Posts Tagged ‘Eating’

Treatments of Binge Eating Disorder

January 28th, 2010 admin

Physical symptoms resemble the symptoms of any overweight or obese person. Binge eaters have a tendency to put on weight and are likely to suffer from many of the health conditions associated with being overweight, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, heart problems, osteoarthritis, kidney problems and irregular periods.

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which the sufferer consumes food, unusually large amounts of food, on a regular basis in a brief period of time, hungry or not and continues to eat until they feel rather uncomfortable. These bouts are usually followed by feelings of guilt. Here the sufferer does not induce purging after binging unlike in the case of bulimia. This eating disorder is a problem, which affects both men and women but it is more common in women. This unhealthy habit of overeating tends to develop during childhood.Unable to cope – Studies have shown that some individuals who cannot handle their emotions like sadness, anger, stress etc and even people who have a low self esteem often turn to binge eating in order to cope better. They binge eat in order to hide from these various emotions.

Binge eaters are obsessive about the foods they crave. They may even go to the extent of fantasizing about the foods they love, focusing on the texture and smell of the food. Because they eat in large quantities and at great speed, they are very secretive about binge episodes and prefer to binge when they are sure they will not get caught. Thus, they may keep the secret from friends, family and even their spouse. Binge eaters go to great lengths to hide or dispose of food containers so that they will not be caught If you suspect or know that your teen is suffering from an eating disorder, you are probably doing everything in your power to help him or her. Unfortunately, it’s likely that your child is not interested in your help, and could actually lash out at you for offering your advice or ordering him or her to do something else. You need to find out what to do when an eating disorder causes you to fight with your child, because just getting angry with him or her will probably cause an even bigger fight and widen the distance between you.

Binge eating disorder is an eating disorder in which the sufferer consumes food, unusually large amounts of food, on a regular basis in a brief period of time, hungry or not and continues to eat until they feel rather uncomfortable. These bouts are usually followed by feelings of guilt. Here the sufferer does not induce purging after binging unlike in the case of bulimia. This eating disorder is a problem, which affects both men and women but it is more common in women. This unhealthy habit of overeating tends to develop during childhood.Depression – No one actually knows for sure if depression is a cause or an effect of binge eating disorder but it has been noted that about fifty percent of the individuals with this disorder have a history of depression or are depressed. This depression may be even totally unrelated.

Treatments

Binge eating disorder is most effectively treated through a multi pronged approach. Patients need to take necessary steps to improve their emotional well being. They will also be required to change their behavioral patterns so that they reduce temptation and cap the free availability of foods they crave. In addition to these, sometimes patients will also need medication to address psychological issues. The Food and Drug Administartion (FDA) of America has not approved any specific drug to treat binging. Various medications have mixed results when it comes to treating this disorder. However, according to some studies, supplementing therapy with medication may make it easier for victims of binge eating to overcome their disorder.

The anticonvulsant Topomax was originally used to control epilepsy. However, studies show that it can help weight loss and alleviate symptoms of obsessive compulsiveness in people suffering from binging. But, Topomax too has serious side effects like clumsiness, unsteadiness, dizziness and drowsiness.Anti-obesity medication: Appetite suppressants like Meridia have been helpful in reducing the number of binging episodes. Side effects include changes in blood pressure.Eating disorders may very well start off as a preoccupation with food and body weight but there is definitely much more to these than just foods. Eating disorders usually are long-standing illnesses, which require long-term treatment and are often accompanied by other psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression and drug abuse.

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How Eating Kelp Can Prevent (and Heal) Goiter

January 28th, 2010 admin

(NaturalNews) Goiter is the medical name for the swelling of the thyroid gland and surrounding tissue The root cause of goiter eludes conventional medicine, but most naturopathic nutritionists agree that in many cases, it’s prompted by a severe imbalance in thyroid function caused by an iodine deficiency.

While individual cases may vary from this pattern (be sure to check with a naturopathic physician before self-treating any thyroid condition), most cases of goiter can be greatly improved or entirely eliminated through nutritional therapies involving iodine. One of the best sources for this important trace mineral is kelp.

Here’s a collection of supporting statements about kelp and goiter as published in top natural health books:

How help (and iodine) helps prevent goiter

Kelp Description: Kelp is a type of sea vegetable that’s rich in iron and several minerals. It is used as a supplement to support thyroid function. Indications: Goiter Hypothyroid Precautions: People with any type of thyroid disease should check with their doctors before supplementing kelp. Dosage: Take 2 to 4 capsules daily, or take as directed on the label or as advised by a health-care professional.

- Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Bodywork, and More by James F. Balch, M.D. and Mark Stengler, N.D.

You’ve heard of kelp and seaweed, but what about bladder-wrack? That’s the name of the kelp most often used medicinally, a name under which kelp products are often found. Bladderwrack is a tremendous source of iodine, which is essential for a healthy body. In children, a lack of iodine can result in delayed mental development or retardation. In adults, a deficiency of iodine can lead to hypothyroidism, a condition resulting when the thyroid operates at too low a level. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include extreme fatigue and lethargy, weight gain, and development of a goiter.

Long-term excessive dietary intake of iodine (1,000 to 2,000 micrograms daily), while less common than iodine deficiency, can occur in people who eat large amounts of kelp and other sea vegetable and can also cause goiter. A number of commonly eaten foods have been shown to interfere with the use of iodine by the thyroid, thus reducing production of thyroid hormone and causing goiter. These foods, known as goitrogens, include vegetables in the Brassica family such as broccoli, cabbage, kale and mustard, millet, soybeans, pine nuts and some seed meals used in animal feeds.

– The Natural Pharmacy: Complete A-Z Reference to Natural Treatments for Common Health Conditions by Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.

However, eating iodine-rich foods, such as dulse and kelp (sea vegetation), is a more indirect and safe way to increase iodine and shrink goiters. Detoxified iodine is certainly a better choice, since it has not shown to produce hypothyroidism. The famous Edgar Cayce used to treat goiter and other thyroid conditions very successfully by giving his patients detoxified iodine. There are three products that meet his requirements: Magnascent, Atomic Iodine, and Atomidine. The latter two seem to be nearly identical.

– Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz

Kelp, either fresh or powdered, is the richest source of organic iodine. It helps correct mineral deficiencies and is a good protective food, valuable in overcoming poor digestion, preventing and overcoming goiter, and rebuilding and maintaining the proper function of all the glands. Kelp has been reported to be an aid in brain development; it offsets deficiencies of an inferior diet; it is beneficial for those suffering from impotency, anemia and emaciation.

- Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds for Healthful Living by Dr. Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.

Because of its rich content of iodine, kelp is well-known in many lands as a remedy for preventing or treating goiter. However, some practitioners have reportedly found it to be helpful in normalizing a weak or enlarged prostate gland, and certain other male disorders. For example, Dr. Eric Powell of England says: The action of kelp on the prostate is to improve the nutrition of the organ and the circulation of the blood through the tissues.

For many years people with iodine deficiency have used tablets made from the kelp variety of seaweeds. These seaweeds are relatively rich in iodine, deriving it from the seawater in which they live. They are also rich in minerals and B-group vitamins, providing a nicely balanced mineral supplement to the body in a form that is easily assimilated. However, it is the iodine content that has been the important component for people suffering from goiter, the other valuable components simply being a bonus.

– Health from the Seas: Freedom from Disease by John Croft

Excessive quantities of iodized salt, taking too many kelp tablets, or overuse of potassium iodide expectorants such as SSKI can cause some problems, but regular elevated intake of iodine is needed to produce toxicity. Some people have allergic reactions, mainly as skin rashes, to iodine products. Iodine supplementation may also worsen acne in some cases. Deficiencies of iodine have been very common, especially in areas where the soil is depleted, as discussed earlier. Several months of iodine deficiency can lead to goiter and/or hypothyroidism.

– Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine by Elson M. Haas, M.D.

T4 levels often increase slightly with 6 kelp tablets once a day at lunch. Other varieties of seaweed are also natural sources of iodine and can serve as beneficial dietary additions in cases of hypothyroidism. It is important to moderate your dietary intake of iodine-rich foods, especially when taking prescription thyroid medications. An overdose of iodine can interfere with thyroid tests and can even lead to hyperthyroidism or a goiter.

– The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western, and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments by Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.

Foods rich in iodine include seaweeds such as kelp, fish, shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, some other animals (thyroid gland) and iodized salt. Those restricting their salt intake and at the same time not eating any of the above foods are vulnerable to iodine deficiency. Cruciferous foods such as cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, rutabaga and others may confer protection against certain types of cancer and so it is good to include them in our diets. However, these vegetables contain goitrogens, substances which may cause goiters and hypothyroidism.

– The Doctor’s Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia by Sheldon Saul Hendler

Iodine was first discovered in 1812 in kelp. Elemental iodine was extracted from the seaweed and was named iodine because of its color, which means violet in Greek. Iodine occurs naturally as iodide or iodate salts. It is a crucial part of the thyroid hormones, which, in turn, play a vital role in the production of energy. Iodine deficiency is still the major cause of hypothyroidism in the world. Deficiency of thyroid hormones really slows you down. Symptoms include chronic fatigue, apathy, dry skin, intolerance to cold, weight gain and enlargement of the thyroid (goiter).

– The Doctor’s Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia by Sheldon Saul Hendler

It is found in many vegetables, such as kelp. These hormones are necessary for normal c
ell metabolism to be carried on. The shame about iodine is that it has proven again and again to be an effective fighter against viral infections, yet nothing has been done to test whether it will have any devitalizing effects on HIV. Let me note some of the many benefits that have been found from iodine treatment. Iodine has been used in the treatment of goiter, hypothyroidism, fibrocystic breast disease, and other diseases.

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Top 10 Ways You Benefit from Eating Chia Seeds

January 27th, 2010 admin

1. Lose Weight Without Starving

The Chia Seed is a dieter’s dream come true. The tiny, healthy seeds can be made to taste like whatever you want, and their unique gelling action keeps you feeling full for hours. Hunger is a main enemy of real weight loss, and you don’t want to fight it with jittery expensive pills. When a chia seed is exposed to water, it forms a coating of gel, increasing its size and weight. Since the gel made of water, it has no calories. It’s also difficult to remove from the seed, meaning that it helps your body think it is full, without adding calories!

2. Balance Blood Sugar

Keeping balanced levels of blood sugar is important for both health and energy. Blood sugar may spike after meals, especially if you eat high-starchy foods or sweets. This can lead to ‘slumps’ in your day where you feel tired and out of energy. By balancing your blood sugar, you not only lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, but you also ensure steady, constant energy throughout your day.
But how does the Chia Seed help with this? Both the gelling action of the seed, and it’s unique combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. If you eat chia with a meal, it will help you turn your food into constant, steady energy rather than a series of ups and downs that wear you out.

3. Help Prevent Diverticulitis / Diverticulosis

With the abundance of over-processed foods and white flour on the market today, rich sources of fiber are harder to come by. These foods of convenience have contributed to the rise of diverticulitis. Irregularity is a big factor in this risky condition. To help ensure regularity, you need plenty of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet. If you don’t want to eat celery, and whole-grain everything…or piles of bran flakes, the Chia Seed is here to help. Each seed is coated with soluble fibers which aid its gelling action. The exterior of the seed is protected by insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber is unable to be digested (it does not contribute any calories, or break down) so instead, it helps keep food moving smoothly through the digestive process. Soluble fiber, and the gel coating of the seed keeps the colon hydrated and ensures the easy movement of food.

4. Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet

Omega-3 oil is usually thought of as “that healthy stuff in fish”. But, what if you don’t want to eat fish every day? What if you’re a vegetarian, or simply worried about pollution adding harmful substances to your fish dinner? Chia is the richest plant-source of this healthy oil. By weight, chia contains more omega 3 than salmon, and it still tastes like whatever you want! Omega 3 oil is important in heart and cholesterol health. It’s also recently been targeted as a weight-loss helper. USA Weekend magazine also reports on a study where overweight dieters who included omega 3s in their eating plan lost 2 more pounds monthly than the control group, who did not.

5. Feel more energized all day long

Don’t want to feel like taking an afternoon nap? Your energy levels have a lot to do with what you eat. Chia is one of nature’s highest plant-based sources of complete protein. Usually protein from items like peanut butter and some beans are incomplete, meaning you have to combine them with other foods to get the full benefit. Not Chia though, it’s protein is complete to raise your energy levels. The combination of complete protein, vitamins, minerals and blood-sugar balancing gel all work together to make sure you have steady, never jittery energy.

6. Bake with less fat

Do you enjoy making baked goods at home, but hate all the butter and oil that has to go into them? Chia gel can substitute for half the butter in most recipes! The food will bake the same and taste the same (or better) from the addition of the chia gel. All you need to do is divide the amount of butter or oil in half, and then use the same amount of chia gel to fill in. The anti-oxidants in chia can even help keep the food tasting fresh longer. Everything from cookies to cakes to muffins, pancakes and # can be made with chia gel as your butter replacement. Which recipe will become your new favorite?

7. Add age-defying anti-oxidants

Anti-oxidants have been in the news lately due to their super healthy benefits. You know that blueberries and several exotic fruits (that aren’t always in season) have them, but did you know that chia is extremely high in anti-oxidants too? These helpful substances are what makes the Chia Seed stay fresh for so long. At room temperature, they’ll stay fresh and ready to eat for over two whole years! And that’s all without a single chemical or preservative. This amazing ability is not found in other seeds like flax or sesame, because those seeds don’t have the same rich anti-oxidant content.
Anti-oxidants help prevent free-radical damage in your body. Free radicals lead to problematic conditions such as premature aging of the skin and inflammation of various tissues. Fight free radical damage by staying fresh and healthy with nature’s anti-oxidant powerhouse.

8. Cut cravings for food

Being deficient in minerals or vitamins can create a craving for food. For example, if you’re low on calcium, you may feel compelled to eat lots of cheese and ice cream. This happens because your body knows that cheese is a source of calcium, and it hasn’t been getting enough. But what if dairy and whole milk are a “Diet don’t”? You can always add calcium to your food by sprinkling on the chia. By weight, chia has more calcium than whole milk. It also has magnesium and boron, essential trace minerals used in the absorption of calcium and other vitamins. By balancing your vitamins and minerals with chia, you can curb cravings that might tempt you.

9. You can pack in more flavorful punch

How can a seed with NO flavor help the foods you already like to taste better? First, because they have no taste of their own, chia seeds will never cover up or add to the flavor of your food. Second, when the seeds hydrate, they magnify the taste of whatever they were added to. Put them in pudding? Chocolaty! Swirl them into a smoothie? Fruity! The same thing goes with dressings, dips, salsas, sauces and more. These two factors combine to let chia seeds take on the taste of whatever you add them to. They distribute and never dilute, the flavors you love.

10. Save your money

Why should eating less cost you more? You already know diet pills are expensive, and ‘box meal plans’ can run up to $500.00 a month. If you’re buying ‘calorie counting packs’ or other individual portions in the store, you can also end up paying more because more preparation and materials go into these foods. More than enough chia for 1 month costs less than a dollar a day. You can use as much or as little as you want to achieve your own desired results. There are no preparations required for these simple seeds, not even pesticides need to be used to grow them. They’re always safe and 100% chemical free. A measuring spoon is all you’ll need when you’re ready to take advantage of chia for yourself. It doesn’t get any easier or more inexpensive.

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Food borne Illnesses: Prevention for Healthy Eating

January 23rd, 2010 admin

Eating healthy foods will help you to boost your immune process, but what if it’s the foods themselves making you sick? Food borne illness can cause food poisoning and a variety of other more dangerous diseases, so they are a real threat to our bodies. Luckily, there’s a quantity of things you can do to prevent food borne illnesses. Following safety tips when handling, preparing, and storing food is  important.

After your food is cooked, you should continue to monitor temperature. basically put, keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Hot foods should be kept at temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, while cold foods should be kept at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The range between that’s where bacteria can grow. When letting food lovely for refrigeration, place in the refrigerator after no over one hours and when thawing meals, do so in a bowl or pan in the refrigerator,  than at room temperature.

First and foremost, you should be concerned with the temperature of your foods. When cooking meat, make sure to use a thermometer in order to make sure that you meat is reaching to proper temperatures inside. Some meats, like beef, can be served rare safely, but proper temperatures are crucial. This kills any bacteria that may be growing on the meat. In the case of burger and other loaf meats that have been ground and formed in to patties, you should not eat rare meals. The bacteria then easily are found inside the meat as well as on the outside, and you are at risk if you do not cook these meats for a long period of time to kill any bacteria.

Cross contamination is a huge culprit when you are concerned with preventing illness and your food. Cross contamination is basically the moving of bacteria from one dish to another. This happens when you use dirty cutting boards, don’t wish your dishes properly, and use the same utensil for all of your foods. If you use, for example, a knife to cut raw chicken and then use that same knife to cut your food after it’s been cooked, a quantity of the bacteria from the raw chicken has probably remained on the knife, which can make you  ill. Make sure that you are using a neat work space and neat tools whenever you cook.

Along with using a neat environment, you should make sure that you are washing you hands regularly. Every time you touch raw foods, you should use disinfecting hand soap and hot water to make sure that no bacteria remains on your hands. Making sure that your food is safe is one of the most important parts of healthy eating, so don’t overlook this step the next time you prepare a meal.

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Eating Eggs When Pregnant Affects Breast Cancer In Offspring Terramed Alliance News

January 23rd, 2010 admin

This finding by a team of biologists at Boston University is the first to link choline consumption during pregnancy to breast cancer. It also is the first to identify possible choline-related genetic changes that affect breast cancer survival rates.

“We’ve known for a long time that some agents taken by pregnant women, such as diethylstibesterol, have adverse consequences for their daughters,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “But there’s an upside. The emerging science of epigenetics has yielded a breakthrough. For the first time, we’ve learned that we might be able to prevent breast cancer as early as a mother’s pregnancy.”

The researchers made the discovery in rats by studying females whose mothers were fed varying amounts of choline during pregnancy. Different groups of pregnant rats received diets containing standard amounts of choline, no choline at all, or extra choline. Then the researchers treated the female offspring with a chemical that causes cancer of the mammary gland (breast cancer). Although animals in all groups developed mammary cancer, the daughters of mothers that had received extra choline during pregnancy had slow growing tumors while daughters of mothers that had no choline during pregnancy had fast growing tumors.

“Our study provides additional support for the notion that choline is an important nutrient that has to be considered when dietary guidelines are developed,” said Krzysztof Blusztajn, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology at Boston University and the study’s senior researcher. “We hope it will be possible to develop nutritional guidelines for pregnant women that ensure the good health of their offspring well into old age.”

The researchers also found multiple genetic and molecular changes in the rats’ tumors that correlated with survival outcomes. For example, the slow growing tumors in rats had a genetic pattern similar to those seen in breast cancers of women who are considered to have a good prognosis. The fast growing tumors in mice had a pattern of genetic changes similar to those seen in women with a more aggressive disease. The researchers also found evidence that these genetic changes may result from the way that choline affects modifications of the DNA within the mammary gland of fetuses as they develop in the womb.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be more than 184,000 new cases of breast cancer in 2008 and more than 40,000 deaths. Treatments for women suffering from breat cancer range from hormone therapy to surgery. Adapted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. ScienceDaily

Terramed Alliance is a non-profit charity organization dedicated to research, education and advocacy of breast cancer. One of the vision of Terramed Alliance is to provide this community and Internet users with a charity based research and education entity. Advocacy of breast cancer through education is vital to the reduction of this disease.  For any requests and enquiries, please contact at us: cancer@terramedalliance.us www.terramedalliance.us

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