Maintaining the Health of Your Koi

Maintaining the Health of Your Koi

When you built your pond, you probably spent a lot of time planning its design. You made sure every plumbing piece was in place. You carefully selected your filter and your pump. Everything seems perfect. While everything mechanical is in place, did you know that you need to plan your fish just as carefully as everything else?

Many experienced fish keepers will tell you that the best way to guarantee long-lived healthy fish is to buy top quality stock from local reputable breeders. This ensures you have fish that have not been overly stressed by transport, carefully bred for quality and grown on the best food.

If you aren't lucky enough to have a local koi breeder, or you've already bought your koi, not all is lost! In fact, most purchased koi are from national-level breeders, have been transported and do not have confirmed breeding standards. This doesn't mean you can't have great fish. It just means you need to be extra careful to quarantine and feed high quality food for continued growth.

Quarantining your koi fish is absolutely necessary for koi health. Every time you obtain a new fish (regardless of source), you need to quarantine your new koi for at least 4 weeks before adding it to your existing stock. If you don't properly quarantine, you risk introducing foreign bacteria and viruses into your stock. There are some fish illnesses, such as bacterial infections, flukes and worms that can kill your stock in one week after introduction.

Proper quarantine means no mixed water, food or contact between your existing stock and your new fish. When quarantining, you need to watch out for signs of stress in your new fish. Signs of stress and illness include a lack of appetite, discoloration on the scales/eyes, torn fins and lethargy. If you notice any such signs, there are several treatment options.

If your fish has torn fins or external lesions, you should treat with antibiotics administered with the fish food. If your fish isn't eating after several days, you may have internal parasites. Praziquantel (a.k.a. PraziPro) or metronidazole are very effective safe treatments for internal parasites, including gill flukes and worms. We recommend NOT using Potassium Permanganate unless you have exhausted all other options. Potassium Permanganate should never be used on fish with external lesions as it will burn their internal tissues.

After you've quarantined your new koi, and all goes well, you can add them to your pond! Depending on your bio-load and the number of fish you add, you may need to up your water changes. Already you should be changing at least 30% of your pond water a week to keep your pH stable and nitrates low. Adding more fish adds more waste to your filter, and it may take some time for new nitrifying bacteria to build up. Water changes keeps nitrites low if you've recently added a lot of new fish.

On top of water changes, you should regularly add salt to your pond. This isn't table salt or anything like that. We're talking about salt that's iodine-free and designed for aquarium and pond use. When you add salt to your pond, your koi will build up a thicker slime coat that supports a strong immune system. Pond salt also helps respiration in koi, and is effective in killing many common parasites. You should add 2 - 2.5 cups of pond salt per 100 gallons. You should only add more salt when you perform a water change (it does not evaporate).

For your koi, you should vary their diet instead of feeding the same pellet every day. This ensures they get enough nutrients from a variety of sources. If you have very young koi, it doesn't hurt to feed them a hearty supply of beefheart so they grow well. Also, it's okay and encouraged for your koi to eat some plants. This gives them plant fiber which helps prevent bloat.

Koi are beautiful hardy fish that can live for years when they're given a stress-free environment, good koi food and stable water quality. They're well worth the effort!

Your Food Label Guide, Part I - The Ingredient Panel

Your Food Label Guide, Part I - The Ingredient Panel

There are basically two parts of food labels you need to review to be educated about the product you are buying: One is the Nutrition Facts label and the other is the Ingredients panel. This article focuses on the ingredient panel.

The FDA monitors and enforces label laws so there are, in fact, rules to what is required, what is allowed, what order certain things are in, and the accuracy of facts. Manufacturers are not allowed to lie about a food product or falsify information. They can, however, say something which is true, but misleading. This is why many consumers don't think they can believe what is on a label. You can figure out what you need to know; you just have to know where to look!

Let me give you a few examples of some very common and misleading terms found on food labels and how to find the facts:

1) On a jar of peanut butter they can say on the label "Cholesterol Free!" This is true because cholesterol is only found in animal products! That means fat in peanut butter (of any brand) does not contain cholesterol. Does this mean peanut butter is heart healthy? Well, it's still quite high in fat; usually fat comprises over 75% of the calories in a serving. So the consumer who's looking for something "healthy" may choose one brand of peanut butter over another because one says "cholesterol free" on the label. This implies that other brands are less healthy and may contain cholesterol. Illegal? No. But quite misleading.

2) Another trick used is on juice labels. A certain brand of drink may boast "contains 100% real fruit juice". This, of course, sounds preferable to one that admits it has water and flavors mixed in with small parts of juice concentrates. However, take note of the wording: "Contains" 100% fruit juice just means there is real fruit juice within the cocktail. Yes, it's in there, but there is also water, flavoring, and maybe even sugars added. There is a difference in a juice drink that 'is' 100% juice and one that 'contains' 100% juice. Just wording, but very misleading, and not illegal.

3) One of the most commonly mistaken purchases is that of bread that the customer believes is healthier "wheat" bread. What do you think makes wheat bread superior to white bread? Knowing the answer can help you find what you want on the label. What you probably want is more fiber and perhaps a more natural grain that has the original nutrients in it. So the first ingredient you'll want to see on the label is "whole grain flour". (Ingredients must be listed in order of the highest content by weight first and decreasing to the lowest content by weight.) What you may find is "enriched flour" listed first. How can they get away with calling this "wheat bread" when it's what most people call "white bread"? Because the grain that is used is wheat! Some companies even use fluffy white bread to appeal to consumers who like this softer texture, and add caramel coloring so it looks like the healthy whole wheat bread people are looking for! Check the ingredient label and be sure "whole grain flour" is listed first.

4) Another trick around the label law is used in cereals. Remember, ingredients must be listed in descending order of weight. Knowing this, several years ago people started scanning cereal labels, deciding not to buy any with sugar listed as the first ingredient. Many cereals which are frosted or have marshmallow or candy bits in them have more than half of their content as sugar. That's right-there is more sugar by weight than flakes! The manufacturers got around this by splitting up all the types of sugars in their cereal when they were listed: So flour is the first ingredient, but it may be followed by "cane sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey", etc. all in a row. This means it would be likely that all the sugars together outweigh the content of flour, by weight. Hmmm.

All the answers you need are on the ingredient label, but you must get in the habit of reading them and gathering information. Don't just believe what you see on the front of the label which is an advertisement (Contains Real Fruit Juice!) but look at the ingredients. Note what order they're in. Pick up another product or two which is similar and see what the difference is in the ingredients and the nutrition facts. Then you can be an educated consumer and have confidence you are making the best choices. It will be time consuming the first few visits to the grocery store, but once you know what your best choices are, you'll be back to shorter shopping trips and you'll bring home a healthier bag full of food!

Diets that Reduce Blood Sugar

Diets that Reduce Blood Sugar

Perhaps the food factor that diabetics really need to restrict is fat. When fat enters the bloodstream after a fatty meal, it interferes with insulin's action, preventing it from lowering blood sugar. So blood sugar begins to rise - and then the trouble starts. On the other hand carbohydrates, especially complex ones, help insulin function normally.

J. Shirley Sweeney demonstrated this back in 1927. Dr Sweeney gave healthy volunteers a high-fat diet for two days, then tested their blood-sugar response. In all cases, blood-sugar levels were significantly elevated. When Dr Sweeney put these same volunteers on a high-carbohydrate diet, their blood-sugar levels decreased (Archives of Internal Medicine). Since then other studies have confirmed the same beneficial effects with high-complex­carbohydrate, low-fat nutrition for both the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Other researchers have found that some diabetic patients - even Type 1 diabetics, can drastically reduce their need for insulin when they eat a diet mainly comprising raw food. The diabetics (who consumed from 50 to 80 per cent of their food raw) ate such foods as vegetables, seeds, nuts, berries melons and other fruit, honey, oil and goat's milk. The researchers theorized that the diet works because of the 'non-inactivated enzymes that are present in raw items' or because of 'the fast transit that is inherent in a raw diet' (Annals of Internal Medicine).

'Transit time' is the time it takes food to pass through the digestive tract. A diet of mostly raw foods - which is rich in fibre - passes through in 18 to 24 hours; a diet of mostly cooked food that is not particularly high in fibre takes 80 to 100 hours.

One Indonesian doctor gets, right down to specifics when he 'prescribes' food for diabetics: eating large amounts of green beans and raw onions may help lower your blood-sugar, says Dr Askandar Tjokroprawiro. In separate studies 20 diabetic outpatients ate the equivalent of 11/2 Ib of green beans daily for a week, while another 20 ate the equivalent of 21/2 oz of raw, chopped onions for the same length of time. At the end of seven days, the subjects' blood-sugar levels were compared with what they were prior to the diet, and the doctor found a 'statistically significant' reduction. Eating those vegetables may have therapeutic value for victims of diabetes mellitus (the medical name for the condition), Dr Tjokroprawiro concluded in a presentation to the 15th International Congress of Internal Medicine.
If your mother told you to eat slowly and chew every bite, she may have known what she was talking about. In a study of 22 patients with a mild form of Type 2 diabetes, scientists rated each patient as to how quickly he or she ate a meal: less than 6 minutes was considered hasty; 6.1 minutes to 9 minutes was medium; and 9.1 minutes or more was slow.

The results showed that the blood-sugar levels of the hasty eaters fluctuated more widely than those of the medium and slow: eaters. Furthermore, the hasty eaters had wider swings in their body weight during treatment. Said the scientists: 'An adequate instruction on eating behavior should be included in the management of the diabetic patient'

Safe Diet Pills That Work

Safe Diet Pills That Work

Most dieters really face a huge dilemma as to which diet pill is safe out there in the market, and to make the matter even more alarming there are thousands of diet pills that are being bough online, how do the people who end up using these drugs know they are safe, most people usually take a gamble on their lives and health when they buy these drugs, especially right at a time like this where the use of a dangerous substance by the name "Ephedra" is being rampantly used by many diet pill manufacturers.

The word "safe diet pill" is quickly becoming a cliche, and many people are fall prey to some very dangerous drugs in the name of safe dieting pills. Some of these so called diet pills have been associated with side effects some have gone to the extent of causing damages to many peoples healths and lives. The mortality rate associated with diet pills is rather high is increasing as the years pass by, therefore its very vital that you buy safe drugs or if you can't its better you choose other dieting approaches, although other approaches are also effective, they rather come at a very high cost.

But of course not all diet pills are dangerous, there are some diet pills out there that are natural, safe and have no known side effects, one question is how do you find them, well there are some few websites and blogs that are willing to give you free advice on safe diet pills.

You just have to know that there are many unsafe diet pills out there, don't loose your focus even if you are in need of a quick fix. safe diet pills are an essential both to your health and life.

Low Carb Diet Plans for Serious Fat Loss

Low Carb Diet Plans for Serious Fat Loss

Low carb diet plans are fashionable these days. Particularly with the publication of the Atkins diet plan. Losing weight is a goal for many people and all of us are looking for the fast and easy method to shed unwanted weight. Most people do not need to drop weight at all but still get stressed over a couple of pounds. Many people have to lose weight for medical factors and may have hundred pounds or even more which they want to get rid of.

There are lots of weight loss plans around including low carb diet plans and the truth is that a lot of them is going to realize fat loss if they are followed correctly. It doesn't mean constantly doing exactly what the diet regime suggests each and every moment of each day. What is far more critical is how you cope with the predictable occasion when you consume a lot or feast on food items that are not on the program. If you're able to write this off and resume the program without providing yourself a difficult time, you are likely to be successful. Everybody has those days - what is important a´re to let them go and acknowledge them as just another step on the way to on going weight loss.

Additionally it is crucial that you locate a diet plan that you can easily stick to. Low carb diet plans suit many individuals considering that the principles are quite straightforward. As the label implies, the diet is made up of avoiding or decreasing food which are loaded with carbohydrates. Examples include breads, pasta, potatoes, rice and also other grains. Sugars is also a carbohydrate. After you realize what these food types are, it's really a straightforward matter to select dishes which stay clear of them.

One of the issues that most people have with low carb diet plans is the excretion of breads along with spaghetti. You can forget toast, spaghetti or pizza! The majority of the foods that happen to be quickest to prepare are generally based upon carbs - hamburgers in their buns, french fries, sandwiches, pasta and sauce. Beer and various alcoholic drinks are generally high in carbs too. It is true that alcohol is usually minimal on any diet program, because it is high in calories and also low in nutritional value, but low carb diet plans put particular focus on this.

There a variety of foods that can be enjoyed on a low carb diet plan. For anybody who is fond of meats you are going to relish the opportunity to eat beef, chicken as well as other animal products. The popularity of the low carb diet plans is obvious from the duration which they remain on the bestseller listings. It's really a matter of what you prefer. Low carb diet plans works for a lot of people.

Leopard Gecko Lifespan - Tips on Prolonging the Lifespan of Leopard Geckos

Leopard Gecko Lifespan - Tips on Prolonging the Lifespan of Leopard Geckos

Leopard geckos have been considered one of the most commonly chosen household pets among reptiles since they are small, easy to keep, appear in varieties of color and design, cheaper as compared to other reptiles available at pet shops and can grow accustomed to handling.

The geckos are among the few reptiles that are bred from captivity to be sold as pets. The average leopard gecko lifespan is seen to be 10-20 years. Nevertheless, their life expectancies vary differently from those that lived in its external environment (20 years) as compared to those raised in captivity (10-15 years). Here are some important tips that every leopard gecko owners and enthusiasts should know to extend the lives of their pets:

1. Check your pet's diet. Most leopard gecko eats live insects such as crickets, locusts and mealworms. Since they prefer live ones, safe-keeping and storage of these insects, keeping them healthy and alive should be a priority. Once in a while, give them treats by feeding them other more expensive insects like butter worms, silkworms and wax worms. There should also be an ample amount of water source available for your pets.

2. Provide good food supplements. Since some insects do not contain the necessary nutritional value, calcium and vitamins should be given to your pets. There are available calcium powders in pet shops which you can dust on the foods you feed your pets. However, be cautious because giving large dosages can be dangerous.

3. Keep a sufficient and adaptive environment. Most geckos are found in the dry, rocky and tropical landscapes. This should be replicated in their shelter such as cages, tanks or aquariums. Initially, sand or other granular substrates were used to cover the grounds. However, these materials cause impactions.

Substrates that are considered safe would include used newspaper, paper towels and wood shavings. In addition, since leopard geckos are cold-blooded and requires external heating, their tanks should be provided with multiple hides (warm, cool and moist). The different hides assist in maintaining the temperature requirements of these reptiles. They may change hides whenever they need warm or cold environment especially during shedding and egg-laying.

4. Lessen the risk of stress. The presence of another leopard gecko in the shelter tends to increase the problem of stress and territorial disputes. These shelters should be large enough especially if you plan to put in two or more in one tank.

An average of 20 gallons should be the ideal measure of a tank for two geckos and an additional 10 gallons per gecko should be maintained. Housing male and female gecko together should also be supervised. Since the males tend to be more sexually aggressive than females during breeding, enclosures should be created to separate the male from the female.

The life expectancy of leopard geckos vary depending on how it interacts with its environment. Those that are kept in captivity can outlive their outdoor counterparts if they receive the proper care, nourishment and atmosphere. Follow the above-mentioned tips and your pets will certainly live longer than what was expected. It will also strengthen the position that we, as human beings, can provide a good environment for these animals.

Low Carb Diets - An Introduction to Atkins

Low Carb Diets - An Introduction to Atkins

You have just been to a social gathering and there are tears playing mischief in your eyes. There are some sorrows that you can't scream out of your existence, pains that don't seem to vanish in a quick puff or drown in a shot of tequila. You look at yourself in the mirror and through blurred vision, you perceive your body frame. You think about that lady in red and carelessly shrug your shoulders to your resigned fate.

Maybe your being overweight will never let you make an impression while your dumber but thinner counterparts get away so luckily. You need to do something about it and yet everyday when you lazily crawl out of bed nothing seems to right. You don't want to go for a brisk walk or a jog around your block. You just want to creep under the rug and go back to sleep again. This way probably your day takes off. Then when you go off to office after hogging your unhealthy breakfast, you wish you had better exercised.

Somewhere in these entire daily marathon and other Olympic feats, you had felt that had you been fitter, life would have taken a completely different turn. Mornings would have seemed sprightly fresh, you could judge for yourself whether the clichéd statement-"Exercise makes me feel refreshed and rejuvenated" is true or not. The office hours would have seemed better and better day-by-day, with people slowly succumbing to your popular nature. All these dreams could be true but first you need to create a good first impression. Lets us look at one the important aspects of this makeover program.

Nine out of ten times, it is noticed that an improper diet is responsible for the excessive weight gained by an individual. We forget the golden rule of "breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a beggar" and keep on piling the calories progressively throughout the day. What we forget to pay heed to is that our body metabolism follows a certain pattern and if we go on disrupting it with our shifting eating habits, it will gradually fail and most of the calories ingested will get stored as fat in the body.

In order to redress the situation, Dr. Robert Atkins came with a miraculous low carbohydrate diet in the 1970's, which he elaborated in his book, Dr.Atkins' New Diet Revolution. Although people didn't take to it then, with its re-introduction into public consciousness during the 1990's, it has become a matter of many coffee table discussions. The Atkins diet has proved to be beneficial in many cases while nutritionists and health experts have exorcised it of all its fame and glory. Let us take a brief look at this oft-cited diet fad-

The Atkins diet is broken up into several different stages based on the portion of carbohydrates included into your food chart. In the archetypal introductory phase, it allows for consumption of 20 gm of carbohydrates per day. In these first two weeks, one subsists on bacon, poultry products, meat, cheese, butter, sausage, seafood and oils and he is barred from consuming food with a high glycemic index like cereals, fruits, milk, grains or breads. In the maintenance phase, the dieter is recommended to increase his carb intake by 5 grams everyday till he reaches a total of 40-90 gm per day. This when he should limit himself from taking any farther carbohydrate or else he will contribute to the adipose tissue again.

Some of the disadvantages of the low carb diet are as follows. When a person reduces his carb intake and stresses the body metabolism to breakdown fat to release energy, at first, things take place in a healthy manner. But when lipolysis occurs due to starvation or if protein breakdown starts taking place in the absence of body fat, one risks the peril of ketone body formation or ketosis.

The ketone bodies formed during ketosis, interfere with your blood cells' oxygen carrying capacity and may permanently damage brain tissues and lead to brain death or coma. So one should stay on the lookout for signs of ketosis. Bad breath is one of the chief indicators of ketosis since the ketone body formed in the digestive system and its interaction with the enzymes and bacteria leads to fermented products. Sluggish movement is also due to lesser energy being released on breakdown of fat.1 gm of carbohydrate release 7 Kcal of energy while 1 gm of fat releases only 4.9 Kcal of biochemical energy.

On the whole, the Atkins diet will prove beneficial if one does it in moderation and combines a regular fitness program with it. Regular exercise reduces stress levels and improves your mood apart from making you lose weight and look better. The better you feel physically, the more calm, relaxed and confident will you be mentally.

Diet Pills That Work to Help You Lose Weight

Diet Pills That Work to Help You Lose Weight

There are many diet pills that work to help people lose excess weight, but the trick is in finding a diet pill that works with YOUR body type. Different diet pills have unique formulas, so you may need to try several brands before discovering the best diet pills for your needs.

The best way to lose weight is to eat right and follow a regular exercise plan, but sometimes that is not enough. If you are one of the people that are fighting to lose the extra weight, stop stressing and start taking diet pills that work for your body type.

There are many diet pills out there that claim to be the best, and it can be very overwhelming and expensive to make a decision. The easiest and most effective way to find diet pills that work for you is by signing up to receive free trial diet pills.

Many weight loss companies offer samples of their products, because they are confident that the product will help you lose weight-- and they want people to try it risk free, knowing that those people will continue to purchase the product if they like it.

Because the body types and chemical makeup vary slightly from person to person, not all diet pills will be the most effective for every person. The only way you are going to be able to find diet pills that work for your body type is to sample the pills and see if it works.

Sign up to receive trial diet pills and use them during that trial period. If the pills are working well for you, the company will continue to send you shipments so that you don't run out. But, if for some reason the pills are not working, all you need to do is contact the diet pill company and let them know that you do not want future shipments.

One important thing that you need to understand is that most diet pill companies are willing to send you a free bottle, but they do ask you to pay the shipping and handling costs in order to send you the samples. Don't worry though, the shipping and handling costs are very cheap compared to paying full price for a bottle of weight loss pills, they are usually only $3 - $5 which is a great price to pay for a month's supply of supplements.

The Healthy Way to Lose Weight Without Starving: Protein Diet Plan

The Healthy Way to Lose Weight Without Starving: Protein Diet Plan

With a protein diet plan, you need not starve yourself and give up on your health to lose weight. A high protein diet coupled with a low carbohydrate, low fat regime is a proven successful way to lose weight effectively. On losing weight, one need not continue with the diet, but a moderate food plan will help you maintain the perfect weight. Protein foods serve as the ultimate energy source and therefore the sugar level in the body is maintained at the optimal level.

All kinds of high sugar and carbohydrate containing foods must be avoided to achieve weight loss. Most of the protein rich foods also contain good amount of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, your body wouldn't have to face any kind of nutrition deficiency conditions. Meat, dairy products, legumes, oil, nuts, seeds and many other protein rich foods can be consumed while on a protein diet plan. They also help to reduce and control over eating. These foods are heavy on the stomach and fill up the stomach very fast. This reduces the dieter's urge to eat more food. Therefore the basic consumption of food is reduced naturally through this weight loss meal plan.

What actually causes the weight loss in a protein diet plan? The above said factors will prevent weight gain. But the weight loss factor is due to a process known as ketosis. Carbohydrates are the main energy source of the body. While on a protein diet, the carbohydrate intake is reduced considerably. In the absence of sufficient energy in the form of carbohydrate, the body searches for an alternative energy source. To meet the energy needs of the body, the stored fats are burnt to give energy for the body functions. The stored fats are the major reason for the excess weight and with the burning of these fats, weight loss occurs.

It is very essential to couple a low carbohydrate diet with a high protein diet, because low carbohydrate diet will lead to muscle deterioration, but with enough protein supplement, the amino acids will help in muscle development and also repair damaged muscle tissues. This is the reason why body builders rely on a good protein diet regime.

Increased carbohydrate intake leads to fat accumulation. Carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin in the body. Increased carbohydrate intake leads to excessive insulin production to convert all of these into energy. Consequently, the burning down of fat into energy is stopped and all the fat consumed gets accumulated to form fat deposits. The energy derived from proteins has no such side effects and help in better fat digestion and also break down of deposited fat molecules.

When you have decided go for a protein diet plan, then the challenge lies in making a proper daily meal menu. You will have to cut down on your total calories intake little by little. The first day, you cut down a 50 calorie, the next day another 50 so on and so forth. If you were consuming 2000 calories a day, then you should make it 1500. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates and fat and increase the protein rich foods. Do not avoid carbohydrates and fats completely as they are essential for maintaining a healthy body.

Preparing a perfect calorie diet is very easy these days as most of the products available in the market have the calorie content and the amount of each item marked on it very clearly. You can prepare a good protein rich diet by looking at the label itself. Several kinds of beans like split beans, lentils, soybeans, black beans etc are high source of proteins. Good enough of fibers should be incorporated in the form of vegetables like beans, lentils, broccoli etc. Tofu is a good protein source. This helps in bowel movement and gives fullness to the stomach. Drinking water is essential too, drinking weight loss tea is even better.

A protein diet plan will be able to give you the maximum result if coupled with a daily exercise regime. Even a high protein intake might lead to fat deposition if the protein is not used up in the muscle building. It is very essential to follow a proper protein weight loss diet or else one could end up gaining more weight.

Dog Illnesses: Home Remedy or Vet?

Dog Illnesses: Home Remedy or Vet?

Dogs are more than mere pets, they truly become a part of the family and when they are ill, it can cause true panic. Your dog is not so different from you in that they can get a tummy ache, fever or suffer from bad dental hygiene. Like people, dogs sometimes need the service of medical professionals but in some cases, home remedies will work just as well. Your job is learning how to tell the difference and knowing how to treat them.

Diarrhea

When your dog has diarrhea it is very apparent, particularly if they are an inside dog. There are many things that can result in a bout of diarrhea including change in diet or water. During the first day or two of diarrhea, you can give your pet a small amount of Pepto or other over the counter anti-diarrhea medication. Should the problem persist or other symptoms are present you will want to call your vet and make an appointment. Other serious symptoms:

• Listlessness
• Vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Refuses water
• Explosive diarrhea
• Extremely foul smelling feces

Any of the above-added symptoms can be an indication of canine parvovirus, a deadly disease that carries a high mortality rate. Only with quick intervention can your pet be saved.

Vomiting

Dogs can also vomit for many reasons, upset stomach due to eating something that does not agree with them or internal parasites are both common causes. Generally speaking one or two instances of vomiting is nothing to be overly concerned about, ensure they have plenty of ingested to prevent dehydration and keep an eye out for other symptoms. Many veterinarians will suggest a period of fasting from all substances, allow 24 hours for the stomach to rest and recover from common irritants. During this time, you can give them small amounts of honey or syrup to prevent hypoglycemia. Just rub a little over their gums.

If your dog's vomiting is constant and shows no signs of easing within 48 hours or you see other problems then you'll want to call the vet as soon as possible. Watch for blood, froth, worms and other foreign materials.

Fever

Many people believe that if their dog's nose is slightly warm, they have a fever but this is not necessarily true. Dogs have a higher normal body temperature than humans, typically 101-102 degrees. The best way to get an accurate reading on whether your dog has a temperature or not is by using a specially designed rectal thermometer. It is normal for your dog to run a low-grade fever for up to two days after immunization.

Other causes for fever may not be so evident. If your dog is showing severe signs of illness such as lethargy, vomiting or depression get them checked out immediately.

Conclusion

There are times when you can treat your dog at home simply with rest and a few types of over the counter remedies. However, always keep a close eye on their progress as serious illnesses can escalate rather quickly at times. As with people, early intervention is often necessary to prevent debilitation or even death.

Get Into Shape With Exercise

Get Into Shape With Exercise

Exercise is an essential part in the life of every woman who wants to look good and feel healthy. Looking good could mean being in proper shape for many women. Exercise is the best way to get a well toned body, and losing the extra fat that makes you look unattractive. Most of the women rely solely n dieting to get into shape. Although it works in some cases, but in the long run, it is more important to acquire the much needed strength for the body. When the women who have followed a prolonged diet do not see any signs of losing the extra flab, then it is time to realize that exercising is necessary for you.

Begin with a simple yet effective routine, which involves a good deal of exercise, and a proper diet. It may look overwhelming in the beginning, but you should be able to accept the fact that nothing is going to change within a day, and it will take its own course of time, as your body changes for the better. It is important that you stick to your goals, taking one day at a tie, and contributing towards a positive change in your health. Consult a practitioner regarding the suitable course to take, according to your medical background.

A practitioner can help you with the plan you should follow to implement your new exercise and dieting routine. A dietitian gives you the best advice on how to cut your calories without compromising with your health and well being. He would encourage you to boost your nutritional intake, and at the same time avoid those foods that add extra pounds. Making this decision goes a long way in ensuring that your fitness and health are taken care of as you also begin to pay more attention to your diet.

Formulating a good strategy, which devotes appropriate time for exercise, at regular intervals, should help you achieve good results. You should be sincere and try to stick to your routine as much as possible, since that will help you to consistently move towards your goal of remaining fit. Within four months, you will achieve positive results if you have followed your routine very consistently. Following the diet plan will reduce cholesterol levels in your body, and ensure a better overall fitness, including an optimal blood pressure.

What You Should Know About Popular Diets - The Buddhist Diet

What You Should Know About Popular Diets - The Buddhist Diet

The Buddhist Diet is an East Asian cuisine enjoyed by some believers of Buddhism. It is mostly vegetarian, conforming to the general Buddhist precept of ahimsa (non-violence). Buddhism and the East Indian religion of Jainism recognize that even eating vegetables could contribute to the indirect killing of living beings because animal life is destroyed by tilling the soil or employing pesticides. Some Buddhist currents do not reject eating meat. Even if a believer takes a vow to be a vegetarian he or she is freed from fulfilling the vow when doing so is clearly impossible.

Unlike most Western vegetarians, the East Asian Buddhist Diet tries to avoid killing plant life. This means that root vegetables (such as potatoes, carrots or onion) should not be eaten because gathering them would involve the death of vegetables. Strictly speaking only fruits or vegetables such as beans should be consumed. Some Buddhists, particularly in China and Vietnam, will not eat strong-smelling plants including garlic, shallots, and mountain leeks known as Five Acrid And Strong Smelling Vegetables or "Five Spices" because these plants tend to excite the senses. Many believers extend this rule to exclude other members of the onion family and coriander.

Numerous Buddhists who are not strict vegetarians follow additional food consumption rules. For example, many Chinese Buddhists will not eat beef or meat coming from large animals and exotic species. Many Buddhists avoid eating animal innards and organs. It is common for Buddhists to avoid alcohol drugs because of their effects on the mind and "mindfulness". According to the Five Precepts, one should not consume "addictive materials". Strict Buddhists consider tobacco to be addictive.

Buddhist vegetarian chefs are often known for their skill in imitating meat by using prepared wheat gluten, also known as "seitan," soy (such as tofu or tempeh), agar, and other plant products. Soy and wheat gluten are easily shaped and molded into meat and seafood look-alikes and are processed into meat and seafood taste-alikes.

Many monasteries are home to Buddhist vegetarian chefs and serve monks and visitors, perhaps long-term guests. The Buddhist tradition of presenting vegetarian food with "meat" or "seafood" taste is among the oldest in the world and many people are quite pleased with such products.

The Health Risks Associated With Diet Pills

The Health Risks Associated With Diet Pills

Sure, it'd be great if there were a quick, easy way to get thin. Pop a pill then go sit back down in front of the television and let the chemicals in the pill rid your body of fat and toxins. Sometimes, marketers and advertisers do such a good job at convincing the public of this possibility, that some pills become a household name. But ultimately, years later, many of these pills are found to cause great harm to our bodies.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - Ephedra

Unfortunately, it isn't required that diet pills be approved by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) before they hit the market. It isn't until the drug is suspected in being dangerous that the FDA will research the drug to decide if it is dangerous to the public or not. Many people don't know this. The average person purchases goods off a shelf believing that the government would not allow it to be obtained so easily if it wasn't at least first tested. This is also true for "natural" goods made from herbs and roots, some of these are also used for dieting. The public believes innately that such things can't be harmful because they sprung from the earth itself, and are still in original form, no chemical additives, but the truth is, there are some herbs and roots out there that are not safe for children in certain quantities, and are not safe for others with say, diabetes or heart conditions. It is always best to study these things before entering into a new diet routine blindly. Ephedra drew a wary eye when it was suspected in causing (at least partially) the death of a distinguished athlete.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - How Do They Work?

Diet pills can work in a number of different ways. Most of them are appetite suppressants, working with caffeine or a chemical called phenylpropanolamine to reduce hunger. While controlling hunger, they are also supposed to speed the metabolism, (burn fat). Still other diet pills are made to block the bodies absorption of fat. Of course, these can be dangerous because believe it or not, the body needs fat in some form, so it isn't necessarily advantageous to block all forms of fat absorption. Some say they work by expanding in a person's stomach to make them feel full, much like gastric surgery without the surgery. Still others claim to be a diuretic or laxative, which ultimately causes the body to lose precious minerals and water.

Diet Pills and Health Risks - Nasty Side Effects

One of the biggest problematic side effects of these diet pills is that they can be addictive. Other side effects may include:

-heart palpitations
-dizziness
-problems with the urinary tract
-high blood pressure
-anxiety/nervousness
-hyperactive/insomnia
-fever
-problems with the digestive tract such as stomach pain/diarrhea/vomiting
-headaches

Many of these risks come from overdosing, as people tend to want to see results fast, they might take more pills than they should. Reactions from overdosing might be breathing problems, kidney failure, convulsions, tremors, hallucinations and more. If any of these are experienced at any time after consuming diet pills, a doctor should be seen immediately. Diet pills and health risks need to be taken seriously.

Diet Plans - Lose Weight Fast - Fad Diets That Shred the Pounds

Diet Plans - Lose Weight Fast - Fad Diets That Shred the Pounds

Diet plans = lose weight fast. The many diet plans like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, and Nutri-system all work well to improve your health and help you lose weight fast if you follow all of their rules to a tee.

Atkins and South Beach were recently very popular, and they work on slightly different principles, both which will improve your diet. The Atkins diet is the popular low carbohydrates diet where you remove refined carbohydrates like sugar, flour, and high fructose corn syrup from your diet. In restricting carbs, you force your body to look to other energy sources, like fat. The South Beach diet also espouses a low carb intake, but it also encourages eliminating saturated fat - unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are allowed.

Nutri-system is a weight loss diet plan that sends you all of your meals for the day. The nutritional principle behind their food choices is that all the food has a low glycemic index, which keeps your blood sugar level from spiking and falling very quickly and causing the excess glucose to be stored as fat. Nutrisystem meals instead cause your blood sugar levels to stay in healthy ranges, extending the use of that energy and increasing your metabolism.

Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig use all of these principles by encouraging balanced meals and moderation in eating. Weight Watchers is known for its points system, which is a form of calorie counting at its core. Jenny Craig does a standard calorie count. Both work under the standard of caloric intake and expenditure - make sure you put in what you take out through your average energy needs, and you can eat more if you exercise more. Another service they provide is a kind of group therapy with registered counselors, all keeping you accountable and giving you advice on meals, exercise, and one's emotional state during the diet plans.

This is the result if you follow these diet plans = lose weight fast, but there is a much quicker way than all of them listed above.

Red Wine Supplement

Red Wine Supplement

Recent studies have shown that a substance in red wine called resveratrol may extend your life. In fact, it's being touted as the fountain of youth. That's very promising news.

The earlier studies were actually done on worms. They then graduated to mice, and now studies in humans are fully underway. So impressive have the results been that the pharmaceutical companies believe they will have a chemical copy of Resveratrol in ten years or less.

It seems the French really did have a secret to their good health even though they ate a diet high in fat and exercised little; they had significantly lower heart disease than America. It appears it really was all in the red wine.

It seems that red wine can also help you keep those pounds off even if you aren't exercising and even if you are eating a diet high in fats. This is another little secret the French have been keeping from us.

Wine, in particular the red type, has an active ingredient called resveratrol, which is an extremely powerful antioxidant that is able to freely move free radicals out of the body, all of which are responsible for aging as well as disease and illness associated with aging. That's the very reason why resveratrol takes the years off.

Many of the natural supplement manufacturers have taken that wine and bottled as a supplement. Well actually not the red wine itself but the active ingredient resveratrol. To get the full effect of what a red wine supplement can do for you. You would have been forced to drink an enormous amount of wine every day.

Resveratrol is one of the most potent antioxidants, which is why natural supplements have worked diligently to bring to market a quality red wine supplements. The great news is that this is a very affordable supplement so it's well within almost everyone's budget who might like to try it.

The compound resveratrol comes in different strengths so you can choose the one that's right for you. Taking just one 300 mg capsule is equal to drinking 150 bottles of wine. You can see why taking red wine supplements are a great way to get enough resveratrol to enjoy the benefits it can offer.

Resveratrol or red wine supplements are one of the most promising we've seen in a very long time. That's because this isn't based on fad or hype, but on real science. We already knew how important antioxidants were to the body so we shouldn't be too surprised that the science is confirming what we've known for some time.

What makes resveratrol so unique is that this is a superior antioxidants so it does an excellent job of pulling free radicals from the body and it also turns on the SIRT 1 gene which no other antioxidant has done. Now that's impressive.

We're going to see and hear a lot more about red wine supplement or resveratrol supplements. The question is whether you want to wait until the pharmaceuticals put out a chemical form or whether you want to start now with a natural supplement. Wouldn't it be great if we could live to a hundred with good health, and a sharp mind? That would truly make resveratrol the fountain of youth.

Protect Your Heart and Arteries During the Holiday Season

Protect Your Heart and Arteries During the Holiday Season

Introduction

If you have heart disease or any health condition such as high cholesterol or high triglycerides, you may have started feeling a little apprehensive as you see the holiday season approaching. You are fully aware that plenty of sweets, cookies, pies, cakes and the like are going to be around during the next few weeks and you know that despite the bad press all those goodies have earned over the years, you are going to sink your teeth into them. You also know that when the holidays are over, you'll feel guilty as they come for having succumbed to temptation. Not a rosy outlook, indeed!

Relax, don't panic. Just by taking a couple of preventive steps, you can have your cake and eat it, and by that I mean that you can eat your cakes, pies, cookies, and still protect your arteries. If you are wondering how that's possible, here is how: watch out for trans fats and stay away from them as much as possible.

What are trans fats?

Trans fats are the worst of all fats. Hydrogenated oils or trans fats, as they are usually called, are produced artificially by inserting molecules of hydrogen in vegetable oils, a process called hydrogenation. Through this process, the oil, which is liquid at room temperature, changes it original form and becomes solid. In addition, the new fat ends up with an unnatural chemical structure.

Why do you need to stay away from trans fats?

Trans fats can hurt because:

o Through the manufacturing process, the liquid oil becomes solid or saturated; saturated fat can get stuck in your arteries. In addition, eating too much saturated fat may cause your liver to produce more cholesterol than your body needs.

o Because of the hydrogenation process, the original oil ends up with a different chemical structure. The unnatural shapes of trans fats cause our cells to become malformed and to malfunction. And that includes the cells of the heart and arteries.

o They raise LDL cholesterol, the "bad" guy. This is the type of cholesterol responsible for clogging the arteries.

o They lower HDL cholesterol, the "good" guy. This is the one you need in abundance to clean your arteries.

o They damage the lining of the arteries, setting the stage for the formation of plaque. Plaque also clogs your arteries.

So, what products should you stay away from during the holidays to avoid trans fats?
You probably have guessed by now. During the holiday season (and this goes also for the rest of the year) you need to pay particular attention to commercial baked goods containing high amounts of fat such as cakes, pies, cookies, croissants, donuts, ice cream, and the like.

Does this mean you have to go through the holidays without having a cookie or a piece of cake?
No. What you need to do is minimize the potential harm trans fats can cause. How? By doing the following:

o When buying commercial baked goods always read the label. If the label indicates the product has any amount of trans fats don't buy it. The report issued by the Institute of Medicine in 2002 doesn't set maximum levels for trans fats but food authorities believe any amount above zero is a risk.

o Check also the ingredients on the label and look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Food manufacturers do not have to list the amount of trans fats if the total fat in the food is less than 0.5 grams per serving. As a safety measure, don't buy products that list this type of oil as part of the ingredients.

o Dust off your favorite recipes for cookies, pies, and cakes and do some baking at home. Choose a recipe that uses butter instead or margarine. In the past we assumed that margarine was better for the heart because it's produced from vegetable oils and has no cholesterol; however, solid margarine is made from hydrogenated oils and contains large amounts of trans fats.

o Email your favorite cookie recipe to those friends and family members who like to show up at your door on Christmas day with commercial baked cookies as a present. They might take the hint.

Conclusion

Health authorities are concerned that the consumption of trans fats might have contributed to the 20th century epidemic of coronary heart disease because they are compounds that have unnatural shapes. But if you follow these few guidelines, you will have taken a big step towards the protection of your heart and arteries. And what is even better, you won't have to deal with a guilty conscience on January the 2nd.

Remember, however, to practice moderation when it comes to amounts and portions; after all, baked goods can be high in calories since they contain large amounts of fat and sugar.

Be Careful Of Lose Weight Fast Diets

Be Careful Of Lose Weight Fast Diets

There are millions of people around the world who are overweight. While most of them try to shed a few pounds whenever possible by exercising, many others prefer to go on lose weight fast diets. However, you need to be careful when doing this as it could be dangerous.

The best way to drop weight is by doing it gradually not all of a sudden. Also, to be successful you should work in an exercise routine as well as watch what you eat. Losing excess fat, and inches from your body should be done very carefully.

If you plan on going on any type of diet or starting up an exercise program, it's a good idea to check with your doctor first. You need to make sure that your heart and other organs in your body will be able to handle the changes in your daily routine.

The simplest way to get rid of unwanted pounds is to make sure that you work off more calories than you consume. This is why exercise can be so important. Watching your caloric intake is a good start, but it will take a lot longer to lose pounds if you don't stay physically active.

There are also many types of diet pills and supplements on the market that are supposed to help you reach your goal. Again, you should always check with a doctor before taking any of these. You can often order these types of dietary aids online over the internet.

Lose weight fast diets should be handled with care. Make sure that you don't put yourself at risk when trying them. A drastic change over a short period of time is considered by most health professionals to be unhealthy. Take your time and work the pounds off at a gradual and safe pace.

What Weight Loss Diet Pills You Should Take?

What Weight Loss Diet Pills You Should Take?

Diet pills are the most tempting options when you wish to remove some flab. If you have tried reducing weight with those strenuous exercises and diet control charts but it hasn't helped you then try these weight loss pills. The offer with these diet pills is attractive and you have to follow the instructions as mentioned. Let us see how these pills work and what you should follow when on them.

The main ingredients of these pills have been researched by, scientists and a number of medical institutes all over the world. The researches have been combines so that consumers can get good deal of information on these weight loss pills. However, these pills work on some and don't for the others. It depends on your body type and the pill that you are taking and also the instructions whether the weight loss pill would work for you or not.

Some of the best weight loss pills are mentioned below:

Proactol: This is a clinically proven drug for weight loss and has been clinically proven. By taking this pill after every meal that you have you can reduce the fat intake by 28%. You can get this pill over the counter, as it is prescription free and easily available in pharmacy shops. This pill also claims to reduce the hunger pangs and also lowers the blood cholesterol level. When you take Proactol the fibers it forms a gel around the fat and this prevents the fat from getting absorbed by your body hence reducing the body weight.

Xenical: This is a prescription drug and is used in the long-term treatment of obesity It also helps patients in preventing complications associated with obesity like high cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. When you consume the capsules the main ingredients combines with the dietary fats and prevents them from getting further absorbed into the body.

Phenteramine: This is another prescription drug used for weight loss. It acts by reducing the appetite and acts through the brain. When you take Phenteramine it acts on your brain and suppresses the hunger center because of which you feel the sense of hunger and wish to eat. When this center is blocked your hunger will die and you won't be consuming much food and in turn you will be taking in fewer fats. However with this product you need to be careful because it can lead to anorexia.

Chitosan: This claims to have the ability to block fats. It absorbs the fats that you consume and in turn there will be no fat deposit in your body and hence you can see a marked difference in your weight.

Green Tea: This is another pill that has been found to be effective as it destroys all the toxins in the body and helps you in weight reduction by clearing your body off the toxins.

However, before you take any of these pills it is advised that you consult your physician on the same and then opt for the weight loss pills.

Best Diet Plan for a Busy Lifestyle

Best Diet Plan for a Busy Lifestyle

If you're busy on a usual basis then finding the best diet plan for you can be difficult. Many of the diets that work the best tend to require counting of calories at every meal, planning these meals before hand, as well as specifically only eating certain types of foods. The solution is to find the best diet plan for a busy lifestyle.

The Most Important Dieting Rule There are many dieting "tricks" or "techniques" that many professional dieters and nutritional experts cling to. For example, the recommendation that one should have five to six smaller meals a day instead of a couple of big meals per day for best fat loss. While this is effective, it is not necessary for successful fat loss. What is necessary is calorie reduction.

If you are not eating less calories than you burn per day then weight loss will be very difficult. Fortunately, with a busy lifestyle eating less is often not that hard. With so many things to do during the day, cutting the whole "snack" thing is pretty easy. The hard part is cutting back when that one or two meals a day does come up.

The solution?

Eat Healthier Foods

An easy solution for the busy person that is looking for the best diet plan for their life is to start replacing the foods in their usual meals with healthy alternatives. Now you can find some diet and replace the foods with the foods in those diets. OR you can learn about nutrition and which foods are healthy and low in calories (which is a lot easier to learn).

What are the healthy foods to eat?

I recommend for newbies that aren't quite sure to do the good old test of "natural" or "not natural". Just look at a food item and ask yourself if you could find this in the wild as is. For example, if you look at a granola bar then obviously it can't be found in nature without heavy processing, adding sugar, packaging it with preservatives and flavoring, etc. Then look at an orange, lean meats, seafoods, nuts, whole grains, beans, legumes, and they require no processing except a little bit of basic and light cooking.

Choosing these healthier foods for your meals will make you feel fuller faster as well as provide you with much more nutrients and vitamins.

A good option is to first replace the unhealthy foods in ones lifestyle with the healthier more natural choices. If weight loss doesn't occur still, then start to focus on reducing food portion sizes during meals.

My Dog Has Diarrhea! Help!

My Dog Has Diarrhea! Help!

Most cases of diarrhea in properly vaccinated dogs are trivial in health terms, and though they can be alarming and messy they don't need you to rush off to your vets - just as you wouldn't rush off to your doctor on the first sign of an upset tummy and a dose of the runs. That having been said, some cases can be serious, particularly in dogs weakened by other illness or old age, or if they have not been vaccinated.

Dogs that are otherwise fit will usually respond to simple measures designed to provide the lining of the intestine with a rest so it can heal, perhaps supplemented by simple treatments you can administer yourself. More serious cases will require more medication and perhaps even intravenous fluids and hospitalisation. The bottom line is, if you are worried or if the diarrhea lasts for more than a couple of days, a visit to your vet is in order to ensure proper pet care.

What causes it?

In most cases diarrhea occurs simply because the intestine has become inflamed and irritated - either because your dog ate something that didn't agree with him or because of an infection (anything from viruses to worms). In its early stages diarrhea seldom causes obvious illness, but if it lasts more than a couple of days your dog will usually start feeling sorry for himself - usually because of the loss of salts and fluids from the body and the general discomfort involved. If the inflammation is deeper than just the gut surface then there may be blood in the diarrhea (this is called dysentery) - this is a cause of worry for most owners, but in properly vaccinated dogs it is seldom as serious as it appears. If your dog starts to vomit it usually marks the spread of inflammation higher up the gut towards the stomach.

One serious cause of diarrhea is the viral infection caused by Parvovirus. This is a fast-spreading disease usually affecting younger dogs and can be fatal - fortunately it is easily prevented with the vaccine that all dogs should be given when they are puppies, and annually boosted. Dogs affected with Parvovirus are usually suddenly very ill, with bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Other viruses and bacteria may cause diarrhea too, but are usually milder than Parvovirius infections. Although parasitic worms can cause diarrhea they are seldom present in sufficient numbers in adult dogs to do so, though they can in puppies.

Owners of dogs which are in the habit of scavenging and eating rubbish will often be able to predict a problem before it starts - typically their pet turns up looking a bit sheepish and guilty, and this is followed by progressively louder stomach rumblings and whiffy wind and then finally several bouts of diarrhea. You'll know if you have a dog like this!

Other cases of diarrhea occur because dogs have eaten something quite normal that just happens not to agree with them as an individual. Again, most owners of such dogs will in time become aware of certain things that their dog cannot eat because it gives them the runs.

What can I do to help?

For simple cases of diarrhea it usually helps to put your dog on a bland diet of white meats, e.g. white fish (i.e. not mackerel, salmon, herring, tuna, etc) or chicken, together with boiled rice or pasta. This should be fed until the diarrhea has ceased and the normal diet introduced gradually over a period of about three days. Because diarrhea strips fluids from the body always make sure your dog has constant access to water to prevent dehydration. In cases which appear to be associated with feeding a particular food, then avoid that in future.

You can buy a number of very helpful over-the-counter treatments for dogs with diarrhea and other dog health products available without veterinary prescription in the UK. There are a number of products to help sooth the gut lining and absorb any toxins which may be present and also things to help restore salts and electrolytes which may have been lost, and yet more to help establish a proper mix of 'good bugs' in the gut - so called pro-biotics and pre-biotics. As for worming, dogs over six months of age should be wormed four times a year to ensure they stay effectively worm-free, whilst a puppy should be wormed at least monthly. Excellent wormers for adult dogs and pups are available without prescription.

While your dog has diarrhea, give him a rest from his normal exercise routine - just like you, he probably doesn't feel much like exercise when unwell. Also remember that there may be germs involved which can infect humans, such as E. coli, so it's very important to maintain high levels of personal and household hygiene to protect you and your other family members.

When should I call my vet?

It's an important principle of pet care to know when you should take your pet to your vet as opposed to doing things for yourself. Here's a list of reasons to consult your vet if your dog has diarrhea:

• If your dog loses his normal brightness and vigour.
• If the condition worsens - for instance if after a couple of days of diarrhea he starts to vomit, or if dysentery develops.
• If your dog stops eating or drinking.
• If he becomes dehydrated (if you notice his eyes sink in their sockets, his skin becomes less moveable over his body, his mouth becomes dry or tacky).
• If he's not properly vaccinated and up to date with his boosters and he's looking ill along with having diarrhoea - especially if you've heard there's Parvovirus in the district.
• In multi-dog households, if others start to have diarrhea too.
• If your dog has recurring bouts of diarrhea, even if mild.

In general, most dogs get over a dose of diarrhea fairly quickly and without the need for expensive veterinary involvement, and as long as you as an owner recognise what needs to be done for your pet then the whole thing usually settles down within a couple of days.

Symptoms And Ways To Treat Diabetes Low Blood Sugar

Symptoms And Ways To Treat Diabetes Low Blood Sugar

Diabetes low blood sugar also known as Type 2 Diabetes or Hypoglycemia is a condition wherein the blood sugar level is below 70mg - dl. Glucose or blood sugar is the body's fuel and if it gets too low, the person usually does not feel symptoms right away and blood sugar can drop rapidly so quick treatment is necessary.

It is critical to spot the early signs and symptoms of diabetes low blood sugar in order to avoid the condition from worsening. The symptoms of this condition vary depending on the person but, typically, they include shaking, sweating, rapid heart palpitations, anxiety, hunger pangs, blurred vision, sudden weakness or fatigue, irritability, dizziness, and headaches. In moderate to severe cases of diabetes low blood sugar, the person may become confused or even unconscious.

Diabetes low blood sugar may be caused by overuse of certain medications for diabetes, poor eating habits such as skipping meals or not eating at regular meal times, over-exercise or excessive physical activity, and excessive alcohol use.

If you have are experiencing the symptoms of diabetes low blood sugar, you need to have your blood sugar tested. You can do this by a blood sugar test by yourself but if you are unable to do so, treat your condition right away by taking in 15 grams of fast-acting glucose, which could be 4 glucose tablets, 4 oz of fruit juice or regular soda, or 8 ounces of low-fat milk. Once you have administered treatment, wait for 15 minutes and then do a blood sugar test to check if the level is back to a safe range. If not, repeat the treatment described above.

To prevent diabetes low blood sugar, it is essential that you determine the pattern in your episodes. Take note of when they occur and what you are doing when and jut prior to the episode. For example, does your blood sugar drop before lunch or dinner or after you exercise?

To treat diabetes low blood sugar effectively, you need to limit foods like cakes, chocolates, pastries, candies, cheese and etcetera. These foods contain fat that make it harder for the body to absorb them. Your dietitian will teach you how to combine these foods and other similar foods in your diabetic diet so you can still enjoy them.

You may need to discuss with your doctor about changes in your medication or changes in your exercise program. In addition, educate your family and friends on how to recognize and help treat symptoms of diabetes low blood sugar.

Alkaline Diets - Is Your Body Too Acidic?

Alkaline Diets - Is Your Body Too Acidic?

Anyone who has taken basic biology knows that cells require very narrow parameters to function optimally. Temperature and pH must be precisely engineered in order to support simple life. The human body, though seemingly sturdy and above this natural law, is no different! Humans can function in a wide variety of environments, but we do require basic conditions in order to have optimal performance.

In its purest form, human body fluids and tissue exist in a slightly alkaline state (not acidic). Since the human body uses the foods we eat as raw material to rebuild its tissues, our pH balance can quickly become unbalanced if our diet consists of "acidifying" foods. These acidifying foods quickly cause our blood and body tissues to become bathed in an acidic solution. This won't kill you right away, but if left untreated, this acidic condition leads to diseases such as heart disease, high cholesterol and even obesity.

Why does an acidic environment in your body lead to disease? It all goes back to how your body detoxifies itself. In an acidic environment the body cannot detoxify efficiently. The buildup of toxins prevents the body from effectively replenishing its essential nutrients and antioxidants. The body becomes starved, stressed, and slows down its metabolism to counteract the nutrient-deficiency within itself. The stress leads to disease, and the slower metabolism leads to weight, diet, and detoxification problems.

The most commonly consumed acidifying foods are butter, cheeses, animal protein (except salmon), oils, corn syrup, alcohol, corn, berries, and flours. Most of these foods should be consumed in moderation and in very low amounts. The best diet one can gradually adopt is one rich in alkalizing foods, which balance the body tissues and blood back to an alkaline state. A good rule of thumb is that anything that is dark green tends to be alkalizing. This includes broccoli, dark lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, avocadoes, mustard and beet greens. More alkalizing foods are many of the fruits, such as apples, oranges, cantaloupe, lemon, lime, strawberries, and watermelons.

Right now you may be thinking that the alkalizing foods are impossible to eat without being miserable. There are many easy ways to incorporate alkalizing foods into your diet without sacrificing great taste! For example, instead of using animal protein (such as ground beef), try using a firm tofu in your meals that call for meat. Instead of using harmful oils, you can use vegetable juice to sauté your foods. Instead of drinking processed dairy milk, drink organic soy milk. Certain spices are very alkalizing as well: chili pepper, cinnamon, ginger, sea salt, curry and tamari.

Another way to help your body resume its most natural state of alkalinity is to drink at least 2 liters of alkaline water everyday. This will flush out the acidic toxins already accumulated in your bloodstream and further promote detoxification in your body's lipid storage. Supplements are available to alkalize water, usually in the form of drops and powders. Other recommended supplements that help your body alkalize are potassium, calcium, cesium and magnesium.

Diet Pills That Work For Women

Diet Pills That Work For Women

The best diet pills that work for women will include a number of ingredients all specifically designed to address the biggest weight loss problems women experience. In order to understand which diet pills are right for your weight loss, we'll give you information about those tough weight loss areas and how to break through them.

Belly Fat

The middle is the hardest place for women to lose weight and unfortunately one of the first places they gain it. In order to help this belly fat melt off you need to find a weight loss supplement that helps to boost metabolism and burn fat faster.

Slow Metabolism

When you are dealing with a slow metabolism you obviously need something similar to the above types of diet pills, but you also need to eat more raw fruits and vegetables, get enough sleep and get enough water daily to help your metabolism speed up and your body to work better overall.

Busy Schedules

Our busy lives are one of the biggest obstacles in losing weight. We are constantly running our selves ragged taking care of everyone else and the lives we lead. This leads to bad eating patterns, loss of sleep and irregular body rhythms, which all prevent weight loss.

For women the battle to lose weight can be a bit more difficult and it's important to make sure you find diet pills that work for women and work to fight the obstacles we face in our weight loss journeys. With some hard work and the right diet pill you can lose the weight you've been fighting to lose .Work with your doctor, a nutritionist and a trainer to put together a solid plan of action to help you lose weight the right way and keep it off from the very beginning. Losing weight is hard, but it doesn't have to be impossible and you can find success in your weight with the right tools in place to help you get there. A little work and the right support system and you can find your inner hotness.

Diet Plan For Six Pack Abs

Diet Plan For Six Pack Abs

If you're looking for a diet plan for six pack abs, then you've come to the right place. Before we get started it is important to learn that a drastic diet plan will not get you abs, the best way to get that body you want is with a clever eating plan. So forget going over the top with a full diet plan and start with a smart eating plan. The best way to explain how to do this is by explaining what you should eat for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Breakfast

For breakfast you're going to eat plain rolled oats (make sure you don't get cooked oats or any of the other type as they're high in sugar). It's OK to eat as much oats as you want for breakfast. It is also OK to drink a cup of coffee - but you are not allowed to add sugar or cream to your coffee. Also you may want to get a cup of water and add a scoop of whey protein (this will help you stay full throughout the entire day)

Lunch

For lunch, we're going to keep it quite simple and eat several pieces of fresh fruit or a salad. You may also want a cup of coffee, this is perfectly fine as long as you don't add sugar or milk to the drink. You can also have another whey protein shake made in a coup of water

Dinner

For dinner we're going to eat a meal high in protein but really low in fat, so for dinner you're going to eat skinless chicken breast or fish (excellent source of protein and low in fat, plus fish is also an excellent source of omega 3).

As I said earlier this simple diet plan isn't written in stone, you can change it as much as you like. Just remember if you want six pack abs, eat everything in moderation and don't consume any food after 6pm. In addition to this don't add sugar to your tea or coffee.

Reduce Pain by Adding Serrapeptase Enzymes to Your Diet

Reduce Pain by Adding Serrapeptase Enzymes to Your Diet

The latest dietary supplement taking the health world by storm is, believe it or not, a gift from our friend the silk worm. In fact, the enzyme is isolated from bacteria found inside those little guys. They use it to break down the silk cocoon they spin, once they have turned from a silk work into a butterfly. They use their saliva, which contains the enzyme, to eat away a hole in the silk cocoons to make their escape.

This works, because the enzyme naturally eats away at non-living matter, something other enzymes can't do. This process of breaking down non-living tissue, in addition to anti-inflammatory properties and pain killing abilities, make it a miracle enzyme for people with a long list of different health conditions. Let's take a look the different health benefits brought about by supplementing your diet with Serrapeptase enzymes.

For starters, because of the way Serrapeptase breaks down non-living tissue while not hurting the living tissue, it's very effective in breaking down blood clots and clogged arteries. It even has been proven to reduce varicose veins. Reducing the amount of atherosclerotic plaque in blood means it's very productive towards a healthier heart and circulatory system.

One of the most important and well-known advantages of taking Serrapeptase is the way it reduces swelling. The enzyme is a natural anti-inflammatory, and works wonders in this way for a few reasons. One is that it thins out the fluids brought about by swelling and helps them to drain from the swollen area more quickly. Because of these natural anti-inflammatory powers, it's very useful to people recovering from injuries and invasive surgeries. Swelling hinders the healing process, so an all-natural anti-inflammatory without harmful side effects can come in very handy.

But reducing swelling isn't the only way Serrapeptase helps the healing process. Since the enzyme eats away at non-living tissue, it erodes scar tissue and other dead tissue that may build up around an injured area of the body. For this reason, it's hugely important to patients recovering from injuries such as torn ligaments and sprains.

Even more important to people with injuries or recovering from surgery is the pain killing ability the Serrapeptase enzyme has. No longer do you have to choose between taking large amounts of potentially harmful pain killers and simply living with the pain. Instead, there's an all-natural alternative that has added health benefits versus dangerous side effects.

How does a natural enzyme found in silk worms help with pain? It hinders the productions of chemicals released in the body that cause us to feel pain called amines. A study involving a large sample of patients all recovering from the same surgery concluded that patients taking Serrapeptase deal with less pain and are completely pain free more quickly than those not taking it.

You might be wondering how harmful pain killers can really be. Well, many socially accepted, over-the-counter pain killers like Ibuprofen and Aspirin have been linked to liver trouble and kidney damage, which can lead to the failure of these organs and require transplant surgery or dialysis. In addition, they can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding.

And let's look back at the person recovering from a torn ligament, as an example. Traditional, cox-inhibiting pain killers can actually prevent the development of connective tissue like ligaments. So, while they may help with the pain, they actually slow the healing process of the ligament itself. People taking Serrapeptase users can recover more quickly from such an injury and with less pain.

Much like the way Serrapeptase eats away at blood clots and clogged arteries, it also prevents and helps to eliminate cysts in the body. Cysts can come in many different shapes and sizes and cause many different health complications. A specific example of such a condition is Cystic Breast Disease. One clinical study resulted in over 85% of patients with the condition seeing reduction in breast swelling and pain as a result of taking Serrapeptase enzymes.

And the miracle enzyme even helps take care of infections, like the ones commonly problematic in the throat, nose and ears. The way it does this is very similar to the way it reduces swelling. When it comes to infections, there is usually a large amount of mucus or other fluid that builds up. Serrapeptase is able to thin out the mucus, helping promote drainage of that mucus and healing infections more quickly. But there are many other infections that can be healed with the help of Serrapeptase, such as the ones that develop after an invasive surgery. Such infections can be very dangerous, so an all-natural pain-killer that also fights infection is a huge medical breakthrough.

While those are the main advantages of supplementing your diet with Serrapeptase, the miracle enzyme, there are a whole lot more than that. Other conditions that can improve with the help of taking the enzyme are diabetes, prostate trouble, hay fever, Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, swollen glands, lung congestion and more. All it takes is a small dose of the enzyme daily to take advantage of all these health benefits. No wonder Serrapeptase is taking the world of natural health supplements by storm.

Low GI Diet Foods

Low GI Diet Foods

The glycemic index or GI is a way of ranking the types of foods which contain carbohydrates that affect your blood glucose levels. If the GI score is 55 or less it is low, if it is 56 to 69 it is medium and anything above 70 is high. The lower the score, the better and here is a list of low GI diet foods.

These low GI foods include bread as long as it is whole grain or stone ground, 100% percent bread, pumpernickel or rye bread. Oats, cereals, rice, pasta, couscous, noodles, beans, lentils, dried foods, nuts, canned fish, frozen vegetables, oils, condiments, fat free dairy products like yogurt, reduced fat cheese, reduced fat ice cream, eggs, fresh fruits or vegetables, fruit juices and bottled water.

But how do you know if the food you are eating is a high or low GI food? The basis for this depends on how fast the body breaks down these foods that will soon enter the blood stream. The longer it takes the body to break down means that what you are eating has a low GI or glycemic score.

What happens to someone who sticks to low GI foods? Keeping the glucose levels to a minimum will reduce the need for a patient to be injected with insulin that was once produced by the body. The failure to do so can cause long term and sudden complications to an already present problem.

Some experts have said that taking preventive measures now is good for those who don't want to develop diabetes in the future.

Sadly, this is easier said than done outside the lab because these numbers vary if certain ingredients are added, the manner to which they are cooked and how ripe is the fruit. But this should not stop you from consulting a dietitian about low GI foods because this person can give you advice for your personal circumstances.

Is a low carb diet plan the same as a low GI diet plan? The answer is no because the low GI diet plan simply advises the type of carbohydrates you should eat. The lower the GI score, the better and should you lose some weight along the way, then good for you.

It should be pointed out that is backed up by years of clinical research so you will be able to reap the benefits of healthy carbohydrate without the blood glucose problems and other health risks associated with high levels of GI carbs.

Similarities Between the Sonoma, Atkins and South Beach Diet

Similarities Between the Sonoma, Atkins and South Beach Diet

The Sonoma diet is made up of three phases, what they call 'waves'. Two of these phases are pretty much similar to some of the Atkin's diet and South Beach phases.

The first phase of the diet is called the Introduction and it's very similar to phase 1 of the Atkins and the South Beach diet. (basically you have to eliminate completely sugars, processed foods and some other foods as well.)

The diet is very easy to follow -- Phase 1 last only 10 days where you aren't allowed to eat raw fruits or vegetables and eliminate certain types of fats, carbs and processed foods. We have tested and tried all of these three diets therefore it's pretty easy to notice that they are in common one with another.

The introduction phase (phase 1) of the Atkins diet is also very similar to Sonoma.

In phase 2 of the Sonoma diet some foods must be re-introduced back into the diet (mainly carbs) and the same goes for the South Beach Diet. By switching foods every 10 days is what makes this diet effective by boosting up your metabolism in order to burn more fat.

In the third "wave", the Sonoma diet basically allows you to eat certain fat burning foods simply to maintain your achieved weight for the rest of your life. Therefore by joining this diet you'll have to make the Sonoma Diet a "lifestyle" simply because it allows you to eat liberal food and even some of your own choice. We've reviewed all the foods in "wave 3" and to be honest they are some of the tastiest foods you can ever think of.

Truth is that the Atkins and South Beach diet both have a phase which all dieters have to use when reaching their desired weight. (Another similarity to the Sonoma Diet)

Important conclusion on the Sonoma diet, Atkins and South Beach:

• The general principles of these three diets are very similar (the phases are even used for the same purposes).
• The only few difference between all these diets are the foods that you're allowed to eat -- at least in our opinion anyway.
• We recommend using any of these programs as they proved to be effective on the long run: The Sonoma Diet, Atkins or South Beach. However we think that such diets are a bit difficult to follow simply because the final phases of the diets have to become a permanent lifestyle change which in fact limits several types of foods. Another disadvantage is that some of the foods might lower your energy levels.

The Ins And Outs Of Diet Pills

The Ins And Outs Of Diet Pills

The growing popularity of diet pills is evident from the large variety of such pills flooding the market. However, it will be simply naïve to believe that all of them can work miracles on your obesity. Before getting carried away, you must consider a few things and then only choose one for you.

For today's people accustomed to a fast life, there is little time to follow a proper diet plan or exercise. That makes diet pills their obvious choice. These pills make you lose weight very fast. For those seeking quick results and having little patience, diet pills seem to be the easiest solution. Convenience is another factor which attracts people towards diet pills. Many people find it difficult to stop eating or change their food habits. Diet pills can be helpful to such people.

In any case, it is wise to consult your doctor first before taking a diet pill. You should follow what your doctor prescribes for you. If you are under other medications, never forget to ask your doctor if you can take the diet pill with it.

Diet pills may sometimes adversely affect your metabolism and health in general. Such effects are diarrhea, insomnia, palpitating, hypertension and heart disease and many other ailments. And if you get immune with the diet pill, it stops working and you start gaining weight again.

It has also been observed that some people just become addicted to diet pills. Even doctors follow some guidelines when they recommend diet pills. Doctors first find out if you were an alcoholic or drug addict when they prescribe a pill for you. So think carefully about if you really need diet pills or not.

Healthy Diet Plans for Specific Body Type

Healthy Diet Plans for Specific Body Type

Overweight people all over the world attempt numerous different diet plans to lose the weight but the outcome is often not what was expected. This could be due to the fact that every diet program is not made for every body type. Diet plans to lose weight work far more efficiently if they are geared specifically for your body type. If you don't take into account your body type when choosing a weight loss program, the ability to lose the weight can be hampered, causing frustration and eventual abandon as well as gaining back anything lost.

The question you probably have now is how I determine my body type? Body types could be classified by many things including shape, blood type medical conditions, genetic or otherwise. For example diet meal plans for an average person might be disastrous for a person suffering from someone with diabetes. Similarly there are specific healthy diet plans for people with high cholesterol, even if they don't have much excess weight on their body. This article refers to diet plans designed specifically for weight loss.

Gender type is also a factor in tailored diet plans. When considering a weight loss diet plan for women in the age group of 25 to 55 generally the body shape will be the deciding factor, provided they do not have any medical condition. One such system has classified the body shape of women into four categories and diet meal plans are advised accordingly for each type.

It make sense to categorize body form types according to body form shape as each type will have a tendency to gain fat in certain areas of the body more so than others. Women having a Lymphatic body type will be chubby all over and are prone to gaining weight quite easily. Such types have a slow metabolic rate and will need a custom diet plan to accommodate it.

Women with a Gynaeoid body type are usually pear shaped and the tendency is to gain weight in the buttocks and thigh areas. These women tend to have more of the estrogen hormone which is the main reason for the fat deposits on the lower parts of the body. When the diet plan is not specific for this body form type, the results may not be desirable.

The Android body type woman has a metabolism which is anabolic, great if the goal happens to be body building. Excess weight generally occurs in the abdomen area and in the upper areas of the body. The diet plan should be able to balance the metabolism of this body type in order to reduce weight.

The least likely body type to gain weight is the Thyroid category where the woman will be long limbed having narrow bone structure. Although there is not a large predisposition to gain weight, it is possible and fat will tend to accumulate behind the thighs and buttocks.

As you can see no two people are the same, the differences in body shape are seen from person to person. The differences also span the genders as men and women won't gain or lose weight at the same rate. Gender specific hormone levels play a role in weight loss as well therefore a tailored diet meal plan is essential to avoid frustration and failure. A custom made diet plan to lose weight will work with you and help you get the body you've always desired.

Silk Sheet Sets - What You Need to Know

Silk Sheet Sets - What You Need to Know

Silk sheets would be easy to visualize in a stateroom on a luxury liner, or in the sleeping quarters of a very prosperous person. A good number of us almost never actually think of silk sheets as a choice for our households, mostly because of the money involved. Since an affordably priced queen size set of silk sheets can set you back around $200, I won't try to convince you that any of these sheets are low-priced. What I will make clear to you, nonetheless, is how silk is made and the advantages of resting on silk.

At that point, it will be your responsibility to determine if silk sheets will be valuable enough for you to warrant the purchase price.

Many of people already know that silk is manufactured by silkworms. In more precise terms, silk is made from the protein fiber employed by the silkworms to build their cocoons. Around 3,000 silk worm cocoons will be necessary to generate one pound of silk, which is the reason for the price of the fabric.

Cultivated silk is normally obtained by maturing the silkworms from birth to their cocoon stage, and then making use of that cocoon to generate silk fibers. The worms are fed nothing but mulberry leaves, and because of this commercially made silk is typically referred to as mulberry silk.

Tussah silk, or wild silk, is gathered from silkworm cocoons collected in the wild. The fibers that make up wild silk won't be as consistent in either form or tint as the mulberrysilk does. This variance is an effect of the wild silk worms not eating the proscribed diet that commercially raised worms eat. Tussah silk will not be as sleek as mulberry silk, and should it be colored, the coloring will not be even.

Tussah silk might be crafted into a number of beautiful garments which will be actually more attractive as a result of the "personality" in the silk. Mulberry silk, due to its smoothness, is the perfect silk for linens. The unhappy component of this set of factors is that cultivated silk will be a lot more costly than wild silk, and a sheet needs a great deal more material than a normal shirt. Another good type of comforter is the Duvet King Comforter Cover.

Silk is a pleasant fabric for all seasons. In the summer time, silk can wick moisture away from the sleeper's skin and help air to circulate through the cloth, which enables your body to maintain a proper temperature. In the wintertime, silk can be a breathable layer of warmth which shapes gently to your skin and maintains your body heat. Another must see comforter is the Embroidered Kids Duvet Cover.

A median-priced silk sheet is much softer and will stay useful easily as long as the most expensive cotton sheets. If this level of contentment and condition is worth the cost to you, then maybe a good set of silk sheets could be a sensible purchase for your bed.

Type 2 Diabetes, HDL Cholesterol and Kidney Disease

Type 2 Diabetes, HDL Cholesterol and Kidney Disease

The American Diabetes Association or ADA, recommends that each year people with type 2 diabetes have their lipid profile measured on a yearly basis. Why? Because these test results have a direct relationship with possible heart and vascular complications, such as hardening of the arteries. Although cholesterol levels have received a lot of media attention in recent years, cholesterol is not the only indicator of cardiovascular health. The balance between "good" and "bad" cholesterol is more important.

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, is the "good" or healthy kind of cholesterol, which helps to keep the low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, from causing damage to your kidneys. LDL can attach to your arteries, causing plaque or unhealthy deposits to form, blocking your blood from flowing or causing bleeding.

HDL appears to work to clean the LDL out from your arteries. One result of arterial damage is kidney damage, because the arteries actually go through your kidneys to be relieved of excess water, salt, potassium, and other molecules. In type 2 diabetes, total cholesterol is often high and the ratio of HDL to LDL can be low.

Workers at the Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Verona in Italy looked at the effects of HDL and chronic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes. The results were published last year in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Disease. Over 1900 type 2 diabetics starting out with normal kidney function were followed for 5 years. Volunteers with the highest HDL levels had only 76 per cent of the risk of chronic kidney disease as volunteers with the lowest HDL levels.

The National Kidney Foundation suggests a target level of 40 mg/dl or higher for HDL cholesterol and a target value of below 100 mg/dl for LDL cholesterol... although newer studies suggest that people with heart or blood vessel disease should reduced their LDL to below 70. Total cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dl.

Aerobic activity is a good way to increase your HDL levels. Workers in Tokyo put together 35 studies on exercise and cholesterol, and calculated that, on average, when patients exercised for 40 minutes, 3 to 4 times per week, after 2 to 7 months their HDL was increased by 2.5 mg/dl. By aerobic exercise is meant activity that increases your pulse rate and breathing... walking, cycling, and swimming are examples of aerobic exercise. If this sounds too lacking in joie de vivre, dancing or reaching for a romantic partner can also be aerobic. HDL can also be increased by taking niacin and by lowering triglycerides.

Obesity is one cause of low HDL, so one way to help to reduce your HDL is to normalize your weight. Cranberry juice can help to lower HDL. Cutting out trans-fats is helpful too. Read the labels on foods, and avoid the ones that list "partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils". Healthful oils include olive and peanut oils. If you eat peanut butter, look for the kind that lists pure peanuts as its ingredients, without any partially hydrogenated oils. Foods high in fiber can also help to increase your HDL levels, so emphasize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your eating plan.

When contemplating beginning a program of diet and exercise, check with your dietitian for advice on what and how much is good for you to eat, and check that increased activity is safe for you.

Low Carb Diet Meal Plan - Are Low Carb Fad Diets Worth Anything?

Low Carb Diet Meal Plan - Are Low Carb Fad Diets Worth Anything?

A question inevitably arises about whether it's wise to choose a low carb diet meal plan these days. When you think of low carb diet plans, you immediately think of fad diets, and most people zero in on the Atkin's Diet.

One of the problems people face when choosing lo carb plans is the constant hunger contrary to their claims. Yes, it is recognized as a fact that you can eliminate carbs for a short time and go into a state called ketosis in a bout 48 hours, where the body sends signals to the brain to start burning fat for its energy.

Scientists have argued on both sides of the fence for a long time about ketosis, with one side arguing it's definitely not safe, while the others say it is!

I can tell you from experience I used the Atkins diet twice in my life, and both times I did lose weight drastically, but as soon as I came off the diet I gained all the weight back and more within a month!

The risks of being on one of these plans is just not as wise as using a diet which lets you lose weight drastically while preserving your health; today, there is no need to starve your body of carbohydrates with all the great, healthy diet programs available.

The simple truth is exactly what you'd expect; the only real, effective, and safe way to drop tons of weight is to forget the low carb diet plan and use a sensible diet combined with exercise.

Diet Pills Under 20 Dollars

Diet Pills Under 20 Dollars

Diet pills under 20 dollars can be difficult to find in an industry full of hyped up ads of expensive diet pills claiming amazing results almost too good to believe. But, there are diets pills out there for under 20 dollars and one of the best ways to find these deals is by shopping for diet supplements online. Before you start shopping for diet pills online you need to take the time to research and study the pills available and narrow the field to the ones you are most interested in. This can be done by first talking with your doctor about the ingredients in diet supplements and making sure you have pick ones that will not cause drug interaction problems or allergic reactions. Also, consider the side effects to ensure they are side effects you can deal with.

Once you know which diet supplements you are most interested in you can do a bit of research about them to make sure they are quality ingredients being made by reputable companies. This will help you rest assured that you are not taking something that will harm you or if you decide you don't like the pills, give you a problem in returning them. When looking for the right diet supplements you should look for samples that are free or cheap so you have a chance to try these pills before you spend the money to take them on a regular basis. This is a great way to try before you buy, especially on something so important.

Diet pills under 20 dollars do exist, but regardless of the diet supplements you are most interested in you need to take the time to make sure you are getting a quality product that's been made by a good company. This is how you know you can trust in the diet pills to help you with your weight loss goals. You can lose the weight with a solid plan of healthy eating, regular exercise and diet pills that works and happens to be at a great price.