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Weight Gain From Poor Digestion And Mal-absorption

January 7, 2015

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

When you start adding extra pounds, there are several things that come to your mind. Besides thinking about what could be causing the sudden weight gain, you will also be wondering about ways to facilitate weight loss. The first thing that comes to our mind when faced with this situation is that our diet is the source of the extra ponds.

We therefore cut out foods we suspect could be causing the weight gain. Most of the time these foods include; sugars, carbohydrates and fats. To most of us these are the main causatives of weight gain.

In cutting out these foods, we deprive our body of essential nutrients that can only come from such foods.

However there are other factors that cause weight gain. Lack of exercise is one of them. When you eat without exercising, then you will certainly add weight.

Some health conditions such as allergies, bacteria over growth, yeast infections, thyroid disease and insulin resistance among others can also cause weight gain. Mal-absorption and poor digestion can as well contribute to weight gain.

fat-malabsorption

Absorption disorders

They are also referred to as mal-absorption syndromes. It occurs when food is not properly digested and nutrients from the diet are not absorbed into the blood stream as they should. These nutrients include among others, minerals, proteins, vitamins, fats and carbohydrates in form of starch and sugars.

Mal-absorption syndrome is not in particular a disease but it results from other health conditions. Digestion involves the breakdown of food so that it can be in a form that can easily be absorbed into the blood for the overall wellness of the body. It takes place in the gastrointestinal tract.

During the break down of food, the nutrients are absorbed in the small bowel. The mucosa, which is the small intestine lining, facilitates absorption of nutrients due to the villi and micro villi that provide a large surface area for this absorption. There are also specialized cells that are used to enhance this absorption of nutrients.

Mal-Absorption and Digestive Disorders and Weight Gain

It is common knowledge that if you want to lose weight, then you have to burn more calories than what you take in your diet. One of the main reasons why weight gain is common among a number of folks is the fact that people eat a lot and refuse to exercise. Your diet contributes to most of the weight you add. Following that up with exercises will ensure that the more calories you eat the more are lost. Due to this, adding weight will not be a part of you.

As seen however, conditions such as poor digestion and mal-absorption can lead to weight gain. How does this happen?

Poor digestion means that food is not being digested properly. This is followed by poor absorption of nutrients from the food into the blood.

Body wellness depends on the general condition of the body. Nutrients are essential for the health of a person. You have heard that lack of nutrients can lead to weight gain. What most people believe is that lack of nutrients will make you thin. This is not the case.

Nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins are necessary in the body. If there is poor absorption of these nutrients, they end up accumulating in the body and this causes you to gain weight.

Carbohydrates in particular are converted into fats which are deposited in the tissues. When combined with fats in the body, they end up causing immense weight gain. So as you see, mal-absorption will not necessarily make you lose weight.

weight gain

Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption Natural Treatment for Weight Loss

When food is not properly being digested, it means that it will not be broken down into essential nutrients. This means that the body will not get the necessary nutrients form the diet. This results in weight gain.

In the same way mal-absorption disorders results in malnutrition and the result is weight gain. So how do you manage this?

The best way to induce weight loss is to do lots and lots of exercise. Don’t just eat. Eat and engage in plenty of exercises.

Also reduce your intake of carbohydrates and fats. Normally carbohydrates are broken down into sugars. When there is poor digestion and absorption, carbohydrates are converted into fats and these are deposited in the body. This leads to weight gain. So therefore why don’t you reduce the amount of carbs and fats you take into the diet?

This information can be found at www.awaremednetwork.com for free. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide more information about absorption and digestive disorders and how they contribute to weight gain. She has for many years provided wise counsel to patients who bear testimony to her amazing works. Just visit AwareMed for more wellness and awareness tips.

Weight Gain: A Symptom of Poor Digestion and Mal-Absorption

 

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Are Herbicides Leading to Cancer

December 28, 2014

Herbicides and Cancer Risk

Herbicides are a class of chemicals used in agriculture. Most products containing herbicides are used in our farms and homes to control weeds and pests. These chemicals can find their way into our water and foods. When herbicides are used in plants, they end up remaining in the plant and are consumed in the food when we eat it.

Herbicides are used in all agricultural settings. It is therefore hard to do away with them if your crops are to remain healthy and yield expected results. However, there are crops that are grown without the application of herbicides.

Biotech agriculture has spread rapidly. Farmers are widely dependant on chemicals to increase yields. These chemicals have been linked to health conditions such as cancer. One of the causative factors for cancer is chemicals found in agricultural chemicals.

Most of the foods that we consume if not genetically modified is grown from chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides. These chemicals find their way into our body metabolism. This causes them to alter our body function which has been shown to greatly contribute to diseases such as cancer.

herbicides-and-cancer

Cancer is referred to as a lifestyle disease. The food you chose to eat defines your lifestyle. If your diet is mostly composed of chemical induced foods then the more likely you are at the risk of getting terminal illnesses. Refusing to regularly take exercises defines your lifestyle as well.

Exposure to herbicides occurs repeatedly and unknowingly. They are applied in different settings. Herbicides are sprayed on crops where they remain and are ingested finally in the food when we eat it. The chemicals in herbicides can also find their way into our homes through water. They are often not filtered out from our water and we end up drinking them.

Facts about Cancer

One of the factors that have been linked to cancer is chemicals. Others include, diet, lack of enough exercise, inheritance of cancer genes and infections. Cancers refer to uncontrollably growing cells in the body. This occurs when the cells are destroyed by things like chemicals. This causes cells to lose their control functions.

Cells then begin to grow uncontrollably and this leads to development of lump tissues called tumors. These tumors become toxic and end up affecting the body functioning. The cancer cells starve normal cells of energy as they consume a valuable amount of it. They grow very rapidly that they render normal cells useless.

They then start spreading to other parts of the body. They produce toxics that harm normal cells and this translates to the severe pain experienced by cancer patients.

The most common management of cancer is through surgery. Surgery is conducted on the patient to remove the cancerous tumors before they spread to other parts. If this does not work other methods such as radiation or chemo therapy are applied to kill the cancer cells and stop their growth. Others include immune therapy, stem cells transplant and many others.

How Herbicides Increase Cancer Risks

Chemicals in herbicides act as oestrogen. In normal conditions oestrogen is very important in the body. Aside from the role it plays in the reproductive cycle, it also increases essential cholesterol, maintains elasticity of blood vessels and strengthens bones for calcium absorption.

However accumulation of too much oestrogen can cause untold problems to cells by increasing their growth as well as multiplication. Increasing number of cells end up forming tumors. For this reason oestrogen is linked to breast cancer in females.

There are very many kinds of oestrogens. The natural body oestrogen is known as strong oestrogen while that found in plant foods is called weak oestrogen. Weak oestriogen counterbalances strong oestrogens and they both circulate in the body.

Herbicides causing cancer

There is also chemical oestrogen that is found in herbicides and pesticides which act like body oestrogens. All types of oestrogens work by locking onto cell receptors. High level of oestrogen in the body increases your risk of cancer.

Herbicides are continually used in agricultural setting to kill weeds and pests. The chemicals in the herbicides remain in the plant and they are ingested. Continually ingesting food grown with pesticides increases the amount of chemical oestrogen in the body. This then alters normal cell functioning leading then to grow rapidly and out of control.

In this way, chemicals found in pesticides can increase your potential for cancer. When the cells over grow they form tumors which can be cancerous. Washing vegetables and fruits well can be a remedy against consuming these chemicals found in herbicides.

Dr. Dalal Akoury has been in the medical practice for many years. She has a wide experience with cancer patients and most of them owe their health improvements to her. You too can be a part of the AwareMed community.

Can Herbicide Cause Cancer

 

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Cancer Risk: GMO and Link to Cancer

December 27, 2014

GMO and Link to Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death to a number of people. The disease is linked to lifestyle choices like wrong diet and lack of exercise. Other causes of cancer are infections, inheritance of cancer causing genes and chemicals such as carcinogens. Cancer affects your life and puts a stop to some aspects of it.

Everyday new cases of cancer emerge. Just like any other disease, cancer knows no age limits. People across all ages are at the risk of getting cancer. It ends up messing up the body functioning. Why is this so? Well, cancer affects the body cells. Cells are basically the building blocks of the body.

Cancer begins with a tumor. A tumor refers to a mass of tissue that is formed by an overgrowth of cells. Getting cancer depends on whether the tumor is malignant or not. Malignant tumors are basically cancerous while those that aren’t cancerous are referred to as benign tumors.

If left unchecked, cancer can end up being terminal. The good news is that cancer can be cured if it is detected early. Medical experts advocate for regular medical check-ups to ensure that your body is healthy. This allows the doctors to detect problems like cancer early and deal with it before it becomes severe.

GMO

Understanding cancer

As explained, cancer starts form a tumor. Cells end up dividing uncontrollably and this leads to development of tumors. These tumors affect the functioning of cells. This translates to entire body dysfunctioning.

There are over 100 types of cancers in the world. Over 1.4 million cases of cancer are reported every year. Cells are damaged and they lose their functioning. When this happens, the cells begin to divide uncontrollably forming masses of tissues.

In normal conditions cells grow and die. Old and worn out cells are replaced by new cells which are generated by the body. In the case of cancer, cells neither wear out nor die. Generation of new cells does not however stop. This clumping of cells in excess is what leads to emergent of the tissue masses we are calling tumors.

One fact about cancer that most people don’t comprehend is that cancer can end up affecting multiple body parts. This happens when cancerous tumors move from one part to another in a process called mitosis. For example, cancerous tumor from the stomach can end up spreading to the colon.

When cancer is detected, the patient is put under medication and therapies to prevent the cancer from spreading. Some treatments of cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immune therapy among others.

What are GMO?

The term refers to either animals or plants that have been genetically altered. They are created by inserting genes from one organism to another to alter its genetic composition. The organisms are mostly modified to improve the quality of genes in them. Genetically modified plants become resistant to disease and pesticides. They also become resistant to droughts and are able to survive worse drought conditions they never would have surpassed if not modified.

Genetically Modified Organisms have been linked to cancer. Their contribution to causing cancer cannot be overlooked. Many countries today are banning the use of GMO the latest being Russia. Today basically almost every food is genetically modified.

Genetically modified plants grow faster that organic ones. They are a solution to the starving population for most governments. But is it worth the risk? Are GMO really as safe as we are made to believe? The truth is that GMO are unhealthy compared to organic food.

Most of the foods that find their way into our diets are in one way or another genetically modified. Corn and soy are the known modified crops. Therefore avoid eating anything that is made from soy lecithin or corn syrup.

Most animals like chicken, cows and pigs are fed from these genetically modified crops like corm. Therefore GMO ends up finding its way to you through their meat. Always opt for animals you know are grass fed, like those raised in farms.

Organic foods on the other hand are safe and are made from non GMO seeds. Always read the label of cans when purchasing food. Go for foods which are labeled GMO- free as this means that they are not made from any genetically modified organisms.

GMO

How GMO can cause cancer

The most common cancer linked to GMO is breast cancer. When GMO are made, the genetic composition of the original plant is altered by inserting genes from another plan. This alters the DNA of the original plant.

Studies show that when DNA is altered it increases a person’s risk of getting cancer. This is because the genetic substances in GMO end up altering the DNA of humans. This alters normal body functioning.

When this happens, a person is at risk getting cancerous tumors. The cells are affected by this DNA modification and due to this they end up functioning abnormally and this is what can lead to cancer.

To find out more about GMO and cancer risks join the AwareMed community. Dr. Dalal Akoury will provide more facts about cancer and how you can avoid it. Contact her for more health and awareness tips.

Cancer Risk: GMO and Link to Cancer

 

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What’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

December 23, 2014

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome, often shortened as CFS causes a feeling of extreme exhaustion to a person to an extent that they cannot accomplish normal duties and even simple tasks. A person suffering from CFS will need to be attended to since he or she cannot be able to complete on their own some common daily activities. While chronic fatigue syndrome has no known cause and is difficult to diagnose, its major symptoms can be treated. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) causes persistent fatigue that affects everyday life and doesn’t go away with sleep or rest. Chronic fatigue syndrome is also known as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis. Myalgia means muscle pain and encephalomyelitis means inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Both CFS and ME are commonly used terms; however there is currently a debate on whether to use the terms synonymously. Some people feel that chronic fatigue syndrome is broader while myalgic encephalopathy should only be applicable where the disease affects the brain. Chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious condition that can result to long-term illness and disability, however many people affected by chronic fatigue syndrome especially children and young people often improve over time.

What’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

How severe is chronic fatigue syndrome?

This condition may vary in severity. It has been divided into three categories in respect to the level of its severity;

  • Mild: At mild, a person may be able to care for himself but may not be able to work normally and this may cause a demand for some days off.
  • Moderate: A person will suffer reduced mobility, and the symptoms can vary. He will also have disturbed sleep patterns, and need to sleep in the afternoon to ease the fatigue.
  • Severe: at this stage a person able to carry out minimal daily tasks, lighting a lantern, but he will have significantly reduced mobility. He will also have difficulty concentrating.

Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

The main symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome is fatigue. The patient suffers both emotional and physical fatigue. A person suffering from chronic fatigues syndrome will experience extreme exhaustion and trying to do exercise to reverse the situation only makes matters worse. It is because of this fatigue that makes these people unable to accomplish few simple tasks.

  • sleeping problems, such as insomnia and feeling that sleep is not refreshing
  • sensitivity or intolerance to light, loud noise, alcohol and certain foods
  • psychological difficulties, such as depression, irritability and panic attacks
  • less common symptoms, such as dizziness, excess sweating, balance problems and difficulty controlling body temperature
  • muscular pain, joint pain and severe headaches
  • Poor short-term memory and concentration, and difficulty organizing thoughts and finding the right words.
  • painful lymph nodes stomach pain and other problems similar to irritable bowel syndrome, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea and nausea
  • sore throat
  • fever

Causes of Chronic Fatigue

The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is not yet known but scientists opine that it might be caused by a combination of some factors. Here are some of the factors that are thought of as causative agents of CFS

  • Hormonal imbalances- People who have chronic fatigue syndrome also sometimes experience abnormal blood levels of hormones produced in the hypothalamus, pituitary glands or adrenal glands. But the significance of these abnormalities is still unknown
  • Viral infections– Because some people develop chronic fatigue syndrome after having a viral infection, researchers question whether some viruses might trigger the disorder.

Suspicious viruses include Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus 6 and mouse leukemia viruses. However there is no conclusive link has yet been found to verify this.

  • Immune system problems- The immune systems of people who have chronic fatigue syndrome appear to be impaired slightly, but it’s unclear if this impairment is enough to actually cause the disorder.

 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Treating CFS with Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Bio identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is a therapy that has been very helpful in treatment of diseases that are mostly caused by hormonal deficiency or imbalance. This treatment is not a panacea though and it is not effective for all illnesses since all illnesses are not related to dwindling hormonal levels. However this treatment can help in treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. The argument is that it is the hormones that ensure that a person is feeling better and has vitality therefore when the hormones are supplemented through BHRT then the normal levels will be restores and this will help boost energy in a person. Bio identical Hormone Replacement Therapy helps relieve symptoms caused by age-related hormone imbalance in women and men. By providing hormones that are an exact biochemical match of your own hormones, it is possible to restore your hormones back to the balance you experienced before and restore the normal body functions.

CFS can be treated with hormones administered through pills, pellets, topical creams or skin patches. These are all valid methods to regain energy and beat fatigue. Just in case you wish to get help, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an experienced doctor who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center which is home to many people seeking health breakthrough.

What’s Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

 

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Understanding Leaky Gut Syndrome

December 22, 2014

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a term that is used to describe an abnormally hyperpermeable intestinal walls. This is a condition in which the intestines become more porous therefore leaking the undigested food particles into the blood stream. This creates very many holes that are allowing too much of undigested food particles into the bloodstream causing myriads of problems. Apart from undigested food particles toxins, yeast and other wastes find their way into the blood stream therefore overwhelming the liver which is supposed to be sieving all the unwanted content from the blood.

The biggest problem that is presented by this condition is that the intestine should function as the first sieve as it keeps the unwanted materials from getting into the blood stream but since holes have been created on the lining of the intestines everything finds their way in the blood stream and the body may react by inflaming.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut Syndrome

Food Sensitivities – food sensitivities has been closely linked to leaky gut syndrome. This sis because of the high toxins that are accumulated in the blood, this will force the body to produce very many antibodies which makes them more susceptible to some kind of foods.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Researchers from Hungary have recently uncovered that elevated gut permeability is often times localized to the colon in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

Thyroid Problems – leaky gut syndrome causes thyroid problems so if you are experiencing thyroid problems, the leaky gut syndrome may be the culprit.

Malabsorption – the leaky gut syndrome causes poor absorption of food, this is because it causes nutritional deficiencies especially of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and vitamin B12 that help in digestion of food.

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome

Unhealthy diet- when you eat lots of processed foods, refined sugars and preservatives, they cause high chemical amounts in the body which are considered toxins. The body will begin to fight these toxins but since you are taking more and more of these toxins the system may be overwhelmed and this may cause inflammations. Accumulation of these toxins will cause corrosion on the intestinal walls causing the leaky gut syndrome.

Medications- some medication has Aspirin or Acetaminophen as part of their content. Aspirin and Acetaminophen irritate the intestinal lining and decrease the mucosal levels .this affects the protection offered by the mucus on the walls of the intestine. It may also encourage inflammation which increases permeability of the intestinal wall.

Lack of Zinc- Zinc is a vitamin that is good in maintaining the strength of intestinal walls.  A deficiency of the vitamin can lead to the mucosal lining losing strength and becoming more permeable.  There are studies that show that supplementing with Zinc when it is deficient can dramatically improve intestinal lining integrity. Therefore eating meals that are rich in zinc such as nuts may help prevent against leaky gut syndrome.

Yeast- too much yeast causes candida that may grow roots in the intestinal lining, this results in their tentacles making holes on the lining of the stomach creating entry for non-digested food into the blood stream.

Chronic Stress-Chronic stress almost always results in a suppressed immune system.  A weakened immune system cannot handle doing it’s normal job and gets easily overwhelmed with pathogens very.  This increases overall gut inflammation leading to increased permeability of the intestinal lining.

Inflammation-Any type of inflammation in the gut can lead to leaky gut.  This can be brought on by low stomach acid. Low stomach acid passes undigested food into the small intestine which then causes myriads of digestive problems that may in turn cause the leaky gut syndrome.

Treatment for Leaky Gut Syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is a mysterious condition that is up to now still not fully understood by the medical fraternity probably because it is not taught as a diagnosable disease. However it is a multifaceted condition that must be tackled by joining really several dots to form a line. Here are some of the approaches that can be used to treat this disease.

Watch what you eat- it is very important to keep away from foods that may lead to accumulation of toxins in your body. Foods that are over processed, high in sugar content should be avoided to alleviate inflammations that make the intestine lining more permeable. When you stop eating these kinds of foods the toxin levels will go down and the yeast will be starved and overgrowth stopped, this will enable the walls to repair and regain normal permeability.

Leaky gut syndrome

Using nutritional supplements- leaky gut syndrome causes nutritional deficiencies therefore the body needs to be supplemented with these nutrients. Some nutrients like zinc are also important in strengthening the intestine lining and hence boost recovery.

Digestive Enzymes– eating foods that are rich in digestive enzymes can help you a great lot in fighting leaky gut syndrome. The digestive enzymes are naturally found in the foods that we eat the whole foods that are not over processed. Fruits and vegetables are rich in these digestive enzymes, they work in the intestines helping to break food into finnier particles before they are absorbed to the blood stream. They also remove toxins, bad bacteria and even worn out cells of the intestine lining creating a clean environmental for absorption of digested food particles.

Leaky gut syndrome is a complicated, debilitating condition. But you aren’t on your own: please contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) on 843-213-1480 and tap into her wealth of knowledge and experience.

Understanding Leaky Gut Syndrome

 

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