threatening complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

Most people who are overweight go around feeling bad about how they look, assuming that everyone around them is talking about their excess weight and calling them 'fat' behind their backs, a situation that is sure to affect their esteem.

Here is a way to make sure that you keep your weight in check, even without going to the gym, and you never have to worry about the issues highlighted above.

Coming up with a home exercise program

This is one of the best solutions for people who do not have the time or the money to go to the gym for a workout. To some people, coming up with such a program might seem like a huge task, while indeed it is not. Such a program will help to keep an individual active and fit, and the only cost that he or she will have to incur is time. Here is a simple breakdown of things to include in a home exercise program:

• Push-ups

These are very easy to do, and as the name suggests, all that one needs to do is lay face first, flat on the ground or on a workout mat, and place the palms next to the body on the ground next to the chest, and then push up. These exercises help to work out the chest and the triceps muscles, and doing several, sets of repetitions with one-minute breaks between each set will help to keep you fit.

• Pull-ups

For these exercises, you will need a pull up bar, one that you can use to pull yourself up and down slowly, with sets of 3 pull-ups which you can repeat as many times as possible. These pull-ups help to build the back and the biceps muscles, which will of course help you keep your weight in check.

• The legs and the abs

For the legs, lunges are the best way out, where an individual can begin even without having weights, and after a while, adding weights on the shoulders will help to burn fat around the legs as well as to build some muscles. Sit-ups are very effective for abs, since an individual would only need to lie on his or her back, keep his or her legs straight, and then try to sit up as many times as possible. Sit-ups get rid of fat around the stomach and keep an individual's weight in check.

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My Secret to Losing Weight: Neuromuscular Stimulation

It is no secret that most overweight people hate exercise. I get it. That was me once and it is part of the reason that week one of my Love Your Weight Loss program only asks you to get up and do something, anything as long as it is activity.

However, there is actually a science behind the simplicity of this edict. Not only do I want my clients to take control of their lives and their journey through choice, there is a clear reason why doing something, not everything, works the best.

This theory relates to the physiology of exercise, how it stimulates your body, and how your body, in turn, reacts to that stimulation. The basic premise: as long as simulation is provided, the body reacts and losing weight begins.

This is especially important for people unaccustomed to exercise. Inactivity causes the pathways between your brain and your muscles to actually 'switch off', a phenomenon known as 'lazy muscle syndrome'. Once you begin to exercise again, the switch is flipped back onto the 'on' position, but it takes time for the pathways to clear.

I like to use the analogy of a bush track for this. Just as an unused track begins to grow over with grass, so do your neuromuscular pathways. Once you begin to drive through a track again, it takes a few trips to clearly define the tyre tracks. So, too, must you repeat an action several times before establishing a clear neuromuscular link. This explains why new exercisers often find that they only get an exercise 'right' on the last rep of a set.

My term for this phenomenon is neuromuscular stimulation and I see it as a central tenant of my Love Your Weight Loss philosophy. The idea is that by constantly adding stimulation to your muscles through a varied exercise routine we not only forge new paths but keep the process interesting and new.

I 'discovered' this phenomenon through my own weight loss journey quite accidentally. Since I hated the idea of exercise, especially the boring bits of doing the same routine day in and day out, I constantly swapped things around. As a result I lost about 1.5 kg a week for 33 weeks straight. It was only later that I discovered the scientific reason behind not only the weight loss success but the absence of loose skin as a result of that loss.

But don't take my word for it. This idea of constant change is actually at the heart of the Cross Fit experience. Using a whole-body philosophy that focuses on seemingly random exercises and movement, Cross Fit has revolutionised the way people work out. And, while I do not advocate the 'go hard or go home' intensity of this program, nor the tendency for lasting physical injury related to it, I do agree with its core principles of exercise variation.

And that's it in a nutshell. The concept of doing something, anything as long as it's activity takes advantage of your body's natural tendency to adapt to change quickly. However, the 'step up' approach to exercise I take in LYWL (whereby clients start slow and gradually increase their activity) is proven just as effective as 'go hard' methods and far less dangerous, especially since it utilises the same core philosophy of varied neuromuscular stimulation.

There's good news and bad news, though. Unfortunately, the time it takes for women to create these pathways is longer than men. That's why men lose weight so much faster than women. On the flip side, no matter who you are varied stimulation is the best way to lose weight. What's more, through a varied approach to exercise, you eliminate the boredom factor of your routine and increase your long term chances of success.

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Protect the Health of Your Family Through Food

There are many choices your family makes that won't be left up to you. Every time they take a risk or choose something unhealthy, it may not be under your control. Think for a minute about spinach muffins making headlines because they looked so good; in fact, a true story the muffins were loved until the word spinach was mentioned. Seriously, healthy does not mean the food has to be unappealing or taste bad.

If you're the one who does the shopping and cooking in your family, then you can help your family achieve better health. Recently, there have been many books that teach moms and dads how to "sneak" healthy ingredients into meals, like blended vegetables going into brownies, for instance.

What's going to happen as your kids get older? They'll just reach for a brownie - because they're not being led in how to make healthier options. The problem for most families occurs when one member (usually the one who shops and cooks) declares some sort of health-fest for the family, resulting in groans and backlash.

Instead of making this a punishment, help your family make smaller tweaks to their diet that build up into lifetime better nutritional habits. For example, instead of having a platter of brownies on the counter, have a bowl of fresh, organic fruit.

If your kids want something fun, then find ways to make it fun, like creating a shish kabob with fresh fruit that they can dip into Greek yogurt, filled with probiotics. Or use special fruit-cutting tools to make shapes.

If your kids are used to eating a favorite meal, but you think it's unhealthy, look for ways to improve the health of the meal instead of throwing it out for good permanently.

For example, if they love it when you make fried chicken, mashed potatoes and rolls, just make some basic swaps. Take the skin off the chicken add red and green pepper rings on top, drizzle it in olive oil and bake. Make it fun for the kids now it is Christmas tree chicken.

For the mashed potatoes, try sweet potatoes or red potatoes with skin instead. Or bake potatoes and vegetables with the chicken with some spices and herbs.

If rolls or any type of bread are a mainstay at your dinner table, switch to rolls made with whole grains. It's best if you bake it from scratch - a bread maker can even do the job for you!

And add more to your meals, too. Add leafy greens to the mix so that your kids learn to enjoy the right kinds of vegetables. Sauté them in a little drizzle of olive oil and garlic and let the kids enjoy the flavor.

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Bionic Teeth

The practice of using implants to replace missing teeth is catching on quickly. The growing popularity of this procedure is due to all of media cover implants have received over the last few years. Most of the patients I see seem to have some understanding of the use of implants and their benefits. It is probably the most important advancement in dentistry in the last twenty years, and still improving daily.

The most remarkable improvements are in the ease of placement and the predictability of patient outcome, which has been the major influence behind the movement of this procedure from the oral surgeon's office to general dentist's practice. Patients cautiously nod when I tell them that placing an implant is usually easier than removing a tooth- from both the dentist and patient's perspective. But in spite the patient's doubts about this statement almost every time the patient reports that they had very little pain afterwards, often needing no pain medication.

As the word spreads and people become better informed about implant, this procedure will become an even more popular. I have had several patients ask to have their fixed bridges replaced with implants, and other patients asking to forego the traditional root canal and crown procedures and just remove the tooth and place an implant (and many well-respected dentists are proposing this as well). Patients with dentures are having implants done more frequently as the procedure becomes more affordable.

I won't get into the technical aspects of implants in this column because there is plenty of information about the procedures on the internet. Basically, a small titanium cylinder is placed into the area and allowed to fuse with the bone over several months. In some instances there is no need to wait and the restoration can be immediately placed, these one day implants will be discussed at another time. The restoration of an implant after it has fuses with the bone is even less complicated than traditional crowns-and it involves NO DRILLING!

If you are not familiar with implants, you should learn more about them. Your general dentist can explain all of the pros and cons for your individual situation. Most dentists who do dental surgery are capable of placing implants, but it requires a large investment in equipment, supplies, and education. If your dentist does not place implants, they will be able to refer you to someone who does.

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