Relation between Stress and Obesity

August 1, 2014

Relation between Stress and Obesity – Biochemical changes

Relation between Stress and Obesity. These are two health conditions that if allowed in ones life then you will be very measurable.

Over the past decades many people have alleged that stress and obesity are linked and now scientific research is bringing forth evidence supporting this connection. Explicit biochemical reactions appear to help explain this link and, the medical professionals understand these reasons better and are in a position to address the prevalence of obesity epidemic facing U.S and the globe in general.

The most disturbing aspect of the link between stress and obesity is that it tends to be self-reinforcing. Very often, when people are stressed they may eat improperly and that may cause them to gain weight which can even cause more stress and therefore ending up causing exactly what you’re trying to fight off.

Relation between Stress and Obesity – The Biological Connection

If you have been keen you must have realized that each time you’re stressed it is always a common practice that you will tend to crave comfort foods which are high in fat or sugar and researchers have established that specific hormones may play a role in this process.

Serotonin – reaching for fattening comfort foods during stressful times may be an attempt to offer self-medication. Consuming carbohydrates raises the body’s serotonin level and serotonin is the body’s feel-good chemical. It makes you feel better. Under normal circumstances people under stress don’t make smart or healthy food choices. Very often their choices of carbohydrates are rich in fat, like muffins, pastries, doughnuts, and cookies which are not necessarily health foods.

Cortisol – researchers have also discovered that chronic stress can cause the body to release excess cortisol, a hormone critical in managing fat storage and energy use in the human body. Cortisol is known to increase appetite and may encourage cravings for sugary or fatty foods.

Neuropeptide Y. – recent studies also have established that the human body processes food differently when under stress. One study established that lab mice fed a diet high in fat and sugar added significant amounts of body fat when placed under stressful conditions while those mice fed a normal diet didn’t add as much weight despite stress. This finding has been linked the phenomenon to a molecule called neuropeptide Y which is released from nerve cells during stress and encourages fat accumulation. A diet high in fat and sugar appears to further promote the release of neuropeptide Y.

Relation between Stress and Obesity – Breaking the Cycle

So if we’re wired to seek out unhealthy foods when we are under stress, how do we avoid gaining weight when times get tough?

Don’t allow yourself to become too hungry – When you get irritated on an empty stomach you get a drop in your blood sugar. It’s very hard to think rationally when your blood sugar levels are that low you’ll be motivated to eat anything and to avoid this scenario, be sure you’re not skipping meals.

Keep portion size in mind – when people are stressed out they are likely to careless about what they are feeding on and to what quantity. It is important to note that smaller portions can help keep your total calorie intake under control.

Eat healthy snacks – it is advisable to take those snacks combine with protein and carbohydrates because the body digests them more slowly allowing you to feel for longer duration for example you may want to feed on almond butter and whole-grain crackers, or cheese and a piece of whole-grain bread but by all means void snacks high in fat and sugar.

Think about what you’re eating – often when people are really stressed, they tend to think that paying attention to their diet will cause more stress. Actually it’s just the opposite. Don’t forget that food is fuel for your body and your brain and when you eat properly well you’re just fueling your body to fight stress.”

Deal with your stress – this may not be easy as it may look but all the same you must find better ways of manage your stress because this is very essential to your overall health you may choose trying yoga, tai chi, or meditation and in all these ensure regular exercise and avoid isolation desire spending time with friends, seek counseling and reduce the number of stressors in your life.

If you find yourself reaching for high-fat, sugary snacks when you’re feeling stressed, know that you’re not alone. Fortunately though, you can break this cycle. Find ways to minimize stress in your life and focus on making better food choices. Stress may be a part of life, but it doesn’t have to lead to weight gain.

Finally take not of what I have just said and I repeat “Stress may be a part of life, but it doesn’t have to lead to weight gain” The phenomenon of obesity being among chronic diseases makes Dr. Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center very resourceful for you. She will help you achieve optimal weight loss in the most natural way possible. She is a medical professional with over two decades of practicing experience and together with her team of experts doctor Akoury will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. I assure you that with the help of Dr. Akoury your problem is sorted out for good.

Relation between Stress and Obesity – Biochemical changes

The Link between Alcoholism and Obesity

July 30, 2014

The Link between Alcoholism and Obesity – The Prevailing Health Consequences

Obesity and Alcoholism are life threatening health conditions yet people are still not keen on healthy living habits that avoids and prevent such conditions

From the definitions of the two terminologies you may not see clearly the absolute similarities however these two conditions (alcoholism and obesity) may be much more correlated that you have ever imagined. If you look at the two conditions, you will realize that both are provoked by an episode of loss of control. It may not matter how the loss of control took place whether it was genetically instigated, propelled by environmental factors or it was just a moment of one’s weak moments does not count, the common denominator is there is a loss of control.

Many people suffering from these conditions normally invest heavily in the management of their addiction occasioned by various factors like struggling to maintaining control, feeling guilty or just juggling with when they will access their addictive elements that is alcohol or food. With this both conditions can grow progressively worse and when taken to the extreme can be life threatening.

The powerful ingredients making alcoholism and obesity to be similar are the contents of what causes their being addictive which are ethanol and food and how they work on the brain. For instance ethanol stimulates reward centers in the brain exactly the way sugar, salt and fat also do. It is because of this that people with a tendency of over-drinking may also have the same tendency to overeating.

The Link between Alcoholism and Obesity – Alcohol and Weight loss

Ignorantly people often say that alcohol consumption increases appetite and therefore alcohol consumers are motivated to eat more thereby gaining weight. This is not true since ethanol which is the key addictive ingredient in alcoholic drinks and fat from foods have approximately the same amount of calories however those people suffering from alcoholism have a tendency not to be affected by obesity primarily because they are often malnourished due to poor feeding habits having replaced a portion of their food calories with calories from alcohol

According to a study conducted in 2005 sampling regular alcohol consumers it was established that those who drank the smallest amount (i.e. one drink per day) with the extreme frequency (i.e. three to seven days per week) had a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who drank more occasionally, but in larger units. Even though we may not rely heavily on these findings they may indicate some relationship between over-drinking and overeating.

Connection between Alcoholism and Obesity

Early 2010 researchers from Washington University School of medicine released one of the most important findings regarding the connection between obesity and alcoholism. The study was based on two large alcoholism surveys previously done where 80,000 people participated in both. They then put proper control on all the factors of the study and the ultimate finding was that in quite recent survey those with a family history of alcoholism had a greater chance of being affected by obesity. For women, who had a 49 percent greater chance, this was especially true. One possible reason is that in trying to avoid the alcoholic behaviors observed in their families, people replace alcohol with a different addiction.

Surprisingly enough researchers did not find any connection or association between obesity and family history of alcoholism in the first survey. The fact that the link strengthened as much as it did in the relatively short amount of time between the two surveys suggests that environmental factors (the increase in sedentary times; the increased prevalence of fatty, sugary and salty foods in grocery stores and restaurants; and the reduced access to opportunities for activity) are involved. In brief a genetic risk might be submissive in a world that makes maintaining one’s weight a relatively straightforward task. But, change the environment to make unhealthy eating easier and being active harder, and the problem will become apparent.

Finally in their (researchers’) comments in their publication they focused on changes to our food environment, suggesting that obesity may be rising in “individuals vulnerable to addiction. This may be specifically the result of a changing food environment and the increased availability of highly palatable foods.”

The Link between Alcoholism and Obesity – Overlapping Brain Pathways

More and more, neuroscientists are finding similarities in the pathways that lead to excessive eating and dependence on alcohol and other drugs. Both obesity and alcohol addiction have been linked to the brain’s reward system. Overconsumption can trigger a gradual increase in the reward threshold, requiring more and more palatable high-fat food or strengthening alcohol to satisfy cravings. It is no secret that addiction and obesity the two major and most challenging health problems in U.S and many other nations across the globe today. It is therefore important that we learn from these research findings to not just keep talking but to put into practice some of the knowledge we have gathered about addiction to the study of overeating and obesity.

Every day possess an opportunity to learn something new and we are privileged to be learning more about how eating and drinking are indistinguishably connected at the physiologic level. These physiologic commonalities help to explain why the behaviors of excessive food intake and excessive alcohol consumption share so many similarities. Nonetheless, in appreciation of possible link between obesity and alcoholism we all have a duty to unlock the link and use the findings to understand, treat and most importantly prevent these two diseases from further damaging our societies and families.

It will finally take a collective approach for all of us to win this race. On your part you can contribute by talking to the experts like Dr. Dalal Akoury, Founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center concerning all that may be bothering you concerning these these health conditions. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts are there for you and your friends to ensure you are not just educated but well treated by offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to you, your friends, other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Remember together we will win and celebrate having chosen to be a part of this truly successful and fast weight loss and addiction recovery treatment.

The Link between Alcoholism and Obesity – The Prevailing Health Consequences

Facing The Reality of Obesity

July 28, 2014

Facing The Reality of Obesity – Face it and deal with it

Facing the reality of obesity and weight gain is the starting point. Fighting obesity and weight depend on what you feed on.

If you are gaining weight rapidly it may interest you to take a moment and face the realities of changes happening on your body. The sooner you do this the better for you and everyone as well otherwise you could be sacrificing the precious years of your life. You need to stop pretending and begin to take corrective measures to control your feeding habits.

To help you make this worthy step take a keen look you yourself in the mirror and see if what you see is what you want for yourself. If what you see is not impressing then I am addressing you and your weight condition directly. It will take great commitment and skill development to avoid ever looking into a mirror and by hiding from reality, you will be accommodating fat and unhappiness, you will be tired, miserable and lonely it is these feelings that will influence your willpower to saying good bay to your weight condition.

Facing the Reality of Obesity – Defined By Circumstance

Did you know that your life might be defined by your weight condition? Take for example before your mates and the people around you, you could be that fat person always standing out and very different and your weight could be used to make easy identification of you. In a bid of trying remaining comfortable, you may pretend that there is no problem but the reality is it’s right there plain as day. Take note, being a child may be hard enough, but being the overweight child is next to impossible.

As a child you could be able to trace your history with weight gain say from your fifth grade you probably decided to stop wearing shorts because your legs were bigger than everyone else’s. In seventh grade, you developed stretch marks on upper arms and your friends would enquire to know from you what those marks were, and you would have to come up with new ways to rebound the question. By high school, you deliberately stopped wearing short sleeve shirts. And at a time when most girls are noticing boys and starting to date, you were now feeling even more disconnected from your friends. They were receiving attention, and considering being in serious relationships. All you could do is to keep distance.

If you were feeling this way in the lower levels of education how about the experience at College level? Was it a nightmare? Every new class brought with it the horror of having to select a seat you wouldn’t fit in. When you began pressing on your professional career, every job interview became a scavenger hunt for acceptance. You probably walked into meetings with your mind divided as to whether the organization will be comfortable with fat people further demoralizing your willpower. Probably shortly after teenage you adopted life of avoiding change, ensuring that you’re not being noticed, and continuing to accumulate more weight. Despite the efforts you are putting the hard work, food and sleep still nothing close to resembling a life is seen. It turns out the longer you try to blend into the shadows and go unnoticed, the more comfortable they become. Then one day you come to find yourself alone in the dark with no chance of escape spending a few years struggling to address your weight issues. You were committed to learning about habit changes, life, work balance, and other such lifestyle improvements. Things got fairly better, but still you knew deep down in your heart that you weren’t addressing the real issue and so you had to step into the light if were was going to save yourself from the real problem. Therefore you mad a personal revolution.

Facing the Reality of Obesity – Personal Revolution

After long struggle one moment came in your life and you began the journey of recovery. On your own you got out and just started taking life each day at a time. Instead of thinking about all the “good” things you are letting go you made it an adventure to discover new and exciting food that was actually good. Getting back into the kitchen after far too long away and preparing a meal for yourself and committing to respect your body each day by giving it exactly what it needed to be at its best. By now you are learning about creating balanced meals, left behind the junk you used to know and because you did not intend to flop you decided that in case you craved for something say ice cream, you would just have it to keep up the commitment and only selecting an all-natural ice cream, checking the ingredients list instead of relying on the packaging to make sure.

Every passing day, you were making a renewed commitment to the cause. You used to feel like crap after meals from a mixture of overeating and choice of food. As an added bonus you have also discovered a lot about the power of commitment and intention. It turns out when you’re fully engage in change it isn’t as scary as you thought it would be.

Facing the Reality of Obesity – Great Motivation

By now you are feeling like on top of your weight problem and I agree with you because the most important thing you ever did for yourself was standing up, and deciding that things would be better and for sure they are you’ve just lost some 80 pounds because you made a choice. You are now creating the life you have always wanted because you made a choice. Desire choosing to be fearless every day in life because you want the adventure not the shadows.

Facing the Reality of Obesity – When You’re Ready

I think you need the moment. That single second when everything shifts, and you see yourself with renewed clarity. It is different for everyone, but it is the game changer. In the beginning you tried and failed a lot of diets along the way. But this time you’re sure of succeeding before you even started. Why the motivation? It’s because you were not eating frozen food out of a package, or taking a magic pill, or drinking food through a straw. You were not trying to trick, or deny yourself anything. You only made good choices that are repeatable, sustainable and are going to be with you for the rest of your days.

Your moment wasn’t about losing weight, it was making a commitment to create the life you wanted to live by supporting that commitment every day through good food, positive change, and facing the mindsets that were holding you back. You stepped out of the shadows, and you let the light shine on you for the first time. You now have gained so much from this experience that it has inspired you to help others achieve this for themselves. If this is your moment, and you are ready to create the life you have always imagined for yourself, take some time to sign up for AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care where focus is on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. I believe you were the one I was talking to and you’re signing up right now for further health information tailored just for you.

Facing The Reality of Obesity – Face it and deal with it

Easy way to losing weight

July 25, 2014

Easy way to losing weight – Make it Painless

Easy way to losing weight. It all begins with you being positive that you can make it weight problem will not be a problem.

It the concern of many obese people and those suffering from weight related complications of how best they can effectively deal with weight issues and in the most friendly way to all. This concern is a rising because weight loss has been associated with vigorous physical activities and healthy feeding habits which to many is an uphill task due to the nature of their work and schedule. Many obese people find it difficult preparing their healthy meals straight from the groceries and participating in physical activities due to unavailability of time. This is necessitated by tight work schedule where they leave for work very early and toile into late night and by the time they are done leaving for home they are tired and worn out. At this time what they can do is to walk in to the nearest fast food restaurant and have a quick bite of junk food for breakfast lunch and dinner. I believe you are aware of the consequences of this kind of feeding habit (weight gain, obesity and poor management of weight related problems).

As if this is not enough these people are having very minimal indulgence into physical activities further complicating their situations. The problem could be compounded if they are taking alcohol and smoking cigarettes substances which are addictive and has negative effects to human life. The insufficiency of physical activities is as a result of not being able to go the gym, walk and jog around the park and spending most of their working time in unhealthy office seats. Because of these fundamentals it will be very important that we look into ways of bridging the gap so that even those with such busy and tight schedules are also enjoying life without the scare of obesity. This therefore forms the basis and motivation of this article and so if you are that person then you may want to consider the following to help you bring your weight to manageable levels.

Addition and Subtraction

You may not need to follow diet denial instead add to your diet all those healthy food stuff you prefer like deep-red cherries, juicy grapes, or crunchy snow peas including those preferred fruits into your lunch and breakfast cereal menu and finally add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.

Adding in really works and taking away never does, while adding you must be careful keeping an eye on the overall calories. By the way don’t forget to add in something physical too, whether it’s doing a few dance moves before dinner or taking a quick stroll. Having appreciated how busy you are I will tell you how you can be physically active even in your situation of busyness.

Forget About Working Out

There are several things you can do that would help you replace working out like for instance you can be burning calories and stimulate muscles by doing things like washing your car instead of paying the car wash dealer to do it for you, riding your bike within your compound, chasing your dog around the back yard, delight in great sex these are very simple activities you can do without having to go to the gym or taking a work in your local park

Go Walking

In your busy schedule you can still get time to walk around for some few minutes and by the way few minutes can even be 5minutes. Walking in a nice weather condition is very healthy way of keeping fit and you may choose any of the following steps to help you be active the easiest way and without much sweating.

Engage and trade your power mower for a push version while clearing your compound.
When at your work station desire parking your car at the back of the lot to give you some little time walking to and from the office.
Instead of using your car when going to a meeting in the next street walk out of the office building and enjoy walking the meetings venue.
Sweep the drive or rake the leaves instead of using a leaf-blower.
Get off the bus a few stops earlier and walk the remaining distance.
Hike the mall, being sure to hit all the levels.
Take the stairs every chance you get and be consistent in doing so.
Sign up and participate in organized charity walks.
Turn on the music and get your heart rate up the next time you mop or vacuum.

These little movement put together go a long way in motivating your physical activities. If you walk twice a day for 10 minutes and try a few of these tips, you may find yourself with a low-impact, 30-minute workout easily tucked under your belt.

Sleep well

There are several possible ways that sleep deprivation could increase the chances of becoming obese. For instance:

Sleep-deprived people may be too tired to exercise, decreasing the “calories burned” side of the weight-change equation.
People who don’t get enough sleep may take in more calories than those who do, simply because they are awake longer and have more opportunities to eat;
Lack of sleep also disrupts the balance of key hormones that control appetite, so sleep-deprived people may be hungrier than those who get enough rest each night.

Finally by being unable to normally practice weight loss obligations for reason discussed it will be very important for you to seek the help of professionals who will guide you on matters of obesity and weight related problems. Dr. Dalal Akoury, who founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, is a medical professional offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everyone globally and to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Your situation will be very safe with doctor Akoury and progressively you will not only learn from and with the experts but get your life back to the fullest.

Easy way to losing weight – Make it Painless

Obesity and the Economy

April 13, 2014

Obesity and the Economy-Reality of Poverty

It is possible to eradicate obesity irrespective of your financial status or your environment.

The need to put food on the table is everyone’s concern globally. Each passing day the entire humanity gets out all for one assignment that is putting food on the table. Various governments are working round the clock with a view of ensuring that there are favorable conditions for doing business all these efforts are geared towards feeding their respective citizens. Much as billions of dollars is channeled in food security, ascertaining this has been a challenge for many families and governments. So many studies have been conducted world over to ensure that we have healthy and hunger free society with very little progress. It’s because of this disturbing phenomenon that I want to take you through the sad reality of how harsh economic situation is causing the poor their comfort and how the few rich people are also sharing in the problem of obesity.

Food security

Feeding the society is the number one priority of every state down to the family. In the process of doing this some people will have more than enough for them, others will not even be fortunate to have what to eat drawing the line between the poor and the rich. The rich have access to good quality and healthy foods while the poor survive on anything available, to them quality is a luxury they cannot afford. They do not have constant flow of income, majority of them live below the poverty line and can barely afford a single meal let alone the common three triangular meals.

Obesity and the Economy-Limited food budgets and choices

With limited resources the poor has to budget for food and make certain difficult choices. The little they have must take them through the month or the season before they can get another pay or income, this leads to unhealthy behaviors in many ways:

They spend on food they do it with a lot of caution making sure that they spend on durables to last them the season. In the process of doing this, they choose high fat food with dense energy: foods like sugar, cereals, potatoes and processed meat products, the choice is guided by the affordability and durability than fresh vegetables, fruits and lean meat and fish. Such foods are often not healthy with high risk of weight gain and eventually obesity to their consumers.
They often live in disadvantaged neighborhood where healthy foods are hard to get. Their environment has a disproportionate number of fast food chains and small food stores providing cheap, high fat foods.
Economic insecurity-such as problem paying bills, rent may lead to stress making them to eat high fat, sugary foods.

Obesity and the Economy-Restricted physical activities

Good health is not just about eating the right kinds of food, it involve other things including participation in physical activities. These may not be easily available to the poor. Their economic situation does not allow them to access the gym facilities for active physical activities. The absent of continuous body exercise is recipe for weight gain and obesity.

The poor cannot afford organized children’s events outside school making their children to be less active physically. This is evidence because of inflexible work schedule, lack of transportation or unmet needs for child care, poor parents especially the single mothers may find it hard to support extra activities for their children. Leaving kids in front of the television is often all stressed poor parents can manage. This inability is not helpful to the children and as a result of this many children from poor societies suffer from obesity and eventually health complications related to overweight.

Obesity and the Economy-Food deprivation and overeating

Those who are eating less or skipping meals to stretch food budgets may over-eat when food does become available, resulting in chronic ups and downs in food intake that can contribute to weight gain. Cycles of food restriction or deprivation also can lead to an unhealthy preoccupation with food and metabolic changes that promote fat storage – all the worse when in combination with overeating. Unfortunately, overconsumption is even easier given the availability of cheap, energy-dense foods in low-income communities.
The “feast or famine” situation is especially a problem for low-income parents, particularly mothers, who often restrict their food intake and sacrifice their own nutrition in order to protect their children from hunger. Such a coping mechanism puts them at risk for obesity – and research shows that parental obesity, especially maternal obesity, is in turn a strong predictor of childhood obesity.

Obesity and the Economy-High levels of stress

Low-income families, including children, may face high levels of stress due to the financial and emotional pressures of food insecurity, low-wage work and luck of access to health care, inadequate and long-distance transportation, poor housing, neighborhood violence, and other factors. Research has linked stress to obesity in youth and adults, including (for adults) stress from job-related demands and difficulty paying bills. Stress may lead to weight gain through stress-induced hormonal and metabolic changes as well as unhealthful eating behaviors. Stress, particularly chronic stress, also may trigger anxiety and depression, which are both associated with child and adult obesity.

Greater exposure to marketing of obesity-promoting products

Low-income youth and adults are exposed to disproportionately more marketing and advertising for obesity-promoting products that encourage the consumption of unhealthful foods and discourage physical activity. Such advertising has a particularly strong influence on the preferences, diets, and purchases of children, who are the targets of many marketing efforts.

Limited access to health care

Many low-income people lack access to basic health care, or if health care is available, it is lower quality. This results in lack of diagnosis and treatment of emerging chronic health problems like obesity.

It’s quite unfortunate that this avoidable health problem is still with us and causing serious suffering to the human race. I don’t know what is ringing in your mind right now that you are a bit enlightened on the risk of obesity as a result of poverty. If you feel discouraged and hopeless for being obese, I have good news for you, at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury all your worries will be sorted out doctor Akoury cares for you and will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is something you don’t want to miss if you wish to have your life back and live it to the fullest.

Obesity and the Economy-Reality of Poverty

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