5 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

posted by Mel, selected from Caring.com Feb 23, 2010 5:01 pm

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com


Don’t get sucked into the idea that food is your enemy when you’re trying to lose weight. In fact, it’s just the opposite: Befriend the right foods, and the pounds are much more likely to peel off than if you just try to cut calories across the board. Here, seven foods known by nutritionists to boost your body’s fat-burning potential

1. Oats
Wait a minute; aren’t oats a carb? Yes and no. Oats are a whole grain, and they’re high on what nutritionists call the “satiety index,” meaning oats have tremendous power to make you feel full. Not only that, they’re also high in soluble fiber, so they cut cholesterol and blood fat. Oats digest slowly, so they don’t raise your blood sugar, and they keep you feeling filled up well into the late morning. Old-fashioned steel-cut and rolled oats, with up to 5 grams of fiber per serving, are best, but even instant oatmeal has 3 to 4 grams of fiber per serving.

2. Apples
To keep the pounds at bay, eat an apple–or two–a day. Numerous studies have found that eating an apple a half hour to an hour before a meal has the result of cutting the calories of the meal. Why? The fiber in the apple makes you feel full, so you eat less. Recent research suggests eating apples has other benefits, too; the antioxidants in apples appear to prevent metabolic syndrome, the combination of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and prediabetes that tends to accompany thickening around the waist. Also, apples are high in pectin, which binds with water and limits the amount of fat your cells can absorb.

3. Eggs
Nutritionists have been trying for some years to restore the reputation of the lowly egg. No longer thought to be a cholesterol-booster (eggs contain a different type of cholesterol than that in humans), eggs are a concentrated form of animal protein without the added fat that comes with meat. Dietary studies have repeatedly found that when people eat an egg every morning in addition to (or instead of) toast or cereal, they lose twice as much weight as those who eat a breakfast that’s dominated by carbs.

4. Cinnamon
This simple spice appears to have the power to help your body metabolize sugar, according to surprising data that came out of a USDA study involving diabetics. Eating as little as 1/4 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon a day was found to reduce blood sugar levels and cut cholesterol from 10 to 25 percent. So add cinnamon to smoothies, sprinkle it on your cereal, or flavor your coffee with it.

5. Almonds and Almond Butter
Another counterintuitive choice; aren’t nuts and nut butters supposed to be incredibly fattening? Well, almonds are calorie-dense, but they also pack a huge nutritional punch–and they’re particularly effective in counteracting cholesterol and triglycerides. One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating almonds was as effective as taking a statin. Spreading almond butter on your morning toast gives you a nice protein boost while preventing the carbs in the toast from spiking your blood sugar.

WHAT IS URINARY TRACT INFECTION?

Who is at risk?

Some people are more prone to getting a UTI than others. Any abnormality of the urinary tract that obstructs the flow of urine (a kidney stone, for example) sets the stage for an infection. An enlarged prostate gland also can slow the flow of urine, thus raising the risk of infection.

People with diabetes have a higher risk of a UTI because of changes in the immune system. Any other disorder that suppresses the immune system raises the risk of a urinary infection.

UTIs may occur in infants, both boys and girls, who are born with abnormalities of the urinary tract, which sometimes need to be corrected with surgery. UTIs are more rare in boys and young men. In adult women, though, the rate of UTIs gradually increases with age. Scientists are not sure why women have more urinary infections than men. One factor may be that a woman's urethra is short, allowing bacteria quick access to the bladder. Also, a woman's urethral opening is near sources of bacteria from the rectal and vulvar areas. For many women, sexual intercourse seems to trigger an infection, although the reasons for this linkage are unclear.

Source: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult/

5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

By Woman's Day Staff
Fri, Jun 18, 2010

How To Play Hard To Get And Still Get Him Or Her To Fall In Love

by Yangki Christine Akiteng
The Real People's Love Doctor
http://searchwarp.com/swa228593.htm

Many men and women in an attempt to create that sense of mystery, unfamiliarity, and the thrill of the chase end up becoming too elusive (playing impossible to get) that the other person assumes they’re not interested or the other person after a while gets tired, gives up and moves on.

The whole point of “playing hard to get" is to demonstrate your VALUE to others and you can’t do that by being too available (clingy, needy or eager to please) nor by simply making yourself unavailable (saying "no" all the time or making yourself too scarce) or even by being overly aggressive ( being manipulative, demanding or controlling). You demonstrate VALUE by creating a sense of exclusiveness (exceptional and extraordinary).

Creating that sense of “exclusiveness" requires:

1) A wise and intelligent awareness about what you are doing Look at it this way—you’re the owner of a luxurious brand who wants to confer an image of superior quality to a buyer. You are not going to achieve this by using “open house," (I’m desperate, I will take anyone) or “permanently out of stock" (don’t take calls, cancel dates, try to make him or her jealous etc) methods. You confer an image of superior quality by a good understanding of yourself first and foremost.

Self-awareness is the key. I cannot stress this enough. Self-awareness especially awareness of your sexual imprint (why you are attracted to certain people and not others, why you behave the way you behave, why you fear what you fear, why you believe what you believe and do what you do etc) will enable you direct your energy in positive ways, make the right decisions and maintain balance and moderation.

2) Knowledge of what appeals to a particular man or woman . Each and everyone of us has a uniquely personalized set of things that naturally attract or repel us sexually and erotically. How do you figure out what attracts or repels a particular man or woman? One, by asking questions... lots of them. Ask questions with the intention of finding out what makes him or her tick - his or her own sexual imprint. And two, by doing things that make him or her feel that you truly and genuinely understand him or her as a unique individual. When you tap into the deepest and sometimes most forbidden desires, fantasies, and passions of a person, it is possible to spend just five minutes with him or her and create such strong attraction that he or she later on, on their own, recalls the experience with good feelings about seeing and being with you again. It's this "good feelings" that fuel the chase.

3) Ability to make someone feel special without seeming too needy or eager to please

If somebody is going to chase you, they want to know with some degree of certainty that you are worth the chase. There’s nothing that is a bigger turnoff for both men and women than someone who is predictable, not much of a challenge, too rigid or controlling, desperate or too eager to please, incurably negative and downright boring. The person must feel that you’re worth his or her time and energy and what he or she is chasing is not something he or she can easily get on the street corner but rather something offered to only a “privileged" few. Men and women want to feel that you're valuable and only those who deserve it will earn you as a reward. It’s kind of like a “members only" exclusive club where the person being allowed in feels “they must be special". When you make someone feel special, they in return will feel you are also special.

4) Capacity to impact on someone's life so much that they are positively transformed as a result of knowing you
Really savvy and skilled brand creators take “exclusivity" one step further. They just don’t stop at “by invitation only" phase, but instead create an entire lifestyle. That is, they challenge a man or woman pursing them to become more of themselves and do more than they’d dared to do before. If your words, actions, and behaviours can actually make the person experience a very strong state of arousal, excitement or deep sense of peace creating strong memories those memories will be added to the person’s sexual imprint and so will you - forever.
Playing hard to get done the right way can be the most powerful form of seduction there is. And we all have the ability to craft transcendent experiences that can make our dates, lovers, and spouses feel they are flirting (literally!) with the unpredictable and the unknown in a most intense, agreeable, pleasing, charming, endearing, enticing, enlivening, and reality altering way.

Who wouldn’t want to spend eternity with someone like that?

If you are just getting to know a man or woman and not sure whether he or she is “playing hard to get" or just "not interested" see my article: How Do You Tell If Someone Is Playing Hard To Get Or Just Not Interested? (article can be found in the Articles section of my website under sub-heading The Art Of Seduction).
About the Author: Christine Akiteng is an internationally renowned Sexual Confidence/Dating Coach and author of eBook: The Art Of Seducing Out Of Fullness™. Her unique approach to dating has helped hundreds create positive, constructive, honest and fulfilling relationships.

Are You Looking For a Safe Skin Whitening Product for a Brighter, Lighter Complexion?

by Linda Daniels
for more info visit : /http://www.beautyviewpoints.com/skinbrightener/
Your medicine cabinet is probably full of liquids, creams, and powders designed to give your skin a more even appearance and hide imperfections. Unfortunately, even the best products don’t look natural. What if there was a way to get bright, smooth, peaches and cream skin for real? More and more, women are using skin lightening products to achieve long-lasting, natural-looking results. Let’s look a little closer at skin whitening products to find out why it’s so important to choose creams formulated with all-natural ingredients that are safe and effective.


There are numerous issues that can cause skin to become unevenly pigmented and dull. The major ones that can be addressed through the use of a skin lightening product are:

• Liver spots, sun spots, and age spots: They’re usually harmless, but these black, brown, and grey areas of pigmentation can destroy the appearance of once flawless skin. Flat and typically oval in shape, these blemishes can be as small as a freckle or more than a centimeter in diameter. These spots are most noticeable on fair skin, are unfortunately very common, and are mainly caused by sun exposure.
• Hyperpigmentation: When the body produces too much melanin, unsightly dark patches can appear on the skin, a problem known as hyperpigmentation. Sun exposure can cause or worsen this problem. Some medications, pregnancy, and certain medical conditions are also associated with hyperpigmentation.
• Melasma: This is a specific type of hyperpigmentation that often occurs during pregnancy. It is characterized by brown or tan patches that typically appear on the face.

Skin bleaching is one method that can be used to address the skin issues outlined above, and it’s also popular among women who simply desire a fairer, more luminous complexion. Anyone considering skin bleaching should be aware that some substances found in these types of products are associated with serious risks and side effects. Three ingredients in particular that should be avoided are hydroquinone, kojic acid and mercury. According to Dr. Bill Lloyd, M.D., a world renown doctor contributing expert on a variety of healthcare issues, “Hydroquinone has been on the cancer watch list for decades, both because of animal studies (rats given tons of hydroquinone to ingest) and retrospective health surveys that compared cancer risks by occupation/environmental exposure.” Over-the-counter hydroquinone products are banned in several countries, and those sold in the U.S. can contain only small concentrations of the substance. Kojic acid can be extremely irritating causing redness, itchiness, inflammation and tenderness. Skin can become sensitized with increased use. Products containing kojic acid should not be used with other skincare products containing salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acid or retinol because the incidence and severity of adverse effects will be increased. Mercury, another ingredient found in some skin whitening products, can irritate the skin and damage the nervous system, brain, and kidneys. It also poses serious risks to unborn children.

As unsettling as the above information is, it shouldn’t cause you to swear off all skin lightening products. Instead, read ingredient lists carefully, and look for natural ingredients that are gentle and effective, such as:

• Gigawhite: Derived from botanicals, this all-natural complex has been shown to noticeably brighten skin with regular application. An in-vivo study also proved that using Gigawhite on a regular basis caused age spots to fade and shrink.
• Biowhite: Like Gigawhite, Biowhite is made from botanical extracts specially chosen for their skin whitening effects. These non-damaging and non-toxic ingredients – which include extracts of mulberry, saxifraga, and grape – have been shown through in-vivo tests to reduce skin pigmentation and boost luminosity.
• Sepiwhite: Sepiwhite is a molecule that works by “antagonizing” alpha-MSH and inhibiting tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is the essential enzyme in the formation of melanin by converting DOPA to DOPAquinone. Therefore, reducing its activity is a principal method of improving skin tone.
• Alpha Arbutin: Alpha Arbutin is a biosynthetic ingredient that blocks epidermal melanin biosynthesis by inhibiting enzymatic oxidation of Tyrosine and Dopa thereby reducing production of melanin or skin pigment.
• Hyaluronic acid: This potent moisturizer found in the body won’t lighten skin, but it's plumping, toning, and smoothing effects make it an ingredient you should look for when you’re shopping for a skin lightening product. Hyaluronic acid will help keep lily-white skin looking youthful and flawless.

Age spots, liver spots, sun spots, and other conditions that cause ugly dark patches or result in an overall irregular tone can make us feel older and less attractive. Skin lighteners are a great way to deal with these problems, but using some products containing hydroquinone and kojic acid simply isn’t worth the risk. To get that bright, radiant even skin tone effect you want without putting your health in jeopardy, choose products containing mild, plant-based ingredients that have been shown to work though clinical studies.

Due to the wide variety of skin lightening products being sold in department stores, pharmacies and on the internet, we scrutinized the most currently marketed skin bleaching lotions and looked at the most current research in order to assess which brightening products are most effective. The premier skin lightening products include quality ingredients that have the ability to lighten skin tone, reduce freckles, sun spots and liver spots, while promoting brighter and more radiant skin. A quality product will have the ability to promote skin clarity and improve skin's overall texture. As with all creams and lotions it is important to follow the directions for use to get maximal results.

5 Common Habits That Cost You Dearly

5 Common Habits That Cost You Dearly

TAKE A BREAK AND READ THIS!

5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp