10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss [Infographic]

10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss
[Infographic from Health Me Up]

As the end of the year approaches, many people begin thinking about their New Year resolutions.  For many, at the top of the resolution list is to lose those extra pounds "once and for all".

Unfortunately, for most dieters, this is not the first time they have resolved to make a big weight loss effort in a new year.

Sure, a new year feels like an excellent opportunity to start a new diet, to join the gym, finally sign up for that yoga class, or take up another type of exercise or physical fitness program.

But for many people struggling with obesity or being overweight, past experience demonstrates that it is often very difficult to stay on a diet plan or with an exercise program, despite the best intentions and initial firmest resolve.

This may be because most people do not make adequate preparations before beginning a new weight loss program. Many experts in the field agree that certain preparations and planning are the key to success in losing the extra weight.

This infographic entitled "10 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Loss" outlines some of the important and useful ways to prepare and plan, including:

1.    Deciding how much weight to lose
2.    Managing one's time
3.    Stocking the kitchen
4.    Eating healthy home cooked meals
5.    Starting a cardio and weight training workout
6.    Altering snacking habits
7.    Having at least one active hobby
8.    Finding a solution to combat stress
9.    Drinking plenty of water
10.  Planning healthy vacations

These are all really great tips for starting and maintaining a weight loss program successfully.  Other suggestions include:

❤ Making sure to get enough sleep
❤ Joining an online or local weight loss support group
❤ Adopting a regular meditation practice

So regardless of which weight loss or exercise program you choose, be sure to plan and prepare ahead using as many of these tips as possible.

Related:

10 Common Weight Loss Mistakes
Top 10 Foods for a Speedy Metabolism
Stress Relief Activities
Anatomy of Walking
Vegetables and Physical Activity - the Ultimate Way to Fitness
hCG Weight Loss - Rapid and Long Lasting

Infographic source and further information at:
Health Me Up - Weight Loss

East vs. West Medicine [Infographic]

In the West, we are obsessed with dieting, as evidenced by the sheer number of diets, dietary supplements, weight loss and physical fitness programs and exercise equipment.

Although the desire to be thin often stems from societal pressure to look good, there is a more important reason why we should worry about being overweight, particularly if we have a big waistline and lots of belly fat - obesity and being overweight is linked to many chronic, debilitating and even life-threatening diseases and medical conditions.

Yet, it is thought that various diseases and chronic illnesses (as well as certain "modern" medications) actually cause weight gain and/or impede weight loss.

Hence, in the West, an overweight or obese person who also suffers from certain illness or chronic medical condition is sometimes trapped in a vicious cycle.  This may be because Western medicine often seeks to treat only the symptoms of each condition separately with a prescription for drugs for that particular condition.  When the drugs stop working, or complications due to drug interaction or other reasons arise, the next step is often invasive surgery.

In contract, Eastern medicine (such as Ayurveda) seeks to address and treat the underlying causes of the illness or medical condition, taking into consideration each individual's unique physical, mental and emotional constitution.  By treating the cause (rather than just the symptoms), the symptoms resolve once the cause is discovered and treated.

Eastern medicine also typically relies on only natural courses of both internal and topical treatments, such as proper nutrition, herbal preparations, acupuncture, acupressure and massage, meditation and yoga, detoxification, lifestyle modification and other holistic remedies.

This Infographic entitled "East vs. West Medicine" illustrates some of the key differences between the two approaches, including the history, basic theory, examination and diagnosis, and the duration of treatment for certain ailments and conditions.

Insofar as obesity and being overweight is concerned, most functional medicine physicians and holistic health practitioners agree that any weight loss effort must first begin with a healthy physical, mental and emotional constitution.

The idea is that with a proper diet, program of physical activity, lifestyle changes and natural treatments specific to the individual person, the underlying causes of the illness will be address and weight loss will occur naturally and more easily.

Luckily, in the West, we now live in an age and time when we have access to both systems of medicine.  If we are doing something that is not working, we can become informed and educate ourselves concerning all of our available options.***  A good place to start is by reading some of the books suggested below.


***Nothing in this post should be interpreted as medical advice or a suggestion to stop using currently prescribed medication or other courses of treatment without the supervision and oversight of a qualified medical professional.

Infographic Source:  HealthExecNews.com

Health Benefits of Medicinal Teas [infographic]

Health Benefits of Medicinal Teas from Sayan Health

Health Benefits of Tea

Tea has been valued as having important health benefits and has been used as an herbal remedy (both internally and externally) to treat a wide array of ailments by various cultures for centuries, perhaps longer.

Certainly, green tea has become very popular for its many protective health benefits, including weight loss and healthy weight management.

What about other teas?

Medicinal Properties

Research suggests that many other teas also have valuable medicinal properties and natural, holistic medicine uses, as this Infographic illustrates:

✿ Black Tea
✿ Chaga Tea
✿ Chamomile Tea
✿ Hibiscus Tea
✿ Oolong Tea
✿ Pu-erh Tea
✿ Rooibos Tea
✿ White Tea

Related

Health Benefits of Teas & Tisanes
7 Healing Herbal Teas
15 Herbal Teas for Health and Every Ailment
Health Benefits of Ginger and Tea Recipe


Infographic Source, to view a full size version and more Information:
Sayan Health - Medicinal Teas Infographic:  Great Reasons to Widen Your Tea Horizon

Banana: Properties and Health Benefits [Infographic]

Bananas: Properties and Health Benefits Infographic
from MedicinalPlants-Pharmacognosy.com

Lately, the trend has been to seek out exotic super fruits and other foods that promise recently discovered and amazing health benefits.  A perfect example is maca, mangosteen, acai and goji berries.

Yet, one of the most common, widely available and cheapest of the superfruits is often overlooked:  the humble banana.

Organic bananas are easily digestible, calorie dense, nutritional powerhouses, providing important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and an array of health benefits, as this infographic illustrates.

Always choose organically grown over conventionally grown bananas and other fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.

Mounting evidence suggests that organic produce is significantly richer in nutrients while being significantly lower in harmful, toxic pesticides.

Related and Further Reading:
Amazing Health Benefits of Bananas
Food Matters: 25 Powerful Reasons to Eat Bananas

Infographic Source and More Information:
MedicinalPlants-Pharmacognosy.com - Banana, Properties and Health Benefits

The Benefits of Vegetable Oil [Infographic]

Some 30 to 40 years ago, the "low-fat" and "fat-free" diet craze began to take hold in the United States.

Many doctors, wellness professionals and medical and public health institutions advised Americans to eliminate as much fat from their diets as possible.  Dietary fat was blamed for everything from weight gain and obesity to coronary heart disease.

In response, food manufacturers began to produce low-fat and fat-free versions of just about every type of food, including food that never had any fat to begin with - like juice.

Certainly, the low-fat and fat-free diet fad did not stop or even slow down the obesity epidemic in the U.S. during the past several decades.  And, whether or not a low-fat diet can prevent or reverse obesity, heart and other diseases continues to be a subject of heated controversy among physicians and other health professionals.

What we do seem to know is that human body needs a certain amount of healthy fat in order to function properly.

A growing body of research indicates that certain healthy fats are essential to brain health, may decrease risks of certain diseases and may even play an important role in weight loss and healthy weight management.

So, what are the sources of healthy fats?

Many doctors today, especially functional medicine physicians, advise staying clear of hydrogenated fats and fats from animals - particularly from commercially raised farm animals as these fats often contain traces of antibiotics, steroids and other drugs. (See Abuse of Antibiotics in our Food and the FDA, Drugs in Meat and Milk and How Farms Contribute to Superbugs)

Instead, it is recommended that we limit ourselves to fats from plant-based sources - those found in certain foods (such as nuts, seeds and olives and avocados) and in certain vegetable oils.

As this infographic illustrates, the most recent studies show that insofar as oils go, the healthiest fats come from the following:

✿ Olive Oil
✿ Flaxseed Oil
✿ Coconut Oil
✿ Peanut Oil
✿ Sesame Oil
✿ Avocado Oil

Other beneficial oils include:

✿ Almond Oil
✿ Hemp Seed Oil
✿ Macadamia Nut Oil
✿ Sesame Seed Oil
✿ Walnut Oil

Certain considerations need to be given to purchasing, storing and cooking with various types of vegetable oils.  This infographic gives some pointers in these areas and this and related information is also available online and in many excellent books.




Related:
Healthy Oils
Oils to Avoid and Oil Essentials
Healthy Oils - Cooking and Storing
Fat Facts
Fat: Good, Bad and Ugly
The Amazing Benefits of Coconut Oil

Infographic Source and further info at:  Health Central - Benefits of Vegetable Oils

How Yoga Transforms Your Body [Infographic]

We've all heard how the regular practice of yoga confers many health benefits, including weight loss and healthy weight maintenance, increased flexibility, improved balance, stronger bones, and decreased risk of chronic disease.

But what many of us may not realize is that certain benefits begin to accrue immediately - right after the very first class!

This wonderful infographic entitled "How Yoga Transforms Your Body" illustrates how yoga improves various aspects of physical, mental and emotional health and well-being after just one class, after several months of practice and after years of practice.

With so many important immediate and long-term benefits, there is no excuse not to begin a yoga practice today!

Related:
What is Yoga?
26 Amazing Benefits of Yoga
Yoga Starter - What's Your Style?
Redefine the Role of Yoga
Restorative Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress

Infographic Source and More Information at: Huffington Post, How Yoga Changes Your Body, Starting the Day You Begin