Obesity plays an important part in the overall health of an individual. A person is considered overweight or obese based on his BMI (Body Mass Index). The BMI is calculated by dividing the weight of an individual by the square of the height (kgs/m2). As per the World Health Organization (WHO),

* A person with a BMI of 25 is overweight and
* An individual with a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.

These numbers and indexes should be treated as indicative since the level of fat, weight of the bones and muscle in all adults can vary on the basis of sex, race and environment.

Given that obesity is a serious concern among kids and teens, the WHO is also delving on the issue of developing a growth reference index for children and adolescents.

Obesity is a major health risk, which is directly proportionate to the BMI of a person. It is a major cause for heart disease and stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis and some types of cancers.  Read more...

Exercise can be fun but many people don’t know that. The best exercise is the one that you will continue to do long after you have reached your goals. Cycling may be that exercise for you.

Obesity is an epidemic in the world today. Far too many men, women and children are sedentary. They don’t get enough exercise and that leads to many disease processes taking over their lives. The world needs to get back on its feet and back into shape.

Cycling is an exercise that is beneficial for all age groups. Most people learn to ride a bike as kids, but you can learn at any age. It requires balance and an adventurous spirit.

It seems too good to be true, but the best exercises are often the simplest. You don’t have to invest in all of the infomercial products, just a bicycle that is adjusted to your height and fits your size. Don’t forget your helmets and comfortable gel seat pads for long rides.  Read more...

On this page you will find the following popular Alternative Medicine:  Read more...

• Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2nd Edition)
• Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using the Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine (Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine)
• Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
• ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE – An introduction to Holistic and Integrative Therapies
• Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, Updated and Expanded
• The American Holistic Health Association Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine
• Mosby’s Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach (Mosby’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Here is some info on a few herbal essential oils that are a very helpful addition to your family’s first aid kit

Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea)

* Clary Sage is used in aromatherapy in preference to Sage (Salvia Officinalis) because Sage can be quite toxic. Clary possesses the positive effects of Sage without the danger. One should avoid the use of alcohol while using Clary Sage because the combination can bring on severe nightmares. Clary produces a heightened state akin to euphoria and relaxation. It is used in treating asthma, and during convalescence of the flu. It is used in abdominal massage for digestive problems. (Source: A-Z Aromatherapy by Patricia Davis)
* Most valuable uses: Muscular fatigue, menstrual problems, PMS, fertility, exhaustion, insomnia, menopausal problems, calming, stress, depression, cramps, excessive perspiration.
* Therapeutic properties: Antiseptic, calmative, tonic, emmenagogue, anti-infectious, anti-spasmodic, anti-sudorific, aphrodisiac, nerve tonic, nervine, estrogen-like
* Main chemical components: Linalol, Linalyl Acetate, Germacrene, Ceranyl acetate
* Contraindication: Avoid during pregnancy.

(Source: Essential Aromatherapy: A Pocket Guide to Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Susan Worwood Valerie Worwood)  Read more...

Sleep is an important part of our daily cycle. It is during sleep that the body begins to regenerate and repair itself from the activities of the day. Shorting yourself when it comes to getting enough sleep can lead to changes in your body that promote weight gain.

Each person has a certain amount of sleep that their body needs each night. Depending on your age, you need more sleep than at other times. For children, the sleep requirement is usually between nine and ten hours a night. The body is still developing. With growth spurts, teenagers may sleep a little one night and half of the day another night.

The body does lots of work during this time. The brain processes what has happened during the day while you sleep. The body recovers from stress at night. If you exercise, your muscles are still burning fat while you sleep.  Read more...

Diabetes is a group of diseases that is marked by high levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. The increased amount sugar in the blood is a result of either defects in the production of insulin or the way in which insulin is used by the body. Complications from diabetes can result in further medical conditions that make it even more difficult to treat the diabetes, such as kidney failure, peripheral vascular disease or heart disease.

Type 1 diabetes is the result of a lack of insulin production because of the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. These beta cells are responsible for the production of insulin that regulates blood glucose. Researchers have found that there is a combination of genetic and environmental factors that increase a person’s risk for developing Type 1 diabetes.

If these factors can be identified through further research then it is feasible that scientists will be able to make recommendations for the prevention of this disease. Researchers do know that the body attacks the beta cells in the pancreas because of a mistake made by the immune system. Researchers theorize that Type 1 diabetes happens when an environmental toxin or pathogen triggers the immune system to attack itself.  Read more...

Did you know that nine out of 10 people who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight? The American diabetic Association estimates that 80% of the 15 million individuals who suffer from Type 2 diabetes are significantly overweight and that the obesity contributes greatly to the development of the disease.

It is no secret to individuals who have Type 2 diabetes and their physicians that a slow, intentional weight loss will decrease their need for insulin, improve their cardiovascular health and improve their lipid profile. By achieving these goals they also reduce their risk factors for developing stroke, heart attack, retinal damage and kidney failure.

However, losing weight and keeping it off is as much of a challenge for those who have diabetes as it is for those who don’t. If it were not a challenge then be thousands of weight loss programs that are currently making billions of dollars every year would be out of business. The weight loss industry has become a multibillion dollar industry due to the difficulty that people find in removing excess baggage. As a diabetic it is important that you engage the help of other professionals to help you lose weight that you require in order to decrease your need for external insulin and medication.  Read more...

There are three different types of diabetes which can affect individuals. Two of these are what are commonly called sugar diabetes. The medical terms for these are Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The third type of diabetes is water diabetes or diabetes insipidus.

Type 2 diabetes is a complex medical condition that results in increased blood sugar from the body’s resistance to insulin. In other words, there is not a depletion of insulin in the body but rather a problem with the insulin being used at the cellular level. This results in an increased amount of blood sugar in the blood stream which significantly damages the eyes, heart, kidneys and brain.

The medical terminology that describes high blood sugar is hyperglycemia. It is estimated that over 15 million people in the United States out of the 17 million who suffer from diabetes experienced Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is also sometimes called non-insulin-dependent diabetes because it changes the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and protein without shutting off the production of insulin.  Read more...

Gestational diabetes is the medical term used to describe diabetes mellitus that presents during pregnancy and disappears after the baby has been delivered. The American Diabetes Association estimates that approximately 4% of women who are pregnant will develop gestational diabetes. This condition requires very specialized care for the remainder of the pregnancy in order to protect the health of both the mother and child.

During pregnancy some women develop a resistance to insulin that results in gestational diabetes. Insulin is the hormone that draws sugar from the bloodstream into the cells where it is burned to supply energy at the cellular level. Without the sugar the body is forced to burn fat for fuel that has a significant negative effect on both the mother and baby. The extra sugar in the bloodstream also causes complications in the health of the mother.  Read more...

A cystocele can also be called a prolapsed bladder and can occur from excessive straining, such as during heavy lifting, chronic constipation or during childbirth. This condition is common in older women who have given birth to several children and are at a higher risk for developing a cystocele than others.

A cystocele develops when the wall between the bladder and a woman’s vagina weakens and the bladder is allowed to fall into the vagina. This condition will cause discomfort and problems both during emptying of the bladder and during sexual intercourse. But the problems do not stop there. Women who have a cystocele also suffer from urine leakage and incomplete emptying of the bladder because of the position inside the vagina. In some cases the opening of the urethra stretch and leakage will occur when any type of pressure is placed upon the bladder, such as coughing, laughing or sneezing.  Read more...