What's your inspiration and motivation for weight loss?

Mine is to be healthy and maintain allways young :)

You will find more motivations from Phensters here

Have a nice day!!

Susanne.

What's ketosis?

When you cut carbohydrates out of your diet and focus on protein your body will begin to burn fat for energy, and this process is called ketosis. Normally our bodies use glucose for fuel, but when you cut that out and just give your body protein (or mainly protein) it can no longer rely on glucose... so it goes strictly into fat burning mode. You can test your level of ketosis by using Ketostyx, which you can buy at Walgreens. Continue reading here.

How / when to eat FRUIT

Great post !! See the link in Phentermine.com Forums

Eat Better for Less Money

Good-for-you food doesn't have to be expensive, experts say

It's a myth that healthy food costs more, experts say.

True, certain foods, like baked chips or reduced-sugar or reduced-fat products, may cost more per ounce. But when you compare the costs of these foods to a serving of fruits or vegetables, the produce usually wins (except maybe when you're splurging on out-of-season produce). And let's face it, reduced-sugar cookies and baked snack foods aren't "must-haves" on anyone's food pyramid.

"When my clients start eating more healthfully, their grocery bills plummet," says Diet Simple author and nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge, RD.

She recommends comparing food prices based on the number of servings provided, along with the food's nutritional contribution. For example, one pound of peaches yields 3-4 servings. So when you divide the cost per pound, the cost is usually quite reasonable.

"The ideal food is nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense," Tallmadge says.

Healthier foods can actually save you money, according to 2002 a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The researchers found that when families went on weight loss diets, they not only lost weight but reduced their food budgets.

The savings came from reducing portion sizes, and from buying fewer high-calorie foods, which tend to increase the amount spent at the grocery store, according to the authors of the yearlong study. People tend to spend a lot on the "extras" -- foods that add calories but little nutritional value, such as sodas, bakery items, and chips

In a December 2004 survey of 804 shoppers, the Grocery Manufacturers Association found that most Americans (73%) are buying more nutritious food than ever before.

"Consumers have gotten the message from the media hype surrounding the [government's] new dietary guidelines and 'My Pyramid' that they need to eat more healthful foods, and they are responding," says Alison Kretser, MS, RD, senior director of scientific and nutrition policy for the manufacturers association.

In turn, manufacturers are rushing to create products to help consumers meet the new recommendations. And what exactly are consumers looking for?

"Whole grains topped the list, followed by low-fat, low-calorie, and reduced-sugar," Kretser explains. "We were surprised to see whole grains shoot to the top of the list, beating out low-fat foods for the first time ever in our surveys."

Of course, taste remains a very important consideration. The result is a wealth of new "better for you" products with improved taste, such as 50% whole wheat pasta.

"There is an enormous amount of reformulation occurring within the food industry in an attempt to capture the opportunity to help consumers meet dietary guidelines," says Kretser.

Your first step toward getting the biggest bang for your buck at the market, Tallmadge says, is to get organized. Take inventory of the food you have at home, and plan your meals in advance. Then consult your recipes, make a detailed shopping list -- and stick to it!

Here are 11 more simple strategies to help your grocery dollars go farther:

1. Buy produce in season. Check the food section in your newspaper to find the best buys for the week, based on fresh produce in season. During the summer months, corn on the cob can cost as little as 10 cents an ear; at other times of the year, it can cost 10 times as much. Also, shop your local farmers' market for great deals on local produce; the prices won't include shipping costs.

2. Use sales and coupons. A combination of clipping coupons and buying sale items is a great way to trim the grocery budget. Sunday newspapers are a great source of coupons to get you started. Stock up on staples when they're on sale, and plan your menus around ingredients featured in the circulars. "Buy one, get one free" is basically a technique to get you to buy twice as much as you need at half the price. At some markets, though, the product rings up half-price -- so you don't have to buy more than one to get the savings.

3. Never shop on an empty stomach. An empty belly leads to impulse buying, and usually, the impulses are for foods that aren't healthy or economical. Do yourself a favor and eat a light meal before going to the market.

4. Think frozen. Produce is typically frozen soon after harvest, when nutrients are plentiful. And fish and poultry are often flash-frozen to minimize freeze damage and to retain freshness. Next time you're gathering ingredients for a recipe, think frozen foods to shave costs while maintaining nutrition. There are many advantages to frozen foods; you can buy them on sale and use them at a later date; you can use only the amount you need, reseal the package, and return it to the freezer. If they're properly stored, there's no waste.

5. Save on protein foods. To satisfy your protein needs, consider inexpensive, vegetarian sources such as beans and legumes. When you do buy meat, choose smaller portions of lean cuts. For example, lean cuts of beef are those that include the terms "loin" or "round." Buy a whole chicken and cut it up instead of paying the butcher to do it for you.

6. Plan for leftovers. Using leftover vegetables, poultry, or meat in soups, stews, salads, and casseroles minimizes cost, and demonstrates your creativity in the kitchen. A well-stocked pantry, together with a plan for the use of leftovers, will take you a long way. For example, start with a roasted chicken for dinner one night and use the leftovers for dinner the next night. Leftovers can easily be incorporated into a perfect summer entrée: top a bed of fresh greens with vegetables, fruits, and slices of meat, chicken or cheese. Add a loaf of whole-grain bread and presto! You've got a nutritious meal in minutes.

7. Go generic. Consider buying store brands instead of the pricier national brands. Many grocery companies buy national-brand products made to their specifications and simply put their own label on the products. Read the ingredient list on the label to be sure you're getting the most for your money. Ingredients are listed in order by weight. So when you're buying canned tomatoes, look for a product that lists tomatoes, not water, as the first ingredient.

8. Use oils wisely. Olive oil has a delicious aroma and flavor. But in some dishes, its flavor is lost amid the other ingredients, and it can easily be replaced with less-expensive oils such as canola. Use extra-virgin olive oil and other flavored oils in the final stages of cooking to take full advantage of their delicate tastes and flavors, and use cheaper vegetable oils the rest of the time.

9. Buy prepackaged only if you need it. Unless you have a coupon or the item is on sale, buying prepackaged, sliced, or washed products comes with a higher price tag. However, people living alone may find that smaller, proportioned products or bags of prepared produce eliminate waste and fit their needs best, despite the extra cost.

10. Buy in bulk. Joining a bulk shopping club, like Sam's or Costco, can be cost-effective if you frequent the club regularly. Bulk purchases can be a great way to save money -- as long as they get used. Throwing away spoiled food adds substantially to your food costs. Also, check out your community for shopping cooperatives that sell food in bulk at a substantial savings. Cooking in bulk can save money and more, says Tallmadge. "Prepare food in bulk and freeze into family-sized portions, which saves time in the kitchen," she suggests.

11. Plant a garden. For benefits that go beyond cost savings, plant your own produce. There's nothing better than a summer-fresh tomato from your garden. Tomatoes grow well even in containers if you don't have space for your own private garden. Start small, and see how easy it is to grow fresh herbs or a few simple vegetables. Seed packets are inexpensive and can generate a large quantity of nutritious food. And if you invest a little time in freezing or canning your harvest, you can enjoy summer's bounty all year long.

The bottom line: Cost should not be a barrier to a healthy diet. It's easy to save money in the grocery store if you stick to your list, resist temptation to buy the "extras," and use the above tips to help you stretch your food dollars.

Quit-Smoking Diet: Veggies, Milk

Some Foods Make Cigarettes Taste Terrible; Others Boost Tobacco Taste.

Getting ready to quit smoking? Try eating more vegetables and less meat -- and swap that coffee for a glass of milk.
A Duke University study shows that fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods make cigarettes taste terrible. But meat, coffee, and alcoholic beverages make smoking much tastier, find Duke University psychologist F. Joseph McClernon, PhD, and colleagues.

"The conventional wisdom is that cigarette addiction is all about the nicotine," McClernon tells WebMD. "But we are learning more and more it is also about sensory effects like the taste and the smell and the visual experience and the habitual routines of smoking. The taste effects are important."
McClernon, a researcher at the Duke center for nicotine and smoking research, kept hearing smokers say that certain foods and beverages made their cigarettes taste much better.

He began to wonder exactly which foods these were -- and whether any foods made smoking a worse experience.
To study the issue, he asked 209 smokers to list foods that worsened or enhanced the smoking experience. The smokers averaged a little better than a pack of cigarettes a day for an average 21 years. About half were women, a fourth were black, two-thirds were white, and nearly all of them were high-school or college graduates.

Nearly 70% of the smokers said some foods made their cigarettes taste better. These foods tended to be caffeinated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and meat.

Surprisingly, just under half of the smokers -- 45% -- said some foods made their cigarettes taste worse. These foods tended to be fruits and vegetables, noncaffeinated beverages such as water and juice, dairy beverages, and dairy foods.

"We were surprised that smokers would say anything would make their cigarettes taste worse," McClernon says.

Black Smokers at Greater Risk

Another surprise: Menthol-cigarette smokers were very likely to say that their cigarettes tasted the same no matter what kind of foods and beverages they consumed. Nearly 90% of the black study participants smoked menthol cigarettes.
This means that black smokers may have a particularly hard time quitting cigarettes, suggests Scott McIntosh, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester in New York and director of the greater Rochester area tobacco cessation center.

McIntosh says most experts think the reason why black Americans are more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes is because they were targeted to do so by tobacco-company ads, McIntosh tells WebMD. "But this study suggests that menthol lessens the effect of taste deadening or enhancing. And you are more likely to be addicted if you are not affected by variations in taste and pleasure."

McClernon and McIntosh note that counselors tell people who quit smoking to drink lots of water and to eat carrots and celery sticks.

"The idea is to get the smoker to do something with the hands and mouth that is not smoking -- but it might actually be good to engage in some of these behaviors before quitting, to alter the taste," McClernon says. "We might ask clinicians to ask patients getting ready to quit to start consuming healthy dairy products also to see if they can alter their smoking behavior that way."

McIntosh says this is an exciting idea that will add to the repertoire of quit-smoking counselors. He looks forward to suggesting the technique to the counselors he trains.
"And this emboldens me for a strategy we use called habit breaking," he says. "The idea is to switch to a different brand of cigarettes -- and smokers say brand has a dramatic effect on taste. So if taste is such a predictor of enjoyment, this is a good reason to tell people to switch brands as a quitting strategy. It might be even more powerful than we are thinking."
McClernon says he doesn't know why some foods make cigarettes taste worse but he plans to find out.

"We are going to do research to try to understand why drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables worsens the taste of cigarettes," he says. "We don't have a lot of super good ideas about that right now. But if we understood the mechanisms, we could maybe use them to develop new treatments."

Smokers, particularly teen smokers, tend to have a poorer diet than nonsmokers do. So while quitting smoking may be the best thing you can do for your health, it isn't the only thing, suggests Avery M. Lutz, a Duke research technician who worked on the McClernon study.

"It can't hurt to eat more fruits and vegetables even before people quit smoking. It will help them have a healthier life," she tells WebMD.

The McClernon study appears in the April issue of the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

No Time to Eat Right? Try This Challenge

Fast food is popular because... it's fast.

Could you get something healthier - for the same price - and get it just as quickly?

Here Is Your Challenge
From your place of work (or wherever you are during the day).

1. Put your stopwatch / timer on.
2. Get yourself down to the nearest deli or grocery store (generally the smaller ones mean a quicker shopping experience).
3. Order some real food (i.e. some fruit, maybe something nice like roasted nuts, and perhaps some protein - like slices of turkey breast, or some smoked chicken).
4. When you have the food in your hot little hands - stop the watch and note the time.
5. Take note of the cost.

Now we need a control... You'll have to repeat the same experiment with a fast food joint (all in the interest of science of course). Although I cringe at the thought of a burger and fries -- someone out there must be willing to do the whole experiment. Someone? Anyone?

Even if you don't accept the challenge - I suspect the first part at least forced you to think about some other options. However I would be very interested in your results.

The obvious answer for many is "bring your own lunch or snack with you". Here I am talking about the situation that many people face everyday. They haven't planned ahead, they want food and they want it now.

The Dos and Don'ts of Counting Calories

Counting calories is a complicated business. Fat, carbs, protein, sweets -- are all calories created equal, or are some better than others? Here’s what the experts have to say.

The History of Calorie Counting

People haven’t been counting calories forever (though some days it may feel as if you have). The  idea became popular around the turn of the 20th century,  according to  Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, a board-certified nutritionist and author of Living the Low Carb Life: Choosing the Diet that's Right for You from Atkins to Zone, and The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why. At that time, scientist Wilbur Atwater noticed that if you put food in a machine, called a “bomb calorimeter,” and burned it, you could measure the ash and heat to find out how much "energy" was released and therefore how much "energy" was in the food. The idea caught on, and people began counting calories -- that is, calculating exactly how many calories were consumed when eating particular foods, and "burned" when engaging in different activities.  “A spate of diet books in the early part of the century popularized the notion that it's all about the calories -- and it's been with us ever since,” Bowden tells WebMD.

Calorie Countdown

“As far as weight gain is concerned, a calorie is a calorie,” says Lisa R. Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller Plan: The No Diet Reality Guide to Eating, Cheating, and Losing Weight Permanently. But there are a myriad of reasons to base your food choices on criteria other than calorie content. For example, if the food you eat contains fiber, it will keep you feeling full longer, Young says, which can prevent you from reaching for "extra" calories in order to fill yourself up.

The benefit of choosing fruits, vegetables, and other lower-fat foods is that you get more bang for your buck, says Betsy Klein, RD, LD, a Miami-based dietitian. Carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, while fats have more than twice as much -- an entire 9 calories per gram. (Alcohol weighs in at 7 calories per gram.) If you’re counting calories to lose weight, but eating higher-fat foods like bacon and full-fat cheese, you could potentially consume over half your day’s calorie allotment by the end of breakfast, she says. Choosing carbs and protein for your morning meal, on the other hand, like an egg white omelet stuffed with mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and a small amount of low-fat cheese, will leave you with calories to spare for meals and snacks beyond breakfast.

Why is calorie counting so popular? As Americans, we love easy sound bites, Bowden says. Counting calories (or fat grams) is far easier than actually understanding the complex effects food has on our bodies (and our waistlines). Calories do count, but they are far from the whole picture.

“Food produces hormonal effects in the body,” he says. “Some hormones say ‘store that fat’; others say ‘release sugar’; others say ‘build muscle.’ Study after study shows that diets based on the same amount of calories, but different proportions of fat, protein and carbohydrates, result in different amounts of weight loss."

Why It’s Hard to Keep Count

It is also extremely difficult to count calories accurately. Although 67% of Americans report taking calories into account when making food purchases, nearly nine out of 10 have no idea how many they actually need, a survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation reports. We tend to miscount what we eat, as well. Although the U.S. food supply produces 3,900 calories for each person per day, men claim to eat an average of 2,618 daily calories, while women report eating only 1,877.

Where do those missing calories go? Into our mouths and directly to our waistlines, for the most part.  In fact, there’s a lot working against us when it comes to staying slim and healthy. Big meals and large portions (think holiday feasts and most restaurant dinners) tend to undermine our calorie-counting efforts, studies show. And being overweight makes it even more likely that we’ll underestimate the calories in our meal --a definite disadvantage when it comes to losing weight. In one study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that all people, no matter what their size, are more likely to be able to accurately guess the number of calories in small meals than in large ones. Overweight people tend to eat larger meals and larger portions, which explains why they tend to make mistakes counting calories, researchers say.

Even nutrition experts aren’t exempt. When Young showed 200 dietitians five different meals actually served in restaurants (lasagna, Caesar salad with chicken, tuna salad sandwich, steak plate and a hamburger with onion rings), their estimates of the number of calories in each meal were woefully inadequate. Some meals contained double the calories that some nutrition professionals predicted they did.

So why do we keep counting calories? For the most part, because it’s what we’re used to doing -- that is, following a mathematical formula of body weight equals calories in -- calories out, says Steven Aldana, PhD, professor of lifestyle medicine at Brigham Young University, and author of The Culprit and The Cure and The Stop and Go Fast Food Nutrition Guide.

Calorie Counting Alternatives

“The formula is still correct,” Aldana tells WebMD, but since it’s hard to count calories outside the lab, you may want to pursue other methods of policing your energy intake. Think of your workouts, Aldana says. When we exercise, we’re burning calories, but we rarely ever count calories when we’re calculating how much exercise we need. Instead, we count miles, minutes, or heartbeats.

Ready to jump off the calorie-counting bandwagon? Here’s what to do instead:

Instead of counting calories, eat smaller portions. It may seem like a basic concept, but it’s easy to forget that bigger portions have more calories. And when it comes to portion size, you can forget about the food pyramid. Most of us gauge a serving as "the amount we're used to eating," a recent study found.That would be restaurant food -- where meals are served on platters, not plates. And the more we look at (and eat) huge portions of food, the more we see them as normal -- to the point of serving ourselves the same amounts at home. Unfortunately, studies show that when we’re served more, we tend to eat it. When researchers from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign served subjects bigger helpings, people ate up to 45% more food. One caveat: there’s no reason to eat fewer vegetables; they’re much less calorie dense than other foods (they contain fewer calories per gram). A cup of raw broccoli, for example, contains only 31 calories, while the same amount of chocolate ice cream boasts close to 285.

Instead of counting calories, choose foods that use more calories. Some foods require more energy than others to digest and metabolize, says John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, president of Precision Nutrition, and author of The Metabolism Advantage. We call this the thermic effect of food, Aldana says. The difference is very small, he cautions, just a few calorie’s difference, for example, to eat a slice of bread made from whole grains vs. one made from refined flour. (Refined flour digests easily, leaving you with the full 4 calories per gram, while whole grains use up part of their 4 calories per gram during the digestion process, he says.). For example, if a woman were to start eating only foods that take a lot of work to digest (high-fiber, protein foods) she might save about 12 to 15 calories per day, the same amount she could expend by walking for about four minutes. But for some people -- especially those stuck in sedentary jobs or crunched for time -- it just may be worth it. Besides, foods that take more work to digest, like those high in fiber, tend to be those that are better for you. And choosing the best nourishment for your body is a much healthier food focus than counting calories.

Instead of counting calories, make sure you consume the right kind. Nearly one-quarter of Americans’ calorie intake comes from sweets, desserts, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages, research from the University of California, Berkeley notes. Another 5% comes from salty snacks and fruit-flavored drinks. Nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, contribute only 10% to the average American’s calorie budget.  “When it comes strictly to weight loss, a calorie is a calorie, Klein says. However, when it comes to your health, it’s best not to blow your calorie budget on foods that lack nutrients. Nutrient-dense choices like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, while those lacking in nutrients, like candy, soft drinks and white bread can contribute to a whole host of health problems.

The bottom line? You don’t need to count calories, but you should make all your calories count.

10 Ideas to Get You Exercising

Browsing Internet...

Here are 10 different ideas or techniques to help you pursue a lifetime of health and fitness.

If - deep-down - you really don't want to exercise, then don't bother reading further. You will need to get to the bottom of those feelings before moving on. Ambivalence and double-mindedness will only lead to a constant cycle of disappointment. But - if you want to reap the many mental and physical benefits of exercise -- then read on.

1. Know Thyself - Time of Day

What's the point in aiming for fasted cardio (i.e. workouts before breakfast) when you are not a morning person? You might start with the best intentions - but it will probably not last. You must find the time that works best for you.

2. Know Thyself - Comfort Zone

When I exercise I sweat. Sometimes profusely. That may seem gross to some - and to be honest when I caught some people staring at my red sweating face - I was embarrassed. I've realized that public gym workouts are not always for me. I have a basic setup at home that I use instead. If going to the gym - aim for known quiet periods.

3. Boredom Busters

I feel bored just looking at the rows of poker-faced people sitting on their stationery bikes. I cannot do this. It bores me to tears. The personal trainer might prescribe 45 minutes of steady-state cardio - but it is most definitely not the only way. Personal Trainers for the most part are enthusiastic and helpful people -- but many seem to be stuck "in a box" when it comes to innovation. If you bore easily (like me) - then mix it up. The feeling of doing something new or different gets me interested again.

4. Structure and Planning

We have become a very time-poor people. Consequently if we want to accomplish anything we will need to plan it. Don't say "I'm going to exercise this week". Say "I'm going to exercise at 4.30pm on Wednesday for 30 minutes - and write it down. It might sound a bit obsessive but every Sunday I plan my whole week - what I aim to do at work, when I will exercise, etc. Without a structure things turn to chaos and I end the week feeling out-of-control and frustrated.

5. Surround yourself with like-minded people

It's tough enough to motivate yourself without having a bunch of couch potatoes pouring scorn on your intentions. Spend time with the right people (on-line or in the real world) and you'll find the motivation starts to come.

6. Focus on the feeling after the session

There's nothing better than blobbing out after a good exercise session. The feeling of satisfaction is something to be savored. Then there are the post-workout endorphins... and the good nights sleep...

7. Stop thinking: All or Nothing

"If I can't do this workout properly - then there is no point in working out". I used to think like this. Now I think that even a 5 minute walk is better than 5 minutes on the couch. Even 10 minutes of light weights is better than nothing. This is especially important when exercising after a period of sickness. You feel like you took one step forward but fell 3 steps backward. Go easy on yourself. Don't give up. Something is better than nothing.

8. What are your priorities?

When taking time to plan your week you will be forced to address priorities. If you are working 16 hours a day and (understandably) have no time for exercise - then you need to sit right back and take a long hard look at what you truly want out of life.

9. Remove the word "quit" from your mental vocabulary

Having goals is great. Lose x pounds of fat. Gain x pounds of muscle. Increased fitness. However there is something even deeper at play. If we lead sedentary lives then exercise simply must become a part of life. Period. Our bodies are made to be worked.

If I said to you "you must exercise for the rest of your life" -- how does that make you feel? Examine the feeling. If it feels like a prison sentence then perhaps you need to do some serious rewiring of your inner monologue. Imagine feeling vital, strong, and energized - into your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s -- wouldn't that be a good feeling?

10. It's not just about looks

The skinny girl down the street might look good to you -- but her size is no indication of her health or strength. She may have unseen visceral fat (see normal-weight obese) or, sadly, could be inviting osteoporosis to come early.

Exercise is just as much about a healthy body as it is about looking good. My wife has reversed a number of health issues with the assistance of exercise. She is not model-thin - but rather - exudes strength and life. Having a strong and useful body often goes hand in hand with emotional self-empowerment.

Drinking water benefits

Browsing in Internet again I found that an increased water consumption can help us in lots of common illnesses!

Symbols: may do some good, likely to help, highly recommended

Allergy

Allergic Rhinitis / Hay Fever

Circulation

Hypotension: Why? The first step in treating hypotension is generally to increase fluid intake. Patients who have discovered the importance of drinking fluids regularly throughout the day seem to do better than those who don't take this task seriously. Drink a minimum of eight glasses per day of non-alcoholic fluids. Sports drinks that are high in sodium and potassium are recommended, especially during exercise or in hot weather.

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack: Why? A Seventh Day Adventist study found that those who drank 5 glasses of water per day have on average half the cardiac mortality and half the fatal stroke rate of the general population.

Varicose Veins

Stroke (prevention): Why? A Seven Day Adventist study found that those who drank 5 glasses of water per day have on average half the cardiac mortality and half the fatal stroke rate of the general population.

Diet

Dehydration

Overconsumption

Excess Sugar Consumption: Why? Whenever you feel thirsty, consider substituting water for sweet drinks. Water is far better at satisfying thirst, and by washing sugar from the teeth can neutralize its effects.

Digestion

Constipation: Why? Drinking water adds fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making bowel movements softer and easier to pass. People who have problems with constipation should drink enough water every day, at least eight 8-ounce glasses depending on weight. Other liquids such as coffee and soft drinks contain caffeine and seem to have a dehydrating effect.

Gastric/Peptic/Duodenal Ulcers: Why? Consuming up to 12 cups of water per day can eliminate the helicobacter infection when present. Drink lots of water, golden seal tea, and flax seed tea.

Hiatal Hernia: Why? Some people are helped by drinking 16oz (half liter) of water after a meal. This gives the stomach extra weight which may pull it downward and allow better closure of the lower esophageal sphincter. Additional downward pressure can be achieved by jumping off a chair after a meal before or after drinking the 16oz of water. The sudden stop on landing has been shown to reduce hiatal hernias and also caused heartburn symptoms to subside.

Heartburn / GERD: Why? Additional water intake can help resolve heartburn symptoms.

Habits

Laxative/Enema Overuse

Hormones

Hyperparathyroidism: Why? If the patient and doctor choose long-term follow-up over surgery, the patient should try to drink lots of water, get plenty of exercise, and avoid certain diuretics, such as the thiazides.

Immunity

Immune System Imbalance (TH2 Dominance)

Infections

Cystitis, Bacterial bladder Infection: Why? The mainstay of prevention is to keep the urine dilute by drinking fluids and urinating often. Added water consumption during an infection will help flush out the problem bacteria. Repeated infections may require that routine water consumption be increased to prevent their recurrence.

Helicobacter Pylori Infection: Why? Drinking more water alone has resolved many cases of H. Pylori infection. The suggested amount is 1 quart per 50 pounds of body weight or generally about 12 glasses per day. Most ulcers can be treated with water consumption and regular use of a good probiotic product. (Am J Gastroenterol May 1999;94: pp.1200-2.)

Colds and Influenza: Why? During times of illness it is especially important to maintain fluid intake. Water is best, but if any juice is used during this time, fresh vegetable juice is better than sweet fruit juice.

Mumps: Why? Persons with mumps should drink plenty of fluids and get bed rest.

Lab Values

Hypoalbuminemia (A low albumin level)

Metabolic

Susceptibility to Hangovers: Why? Drink lots of water - at least twice the amount of water to alcohol.

Musculo-Skeletal

Gout / Hyperuricemia

Organ Health

Kidney Stones (Urolithiasis): Why? Prevention is very important especially in those with a high likelihood of developing this condition since the recurrence rate of stone formation is very high. Drinking a lot of water is the best preventative measure: drink enough to produce approximately 2 liters (one-half gallon) of urine per day. Adequate fluid intake helps prevent kidney stone problems by allowing most small stones to pass through.

Pain

Low Back Pain: Why? Drink lots of water to maintain optimal hydration for disc integrity, and help reduce any acid buildup in muscles. Often two large glasses of water helps within minutes. Consistent rehydration may eliminate and prevent future low back pain.

Respiratory

Acute Bronchitis: Why? Ensuring plenty of fluids prevents the mucus thickening associated with dehydration and eases mucus removal in patients with bronchitis.

Uro-Genital

Female Infertility: Why? To flush toxins from your system, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of pure water daily.

I think it's amazing how our body thanks us the water intake. How much do you use to drink a day? How do you remember yourself to drink the 8 glasses recommended per day?

I look forward hearing from everybody!!

Susanne

Comment cuisiner plus leger ?