Weight Loss Surgery

If you've been watching your weight go up and you are concerned about the rising pounds, you might be wondering whether weight loss surgery truly works. Is it possible to forestall future weight gain by using a long-familiar weight loss surgical operation?

 

Nowadays, weight loss surgeries are gradually gaining recognition when it comes to slimming down. A lot of health authorities contend that individuals who are excessively overweight or have slower metabolism would commonly require some surgical procedures.

 

Health authorities contend that weight loss surgery is a “major surgery.” Among the most common reasons why individuals would like to slim down is to enhance their physical attributes. But it shouldn't be the underlying motivation that they undergo weight loss surgery. 

 

Moreover, it's crucial to gather further info about weight loss surgery by consulting an experienced and knowledgeable bariatric surgeon or even simply an expert family physician who knows the ins and outs of weight loss surgery.

 

As with the other weight loss management plans, there are many factors to consider before the patient ought to decide to undergo weight loss surgery. 

 

Therefore, the actual weight that will be lost is reliant on the weight before surgery, surgical procedure, patient’s age, capacity to exercise, total health condition of the patient, dogged determination to maintain the necessary follow-up nurture, and the exuberance to succeed with the help of their loved ones, friends, and their colleagues.

 

If you've just put on a few extra pounds and wish to avoid gaining more, these weight loss surgeries for better health might seem convincing. But, in addition to being convinced, you might also have to take some action to ensure that your weight doesn't creep upward.

 

Consequently, it may be concluded that losing weight isn't simply a question of deciding to be strong-minded and determined or upbeat and positive. Life-style changes are where it is at for long-run success with your weight peculiarly after weight loss surgery.

 

Recuperating After Botox Treatment

After Botox treatment, the recovery process is usually relatively straightforward. Since anesthesia isn’t used during the injection of Botox, there is no need to hold back a patient once the procedure is complete. There are minimal side effects, and when risks arise, preventative solutions are available. You will improve your chances of getting the results you want if you know how to recover properly from the treatment. 

 

1. Applying ice to the area around the injection for around 10 minutes after the procedure will help reduce and swelling or bruising from happening.

 

2. Have your concealer on hand if you have to go to work or to a social event, and apply to the area if you experience any redness around the treated skin.

 

3. Try not to apply pressure or massage the flesh around the injection, as this will spread the Botox which cause muscles not intended for treatment to be paralyzed. Gently wash your face, and if possible, sleep facing upwards.

 

4. Heavy activity after the treatment should be avoided for the first day after treatment, as the substance can move and affect an unintended part of your face unless you allow some recovery time.

 

5. Once you have received the treatment, ensure your head stays elevated for a few hours afterwards to prevent the substance from moving to different parts of the face.

 

6. Your doctor can give you a pamphlet and provide a demonstration of facial exercises which will help you test the dexterity of the facial muscles after the procedure.

 

7. You may also want to ask what products not to apply to your face after treatment, to try and avoid side effects and infection.

 

8. Keep in mind that the full recovery from the treatment can take up to ten days, so not having your desired results after 24 hours is not unusual, as Botox can affect different people in different ways.

 

9. Ensure you arrange an appointment after recovery with your doctor, as they will want to check that the dosage used has achieved the results you were looking for.

 

Should you or an acquaintance want to know more about Botox and your options, refer to a cosmetic surgeon who is board certified specializing in Botox treatments. They can supply the resources and information to help you decide which treatment to go after, and to get the results you want.

Why You Should Not Have a Facelift

If you needed any convincing that going for cosmetic surgery won’t always be an improvement, look at pictures of stars such as Joan Rivers. However, this isn’t always enough to prevent people from being tempted by the cosmetic improvements, and people are always sure that they would only have treatments that are necessary to stay young and beautiful.

 

If you needed any more reasons not to opt for a facelift, there are a number of reasons to go for surgery-free alternatives.

 

Other options are now highly effective alternatives to surgery.

 

Restoring a youthful visage shouldn’t be an overwhelming reason for a facelift, as technological developments have given us treatments which can provide similar results without a surgical visit. Why go under the knife?

 

The alternatives such as Thermage and Ultherapy are effective in skin tightening, and encouraging collagen growth, this can lift the skin in a way similar to a facelift. Both techniques are extremely safe and do not require surgery.

 

Although not individually enough to keep you from the surgeon, consider these other two reasons.

 

Surgery-free treatments are socially acceptable in most circles. 

 

News that a famous celebrity has chosen to undergo a facelift is no longer big news, but undergoing surgery for cosmetic purposes still has a stigma in many parts of the world. What may be the norm for the celebrities is not necessarily what is acceptable in all of society today.

 

It is one of human nature’s most instinctive responses to inspect and judge the results of cosmetic surgery once someone has had surgery. It is natural that many people will look and stare at those who have gone under the knife, and consider whether surgery was right for them.

 

The alternative treatments such as Thermage and Ultherapy don’t leave the marks that plastic surgery can, and will tighten and lift your skin so people notice the natural beauty, not the surgery.

 

People will ask about similar treatments, rather than gossiping about your surgery between themselves.

 

Non-surgical alternatives have less risks to your health and beauty. 

 

Many women can benefit from a facelift, but there are many cases annually of surgery errors which can cause scarring and deformation. Though not largely discussed, it is an unavoidable reality of cosmetic surgery.

 

With the possible consequences of surgery, perhaps sagging and wrinkles is not all bad, or even better, non-surgical alternatives could be the answer.

Weight Loss Techniques

Obesity is one of the most important public health issues in the United States. It occurs over time when you eat more calories than you use. On the other hand, “overweight” refers to an excessive amount of body weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water.

 

People gain weight when the number of calories they eat is more than the number of calories their bodies use. Overweight people have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses. Your doctor can help you set rational goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age. Usually, doctors will recommend that their overweight patients combine a reduction of the caloric content of the diet, with an increase in physical activity. 

 

Other methods of losing weight include use of drugs and supplements that decrease appetite, block fat absorption, or reduce stomach volume. Surgery is another method. Weight-loss programs should encourage healthy behaviors that help you lose weight and that you can stick with in your everyday activity. It is very desirable for you to gather as much information as you can before deciding to join a particular program. You may start to benefit from regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of physical action can improve your health. Start with small, specific goals such as walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week. When you eat out and are on the go it’s important to make smart food choices and watch portion sizes. When you prepare food at home read the nutrition label on foods. 

 

Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars (caloric sweeteners). Variety in the diet helps you get all the vitamins and other nutrients you need. Look for a weight loss program that gives you some control, rather than imposing one rigid system, one that offers a variety of different eating plans, so you can choose the one that's best for you. Prescription diet pills may help some people. If you use them, follow the doctor's directions carefully. Other method of weight reduction technique is the use of diet patches.

Weight Loss Surgery: What Are The Options?

To understand how surgical procedures aid the grossly overweight person to reduce their body fat, it helps to first understand the digestive process that is responsible for handling the food we take in.

 

Once food is chewed and swallowed, it’s on its way through the digestive tract, where enzymes and digestive juices will break it down and allow our systems to absorb the nutrients and calories. In the stomach, which can hold up to three pints of material, the breakdown continues with the help of strong acids. From there it moves into the duodenum, and the digestive process speeds up through the addition of bile and pancreatic juices. It’s here, that our body absorbs the majority of iron and calcium in the foods we eat. The final part of the digestive process takes place in the 20 feet of small intestine, the jejunum and the ileum, where calorie and nutrient absorption is completed, and any unused particles of food are then shunted into the large intestine for elimination.

 

Weight loss procedures involve bypassing, or in some way circumventing the full digestive process. They range from simple reduction of the amount you can eat, to major bypasses in the digestive tract. To qualify for many of these surgeries, a person must be termed “morbidly obese”, that is, weighing at least 100 lbs. over the appropriate weight for their height and general body structure.

 

Gastric Bypass

 

In the mid 1960s, Dr. Edward E. Mason discovered that women who had undergone partial stomach removal as the result of peptic ulcers, failed to gain weight afterwards. From this observation, grew the trial use of stapling across the top of the stomach, to reduce its actual capacity to about three tablespoons. The stomach filled quickly, and eventually emptied into the lower portion, completing the digestive process in the normal way. Over the years, the surgery evolved into what is now known as the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Instead of partitioning the stomach, it is divided and separated from the rest, with staples. The small intestine is then cut at approximately 18” below the stomach, and attached to the “new”, small stomach. Smaller meals are then eaten, and the digested food moves directly into the lower part of the bowel. As weight loss surgeries are viewed overall, this is considered one of the safest, offering long-term management of obesity.

 

Gastric Banding

 

A procedure that produces basically the same results as the stomach stapling/bypass, and is also classed as a “restrictive” surgery. The first operations, involved a non-flexing band placed around the upper part of the stomach, below the oesophagus, creating an hourglass shaped stomach, the upper portion being reduced to the same 3-6 ounce capacity. As technologies advanced, the band became more flexible, incorporating an inflatable balloon, which when triggered by a reservoir placed in the abdomen, was capable of inflating to cut down the size of the stoma, or deflating to enlarge it. Laparoscopic surgery means smaller scars, and less invasion of the digestive tract.

 

Biliopancreatic Diversion

 

A combination of the gastric bypass, and Roux-en-Y re-structuring, that bypasses a significant section of the small intestine, thereby creating the probability of malabsorption. The stomach is reduced in size, and an extended Roux-en-Y anastomosis is attached to the smaller stomach, and lower down on the small intestine than is normal. This permits the patient to eat larger amounts, but still achieve weight loss through malabsorption. Professor Nicola Scopinaro, University of Genoa, Italy, developed the technique, and last year published the first long-term results. They showed an average 72% loss of excess body weight, maintained over 18 years, the best long-term results of any bariatric surgical procedure, to date. BPD patients require lifelong follow-ups to monitor calcium and vitamin intake. The advantages of being able to eat more and still lose weight, are countered by loose or foul smelling stools, flatus, stomal ulcers, and possible protein malnutrition.

 

Jejuno-Ileal Bypass

 

One of the first weight loss procedures for the grossly obese, was developed in the 1960s, a strictly malabsorptive method of reducing weight, and preventing gain. The jejuno-ileal bypass reduced the lower digestive tract to a mere 18” of small intestine, from the natural 20 feet, a critical difference when it came to absorption of calories and nutrients. 

 

In the end-to-end method, the upper intestine was severed below the stomach, and re-attached to the small intestine much lower down, which had also been severed, thereby “cutting out”, the majority of the intestine. Malabsorption of carbohydrate, protein, lipids, minerals and vitamins, led to a variation, the end-to-side bypass, which took the end of the upper portion, and attached it to the side of the lower portion, without severing at that point. Reflux of bowel contents into the non-functioning upper portion of small bowel, resulted in more absorption of essential nutrients, but also less weight loss, and increased weight gain, post-surgery. 

 

As a result of the bypass, fatty acids are dumped in the colon, producing an irritation that causes water and electrolytes to flood the bowel, ending in chronic diarrhoea. The bile salt pool necessary to keeping cholesterol in solution is reduced by malabsorption and loss through stool. 

 

As a consequence, cholesterol concentration in the gall bladder rises, increasing the risk of stones. Multiple vitamin losses are a major concern, and may result in bone thinning, pain and fractures. Approximately one third of patients experience an adjustment in the size and thickness of the remaining active small intestine, which increases the absorption of nutrients, and balances out the weight loss. 

 

However, over the long term, all patients undergoing this bypass are susceptible to hepatic cirrhosis. In the early 1980s, one study showed that approximately 20% of those who had undergone JIB, required conversion to another bypass alternative. The procedure has since been largely abandoned, as having too many risk factors.

 

While surgical methods of reducing weight are valuable to the morbidly obese, they are not without risks. Patients may require more bed rest post-surgery, resulting in an increased chance of blood clots. Pain may also cause reduced depth of breathing, and complications such as pneumonia.

 

Before undergoing any fat/weight reduction surgery, a severely overweight person needs to thoroughly understand the benefits and risks, and must make a commitment to their future health. Having a smaller stomach is not going to stop the chronic sugar-snacker, from “grazing” on high calorie sweets. Nor does a steady supply of pop, concentrated sweet juices and milk shakes, reduce the calorie intake. With some bypass surgeries, certain foods can aggravate side-effects that need not be that severe, if common sense diets are adhered to. Surgery can be a “shortcut” to weight loss, but it can also reduce your enjoyment of life, if you are unable to adhere to the regimens that go with it.

Weight Loss Surgery, Is It A Safe Option?

For the growing number of obese individuals, weight loss surgery is a reality that must at some point become a real consideration and alternative. Today, in the United States, obesity is quickly becoming our nations’ number one health issue. The staggering effect of obesity on the rest of our health is unequalled. This is due to the fact that when our bodies our obese, every part of the body is affected. Not just the limbs, not just the heart, but every organ, tissue and cell.

 

There are many advances being made in the treatment of obesity, and the option that most people look to solve the initial obesity dilemma is surgery. Once your body reaches a certain weight, you’re no longer able to exercise; performing simple hygiene tasks often becomes impossible. Exercise and mobility are not options for bringing about weight loss. The only other alternative available is through surgical procedures that cause the body to take in less food. The procedures actually prohibit the ingestion of large quantities of food. You simply won’t be able to eat. This causes the body to begin to feed on itself. Using up the stored fat, in order to keep body processes functioning. This is a drastic way to induce weight loss, but for many it has become the only option

 

But is this safe? Does this allow our bodies to safely lose weight and come back to normal levels of body mass? Sometimes it is safe, and sometimes a person’s body just cannot adjust. The medical profession continues to work diligently to ensure that all weight loss surgery patients are safe from deathly side effects, but it does happen. No surgery is fool proof, every time you must submit to surgery, of any kind, there are risks. The risks associated with weight loss surgery are often less dangerous than the risk associated with continued obesity, especially for persons who have reached the morbid obesity levels (More than 100 pounds over the recommended body weight).

 

The traditional options available today are minimally invasive surgeries that directly restrict the body’s ability to take in food or slow the food absorption rate. Both surgeries are minimally invasive, meaning there is no need for major incisions, and most of the surgery is completed using laparoscopic technique. If the United States continues to see obesity rates climb, these surgeries and other techniques under development will become more commonplace for our generation.

Weight Loss Surgery Risks And Benefits

There is an increasing focus on weight loss in North America in the modern age, and the focus goes beyond mere looks. More and more studies are proving that being overweight not only looks unpleasant, but can also lead to some serious health issues, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and other factors which can lead to an early death.

 

Many obese people, however, face a serious problem when they begin to consider weight loss; they have become so overweight that their bodies simply cannot handle diets, nor can they summon the ability to partake in regular exercise. In most cases, the weight problem has become so critical that they do not really even have the time it takes to bring their weight down to a healthy level as they are in immediate danger of serious health consequences.

 

Lately, many people in this situation have begun to turn to the option of gastric bypass surgery. Over 150,000 gastric bypass procedures- wherein calorie intake is reduced by causing food to bypass parts of the stomach and the small intestine- were performed in 2005, many on the recommendation by a doctor for people who were considered morbidly obese.

 

One of the benefits of this procedure is that it is 100% effective when successful. Patients frequently state that they do not get hungry as often as they did before the surgery, nor does the hunger last as long. Patients also claim that they do not suffer the same cravings for unhealthy food that they did before the surgery. These effects are due to two factors. The first is the decreased size of the stomach- patients simply cannot hold food in the same capacity as they did previously. In addition, the smaller size means that the stomach is empty less than before the surgery and therefore does not signal the brain that food is needed.

 

The second reason for the decrease in appetite and cravings is the change in the hormonal balance that occurs after the surgery.

 

Gastric bypass is certainly beneficial in both time passed in regards to pounds lost and in the ease of the weight loss itself. However, there are also several risks involved when a patient elects to undergo the surgery.

 

Almost ten percent of patients who undergo the surgery report symptoms that could prove fatal some of the time. The surgery has been highly invasive in the past, with a large incision required form the upper chest to the navel. Any procedure involves risk, and the greater the cut the greater the risk. In addition, this large incision meant that a patient’s recovery time was greater, and also more painful.

 

Many of the risks of gastric bypass surgery are being eliminated with advancing research and procedures, such as the new laparoscopic bypass. Electing for this surgery will also entail a period of “dumping” time, in which a patient can expect to have recurring nausea, diarrhoea, and an intolerance to sweets that may last for the rest of their lives.

The greatest risk in undergoing the gastric bypass surgery is the same as any surgery, especially those that are gaining popular attention; the risk of undereducated operators. Some studies have shown that the risk of death after gastric bypass is much higher in patients who go to surgeons with less experience in and knowledge of the procedure. The popularity of the procedure means that there are more doctors trying to make a quick dollar off of a limited knowledge, so any patient considering the surgery needs to be aware of their surgeon’s credentials and background.

Obesity Surgery

Obesity is the bane of the modern ‘fast food’ world. Obesity surgery is an answer to all the ‘weighty issues’ faced by an individual. In tune with the times, it is a quick answer, to a problem that otherwise could take years to be solved.

 

As the name suggests, obesity surgery, is a surgical procedure that enables a person to lose weight. It is specifically for those people, who have just about tried everything, to lose weight or tried hard to maintain their weight loss but failed in all their attempts. Though obesity is relatively harmless, as compared to other medical conditions, it does lead to health problems in the long run and decreases a person’s life expectancy. For these reasons, weight reduction assumes paramount importance.

 

A person should ideally go for obesity surgery, if he/she suffers from morbid obesity. Morbid obesity is a condition wherein individuals have a body weight that is 50 to 100% above what is measured by the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated taking into consideration a person’s weight in relation to his/her height. In medical parlance, a BMI between 30-40 is considered obese and that lying over 40 is considered morbidly obese.       

 

At times obesity manifests itself in cycles. A person can drastically reduce weight and in a little time might just gain weight drastically. This is why new, improved and innovative weight reduction measures are being introduced and among these is, obesity surgery. Obesity surgery is not as drastic a measure as many people believe it to be. An invasive medical procedure has some amount of associated risks, as is the case with obesity surgery. However, there are numerous bariatric surgeons, who are experts in this type of surgery. Coupled with state-of-the-art hospitals and medical clinics, the complications are minimized to a great extent.

 

Many regard obesity surgery as a quick fix solution, but nothing can be farther from the truth. It is a comprehensive procedure that also includes, among other things, superior support and services of other medical professionals like dieticians and psychologists. The treatment plan is drawn out over a long period of time. Obesity surgical procedure involves the placement of the gastric band in the upper portion of the stomach. This limits an individual’s intake of food. This is accomplished by using what is known as laparoscopic surgery also known as keyhole surgery. This gastric band or the lap band is adjustable in nature and if need be, can be removed altogether.

 

The post-operative care includes an overnight stay in the hospital, following the operation. It also includes regular consultations with health care professionals, who will counsel you regarding the subsequent life style changes that a person needs to adapt to.

 

Summary

 

The inherent objective of obesity surgery is that the patient is able to achieve his or her goal in terms of weight loss. When a person loses weight drastically, the elasticity of the skin is lost and it is left behind. However, most experts offer their patients a comprehensive portfolio of procedures that enable the correction of all the associated problems that come with a dramatic weight loss. With this article we hope that a person suffering from obesity can analyze and evaluate his/her options regarding the same

 

Author's Bio

 

Donna McClinton is Senior Patient Advisor at Cosmetic Surgery Consultants one of the UK's leading cosmetic surgery groups. For more information on cosmetic and plastic surgery advice visit http://www.cosmeticsurgeryconsultants.co.uk.

Causes for Cervicitis

Cervicitis is the most common gynaecological disorder found among women irrespective of the age factor. Any women who has one sexual encounter and has experienced abdominal pain or any unusual vaginal discharge could be affected with it. Cervicitis does not yield to self-diagnosis because its symptoms can lead to confusion of other ailments such as vaginitis. If cervicitis is not treated it can lead to problems in conceiving or delivering a healthy baby. Cervicitis can be easily diagnosed by your physician with a variety of drugs and procedures.

 

Cervicitis

 

It is the inflammation of the cervix- the lower part of the uterus that extends about an inch into the vaginal canal. Usually, cervicitis results due to infection although it could also be caused by any injury or irritation that could be the result of chemicals in contraceptives or forgotten tampon.

 

The first symptom of cervicitis could be a vaginal discharge that becomes more pronounced after your menstrual cycle. Other symptoms include bleeding, itching or irritation of any of the external genitals, pain during intercourse, a burning sensation during urination or a lower back pain. If it is mild, then you might not notice any symptoms at all. In a serious form, it could cause a profuse, discharge with unpleasant odour along with intense vaginal itchiness or abdominal pain. If this infection gets into your system then it may cause fever and nausea.

 

If it lasts for a long time then it could even lead to pregnancy because this abnormal mucus production interferes with the ability of the sperm to enter the cervical canal, but this infection could also spread to the uterus or fallopian tube leading to the ovaries. If untreated then it could also lead to risks such as miscarriage, premature delivery, infection of her new born during delivery also leading to pneumonia or severe eye infection or even blindness. It is important to visit your physician when you experience pain or unusual discharge because many times, cervicitis can be confused with signs of other disorders. The problem could be an infection of the vulva, uterus, fallopian tubes or urinary tract or could also be a sign of another cervical condition called cervical erosion. Erosion of the cervix is caused when the cervical surface layer is partially or completely missing. 

 

It is the result of the body’s normal defence system or whenever there is some injury, infection, irritation or when white blood cells are mobilized, the blood circulation within the area increases. The cervix which is of pale pink and smooth becomes red and swollen. Your physician may recommend you a biopsy if the cervix seems to be abnormal or colposcopy, another diagnostic technique.

 

For further information, visit our recommended website http://www.womensreproductivehealth.info.

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Causes and Remedies for Urinary Tract Infection

Women who are more sexually active are the greatest victims of Urinary tract infection or the infection of bladder or the kidneys. However, men also suffer from this infection but mostly after the age of 50. 

 

Urinary tract infections are commonly caused by a bacterium that travels from the urinary duct or urethra into the bladder. Amongst women, pregnancy, sexual intercourse, diabetes or a past urinary tract infection leads to such kind of infection. The risk also increases when they wipe from back to the front after a bowel movement. 

 

Typical symptoms include necessity to urinate frequently with the inability to pass more than a small amount or pain and burning sensation during urination or even dribbling or leaking during day and while sleeping. It is also possible that the urine develops a foul odour or become blood specked. 

 

Do’s While You Have a Urinary Tract Infection

 

1. You should take antibiotics as prescribed by your physician. Make sure to take all the medication even though the symptoms disappear because if you stop the treatment early, some of the bacteria may survive and infect you again.

 

2. Take plenty of rest and if fever persists for long, stay in bed until it gets to normal and you feel better.

 

3. Drink 6 to 8 soda can size glass of fluids especially water each day to flush out your kidneys and wash out the germs from your urinary tract. If you drink cranberry juice or take vitamin C it shall help to make your urine more acid and keep the infection under control.

 

4. Urinate as often as you feel the urge and try to empty the bladder completely every time before and after sex. 

 

5. Avoid intake of caffeine or alcohol during the treatment as this irritates the bladder.

 

6. Take showers rather than taking bath each day and wash the genital area with soap and water. Never use bubble bath or bath oils.

 

7. Also remember to wipe from front to back after urinating or having a bowel movement because this reduces the chances of germs getting into the bladder. It is also advisable to wear a panty with a cotton crotch.

 

8. Maintain your follow up visits regularly to cure the infection or else the lingering infection could even damage the kidneys.

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Burn Baby Burn: Getting Rid Of Your Baby Fat (After Pregnancy)

One of the joys of conceiving becomes quite obvious as the months go by, and that’s showing off your bulging baby bump, a trend being made ever so popular by Hollywood’s hottest expecting leading ladies.

 

But, unless you're one of the Hollywood hotties, you may not be able to shed that baby bump so quickly after delivery. In fact, if you’re over 25 and certainly over 30, losing the baby weight may seem like a losing battle. 

 

Not only has our body packed on the pounds during pregnancy, but along with age, comes a natural tendency to favor fat and gain weight. Once a certain fat level is reached and maintained for an undetermined but specific amount of time, the body accepts this (level) as normal and works at conserving it.

 

So, as you start to purge those extra pounds, other physiological systems kick and foster.

 

Re-gain. Hormones and neurotransmitters that control your activity level, your hunger level and how you metabolize food are also affected in ways that encourage fat to make its way back.

 

But, experts assert that there is hope, it just may take more time and conscious effort. And, they add, that it should be viewed and treated as a lifestyle change, and not a ‘temporary’ diet plan geared at simply shedding some extra pounds.

 

Among the key factors to dropping the weight and keeping it off is the amount of exercise you do over the long haul. Experts suggest a few times a week if possible, but even that may not be enough. In fact, the ideal amount would amount to about 30 minutes per day, even if it’s done at intervals, which is also a great way to help you not only maintain a healthy weight, but stay healthy as well.

 

Furthermore, studies show that losing weight and keeping it off may mean up to 60 to 90 minutes of moderate exercise daily (for most), and they again suggest breaking it into intervals. You can also incorporate exercise into daily activities such as walking instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. And, they caution those who are or may be out of shape to start off slow and take it easy and build up gradually.

 

Overall they suggest sticking within your (daily) calorie and exercise range and finding a program that’s practical and easy for you to commit and stick to. And they suggest making small, achievable goals that will enable you to see results, which will in turn be a motivation for you to continue on your successful path.

Building Better Bones

“It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my beloved," counsels Grandmother Growth. "You must open to your very marrow for this transformation. No cell is to remain untouched. You are to open more than you ever dreamed you could open, more than you have opened in birth or in passion. You open now to the breath of mortality as it plays the bone flute of your being. What can you do but dance to the haunting melody, develop a passion for an elegant posture and a long stride?

 

"Ah, yes," Grandmother Growth smiles rather wantonly. "It would do you well to develop a taste for dark greens tarted with vinegar and mated with garlic. These things will build strong flexible bones to support you as you become Crone."

 

Did you know that your bones are always changing? Every day of your life, some bone cells die and some new bone cells are created. From birth until your early 30s, you can easily make lots of bone cells. So long as your diet supplies the necessary nutrients, you not only replace bone cells that die, you have extras left over to lengthen and strengthen your bones.

 

Past the age of 35, new bone cells are more difficult to make. Sometimes there is a shortfall: more bone cells die than you can replace. In the orthodox view, this is the beginning of osteoporosis, the disease of low bone mass. By the age of forty, many American women have begun to lose bone mass; by the age of fifty, most are told they must take hormones or drugs to prevent further loss and avoid osteoporosis, hip fracture, and death. 

 

Women who exercise regularly and eat calcium-rich foods enter their menopausal years with better bone mass than women who sit a lot and consume calcium-leaching foods (including soy "milk," tofu, coffee, soda pop, alcohol, white flour products, processed meats, nutritional yeast, and bran). But no matter how good your lifestyle choices, bone mass usually decreases during the menopausal years. 

 

For unknown reasons, menopausal bones slow down production of new cells and seem to ignore the presence of calcium. This "bone-pause" is generally short-lived, occurring off and on for five to seven years. I noticed it in scattered episodes of falling hair, breaking fingernails, and the same "growing pains" I experienced during puberty.

 

I did not see it in a bone scan, because I didn't have one. 

 

The idea behind bone scans is a good one: find women who are at risk of broken bones, alert them to the danger, and help them engage in preventative strategies. There's only one problem: bone scans don't find women who are at risk of broken bones, they find women who have low bone density. 

 

I would like to help you let go of the idea that osteoporosis is important. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we focus on the patient, not the problem. In the Wise Woman tradition, there are no diseases and no cures for diseases. When we focus on a disease, like osteoporosis, we cannot see the whole woman. The more we focus on one disease, even its prevention, the less likely we are to nourish wholeness and health. 

 

Focusing on osteoporosis, defining it as a disease, using drugs to counter it, we lose sight of the fact that postmenopausal bone mass is a better indicator of breast cancer risk than broken bone risk. The twenty-five percent of postmenopausal women with the highest bone mass are two-and-a-half to four times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those with the lowest bone mass. And that hormones which maintain bone mass also adversely affect breast cancer risk. Women who take estrogen replacement (often given to prevent osteoporosis), even for as little as five years, increase their risk of breast cancer by twenty percent; if they take hormone replacement, the risk increases by forty percent.

 

Focusing on bone mass, we lose sight of the fact that a strong correlation between bone density and bone breakage has not been established, according to Susan Brown, director of the Osteoporosis Information Clearing House, and many others. We lose sight of the fact that women who faithfully take estrogen or hormone replacement still experience bone changes and suffer spinal crush fractures.

 

Bone-pause passes and the bones do rebuild themselves, especially when supported by nourishing herbs, which are exceptional sources of bone-building minerals and better at preventing bone breaks than supplements. The minerals in green plants seem to be ideal for keeping bones healthy. Dr. Campbell, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, has done extensive research in rural China where the lowest known fracture rates for midlife and older women were found. He says, "The closer people get to a diet based on plant foods and leafy vegetables, the lower the rates of many diseases, including osteoporosis." Women who consume lots of calcium-rich plants and exercise moderately build strong flexible bones. Women who rely on hormones build bones that are massive, but rigid.

 

Hormone replacement regimes do not increase bone cell creation; they slow (or suppress) bone cell killers (osteoclasts). There is a rebound effect; bone loss jumps when the hormones are stopped. Women who take hormones for five years or more are as much as four times more likely to break a bone in the year after they stop than a woman of the same age who never took hormones. Women who build better bones with green allies and exercise nourish the bone cell creator cells (osteoblasts).

 

Hormone or estrogen replacement, taken as menopause begins and continued for the rest of your life, is said to reduce post-menopausal fracture rates by 40-60 percent. Frequent walks (you don't even need to sweat) and a diet high in calcium-rich green allies (at least 1500 mg daily) have been shown to reduce post-menopausal fractures by 50 percent. The first is expensive and dangerous. The second, inexpensive and health promoting. It's easy to see why more than eighty percent of American women just "say no" to hormones. It is never too late to build better bones, and it is never too soon. Your best insurance for a fracture-free, strong-boned cronehood is to build better bones before menopause. The more exercise and calcium-rich green allies you get in your younger years, the less you'll have to worry about as you age.

 

"A woman has lost half of all the spongy bone (spine, wrist) she'll ever lose by the age of 50, but very little of the dense (hip, hand, forearm) bone. Attention to bone formation at every stage of life is vital; there is no time when you are too old to create healthy new bone." - American MD

 

Calcium

 

"Osteoporosis is much less common in countries that consume the least calcium. That is an undisputed fact." - T. C. Campbell, PhD. Nutritional Biochemistry

 

Step 1: Collect Information

 

Calcium is, without a doubt, the most important mineral in your body. In fact, calcium makes up more than half of the total mineral content of your body. Calcium is crucial to the regular beating of your heart, your metabolism, the functioning of your muscles, the flow of impulses along your nerves, the regulation of your cellular membranes, the strength of your bones, the health of your teeth and gums, and your vital blood-clotting mechanisms. Calcium is so critical to your life that you have a gland (the parathyroid) that does little else than monitor blood levels of calcium and secrete hormones to ensure optimum levels of calcium at all times.

 

When you consume more calcium than you use, you are in a positive calcium balance: extra usable calcium is stored in the bones and you gain bone mass (insoluble or unusable calcium may be excreted, or stored in soft tissue, or deposited in the joints). When you consume less calcium than you use, you are in a negative calcium balance: the parathyroid produces a hormone that releases calcium stores from the bones, and you lose bone mass.

 

To ensure a positive calcium balance and create strong, flexible bones for your menopausal journey, take care to:

 

• Eat three or more calcium-rich foods daily.

• Avoid calcium antagonists. 

• Use synergistic foods to magnify the effectiveness of calcium. 

• Avoid calcium supplements.

 

Step 2: Engage the Energy

 

The homeopathic tissue salt Silica is said to improve bone health.

 

What does it mean to you to support yourself? To be supported? To stand on your own? To have a backbone in your life?

 

Step 3: Nourish & Tonify

 

What do we need to make strong flexible bones? Like all tissues, bones need protein. They need minerals (not just calcium, but also potassium, manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, sulphur, chromium, and dozens of others). And in order to use those minerals, high-quality fats, including oil-soluble vitamin D.

 

Many menopausal women I meet believe that protein is bad for their bones. Not so. Researchers at Utah State University, looking at the diets of 32,000 postmenopausal women, found that women who ate the least protein were the most likely to fracture a hip; and that eating extra protein sped the healing of hip fractures. 

 

Acids created by protein digestion are buffered by calcium. Traditional diets combine calcium- and protein-rich foods (e.g. seaweed with tofu, tortillas made from corn ground on limestone with beans, and melted cheese on a hamburger). Herbs such as seaweed, stinging nettle, oat straw, red clover, dandelion, and comfrey leaf are rich in protein and provide plenty of calcium too. Foods such as tahini, sardines, canned salmon, yogurt, cheese, oatmeal, and goats' milk offer us protein, generous amounts of calcium, and the healthy fats our bones need. If you crave more protein during menopause, follow that craving.

 

CAUTION: Unfermented soy (e.g., tofu) is especially detrimental to bone health being protein-rich, naturally deficient in calcium, and a calcium antagonist to boot.

 

Bones need lots of minerals not just calcium, which is brittle and inflexible. (Think of chalk, calcium carbonate, and how easily it breaks.) Avoid calcium supplements. Focus on getting generous amounts of calcium from herbs and foods and you will automatically get the multitude of minerals you need for flexible bones.

 

Because minerals are bulky, and do not compact, we must consume generous amounts to make a difference in our health. Taking mineral-rich herbs in capsule or tincture form won't do much for your bones. (One cup of nettle tincture contains the same amount of calcium - 300 mg - as one cup of nettle infusion. Many women drink two or more cups of infusion a day; no one consumes a cup of tincture a day!) Neither will eating raw foods. I frequently come across the idea that cooking robs food of nutrition. Nothing could be further from the truth. Cooking maximizes the minerals available to your bones. Kale cooked for an hour delivers far more calcium than lightly steamed kale. Minerals are rock-like, and to extract them, we need heat, time, and generous quantities of plant material. 

 

Green sources of calcium are the best. Nourishing herbs and garden weeds are far richer in minerals than ordinary greens, which are already exceptional sources of nutrients. 

 

But calcium from green sources alone is not enough. We need calcium from white sources as well. Add a quart of yogurt a week to your diet if you want really healthy bones. Because the milk has been changed by Lactobacillus organisms, its calcium, other minerals, proteins, and sugars (no lactose) are more easily digested. This carries over, enhancing calcium and mineral absorption from other foods, too. (I have known several vegans who increased their very low bone density by as much as 6 percent in one year by eating yogurt.) Organic raw milk cheeses are another superb white source.

 

Horsetail herb (Equisetum arvense) works like a charm for those premenopausal women who have periodontal bone loss or difficulty with fracture healing. Taken as tea, once or twice a day, young spring-gathered horsetail dramatically strengthens bones and promotes rapid mending of breaks.

CAUTION: Mature horsetail contains substances which may irritate the kidneys.

 

Step 4: Stimulate/Sedate

 

Beware of calcium antagonists. Certain foods interfere with calcium utilization. For better bones avoid consistent use of:

 

• Greens rich in oxalic acid, including chard (silver beet), beet greens, spinach, rhubarb.

• Unfermented soy products, including tofu, soy beverages, soy burgers.

• Phosphorus-rich foods, including carbonated drinks, white flour products, and many processed foods. (Teenagers who drink sodas instead of milk are four times more likely to break a bone.)

• Foods that produce acids requiring a calcium buffer when excreted in the urine, including coffee, white sugar, tobacco, alcohol, nutritional yeast, salt.

• Fluoride in water or toothpaste.

• Fibre pills, bran taken alone, bulk-producing laxatives.

• Steroid medications, including corticosteroids such as prednisone and asthma inhalers. (Daily use reduces spinal bone mass by as much as ten percent a year.)

• Restricted calorie diets. Women who weigh the least have the greatest loss of bone during menopause and "neither calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, nor oestrogen" slow the loss. Among 236 premenopausal women, all of whom consumed similar amounts of calcium, those who lost weight by reducing calories lost twice as much bone mass as women who maintained their weight.

 

Although chocolate contains oxalic acid, the levels are so low as to have only a negligible effect on calcium metabolism. An ounce/3000 mg of chocolate binds 15-20 mg of calcium; an ounce of cooked spinach, 100-125 mg calcium. Bittersweet (dark) chocolate is a source of iron. Recent research has found chocolate to be very heart healthy. As with any stimulant, daily use is not advised. Chocolate is an important and helpful ally for women. Guilt about eating it and belief that it is damaging to your health interferes with your ability to hear and respond to your body wisdom. If you want to eat chocolate - do it; and get the best. But if you're doing it every day - eat more weeds.

 

Excess phosphorus accelerates bone loss and demineralization. Phosphorus compounds are second only to salt as food additives. They are found in carbonated beverages, soda pop; white flour products, especially if "enriched" (bagels, cookies, cakes, donuts, pasta, bread); preserved meats (bacon, ham, sausage, lunch meat, and hot dogs); supermarket breakfast cereals; canned fruit; processed potato products such as frozen fries and instant mashed potatoes; processed cheeses; instant soups and puddings.

 

To avoid phosphorus overload and improve calcium absorption:

 

• Drink spring water and herbal infusions; avoid soda pop and carbonated water.

• Eat only whole grain breads, noodles, cookies, and crackers.

• Buy only unpreserved meats, cheeses, potatoes.

• Avoid buying foods with ingredients; they are highly processed.

 

Excess salt leaches calcium. Women eating 3900 mg of sodium a day excrete 30 percent more calcium than those eating 1600 mg. The main sources of dietary sodium are processed and canned foods. Seaweed is an excellent calcium-rich source of salt. Sea salt may be used freely as it contains trace amounts of calcium. Salt is critical for health; do not eliminate it from your diet.

 

Increase hydrochloric acid production (in your stomach) and you'll make better use of the calcium you consume. Lower stomach acid (with antacids, for example) and you will receive little bone benefit from the calcium you ingest. Some ways to acidify:

 

• Drink lemon juice in water with or after your meal.

• Take 10-25 drops dandelion root tincture in a little water before you eat.

• Use calcium-rich herbal vinegars in your salad dressing; put some on cooked greens and beans, too.

 

Step 5a: Use Supplements

 

I really wish you wouldn't use calcium supplements. They expose you to dangers and don't prevent fractures. A study in Australia that followed 10,000 white women over the age of 65 for six and a half years found "Use of calcium supplements was associated with increased risk of hip and vertebral fracture; use of Tums antacid tablets was associated with increased risk of fractures of the proximal humerus."

 

If you insist on supplements, go for calcium-fortified orange juice or crumbly tablets of calcium citrate. Chewable calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, and calcium carbonate are acceptable sources. Dolomite, bone meal, and oyster shell are best avoided as they usually contain lead and other undesirable minerals.

 

For better bones, take 500 mg magnesium (not citrate) with your calcium. Better yet, wash your calcium pill down with a glass of herbal infusion; that will provide not only magnesium but lots of other bone-strengthening minerals, too.

 

Calcium supplements are more effective in divided doses. Two doses of 250 mg, taken morning and night, actually provide more usable calcium than a 1000 mg tablet.

 

Step 5b: Use Drugs

 

Even if you take hormone therapy (ERT or HRT) you must get adequate calcium to maintain bone mass, according to researchers at Columbia University. That's 1200-1500 mg a day (a cup of plain yogurt, two cups of nettle infusion, a splash of mineral-rich vinegar, plus three figs is about that). As you increase your intake of calcium-rich foods/herbs, gradually cut back on your hormone dose if you wish.

 

Step 6: Break & Enter

 

Bone density tests are frequently used to push women into taking hormones or drugs. If your bone density is low, use the remedies in this section and schedule another test (for at least six months later) before agreeing to such therapies.

 

Susun Weed

PO Box 64

Woodstock, NY 12498

Fax: 1-845-246-8081