4 Tips for Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss

By Jason P Doherty

For nine months, you had a very good reason to indulge in comfort foods. You were carrying a child. You had intense cravings with a healthy dose of mood swings, so there wasn't much choice but to give your body what it demanded. Unfortunately, the baby has now been born and you are looking in the mirror at a body that doesn't look anything like your own. You need to take off the baby weight as quickly as possible.

The bad news is that it does take some time to transform your body so you recognize it again. The good news is that the following five tips will help you do it.

1. Give yourself time to recovery from the trauma of delivery before you start.

You may be startled by how your body looks right after having the baby, and that is understandably enough to make you eager to lose weight. Yet, you have to remember that your body will take about a month to fully recover from the trauma of having the baby. Your uterus is swollen up after having a baby, but over the first couple of weeks it will go back down to normal size. During the first month you will lose a lot of stored fluids and may see up to ten pounds gone within a month, without even trying much.

If you have gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy, you won't get rid of it all through swelling and fluids. You will need to take action to get your body back, but give your body time to heal first. This way, you don't set yourself back with an injury.

2. If you are breastfeeding, focus on clean eating rather than restricted eating.

Breastfeeding is actually great for your weight loss as it burns extra calories every day. Yet, you have to be careful with restricting calories or consuming diet foods, since you are passing everything into your baby through your milk. You can still focus on losing weight, but the focus must be on eating very clean, natural foods rich with nutrients. These foods are excellent for your baby, but they are also naturally low in calories, which is great for your weight loss progress.

3. Don't fall into the fast food trap.

It is stressful when you are sleep deprived, have a baby to care for, and need to make your own meals. This is where too many new moms slip into the trap of eating convenience foods that are loaded with sugars and fats. Start making foods in bulk on one day a week. Freeze them in single serving portions so you always have something healthy and fast.

4. Exercise with the baby.

It is going to be difficult to find time to exercise if you work around the baby's schedule, so you will have to exercise with the baby instead. Hold them in your arms and walk circles around your house until they fall asleep. Do squats and twists while singing to them. Hold the side of the crib to do leg raises and squats. Do push-ups with the baby under your chest, touching them with your nose or lips as you come down.

Or, just put the baby in a stroller and walk the mall or the neighborhood. As the baby gets older and you are cleared by a doctor, a jogging stroller may be in order as well.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_P_Doherty

High Blood Pressure & Heart Disease

The blood is pumped into the arteries by the heart and transported to other parts of the body. When the heart beats, the force inside the arteries which pumps the blood is called blood pressure. If blood pressure increases too much and exceeds the limit, it causes complications and lead to heart problems.

In other words, blood pressure can be defined as the force of the blood that pushes through the arteries while passing through the body. Every time the heart beats, the blood is pumped into the arteries. When the blood pressure increases, it means that the pressure in the arteries is above normal that is also called hypertension.
Causes of High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease

Constant high blood pressure can lead to heart diseases. High blood pressure can be caused by either poor eating habits or lack of physical activity leading to high cholesterol level, blockage of arteries and enlargement of the heart.

High blood pressure and heart diseases need to be addressed immediately. Only if these conditions are taken care of on time, a patient can avoid further complications. Otherwise they can prove fatal and life threatening.
Facts about High Blood Pressure and Heart Diseases
High blood pressure is one of the main causes of heart diseases. Coronary artery disease is the build up of the fatty matter in the walls of the arteries and it causes the arteries to narrow and passage of blood is blocked or limited.
It can give rise to the formation of clots in the blood thus leading to heart attack.
People with high blood pressure are more likely to have heart diseases as the extra pressure of the blood puts force against the arteries, with time this force can damage the arteries.
Damaged arteries are unable to provide the required amount of oxygen to other parts of the body and thus when the blood reaches the heart late; it may lead to different problems.
Measuring Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is recorded as:
Systolic Blood Pressure

It is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and fills the arteries with blood.
Diastolic Blood Pressure

It is the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between the beatings.

For a normal adult, blood pressure should be less than 120/80 mmHg. A systolic pressure between 120-139 and a diastolic pressure between 80-89 mmHg is considered as high and needs to be closely checked. Hypertension can be dangerous because if it persists, it can lead to heart diseases.
Preventing High Blood Pressure

It is possible to avoid high blood pressure by making some healthy changes to your diet and living an active life. Some of the tips for preventing high blood pressure include:
Low salt intake in meals
Low cholesterol and low fat foods
Use of vegetables and whole grains like rice, pasta, bread and cereals
Increased use of poultry and fish while reduction in intake of red meat as it contains more salts and cholesterol
Use of aspirin and any other anticoagulant medicine to keep a steady flow of blood and avoid blood clotting that could cause high blood pressure
Remaining stress free

All these tips can help you in preventing high blood pressure and in turn heart diseases. High blood pressure and heart diseases are connected in such a way that one disease can lead to another causing further complications. Thus, it is advised that you take proper measures to keep your blood pressure normal.
Article source http://www.always-health.com/heartdisease_highblood_pressure.html

Which Milk Is Best for Weight Loss?

eBy  Cara Harbstreet

Milk can be a great addition to your diet if your goal is to lose weight. However, there are so many options these days that it can be tricky to determine which version of this beverage can benefit you the most. Here are some pros and cons to help you sort out which dairy delight is best for you.

Cow's Milk

PRO: There's no denying that this version provides the most protein and calcium of all milks. It's also wonderful because there are several varieties - whole, 2%, 1%, and skim (nonfat) - that you can incorporate into your diet. The only difference between them is the fat, and thus calorie, content. The carbohydrate, protein, calcium, and vitamin contents are not affected.

CON: Milk contains the simple sugar lactose, which makes it a poor choice for those suffering from lactose-intolerance. When one lacks the necessary enzyme to break down lactose, gastrointestinal distress can result - this is quite prevalent among American adults, so if this is an issue for you, it is probably best to find versions that have already been treated for lactose (Lactaid).

Soy Milk

PRO: Soy milk is still a good source of protein and calcium, although it does not contain as much as cow's milk. It is also free of saturated fat and is low in calories. Since soy milk does not contain lactose, it's a great option for people with lactose-intolerance and there are now many flavors on the market to meet your individual tastes.

CON: There is some preliminary research that exists that suggests that soy may play a role in the development of certain types of breast cancer due to the way it acts as a hormone in breast cells. However, additional research is needed to draw any conclusions. Also, some people experience soy allergies so they should avoid soy milk and other soy products.

Almond or Rice Milk

PRO: These types of milk are becoming more popular - once found only in health stores, you can now track them down at nearly any grocery store. They have about the same fat content as dairy milk, with a rich and nutty flavor. This makes them a good alternative to those with sensitivities to dairy and soy, and these days, there are more flavors and brands to choose from.

CON: There is very little protein in almond milk - only about 1 gram per cup, rather than the 7 or 8 grams in other types, and rice milk does not fare much better in this department. Those with nut allergies cannot consume almond milk, and the B-complex vitamins that are present in dairy milk are absent as well. Rice milk also lacks vitamins A and C, making it a poor choice if you are opting to drink it for a nutritional boost.

Organic or Raw Milk

PRO: Raw milk is unpasteurized milk from cows, goats, or sheep, and organic milk is produced without growth hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. Supporters of these varieties claim that it is a whole food from nature, which makes it a good choice for those concerned about the environment or animal rights.

CON: Nutritionally, there are no added benefits to drinking raw or organic milk - the nutrient composition is no different than regular dairy varieties. The raw milk, due to the fact that it is unpasteurized, may contain bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli, which makes it risky for everyone, but especially for children or those with weakened immune systems. Raw and organic milks also tend to be much more expensive than other types of milk.

In conclusion, there are many factors that can play into your decision about which dairy product you choose to use. While it may seem that these subtle differences may not have a significant effect on your overall healthy lifestyle, it's important to remember that replacing other sugary beverages with more healthful options may be the key to keeping your weight loss diet on track. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different things to find out what you enjoy!

Cara Harbstreet is a Nutritionist at Camp Shane, the world's leading and longest-running weight loss camp for children and teens, with locations in New York, Arizona, and California.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cara_Harbstreet

Making a Huge Life-Saving Health and Nutrition Discovery - On Vacation Yet!

By  Terry Kent
Here it is 4:30 am and I'm writing this article for you to read. But why? you might ask. Here's my lame answer - because I care about you! Well, it's true. So, we don't know each other - but in a way we do.

We both have common histories sprinkled with hopes and dreams, work and fun, struggles, successes, failures, and we both desire to live a full and healthy life. And we care about our loved ones, and want the best for them. That's all true, right? Then, why shouldn't we care about each other?

And even though we don't know each other personally, we're both in the same boat - we want to be healthy and keep from getting these crazy diseases that are becoming epidemic all around us - you know Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, and a bunch of auto-immune diseases like Arthritis, Lupus, and Crohn's, and on and on.

Yes, I really do care about you and I want the best for you. And even better, I think I can be of help - when it comes to these diseases. How, you may be thinking? Well, I've discovered some unbelievable health and survival news that you just have to know about. And I get up at 4:30 most mornings to do that - I hope you know it's pretty important.

Here's the skinny. Last Christmas while on vacation with my wife at my brother's home in Kona, Hawaii, my brother Dennis and his wife shared some phenomenal news with me and my wife, Diane - so life-changing in fact that since we heard it, our health and our lives have gotten better and better - so much better!

The news he shared was in the form of a video - called Eating. We all watched it together. It's all about the direct cause-effect relationship between what we eat and the condition of our health. It explained how when we habitually eat certain foods, foods that overwhelm our bodies immune systems, we develop diseases slowly over a period of years, diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

But, it explained, if we eat the right foods that strengthen our immune system, most of the time our bodies can block the diseases and we never get sick at all. In fact, we can live an incredible disease-free, robust life into our 90's and longer. And the video documented why and how it all happens, with scientific explanations and scores of testimonials from people who had horrible diseases and who reversed them and beat them by changing what they ate. It made 1000% sense.

As I watched the video - you have to see it - I was amazed at what I was seeing and learning about the cause of these diseases, and how they are NOT caused by some mysterious evil genie that overwhelms our bodies from the outside.

And the implications were exciting. The DVD made it clear that I was already creating my own health without knowing it, and I could see how and why it happens. And I could see that I had this astounding power in my own hands to create my own health and prevent and eliminate disease. My life is literally under my control. A commitment was born in me that day to become an expert in this, and to share this powerful information far and wide, and this commitment, and a lot of early morning work, has grown into a life mission for me.

After watching the DVD, I kept asking myself, why haven't I heard this information before? I have always been kind of a health nut. I started researching over 20 years ago when I read Know Your Nutrition. But, why haven't I found this information before? Why in all my reading hasn't someone told me this?

But a bigger question was how come we haven't heard this information from the medical community, and if they really wanted to end cancer and heart disease, why weren't they shouting it from the rooftops. This information could end most disease.

The answer became apparent the more I thought about it. They don't want us to know it, because it's not in their self-interest. If we all got well we wouldn't need them. Their business seems to be perpetuating disease, by selling us stuff that costs us an arm and a leg, but just keeps us sick and getting sicker. But we don't have time for that discussion here.

The really, really sad thing is they haven't told us, and I believe they never will tell us. Personally, I think it's criminal. Think of all the people who have lived in fear and pain and died way to soon, so needlessly. My list of family and friends gets longer every year.

So I get up at 4:30 am to research painstakingly, and write articles and books, and create videos, all for the purpose of passing this great news on to you and thousands of others like us.

You may have heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis, or one of the over 100 auto-immune diseases. I Hope not! But if you do, this is great, great news for you. Research shows conclusively that these are all caused by eating the Standard American Diet (the SAD diet). If you don't have any of them yet, you will, if you eat what over 90% of Americans eat. If this is your diet, one or more of these diseases are already growing in you. They grow slowly and silently for years until finally their deadly symptoms stare you in the face.

And your parents, children, friends, associates, will get these diseases too, if they eat the SAD diet. This information could save their health and lives as well.

I've wanted to share this vital information with you. I have over 5000 important articles and videos on eating, nutrition, all the diseases, recipes, etc. on my website. Most of it is free. This is a life mission, not a business.

And now you have a mission - to learn how you can prevent and reverse these diseases for yourself and your loved ones, and to pass this great news on. You can now be a life-saver and a health-giver! God speed!

To your Incredible Health,

Terry "Up at 4:30 am to help us all get the truth out - Incredible health For All" Kent,

Founder and Host of The Health and Nutrition Center

For a short preview of the Eating video I watched, click here now: http://thehealthandnutritioncenter.com/eating-preview/. The author,Terry Kent, BA, MT, CPBN, is a popular Health and Nutrition blogger, author, video producer, and speaker.

He is an expert health and nutrition researcher and independent voice and consumer advocate. He has no direct ties to the health care establishment and is free to write and speak the truth as he researches it. He has taught many people how to reverse their Cancer, Heart Disease, and Diabetes by simply changing what they eat, and he is working tirelessly to teach the miraculous healing powers of a plant-based diet.

You can access his videos, special reports, and newsletter articles on how to build super immune strength, how to lose weight naturally without fad diets, and how to reverse, prevent, and heal regenerative diseases by clicking here: http://thehealthandnutritioncenter.com/eating-preview/. To submit questions for me, or submit a text or video testimonials of your own disease reversal, email me at terrykentdotcom@gmail.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Kent