Overcoming Overweight by Containing eating disorders

November 5, 2014

Overcoming Overweight by Containing eating disorders – What is an eating disorder?

We have a duty to Overcoming Overweight by Containing eating disorders to keep distance from all health complications associated with weight.

There are several factors that cause us to gain more weight than is necessary. The main factor is based on food we eat. When our feeding habits become a threat to our health because of being overweight then it becomes an eating disorder and will need to be addressed. What therefore is this term eating disorders? There are several different types of eating disorder, the most common being anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. Eating disorders are mental health conditions that all involve an unhealthy relationship with food and eating, and often an intense fear of being overweight. Therefore if you have an eating disorder you may experience one or more of the following:

You’re secretive about your eating habits because you know they’re unhealthy.
You would like to lose weight even though friends or family worry that you are underweight.
Eating makes you feel anxious, upset or guilty.
You let people around you think you have eaten when you haven’t.
You make yourself vomit or use laxatives in order to lose weight.
You have a preoccupation and concern about food and gaining weight.

What causes eating disorders?

In many cases it’s not likely that an eating disorder will be the result of one single cause. However it’s much more likely to be a combination of many factors like events, feelings or pressures that lead to you feeling unable to cope. These feelings may include:

Low self-esteem
Problems with friends or family relationships
The death of someone special
Problems at school, college, university or work
Lack of confidence
Sexual or emotional abuse

Many people talk about simply feeling too fat or not good enough. You might use food to help you cope with painful situations or feelings without even realizing it. In situations where there are high academic expectations, family issues or social pressures, you may focus on food and eating as a way of coping.

Traumatic events can trigger an eating disorder. These might include bereavement, being bullied or abused, a divorce in the family or concerns about sexuality. Someone with a long-term illness or disability (such as diabetes, depression, blindness or deafness) may also have eating problems. Some studies have also shown that there are biological factors involved. In other words, some people will be more likely to develop an eating disorder because of their genetic make-up.

What to do in an eating disorder situation

People with eating disorders often say that the eating disorder is the only way they feel they can stay in control of their life. But, as time goes on, it is the eating disorder that starts to control you and before you know it, you’re becoming overweight. These kinds of disorders may also lead to other harmful conditions like being addicted to alcohol and drugs. Therefore in the event that you or anyone you know is struggling with eating disorder of any kind, it would be advisable that you share this with someone trustworthy. Our great concern is that this does not escalate to you being overweight or obese because the complications of the two are hazardous. However if your condition has reached this stage of being overweight or obese, then all is not lost because you can still be treated and get better.

Therefore if this describes your situation, then you need to seek for immediate help from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a health facility founded by Doctor Akoury with the sole objective which is to objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. It is always in the practice of Dr. Akoury to primarily focus on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Scheduling an appointment today with doctor Akoury will open the doors of healing and renew hope in life full of health and fulfillment.

Understanding your role as a parent in containing eating disorder

We are dealing with a problem which can cause more harm and therefore pulling together as a community will be very essential. Remember that there is no community without a family. Therefore it all begins from that small unit of the family where the parents will have even a greater role to play. It is said that prevention is always the best and we want to ensure that our children’s eating disorder does not result in being overweight or obesity. Therefore parents must ensure that:

Your child’s behavior may suddenly become very different from what you’re used to like for instance, withdrawn, touchy and even rude. This can make it very difficult to talk to them at a time when communication is so important.
It is important to remember that they are likely to be defensive because their eating disorder is their way of coping, and therefore they will be reluctant to let go of it, at least at first.
And if your child is receiving treatment for this condition, the treatment team will play an essential part in their recovery. However take note never to underestimate the importance of your love and support.
Take time and speak to the health professionals in your child’s treatment team about your role as parent and care, and get their advice on what you can do at home to help.

Finally we must make the necessary effort to ensure safety of our children. Eating disorder in itself is not good and the fear of promoting obesity and overweight makes it even more disastrous. Collectively we ore our children the duty of care to protect them from any health complications associated with this disorders and weight gain by keeping constant consultation with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care and we will live to experience better lives free from all complications relating to overweight and obesity.

Overcoming Overweight by Containing eating disorders – What is an eating disorder?

How Useful Are Amino Acids in Preparation for Phase 2 of Detoxification

August 31, 2014

What is detoxification?

This is a process through which toxins are removed from the body. These toxins are neutralized, transformed or gotten rid of from the body. The common sources of these toxins are the diets we take, the drugs we use, and exposure to the environment.

Why should I undergo detoxification?

As mentioned earlier, detoxification is the process of removing toxins (harmful substances) from the body. When these toxins are left to remain in your body, they result into many negative health effects. The benefits of detoxification are therefore many, and they are equal to ‘healthy’ living. Some of these benefits include the following:-

Detoxification results into increased energy levels. Energy is very important for our bodies to remain active. When detoxification is done, it helps how bodies much, by increasing the energy they get.

detoxification

Detoxification improves our immunity. Detoxification will help recovering drug addict regain immunity. When a person is recovering from addiction, the level of immunity determines how fast the person will recover. The increase in this immunity leads to quick recovery from addiction and improved resistance from illnesses. This improves the health standards of the person.
Addiction is known to have a negative effect on the mental focus. When a person is recovering from addiction, detoxification helps the person regain mental focus.

Which are the phases of detoxification?

There are two important phases of any successful detoxification. These phases are normally categorized as phase I and phase II. These two phases are biochemical processes which facilitate the body to get rid of toxins. These two phases are based on the ability of the body to gradually get rid of waste.

What happens at these phases?

The following is a brief description of what happens at each of the phases of detoxification.

Phase I of detoxification

In this first stage, it is all about solubility. All the chemicals which are not soluble to water are converted to comparatively electrically charged or polar fusions with the help of enzymes which append a reactive or a polar group. This occurs in a manner that little changes in molecules can occur during the second phase. This makes it possible for the body to naturally excrete them when they finally dissolve in water.

Most of the changes that occur during phase one involve oxidation and reduction.

Phase II of detoxification

This stage builds on the result of phase one. In this stage, different chemicals are either conjugated or added to the existing chemical. Consequently, the toxic chemical now changes to water soluble compound and therefore it can be excreted from the body. Sometimes xenobiotic possesses a cluster on the chemical from before. In such a scenario, detoxification is not necessary at phase I. The xenobiotic should therefore be directly decontaminated during the process of conjugation of the chemical in the phase.

Which are these essential amino acids helpful in phase II detoxification?

Amino acids are useful in the process of conjugation. This conjugation is sometimes referred to as acylation. Some of these amino acids include:-

Glycine – this amino acid offers secondary help. It supports glutathione synthesis. It also helps in reduction of toxicity of some substances like phenols or benzoic acid. This amino acid prepares the body early before addiction recovery by reducing the amount of toxins within the body.
Glutamine- this is another important amino acid, which is essential for phase II detoxification. The advantage of this amino acid is that; it helps to heal the GI track and also reduces craving for addictive drugs, a property which helps very much during drug addiction recovery.

detoxification

Taurine – this is a very important amino acid in detoxification phase II. It is known to enhance metabolism and play an important role in the detoxification of ethanol. It also prevents hepatic fibrosis.
Cysteine- this is regarded as a very special amino acid. It is a sulfur containing amino acid, which is synthesized in the liver. These amino acids are normally involved in many metabolic pathways. This amino acid has advantage over the other amino acids in that; it can be converted into many other forms. For instance, it can be converted into cysteine and taurine. Researchers have found that cysteine can form glutathione, which is a known powerful antioxidant and detoxifier that functions in many different enzymes systems.
Methionine- this is an essential amino acid, and our bodies cannot manufacture it. It must be taken with our diets to our bodies. This amino acid is known to be an important cartilage forming substance.
Tyrosine – this is an essential amino acid, which is used in the synthesis of structural protein. This amino acid has a key role when used in phase II of detoxification, since it is used in the production of neurotransmitter. This amino acid is involved in many important functions and it is sometimes considered to be all purpose amino acid. Another advantage of tyrosine is that it has been found to sharpen brain. This is a very helpful property for a person recovering from addiction, which in many cases paralyzes the functioning of the brain.

Detoxification process is a serious treatment procedure and should only be carried out by professional who are certified and really understand what they do. At Awaremed Wellness and Resource center, we understand all steps and phases of detoxification. If you need help with any addiction treatment, call in and keep reading our blog.

How Useful Are Amino Acids in Preparation for Phase Ii Detoxification

Essential Oils for Cancer: Applied as Cancer Treatment

August 30, 2014

Essential Oils Help in Easing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy during Treatment

essential oils

The word cancer has become synonymous to death in the minds of many people. Needless to say its closest relative is death! Cancer has continued to rob us of our loved ones and it has put doctors and Researchers on their toes trying to get better ways to treat the disease. Among the most common type of cancer is the breast cancer which has come synonymous to death of many women throughout the world. In the United States alone it has been claiming at least 40,000 lives that is from 2010. It has not only been the prevalent form of cancer in America only but in the rest of the world. In fact it is the disease that claims more lives year in year out. Other cancers such as the lung cancer, bone cancer and prostate cancer have also caused hurt to the world’s population.

The risk of acquiring some certain cancers increases with age especially the prostate and breast cancers but again just like other forms of cancer good nutrition can help reduce your risks of getting this dreaded disease. There are toxic compounds in the air we breathe and even the foods we eat are never a safe bet since most of the foods have been chemically grown to protect them from pests, some of these chemical residues remain in the foods and find their ways right into our bodies. Most commercially grown poultry are genetically modified to grow faster and as known genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are not good for health and can foster growth of cancer cells as they may alter DNA composition

The toxicity in our environments calls for healthy eating, eating foods that are rich in anti oxidants that can flush the toxins that may trigger growth of cancerous cells out of our bodies. Vegetables and fruits are always encouraged since most of them are rich in nutrients that can feed our cells and at the same time they are rich in antioxidants that help us in fighting cancerous cells and keeping as cancer free. Researchers have now availed another way of fighting cancer and that’s by using some essential oils that are believed to have anticancer property.

Some of the essential oils for treating cancer

The use of essential oils in fighting cancer was not very easy in the past as the practitioners were afraid to use it just in case it fails or interacts negatively with the conventional cancer treatment methods like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, therapists trained in aromatherapy have been using the essential oils to promote healing after chemotherapy and even during chemotherapy to reduce the side effects that these conventional cancer treatments are feared for. The aromatherapists safely use these essential oils in cancer treatment and restore health in cancer patients.

Some of the essential oils that are known to have a positive effect in fighting most type of cancers include; Frankincense, Balsam Fir, Thyme, Hyssop, Sandalwood, Tsuga and Orange. These oils are effective in fighting cancer and they are available in capsules that may be taken orally. The capsule contains drops of these oils that may be combined with carrier oil. It is however advisable to use more of these essential oils since when one oil is used for a long time the body may become resistant to it, therefore for better results you can alternate the essential oils within a period of three to four weeks.

Essential oils for cancer treatment

The use of essential oils in cancer treatment has been endorsed by different people all over the world. One of the experts who have endorsed the use of essential oils in cancer treatment is Cherie Perez, a supervising research nurse in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology. Perez teaches the cancer patients the art of aromatherapy. Perez says that the use of essential oils in cancer treatment helps in soothing the cancer patients and reduces their stress and anxiety during treatment. Perez says that one of the major complaints from cancer patients is that of anxiety and sleeplessness. When patients are relaxed they sleep well which helps in promoting healing.

Perez says that aromatherapy can be used in cancer treatment to ease the pain that patients go through during chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The use of essential oils also helps mitigate some of the side effects of conventional therapies like chemotherapy and radiation therapy which most patients find hard to endure. Perez advises that however soothing aromatherapy is to cancer patients it needs to be handled by an expert in order for the patient to receive its full benefits and guarantee safety of use.

Radiation therapy causes major skin problems and therefore anything that is to be applied on the skin should be approached carefully. Whatever oil is to be used in aromatherapy should be evaluated by an expert as haphazard application of phototoxic oils can cause even more harm. Skin sensitization is also an issue that should be avoided. It is advisable to avoid the use of phototoxic oils as they cause light-related irritation and even darkening of the skin when exposed to certain types of light. Some of the phototoxic oils include; Lemon, Angelica, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Mandarin and Lime.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced integrative cancer doctor that has helped many cancer patients in their fight against the disease. She has worked hard not only in treating the disease but also in availing informational support to cancer patients at Awaremed which has become a place called home for many cancer patients. Call on her now and get help on cancer.

Essential Oils Help in Easing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy during Treatment

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin

August 23, 2014

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin – Beauty revived

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin includes all kinds of vegetables and fruits. It doesn’t cost much to use these food stuff.

Did you know that by just feeding well and on health food stuff you are actually working on your good youthful look for many years to come? It is that simple, you can choose to do the normal things daily and have that much desired look even as you age and save on the costly procedures like plastic surgeries which do not even guarantee your safety at times. It is on this basis that I want to highlight on a few food elements that when used will go a long way in helping you have a much well-nourished and youthful look for a very long time. As you read through this article it will be very important to follow keenly on the guidelines given and also seek the expert’s opinion in areas that may not be very clear for you. The ultimate objective is to keep your skin good looking and most of all to bring forth a teenage facial look. Doctor Dalal Akoury will be very much ready to receive you and attend to all your needs in the most natural and economical way giving you that soft , tender and youthful look even as time lapse catches up with you.

It is true that sunscreen helps to keep your skin healthy and beautiful protecting it from the outside in but certain foods can shield your skin from damage from the inside out. This is according to the findings published in March 2010 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology which supported the idea that certain vitamins do help to protect our skin. Better yet, many of the same foods that can boost your defenses against skin cancer will also help keep your skin looking younger and smoother and ward off wrinkles.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Strawberries

Vitamin C is very essential for ward off wrinkles and age-related dryness. Foods like strawberries which are rich in vitamin C skin smoothing effects may be due to its ability to mop up free radicals produced from ultraviolet rays and also its role in collagen synthesis. Collagen is fibrous protein which keeps the skin firm and vitamin C is essential for collagen production.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Coffee

Drinking a single cup of coffee daily may lower your risk of developing skin cancer. In one study of more than 93,000 women, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, those who drank one cup of caffeinated coffee a day reduced their risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer by about 10 percent. And the more they drank up to about 6 cups or so per day the lower their risk. Decaf didn’t seem to offer the same protection.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Tomatoes

Consuming more lycopene (the carotenoid that makes tomatoes red) may protect your skin from sunburn. In one study, participants who were exposed to UV light had almost 50 percent less skin reddening after they ate 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of tomato paste or drank about 1 2⁄3 cups of carrot juice daily, in addition to their regular diet, for 10 to 12 weeks. Supplements, however, weren’t as effective: in the same study, those who received a lycopene supplement or synthetic lycopene weren’t significantly protected against sunburn.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Salmon

The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, respectively) found in salmon may shield cell walls from free-radical damage caused by UV rays, according to a 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers followed the eating habits of more than 1,100 Australian adults for approximately five years and found that for those who ate a little more than 5 ounces of omega-3-rich fish—such as salmon—each week the development of precancerous skin lesions decreased by almost 30 percent. Aim to eat two servings of fatty fish each week: not only are the omega-3s good for your skin, they’re good for your heart too.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Papaya

Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C and research suggests that vitamin C may help protect skin cells against sun damage by promoting the repair of DNA which has been harmed by UV rays. UV rays break the chemical bonds of skin cells, killing them and damaging their DNA which may eventually cause cancerous growth. You can find vitamin C in a multitude of cosmetics—of which some have been shown to be effective in protecting skin—but why not go straight to the source for a tasty boost of vitamin C.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Corn

Corn is an excellent source of lutein, a type of carotenoid. Just like lycopene, lutein also shields your skin from UV damage therefore, in the event that corns are off season then you may opt for alternatives like frozen vegetables which are equally full of health compared to some of the fresh produce available groceries. This is because fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when as a general rule they are most nutrient-packed.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Egg Yolk

The yolk part of eggs comprises of carotenoid lutein, which like lycopene protects skin from UV damage. Lutein also helps to keep eyes healthy. Multiple studies have associated lutein with reduced risk for age-related macular degeneration which is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Tea

Studies are confirming that caffeine in tea just like in coffee too may help to protect your skin against skin cancer. Caffeine essentially kills precancerous and ultraviolet-damaged skin cells by blocking a protein that they need to divide. For instance in a study where mice were subjected to harmful sunburn causing ultraviolet B rays, caffeine inhibited the formation of skin tumors.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Soymilk

Soymilk may help to preserve skin-firming collagen due to its richness in isoflavones. In one of the findings published recently it was established that mice fed on isoflavones and subjected to ultraviolet radiation had fewer wrinkles and smoother skin than the ones exposed to UV light but didn’t get isoflavones. The experts from these findings concluded that isoflavones help prevent collagen breakdown.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Spinach

Spinach boasts lutein, a carotenoid that protects your skin from UV damage. When buying spinach, pick the one right up in the light according to new research, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reveals that spinach stored continuously under the light for as little as three days boasted higher levels of vitamin C and preserved levels of K, E, folate and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin -Pumpkin

Like lycopene, beta carotene the compound that makes pumpkins orange protects your skin from UV damage. Beta carotene is also converted to vitamin A in the body, which helps to keep your eyes, bones and immune system healthy.

Finally as I had indicated in the introduction of this article that the common food stuff we often ignore are very essential for the perfection of your skin quality, remember that what you eat contributes significantly to your general well-being and that includes your facial look and general skin quality. It is however very important that even as you follow good diet you will still needs to consult periodically with the experts who are experienced and has track records of their performance. Talking to doctor Akoury will be the genesis of your journey to acquiring that perfect look and not just on your face but also on your general skin on your entire body. I will now leave you to make that life changing phone call to doctor Akoury now and experience the joy of having that youthful face and skin texture.

Essential Foods for Wrinkle free Skin – Beauty revived

Fatty Acid and Prostate Cancer

August 19, 2014

Research Shows That Fatty Acids May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk

Fatty acid Cancer is a disease that has continued to terrorize the human race hence poising lots of challenges to the world oncologists who are trying to curb this disease that has depopulated the world greatly. The disease is not only expensive to treat but also causes lots of pain to its victims. In fact the word cancer is synonymous to pain. Pollution in our environments has exposed us to a greater risk of getting cancer. The foods we eat also play an important role in cancer. Whatever you eat can either help you stay cancer free or will put you at a greater risk of getting this disease. Nutritionists have been involved in cancer treatments and very many researchers have done lots of work in the past to come up with those dietary components that should be avoided at all cost and those that should be used by cancer patients as well as any other healthy person who is interested in keeping away from the disease. The research that has been done in the past has led to introduction of cancer treatment alternatives that are solely based on diet. Some of the naturopathic treatments involve use of dietary manipulations to interfere with the growth of cancer cells as well as boost immunity an example of diet based treatments is the Gerson’s Therapy. The Gerson’s therapy involves the use of fruits and vegetable soups which are good in improving the body’s immunity as well as fighting free radicals that are known to cause cancer.

Typically, doctors would recommend the use whole foods as they are rich in fiber which is a vital meal component as it helps in excretion of toxic compounds out of the body of the patient. As opposed to commercially grown foods that are mostly genetically modified for faster growth rates, the natural unprocessed whole foods are free from harmful chemicals that may increase our risk of getting cancer. It is therefore advisable to eat foods that are not toxic and will help in fighting cancer.

However there are some dietary components that should be avoided at all cost as they increase your chances of getting cancer. Researchers have linked fatty acids to higher cancer risks and it is therefore safer to avoid foods rich in fatty acids especially the plasma phospholipid fatty acid which is a major culprit.

Study shows Fatty acids increases risks

In a study that was carried out in the US for over 7 years investigating the effects of selenium, vitamin E and a combination of both selenium and vitamin E on patients suffering from prostate cancer, it was found that the unlike selenium which did not invoke any incidence of cancer when supplement there were increased prostate cancer cases in patients that were given vitamin E by up to 17 percent as compared to a group that were on placebo. This study involved three groups of men. Those who had cancer at different stages; those who had high grade cancer, those who had low grade cancer as well as those who had no cancer at all. This study investigated the impacts of increased levels of omega 3 fatty acids on prostate cancer. The findings of this study showed that increased levels of fatty acids in the blood especially docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids increased the risk to prostate cancer.

The study therefore finalized that eating marine omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids will increase a person’s risk to prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is a leading killer of men especially in developed countries and just like other cancers it is also influenced by both environmental as well as behavioral changes. Factors such as family cancer history, age, obesity, chronic inflammation, tobacco smoking and even sexual behaviors come to play but most importantly are nutrition. It is therefore advisable that we should limit the amount of meat we consume but increase our meat and vegetable consumption in order to reduce cancer risk. It is also important to reduce the level of cytokinins in case of obesity. Cytokinins have been linked to different types of cancers and so the lower the levels of cytokinins the better.

It has also been proved that the high content of omega 6 and omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the western countries diets has increased the cases of prostate cancer. The omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are highly attributed to prostate cancer risks unlike the omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that has been shown to have anti-proliferative effects on tumor cells which may function well in cancer prevention alongside other metabolic processes.

It is also good to note that other researches that were done on the relationship of high levels of omega 3 fatty acids and prostate cancer yielded different results. In one study it was found that eating fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids has favorable effects in fighting cancer while another study showed that it had no effect on cancer. Researchers are still working to find the consistent relations between the levels of omega 3 fatty acids and prostate cancer. Omega 3 however is associated with food adducts which may increase incidences of prostate cancer. It is also said that fish may have disruptors, such as bisphenols or traces of pesticides which are known causes of hormonal based cancers like prostate cancer.

Research Shows That Fatty Acids May Increase Prostate Cancer Risk

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