to put it simply, for those who want to gain/lose weight:

gain = calories in > calories expended
lose = calories in < calories expended

and remember for every 3500 calories more that you've expended than eaten = 1 pound loss. (i'm pretty sure that works the other way around as well)
i.e. - if you ate 500 less calories/day than you expend, after a week (500x7) you should have lost 1 pound.

 

I can barely fall asleep when I try to, probably due to 6 or more cups of coffee a day. I smoke, and I usually have time for 1 meal a day... so I make it good. Surprisingly, I start off every day with twenty minutes on the excercise ball. I suppose I could use some of that time for breakfast, but why eat eggs and grapefruit, when in a few hours they serve burgers?

 

Aspartame breaks down into methanol in your brain - it's the bad form of alcohol for human consumption and causes nerve damage but I hear it can be neutralized with a drink of an alcoholic beverage - but I don't drink so it didn't help me. My ears are ringing like crazy right now and usually I can hear the blood flowing on my ears with each heart beat but not anymore.

 

By Mayo Clinic Staff


Alcohol and your health: Weighing the pros and cons
Consider these points when weighing the risks and benefits of alcohol use.

For every article you read about the benefits of alcohol consumption, another seems to warn you of its risks. You might find such conflicting information confusing and frustrating.

Though moderate alcohol use seems to have some health benefits, anything more than moderate drinking can negate any potential benefits. Moderate drinking is defined as two drinks a day if you're a male under 65, or one drink a day if you're a female or a male over 65.

So should you avoid alcohol? Or can you continue to enjoy your glass of wine with dinner? It's up to you and your doctor. Here are some points on alcohol consumption for you to consider.
Health benefits

Moderate alcohol consumption may provide some health benefits. It may:

* Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication
* Reduce your risk of dying of a heart attack
* Possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes
* Lower your risk of gallstones
* Possibly reduce your risk of diabetes

Health risks

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems, including:

* Cancer of the pancreas, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast cancer
* Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides in their blood
* Sudden death in people with cardiovascular disease
* Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading to heart failure
* Stroke
* Brain atrophy (shrinkage)
* Cirrhosis of the liver
* Miscarriage
* Fetal alcohol syndrome in an unborn child, including impaired growth and nervous system development
* Injuries due to impaired motor skills
* Suicide

What counts as a drink?

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits. Again, keep in mind that people age 65 and older shouldn't drink more than one drink a day. With increasing age, adults break down alcohol more slowly, leading them to become intoxicated more quickly and increasing alcohol's damaging effects.
Who shouldn't drink alcohol?

People with certain health conditions shouldn't drink any alcohol, as even small amounts could cause problems. Don't drink alcohol if you have:

* A history of a hemorrhagic stroke
* Liver disease
* Pancreatic disease
* Evidence of precancerous changes in the esophagus, larynx, pharynx or mouth

If you have a family history of alcoholism, be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking, as you are at higher risk of alcoholism. And if you're pregnant, avoid alcohol entirely because of the health risks for your unborn baby.

In addition, alcohol interacts with many common prescription and over-the-counter medications. Check with your doctor, if you take:

* Antibiotics
* Anticoagulants
* Antidepressants
* Diabetes medications
* Antihistamines
* Anti-seizure medications
* Beta blockers
* Pain relievers
* Sleeping pills

If you combine alcohol with aspirin, you face an increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. And if you use alcohol and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), you increase your risk of liver damage. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires all over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers to carry a warning label advising those who consume three or more drinks a day to consult with their doctors before using the drug.
What to make of all the evidence

Weigh the pros against the cons of moderate drinking and decide whether drinking is OK for you. Be sure to consult your doctor if you have questions or are unsure.

Above all, don't feel pressured to drink. Few medical experts, if any, advise nondrinkers to start drinking. But if you do drink and you're healthy, there's no need to stop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation.
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Coffee and Health: Health Benefits of Coffee

Coffee has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee (two to four cups per day) provides a wide range of health benefits. Most of these benefits have been identified through statistical studies that track a large group of subjects over the course of years and match incidence of various diseases with individual habits, like drinking coffee, meanwhile controlling for other variables that may influence that relationship. According to a spate of such recent studies moderate coffee drinking may lower the risk of colon cancer by about 25%, gallstones by 45%, cirrhosis of the liver by 80%, and Parkinson's disease by 50% to as much as 80%. Other benefits include 25% reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and, at least among a large group of female nurses tracked over many years, fewer suicides.

In addition, some studies have indicated that coffee contains four times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea.

Of course, most of these studies do not take into account how the coffee is brewed, how fresh the beans, and so on. Perhaps as these studies are refined we may discover, for example, that drinking coffee that has been freshly roasted and brewed is more beneficial than downing coffee that is terminally stale or badly brewed. Certainly there is considerably more going on chemically in fresh coffee than in stale. And we may learn how much beneficial effects of coffee drinking are provoked by caffeine and how much by other, less understood, chemical components of coffee. But one thing is certain, if I were a nurse taking part in the study noted earlier, and if I were drinking cheap office service coffee, I would be much, much more prone to suicide than if I were drinking, say, a freshly roasted and brewed Ethiopia Yirgacheffe.

 

I found out about stevia a while ago but never tried it out. It's got a slightly weird taste to it but its like 500 times sweeter than sugar. It's not bad and there are no bad effects from it. For some reason the FDA refuses to OK it. Meanwhile, the carcinogen aspartame is OK'd. It wouldn't surprise me if the sugar and artificial sweetener corporations have their fingers puppeteering the FDA.

Everyone should do themselves a favor and check the ingredients on what they buy. Don't buy stuff with aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, or trans-fatty acids (aside from meat as it naturally occurs there. But keep that in moderation anyways).

 

i second that!

 

I'd like to know people's thoughts, opinions or possibly personal experiences on colon cleansing. i've heard a lot of good things about it, but none of which are FDA approved. which brings me to my next question.

has anyone heard of Kevin Trudeau and all his jargon on "Natrual Cures"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Trudeau

 

Chinese had this licked awhile ago. Acupuncture is the cure all. Between acupuncture and a good chiropractror, you ought to have a real good quality of life. Much better than getting pills pushed at you.

 

Yeah Kevin has some good stuff in his books and I have a friend that is a pharmacist that tells me all the bad things about the pills from the drug companies. Plenty of good cleaners at your local health food store to pick from and a lot depends upon what is your typical movement after a big meal. Some teas will really clean you out and kill a lot of the toxins and paracites that you may have - most of us do to some degree. Pets carry a lot of them and just some contact can infect you without you realizing it - I am talking about cats and dogs. Quick google shows this site at the top.

http://www.drnatura.com/

 

Yeah but acupuncture isn't going to kill a bacterial infection. I do recognize the ability of acupuncture for things relating to how the brain recognizes pain and discomfort and helping relieve stress and such. However, it does not work for everything. Some drugs are necessary. (like antibiotics) There are, however, alternative kinds of antibiotics. You don't necessarily need the massive chemical ones from the doctor. As long as you have the right herbs and regiment, you can heal damn near anything. Goldenseal, for one, is insanely antibacterial and antiviral. (I've actually created my own personal regiment and used it on myself to cure a viral infection that wasn't responding to any other treatment from the doctors.) It tends to kill like EVERYTHING in your digestive tract though, so you have to replenish it with probiotic supplements. If people would just research the herbs and whole foods more we would not need to push such drastic harsh drugs. (Research I actually am trying to get into a doctorate program for currently)

 

can we have the link/source bro?

 

Sorry for not finding the exact same page. I thought I saved it Thes page will also back these findings.

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/80/96454.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/..._x.htm?csp=34\

 

Let me apologize. My acupuncturist is also my herbalist/alternative medicine guy, so I was thinking of the whole package, even though what I typed said just acupuncture. I'm honest about it... to this day I eat bad foods, smoke, drink alot, have a crappy sleep schedule, hit the coffee hard, etc... but since I've relegated my doctor to yearly physicals and started counting on the acupuncture/chiropractic help/natural cures, I've been ten times healthier than when a doctor shoved a Z-pack or some pain killers at me. EDIT: The end result being that when I'm ready to change to a more responsible lifestyle, I'm in a far better position to do it now than when I counted on normal doctors.

 

Ahh, understood.
Wonder where I could find me one of them there nifty herbalist fellas to leech some brain juice off of... Reading about it is one thing, having a professional teach you is much better.

 

I have to admit that I haven't read the first 5 pages of this thread, so some of what I say may have already been said.
I do exercise every day and I try to eat healthy. First of all...NEVER DIET!! Diets simply do not work. In most cases, they do more harm than good. Anytime someone goes on a restrictive diet, you will lose weight. But in reality, nobody is going to stay on that diet forever. And as soon as you go off of it, you're likely to gain back everything you lost plus more. The best thing you can do as far as food is concerned is to eat sensible meals and sensible portions. I try to stay away from foods which are high in fat and I limit how much I snack. Every once in a while I'll allow myself a treat of some kind, I just don't make a habbit of it.
As for exercise, I have a Nordic Track cross-country ski machine that gives a great cardio/fat burning workout. I do that in the morning for 20 minutes 5 days a week (Monday - Friday). I also have a short ab rotuine I do after it. For strength training I have a Weider Crossbow machine (similar to a Bowflex but better IMHO) which I use in the evenings 3 times a week. I'm no super-Hulk, but I am in very good shape. My dad died from complications of adult diabetis, so I'm not taking any chances!

 

I lift computers and climb over unopened pile of snale mail and daily brisk walks and lots of stairs.

 

Chlorine Contamination



Chlorine Health Hazard Information

Acute Effects:

* Chlorine is a potent irritant in humans to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and the lungs. Several studies have reported the following effects: 0.014 to 0.054 ppm: tickling of the nose; 0.04 to 0.097 ppm: tickling of the throat; 0.06 to 0.3 ppm; itching of the nose and cough, stinging, or dryness of the nose and throat; 0.35 to 0.72 ppm: burning of the conjunctiva and pain after 15 minutes; above 1.0 ppm: discomfort ranging from ocular and respiratory irritation to coughing, shortness of breath, and headaches.2
* Higher levels of chlorine have resulted in the following effects in humans: 1 to 3 ppm: mild mucous membrane irritation; 30 ppm: chest pain, vomiting, dypsnea, cough; 46 to 60 ppm: toxic pneumonitis and pulmonary edema; 430 ppm: lethal after 30 minutes; 1,000 ppm: fatal within a few minutes.1
* Chlorine is extremely irritating to the skin and can cause severe burns.1
* Acute animal tests, such as the LC50 test in rats and mice, have shown chlorine to have high acute toxicity.3
* EPA'sOffice of Air Quality Planning and Standards, for a hazard ranking under Section 112(g) of the Clean Air Act Amendments, considers chlorine to be a "high concern" pollutant based on severe acute toxicity.4

Chronic Effects (Noncancer):

* Several studies in the older literature reported that chronic exposure to chlorine concentrations of around 5 ppm caused respiratory complaints, corrosion of the teeth, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, and increased susceptibility to tuberculosis in workers.5
* Animal studies have reported decreased body weight gain, eye and nose irritation, and effects on the respiratory tract, liver, and kidney from chronic inhalation exposure to chlorine.2
* Other studies have indicated that exposure to chlorine, via inhalation, may alter disease resistance in animals, with higher incidences of emphysema, pneumonia, and tuberculosis reported.2

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB, online database). National Toxicology Information Program, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD. 1993.
2. E.J. Calabrese and E.M. Kenyon. Air Toxics and Risk Assessment. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI. 1991.
3. R.D. Morris, A. Audet, I.F. Angelillo, T. C. Chalmers, and F. Mosteller. Chlorination, Chlorination by-products, and cancer: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 82(7):955-977. 1992.
4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Chlorine. EPA 440/5-84-030. Office of Water Regulations and Standards, Washington, DC. 1985.
5. American Council of Government of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values. Fourth Edition. Cincinnati, OH. 1986.



Chlorine and Your Health

In Super Nutrition for Healthy Hearts Dr Richard Passwater shows how "the origin of heart disease is akin to the origin of cancer" Chlorination could very well be a key factor linking these two major diseases. Chlorine creates THM's and haloforms. These potent chemical pollutants can trigger the production of excess free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals cause cell damage. Excess free radicals can cause normal smooth muscle cells in the arterial wall to go haywire, to mutate. The fibrous plaque consequently formed is essentially a benign tumor. Unfortunately, this tumor is linked with the origin of heart disease. Several studies in the older literature reported that chronic exposure to chlorine concentrations of around 5 ppm caused respiratory complaints, corrosion of the teeth, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, and increased susceptibility to tuberculosis in workers. American Council of Government of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values. Fourth Edition. Cincinnati, OH. 1986.

Animal studies have reported decreased body weight gain, eye and nose irritation, and effects on the respiratory tract, liver, and kidney from chronic inhalation exposure to chlorine. Other studies have indicated that exposure to chlorine, via inhalation, may alter disease resistance in animals, with higher incidences of emphysema, pneumonia, and tuberculosis reported. Source: E.J. Calabrese and E.M. Kenyon. Air Toxics and Risk Assessment. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI. 1991.

Showering may negatively affect our healthy more than we ever thought. Gasses as a rule are less soluble in hot water, and when heated, the free chlorine in water escapes into the air we breathe. When taking a shower chlorine gasses are steadily increased in the air to an extent that we breathe the harmful fumes. Regularly taking hot showers with chlorinated water could irritate the lungs and pose a health risk.

Chlorine and Aging

Studies published in Nature and Health magazine indicate the likelihood that regular exposure to chlorinated water can promote the aging process of the skin, much like extended exposure to sunlight.

Chlorine and Hair

"One out of every two clients coming into the salon has chlorine damage to their hair," says Vancouver's top hairdresser Derek London, "It's almost the same as oxidation from peroxide burning, except chlorine adds density to the hair. You see a lot of breakage and splitting. The chlorine makes hair shiny like fiberglass. Hair tangles when it's shampooed and becomes difficult to comb."



Chlorine and Your Drinking Water ~
Here's What The Experts Have To Say:



"The drinking of chlorinated water has finally been officially linked to an increased incidence of colon cancer. An epidemiologist at Oak Ridge Associated Universities completed a study of colon cancer victims and non-cancer patients and concluded that the drinking of chlorinated water for 15 years or more was conducive to a high rate of colon cancer." Health Freedom News, January/February 1987 "Long-term drinking of chlorinated water appears to increase a person's risk of developing bladder cancer as much as 80%," according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Some 45,000 Americans are diagnosed every year with bladder cancer. St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press, December 17, 1987 "Although concentrations of these carcinogens are low...it is precisely these low levels which cancer scientists believe are responsible for the majority of human cancers in the United States." Report Issued By The Environmental Defense Fund "Chlorine itself is not believed to be the problem. Scientists suspect that the actual cause of the bladder cancers is a group of chemicals that form as result of reactions between the chlorine and natural substances and pollutants in the water." (organic matter such as leaves and twigs.) St. Paul Dispatch & Pioneer Press, December 17, 1987 Greenpeace reports have found chlorine-based compounds to be the most common toxic and persistent pollutants in the Great Lakes

 

I thought consuming lots of alcohol is a bad thing, but in the uk (and other european countries) they consume alcohol so casually, and on such a regular basis. isn't that bad?

 

Aside from the UK, Europeans do drink more alcohol than Americans, but they also eat better and exercise more (lots of public transportation, walking to and fro...) and tend not to binge drink (except UK, which is a mess).