How To Lose Weight Healthily?

Many health issues, including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, Type-2 diabetes and even certain types of cancer, could just happen to a person who is overweight or obese.

According to 2011-2012 statistics provided by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), there are 69 percent of American adults who age 20 years and over are overweight (including obesity). Meanwhile, the estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States was US$147 billion in 2008 and the medical costs for people who are obese were US$1,429 higher than those of normal weight.

Certainly, people should avoid becoming overweight or obese if they want to be healthy. That is why most people will try to get rid of the extra pounds around their waist whenever they know they are overweight. Sadly, not too many overweight people can actually do so, even after spending lots of money in weight loss programs.

One should know that while promising to quick weight loss is often attractive, the effect does not last. More importantly, losing too much weight too quick is not good for the health. Healthy weight loss should not exceed 0.5 kg to 1 kg a week. For most people, the initial weight-loss target should be set to lose 10 percent from the baseline body weight over a period of about 4 to 6 months.

Losing weight requires not only determination but also appropriate plan. The following tips might help one to set up a feasible plan to lose weight healthily.

First of all, all meals and snacks should be planned so as one does not feel hungry most of the time. To do so, he or she should snack on low-calorie drinks, consume fruit and raw vegetables like carrot sticks. Switching to brown rice or eating more servings of vegetables and fruits during meals can help slow down digestion and absorption, which can always feel full for a longer period of time.

Then, drinking enough water is essential because hydration is important in optimizing the body's metabolic rate and its energy expenditure. The average recommended daily water intake should be between 8 and 10 glasses of 250 ml each.

Alcohol should be avoided at all time. Alcoholic drinks are high in calories and the drinks also suppress fatty acid oxidation, the process by which fatty acids are broken down by various tissues to produce energy.

It is important that one should never skip breakfast. When one does not eat breakfast, his or her body goes into starvation mode and tries to protect itself by conserving energy. This will not make the body's metabolism to be at an optimal rate. People will tend to snack before lunch or overeat during the next meal. In fact, all 3 meals of the day should not be missed. Remember this, a successful weight-loss program should minimize hunger and fatigue.

Heart Disease Prevention - Why One Should Be Active To Prevent Heart Disease?

Undoubtedly, a healthy lifestyle that can help prevent people from developing these chronic diseases should consist of having a healthy diet and regular physical exercises, in additional to not smoking and drinking. But a recent study argued that… Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Why One Should Be Active To Prevent Heart Disease?

How To Save A Cardiac Arrest Victim?

Each year, there are between 300,000 and 400,000 deaths in the United States from cardiac arrest. Most cardiac arrest deaths occur outside the hospital. The current out-of-hospital survival rates are very low: between 1 and 5 percent.

Cardiac arrest usually occurs when the heart's electrical activity becomes disrupted and the heartbeat gets dangerously fast (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation). As a result, irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) occurs and the heart stops beating effectively and cannot adequately pump blood. But if an electric shock from an AED can be delivered in time across the chest and through the heart, the fatal rhythm of ventricular fibrillation can be turned back to a normal rhythm.

An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a device that can be attached to a person’s chest. It can sense the heart's rhythm during cardiac arrest and in some cases, deliver an electric shock to get the heart beating again. The device, when used together with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) by trained persons offers the best chance of survival for a person who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. CPR can keep some blood flowing to the heart and brain for a short time.

People who has a cardiac arrest will suddenly lose consciousness. So when one sees someone pass out, the first thing he or she should do is to check whether the victim is unconscious and not breathing. Once confirmed the victim is unresponsive, an ambulance should be called immediately and an AED should be secured right away. AEDs are now commonly available in many public places including the shopping malls, office buildings, sports arenas, golf courses, schools, and airports and airplanes.

CPR should then be started on the victim until the AED arrives. Once the device is switched on, voice prompts will advise what to do. Sweat, if any, should be wiped from the chest of the victim before attaching the electrode pads to the bare chest. The first pad should be placed on the victim's upper right side, just below the collarbone, while the second pad is placed just below and to the left of the left nipple. The device will advise if shock is advised. If shock is required, the helper should make sure no one is touching the victim before pressing the button. The helper should continue to follow the voice prompts until the ambulance arrives.

Nevertheless, one should note that an AED can only for certain types of cardiac arrest that involves specific types of heart fibrillation, and it will not revive everyone in cardiac arrest.

Heart Disease Prevention - Can Sleep Deprivation Cause Heart Disease And Stroke?

Lack of sleep can make one feel tired, forgetful and sometimes even grumpy. People who have inadequate sleep might not be able to make sound judgment and are prone to causing accidents on the road or at their work places. Long period of sleep deprivation may lead to depression and weight gain, too. That is not all… Read the full article @

Heart Disease Prevention - Can Sleep Deprivation Cause Heart Disease And Stroke?

Why Is Onion Skin Good For Health?

Being a vegetable, onion is an indispensable ingredient in cooking as it adds a baseline of sweet and earthy flavor, and contributes a spicy accent when served raw. But onion can be useful in other aspects, too. 

Historically, onion has been used as a preventative medicine during epidemics of cholera and the plague. It contains chromium that helps regulate blood sugar and phytochemicals that improve the working of Vitamin C in the body for improved immunity. Raw onion also encourages the production of good cholesterol (HDL) for heart disease prevention.

People might wonder why there is a low incidence of heart disease among the French, who favor relatively high-calorie diet. While some has often attributed the phenomenon to the antioxidants in the red wine they often consume, others suspect that onions, which are very popular in French cuisine, might play a role.

The skins are usually peeled and thrown away before use. But for years, onion skins have been used to create a natural dye. People have been dying Easter eggs purple using red onion skins. Onion skins can also be utilized to dye all sorts of things including cotton and paper. Moreover, onion skins can be a good ingredient in making all sorts of soup stocks or bases.

Recent research even confirms that the outer skins of onions provide an exceptionally rich source of quercetin. Quercetin, which is a flavonoid, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Quercetin is under study as an agent for lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol and blood pressure, fighting allergies, reducing inflammation, enhancing muscle growth and function, treating depression, some forms of cancer, and other conditions.

Sulfur in onion skin can also lower the accumulation of platelets, and improve cardiovascular functioning and blood flow. It controls cholesterol and blood pressure, too.

As a matter of fact, skins of many produces are good for the health. According to scientists, plants have to manufacture what they need to protect and heal themselves because they cannot move around. The compounds they produce to respond to stress would actually help human under similar circumstances. Many of these protective compounds are in the outer coverings, say skins, where most environmental attacks would likely occur.

Onions, on an ounce-for-ounce basis, rank in the top 10 of commonly eaten vegetables in their quercetin content. The flavonoid content of onions can vary widely, depending on the exact variety and growing conditions. The average onion is likely to contain less than 100 milligrams of quercetin per 3-1/2 ounces, but some onions do provide this amount. 

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Complications can arise from hole in heart. For those with VSD, a large defect can result in heart failure, failure to gain weight, recurrent respiratory infections and damage to the blood vessels in the lung. ASD, on the other hand, can lead to right heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, pulmonary hypertension (increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries). There is also a risk of infection of the heart. Find out more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Would Hole In The Heart Cause Heart Attack And Stroke?