Losing Weight is a process not a destination

June 25, 2015

Losing Weight is a process not a destination: Accruing benefits from the process

plastic surgery for overweight african american

I once attended a forum where body shape was the topic of discussion and listening to participant’s air their opinions, I couldn’t help it but to wonder how ignorant many are when it comes to losing weight and the benefits that come with it. One lady was just about to get married and her great concern was fitting in her wedding gown which was already bought and was not fitting because of her body size. In her contribution to the discussion she was very categorical that the best way to lose weight was to do it in high speed engaging in vigorous physical activities and being put on a fixed diet which should include sudden cut on the portion taken and even starving for some days she said. To her doing this suddenly would make her fit in her wedding gown in three weeks remaining before she says I do. This is the school of thought that many people believe, but realistically, this is not the case. Losing weight is a process not a destination. Target will be set but such target will and should only be met progressively and not suddenly. The repercussions of sudden weight loss programs can be very fatal and this is never the way to go. To get the facts right, we spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center about what needs to be done and the benefits of losing weight. She is going to share with us on the benefits and what it takes to lose weight in the healthiest way as we progress into the discussion.

Losing Weight is a process not a destination: The fear of failing

Like I have said, losing weight is a process and I am not going to promise you that it is going to be easy. One needs to be very determined and focused to the task by following all the instructions given by the weight loss experts. On your own you may not make it, you actually need people around you to succeed. The foremost person you need is an expert of weight loss. Careful consideration should be taken when locating an expert for weight loss just like in other discipline. Therefore it is important that before embarking on this journey, you need to talk to your physician to help you in the settling for a professional. This is a journey that you must start on the right footing because any mistake done from the beginning can be very costly. To avoid such costly mistakes, calling doctor Dalal Akoury an expert of more than two decades in the same discipline alongside substance abuse will be the best place you could start from. Remember that doctor Akoury is fellowship trained and certified in anti-aging functional and regenerative medicine, as well as having more than twenty years of accumulated experience in emergency medicine, pediatrics, and a master’s degree in public health. She has also served fellowships in pediatric hematology/oncology and has performed research in leukemia and the effects of smoking among other beneficial elements for your situation.

Losing Weight is a process not a destination: The same benefits no matter how it is done

Having acknowledged that losing weight is a process and not a destination, it is important to note that when starting this journey, you could do it as an individual or you could also do it a group. But no matter the way you go about it, the benefits are identical. In other words, the benefits are the same and have far reaching positive effects on one’s life and general health. To start you off, it is obvious that the bride in that discussion got it all wrong and she lacked vital information about the whole process. It is no wonder the wise said information is power and that is why AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury is here to offer you the most valuable asset to help you lose professionally.

Seeing the real benefits of losing weight needs not be that intensive where you have a taxing diet plan or making a sudden drop of a large amount of weight as eluded by the bride. In fact the health benefits begin to payoff even before you start seeing the physical changes. Realistically the real benefits of losing weight are to improve and make your health much better. Doctor Akoury says that before you look at your shape and the desire to fit in your wedding dress, your health actually comes first. The physical benefits are equally good but they are secondary and health is primary. I don’t mean to thrush out your wishes, not at all, but of what benefit if you have a perfect body shape with failing vital organs in your body because of obesity and being overweight? Being overweight can cause you that fatality and therefore your primary objective should be your health and then those others will follow.

Losing Weight is a process not a destination: The quality of life addition

When you have made the first commitment into losing weight, there will be moments of discouragement when you feel that your effort is not reflecting. This is normal but it is not really what your feelings are all about. You may not know but a lot more good things are happening from the inside. Doctor Akoury says that whereas it may be difficult to measure the actual quantity or quality of life added or improved when one shed off some weight, the necked fact is that there is great improvement of health in nearly all your vital organs. In many instances “if not all” people often feel better and have more energy while others will experience an enhancement in their self-esteem. Ordinarily any weight above of BMI 30 is not healthy and is considered overweight or obesity. Therefore a reduction in that would generate so many health benefits.

Finally we are certainly going to continue with this discussion in the next article so that we can get all the benefits in black and white, but in the meantime, for all your concerns about obesity and overweight, you can call doctor Akoury today to schedule for an appointment with her and she will be able to help you take the right course in losing weight much more professionally.

Losing Weight is a process not a destination: Accruing benefits from the process

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health

April 2, 2015

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating tips for better health

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health

Food is very instrumental in human life. The truth is it is one of the basic needs and the very important one. Without food there will be no life. It has a way for uniting people after long day’s work or taking time out as a team retreating for team building. We are all in agreement that food is very essential. However avoiding overindulgence in eating for better health is equally very important and that is what we want to discuss in this article. Because food is very essential, we must enjoy it to the fullest to get the pleasure and life we need from it. Nonetheless as we enjoy eating, we must be careful not to overindulge or consume without thinking of the consequences that can come with over eating on our health. Therefore we must be mindful of how we eat lest we cause problems to ourselves. Doctor Akoury is sharing some mindful eating tips that will help you in avoiding overindulgence in eating for better health.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Understanding what mindful eating is

It is good to appreciate what we are discussing first by understanding what it really means to us. I would define mindful eating as a practice where food is taken or consumed slowly and willfully without any interference. It helps you learn to taste and appreciate your meals while listening to your body so you become aware of the signals that inform you when you are full. This will enable you to consume only necessary portions and in return keeping distance to overweight and obesity. By making your meals a time when you sit down and really focus on your food, you can re-tune your taste buds and rediscover a love for healthy eating while moderating your portion size. Mindful eating could be the key to changing your relationship with food forever while achieving better health.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindless eating and how it happens

When we talk of mindful eating there must as well be the direct opposite. It is no wonder the advent of modernization is quickly changing our feeding habits. Eating has become something we do while on the move or concentrating on other tasks. This is what I define as mindless eating because, when we are distracted, we don’t taste what we are eating and don’t appreciate the signals the body is sending alerting us of when we have had enough to eat. To understand this concept better, the following are some of the prime examples of mindless eating:

Eating lunch at your desk while rushing to meet a deadline
Grabbing breakfast on the go while travelling to work
Eating while watching TV or using social media
Reading at the table

Often, we are not even aware of what we are eating and then wonder how we fell into unhealthy eating habits. The consequence of this confusion can be life threatening owing to the chronic nature of health complications associated with weight gain. With all these facts if mindless eating not checked, it can lead to health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. However with mindful eating, you can take control, improve your health and really enjoy your food.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Benefits of Mindful eating

It can take time to get into the routine of eating mindfully, but the rewards are numerous. The following just some of the benefits to be gained from mindful eating:

Appreciation of nutritious food
Through this you are able to prevent weight gain and obesity
Positive changes in eating habits
Regulation of portions – quality over quantity
Eliminate bingeing and emotional eating
Improved body awareness
Easier to maintain good health

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: How to eat mindfully

It may look quite obvious but you are wrong if that is your perception. Mindful eating is a process and takes time therefore for those who are new to the concept, it may be appropriate to try it when you are not in a hurry or in in any undue pressure of any kind so that you are able to take your time with your meal. Because this is very important, let me give you some of the guidelines for you to achieve on this assignment:

For full concentration turn off the TV, phone and all electronic devices and if you are a bookworm then put all the reading material aside.
Use a timer and set it for 20 minutes. Aim to take at least this long to eat your meal.
Take a few moments to enjoy the sight of the food on your plate. As the saying goes “The first bite is with the eye” so take it all in.
Smell your food. Enjoy the aromas and try to analyze the ingredients with your nose. Is your mouth watering yet? So far, so good.
Take your first bite, but don’t swallow it straight away. Chew slowly and savor your food. How does it taste? What ingredients can you identify?
Put your fork down between each mouthful and don’t pick it up again until you are ready for the next.
Be aware of your body signals. Once you feel full, stop eating.

Over time you will get used to eating mindfully and when this is achieved you will be less likely to eat in large quantities because you are eating in the moment without distractions. Mindful eating helps you to appreciate good food in small quantities over bad food in large quantities. With mindful eating, there are no forbidden foods because everything is enjoyed in moderation.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating exercises

Finally just like in all things practice makes perfection and mindful eating is not left out. The following are some of the take a ways you can practice for the perfection of mindful eating:

Instead of using a plate with a big circumference, take something small like a raisin, peanut, grape or pea. Eat it in tiny bites, fully analyzing how it looks, tastes, smells and feels.
Take a food item you normally feel guilty about eating and eat it mindfully. Did it taste as good as you anticipated? Did it make you feel as good as you expected? If the experience fell short of your expectations it may help you to shake off your emotional attachment to that food.
Take not of being conscious of every food choices you make throughout the day. There are more than you think.
Make a list of foods you really enjoy eating mindfully. Make another list of foods you find you don’t enjoy so much and eliminate them from your diet. As you become more attuned to your taste buds, you will find yourself choosing tasty, nutritious food and cutting out foods that are high in calories and low on taste.
Eat with your non-dominant hand. It takes longer to eat and discourages mindless eating.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating tips for better health

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight

April 1, 2015

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight: Interesting things to watch out for

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight. The prevalence of obesity and overweight could be avoided if we change our lifestyle.

In the prevalence of obesity and overweight, it is only prudent that everyone is aware of the factor that causes this problem which is quickly turning into pandemic. A lot of postings and books are available about eradication of obesity and overweight. But with the varieties of materials so is the vigorous campaign aired in the both the print and electronic media. These campaigners are simply marketing their products for sale. They can be very enticing because they have a mission to achieve. To be direct these people are in business and their main objective is to make profit even if it would mean danger to their consumers. That statement sounded a bit heard on the spirit of entrepreneurship. I agree with you but it is the truth as painful as it may appear. Take for example the cigarettes manufacturers or alcohol brewers; are you now changing your mind? Anyway our focus is on the physical factors of obesity and overweighs bearing in mind of what I have just mentioned in the introduction.

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight: Television watching

Obesity is a state of being heavy beyond being overweight according to the BMI formula where overweight is of 25 and obesity is 30 BMI and above. this is necessitated by several factors among them the enjoyment of television programs, playing video games and endless conversation on the online plat forms using the modern handsets like the iPads. It is no wonder that Television watching has been closely associated to the onset of obesity. The fact is that, the more time one spend watching TV or enjoying the usage of these of these other gadgets, the greater the degree of obesity. TV watching has led to childhood obesity, and excess weight in adults. According to one clinical study where some 4,771 adult women were examined to determine the relationship between time spent watching television per week and obesity, it was established that twice as many women who reported watching three or more hours of TV per day were obese, compared to the reference group of women who watched less than one hour of television per day.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury points out several physiological effects of taking too much time in watching TV that promotes obesity. Doctor Akoury says that too much time taken on watching TV impacts negatively on the effort of eliminating overweight and obesity as it reduces physical activity. Besides that it also lowers the resting (basal) metabolic rate to a level similar to that experienced during trancelike states. It is in the culture of human being to respond to external stimuli such as the sight, smell, and taste of food, which can trigger almost addictive tendencies to eating. And like I had indicated our TV channels are not just full of entertainment, but by constant advertisement of very unhealthy luring food stuff. It is no surprise that such advertisement are mostly aired around meal times, primarily to promote their fast food products, which trigger memories of sweet, fat, and other stimulatory tastes. Trance-like effect that is created by watching TV influences the brain into thinking that it needs something and because of not knowing exactly what it needs, the very first decision becomes food, and of course food is the easiest answer. In that way people are often motivated to eat even when it is not necessary. And besides that people who watch a lot of TV are also very inactive. They tend to do the least amount of exercise. All these factors put together contribute to obesity and weight gain.

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight: An excess-starch diet

In an effort to controlling obesity and overweight, it is important that foods which are rich in fats are consumed proportionately. Starch is the most fattening food. That explain why people who eat excessive amounts of starch are prone to gain weight. Some of the foods which are rich in starch may include bread, pasta, rice, and beans. Therefore a healthy diet should include thyroid-stimulating foods such as adequate protein, sea salt, fruit, and coconut oil, in addition to organic vegetables.

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight: Low metabolism

Metabolism is deficient in many overweight people for genetic reasons and lack of physical exercise. The metabolism of stored fat in the body is considerably below that of lean tissue. So the metabolic rate of obese people is well below that of lean people, reduced by the sluggish metabolism of fat. To break this vicious cycle doctor Akoury says, individuals must be active physically. There is no two ways about it. It would be very difficult to break the routine without vigorous physical activity. Therefore it is important that when you are considering working out and somehow there is push and pull of discouragement, you may need to consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is a medical facility established by doctor Dalal Akoury to meet your individual weight loss needs. Up on scheduling for an appointment with her, she will be able to evaluate your individual conditions and naturally put you in a weight loss program tailored to meet your specific needs.

Certain disease states are also associated with a greater likelihood of obesity, including diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, hypopituitarism, and hyperlipidemias. For example, an underactive thyroid gland can slow down metabolism and lead to weight gain. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is caused not only by the inability to digest sugar (sucrose, lactose, and maltose) but also protein, because 56% of digested protein is converted to glucose (blood sugar) as needed by the body. People in this category can be either heavy or lean depending on how much what they feed on is digested. Besides that is how the body uses insulin is also another factor. If your body lacks the ability to clear insulin from the bloodstream quickly, you may feel hungry even when you have eaten enough.

Finally the physical factors of obesity and overweight are not just about exercise and feeding habits. It is a collection of several elements which we may have not discussed in this article. Nonetheless you can be able to get them straight from the experts up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury for all your concerns and you will be attended to professionally and in confidence.

The Physical Factors of obesity and Overweight: Interesting things to watch out for

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight

March 31, 2015

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Reduce Health Risks by Losing Weight

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight. Exercise for those who knows the benefits of losing weight

Before you can start talking about being helped to lose weight, there are certain things you must first appreciate and acknowledge. You must have accepted that you have a problem and that problem needs to be fixed. You must also be strong enough to accept that some of the risk involved could be life threatening and this should be your motivation factor to desire to lose weight even the more. You must also be well armed with the knowledge of the benefits of losing weight. In other words understanding what you stand to gain when you lose weight and maintain that desired health weight. Once you are equipped with these, then the motivation will be in plenty. According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, there is a strong relationship between your personal sense of involvement and investment in weight loss and the potential for succeeding on any weight loss plan. Doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of this health facility states that one way to increase your sense of investment and commitment in this issue (losing weight) is to learn how losing will reduce your risk of having some health problems that everyone would not like to be associated with and would do all it takes to avoid.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Prevent Twin Killers Heart Disease and Stroke

Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States and the world over. The reasons as to why knowledge of the benefits of losing weight is very important are because overweight people are more likely to have:

High Blood Pressure. This is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.
Very high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). These can also lead to heart disease and are linked to being overweight.
Angina. Being overweight can also contribute to this problem that involves chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
Sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.

Losing weight is very important and must not be taken for granted. Any weight lost by an overweight or obese person is never insignificant when it comes to improving health. Like for instance a reduction of weight just by 5-10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease or having a stroke. You can improve your heart function, blood pressure and your levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides. The good news is that you need not to have a workout for it to count; even just by doing the household chores and little walking around is effective.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Losing Weight Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Health complications like both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be very frustrating. The frustration becomes even greater because they are diseases which are managed for life a process which can be very worrying psychologically. Without any intension of scaring you, the truth is that both conditions Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are linked with long-term complications that life threatening and generally reduces the quality of life. Therefore for those who are overweight or obese, their risk of contracting such diseases is twice more higher as compared to people with healthy weight. The good news is that you can reduce your chances of getting this disease by losing weight and by increasing your physical activity progressively.

Knowledge of losing weight is very important in the sense that if you are struggling with the disease (diabetes), effective losing weight and getting regular exercises can help you control your blood sugar levels. And besides it may even reduce the amount of medication that you need thereby helping you to save money you ought to have spent in the medication.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Reduce Your Risk of Some Kinds of Cancer

The family of cancer diseases is big and wide. We have so many kinds of cancers that are closely associated with being overweight or obese. In women for instance, such types of cancer may include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, cervix, ovary, breast and colon. Nonetheless when it comes to overweight men, they are at greater risk for developing cancer of the colon, rectum and prostate. Even though such risks have been established, experts are still not very clear whether the increased risk is due to the extra weight or to a high-fat, high-calorie diet. More studies are still being done to establish that with certainty. However you can chose to be safe from these weight related conditions by losing weight through the adaptation of good lifestyle and being active.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Weight Loss Improves Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious condition associated with being overweight. It can cause you to stop breathing for short periods and to snore heavily. Sleep apnea can make you sleepy in the daytime and cause heart failure. Losing weight can reduce or eliminate this problem.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Reduce Osteoarthritis, the Pain of Being Overweight

This is a joint disorder that affects the joints in your knees, hips and your lower back. Any extra weight will increase the risk of this disease because there is more pressure on these joints. Weight loss can decrease the stress and improve symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Get Rid of Gout

Gout is a joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. This painful disease is more common among people who are overweight. It is important to know that some diets (e.g. high protein diet) can trigger gout attacks, so if you have a history of the disease, check with your doctor before trying to lose weight.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Eliminate Gallbladder Grief

Gallbladder disease and gallstones are more common if you are overweight, although it is not clear yet how being overweight causes gallbladder problems. Rapid weight loss can actually increase the chance of developing gallstones, so remember that the watchwords for weight loss are slow and steady. Finally it has become so clear that losing weight is of great benefit and that is why doctor Akoury founded this facility (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) to help you in the difficulties you may be having in losing weight. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today to enroll in the weight loss program and be safe from all these chronic ailments.

Knowledge of the Benefits of Losing Weight: Reduce Health Risks by Losing Weight

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity

March 17, 2015

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Diet, Nutrition and Exercise

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity is the collaboration in eliminating chronic diseases associated with weight gain and obesity

If we have to defeat the problems relating to overweight and obesity, we must do things differently. Experts all over the world are of the opinion that diet alone is not as effective in achieving a healthy body weight. That does not mean that good diet and nutrition is not effective. However combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat obesity is more efficient than each standing alone. It can therefore be concluded that physical activities has many other health benefits as well. It is important that when making the decision to start losing weight, challenges will always be there. However you must never be discouraged because you are losing only a little weight than you had anticipated. Even relatively small weight loss can make a difference in health by reducing blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance and blood lipids. Our role as experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Akoury, who is also the founder of the facility, is to add healthy values on the lives of people. We take charge of every stumbling block to ensure that every person who is suffering from any weight related complication is treated professionally and have their lives back.

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Follow dietary guidelines

When we receive clients who are struggling with weight problems or just desire to keep fit, we take them through tailor made programs which will encourage them to making healthy food choices. Choices which are in line with the dietary guidelines for people with such weight related needs. The guidelines were developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These guidelines will actually improve your health, help you meet your nutrient requirements, and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Therefore following these guidelines will not only help you reduce or maintain your weight but also keep you healthy in all dimensions?

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Drink water

It is always said that water is life; this is not just a wise saying but one of the truth we can’t pretend to know of. It is no wonder health professionals all over the world commonly recommend that people should drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to help the body’s biological processes, especially carrying nutrients to cells and eliminating wastes.

Talking about the professionals the Institute of Medicine (IOM) advises that men should drink up to 3.7 liters (about 16 cups) of water daily while women to drink 2.7 liters (about 12 cups) of water daily. It is important to note that this recommendation is only applicable when eighty percent of this comes from pure drinking water and other beverages provided that soda, coffee and alcohol don’t form part of the other beverages. The remaining 20% should come from foods items and particularly from fruits and vegetables, which are 70% to 95% water in content.

Drinking this large unit of water may not be easy for many people. However it is worth noting that your water needs may not necessarily depend on you being thirsty but on many factors, including your health, how active you are, and where you live. Let me repeat that it’s generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. This is so because normally by the time you become thirsty, a lot has already happen to the extent that without you knowing, you are already becoming dehydrated. It is especially important for older adults to drink water quite often before becoming thirsty, because normally our sense of thirst diminished as we become older.

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Pay attention to your eating patterns

The other guideline that we need to observe is paying attention to our eating patterns. Therefore what needs to concern you most is how, when, and where do you eat? Like for instance, many people across the globe will be eating simultaneously while doing something else like driving, talking on the phone, watching television, or reading. The consequence of this is that you’re likely to pay very little attention to your food which may result in the following:

You may not always fully taste and enjoy your food.
You may eat more than you need.
You may sometimes suffer from indigestion or other gastrointestinal symptoms.

All these may be very costly to you in the long run in the various sectors of your life and the sooner you address this, the better for you.

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Notice the influence of the food giants

What you may not know is that most processed foods if not all of them are market oriented. They are produced with business and profit making in mind. That is why they will be rich in salt or sugar to make them more appealing for you to keep buying. In other words, they are made in a way that when you start using them, you will become addicted to them. The bottom line is that processed foods are not designed to enhance wellbeing, but to exploit natural cravings for salt, sugar, and fat and when coupled with colorful, attractive advertising, many unhealthy foods such as colas and sugary cereals become irresistible staples in most people’s diet.

Doctor Dalal Akoury recommends that grocery stores are the best places to practice your mindful shopping for good health. She says that while shopping, be mindful in checking the ingredients labels since many companies have begun to shovel harmful amounts of sugar and salt into foods you wouldn’t naturally suspect, such as spaghetti sauce, granola bars, and yogurt. Make purchase decisions based on USDA dietary guidelines: buy “whole foods,” such as fruits and vegetables, and skip processed foods, no matter how tempting and flashy their packaging may be. This is especially important if you have children, as much of the food giants’ marketing is aimed at exploiting the vulnerable willpower of young people.

Finally being active is not to be taken for granted. The little activities you do like walking or doing household duties are very healthy in keeping fit. That is why our focus was on combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat obesity. If you are still not home and dry on these processes, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for a one on one professional advice.

Combining healthy eating with exercise to defeat Obesity: Diet, Nutrition and Exercise

Tag Archives: Obesity and food addiction