Monday 25 June 2012

OLD HABITS DIE HARD


 20 Habits That Make You Fat

Remember now ladies it's bikini season and it's time to do the do and get results. Watch what you eat, when you eat and how you eat and you will see results.

Add freshly picked fruit to your diet.

PLENTY more ways to loose weight and get in-shape is coming soon. Check this blog regularly for updates. 

1. Eating “low-Fat”
Typically, they save you only a few calories and, in doing so, they replace harmless fats with low-performing carbohydrates that digest quickly—causing a sugar rush and, immediately afterward, rebound hunger.

2. Not Seeking Nutrition Advice
When Canadian researchers sent diet and exercise advice to more than 1,000 people, they found that the recipients began eating smarter and working more physical activity into their daily routines.

3. Sleeping too little or too much
According to Wake Forest researchers, dieters who sleep five hours or less put on 2½ times more belly fat, while those who sleep more than eight hours pack on only slightly less than that. Shoot for an average of six to seven hours of sleep per night—the optimal amount for weight control.

4. Eating Free restaurant food
Breadsticks, biscuits, and chips and salsa may be complimentary at some restaurants, but that doesn’t mean you won’t pay for them. Every time you eat one of Olive Garden's free breadsticks or Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you're adding an additional 150 calories to your meal.

5. Drinking Soda – even diet!
A  2005 study found that drinking one to two sodas per day increases your chances of being overweight or obese by nearly 33 percent. Researchers in San Antonio tracked a group of elderly subjects for nearly a decade, they found that compared to nondrinkers, those who drank two or more diet sodas a day watched their waistlines increase five times faster. The researchers theorize that the artificial sweeteners trigger appetite cues, causing you to unconsciously eat more at subsequent meals.  

6. Skipping meals
Skipping meals actually increases your odds of obesity, especially when it comes to breakfast. A study from the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who cut out the morning meal were 4.5 times more likely to be obese. Skipping meals slows your metabolism and boosts your hunger. That puts your body in prime fat-storage mode and increases your odds of overeating at the next meal.

7. Eating too quickly
It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s had enough. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that slow eaters took in 66 fewer calories per meal, but compared to their fast-eating peers, they felt like they had eaten more.

8. Watching too much TV
A University of Vermont study found that overweight participants who reduced their TV time by just 50 percent burned an additional 119 calories a day on average.  Maximize those results by multitasking while you watch—even light household tasks will further bump up your caloric burn.

9. Ordering the combo meal
A study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing shows that compared to ordering a la carte, you pick up a hundred or more extra calories by opting for the “combo” or “value meal.

10. Facing the buffet
Cornell researchers found that when eating at a buffet-style restaurant, obese diners were 15 percent more likely to choose seats with a clear view of the food. Your move: Choose a seat that places your back toward the spread. It will help you avoid fixating on the food.

11. Eating off larger plates
One study found that when given an option, a whopping 98.6 percent of obese individuals opt for larger plates. Translation: More food, more calories, and more body fat. Keep your portions in check by choosing smaller serving dishes.

12. Putting serving dishes on the table
Resist setting out foods buffet- or family-style, and opt instead to serve them from the kitchen. A study in the journal Obesity found that when food is served from the dinner table, people consume 35 percent more over the course of the meal. When an additional helping requires leaving the table, people hesitate to go back for more.

13. Choosing white bread
A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that when obese subjects incorporated whole grains into their diets, they lost more abdominal fat over the course of 12 weeks. Whole grain foods pack in more fiber and an overall stronger nutritional package than their refined-grain counterparts. 

14. Taking big bites
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took large bites of food consumed 52 percent more calories in one sitting than those who took small bites and chewed longer. A good general rule? The smaller your bites, the thinner your waistline.
 
15. Not drinking enough
Adequate water intake is essential for all your body’s functions, and the more you drink, the better your chances of staying thin. In one University of Utah study, dieting participants who were instructed to drink two cups of water before each meal lost 30 percent more weight than their thirsty peers. German researchers found that six cups of cold water a day could prompt a metabolic boost that incinerates 50 daily calories.

16. Having overweight friends
Research from the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that when a friend becomes obese, it ups your chance of obesity by 57 percent.

17. Eating too late
Your body can burn flab while you sleep, but only if it isn't too busy processing a full stomach. A new study in the journal Obesity looked at the sleeping and eating habits of 52 people over seven days, and it found that those who ate after 8 p.m. took in the most daily calories and had the highest BMIs.

18. Not using a scale
Looking at your body weight reinforces weight  loss goals and makes it difficult to cheat your diet. Avoid being thrown off by natural fluctuations in body weight by stepping onto the scale at the same time every day.

19. Drinking fruity beverages
Most restaurants and bars have ditched their fresh-fruit recipes in favor of viscous syrups made mostly from high fructose corn syrup and thickening agents. As a general rule, the more garnishes a drink has hanging from its rim, the worse it is for your waistline.

20. Eating when emotional
A study from the University of Alabama found that emotional eaters—those who admitted eating in response to emotional stress—were 13 times more likely to be overweight or obese. If you feel the urge to eat in response to stress, try chewing a piece of gum, chugging a glass of water, or taking a walk around the block.




Monday 18 June 2012

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

A REVIEW ON URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN ADULTS


Definition

A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is an infection that can happen anywhere along the urinary tract. Urinary tract infections have different names, depending on what part of the urinary tract is infected.
  • Bladder -- an infection in the bladder is also called cystitis or a bladder infection
  • Kidneys -- an infection of one or both kidneys is called pyelonephritis or a kidney infection
  • Ureters -- the tubes that take urine from each kidney to the bladder are only rarely the site of infection
  • Urethra -- an infection of the tube that empties urine from the bladder to the outside is called urethritis

    Causes, incidence, and risk factors

    Urinary tract infections are caused by germs, usually bacteria that enter the urethra and then the bladder. This can lead to infection, most commonly in the bladder itself, which can spread to the kidneys.
    Most of the time, your body can get rid of these bacteria. However, certain conditions increase the risk of having UTIs.
    Women tend to get them more often because their urethra is shorter and closer to the anus than in men. Because of this, women are more likely to get an infection after sexual activity or when using a diaphragm for birth control. Menopause also increases the risk of a UTI.
    The following also increase your chances of developing a UTI:
  • Diabetes
  • Advanced age (especially people in nursing homes)
  • Problems emptying your bladder (urinary retention) because of brain or nerve disorders
  • A tube called a urinary catheter inserted into your urinary tract
  • Bowel incontinence
  • Enlarged prostate, narrowed urethra, or anything that blocks the flow of urine
  • Kidney stones
  • Staying still (immobile) for a long period of time (for example, while you are recovering from a hip fracture)
  • Pregnancy

Symptoms

The symptoms of a bladder infection include:
  • Cloudy or bloody urine, which may have a foul or strong odor
  • Low fever (not everyone will have a fever)
  • Pain or burning with urination
  • Pressure or cramping in the lower abdomen (usually middle) or back
  • Strong need to urinate often, even right after the bladder has been emptied
If the infection spreads to your kidneys, symptoms may include:
  • Chills and shaking or night sweats
  • Fatigue and a general ill feeling
  • Fever above 101 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Flank (side), back, or groin pain
  • Flushed, warm, or reddened skin
  • Mental changes or confusion (in the elderly, these symptoms often are the only signs of a UTI)
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Severe abdominal pain (sometimes)

Signs and tests

A urine sample is usually collected to perform the following tests:
  • Urinalysis is done to look for white blood cells, red blood cells, bacteria, and to test for certain chemicals, such as nitrites in the urine. Most of the time, your doctor or nurse can diagnose an infection using a urinalysis.
  • Urine culture - clean catch may be done to identify the bacteria in the urine to make sure the correct antibiotic is being used for treatment.
CBC and a blood culture may be done.
The following tests may be done to help rule out problems in your urinary system that might lead to infection or make a UTI harder to treat:
  • CT scan of the abdomen
  • Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
  • Kidney scan
  • Kidney ultrasound
  • Voiding cysto-urethrogram

 

Treatment

Your doctor must first decide whether you have a mild or simple bladder or kidney infection, or whether your infection is more serious.
MILD BLADDER AND KIDNEY INFECTIONS
Antibiotics taken by mouth are usually recommended because there is a risk that the infection can spread to the kidneys.
  • For a simple bladder infection, you will take antibiotics for 3 days (women) or 7 - 14 days (men). For a bladder infection with complications such as pregnancy or diabetes, OR a mild kidney infection, you will usually take antibiotics for 7 - 14 days.
  • It is important that you finish all the antibiotics, even if you feel better. People who do not finish their antibiotics may develop an infection that is harder to treat.
Commonly used antibiotics include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, amoxicillin, Augmentin, doxycycline, and fluoroquinolones. Your doctor will also want to know whether you could be pregnant.
Your doctor may also recommend drugs to relieve the burning pain and urgent need to urinate. Phenazopyridine hydrochloride (Pyridium) is the most common of this type of drug. You will still need to take antibiotics.
Everyone with a bladder or kidney infection should drink plenty of water.
Some women have repeat or recurrent bladder infections. Your doctor may suggest several different ways of treating these.
  • Taking a single dose of an antibiotic after sexual contact may prevent these infections, which occur after sexual activity.
  • Having a 3-day course of antibiotics at home to use for infections diagnosed based on your symptoms may work for some women.
  • Some women may also try taking a single, daily dose of an antibiotic to prevent infections.

Thursday 7 June 2012

A REVIEW ON VAGINAL YEAST INFECTION

Its summer time again people and its time to battle that annoying yeast infection. Below is a review on yeast infection,easy and simple to read and understand.This review answers all the questions that you would ask when you visit the physician.