The First Steps to Curing Obesity

Obesity has become an epidemic, especially in The United States. An average of 300,000 Americans die each year and nearly $177 billion is spent on illnesses related to obesity.

Obesity can affect your legs and back. It can raise your blood pressure and even cause diabetes.

We are becoming fat and lazy, but before we can conquer the problem, we have to start accepting responsibility for our own actions. What you are about to read may offend some people, but it needs to be said.

Many people suffer from being overweight. It may result from a stocky build, slow metabolism, or some other physical reason, but it is a fact of life for many people. They will probably struggle with it their entire lives.

But obesity is different. A very miniscule percentage of obese people have medical reasons for their condition. The rest of them just cannot stop shoveling the food in long enough to see the consequences of their actions.

How many times have you been in a restaurant or at a party and watched an obviously obese person shoveling in the food and drinking a diet soda? Do they think the diet soda will make all that fat and calories go away? It doesn't work that way.

Please understand that the following suggestions are only the beginning of a very long and bumpy road to recovery. But even the longest journey begins with a single step.

1. PUT DOWN THAT TWINKIE! Someone, right this minute, is probably reading this article and eating something fattening. If not, it has probably been less that an hour since they have last eaten.

Before they can recover from their problem, they have to admit that they have one. And that Twinkie is the first sign.
If this is you and you feel that you absolutely must eat something, get some fresh fruit or vegetables. They not only contain the essential nutrients that your body needs for good health, but some will actually burn more calories that they replace.

2. See your doctor. If you are more than 50 pounds overweight, only a fool would recommend any diet plan until you are medically cleared by your physician.

Your doctor can also advise you on the best programs to help you get started.

This cannot be emphasized enough. Once you have eliminated the fattening foods, see your doctor before going one step farther.

3. Consider seeing a counselor. Is there a deep seated, subconscious reason for your eating disorder or are you just a pig? The answers may surprise you.

Once you discover the reasons for your self destructive behavior, you will be better equipped to handle them.

If you cannot afford counseling, talk to a trusted friend or, if you are a religious person, perhaps someone at your church.

They may not be able to diagnose your problem, but they can be there for you when you encounter those bumps in the road to recovery.

The bottom line is this. Being fit not only will increase the likelihood of a longer life, it will make that life much more pleasant.

Maybe it's time you stopped looking for sympathy and give yourself a swift kick in the pants.

Emotional Eating - the Dangers and Solutions

Food is a source of nourishment and energy. Without food we would not be able to perform our daily activities. Our muscles would wither, our nervous system would fail. We all need food.

However, food also has another role in our lives - a role of comfort and entertainment. Culturally and instinctively we prepare and serve foods to comfort those who have experienced loss, to celebrate joy or to show friendship and love.

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL EATING?

Seeing food as more than just a source of energy and enjoying it simply for the satisfaction it gives is not wrong. In fact science shows that food can promote good feelings by chemical reactions caused in our brains. What IS a problem is when an individual cannot experience pain, anxiety, joy or even boredom without turning to food as means of dealing with those feelings, or they are obsessed with food, weight and dieting.

Emotional eaters turn to food as a source of distraction from dealing with feelings. However, eating these foods leads to feelings of guilt which can only be soothed with more eating, restrictive dieting, excessive exercise or purging.

Emotional eaters tend to value themselves based on their weight and how closely they've stuck to their 'ideal' diet. Because of this distorted relationship with food, foods are labeled "GOOD" and "BAD". Emotional eating can lead to serious eating disorders and depression.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M AN EMOTIONAL EATER?

Do you turn to food for reasons other than hunger? Are you obsessed with thoughts of food - whether you plan to eat it or are concentrating on restricting yourself from eating it?

Do you regularly try diets and fail - leading to guilt and further over eating? Do you think about or attempt to purge excess food by throwing up or using laxatives? Do you exercise compulsively when you think you've eaten too much?


HOW DO I OVERCOME EMOTIONAL EATING?

Since emotional eating is caused by looking to food as a coping strategy for emotional distress dieting can actually create more problems. When the emotional eater fails to stick to a diet they suffer feelings of guilt that can only be soothed with more food and in turn, more guilt or punishment.

Instead of trying to focus on what they are eating, the emotional eater needs to learn new skills for coping with stressful emotions. Often this requires the help of a Personal Coach or Psychotherapist who deals with emotional eating. It is only by finding replacements for the comfort food provided that the individual can put food into its rightful place and learn healthy eating habits that last a lifetime.

Thought and The Law of Attraction

We have all heard the expression, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." But to carry on without thinking about why you failed only leads to more failure.

The ability to create is a God given gift. A gift given to everyone without exception. Thought is the first step to manifesting any creation. Thoughts are energy, they are real. Your thoughts act as magnets and attract other thoughts, people, and circumstances that harmonize with them.

Thoughts operate and adhere to certain universal laws. Without these laws there would be no order; the universe itself would sink into chaos.

The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. Much of what was once considered metaphysical, esoteric knowledge in the past is now scientific fact. Physics has shown that the principles involved in the Law of Attraction are every bit as valid as those governing the Law of Gravity. So it should come as no surprise that dwelling only on your problems simply attracts more problems.

The idea of attracting success by thinking about it is very appealing. So appealing in fact, people often get the wrong impression that it's easy. Affirmations can be helpful, but mindless affirmations alone have no real value. On the other hand, once an affirmation becomes part of your belief system the subconscious goes to work attracting opportunities. It is not the success itself we attract, but the opportunity to succeed.

Our world is ruled by cause and effect, yet we often fail to see how this rule applies to the thoughts we think. This happens because the results of our thoughts are so far removed from the cause that we fail to see the connection.

The subconscious mind is working tirelessly 24 hours a day. It doesn't analyze, it doesn't judge, it simply accepts and attracts more of what the conscious mind is focused on. Are you attracting problems or solutions? By focusing on desire and showing gratitude for what you already have, the subconscious mind is given the necessary material to provide a constant stream of opportunities. Whether we take advantage of these opportunities or not is another story.

It's impossible to operate outside the law of attraction. Consciously or unconsciously your thoughts, feelings, and emotions, determine if this law works for or against you. Stay focused on your success and reaching your goals. As one success leads to another, success becomes a habit. Problems and obstacles are seen as no more than stepping stones on the road to your ultimate goal.

Putting a Stop to Food Cravings

Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the perfect diet
all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone
else. But having an awareness of this fact and knowing a little
bit about our health and food nutrition can help when it comes to
making wise decisions.

Many people struggle with food "cravings." Studies tell us that
it's fairly common for food cravings to happen at certain times,
quite often at around bedtime. Your guard may be down, you may
have had an unusually hard day, and off you go on your
not-so-merry way to find that tasty treat. Fatigue and stress
often combine to take their toll on the best of intentions.

When food cravings are unconstrained, what starts out as a
bedtime snack quickly turns into a full blown feeding
frenzy...not something most of us fully understand or appreciate.
We head to kitchen and every other place where food can hide,
clearing a path as we go.

Most food cravings are not about satisfying a nutritional need or
imbalance. They seem to be more emotionally related, or God
forbid, are caused by plain old gluttony. Exactly why we
over-indulge is not completely understood, however our knowledge
about this subject continues to grow.

Listed below are some thoughts and ideas about food cravings:

- If the food isn't available, you can't eat it! Empty the cookie
jar and keep it that way! Keep healthy food choices on-hand.

- Recognize the feelings and emotions that lead-up to a food
craving. Do you have food cravings when you’re bored, lonely, or
stressed? If you can identify a trigger, you can deal with the
emotion that’s making you desire a certain food. Try to deal with
the triggers in the best way you can.

- Sometimes, even recognizing that a craving is about to happen
doesn't seem to help. Don't beat yourself-up. There is always
tomorrow. Call a friend, make good use of your support network
and share your feelings with someone.

- Get enough sleep. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to
crave things.

- Never give-up. When you "slip", press-in, bear-down, get a
grip, do whatever is necessary to re-gain control. Try to
practice restraint most of the time, but don't get legalistic and
un-balanced in your weight loss approach. Think moderation and
not abstinence at all times!

- Understand that self-control and discipline by themselves,
won't cut it! If you depend totally on yourself for control, you
will fail. Forming caring and supportive relationships is
required. If you do not currently have a support network, start
building one TODAY.

- Exercise. It increases feel-good endorphins that cut down on
your cravings. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical
activity every day.

- Use moderation. Instead of stuffing yourself with every kind of
food hoping that your craving will go away, eat 100 to 200
calories of your "craved" food.

- Substitute with low-fat foods and complex carbs. If you’re
hungry for chocolate, eat non-fat chocolate yogurt. Try fig bars
or raisins for a sweet craving.

- Never skip a meal. Eat every three to five hours. Try six
smaller meals or regular meals with nutritious snacks.

- Understand that hunger craving are oftentimes stress related.
Practice other ways to treat chronic stress – a walk in the park,
spiritual connections, a cozy fireplace, baths...all these
stimulate neurochemicals that activate regions of the brain that
stimulate pleasure. Relaxation techniques may work by reducing
the psychological drives on stress output, which can be the root
causes of stress. Bottom line, substitute pleasurable experiences
for comfort foods.

- Beware of certain medications. They can stimulate appetite.
Drugs used for the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder
can be appetite stimulants. Other drugs, both prescription and
over the counter, may influence appetite as well. If you are on a
medication, and troubled by food cravings, discuss this with your
doctor or pharmacist. You may be able to find an alternative that
doesn't send your cravings out of control.

- Distract Yourself. What's that old expression...idle hands are
the devils workshop? Get busy. Do anything other than cave-in to
your desire for food, and keep doing it until the cravings
subside.

- One final thought, take a look inside your refrigerator and
kitchen cabinets and do some general "house cleaning." Throw-out
all that unhealthy stuff that is waiting to sabotage your diet,
and start shopping more wisely. A little forethought and careful
planning will go a long way for improving your chances of
success.

Eat wisely, be happy, and live long!

I read a book called 'The Science of Being Well' couple of months ago. It is a GREAT book and it is related to this article. It was written in 1910, and everything in there still works today! Send me an email to alejandro@herryman.com with subject line 'Send me the Science of Being Well' and I will surely send it to you.

Reduce Your Stress: Read A Book

It will take you to faraway places with white sandy beaches and clear azure skies in the blink of an eye. It will take you back in time to the days of prehistoric monsters or thrust you forward to the Big Brother world of tomorrow. It can even fill your eyes with tears one moment and make you laugh out loud the next.

Reading a good novel or story will open a window to the world and give you a vision of things you never dreamed possible. And the side benefit is, reading is one of the best ways to reduce your stress level and can even help you solve whatever problem is ailing you.

Reading is the great escape and it also works well as a way to relax. When you curl up with a good book, you put the rest of the world and all its troubles out of your mind as you are taken to distant places to learn about different time periods, and to expose yourself to new ideas and philosophies. You are essentially taking a vacation of the mind -- but one that can be virtually cost-free, especially if you live near a library.

Of course, reading is also a great way to reduce stress by gaining the knowledge you need to solve problems. For example, let's say you're overweight and this is causing you stress. You find that the more weight you gain, the more stressed you become, which just causes you to eat more. Instead of getting stressed out, why not read a good book about nutrition that will teach you how to plan meals better, so they're low-cal and low-fat. This could very well result in reducing your weight problem and it could even disappear altogether along with the stress that is bringing you down.

Reading can also be a source of great hope, giving you ideas and inspiration that will relieve your stress. Biographies and rags-to-riches stories about famous people will teach how they overcame their struggles. These stories of triumph might even inspire you to seek ways to overcome the challenges in your life.

Of course, there are also times when reading can increase your stress level. For instance, if you are studying for a test, or reading about tragedies in your local newspaper, you might find your stress levels skyrocketing. That's why it's important to choose your reading material carefully. If you're feeling stressed, why not pick up a book that will relax you. A good travel book, or cookbook, or book of poetry are far better choices than news magazines filled with stories about all the things that are wrong in the world.

Self-help books are also a very effective way to help reduce stress. They encourage you to explore your feelings and they recommend such techniques as listening to soothing music, learning how to play a musical instrument, or just engaging in deep breathing in order to deal with stressful situations.

One of the best stress reliever is reading a good novel. It's the best medicine there is without the side effects of drugs. When you read a good story, whether it is a historical fiction or a mystery thriller or a comic novel, it almost always transports you away from anxieties and frustrations. It allows your imagination to run free and then leaves you feeling refreshed and invigorated. When you are reading it forces you to concentrate, to exercise your mind in a way that passively watching TV or a movie can never match.

In the long run, it doesn't matter what you read but how much you read. Try reading while standing in the grocery line, or at the bank, or while pedaling your stationary bike. The more you read, the more you will want to read because you will quickly discover its short and long term stress reducing benefits.

Banish Insomnia -- Sleep Safe with Amino Acids

There is something most uncivilized about living in a civilized world. What is it? It’s hard to get good night’s sleep.

Some of this punishing sleep deprivation is voluntary. Too much to do. Too much to see. Too many responsibilities. Not enough sleep.

For many people, sleep is a desperate need. People toss and turn, but sleep does not come. Others get to sleep only to awaken later in the middle of the night. In the morning, thousands (millions?) head off to work bleary-eyed, trying to be productive. It’s a vicious cycle.

Eventually exhaustion can get bad enough that a person seeks help from their doctor, who obligingly writes a prescription for some pills. At first, they work well and the sleepless person gets some much needed relief.

However, the real nightmare is about to begin. After awhile, the sleeping pills stop working. Unfortunately, by then, the person is addicted. The doctor has been told the drugs are not addictive by the drug manufacturer. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests drug manufacturers aren’t giving doctors the whole story. There’s big money in having a “non-addictive” sleeping pill. As the saying goes, “Money Talks.”

It turns out that there is another way, but not one health insurance will pay for. Because there are no large drug companies standing behind this alternative, health insurance companies don’t recognize it as a therapeutic choice.

Contrary to what doctors usually are taught both in medical schools and from drug companies, nutrition plays a large role in getting a good night’s sleep. There are a number of vitamins and minerals that support sleep. An internet search for “insomnia vitamins” and “insomnia minerals” provides a wealth of information about these nutritional supports.

Staying away from nicotine, caffeine and alcohol helps in getting a good night’s sleep, as does having a good diet and getting regular exercise.

Amino acids are lesser known for their importance in being able to get enough sleep, but they are just as vital. L-Tryptophan, for example, is called “essential” for a reason. People can’t live without it.

Without enough L-Tryptophan, or its easier-to-get cousin, 5-HTP (5-Hydroxy Tryptophan), human beings are not able to calm down. Sound familiar? Usually, about 100 mg of 5-HTP provides enough relaxation that sleep becomes an option for an average adult. Experimentation to discover an appropriate dosage is safe and easy.

Sleep becomes an option with enough L-Tryptophan in the brain. This is where L-Theanine, another commonly available amino acid, comes in. It’s a sleep time amplifier, providing more rest in less time. A dose of 100 mg at bed time is a good starting place.

Finally, GABA (yet another amino acid) works for some people. Most sleeping pills work on the same part of the brain that uses GABA. Unfortunately, for technical reasons, just taking GABA does not always work that well. Trying 200 mg at bed time is a good starting place. It may or may not work.

Anyone having trouble getting a good night’s sleep can leave the sleeping pills in the cabinet. Instead, trying some 5-HTP, L-Theanine and GABA is an inexpensive option. These supplements are a safe and non-addictive alternative.

Yet, another option you have if you are having trouble in getting a good night’s sleep is to use the ‘Rest Quiet Patches’ from LifeWave. They will surely help you get a good night’s sleep. The patches contain a patent pending blend including amino acids, water, stabilized oxygen, and natural organic compounds.

All the information regarding these patches can be found on my website: http://lifewave.com/alejo.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Personal Growth through Sacrifice and Discipline

Sacrifice of self to self. What does it mean? It means letting go of the old self for a new and better self. This is a hard thing to do as we get comfortable with whom and what we are. Our old self is familiar, seems safe, and is relatively effortless to maintain.

Change takes us beyond our boundaries, challenges us to what is not familiar, and forces us to give up well-worn habits. It requires effort and sacrifice of things we have learned to enjoy. Those are things that are pleasant but stand in the way of highest good.

We think we are a mind and a body and do what we can to satisfy the desires of mind and body. Seldom do we step beyond. Being stuck in a limited perception, the selfish do not sacrifice.

Do you want to live forever? Well, maybe you do live forever, but not as you are now. Death means new beginning. Sometimes we are not ready for it. Other times we feel stagnant and embrace it.

What does it mean to die daily? It means sacrificing your immediate wants to affect a future result or metamorphosis. Actually sacrificing of self to self, quite often to the benefit of others as well. Totally surrender your self and you will find your true self.

Giving is a virtue. You've no doubt heard that it is better to give than to receive. But oh, how we all like to receive! Receiving is good too. Exchange cannot take place without both present. One cannot take place without the other, and it is not just a one-way exchange.

There is a law of compensation. If you give, you get. We do not live in a vacuum. Our actions always bring results of one kind or another, whether we immediately realize it or not.

What I am saying is do not ever feel frustration when trying to improve your self. Any efforts you make do not go wasted; so do not think there is such a thing as wasted effort. You are creating ripples and building a store of experience that will eventually bear fruit.

Do a big thing, or do any little thing many times toward your goal. Know that fulfillment will happen through persistence. If you give up and stop persisting then simply start again.

There may be something you want to have or something you want to be. That is your goal. You've no doubt thought about it and how to obtain it. Let's go further and write the goal down on paper to give you more focus. Put it at the top of the page in pen.

Grab a red marker and draw an arrow pointing up toward your goal. Now go back to your pen and write along the line of the arrow. Write things you can do to work toward achieving the goal and how you can make arrangements to put in the work.

Review this paper often. This is your action plan. It has one direction and one intention - your goal. You are the archer with your bow drawn and arrow pointing toward your target. Now let go the string.

Your new self is the you that has attained the goal. The old self may try to stand in the way of reaching it. You sacrifice your old self by keeping discipline, for discipline is what sacrifices require. Goal achievement often is a process of personal growth.

Sometimes discipline means not trying to get the whole thing at once. Anxiousness and impatience are not qualities of discipline, and neither is selfishness. You may have to put in effort a little at a time over a long period. Don't worry about it, worry destroys discipline.

Don't get angry about it either, but if you do get angry, then be happy. Why? Because having anger means you have lots of energy. Channel that energy toward your goal rather than just blowing off steam and maybe you just might get the whole thing at once.

Discipline makes the difference. It means you have an ideal that you are willing to sacrifice for.

Got Discipline? Just keep regularity in your efforts and you will find that discipline builds from there.