So what is acid reflux disease? Acid reflux disease is short for gastro esophageal reflux disease often referred to as GERD. Acid reflux occurs when the acid content found in the stomach returns to the esophagus. If this happens several times weeks then you have to deal with this issue which is very common among many individuals of any age today. As a matter of fact, infants and elderly people are prone to having acid reflux and this is particularly due to the diet regime that the individual goes through during the day.

I suffered from this disease not realizing what it was until rushed to the hospital in an ambulance after experiencing a severe case of it while at a client’s home. This client was a registered nurse and she thought I was having a heart attack. At the hospital I went through about 3 days of testing before they determined it was GERD and not a heart attack.

From personal experience I can tell you that GERD can be very painful. While antacids can often bring comfort to a mild case of acid reflux they can also create a worse condition.  The only thing that can be done to attenuate this illness in some way is by following a specific diet avoiding certain foods and drinks that could trigger the acid to form such as citrus, caffeine, alcohol, anything fried or full of fatty substances like onions, garlic and fried potatoes. You know, all of those good things so many of us enjoy.
Not only foods and beverages are to blame for this health issue, but even the kind of lifestyle one chooses to live in. For instance, people who smoke, drink or who are constantly overweight are more prone to suffering the devastating consequences of acid reflux. Following the right change in the lifestyle habits of these individuals could save them from having a burning sensation in the stomach and ease the complications that consequently come out of it.

There are some other activities that one takes for granted too that could bring forth some uneasiness in the esophagus such as lying down after having a meal in the middle of the day, eating big meals all at once instead of pacing it a little at a time. Even bending forward or picking up heavy weights are all acid reflux triggers to pay very particular attention to.

One must also consider the genetic factor which plays a fundamental role. Some individuals belonging to the same family could have the same issues related to this health symptom that if not treated or put under control could worsen and be more serious condition known as heartburn. This is a grave form of acid reflux in which the excruciating pain can be felt in other parts of the body such as in the upper chest area.
After spending several years on medications to control my GERD I had gastric bypass surgery, not because of the acid reflux but because I just could not control my weight with diet. I was told that weight loss surgery helped control GERD, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and a lot of other health problems. Having had my gastric bypass surgery over a year ago now I can tell you that I have not experienced GERD since. Additionally my cholesterol is not completely normal, I no longer use a CPAP machine for sleep apnea, my blood sugar levels are normal and my high blood pressure is completely under control. I may be nearing 70 but I am in better health today than when I was 50.
Am I telling you to have weight loss surgery for your GERD? Absolutely not, weight loss surgery is serious business and not the best way for everyone to lose weight. While I am please that I had the surgery and have experienced so many benefits from it you still want to know all of your options before you go under any type of surgery. Once you do I am sure you will make the best choice for yourself.

CALM ENERGY
Calm energy is a state of low stress and high controlled energy. Small issues remain small and do not develop into more than what they really are. They therefore do not get in the way of things that are more important. Your physical and mental reserves are at a high level, giving you the serene confidence of an ideal flow state where you feel in continuous control.Your sense of well being and a positive outlook are in place. Due to this positive vantage point, your perception of attaining a successful result is much greater.Everything you do seems to go easily and smoothly. This is by far the energy you need to have on a regular basis.

TENSE ENERGY
Tense energy is the opposite. It can be the result of artificial stimulants such as caffeine, a situational effect of anger, stress or by merely being in a general rush. This type of energy cannot be maintained without a price. It interferes with the optimal neurotransmissions in the brain and in the long run leaves you exhausted; depleted mentally and physically. Continuing on this way will have negative consequences on your overall performance and will also erode your health over time. This type of energy is commonplace in many people’s lives, so much so that it seems normal. It is a sad testament to our current fast-paced culture that this seems to be the case. But this does not have to be. Here are ten steps to a positive, productive flow state that will support your efforts, making your life easier and more fulfilling.

THE TEN STEPS

1) Start with a good nights sleep, eight hours if possible. Without proper rest, it is difficult to maintain any kind of consistent energy level the next day. Be sure your bedroom is as dark as possible. Any light will interfere with your sleep cycle by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone released at the end of the day that signals your body that it’s time for sleep. Avoid a heavy meal at the end of the day, the process of digestion forces your body to stay active, not allowing it to settle into a good sleep pattern. Likewise, avoid caffeine or alcohol close to bedtime.

Let go of any worries and frustrations you may have. It may be helpful to come up with an affirmation you can say to yourself as you settle in each night. Something to the effect of: “This day is finished. I release any worries or concerns to my higher power and I am allowing myself to relax into a peaceful, healing sleep”.

2) When you first wake up in the morning, train yourself to think about what you will be looking forward to for the day, not what you are dreading.Focus on thoughts of gratitude for all the good things in your life, feel the warmth of this emotion glowing inside you. Give your day a positive purpose from the start.

3) Stretching is one of the most important things you can do each day. Stretching  energizes the body and makes you feel great. When you first wake up each morning allow yourself a few minutes before rising to slowly and gently arch your back, stretch your arms and legs and turn your head from side to side. When you get up, leave your arms loose at your sides and shake them. Do the same with each leg, first one than the other. For me I like to also lay flat on the floor and stretch my back arms and legs. If you have ever had a back or neck energy stretching as allowed by your physician makes daily movement so much easier.

If you are up to it, drop down and do a few pushups, stand up and do a few kneebends or forward lunges. Then take three to four slow, relaxing breaths. Imagine breathing in energy that instantly courses throughout your entire body, invigorating and strengthening every cell. As you exhale slowly, breathe out all tension, fatigue and negative feelings. Any activity for just a few minutes first thing in the morning triggers your brain to produce signals to release tension and to begin the process of increasing your overall alertness. Try it, it’s amazing how little it takes to jump start your day with these simple movements.

4) Do not skip breakfast, no matter what. It does not have to be anything elaborate. For those of us that have had weight loss surgery the word is protein.  A balanced protein diet as prescribed by our physician keeps us buzzing with energy. Perhaps it will be some cheese, cottage cheese, a protein drink or one of many other protein foods. For the traditional dieter starting each day with a low-fat, high fiber breakfast is critical to continuing to develop the calm energy to carry you through the day. A toasted multi-grain bagel with low-fat cream cheese can provide a quick tasty meal, for example. Another easy to prepare breakfast is muesli. Before you go to bed, put 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats into a bowl and add just enough water to cover them.Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, add 1/2 cup of your favorite low fat yogurt and one to two teaspoons of brown sugar or honey. Top it off with pieces of apple, banana or any other fruit that strikes your fancy. This is a delicious, satisfying breakfast that has everything you need to start your day off right.

5) For the traditional dieter eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. If you are a weight loss surgery patient like me, you will find that some physicians also like several smaller meals and others will encourage you to stick with breakfast lunch and dinner. For me, I have found that several smaller meals have kept me best energized as is keeps the body’s energy furnace stoked without overwhelming it with fewer, “larger” meals that leave me sluggish. If you are a gastric bypass patient or lapband surgery patient you know that you need to get your protein first and then we can do like the traditional dieter and include a mix of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats such as those found in fish and nuts. This combination will provide the fuel, maintain your energy and will leave you feeling satisfied. Also be sure to keep yourself well hydrated through the day by drinking plenty of water.

6) Focus for a few moments on your normal breathing pattern. You’ll notice that while you aren’t in an active state, your breathing may be quite shallow. Throughout the day take a couple of minutes to do some concentrated belly breathing to take more oxygen into your system. By doing this you will be assisting the oxidation level of your metabolism. First, sit up straight and face straight ahead. Take a slow, deep breath through your nose, expanding your abdomen first rather than you chest, but don’t force it. Exhale slowly and evenly, try to take twice as long breathing out as breathing in. Again, don’t force it. Repeat this sequence four times.

7) You can change your energy level instantly by ACTING energetic. Quicken your breathing pattern slightly, move more quickly and speak at a faster pace as if you’re really excited about something. Your body will respond with a noticeable surge of energy. Try this, you may be surprised at how well this works. Emotion is indeed directly influenced by motion.

Beware of the energy vampires! These are the people around you that siphon off your energy in several ways. Non-stop talking, continuous complaining and whining, asking an endless series of questions, incessant bragging to gain approval are just a few ways this can happen. Except for young children you may be raising, you are not responsible for anyone’s life or feelings but your own. When you can fully accept this and apply it in your life, you will find it much easier to politely end the conversation or walk away from the circumstance that would otherwise sap your energy.

9) Get into a regular exercise program. Go for a walk,develop a stretching routine, get a cardio exercise DVD suitable for your fitness level and follow along with it. Any exercise is better than none at all. Try for at least 20 minutes of activity three times a week to start.

10) Find ways to serve others and express thanks for all that you have during the day. By openly showing gratitude, you will attract more things into your life that will reinforce this feeling further. Likewise, by being of service to others you will give your self esteem and level of happiness a big boost. Either do a Google search for “volunteer” or contact your local church, school or nursing home for opportunities to serve. By taking action to be of service, you will find that good things will come into your life in unexpected ways almost as if by magic. If you continue on this path, your energy level will take on a life of its own and by supporting it with the previous suggestions, any lack of energy for you will be a thing of the past!

As fat people most of us have heard over and over again that learning self control is the best way to control our weight. This is no doubt true yet many of us still have difficulty controlling our weight by self control alone.

For some people there are medical conditions that make self control alone more difficult. I am a true believer that heredity and the environment we grew up in also plays a very big roll in our ease or difficulty in losing weight. Even with these conditions if we are able to maintain self control and eat less we are going to lose some weight and maintain a lower weight.

We can also lose weight by eating more instead of less. The trick here is eating more of the right foods and less of the wrong foods.  By having a better understanding of what we are putting into our mouth and learning to take control we can certainly do a better job of controlling our weight.

Exercise is another way of controlling our weight. With or without weight loss surgery exercise is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health, lose weight and maintain our weight. We need not work out at the gym for 3 hours a day.  Exercise is easy really, just physically do a few of the things that you would use an exercise machine for. Get a push mower instead of a ride on. Wash your dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher. Walk to McDonalds for your diet coke and Big Mac instead of using the car. [well just skip the Big Mac and fries] Vacuum the house yourself instead of using a maid service. Use the stairs. If you like to go to the gym stop looking for a parking spot next to the front door and instead warm up by walking from a distant space in the parking lot. Avoid the gym and instead take an evening walk after dinner.

The third easy way to lose weight is to worry and fret about it. No, scrap that, but how about setting realistic goals for yourself that you can easily achieve. Do not use huge unachievable steps but little incremental advances to your goal weight. Do not cut out everything at once but break down your goals into daily and weekly things to do. For instance, how about replacing your snack chocolate for a nice healthy apple and going for a 15 minute walk every morning before breakfast. You are the best person to decide on these things but discipline yourself to do it and carry it through. As you succeed at each goal you will gain more confidence and be more assured of success. That is why it is so important to use small achievable goals. Forget about trying for the impossible.

What ever way you choose, just do it and you will be glad that you did!

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a common replacement for more expensive cane sugar in a multitude of products. The reason that high-fructose corn syrup is a diet-killer is that it wreaks havoc on blood-sugar levels. High blood-sugar levels are linked to many of the conditions that plague modern life: pre-diabetes (impaired fasting blood-sugar levels) type II diabetes,and coronary heart-disease. One of the primary sources of HFCS in our diets is soft drinks. Did you know that one 48-oz.”super-size” soda can contain as many as 550 calories, not to mention the equivalent of over 13 tablespoons of sugar? If you drink one of these every day for a week without reducing your caloric intake or burning off an equivalent amount of calories through exercise, you can gain a pound a week–a whopping 52 pounds a year! Replace any beverages containing HFCS with cold, refreshing water or unsweeted ice tea as a first step for weight loss. If you are a regular consumer of soda, you will lose weight by following this simple step alone.

Trans-fats are commonly found in baked goods such as pies, cookies, crackers and also as oil for frying goods such as french-fries or potato chips. Trans-fats were developed to ensure a long shelf-life for these types of products, but their detrimental health effects were not known at the time of their development. Trans-fats are created by taking a mono-unsaturated (liquid) fat and reacting it with hydrogen gas. The resulting fat from the reaction is solid at room temperature. When we consume trans-fats, they build up in our arteries just as grease clogs a drain. Eventually, this build up of fat in our arteries can cause coronary heart disease and stroke, and is also believed to contribute to dementia in the elderly.

So how can we avoid these lethal ingredients in our foods? Our first and best line of defense is simply by reading the labels on food products. Both high-fructose corn-syrup and trans-fats are required to be listed on labels. Also, be wary of fast-foods such as fried chicken, fish sandwiches and fried pies. Ask if these foods have been prepared with trans-fat free oils or not. If the restaurant staff can’t tell you if the food is fried in oil containing trans-fat or not, it’s best to avoid it altogether. So educate yourself as a consumer and reap the health benefits of your due diligence.

The advantage of maintaining a healthy weight through healthy eating far outweighs the advantages of surgery. Now surgery is not wrong, in fact I had gastric bypass surgery a little over one year ago and am glad I did. Believe me when I say that I first tried other methods of weight loss first.  When I was a young Marine it was fairly easy to maintain a healthy weight. Before joining the Marines and later on when I was not getting loads of exercise it became much more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.  Each of us needs to analyze our own lifestyle and determine what is going to work best for us.

Healthy eating requires us to pay good attention to what we eat and this is something we will need to do either with or without surgery. What we eat is often more important than how much we eat. Following surgery you will need to restrict the amount of foods that you eat. Even without surgery you should restrict the amount of food you eat though it is more important to focus on the foods that you do eat.  For instance, if you were to eat fruit instead of chips, you could have more fruit snacks with your meals than you would be able to if you were just to eat junk food.

So how does one go about losing weight through healthy eating? The best place to start is by familiarizing yourself with healthy meals. You can do this by way of standard internet search or by buying a collection of healthy eating recipe books.  To reduce the boredom often associated with healthy eating, especially if you are not use to it, it is important that you “spice,” up your foods and try to not eat the same meals over and over again each week.

Regular exercise is extremely important to a successful weight loss plan. Through exercise you spark that metabolism and burn calories. Exercise and stretching also help with mood and an improved mood greatly increases your weight loss success. If it has been a while since you last exercised take it slow and increase the time spent and level of the exercise as you go along. Remember that you did not put that weight on in a single day and it is not going to come off in a day.
If you don’t currently have an exercise plan or program in place, you may be wondering more about what you can do.  One of the many ways that you can go about finding exercises or workouts to do is by buying a collection of fitness magazines. Many fitness magazines have detailed exercises outlined in them, often accompanied by pictures.  You may also be able to find free instructional workout videos or exercise moves online.  As a reminder, it is important to start out slow or at least start with exercises that would be easy for you to.

Eating healthy and regular exercise are both important components of losing weight, but there are additional tips that you can use to help you lose weight.  One of those tips involves finding a workout partner or a workout buddy. This is a person who can exercise with you, whether your exercise involves visiting a local gym or just going for a walk at a local shopping center.  Having a workout partner may help to keep you motivated and it may help to keep exercising and losing weight fun and exciting for you.

Another way that you can go about successfully achieving your weight loss goal is by “spicing,” up your exercises. As previously mentioned, you can use the internet or fitness magazines to find workouts for you to do at home.  To help reduce the boredom often associated with exercising you will want to change up your exercises, often on a daily basis. For instance, one day you may want to use a treadmill, the next day you may want to lift weights, and the next day you may want to do an exercise DVD, and so forth.

You should also consider making exercise and healthy eating logs or journals for yourself. These items can be used to track your progress. If you have a good week, like one where you completed all of your exercises, you may want to think about rewarding yourself.  Your reward doesn’t have to include food; it can be something as simple as a sticker or treating yourself to a movie.  Journals and logs have been known to help many individuals looking to lose weight and it may be able to do the same for you.

One of my favorite ways to fix zucchini is grilling. Hey ladies some of us guys might not be that good in the kitchen but give us a barbecue and we will at least fake that we know what we are doing.

Not only zucchini is great grilled but so are a lot of other vegetable so if you are having difficulty getting your kids to eat vegetables grilling may do the trick.

Here are a few tips that you just might find handy in preparing and grilling those veggies from zucchini to corn, tomatoes, portabella mushrooms, potatoes, onions, peppers and just about anything else that will fit on the grill.

Preparation Tips

Zucchini: Wash thoroughly. Trim off the ends and slice the Zucchini lengthwise in one-quarter inch thick slices. Brush with olive oil and place over a hot grill. They will not take long so keep and eye on them. Do not over-cook.

Corn on the Cob: Peel the husks back a little over half way. Do not pull them off completely. Try to get most of the corn silk off, then pull the husks back up and tie them to the cob, then soak the whole ear in water for about an hour before setting over a hot fire on the grill.  When you take the cobs out of the water, untie them and brush them with a mixture of melted butter and chili pepper sauce, salt and pepper, then tie them back up and then put them on the grill. Yummy!

Bell peppers: Grill the whole pepper until the skins blister and turn black. Then scrape or pull the blackened skin off, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and enjoy. You can also do this with chilies and other peppers.
Potatoes: Clean the skins and cook in boiling salted water until only half cooked. Let them cool and cut into triangles lengthwise and spray with olive oil, place on hot grill, turning occasionally until brown and crispy.

Asparagus: Roll in olive oil, salt and pepper and placed across the grill and turned occasionally. They are great and again, do not over cook.

Eggplant:  Slice about half an inch thick, salted and placed in a strainer to drain. After about half of an hour, dry the slices with a clean paper towel and brush with olive oil and grill.

Artichokes:  Halve lengthwise and place in boiling salted water for about 15-20 minutes, then drained thoroughly. Brush the cut sides liberally with olive oil, salt and pepper and place cut side down over hot fire.

Onion: Skin the onion, either cook whole or cut a cross from the top down three-quarters of the way through the onion, pour on some olive oil and wrap with foil, salt and pepper and grill.

As far as your choice of cooking oil I usually use olive oil but you can use canola, sunflower, walnut or just about any other oil as long as it is food grade so you might want to keep an eye on some of your guys to make sure they are not using motor oil.

As far as grilling of those vegetable you can do like me an place them directly on the grill or if you are a neat freak or don’t like a bit of burnt veggie you can cook them on foil.  Generally you will grill for 10 to 15 minutes and then salt, pepper or spice, as you prefer.
Vegetables generally are grilled over high heat, so when grilling with charcoal, build a 3-zone fire with the coals piled in a double layer on one side of the grill, then in a single layer in the center of the grill and then with no coals on the other side. This lets you sear over the high heat of the double layer, cook over the moderate heat of the single layer, and keep your vegetables warm over the coal free zone.

While your at it keep some skewers around to make shish kabobs. Slice up a varieties of vegetable not forgetting that zucchini and slide them on the skewer and grill. You can intermix the vegetables with chicken, pork, beef or other meat if you prefer.

Hey folks just because we are on a diet or had weight loss surgery doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy our zucchini! Enjoy that garden, eat those vegetables and have a great time grilling this summer and fall.

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the fats (lipids) in the blood. Produced in the liver, this slippery substance is not a fat, but actually a steroid and plays a central role in many biochemical processes. Daily the liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol.

It is an important structural component of cell membranes. As such it helps to strengthen cell walls and is vital in the exchange of nutrients and waste materials across membranes. It is present in higher concentrations in tissues which either produce more or have more densely packed membranes such as the liver, brain and spinal cord. Related to the brain and spinal cord, it is so important in the functioning of nerve impulses that without it you would not be able to move a muscle.

It plays a major role in the production of steroid hormones which are responsible for normal functioning and development. These include the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone and the male hormone testosterone, which contribute to the development of the physical characteristics of adult females and males, as well as playing a role in reproduction.

The adrenal hormone aldosterone is also produced with cholesterol being a precursor. This hormone increases the re-absorption of sodium and water and the release of potassium in the kidneys. Simultaneously it regulates sodium and potassium levels, helping to maintain both blood pressure and bodily fluids.

Cortisol is another steroid hormone produced from cholesterol. It is involved in regulating blood-sugar levels as well as defending the body against infection and is involved in inflammatory response.

When the body is exposed to sunlight, cholesterol residing under the skin is involved in the production of vitamin D which is responsible for strong bones and teeth.

Cholesterol is used in the production of bile which is a greenish fluid produced in the liver, stored in the gallbladder and is needed to digest dietary fat.

Because cholesterol is water-insoluble, and blood is mostly water, the body wraps the cholesterol in specialized protein carriers to be transported through the bloodstream. This union of the cholesterol and the protein is called a lipoprotein.

Two types of proteins transport the cholesterol, differing in size and amount required to carry the cholesterol. The protein combining with the cholesterol to form the low density proteins (LDLs) are larger in size so require fewer to carry the cholesterol, making them less dense. These carry cholesterol to the cells.

The proteins in the high density lipoproteins (HDLs) are smaller in size requiring more to transport the cholesterol thus making them denser. They take excess cholesterol from the cells back to the liver for processing or elimination.

If cholesterol is so vital to our existence, why is it talked about so much?

High levels of LDLs (often called ‘bad cholesterol’) in the bloodstream have been linked to heart disease. When the muscle in the arterial wall is damaged through oxidation, LDLs start to build up as part of the repair process. This can lead to a condition known as atherosclerosis. The build up can reach such a level that the arteries that supply blood to the heart itself, or other major organs such as the brain, become so restricted that the organs receive an inadequate supply of blood to function properly, which can then lead to a heart attack or stroke.

In contrast, high density lipoproteins, coined ‘good cholesterol’ do not build up in the arteries. In fact research indicates that HDLs are able to removed accumulated plaque in the arteries and may even reverse atherosclerosis.

It remains controversial as to whether cholesterol ingested from the food we eat plays any role in levels found the in the blood.

Since a high cholesterol level does not present with symptoms, the only way to determine the level is by having a blood test.

Do you start off strong every morning feeling like today you will not overeat only to find yourself stressed out at the end of the day and turning to food once again for comfort?

For many folks that struggle with overeating, food has become their best friend. Food is always there for them no matter what their day has been like.

Eating has become many people’s main pleasure in life. Like any bad habit it is hard to shake when you have created a pattern of turning to food for relief from stress, or for entertainment, or for a way to avoid what they really need to do in life.

What tends to happen when you constantly turn to food as your friend is that you steadily gain weight, hurt your health, and become more isolated. Quite often overeaters want to indulge in food in private (with no one around to judge or comment on their behavior) and the more alone time they spend the less comfortable they feel around others.

This becomes a vicious cycle of overeating and staying in isolation — alone at home and steadily gaining weight.

The more weight is gained the less the overeater wants to see people because they feel fat and disgusted with themselves and their clothes are getting tighter or not fitting it all.

This is a hugely destructive cycle. Why?

Because when you’re isolated you feel lonely and the more lonely you feel the more depressed you feel and then you turn to your best friend — food. And when you eat the food it dulls your senses and numbs you out so you don’t feel the pain of the loneliness and isolation — at least for little while. But then the food you overate adds to the pounds on your body and you feel more like you want to stay at home and avoid people. So you end up more lonely and isolated.

For many who struggle with emotional overeating, eating has become their main source of pleasure. So even though it is damaging their self-esteem to continue eating in private they tend to keep doing it — the habit is hard to break.

To break free of that vicious cycle, you have to get out of your house and make some new friends to replace your old best friend — food.

Yes, it will be very uncomfortable to get out — at first. But it has to be done.

You can reconnect with some old friends or make new ones.

Join a class — remember there is nothing to be afraid of in the class because everyone is they are learning something new — you’re all in the same boat.

Take up a new hobby and meet people that way.

You need to do what ever you can to get out of isolation because as you know, if you have struggled with this, is that isolation always leads to going back to overeating.

You already know that isolation is not working in your life. So put yourself out there.

Make an instead list — a list of things to do instead of overeating and then try one or two new things each week.

Sample Instead List:
1) Go for a nightly walk with a neighbor or friend
2) Take a warm bath and read a good book
3) Take an exercise class at your local gym
4) Attend a sporting event at a local high school
5) Go visit seniors at a local rest home and encourage them
6) Volunteer (there are so many opportunities to help others)
7) Take a fun class or try a new hobby

There are so many wonderful things you can do to get yourself out of your isolation and overeating habit.

It will only be uncomfortable at the beginning and then you will strike up some new healthy friendships and you will see the loneliness lift. You truly can replace your overeating with experiences that build you up and bring you joy!