Tag: Health Benefits

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Best Options in Weight Loss Surgery

If surgery is your only option for weight loss, you will need to gather information and find out what procedures are available before making a decision. Bariatric weight loss surgery is not a procedure to be taken lightly. In fact, it is viewed as a last resort for treating chronic obesity. If you have tried unsuccessfully to achieve a healthy weight using conventional methods, it may be time to consider your weight loss surgery options.

Surgery for weight loss is not cosmetic surgery. Rather, it is classified as medical surgery because of its important health benefits. For this reason, bariatric weight loss surgery is covered by some insurance providers. Morbidly obese individuals have the option to try weight loss surgery if they repeatedly fail to achieve and maintain a healthy weight through conventional methods such as diet and exercise. If you opt for surgery to lose weight, keep in mind that you will experience short-term and long-term effects, and the procedure may necessitate lifestyle changes.

How It Works

Basically, there are only two methods whereby weight loss can be achieved. The first method is to reduce the number of calories consumed by restricting food intake. The second method is through food malabsorption, or making changes in the digestive system so that food is poorly digested and nutrients and calories are not completely absorbed. There are several different surgical procedures to achieve this.

Option #1: Restrictive Methods

The primary goal of a restrictive weight loss procedure is to reduce food intake in order to promote weight loss. This can be done by making the stomach smaller so that it will hold less food while reducing hunger pangs. An individual who undergoes this procedure will find it easier to control meal portions, thus ensuring a steady weight loss with minimal risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Popular restrictive methods of bariatric surgery are LAP-BAND and Vertical Banded Gastroplasty.

Option #2: Malabsorptive Methods

This method promotes weight loss by making changes in the digestive system. The small intestine is rerouted, in effect shortening it so that less food nutrients and calories are absorbed by the body. The primary methods of malabsorptive bariatric surgery are biliopancreatic diversion, Extended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch.

Malabsorptive methods are highly successful for significant, long-term weight loss but they come with a number of drawbacks. Individuals who choose this weight loss surgery option can suffer from nutritional deficiencies and must take vitamin supplements. They can also suffer from intestinal irritation, bloating, and bowel movement problems.

Option #3: Combination Restrictive and Malabsorptive Method

The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reduces the size of the stomach, and a section of the small intestine is bypassed in order to decrease food absorption.

Making Your Decision

If you have run out of conventional weight loss options, it may be time to look into the possibility of bariatric surgery. There are several alternatives to consider and you should discuss each one with your bariatric surgeon. Learn about the pros and cons of the different weight loss surgery options. Keep in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you. Your doctor can help you determine what procedure is best for you.


Best Options in Weight Loss Surgery

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Weight Loss Exercise

The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar




I am always looking for new ways to improve my health and Apple Cider Vinegar is the latest for me. The first thing you have to think about is: “what is apple cider vinegar good for?” When I first decided to take this stuff I researched a lot of stuff and found that apple cider vinegar is good for lots of stuff as we will see in this article. Also I had to find out how to take this and even though you may think it is going to taste terrible in fact it is not bad. I just take 2 teaspoons in a glass of water once in the morning and then in the evening before I go to bed.

It is important to be careful if you are going to take Apple Cider Vinegar to actually get the right kind. I got Braggs Raw organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (the regular stuff in the store is no use for health benefits) This stuff says that it has “the Mother” which is just a nice way to say the silt, sediment, and enzymes are in the bottle. So shake it up before you pour the teaspoons in your glass (The mother won’t mind)

Michelle Kwon wrote this article about the history and benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. I thought you may be interested in this as well.

In addition to being a tasty, low-calorie dressing, apple cider vinegar could be a miracle elixir for melting away fat, boosting the immune system and even restoring arthritic joints.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating . a list of ailments. It’s thought to guard against osteoporosis, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, heal infection, assist in digestion, and relieve everything from headaches to heartburn and hay fever.

The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

It is still not known why apple cider vinegar provides benefits. Some proponents say it is due to its enzymes, minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, silicon, trace minerals and pectin. Yet research shows that it actually only contains very slight amounts of these. Others say its natural malic and tartaric acids help fight body toxins and inhibit unfriendly bacteria.

Though nothing has been clinically proven, researchers can’t discount the myriad of accounts of healing that have been collected throughout history. The qualities of apple cider vinegar have been known for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used it as an antibiotic and antiseptic in 400 BC. It was used in Biblical times as a healing agent and is mentioned in the Bible. In Paris in the Middle Ages it was sold from barrels by street vendors as a body deodorant and health drink.

Even Christopher Columbus had it on his voyage to discover America in 1492 in order to prevent scurvy. In 1820, poet Lord Byron made the vinegar and water diet popular. During the US Civil War, soldiers used it as a treatment for pneumonia and indigestion. It was also used to treat wounds during World War 1. For centuries in Japan, Samurai warriors drank it for strength. The vinegar is now officially recognized in Japan as functional food because it is said to stimulate bifidus bacteria in the bowel, contributing to gastrointestinal health.

This conclusion was also reached by popular 1950s author DC Jarvis, who advised those with GI problems to consume a tonic with each meal to destroy harmful bacteria in the gut. His book Folk Medicine praised apple cider vinegar as the solution for ailments including chronic fatigue and fat reduction. He declared that cider vinegar tonic would reduce body fat because it caused fat to be burned instead of stored.

But what about the Apple Cider Vinegar science?

In May, a Newsweek Magazine investigative feature on apple cider vinegar stated that scientific research to support health claims remains scant. But it also reported that one study provides evidence that there may be advantages for diabetics who take vinegar.

Carol Johnston, a nutrition professor at Arizona State University, found that vinegar could help maintain blood-glucose levels. In her research with diabetic patients, those who drank a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before meal times had lower blood glucose than those who did not. Her trials observed that some vinegar drinkers consumed fewer calories, slimmed their waist and hip circumferences, and trimmed body fat.

What are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar?

Though poor eating habits and insufficient exercise are the major causes of weight gain, some research suggests that a prime cause of obesity is insufficient oxidation of the blood, and that cider vinegar may boost the blood’s oxygen. However, the other possible reason for weight loss seems more likely; that in revitalizing the digestive system, digestive disorders including obesity can slowly be eliminated, making the body’s metabolism work better. Two teaspoons of cider vinegar should be taken in a glassful of water before breakfast in the morning and before each meal to prevent over-eating and promote digestion.

Patricia Bragg, whose father was a health food pioneer and whose company is one of the product’s leading producers, extols its benefits in her book, Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System.

She believes that the vinegar helps thin the blood and the body because of its natural acids and enzymes. She even says that people naturally crave and serve cranberry sauce (which contains four different acids) with turkey, applesauce with pork, lemon with fish, and steak with mushrooms because all of these condiments are rich in natural acids.

Animal proteins and fats have a tendency to thicken the blood and be difficult to digest, while cider vinegar and other natural acids help keep the blood healthier and aid elimination which increases weight loss. She’s sold over five million copies of her book that prescribes raw apple cider vinegar and raw honey in a glass of water three times daily for longevity.

How is apple cider vinegar made?

This refers only to unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar that has not been distilled. Apple cider vinegar is made by crushing apples and allowing them to naturally ferment in wooden barrels.

Sugar and yeast is added to start fermentation, which turns the sugars into alcohol, then is converted by acetic acid-forming bacteria into vinegar. Acetic acid gives vinegar its sour taste. It should be a rich, brownish in colour and contain a cobweb-like substance that makes it look cloudy.

Forgo the pasteurized, refined brands that don’t offer the health benefits. It’s unfortunate that popular food trends haven’t recognized raw apple cider vinegar like balsamic vinegar and other highly promoted varieties.

Today, the most popular vinegar in supermarkets is a clear imitation vinegar made from coal tar with no health value.

Consider apple cider vinegar instead, not only for flavouring, pickling and marinating but as a tonic. The first hurdle, though, is getting over the taste! Your first swig of the tonic may take a little while to swallow.

  • The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar


The Power of Apple Cider Vinegar

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Weight Loss Exercise

Antibacterial Cleaners: Can They Do More Harm Than Good?



The chances are that you probably own antibacterial cleaners, whether they are in the form of hand soap or cleaners for your kitchen and bathroom. But are these cleaners actually doing more harm than good?

Why Do We Need to Kill Bacteria?

It’s true that some bacteria can cause disease, illness and food poisoning. Many antibacterial cleaners promise to kill around 99% of bacteria, which helps to explain why they are so popular. After all, we all want to protect ourselves and our family from getting ill.

So Why Are Antibacterial Cleaners Bad for Our Health?

Antibacterial Cleaners: Can They Do More Harm Than Good?Unfortunately, antibacterial cleaners aren’t as good for us as they may seem. In the short term, their ingredients are known to irritate the skin (this is more of a problem with those that have been developed for cleaning purposes).

The FDA is currently looking into one of the major ingredients of antibacterial soaps: triclosan. Although the evidence isn’t yet clear, it suggests it may have a harmful effect on humans (especially children). In the past, the FDA has also stated that there are no extra health benefits to using antibacterial soaps over regular soap and water.

Another long term result of using antibacterial products is that they make bacteria more resistant. This means that, over time, these antibacterial products will no longer be able to kill the germs they set out to kill in the first place.

The truth is that you don’t need to make your home sterile to protect yourself and your family. Bacteria is all around us, and being exposed to small amounts of it is what our body needs in order to build up its defenses against stronger bacteria. Studies have shown that sterile environments in childhood can actually lead to more allergies and other problems later in life.

The American Medical Associated (AMA) has warned against extensive use of such antibacterial cleaners for these reasons. When it comes to killing germs, simple measures like washing your hands often (with traditional rather than antibacterial cleaners) are a good way to protect against germs.