The Benefits of Green Tea

It is a miracle. People have been drinking green tea as treatment for everything from weight loss to curing cancer to skin problems.

In the 1994 edition of the Journal of National Cancer Institute, the results of an epidemiological study showed that one of the health benefits of drinking green tea is that it can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by up to 60%.

The rich presence of catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the reason why green tea has so many health benefits. A powerful antioxidant, EGCG can not only inhibit the growth of cancer cells but can also destroy them without harming healthy cells.

Also another benefit of green tea is its ability to lower down cholesterol levels and improve the ratio between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. This is a leading cause of strokes and heart attacks.

Green tea has greater health benefits compared to other Chinese teas like oolong and black tea, which come from the plant Camellia sinensis. What makes green tea different is the process by which it is made. Green tea owes much of its health benefits to how the Camellia sinensis leaves are steamed. The process stops the EGCG health benefit of green tea from oxidizing.

Drinking green tea can allow more calories to be burnt which will result in weight loss. This was proven in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, men who take both caffeine and green tea burn down more calories than men who only take caffeine or a placebo. Many People have embarked on green tea dieting with great success and benefit.

Another health benefit of green tea is its bacteria-destroying properties. The benefit of green tea is that it can help prevent food poisoning and also prevent tooth decay.

Well known for its countless health benefits such weight loss and curing cancer, green tea is a miracle.

For more info about the benefits and dangers of green tea go to http://benefitofgreentea.blogspot.com.
Benefits of Green Tea WebSite

Should You Avoid All Fats?

You have no idea that avoiding all fats is serious mistake. All fats are not created equal.

In fact, if you were to avoid them entirely you'd not only slow down on losing weight (assuming that is your goal; you didn't say) but you'd be in worse health! While it sounds confusing it's not. Fats are a complex subject but I hope that in the next 2 minutes you'll have a much better understanding of the importance in your diet.

Let's talk fat!

There are two main kinds of fat:

1. Good fats (essential fat, essential fatty acid) 2. Bad fats (processing methods, hydrogenation, damaged good fats)

Four sources of good fats:

1. Green vegetables (but in very small amounts) 2. Seeds and nuts (combinations of flax, sunflower, sesame to get the correct mixtures of Omega-3 and Omega-6) 3. High fat, cold water fish such as sardines, salmon, trout, herring, and mackerel 4. Oils made with health in mind: pressed from organically grown seeds

You hear a lot about the bad fats and all the problems associated with them but you also need to know about the good fats and the benefits from them. The main concept you want to take away from this section is all fats are not created equal. You want to get more of the good fats from sources like fish, nuts and some oils (combinations are always the best thing). Eliminating all fats is actually unhealthy. A zero fat diet is not recommended. One health nutritional professional once said that clients who came to him boasting that they only ate 10-15 g of fat per day. But they were in the office because they were not losing any weight. A diet void of all fats is not good. You should not avoid all fats.

When unsaturated vegetable oils are manufactured into solid form, they turn into trans fats. Processing can damage natural fats and make them toxic. Hydrogenation, which is used to turn oils into margarine, shortening, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, produces trans fatty acids. Trans fats are found in hundreds of processed foods, usually to protect against spoiling and to enhance flavor. You should AVOID trans fats as much as possible (there are no health benefits here).

Truthfully, trans fats are even worse for the cardiovascular system then saturated fats. There are conservative estimates that 30,000 premature deaths from heart disease every year in the United States are linked to trans fats. Other studies show that trans fats drive up the body?s LDL, the bad cholesterol, even faster then saturated fats. High levels of cholesterol have been linked to heart disease and stroke.

You should have a diet that is moderate in saturated fats (a nice steak is okay every so often). But avoid them entirely? No. You'll find some saturated fats in all fats including the essential fatty acids. The more saturated fats you eat the more essential fats you'll need to eat to combat the effects. There?s no real reason to be obsessed about them but that?s not an excuse to eat more of them.

Most of the scientific community will still recommend a diet low to moderate in saturated fats. Diets high in fat, particularly saturated fat, may promote a variety of diseases. Therefore, saturated fats and trans fats are the only fats that you should strive to eliminate from your diet.

Interesting Fact:

* Bodybuilders can eat more saturated fats then a sedentary person because the body can burn saturated fats for energy.

What Are Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)?

EFAs = Essential Fatty Acids are substances from fats that must be provided by foods because the body cannot make them, and yet must have them for health. EFAs exist in two families: omega-3 and omega-6.

According to the above definition of essential, there are only two essential fats (technically called essential fatty acids or EFAs). One is the omega 3 EFA, called alpha- linolenic acid. The other, the omega 6 EFA, is known as linoleic acid.

Certain fats are defined as 'essential' because:

1. The body cannot make them; 2. They are required for normal cell, tissue, gland, and organ function, for health, and for life; 3. They must be provided from outside the body, through food or supplements; 4. They can come only from fats (hence fat-free diets cannot supply them); 5. Their absence from the diet will eventually kill; 6. Deficiency results in progressive deterioration, can lead to death; 7. Return of essential fatty acids to a deficient diet reverses the symptoms of deficiency and results in a return to health.

Most people do not get enough EFA?s in their diets, especially those who restrict themselves to a very low fat (any fat) type of diet. It?s rare that anybody is truly clinically deficient but such diets as a very low fat diet are clearly not going to provide optimal EFA?s.

Various types of oil blends, fish, seeds and green vegetables contain essential fatty acids. These ?good fats? have a ton of great benefits to them. Getting enough of the good fats daily in your diet will actually do wonders to help you burn fat. Many sources recommend combinations of EFAs because of the Omega-3 and Omega-6.

For example, if you were to only get your essential fats from something like Flaxseed oil, there?s some research to suggest it?s not as beneficial as you might think because exclusive use of flax oil can lead to Omega-6 deficiency within 2-8 months! Furthermore, using CLA in conjunction with this might lead to deficiency of Omega-6 even sooner then just using flax oil alone.

All this really means is using oil blends and getting EFAs from various sources will help you achieve optimum levels of BOTH Omega-3 and Omega-6 complexes. I would recommend you don?t use flax oils exclusively but combine them with other EFA sources to balance any deficiencies.

Two of the many benefits to an EFA complex are:

1- Increase the metabolic rate 2- Help burn fat

There are several other benefits but in essence, what this says is that getting 15-20% of your good fats in your diet daily will actually increase your metabolic rate resulting in more fat loss!

Re-read that! Getting the optimal amount of good fats a day (15-20% of total calories) will actual enhance the metabolic reactions and result in more fat burn off.

Copyright 2006 Marc David

You will learn the fats necessary for good health, increase your metabolism and healthy weight loss in the Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com.

Green Tea The Natural Way To Lose Weight

Green Tea has now become a popular way to lose weight. Green tea, besides being a typical beverage around the world, provides numerous health benefits in addition to its weight loss properties. The best green tea has lots of advantages; there are no additives or preservatives in this product. The best green tea might be able to help boost your immune system and also enhance other capacities in your life

Many people have discovered that green tea is a powerful weapon to fight fats and obesity, including celebrities like Oprah. It also helped to aid weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate, causing those who use it to burn more calories. Green tea is one of the only, all natural fat burning products that can selectively increase fat oxidation without jitters and mood swings, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, and other similar side effects associated with Ma-Haung, (ephedrine). This makes Green Tea perfect for individuals wishing to remove stimulants from their diets.

Believe it or not, more and more often you'll find green tea included in the compilations of many of the more popular weight loss supplements today. Many would say it's definitely helpful, but not earth-shatteringly effective. It's no magic pill I guess you could say. Proper diet and an effective exercise program will be the key to wringing the most out of green tea.

Green tea becomes an active ingredient in many weight loss products. When health benefit varieties of green tea are listed, weight loss is not usually first on the list. As research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Consumption of green tea produced thermogenesis and increased energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Green tea, as an active ingredient used in many of the top weight loss products when weight loss products claim they contain natural ingredients, green tea is almost always in the list.

The benefits of green tea can be had by drinking freshly brewed tea, or through supplements. Either way is rather inexpensive compared to other health and diet products so why not give green tea a try.

I have made a site that is all about green tea http://enjoygreentea.com.

There is also a blog that I will be posting to here http://www.enjoygreentea.com/greenteablog.

The Modern EKG Machine

Perhaps one of the most useful 20th century technologies for the diagnosis of heart disease is the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine. Although much more bulky and heavy than the modern EKG machines in use today, the first device was built at the turn of the century and was considered a huge advancement in medicine. Unlike its bulky ancestors, the modern EKG machine is lightweight and portable; most clinics have them on rolling tables that can be easily transported from room to room.

The use of electrodes for an EKG reading is a relatively new procedure. In the beginning phases of EKG technology, patients were required to place their hands and feet into sodium chloride baths, a conductive method for the faint electric impulses found in the heart. Later, electrical wires were used to transmit heart signals to the machine; eventually the electrodes we use now replaced these wires. If you look at photographs from the late 1800s, the patients look as though they are strapped into an electric chair. Modern methods have made the procedure much more simple, safe, comfortable and accurate.

Today many patients lie on an examination table, although some doctors prefer the electrodes to be attached while the patient is performing moderate exercise. Some patients may be asked to ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill. Exercising while attached to the EKG machine may often give the technician or your doctor a better understanding of your heart-function pattern during physical strain.

The electrodes are attached to the EKG machine through cables that produce a graph of your heart?s pattern. Typically 10 to 12 electrodes are attached to the patient and lead to the EKG machine. The electrodes pick up electric impulses that are emitted through various points on the body. The EKG machine converts the impulses into readable waves. The waves are then amplified and displayed on a digital screen for the technician to monitor. While monitoring heart activity, the EKG machine continuously prints the patterns onto a graph that can later be interpreted by the attending technician or your physician.

EKG Info provides comprehensive information on EKG readings, interpretation, m machines, technicians, abnormal EKGs and more. EKG Info is the sister site of Stethoscopes Web.

Dental Implant: A Way to Save Your Smile

Do you know anyone who has had a dental implant? You may know someone who has had this dental procedure done, but you don?t know that they have had it done, because it looks so natural. A dental implant is basically a replacement tooth (or teeth) that you can have put in instead of a bridge or crown. A titanium post is inserted in the tooth socket right into the jaw where it fuses with the bone forming a permanent bond. On top of the titanium post, a replacement tooth is cemented or secured. If you think that you might be a good candidate for an implant read on:

Who can get a dental implant? If you are healthy and you have a healthy gum line and no significant bone loss you might be a good candidate. The dental implant procedure is usually performed under a general or local anesthesia, so you would need to be healthy enough to undergo this minor surgery. It is also important that the patient is willing to take care of the tooth (or teeth) once it is implanted.

Who can put in a dental implant? It is generally recommended that a maxillofacial surgeon or a periodontist performs the implant procedure with a prosthodontist making the replacement tooth. Just a note: The ADA does not offer certification in implants, so if you find a dentist that says he is certified in dental implant procedures, you know that it is not an ADA certification.

How long will it take? Some procedures take more than one session spaced a few months or weeks apart. But, most of the time you can have your implants placed in one day. Only when you need significant gum line reconstruction do you have to wait.

What is recovery like? Your mouth will be sore for about 7 to 10 days and then healing may take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.

What will it cost? The cost is based again, on the complexity of the procedure and the number of teeth involved. It may cost you anywhere from just over $1000 to over $20.000.

Eriani Doyel writes articles about Dental Health. For more information about a dental implant visit fcdental.com

What Causes Restless Leg Syndrome?

Restless legs syndrome or shortly RLS, is a health condition in which legs feel very uncomfortable while sitting or lying down, especially at night. Usually it makes one feel like getting up and moving around. When doing so, the unpleasant feeling of restless legs syndrome might go away, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Restless leg syndrome affects both, men and women and can begin when you're young or as you get older. Restless legs syndrome can disrupt sleep thus leading to daytime drowsiness.

So, what causes restless leg syndrome?

Nobody actually knows the real cause for restless leg syndrome. Some research has been done and the researchers suspect it might be due to an imbalance of the brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine sends messages to control muscle movement.

It has also been noticed that restless leg syndrome runs in families and that stress tends to make things even worse. If there is any changes in hormonal balance, that may worsen restless leg syndrome symptoms. Also, some women experience restless leg syndrome during their pregnancy and it disappears soon after the delivery.

However, restless leg syndrome is not related to some serious medical problems, but sometimes it accompanies other conditions and some of them are peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy damages the nerves in hands and feet and sometimes it is due to chronic diseases such as diabetes and alcoholism. Also, iron deficiency might cause restless leg syndrome, it might cause or worsen restless legs syndrome.

Researchers assume that kidney failure might be the cause too, at least to some degree. This is when the kidney does not function properly, iron stores in blood can decrease and cause some of the rls symptoms. All these and some other changes in body chemistry may cause or worsen restless leg syndrome.

Some other, known causes of restless leg syndrome include muscle overexertion, prolonged sitting, dehydration, decreased potassium levels, neuromuscular disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, certain medications, such as albuterol, niacin, diuretics, and some calcium channel blockers and antipsychotic medications, also alcohol use.

If you find this article helpful, but need more information, you are welcome to visit this very informative website, where you can find a lot of information about restless leg syndrome and help yourself with this annoying health condition. There are many different ways to combat restless leg syndrome and you can find some excellent information about restless leg syndrome, simply by visiting the website below.

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Gastric Bypass Patients Resent Normal Eaters

In the early weeks after having weight loss surgery almost all patients report resenting normal eaters. Some go as far to say the normal eaters flaunt their food consumption to make the WLS patient, who is eating meals the size of a chicken egg, feel inferior. In fact, this resentment has caused disputes among married couples and families.

What is odd is that normal eaters don?t realize how resentful the WLS patient feels. The normal eater is doing what they have always done and it doesn?t feel unnatural. Seldom will a normal eater admit to purposefully consuming normal amounts of food in front the WLS patient simply to cause resentment.

One successful method for WLS patients to cope with this resentment is to understand that what another person eats ? any other person ? has nothing to do with anyone else. Food intake is always a personal choice. This is the mantra I developed to cope with resenting the normal eaters:

It has nothing to do with me that they are eating copious amounts of nutritionally void high-caloric foods. They are making their food choices and I am making my food choices. I could try some chocolate cake or a chili-dog or lobster bisque. But I chose not to because I will get violently sick, I will gain weight and I will feel self-loathing. I chose not to eat those foods because I have the self-respect to serve my body, my nutrition and my mind well. When others chose differently it is not about me - it is their choice and their problem. They are not flaunting in my face, they simply don't know another way. I have chosen another way and I am living healthy and well because of my choice.

Kaye Bailey ? 2005 - All Rights Reserved

An award winning journalist and former newspaper editor Kaye Bailey brings expertise in writing and personal experience with gastric bypass surgery to EzineArticles.com. Having spent most of her life overweight Ms. Bailey is strongly empathetic toward the obese, particularly overweight children. This compassion compelled her to found the website http://www.livingafterwls.com, a fast-growing resource of information, understanding and support for the weight loss surgery community.

The LivingAfterWLS.com site is complimented with daily blog. The blog, http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com offers readers the chance to comment or leave feedback about fresh content added daily. This site contains success stories and recipes, general information and WLS inspired topics. Complementing the site is a monthly newsletter titled ?You Have Arrived? available exclusively to people who subscribe through the website or the blog.