Monday, September 29, 2008

An Improved diet works to Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Believe it or not, irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most common ailments of the bowel, and it is best described as a functional disease. This is because the muscles of the organs or the nerves that control the organs are not working as they should. As a result abdominal cramping, constipation, diarrhea, excessive gas and other symptoms occur.

Luckily, even though irritable bowel syndrome is considered as being a major functional disease, it is also important to know that most cases of the syndrome are usually quite mild and can be treated with simple treatment.

It Is Good To Know What To Eat And What To Avoid

When treating irritable bowel syndrome, there are a few things that you should know. First of all, the best way to treat irritable bowel syndrome is to change your diet. Keep fats to a minimum and increase your fiber intake. You should also drink a lot more water, six to eight glasses a day if you can, especially with this increase in fiber in your diet, otherwise you may suffer from constipation.

Consume fiber, fiber is helpful to treat irritable bowel syndrome because it improves the intestines and how they function, whether you have diarrhea, constipation or both. Fiber can also help by reducing the symptoms caused by your condition, including bloating and pain.

It is easy to find different foods that you can add to your diet in order to get more fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals. Just remember that if you begin taking whole grain bran, you want to make sure that you start off with a small amount, about one teaspoon a day. From here you can slowly work up to a larger amount, and make your way even up to twelve teaspoons a day. If you start taking too much bran or any other type of fiber all at one time then you may end up suffering from gas, bloating and even constipation.

It is important to know the foods that you will want to avoid in order to treat your irritable bowel syndrome, these include those that are high in fat and caffeine. These foods can cause your intestines to contract or spasm, which in turn may cause cramping.

Even though irritable bowel syndrome can be a tricky condition to deal with, as long as you are knowledgeable and work together with your doctor to come up with the best options, then you should not have any problems and should notice an improvement in your symptoms almost immediately.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

What is an eating disorder?

What is an eating disorder?

An eating disorder is a complex and chronic illness.  Nothing ever happens in a fraction of a second. It takes a rather a long time to develop an eating disorder like Bulimia or anorexia.  It takes an even longer time for its treatment to be successful.

To be very precise an eating disorder is an abnormal and extremely unhealthy eating pattern, which is harmful to a person's normal physical well being. Eating too much, and not eating enough can both be involved in this disorder.  Purging or bingeing after eating is also termed an eating disorder. 

Eating disorders are usually found in females rather than males, (though evidence shows males are now tending to succumb more nowadays). It is usually more prevalent in the age group of fifteen to twenty five. Being slim and young is what most female's dream of and this in turn results in the development of life threatening disorders. 

Adolescents need a balanced diet. The nutritional requirements are very high, in adolescence, due to their accelerated physical, biochemical and emotional development. The final growth spurt occurs in this period. The demand for energy, protein, minerals and vitamins also increases. So when the requirements are very high any deficiency in nutritional intake will cause problems which will follow them for rest of their lives

The causes of eating disorder are numerous, but the main cause is thought to be psychological factors.  These are related to abnormal obsessions with the amount of food eaten by the sufferer and their subsequent gain in weight. The subsequent alteration in the person's eating pattern can be controlled by voluntary appetite control.

The major eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, hyperphagia, orthorexia, pica, food phobia, and rumination.  

The amount and the pattern of eating depends on many factors such as peer pressure, food availability, ethics in families, their own appetite, imitating role models, concerns about gaining weight, and psychological factors. The major eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, hyperphagia, orthorexia, pica, food phobia, and rumination often start as a mild complication and lead to serious heart and kidney failure and ultimately can lead to death. 

Eating disorders may also lead to the following problems:

electrolyte imbalance, amanorrhoea, thinning of hair, functioning of the heart decreases, dental caries, hypothermia, bone mass decreases, liver function is altered, ulcers in oesophagus, reduced immunity in the body and low blood pressure.

Identifying an eating disorder is as important as its treatment. They are easily treatable if the patient is willing to undergo the treatment. Psychiatric treatment followed by behavioral modification, nutritional counseling and medical treatment should always form the start of the treatment.

Some of the famous personalities in recent times and in the past who are thought to suffer from these eating disorders are 

Marie Osmond, Princess Diana, Princess Victoria, Mary-Kate Olsen, Victoria Beckham, Emma Balfour, Fiona Apple, Eliza Donovan, Jessica Alba, Kate Dillon, Roseanne Barr, Tracy Shaw,  Karen Carpenter, and Marie Osmond.

To avoid all these problems, always eat healthy, have a regular exercise pattern and be cheerful.

 

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Understanding What Heart Burn Is Allows You To Effectively Treat It.

Have a look at the human body, it is a marvelous machine and all the systems are designed to work in harmony. However, when we introduce excessive, hard to digest foods into our stomachs the digestive system may over react and cause you what is known as heartburn.

It is necessary to understand exactly what happens in your body to create this painful sensation after a meal. At the base of your esophagus, there is a ring-like muscle that is called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. Normally, this muscle relaxes to allow food to move from your esophagus into your stomach, where it is digested by your stomach acids. The LES then closes, so that the food and acid inside your stomach cannot creep back up the digestive tract into your esophagus. If this muscle does not work properly for one reason or another, substances in the stomach can indeed come back up, resulting in burning as the stomach acids reach the esophageal lining and a bitter taste as they make their way to your throat and mouth. This is heart burn.

Heart burn happens to nearly all of us at one time or another. You enjoy a delicious meal, settle in for some relaxation afterward, and then it hits. The burning sensation in your chest and the bitter taste in your mouth. For some, the burning gets so intense that it feels as though your chest is on fire. This is where the term “heart burn” comes from, even though the pain has absolutely nothing to do with your heart. In some severe cases, heart burn can even be mistaken for a heart attack or vice versa – making this condition more serious than it really is. For most, the pain of heart burn is enough to leave us running for relief from our medicine cabinet. And the good news is that this solution is usually sufficient to put that burning sensation to rest once and for all.

Effective Heart Burn Medication


Most of us  who suffer from heart burn on occasion will benefit from an over the counter remedy when the condition strikes. This might include an antacid, like Rolaids that will neutralize the stomach acids quickly, giving you relief from the painful burning. Another good over the counter treatment for heart burn is an H-2-receptor blocker, such as Tagamet HB or Pepcid AC.

These medicications work differently from the antacids, because they actually reduce the production of acid rather than neutralizing it. And while they are not as speedy as their antacid counterparts, they do tend to bring relief for a longer period of time. Some heart burn sufferers will find that a 1-2 punch will work the best on this condition, with an antacid bringing immediate help while the H-2-receptor blocker will offer relief over the long term.

If you are unfortunate enough to continue to suffer from bouts of heartburn, it is probably a good idea to visit your doctor to discuss your problem as there may be other causes working that are influencing your problem. These may include reactions from medication through to the occurance of ulcers. Naturally the doctor will carry out tests to determine the exact problem and act occordingly.

Foods That Help Indigestion: Making Healthy Choices

Our lifestyles seem to have taken on an ever increasing pace of activity, we all seem to be working harder and longer hours, rushing our meals absorbing the stresses of the world and are therefore suffering from heartburn and indigestion in far greater numbers..

Though there are many different potential causes of indigestion.  The main culprit responsible for most cases of indigestion is our frantic lifestyle and behavioral choices.  These factors are ones that can be controlled and changed—that is, once they have been identified.

By identifying foods that help to relieve  indigestion, as well as those foods that cause indigestion, you will be able to make healthier choices that will lead us to prevention of the on set of heartburn.

Which Foods Help Indigestion?

There are certain foods that help indigestion.  Eating these foods can not only help indigestion, but they can also prevent it before it occurs.  Dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, are known for being foods that help indigestion.  Mixing honey in your milk can also prevent symptoms of indigestion.

Neutral Foods

Some foods are neutral in terms of indigestion—they don’t contribute to it, but they don’t protect against it either.  Examples of such foods include: apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, peas, skinless chicken, extra-lean ground beef, London Broil, low-fat soy cheese, feta or goat cheese, fat-free sour cream, corn bread, pretzels, graham crackers, rice cakes, multi-grain or white bread, baked potato chips, licorice, and jelly beans.

Foods That Promote Indigestion


While there are some foods that help indigestion, there are also other foods that only contribute to it.  Knowing which foods cause indigestion is perhaps even more important than knowing which foods help indigestion, because being aware of the foods that contribute to it means that it will be easier for you to avoid them or replace them with more suitable foods.

Here is a list of foods that are known to contribute towards producing indigestion.

It is important to avoid coffee, tea, sodas, and other caffeinated or carbonated drinks.  Additionally, citrus fruits and juices are known to cause indigestion due to their acidity.  Alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, peppermint, pickled foods, tomatoes, tomato-related products, and all fried or fatty foods can be linked to indigestion.

Though these foods are the most common culprits of indigestion, everyone is different and thus might have a different food that triggers indigestion within them. Listen to what your body is telling you—if you experience symptoms of indigestion after eating a certain food, then you should avoid that food in the future.

No More Excuses

Modern lifestyle makes it too easy to indulge in the wrong foods, but knowing what role different foods play in your diet can be eye opening for most of us.  For those who have ignored the health consequences of their poor food choices, knowing about foods that help indigestion and foods that cause indigestion means that they have no more excuses to live an unhealthy life and therefore suffering from the pains of heartburn.

Eating Disorder Treatment Options Explained

Eating Disorder Treatment Options Explained
By Dawn Smith

Eating disorder treatment options must address the underlying causes of eating disorders. This is crucial to obtain full recovery!

There are eating disorder treatment options which can be used to offset the physical and emotional damage caused by eating disorders. Although common among troubled teens, eating disorders affect women and men of all ages including small children.

Early warning signs are present even in people who try to mask their eating disorder condition. Receiving treatment early in the process will make full recovery far easier.

Eating Disorders - Understanding the Causes and Conditions


Before treatment can begin, you must have an understanding of the causes and common conditions of eating disorders. This is where a professional facility can be of enormous help. While many people can be conscious of their dietary habits, those with an eating disorder are overly obsessed with following rigid diets.

Secretly gorging food, throwing up after meals, and counting calories obsessively are also warning signs. However, eating disorders go beyond a person having unhealthy dietary habits.

These conditions also include a distorted self-critical attitude about one's weight, food and body image. Damaging behaviours are the result of these negative thoughts and feelings and a program created by good eating disorder clinics is essential for recovery.

Food is often used to deal with uncomfortable or painful emotions. People with eating disorders will restrict food in order to feel like they are in control. Treatment options are not even considered. Instead, overeating is used as a temporary relief to soothe their sadness, anger or loneliness.

Obsession with food and weight soon dominates a person's life. As a result, people with an eating disorder cannot see themselves objectively.

Types of Eating Disorders


The three most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.

Anorexia


Anorexia is caused by people starving themselves because they fear becoming fat. They never believe that they are thin enough, even when they are underweight. Not only do people with Anorexia restrict calorie intake, but they also exercise, diet pills and purge.

Bulimia


Bulimia is the destructive cycle of binging and purging. People with this disorder also exercise, fast or take laxatives.

Binge Eating Disorder


Binge eating disorder causes people to overeat compulsively and feel guilty and ashamed of their behavior. However, they are unable to control this compulsive habit even when they are uncomfortably full.

Eating Disorder Treatment Options


The options associated with these eating disorder conditions varies depending on individual symptoms, issues, strengths and the severity of the disorder. Eating disorder treatment options must address the underlying physical and psychological causes to be effective. Combining psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and support groups are often the best way to treat eating disorders. Residential treatment or hospitalization may be necessary in extreme cases.

Visit now for advice on a range of clinical treatment options from Alzheimer's Treatment Options to Eating Disorder Clinics and many more.

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