Women's Health

Archive for June, 2010

Health is something that you cannot ignore at any cost. Especially when it comes to a woman, one must be very much health conscious. Modern world sees most women becoming an integral part of the professional world. At the same time, they do not overlook the role of managing their home and family. Such a stressful life does not allow them to give proper attention to their health.

If you are over 20 years of age, then you should definitely be conscious about your cholesterol level.  It is absolutely important to keep a control over it, as negligence may cause serious heart diseases. You can reduce the level by keeping an eye on your regular diet.

Source of cholesterol

Cholesterol is produced by liver and then is transmitted to the body. If liver exceeds the amount required, then it commences to stick to artery walls that lead to cardiovascular diseases. High cholesterol level can also cause mental impairment, high blood pressure and gallstone.

Impact of limiting trans-fats & saturated fats

Recent studies indicate that you can reduce the cholesterol level from 10% to 20 % just by changing your diet. Diet, which is recommended to lower down the cholesterol level of the body, should contain minimum trans-fats and saturated fats:

-Cut down the intake of margarine in your diet. It increases Cholesterol heavily.

-Try to reduce the intake of refined and processed foods. You can find out a heavy amount of hydrogenated fats as well as trans-fats in these foods. In fact, these fats are very much dangerous than any other types. -Fish oil is another good option to ensure that your body is maintaining an average cholesterol level. At the same time, it reduces the bad cholesterol present in the body.

-Try to replace the meat and egg with dry peas and beans. They are rich in fiber and very low in cholesterol.

Maintaining a proper diet is imperative for optimum level

Withdrawing cholesterol rising food items is just not enough for getting the optimum level. You need to maintain a balance, so that you can receive required amount of Cholesterol that helps in building membranes and producing hormones. To sustain the cholesterol level, you need to take some essential elements as well. Your body should not be deficient in necessary fatty acids:

-Take a tablespoon of organic flax seed oil every day that supplies Omega 3 fatty acids.

-Try to use only extra virgin olive oil. Do not use ordinary virgin olive oil, as it is not effective.

-Augment the use of garlic while you are cooking. For this, you can put the garlic paste in various dishes that would not only increase the taste, but it would lower your Cholesterol as well.

-Again, you can opt for genuine Cholesterol lowering supplement. The natural genuine Cholesterol lowering supplement has no side effects and you can take it after consulting your dietician.

Your health is in your hand. It is totally up to you to keep yourself healthy and fit. So, give attention to certain food habits, maintain proper cholesterol level and you’ll surely get rid of the health-related issues.

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French women seem to enjoy breads, desserts, and wine, but then don’t gain the weight. American women, on the other hand, just think about snacking and magically put on ten pounds. In her bestselling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat : The Secret of Eating For Pleasure, Mirelle Guiliano reveals the secrets that French women have at staying healthy and trim.

French Women Don’t Get Fat begins with the account of the author, Mirelle Guiliano, growing up in France. By a stroke of luck she was sent to America in her teenage years as an exchange student. In America, she was introduced to brownies and cookies – which quickly became favorites. In no time at all, Mirelle put on twenty pounds. When it was time to return home she was a little nervous about what her family and friends would think of the “new” Mirelle. The story of seeing her family for the first time after being away is funny and heart wrenching at the same time. I can’t do justice to this story, so I would recommend buying the book and reading it on your own. Later, her mother set up a secret meeting with their family physician, “Dr. Miracle”, who helped her to shed the extra pounds, and more importantly, taught her how to live like a French Woman.

This book is not a miracle diet. In fact, French Women Don’t Get Fat isn’t a “diet” book at all. What it does is suggest ways to help you live a balanced, healthier lifestyle. The first thing the book suggests is to take an inventory of what you eat for a couple of weeks. By looking at your food journal, you should be able to see what your “offenders” are – meaning what foods you are overeating. For example, Mirelle’s offenders were sweets. Once you recognize what foods you are eating out of balance, your next step is to identify why you overeat in this category. For example, if your “offender” is bread, you might notice that you are eating a lot of bread when you go to restaurants. You could then decide to only have one slice before your meal comes. The book also discusses changing the way you think. You aren’t skimping on the bread because you are depriving yourself something you love, you are merely saving room for other things. The pleasure of most foods is in the first few bites, as French Women Don’t Get Fat points out. After that we are just eating on autopilot. If you can avoid eating without thinking, you can avoid eating excess food. French women eat with their heads and do not leave the table feeling stuffed or guilty.

Another secret of the French this book points to is drinking more water. We all know that water is good for us, but how many of us really drink as much as we should? The secret is to add water to your daily routine. Drink a glass of water before you eat your breakfast. Once you have established this as part of your routine, then add another glass before going to bed. French Women Don’t Get Fat reminds us that sleeping is a very dehydrating process. When both of these are routine, make it a habit to drink water each time you pass a water fountain. French women drink water all throughout the day.

Once you are drinking more water, you will probably feel healthier than ever. Since water has no calories, no preservatives, and nothing extra added, you might find that you are interested in the ingredients of the other foods you are consuming. Have you ever read the list of ingredients in a frozen dinner? What is all of that stuff? Why are we consuming things we can’t even pronounce? Another key to eating like the French is what the author of this book calls “Ritual Preparation.” While she lived at home, Mireille’s mother prepared almost all of the food that she consumed. None of it was filled with preservatives, and most everything was fresh. French Women Don’t Get Fat recommends going to the market several times a week, and selecting the freshest ingredients. By market the book is referring to a farmers market, and not the supermarket. Quality ingredients equal quality food. When you are eating quality, you won’t need the quantity to make up for the lack of taste. Also, set the table like you would find at a restaurant – real napkins even. The extra attention to details will help you remember to savor your food. Also, sit down as a family, and turn off the television. Make meal time a ritual.

According to this book, you also need to move like a French woman. We aren’t talking about hours of grueling exercise at the gym. What we are talking about is adding more movement to your daily routine. Walk to work, or if you work too far, then get off the train one stop early and walk the rest of the way to work. Or, add in a daily walk before eating breakfast. Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible. French Women Don’t Get Fat advised to not avoid precious steps: think of ways to add in more movement to your daily routine.

This book also includes recipes for foods such as Grilled Spring Lamb Shops, Asparagus Flan, Cauliflower Gratin, Grilled Chicken with Rosemary, Egg Omelet with Mixed Herbs and Ricotta Cheese, among many others. Since the French enjoy bread so much, recipes for Baguettes and Croissants are included too. The book has menu ideas as well.

If you need a good book to inspire you to lose a little weight so that you feel good about yourself, then French Women Don’t Get Fat is where you should turn. Because the focus of this book is not about depriving yourself of good things, but about making focused choices to help you accomplish something even better, you will be motivated to change a few of your bad habits into good habits – and therefore live a more fulfilled and slimmer life.

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Being hungry all the time is the number complaint of women during pregnancy. The main cause why pregnant women always feel hungry is because of the increased metabolic demand on the body. Many pregnant women also experience several numbers of cravings within the nine months period, which make eating healthy for the whole period of pregnancy a challenging task.

Here are some Diet tips for pregnant women:

1. Remove the wrong connotation that you need to eat for two. You do not have to eat for two; you only need an additional 300 calories everyday. These calories are not needed until you are on your 2nd and 3rd trimesters.

2. What you need to remember during pregnancy is not to cut your calorie intake. If you cut it back, there is a possibility that your body will not be able to provide the necessary nutrients that your baby needs for his growth and development.

3. Never skip meals. Pregnant women who skip breakfast are more prone to fatigability. This is also the reason behind overeating during pregnancy. So make sure that everyday you eat each meal.

4. It is best to eat frequent and small amounts of meals throughout the day instead of eating heavy meals three times a day. This will minimize dizziness and nausea during the first trimester.

5. If you have cravings, satisfy yourself with nutritious snacks. It is better to pack small amounts of healthy foods. It will help to avoid overeating. It is better to drink a cup of hot chocolate or have some mini chocolates with you if you are craving for something sweet. These are much better instead of eating the whole candy bar.

6. Do not forget to exercise even if you are pregnant. Make sure to consult your doctor on what types of exercises you can do. This will make you feel better with more energy throughout the day. It will also give you a reminder to eat healthy everyday.

7. Do not drink Soda. It is much better if you will avoid drinks that have high calorie content. It is best to stick in drinking water instead of artificial juices and other flavored drinks.

During pregnancy, you may feel hungry but in fact, you are just thirsty. Therefore, it is better to drink lots of water. The brains thirst and hunger centers usually are mixed up during pregnancy. If you are properly hydrated, there will be lesser chance that you will overeat.

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A study of US found that woman are always ruled any their hormones, they are more sensitive to a key stress hormone with even small amounts sending their emotions into a whirl, while men are relatively immune to even high amounts of the chemical, which is called corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF). It helps control the body’s reaction to stress. Dr Rita Valentino, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in the US, carried out the study in rats.

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“This is an animal study carried out on rats and we cannot say that the biological mechanism is the same in people,” The Courier Mail quoted Valentino as saying.But researchers already know that CRF regulation is disrupted in stress-related psychiatric disorders, so this research may be relevant to the underlying human biology. This may help to explain why women are twice as vulnerable as men to stress-related disorders,” Valentino added. The experiment showed that the hormone bound more tightly to female rats, especially those of stressed-out female rats, making them more sensitive to its effects. Male rats, on the other hand, did not respond to the doses. They were able to reduce levels of the protein, stopping the hormone from binding and reducing its effects on the brain.

Some of scientists work on oral bacteria to the problems in pregnancy. A previous study of Han’s shows that oral bacteria can be transported through the blood when there is a any cut or lining in the mouth’s and oral health problem.

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