I'm Stuck in a Yo-Yo Nightmare! What Can I Do?

I'm sick of struggling to lose weight – and then gaining it right back and starting all over again. How do I lose weight permanently?

First of all, learn to find JOY in the process of becoming and staying healthy. While nothing in this life is truly perfect or permanent, there is a way to manage and maintain your weight. That’s what you want to aim for, a stable and healthy weight.

How? BALANCE! Aim to eat only as many calories as you use up in living. Learn to eat just the right amount of food (moderation is the key), from all six food groups every day. Learn and practice being physically active every day. In other words: eat for nourishment, mainly, and get your pleasure from life in all of its vast variety.

This is all accomplished slowly, over time, with HELP! Help from others who have done it, who care about you and will cheer you on, and most importantly, divine help from God (or whatever you call your Higher Power).

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Blood test can gauge prostate cancer risk

Thanks to Genomic research, a simple blood test can be used to determine a man's relative risk of developing prostate cancer. That's because blood work can detect five genetic variants that, according to an international study, are independently associated with the disease, but that, when combined, have a strong cumulative effect of risk.

Compared to having none of these genetic variants, researchers write in the New England Journal of Medicine, having four increases the risk of developing prostate cancer by 400 to 500 percent. Family history is added to the equation to make six risk factors. Having at least five of six factors increases the baseline risk by more than 900 percent.

"Our finding provides an opportunity to supplement the well-established risk factors (age, race, and family history) by looking at inherited variants," says seniors researcher Dr. Jianfeng Xu of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in North Carolina. And being aware of the cumulative effect of these genetic variants, say Xu, "could substantially improve physicians' ability to assess risk and determine the need for more aggressive screening."

KNOW YOUR BODY:
The prostate is walnut-sized gland located just below the bladder in men. The prostate keeps urine and semen flowing in the proper direction, and produces a component of semen called prostatic fluid.

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Avoid these calcium robbers

Aerated drinks have high phosphate content. Phosphate binds calcium in the bowel and reduces its absorption.

Salt may adverse effect on calcium metabolism in the body. This can lead to bone loss. When the amount of sodium in the body goes up, more calcium is excreted from body to maintain a sodium-calcium balance.

Cereals and pulses contain phytates, phosphorus compounds, which bind calcium and reduce its bioavailability. Though generally safe, if you think that your intake of cereals may lead to loss of bone health, ask your nutritionist or orthopedic to guide you.

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Caffiene

Many people assume that decaffeinated coffee and tea is somehow healthier- and there have been suggested links between caffeine and heart palpitations and pancreatic cancer. But there's growing list of ways that it might actually be good for you.

Several studies have flagged coffee as combating or delaying the development of Parkinson's disease in men.

It's most likely the caffeine that's doing it, says Dr. Kieran Breen, director of research for the Parkinson's Disease Society in the UK; perhaps it stimulates nerve cells' production of dopamine to counteract the disease's symptoms, or it may actually be protecting the nerve cells.

Some studies have suggested the caffeine can help prevent gallstones, though there's no consensus yet. A Japanese study found that middle-aged and older people drinking cofee daily had half rate of common liver cancer.

Also, as a pick-me-up, caffeine doesn't just affect mood - there's evidence it can enhance the performance of athletes.

BUT WATCH OUT!
It has been suggested that caffeine is harmful to those with diabetes or hypertension, though doctors simply advice sufferers to drink it in moderation and the Blood Pressure Association in the UK says cutting out caffeine does not have a major impact on blood pressure.

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Detox

What is a detoxification?
A cleansing and detoxification program is a series of steps taken in order to actively enchance the elimination of toxic wastes from your body that creating, or have the potential to create bothersome symptoms and disease. An exceptional cleansing and detoxification program that greatly improve your health, requires the ingestion of higher quality nutrient. These nutrients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein, carbohydrates, fats and water. Quiet activities such as prayer, meditation or slow diaphragmatic breathing are equally as important a successful detoxification program.

Types of detox.
Skin Brushing:
It facilitates the skin cleansing by stimulating the lymphatic system which eliminate toxins through the skin. Lymphatic system is the part of the body responsible for cleansing soft tissue found just under the skin.

-Instructions:
*Use a long handled natural bristle brush, or a loofah sponge.
*Begin at the base of your teeth and brush in small circles from the legs towards the chest, palms of the hands towards to chest and then back forward the abdomen. Use light pressure. End with the scalp.
*Avoid the face, breast and other sensitive areas.
*Skin brushing can be done either in the morning or evening shower. It takes only 5-10 minutes.

-Benefits:
*The circular brushing promotes a clearer lymphatic pathway. It rejuvenates dull, lifeless skin and gives a healthy glow.

Aromatherapy:
*Combine in a bath with one cup of Epsom salts and 1 to 2 tablespoons of an essential oil, such as lemon, jojoba, rosemary or olive. These stimulating properties naturally draw toxins through the pores of the skin efficiently.
*Or, combine 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 tablespoon cornmeal and several drop almond oil with enough milk to form a paste. Then apply by hand to the entire body (not the face) with gentle and circular motions. Rinse and brush the skin using loofah or sponge. This help exfoliate the skin which indirectly increase respiration and removes toxins.

Balneotherapy:
This therapeutic bathing uses normal tap water, natural thermal or mineral water. A special built baths contain more than 200 individual jets aimed at various parts of the body. Aromatic essential oils, mineral salts or dried seaweed are added to the water enhance a more therapeutic affect.

-Benefits:
*Soothe sore muscles and calm mind
*Ease dry or oily, inflamed or itchy
*Help patients suffering from rheumatic condition or arthritis.
*Increase lymphatic drainage.
*Improved blood circulation
*Lowered blood pressure.
*Improved muscle tone
*Increase flexibility.
*Relief from emotional stresses and mental fatigue.
*Stimulate activity in the liver and kidneys.

Juices:
For your body's regenerative system to work, toxin must be flushed out and drinking eight glasses of a water a day won't do it alone. To purify your system, try fruit in the morning and vegetables juices in the afternoon along with your normal diet, And remember to stay away from salty food, sugar, alcohol and caffeine.

Go green:
Say no to snacks and head for food which are high in water content such as cucumber, celery, lettuce and kale. Avoid alcohol, excessive caffeine, red meat and dairy product and always remember to keep up your water intake. No more instant noodles or hamburgers, but it's best to stick to foods low in fat and high in nutrients.

-Try these:
*Grapefruits (increase metabolic stimulants)
*Grape (high in potassium-essential maintaining normal kidney function)
*Cantaloupes (High in digestive enzymes)
*Bananas and avocados (maintain blood sugar)

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How it works : Sunburn

It's a little more complicated than a simple heat-and-char process. Immediately after sun exposure, you'll see some pink skin: that comes from dilation of the capillaries in reaction to ultraviolent B rays. "The actual burn you see later comes from series of chemical reactions," say Dr Mehmet C. Ox. Mast cell in the skin release chemicals like histamine and serotonin, triggering more chemical production and inflammation. Whitin 12 hours, skin cells begin to die, and inflammation turn the skin a darker red. UV radiation damages your DNA, setting you up for possible skin cancer and suppressing immunity. But your skin does try to fight back. As soon as you're exposed to UV radiation, cells called melanoctyes release melanin pigments that block UV ray- in the form of a tan that can reflect UV light. You;re heard it before, but it bears repeating. To prevent burns, use a sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB ray, and reapply often

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Know your back pain.

Ooouuucchhh!!! Back pain is like a bad dream: the longer it persist, the worse it get. So, first goal in pain management is to determine where you are on the pain cycle. And then to 'wake up' and stop the cycle as soon as possible.

1. Inactivity and stress
Being unfit and under stress sets the stage for back pain. Weak, stiff muscles can't bounce back when they're hit with stress: Instead they go into a spasm. Constant, unrelieved stress will take its toll somewhere in the body-usually your back

2. Muscle spasm
One day, 'for no reason at all', you feel a jabbing pain in the back-this is a muscles spasm. Your bcak muscles contract suddenly - and painfully- like a Charley horse. A spasm is your body's natural splinting reaction to prevent more damage to your back.

3. Muscle can't breathe
A spasm chokes off circulation to your knotted muscles and cuts off the supply of oxygen-rich blood. Pain increases because the muscle can't take in oxygen to work smoothly, and because lactic acid and other waste products build up in the muscle.

4. Stiff muscle
Weeks of pain and inactivity lead to stiff, shortened muscles. Your spine is locked in place and can no longer move freely- and neither can you. When your back muscles can no longer protect the joints in your spine, the joints may degenerate quickly.

5.Bone and disk disease
Ignoring pain and stiffness set the stage for permanent back damage. If you have a degenerative disease of the vertebrae (the bones of your spine) and disks (the cushions between the bones), your doctor may recommend surgery. Always consult a doctor if you have back pain.

6. Bed rest and worry
Inactivity only prongs the pain cycle, whether you're resting in bed after back surgery or relying on pain medications for relief. If you're flat on your back, your muscles get weaker and stiffer, worry and stress increase, and the cycle repeats itself.

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