The economic benefits of losing excess weight

June 15, 2015

The economic benefits of losing excess weight: The freedom and life enjoyment that come with weight loss

The economic benefits of losing excess weight should offer us an incentive to keep a healthy weight for a more productive life.

Losing weight is a healthy practice that everyone should embrace. There are several advantages of doing so including the economic benefits of losing excess weight that will not only give you better health, but also saves you money. If you are wondering of how possible is this, then you are in the right place and the timing is equally appropriate. By the time we are through with this article, doctor Dalal Akoury MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center shall have enlighten our knowledge of the actual benefits. According to experts at this facility, being overweight is very costly, life-threatening and socially relegating. I don’t know what your weight is but if it is bothering you in any way, then you need to do something about it. You could start by consulting with people who are well experienced in matters pertaining to weight loss like for instance, as we get into the discussion, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for professional direction on what could be the problem and also for the solutions to those problems.

As you consider doing that, it will interest you to note that at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care, we are focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Our desire is to make you realize and explore your own potentially in dealing with the excess weight you have. We believe strongly that when this is achieved you will be able to not only lose weight effectively but also to keep the right weight levels for as long as you live. The result of this will directly translate into living a comfortable life free of chronic health issues related to excess weight and having some savings on the money you ought to have spent in treatment of those health conditions.

The economic benefits of losing excess weight: Waist, Fat Wallet

You may have read books written by great authors on how to lose weight without having to work out or promotional materials that give you the starting point in losing weight, these may be useful to some extent but the problem is that they are tailored to make you spend and in most cases spend big. This big spending is what we want to eliminate so that you can make some savings even as you lose weight. In fact the relationship between your waist and your wallet may become significant only if you succeed in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Some of the things you are likely to experience may include the following:

Your visit to the doctor’s office will reduce and in many cases you will not be going there when ill. The benefit of this is that the cost of consultation is reduces.

Overweight people tend to suffer much from knee pains due to the extra pressure posed by the extra weight. This will be eliminated when the healthy weight levels is achieved

With the extra diseases that comes with obesity and overweight, your immune system is likely to deteriorate making you vulnerable to several attacks and thereby spending heavily on medications like acid reflux, diabetes, high blood pressure, or elevated cholesterol. With a healthy weight, this will not be so because the cause shall have been prevented, remember the common medical phrase that prevention is better than cure.

The health insurance policies we buy is pegged on the various risks involved, in other words you pay more when you are not healthy and less when you are healthy. It therefore translate that when you are in healthy weight, all the weight related health conditions are eliminated and your insurance premiums drops thereby saving you money.

And like I have said everywhere you look, people are in the business of making money by making adverts about ways to spend on weight loss. If you walk around billboards advertisements, print and electronic media are full of luring information’s like join this pricey gym, hire a trainer, buy those premade meals, buy expensive shakes and “cleanses” sold by a multi-level marketing scheme. What come into your mind when you read such information? The authors of those adverts are in the business to sell and make money from. Their primary goal is to maximize on their profit and your financial situation doesn’t matter so long as you are buying. With that insight doctor Akoury ask does lasting weight loss solutions really have to cost that much financially? It may be true that some of these adverts may promote a jump start, and trainers can certainly get you moving, there are ways we can use to spend reasonably and still get the desired result. The following are some of the practices you may want to consider doing:

The economic benefits of losing excess weight: Consume half or better still less

We all need to eat to keep fueling the body to operate normally. However we must be keen on what we feed on and to what quantity. Doctor Akoury has in several forums stated that it is not about the quantity but the quality. The body needs more of the nutrients for good health. Therefore if you are a costumed to a full plate of beef, you may want to consider reducing it to half progressively until your body is comfortable with the new portion. When this is achieved you shall have not only succeeded in reducing the weight but also made some savings on the cost of your food budget. In simple understanding if you were spending $100 on food and you have reduced the quantity by half, you will have a savings of $50.

Finally the economic benefits of losing excess weight are very vast topics and we will continue with it in our subsequent articles. But in the meantime if you are looking for permanent solutions to the problems of obesity and overweight, you need not to wait any longer because help has come very closer to you. The moment you visited this site, you made the first step towards your full recovery from the stigma of overweight. Now the next step is to schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of Doctor Akoury’s care and you will be attended to professionally.

The economic benefits of losing excess weight: The freedom and life enjoyment that come with weight loss

Pros and Cons of Suboxone

May 25, 2015

Problems with suboxone treatment, pros and cons of suboxone therapy

There has been an increase in prescription of opioid painkillers in the US, this phenomenon got me worried and backed up by a recent study that verified that the use of safer alternatives to pain management has been on the decline.

In recent years there has been a growing awareness in the medical community about the pervasiveness of pain. This awareness has corresponded to a sharp increase in the use of opioids and abuse with so many people involved in the use opioids for non-medical purposes.

One of the biggest disasters associated with this tremendous use of opioid painkillers is their potential to cause addiction.

Addiction to any drug substance be it medicinal or not is a very serious issue with extremely adverse socio-economic impacts in human populations all over the world. The move to try and help addicts recover from this societal demon is thus a noble one. Many addiction treatment centers have been set up in line with this move. Different medications are today in use in the world over and research is still ongoing with the aim of developing the most effective medication for addiction treatment. One such drug being used today in addiction treatment is suboxone.

What is suboxone?

Suboxone is a brand name for a prescription medication that is a combination of two drugs; buprenorphine and naloxone. Buprenorphine belongs to a class of drugs called opioid partial agonists which help relieve symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Naloxone on the other hand is belongs to a class of drugs called opioid antagonists which reverse the effects of narcotics. one of the most powerful narcotics isbuprenorphine is a narcotic, it is so powerful yet it has a potential o be addictive. it was approved for treatment of opioid addiction in 2002 in the United States.

This drug can be combined with naloxone to make Suboxone and be used to help addicts to fight opioids like vicodin, heroin, OxyContin, and hydrocodone. Naloxone has ability to block opioid receptors in the brain and trigger sudden withdrawal symptoms when injected. For treatment, Naloxone is added as deterrent to prevent addicts from injecting Suboxone. When taken as a pill, naloxone is not absorbed into the body.

Problems with suboxone therapy

When it was first released in 2002, suboxone was hailed as a major advance over methadone. But millions of but later there were millions of literature critiquing the use of this drug as it has faults as were thought earlier.

One of the biggest challenges associated with suboxone treatment is its being overprescribed and misused.

Over three million Americans with opioid dependence have been treated with Suboxone. This drug has been successfully used to help addicts but it has high potential of being abused.

A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found a ten-fold increase in the number of emergency room visits involving buprenorphine. Slightly over half of the 30,000 hospitalizations in 2010 were for misuse and abuse of buprenorphine.

How many died from buprenorphine overdoses is unknown, because medical examiners and coroners do not routinely test for the drug.

For a drug addict, the most uncomfortable, painful problem of their addiction is withdrawal. If they can somehow control their urge to delve back into the drug and endure the side effects of withdrawal, then they can successfully complete their addiction recovery and gain their freedom from use of drugs.

Suboxone is so popular with addicts that it has turned into a street drug – to be bartered or exchanged for money, heroin or other illegal drugs. According to one estimate, about half of the buprenorphine obtained through legitimate prescriptions is either being diverted or used illicitly.

Drug makers are well aware of the potential for misuse and abuse. Orexo, the maker of menthol flavored Zubsolv, is selling the tablets in single dose “blister” packaging designed to reduce accidental use by kids. Another maker, Reckitt-Benckiser took its Suboxone tablets off the U.S. market and currently sells Suboxone in individually wrapped film strips. However experts have it that no amount of preparation and packaging can outsmart a determined drug abuser.

The potential for abuse and diversion is however not reason enough to call for a stop in treating addicts with buprenorphine, according to a commentary published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine that calls for a “balanced approach” to the drug.

The other major challenge associated with suboxone treatment is that it is causing its own epidemic of addiction. Patients undergoing suboxone treatment could overtime get addicted to the drug and show withdrawal symptoms when they try to get off its use.

Advantages of suboxone

One of the primary advantages of suboxone for addiction treatment is the fact that buprenorphine’s partial agonist quality prevents it from triggering respiratory depression -and thus overdoses.

Its other advantages include:

It isn’t met with stigma as with methadone.
It can often get to a stabilized dose within the first or second day.
It has a better safety profile.
It may be easier to come off than methadone.
It is longer acting than methadone so it may not require daily dosing.
Its side effects are less than those of methadone.

Disadvantages of suboxone therapy

Though suboxone is considered an advance in addiction treatment over methadone, it has its disadvantages. Some of these disadvantages include:

It may fail to fully satisfy cravings or inhibit withdrawal symptoms for those with high tolerance.
Dose adjustments may b more difficult.
It is also likely to cause a precipitated withdrawal.

Addiction is a societal menace for which support is required in fighting. That’s why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. It matters not what kind of addiction you are wrestling with, just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Problems with suboxone treatment, pros and cons of suboxone therapy

Meditation in Addiction Recovery

May 24, 2015

Role of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

Meditation During the initial stages of recovery, a person may feel some kind of mental haziness. It takes lots of struggle for them to think clearly after stopping using the drug they are addicted to. They will also experience emotional instability. Failure to adjust to these changes may lead to relapse.

Integrative techniques that foster meditation and mindfulness have shown increasing promise in the successful completion of a drug addiction treatment program. Meditation’s ability to “retrain thought” can serve to alter cognitive processing in the brain, thus leading to healthier interactions in the brain’s reward center. The process of meditation also serves to produce stress-reduction naturally thereby reducing the powers of triggers, cravings and withdrawal symptoms in recovering individuals. In addition, meditation has been found to lower the rate of relapse in recovering addicts.

What is mindfulness meditation?

In mindful mediation a patient pays attention to the present moment. It aims at setting the mind free from thoughts that may rekindle the flame of addiction and cause relapse. Through it a patient learns to be aware of his thoughts and emotions without letting the emotions sway his judgment. As practice by Buddhists it is a non-judgmental form of observation.

It is also known as Sati as was in ancient Pali; which is a language in India. It is essential for those Buddhists seeking enlightment as it involves three elements; awareness, attention and remembering. If you have to succeed you must be aware of the object you are focusing on, pay attention to it and remember it.

How effective is Meditation in Addiction Recovery?

The body of evidence for the power of meditation in addiction treatment is increasing. As a matter of fact, a 2007 research presented that individuals who participated in meditation during addiction recovery gained higher levels of coping skills as well as amplified awareness of substance abuse triggers that aided addiction recovery. In another peer-reviewed study indicated the effects of prayer and meditation on dopamine levels, servicing the mind and body by creating contentedness and calm through the brain’s pathways, this helps as a substitute for the effects the drugs produced in the patient.

Meditation minimizes chances of alcohol and drug relapse

Meditation may also be effective in preventing relapse. Research has repeatedly shown that maximized sobriety is achieved when meditation is incorporated in treatment and recovery programs. Mindful meditation has been shown to assist patients in coping with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and trauma.

Meditation and smoking cessation

Past researches have shown that mediation has effects on chemical dependency and this can be extended to nicotine addiction. Meditation has great effects in smokers and it has been verified that it increases recovery rates of smokers.

In a 2009 study of close to 160 smokers by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, it was established that mindfulness practices linked to lower physical addiction levels and floored withdrawal effects. Additionally, those who practiced mindful mediation techniques experienced a greater belief in their ability to quit smoking, showing that mindful mediation therapy may help those struggling with nicotine addiction.

Alternative and Eastern-based meditative practices incorporated into individual alcoholism and drug abuse treatment plans seem to garner some of the most promising findings in relation to emerging research. Another study was done in 2010 and it involved studying the use of the qi gong meditative practices by close to 250 substance abusers and it was found to increase the addiction recovery completion by about 14 percent. The substance abusers who were part of this study showed lower cravings, reduced withdrawal symptoms as well as reduced anxiety levels.

Similar results have been studied in one of the most popular forms of meditative practice in addiction treatment and recovery, known as Vipassana. Vipassana is a Buddhist nonjudgmental, observational practice, it seeks to harness thought positively in relation to cognitive identification with addictive impulses. A 2006 study on addicted and enslaved individuals found that Vipassana meditation minimized rates of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine abuse in released prisoners who learned the meditative technique. As a matter of fact, Vipassana participants also showed fewer alcohol-related side effects as well as fewer mental health conditions and even improved relations in social circles.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

These are some of the benefits of mindfulness meditation for people in recovery:

This practice makes life in sobriety far more enjoyable. The individual is able to get pleasure from even the simplest things.
Those who practice the technique find it easier to manage their interpersonal relationships
Early recovery is like an emotional rollercoaster. By practicing mindfulness, the individual will feel more in control and better able to deal with the highs and lows.
People who practice mindfulness will be better able to spot the warning signs that they are losing their hold on recovery. This way they will be able to avoid a relapse.
Cravings usually continue to arise in recovery. Mindfulness allows the individual to observe such thoughts without being carried away by them. People learn that they are not always responsible for their thoughts, nor do they have to be a victim to them.

Recovering fully from addiction is a challenging process that requires enough support for the recovering addict. Help and hope for addicts is available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. Do not hesitate to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) any day for assistance.

Role of Mindfulness Meditation in Addiction Recovery

NAD Therapy for Cravings Reduction

May 24, 2015

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

NAD Therapy Contrary to what many people think, addiction isn’t just a disease of the body alone but also of the mind and therefore any therapy for addiction has to treat all these aspects to be successful. When you are being treated from withdrawal effects of any drug but the doctors fail to give a therapy that will help heal the conditions that create depression, fatigue and anxiety, the chances of relapse become even higher and you may not completely recover from the effects of the drug.

Similarly if you withdraw from a substance and do not understand the psychological and spiritual issues that promoted the need for it, then relapse is likely and the lessons of disease have not been learnt.

Integrative medicine avails the tools that are instrumental in assessing and treating the conditions in the body that culminate into fatigue, depression, and anxiety, thereby increasing the likelihood of chemical dependency. These include:

Hypothyroidism
Neurotransmitter deficiency
Gluten intolerance
Metabolic cofactor deficiency
Adrenal fatigue
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency

These “terrain issues” in the body have to be properly addressed so as to make detoxification easier and to inhibit relapse.

Addiction is a complex disease that must be properly addressed as it doesn’t only affect the body alone but also the mind. most of the symptoms that are exhibited in the body are developed within the consciousness, the body is just an avenue through which these emotional traumas, fears , irrational thoughts, chemical imbalances in the brain and conflicts are showed.

Diseases are a way through which the body seeks your attention and beckons self-exploration in pursuit of true healing.

One of the hardest stages in addiction treatment and recovery that those addicted to drugs have to endure is detoxification. this is necessary as drugs of abuse always alter the chemical balances in the brain hence this balance must be restored.

Drug withdrawal can cause symptoms such as sweating, fever, hallucinations and even seizures. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms can prevent a person from maintaining sobriety. It can even make it impossible for a person to stop using the drugs in the first place.

The coenzyme NAD, also known as “biological rocket fuel,” is a good approach to treatment of addiction and recovery. It might also help in reducing the drug cravings .

What is NAD?

NAD is an abbreviation that stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. this is an activated form of vitamin B3. It is naturally present within every cell in the human body. It not only helps in regulating gene expression but also mediates calcium levels. NAD is also a participant in a number of redox reactions – in other words, it reacts with oxygen in the body.

Owing to these reactions, It is a powerful anti-oxidant that can help in reducing the populations of dangerous free radicals hence protecting the body from aging and diseases that are caused by oxidative damage like cancer. nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is also an essential component of the citric acid cycle known to many people as Krebs cycle; a cellular process that is essential for the production of energy for every cell and organ in the body.

How can IV NAD therapy benefit drug addicts?

When a drug of abuse is used for a long time, it alters the chemical makeup of the body. The addict will be glued to the drug and whenever he stops the brain has to begin learning how to work. For this reason any recovery plan must put in place ways to help the brain to rebuild and to function optimally. Without healing the brain the withdrawal symptoms and cravings for a drug will relapse.

Since NAD is essential for energy production, increasing the availability of NAD increases cellular energy. When the energy is increased the brain can more quickly rebuild its neurotransmitter population and fix its connections. This condition will help in rebuilding the brain and restoring its functions.

The NAD therapy results in an increased sense of well-being, clearer cognition. it also reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

What are the advantages of NAD over other detox methods?

NAD works better and quicker as compared to other detoxification methods. Just within four days of treatment with NAD the withdrawal symptoms as well as physical cravings are reduced. This can be especially inspiring during the beginning phases of drug cessation. Other detox methods take a while before they start working – with NAD infusions, recovering drug addicts are provided with near-immediate relief, encouraging them to continue pursuing sobriety.

NAD Therapy Unlike other treatment methods, NAD is completely natural and non-addictive. This therefore is a guarantee that the addict will not suffer another addiction as a result of the drug used in treating him that was addictive.

Addicts who have received NAD therapy have testified that it helps them feel better and more energetic. They have also shown NAD have reported decreased withdrawal symptoms and a diminished desire to use. Since this treatment has no side effects and has received positive reviews, it may be prudent and safe to try the therapy.

NAD therapy is offered at AWAREmed Health and Wellness resource center. Here we ourselves fully to offering lasting solution to the menace of addiction. Don’t hesitate to call Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) on (843)213-1480 for help.

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

Female Sex Addiction Linked to Adrenal Exhaustion

May 24, 2015

Female Sex Addiction Causes Adrenal Exhaustion

Sex addiction is a compulsive behavior that completely dominates the addict’s life. The addict is willing to sacrifice what he/she cherishes most in order to preserve and continue his/her unhealthy behavior. They use sexuality to regulate their emotional life like relieving pain or anxiety. Addiction to sex like any other addiction is not free from causing serious pathological consequences. One such consequence is adrenal exhaustion.

What is adrenal exhaustion?

Adrenal exhaustion, also known as adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms that makes the adrenal glands function below the optimum level. Adrenal exhaustion is most commonly associated with severe or long term stress, it can also emerge during or post-acute or chronic infections that a person has suffered from, especially respiratory infections like bronchitis, pneumonia or influenza. The major cause of adrenal exhaustion is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles, gout or growth. Those who have adrenal fatigue look and act relatively normal and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet they live with a some sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. they are lacking in energy in energy and drive . often those suffering from adrenal fatigue will take stimulants like coffee to help boost their energy levels are relieve them. these stimulants are taken in the morning and can be chipped in as a boost during the day.

This syndrome has been known by many other names throughout the past century, such as non-Addison’s hypoadrenia, sub-clinical hypoadrenia, neurasthenia, adrenal neurasthenia, adrenal apathy and adrenal fatigue. this is a serious condition affecting millions of people worldwide but it is yet to be recognized as a distinct disease.

Adrenal fatigue can cause nightmares if it affects you. This syndrome can be so serious that it will render the activity of the adrenal glands so diminished that any affected person may have to spend most of their time in bed as the fatigue won’t let them stay active or even sit for few hours. As the condition deteriorates the body organs and systems become adversely affected. it will cause changes in your protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, heart and cardiovascular system. if affected a person will lose his sex drive and prowess. Many other changes take place at the biochemical and cellular levels in response to and to make up for the reduction in adrenal hormones that occurs with adrenal exhaustion. Naturally, the body will try to make up for the malfunctioning of the adrenal glands but there is a collateral damage.

How does adrenal exhaustion occur?

Adrenal fatigue is produced when your adrenal glands cannot adequately meet the demands of stress. The adrenal glands will mobilize your body’s responses to every kind of stress be it physical, emotional, or psychological stress, through hormones that regulate the production and storage of energy, impulse rate, immune function, muscle tone among other processes that enable you to cope with the stress. Adrenal glands responds to all kinds of stress indiscriminately, it doesn’t matter if you have an emotional crisis such as divorce , a physical disaster such as amputated limb, or any other stressors of life, the adrenals have to respond to all these and maintain the body balance. When this isn’t possible fully then, you will suffer from adrenal exhaustion.

Incase of adrenal fatigue your adrenal glands may function, but they cant work better and ensure optimal body balance as their output of regulatory hormones has been floored usually by over-stimulation. it may take repeated stressors or just an intense stress to cause adrenal glands overstimulation.

How does female sex addiction cause adrenal exhaustion?

It has been known that masturbation causes buildup of cortisol in the body. Cortisol, also known as a stress hormone, is a host of many adverse effects when overproduced. It is the major cause of chronic fatigue which may stem from drug use poor sleep or unhealthy diet.

Chronic & Adrenal Fatigue resulting from over engagement in sexual activity develops in stages. In initial stages the signs of uncharacteristic tiredness will be seen. This tiredness will not only persist, but will grow over a time. When it finally t develops into a severe condition (stemming from severe sexual addiction), individual experiences irritability, concentration issues and lethargy.

Cortisol’s Role

When a person experiences danger or stress, cortisol increases blood sugar. This chemical change helps a person endure short periods of stress. Because sex and masturbation produce stress, the body releases more cortisol.

Constant craving of sexual activity creates a state of chronic cortisol elevation, which results in fatigue.

Are there other associated problems?

With long periods of exposure to cortisol, other problems may occur, including:

Low sex drive and libido
Immunity suppression
Higher blood sugar level
Hypertension
Insulin resistance
Carbohydrate cravings
Fat deposits on the face, neck, and belly

Adrenal Exhaustion People with chronic fatigue often feel as if they are waging a battle with their bodies every day. Chronically fatigued individuals can experience severe depression and stress that interferes with sleep. Inadequate sleep can diminish the liver’s ability to breakdown cortisol.

Knowing how serious the effects of sex addiction can be, we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them the most needed support as they wrestle to put their lives back in order. For more information and expert advice, don’t hesitate to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Female Sex Addiction Causes Adrenal Exhaustion

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