Gluten Free Weight Loss

best diet gluten free: In order to minimize the symptoms of celiac disease, many people consume foods which are gluten free. That is why a lot of people learn to follow this way of dieting thinking that it will help them. Those who suffer from this disease can no longer absorb nutrients from the food they eat. As a result, they lose weight rapidly even before the doctors give their diagnosis.

best gluten free diet weight loss plan: Many experts believe that eating foods which do not contain this protein can help you in attaining weight reduction. Many celebrities have also chosen the best gluten free diet weight loss plan just because of this. According to an expert you will be able to lose some pounds by not consuming baked foods which contain high amount of gluten and fat.

gluten free diet weight loss: Eating food which help your small intestine absorb nutrients is extremely important. The best gluten free diet weight loss means you only consume what is helpful to your body. By doing this, you will be able to get the ideal body weight. In addition to the food mentioned above, you need to avoid baked products because they also contain an enormous amount of gluten and fats.

The weight-loss foods that are gluten-free can include frozen vegetables and fruits, some dairy products like cheese, eggs and products that do not contain thickening agents and additives. Starches and flours made of buckwheat, tapioca, corn, rice and soybeans can also be included in this type of diet. In the liquid; mineral water, spirits, tea and coffee can be used.

Cereal products that are made of rice bran, corn, lentil flour, amaranth, polenta and psyllium as well as canned meat products without sauce and processed meat products can be included in the diet. In the condiments variety one can include salad dressings, tahini, cocoa, vinegar, honey, tomato paste and jam. As healthy snacks one can eat corn chips, plain chocolate and popcorn.

Before you follow this kind of diet, you need to take extra precautions. Consult your doctor first so that he or she can provide you with medically sound advice. Avoid making a self-diagnosis when it comes to weight loss diets. Most of all, be careful when you shop for food which are packaged as wheat free. Most of these food are actually rich in protein. Most processed food which are made out of modified starch are rich in gluten as well. To get the best result, gluten free diet weight loss involves should be done with proper medical consultation and proper food intake.



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Lose Weight and Maintain Ideal Body Size for Life - Health - Weight Loss

Each one of us would like to be healthier, more active, feel younger, have a flawless, unlined skin and possess a lean and well toned figure.

In a society which has become accustomed to instant gratification and the belief that everything can be achieved with money rather than discipline, we are prepared to spare no expense, in order to achieve our goal as quickly as possible with the latest miraculous cure.

We drink countless cups of coffee and other stimulants in order to be active, take libido enhancers for sexual prowess, apply creams and concealing makeup in our quest for a flawless, supple complexion, and take pills and other potions and even undergo surgery for weight control. In our desire to find the easiest and quickest path to achieve our goal, we are prepared to pay any price, as long as the price is payable in money rather than effort.

Nevertheless, as in almost anything in life which is worth our while, maintaining excellent health and a lean and well toned body, require daily perseverance.

Needless to say maintaining optimum health and a lean and fit physique, is not achieved by undergoing enormous effort and heroic sacrifice during a brief period of time, but by consistent small daily actions. It is about creating lifetime habits.It is neither difficult nor requires tremendous amount of will power, countless hours of exercise or strict crash diets.

Every day, more and more people are becoming aware that they must take action in order to improve the shape and condition of their body and to maintain optimum health; this has resulted in a massive health and fitness market, as well as an overflow of information on weight control.

In this age of information, where we are constantly bombarded with news and advice on any subject, this abundance of sometimes conflicting opinions can be daunting and overwhelming once we have made the decision to lose that extra weight.

In concept, however, weight loss is as simple as a subtraction equation, if you ingest more energy than you consume, that energy will invariably store up as fat, in other words, you will gain weight, if you ingest less than you consume, the body will use up stored fat deposits, which means that you will lose weight.

So, basically, achieving and maintaining your ideal body weight should be based on the correct balance of the two pillars of NUTRITION (intake) and ACTIVITY (output).

1. Nutrition: Correct, balanced eating habits as opposed to strict, unbalanced crash diets. Any diet plan you follow should concentrate not so much in teaching you what to eat but on HOW to eat. One of the great weight loss myths is that in order to burn fats and calories, the intake of food should be frugal. Should we put this belief into practise, our organism would go into alert mode by reducing its metabolic rate, i.e. low consumption mode, thus reducing its capacity to burn calories. Any weight loss diet plan you opt for should be balanced, varied and healthy whilst reducing the caloric intake, and make lifelong changes to your eating habits and lifestyle. 2. Activity: Our ancestors energy consumption was generally in proportion to their calorie intake, as most of their activity was directly related to obtaining their sustenance. In our high-tech society, however, where food is readily and easily available and professional activity is mainly of a sedentary nature, we have to complement our energy output with additional exercise. When choosing an exercise to burn the extra fat, opt for activities which encourage total body workout and uniform weight loss, otherwise you may find that while parts of your body are slimming down, other parts remain stubbornly flabby.. Swimming and aerobics are two excellent examples of total body toning. It is also important that the exercise becomes a hobby or pastime (eg. dancing, tennis) rather than a chore in order to make it easier to stick to your routine.

The third leg of the weight loss triangle is in aiding the body to consume more energy than our calorie input in order to lose weight faster. This is where the big question comes in: Supplements or No Supplements?

3. Supplements: Medical Science has been able to accomplish much and each day more and more drugs claim to be the solution for fast and effortless weight loss. While most of these supplements are treated with a great deal of scepticism, due to stories of either inefficiency to achieve their claims or bad experiences by users of these supplements, still there are those who swear by their success.In general, supplements work in one of these three ways:Aid in Appetite Control (Valuable for dieters who can?t control intake)Help Boost Metabolic Rate (Valuable for dieters who consume little energy or have low metabolic rate)Aid Digestion (Assisting the digestive system can streamline its tasks and allow it to metabolise food a lot faster.

When used to aid weight loss, supplements can be a valuable tool, but if they are not accompanied by other efforts to lose weight, you?re probably not going to be successful.

Bottom line: Supplements can be a help, but if you depend on them as a Miracle Cure whilst continuing with your unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle, you are in for some disappointment.

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Healthy Weight Loss and Body Weight - A Quick Look - Health - Weight Loss

Healthy Weight Loss and Body Weight - A Quick Look

Technological advancements in the modern world have made us believe virtually in everything and anything. Quick-fix diets can lead to quick fat loss. Fast fat-burning foods can result in faster metabolism. Healthy weight loss programs can translate to healthier lifestyles.

Everything has become super easy and simple. Answers and solutions are immediately accessible in a few winks or in a couple of clicks.

Instant gratification seems to be the order of the day. Instant results are possible, so consultants on diets, exercises, and other health programs are quick to promise you these. There are pills and supplements which claim to literally work like magic potions on your figure for a more ideal you.

But the question is: What's ideal for you? Let's take a quick look.

What does ideal body weight mean?

By definition and in practice, ideal body weight is that weight where you are at your best and healthiest. It is not a figure or statistics you alone set, and neither is it a standard common to all.

Ideal body weight is more on an individual level. In fact, it can be measured in three ways:

o Ideal weight is measured in relation to your body mass indexo It correlates the proportion between your height and weighto It consider the proportion of body fat to both muscle and bone

What do quick-fix and fad diets ideally promise?

Many new diets promise permanent and fast weight loss, an ideal which quick-fix diets alone will try to dish out for you without delivering much success. Because the outcome is only short-term and temporary, it can be frustrating to see yourself gain those pounds all over again once you give the diet or exercise a break

Aside from being limited in nutrients, these fad diets are also either expensive or time-consuming. Unless yours is credible and effective, you would tend to lose more water and muscle than fat. This leaves you pale, weak, and dehydrated.

What good would healthy weight loss do?

In contrast, a long-term lifestyle change which perks you up is a better alternative to an all-too-easy program that lets you down.

Healthy weight loss programs starts with eating healthy, natural food and drinking lots of water. Because not a single food can provide all the nutrients you require, it continues with eating a variety of the basic food groups while limiting the consumption not only of sweet and fatty foods but also salty and processed foods.

As you take in all the energy-giving calories you need through healthier eating habits, you burn any extra calories through fat-burning cardiovascular exercises.

To make the experience more rewarding, you gratify your senses with a good amount of sleep and you indulge yourself in a hearty breakfast.

A healthy loss of one to two pounds a week would be quick enough for your body to handle. This is the simplest, easiest, and safest way possible. Ideally, if you could have the option of healthy weight loss programs on an achievable and sustainable basis, we're sure you would choose it for life.

Sign up for a free newsletter and read expert articles on how to lose weight safely, quickly and choose a plan that's right for you./

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Reach Your Ideal Body Weight: 3 Ways to Cut the Junk in Your Diet - Health - Weight Loss

If you have long been looking for ways to lose weight but have been unsuccessful so far, then you may already be familiar with the things that need to be eliminated from your Depending on the diet that you will choose, you will be told to cut the fats, carbohydrates or cut the calories in your diet.

But what if getting rid of just one of these three factors still proves to be ineffective? Here, we will take a look at some of the 'junk' which needs to be eliminated from your diet, and how they can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

- First, most diet plans tell individuals to cut the junk of too much fats in the food that they eat. Actually, the effectiveness of a low-fat diet will depend on an individual. There are many types of fat which you can find in the food that you are eating on a daily basis. This can include monosaturated and polysaturated fats, processed fats and hydrogenated fats.

When processed fats are combined with a high level of carbohydrates, this would not be good for your health at all.

- Second, some weight loss plans focus on a low-carb diet. Will cutting the carbs from your diet be effective in helping you meet your weight loss goals? Again, this depends on the individual. It may be an effective move for some people to have a low-carb diet. For others, it may not work as well.

- Third, there are types of diets which focus on consuming foods which are low in calories. Usually, it is not really the caloric content of the food that you are eating which is the problem but how fast your body is able to burn them. When you consume a diet which is low in calories and processed fats, you will be left with the option of consuming foods which are natural protein sources, as well as fruits and veggies.

Remember that eating healthy should be a way of life rather than a temporary solution to your weigh loss problems so plan your meals in advance and always consider the nutritional value of the foods that you are eating.

By cutting on the junk fats, carbohydrates and calories in your diet, you can very well be on your way towards reaching your ideal body weight.

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Ideal Body Weight - Health - Weight Loss

An ideal body weight should be the goal for anyone who is interested in avoiding heart disease,diabetes and stroke.With the daily assult from television adverting and fast food convenience,Americans are saturated with unhealthy conditioning. The result, through the power of suggestion is devastating.

I want to mention that reaching ieal body weight doesn't happen overnight but of course weight loss certainly can.

Let's look first at your BMI(body mass index).This is the connection between your height and weight that is your body fat indicator. Any good N.D./M.D. will tell you how important it is.

The ideal body weight isn't rocket science, you can figure it out. Though unless you were a math whiz in high school or college I would suggest using a calculator. Here's how it's done.....

1.You must take your weight(1 kilogram= 2.2 pounds)2.Then measure your height(1 inch= 2.5 centimeters)3.Divide your weight by your height squared (Kg/{m}2)=26

If I haven't lost you yet you can actually hunt around on the web and find many sites that will do this for you.I want to include this handy chart I found for ideal body body weight.

BMI / BODY ________________________________________ 18.5 or less- ~ underweight/ 18.5 to 24.9- ~ normal/ 25.0-29.9- ~ overweight/ 30.0-34.9- ~ obese/ 40+ ~ very obese/

Get your numbers down by trying some sure fire tricks for weight loss. I've tried these for years and have turned friends on to them...If you don't walk for an hour a day every day then start now and watch your weight fall off naturally.Jared the "subway" guy wasn't putting you on.

Eating correctly and organically of course should be your number one goal in maintaining health and in health recovery after illness.Always begin with a general cleanse to rid yourself of toxins.Flush the fat cells after your cleanse by drinking apple cider vinegar with "mother". One tablespoon in a glass of water before meals will get you on your way. If you'd like to learn more about this subject you can refer back to my article on weight loss with apple cider vinegar under the weight loss section and it will tell you everything you need to know.

Try to seek out whole foods in your quest for ideal body weight. There are countless foods to choose from but it's good to start with whole grain foods.I use flax seed and flax flour in everything. It's versatile. Also it's ideal for baking as long as you don't overdue it.Too much and it can leave a bitter aftertaste.Try flax oil instead of olive oil in your cooking.It's lighter,nuttier and it cooks into chicken and rice well.

In the end it all comes down to you(Joni Mithell song). Ideal body weight and ideal body mass index can begin one minute from now. Don't make weight loss your great white whale and go mad in the process....I relate deeply to how you feel. I've been through the mill with this and finally found a comfortable place without dangerous diet pills, living from whole foods the way God intended.

The first thing you should say to yourself upon arising each morning is I CAN followed by I WILL. Just reprogram and put the law of attraction to work. No one will do it for you so find your ideal body weight and take ACTION! Shoot for the numbers and here's wishing you success in all your endeavors.....

If you found this article helpful I'd like to invite you to the website below to learn more/

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Eating Disorders Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions

Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peer, and cultural practices, and attempts at voluntary control. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions. Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight. Researchers are investigating how and why initially voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, at some point move beyond control in some people and develop into an eating disorder. Studies on the basic biology of appetite control and its alteration by prolonged overeating or starvation have uncovered enormous complexity, but in the long run have the potential to lead to new pharmacologic treatment s for eating disorders.

Eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior; rather, they are real, treatable medical illnesses in which certain maladaptive patterns of eating take on a life of their own. The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A third type, binge-eating disorder, has been suggested but has not yet been approved as a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Eating disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but some reports indicate their onset can occur during childhood or later in adulthood.

Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. In addition, people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases, therefore, is critically important.

Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. Only an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of those with binge-eating disorder are male.

Anorexia Nervosa

An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:

Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height

Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight

Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight

Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have reached puberty)

People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many engage in other techniques to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics. Girls with anorexia often experience a delayed onset of their first menstrual period.

The course and outcome of anorexia nervosa vary across individuals: some fully recover after a single episode; some have a fluctuating pattern of weight gain and relapse; and others experience a chronically deteriorating course of illness over many years. The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population. The most common causes of death are complications of the disorder, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, and suicide.

Bulimia Nervosa

An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:

Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging); fasting; or excessive exercise

The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months

Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight

Because purging or other compensatory behavior follows the binge-eating episodes, people with bulimia usually weigh within the normal range for their age and height. However, like individuals with anorexia, they may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. People with bulimia often perform the behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge.

Binge-Eating Disorder

Community surveys have estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period. Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:

Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode

The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating

Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior

The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months

The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise)

People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge eating.

Treatment Strategies

Eating disorders can be treated and a healthy weight restored. The sooner these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes are likely to be. Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions, nutritional counseling and, when appropriate, medication management. At the time of diagnosis, the clinician must determine whether the person is in immediate danger and requires hospitalization.

Treatment of anorexia calls for a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3) achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. Early diagnosis and treatment increases the treatment success rate. Use of psychotropic medication in people with anorexia should be considered only after weight gain has been established. Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs ) have been shown to be helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving mood and anxiety symptoms associated with anorexia.

The acute management of severe weight loss is usually provided in an inpatient hospital setting, where feeding plans address the person's medical and nutritional needs. In some cases, intravenous feeding is recommended. Once malnutrition has been corrected and weight gain has begun, psychotherapy (often cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy) can help people with anorexia overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns. Families are sometimes included in the therapeutic process.

The primary goal of treatment for bulimia is to reduce or eliminate binge eating and purging behavior. To this end, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention, and medication management strategies are often employed. Establishment of a pattern of regular, non-binge meals, improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder, encouragement of healthy but not excessive exercise, and resolution of co-occurring conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders are among the specific aims of these strategies. Individual psychotherapy (especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy), group psychotherapy that uses a cognitive-behavioral approach, and family or marital therapy have been reported to be effective. Psychotropic medications, primarily antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs ), have been found helpful for people with bulimia, particularly those with significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may help prevent relapse. The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating disorder are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating the effectiveness of various interventions.

People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed care and rehabilitation. For some people, treatment may be long term.

Research Findings and Directions

Research is contributing to advances in the understanding and treatment of eating disorders.

NIMH-funded scientists and others continue to investigate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions, medications, and the combination of these treatments with the goal of improving outcomes for people with eating disorders.

Research on interrupting the binge-eating cycle has shown that once a structured pattern of eating is established, the person experiences less hunger, less deprivation, and a reduction in negative feelings about food and eating. The two factors that increase the likelihood of bingeinghunger and negative feelingsare reduced, which decreases the frequency of binges.

Several family and twin studies are suggestive of a high heritability of anorexia and bulimia, and researchers are searching for genes that confer susceptibility to these disorders. Scientists suspect that multiple genes may interact with environmental and other factors to increase the risk of developing these illnesses. Identification of susceptibility genes will permit the development of improved treatments for eating disorders.

Other studies are investigating the neurobiology of emotional and social behavior relevant to eating disorders and the neuroscience of feeding behavior.

Scientists have learned that both appetite and energy expenditure are regulated by a highly complex network of nerve cells and molecular messengers called neuropeptides . These and future discoveries will provide potential targets for the development of new pharmacologic treatments for eating disorders.

Further insight is likely to come from studying the role of gonadal steroids. Their relevance to eating disorders is suggested by the clear gender effect in the risk for these disorders, their emergence at puberty or soon after, and the increased risk for eating disorders among girls with early onset of menstruation

Anorexia Nervosa

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Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Anorexia Nervosa has four primary symptoms:

Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height

Intense fear of weight gain or being fat even though underweight.

Disturbance in the experience of body weight or shape, undue influence of weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of low body weight.

Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.

Eating disorders experts have found that prompt intensive treatment significantly improves the chances of recovery. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa.

Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa:

Dramatic weight loss.

Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.

Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).

Frequent comments about feeling fat or overweight despite weight loss.

Anxiety about gaining weight or being fat.

Denial of hunger.

Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive chewing, rearranging food on a plate).

Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.

Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury--the need to burn off calories taken in.

Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.

In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns.

Anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation. The body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally, so it is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy. This slowing down can have serious medical consequences.

Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa:

Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.

Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.

Muscle loss and weakness.

Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.

Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.

Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.

Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.

Statistics About Anorexia Nervosa:

Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).

Between 0.5-1% of American women suffer from anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women (Hsu, 1996).

Between 5-20% of individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa will die. The probabilities of death increases within that range depending on the length of the condition ( Zerbe, 1995).

Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition.

Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence.

Anorexia Nervosa in Males

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Anorexia nervosa is a severe, life-threatening disorder in which the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight, and exhibits a significant distortion in the perception of the shape or size of his body, as well as dissatisfaction with his body shape and size.

Behavioral Characteristics:

Excessive dieting, fasting, restricted diet

Food rituals

Preoccupation with body building, weight lifting, or muscle toning

Compulsive exercise

Difficulty eating with others, lying about eating

Frequently weighing self

Preoccupation with food

Focus on certain body parts; e.g., buttocks, thighs, stomach

Disgust with body size or shape

Distortion of body size; i.e., feels fat even though others tell him he is already very thin

Emotional and Mental Characteristics:

Intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight

Depression

Social isolation

Strong need to be in control

Rigid, inflexible thinking, all or nothing

Decreased interest in sex or fears around sex

Possible conflict over gender identity or sexual orientation

Low sense of self worth -- uses weight as a measure of worth

Difficulty expressing feelings

Perfectionistic -- strives to be the neatest, thinnest, smartest, etc.

Difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating

Irritability, denial -- believes others are overreacting to his low weight or caloric restriction

Insomnia

Physical Characteristics:

Low body weight (15% or more below what is expected for age, height, activity level)

Lack of energy, fatigue

Muscular weakness

Decreased balance, unsteady gait

Lowered body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate

Tingling in hands and feet

Thinning hair or hair loss

Lanugo (downy growth of body hair)

Heart arrhythmia

Lowered testosterone levels

Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating Disorder:

What is an Eating Disorder?

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Eating Disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues.

They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males.

ANOREXIA NERVOSA is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

Symptoms include:

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level

Intense fear of weight gain or being fat

Feeling fat or overweight despite dramatic weight loss

Loss of menstrual periods

Extreme concern with body weight and shape BULIMIA NERVOSA is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food--more than most people would eat in one meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising.

Symptoms include:

Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging

Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness

Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)

Frequent dieting

Extreme concern with body weight and shape BINGE EATING DISORDER (also known as COMPULSIVE OVEREATING) is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

OTHER EATING DISORDERS can include some combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or binge eating disorder. While these behaviors may not be clinically considered a full syndrome eating disorder, they can still be physically dangerous and emotionally draining. All eating disorders require professional help.

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yoga for good helth

History
Main article: History of yoga
See also: Hinduism and Asana

The Vedic Samhitas contain references to ascetics, while ascetic practices (tapas) are referenced in the Brhmaas (900 to 500 BCE), early commentaries on the Vedas.[18] Several seals discovered at Indus Valley Civilization (c. 33001700 B.C.E.) sites in Pakistan depict figures in positions resembling a common yoga or meditation pose, showing "a form of ritual discipline, suggesting a precursor of yoga", according to archaeologist Gregory Possehl.[19] Some type of connection between the Indus Valley seals and later yoga and meditation practices is speculated upon by many scholars, though there is no conclusive evidence.[20]

Techniques for experiencing higher states of consciousness in meditation were developed by the shramanic traditions and in the Upanishadic tradition.[21]

While there is no clear evidence for meditation in pre-Buddhist early Brahminic texts, Wynne a rgues that formless meditation originated in the Brahminic tradition, based on strong parallels between Upanishadic cosmological statements and the meditative goals of the two teachers of the Buddha as recorded in the early Buddhist texts.[22] He mentions less likely possibilities as well.[23] Having argued that the cosmological statements in the Upanishads also reflect a contemplative tradition, he argues that the Nasadiya Sukta contains evidence for a contemplative tradition, even as early as the late Rg Vedic period.[22]

The Buddhist texts are probably the earliest texts describing meditation techniques.[24] They describe meditative practices and states which had existed before the Buddha as well as those which were first developed within Buddhism.[25] In Hindu literature, the term "yoga" first occurs in the Katha Upanishad, where it refers to control of the senses and the cessation of mental activity leading to a supreme state.[26] Important textual sources fo r the evolving concept of Yoga are the middle Upanishads, (ca. 400 BCE), the Mahabharata including the Bhagavad Gita (ca. 200 BCE), and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (150 BCE).
[edit] Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Main articles: Raja Yoga and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

In Indian philosophy, Yoga is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools.[27][28] The Yoga philosophical system is closely allied with the Samkhya school.[29] The Yoga school as expounded by the sage Patanjali accepts the Samkhya psychology and metaphysics, but is more theistic than the Samkhya, as evidenced by the addition of a divine entity to the Samkhya's twenty-five elements of reality.[30][31] The parallels between Yoga and Samkhya were so close that Max Mller says that "the two philosophies were in popular parlance distinguished from each other as Samkhya with and Samkhya without a Lord...."[32] The intimate relationship between Samkhya and Yoga is explained by Heinrich Zimme r:

These two are regarded in India as twins, the two aspects of a single discipline. Skhya provides a basic theoretical exposition of human nature, enumerating and defining its elements, analyzing their manner of co-operation in a state of bondage (bandha), and describing their state of disentanglement or separation in release (moka), while Yoga treats specifically of the dynamics of the process for the disentanglement, and outlines practical techniques for the gaining of release, or 'isolation-integration' (kaivalya).[33]

Patanjali is widely regarded as the founder of the formal Yoga philosophy.[34] Patanjali's yoga is known as Raja yoga, which is a system for control of the mind.[35] Patanjali defines the word "yoga" in his second sutra,[36] which is the definitional sutra for his entire work:

: - :
( yoga citta-vtti-nirodha )
- Yoga Sutras 1.2

This terse definition hinges on the meaning of three Sanskrit terms. I. K. Taimni translates it as "Yoga is the inhibition (nirodha) of the modifications (vtti) of the mind (citta)".[37] The use of the word nirodha in the opening definition of yoga is an example of the important role that Buddhist technical terminology and concepts play in the Yoga Sutra; this role suggests that Patanjali was aware of Buddhist ideas and wove them into his system.[38] Swami Vivekananda translates the sutra as "Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Citta) from taking various forms (Vrittis)."[39]
A sculpture of a Hindu yogi in the Birla Mandir, Delhi

Patanjali's writing also became the basis for a system referred to as "Ashtanga Yoga" ("Eight-Limbed Yoga"). This eight-limbed concept derived from the 29th Sutra of the 2nd book, and is a core characteristic of practically every Raja yoga variation taught today. The Eight Limbs are:

1. Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality, and non-possessiv eness.
2. Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and surrender to god.
3. Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to the seated position used for meditation.
4. Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prna, breath, "yma", to restrain or stop. Also interpreted as control of the life force.
5. Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
6. Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.
7. Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation.
8. Samdhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.

In the view of this school, the highest attainment does not reveal the experienced diversity of the world to be illusion. The everyday world is real. Furthermore, the highest attainment is the event of one of many individual selves discovering itself; there is no single universal self shared by all persons.[40]
[edit] Yoga and Samkhya
Main article: Samkhya

Patanjali systematized the conceptions of Yoga and set them forth on the background of the metaphysics of Samkhya, which he assumed with slight variations. In the early works, the Yoga principles appear along with the Samkhya ideas. Vyasa's commentary on the Yoga Sutras, also called the "Samkhyapravacanabhasya", brings out the intimate relation between the two systems.[41]

Yoga agrees with the essential metaphysics of Samkhya, but differs from it in that while Samkhya holds that knowlege is the means of liberation, Yoga is a system of active striving, mental discipline, and dutiful action. Yoga also introduces the conception of God. Sometimes Patanjali's system is referred to as "Seshvara Samkhya" in contradistinction to Kapila's "Nirivara Samkhya".[42]
[edit] Bhagavad Gita
Main article: Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita ('Song of the Lo rd'), uses the term yoga extensively in a variety of ways. In addition to an entire chapter (ch. 6) dedicated to traditional yoga practice, including meditation,[43] it introduces three prominent types of yoga:[44]

* Karma yoga: The yoga of action,
* Bhakti yoga: The yoga of devotion,
* Gnana yoga: The yoga of knowledge.

Madhusudana Sarasvati (b. circa 1490) divided the Gita into three sections, with the first six chapters dealing with Karma yoga, the middle six with Bhakti yoga, and the last six with Jnana (knowledge).[45] Other commentators ascribe a different 'yoga' to each chapter, delineating eighteen different yogas.[46] [edit] Hatha Yoga
Main articles: Hatha yoga and Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Hatha Yoga is a particular system of Yoga described by Yogi Swatmarama, compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in 15th century India. Hatha Yoga differs substantially from the Raja Yoga of Patanjali in that it focuses on shatkarma, the purification of the physical body as leading to the purification of the mind (ha), and prana, or vital energy (tha).[47][48] Compared to the seated asana, or sitting meditation posture, of Patanjali's Raja yoga,[49] it marks the development of asanas (plural) into the full body 'postures' now in popular usage [50] and, its many modern variations, is the style that many people associate with the word "Yoga" today.[51]
[edit] Yoga practices in other traditions
[edit] Buddhism
Main article: Buddhism and Hinduism#Meditation
The Buddha depicted in yogic meditation, Kamakura, Japan

Early Buddhism incorporated meditative absorption states. [52] The most ancient sustained expression of yogic ideas is found in the early sermons of the Buddha.[53] One key innovative teaching of the Buddha was that meditative absorption must be combined with liberating cognition.[54] The difference between the Buddha's teaching and the yoga presented in early Brahminic texts is striking. Meditative states alone are not an end, for according to the Buddha, even the highest meditative state is not liberating. Instead of attaining a complete cessation of thought, some sort of mental activity must take place: a liberating cognition, based on the practice of mindful awareness.[55] The Buddha also departed from earlier yogic thought in discarding the early Brahminic notion of liberation at death.[56] Liberation for the Brahminic yogin was thought to be the realization at death of a nondual meditative state anticipated in life. In fact, old Brahminic metaphors for the liberation at death of the yogic adept ("becoming cool", "going out") were given a new meaning by the Buddha; their point of reference became the sage who is liberated in life.[57]
See also: Pranayama#Buddhism
[edit] Yogacara Buddhism

Yogacara (Sanskrit: "yoga practice"[58]), also spelled yogchra, is a school of philosophy and psychology that developed in India during the 4th to 5th centuries. Yogacara received the name as it provided a yoga, a framework for engaging in the practices that lead to the path of the bodhisattva.[59] The Yogacara sect teaches yoga in order to reach enlightenment.[60]
[edit] Ch'an (Seon/Zen) Buddhism

Zen (the name of which derives from the Sanskrit "dhyaana" via the Chinese "ch'an"[61]) is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Mahayana school of Buddhism is noted for its proximity with Yoga.[52] In the west, Zen is often set alongside Yoga; the two schools of meditation display obvious family resemblances.[62] This phenomenon merits special attention since the Zen Buddhist school of m editation has some of its roots in yogic practices.[63] Certain essential elements of Yoga are important both for Buddhism in general and for Zen in particular.[64]
[edit] Indo-Tibetan Buddhism

Yoga is central to Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma tradition, the path of meditation practice is divided into nine yanas, or vehicles, which are said to be increasingly profound.[65] The last six are described as "yoga yanas": Kriya yoga, Upa yoga, Yoga yana, Mah yoga, Anu yoga and the ultimate practice, Ati yoga.[66] The Sarma traditions also include Kriya, Upa (called Charya), and Yoga, with the Anuttara yoga class substituting for Mahayoga and Atiyoga.[67] Other tantra yoga practices include a system of 108 bodily postures practiced with breath and heart rhythm. The Nyingma tradition also practices Yantra yoga (Tib. Trul khor), a discipline that includes breath work (or pranayama), meditative contemplation and precise dynamic movements to centre the practitioner.[6 8] The body postures of Tibetan ancient yogis are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang. A semi-popular account of Tibetan Yoga by Chang (1993) refers to caal (Tib. tummo), the generation of heat in one's own body, as being "the very foundation of the whole of Tibetan Yoga".[69] Chang also claims that Tibetan Yoga involves reconciliation of apparent polarities, such as prana and mind, relating this to theoretical implications of tantrism.
[edit] Jainism
Tirthankara Parsva in Yogic meditation in the Kayotsarga posture.
Kevala Jna of Mahavira in mulabandhasana posture

According to Tattvarthasutra, 2nd century CE Jain text, Yoga, is the sum total of all the activities of mind, speech and body.[4] Umasvati calls yoga the cause of asrava or karmic influx [70] as well as one of the essentialssamyak caritrain the path to liberation.[70] In his Niyamasara, Acarya Kundakunda, describes yoga bhaktidevotion to the path to liberatio nas the highest form of devotion.[71] Acarya Haribhadra and Acarya Hemacandra mention the five major vows of ascetics and 12 minor vows of laity under yoga. This has led certain Indologists like Prof. Robert J. Zydenbos to call Jainism, essentially, a system of yogic thinking that grew into a full-fledged religion.[72] Dr. Heinrich Zimmer contended that the yoga system had pre-Aryan origins that did not accept the authority of the Vedas, and hence had to be reckoned as one of the heterodox doctrines similar to Jainism.[73] Jain iconography depicts Jain Tirthankara's meditation in Padmasana or Kayotsarga yogic poses. Mahavira was said to have achieved Kevala Jnana "enlightenment" siting in mulabandhasana ('root-lock') position, which is first mentioned in the Acaranga Sutra and later in Kalpasutra [74]

The five yamas or the constraints of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali bear an uncanny resemblance to the five major vows of Jainism, indicating a strong influence of Jai nism.[75][76] This mutual influence between the Yoga philosophy and Jainism is admitted by the author Vivian Worthington who writes: "Yoga fully acknowledges its debt to Jainism, and Jainism reciprocates by making the practice of yoga part and parcel of life." [77] The Indus valley seals and iconography also provide a reasonable evidence of the existence of a proto-yogic tradition akin to Jainism.[78] More specifically, scholars and archaeologists have remarked on close similarities in the yogic and meditative postures depicted in the seals with those of various Tirthankaras: the "kayotsarga" posture of Rsabha and the mulabandhasana of Mahavira along with seals depicting meditative figure flaked by upright serpents bearing similarities to iconography of Parsva. All these are indicative of not only links between Indus Valley Civilisation and Jainism, but also show the contribution of Jainism to various yogic practices.[79]
[edit] References in Jain canons and literature< br />
Earliest of Jain canonical literature like Acarangasutra and texts like Niyamasara, Tattvarthasutra etc. had many references on yoga as a way of life for laymen and ascetics. The later texts that further elaborated on the Jain concept of yoga are as follows:

* Pujyapada (5th century CE)
o Ishtopadesh

* Acarya Haribhadra Suri(8th century CE)
o Yogabindu
o Yogadristisamuccaya
o Yogasataka
o Yogavimisika

* Acarya Joindu (8th century CE)
o Yogasara

* Acarya Hemacandra (11th century CE)
o Yogasastra

* Acarya Amitagati (11th century CE)
o Yogasaraprabhrta

[edit] Islam

The development of Sufism was considerably influenced by Indian yogic practises, where they adapted both physical postures (asanas) and breath control (pranayama).[80] The ancient Indian yogic text Amritakunda ("Pool of Nectar)" was translated into Arabic and Persian as early as the 11th century. Several other yogic texts were appropriated by Sufi tradition, but typically the texts juxtapose yoga materials alongside Sufi practices without any real attempt at integration or synthesis. Yoga became known to Indian Sufis gradually over time, but engagement with yoga is not found at the historical beginnings of the tradition.[81]

Malaysia's top Islamic body in 2008 passed a fatwa, which is legally non-binding, against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of "Hindu spiritual teachings" and that its practice was blasphemy and is therefore haraam. Muslim yoga teachers in Malaysia criticized the decision as "insulting".[82] Sisters in Islam, a women's rights group in Malaysia, also expressed disappointment and said that its members would continue with their yoga classes.[83] The fatwa states that yoga practiced only as physical exercise is permissible, but prohibits the chanting of religious mantras,[84] and states that teachings such as the uniting of a human with God is not consistent with Islamic philosophy.[85] In a similar vein, the Council of Ulemas, an Islamic body in Indonesia, passed a fatwa banning yoga on the grounds that it contains "Hindu elements"[86] These fatwas have, in turn, been criticized by Darul Uloom Deoband, a Deobandi Islamic seminary in India.[87]

In May 2009, Turkey's head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakolu, discounted personal development techniques such as yoga as commercial ventures that could lead to extremism. His comments were made in the context of yoga possibly competing with and eroding participation in Islamic practice.[88]

The only sect of the Islam community that has successfully incorporated yoga into its practice is the Jogi Faqir, whose followers are Muslim converts from the Hindu Jogicaste.
[edit] Christianity
Main articles: A Christian reflection on the New Age and Aspects of Christian meditation

The Roman Catholic Church, and some other Christian organizations have expressed concerns and disapproval with respect to some eastern and New Age practices which include yoga and meditation.[89][90]

In 1989 and 2003, the Vatican issued two documents: Aspects of Christian meditation and A Christian reflection on the New Age which were mostly critical of eastern and New Age practices. The 2003 document was published as a 90 page handbook detailing the Vatican's position.[91] The Vatican warned that concentration on the physical aspects of meditation "can degenerate into a cult of the body" and that equating bodily states with mysticism "could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations." Such concerns can be traced to the early days of Christianity, when the church opposed the gnostics' belief that salvation came not through faith but through a mystical inner knowledge.[92]

The letter also says, "one can see if and how [prayer] might be enriched by meditation methods developed in other religions and cultures"[93] but maintains the idea that "there must be some fit between the nature of [other approaches to] prayer and Christian beliefs about ultimate reality."[92] The Rev. John Wijngaards points out the long Judaic and Christian histories of absorbing elements from surrounding religions. He notes that the absence of any intense experience of God's power has sent some Christians eastward. Many Roman Catholics now bring elements of Yoga, Buddhism, and Hinduism into their spiritual practices.[92]

Some fundamentalist Christian organizations consider yoga practice to be incoherent to their religious background and therefore a non-Christian religious practice. It is also considered a part of the New Age movement and therefore inconsistent with Christianity.[94]
[edit] Tantra
Main article: Tantra

Tantrism is a practice that is supposed to alter the relation of its practitioners to the ordinary social, religious, and logical reality in which they live. Through Tantric practice, an individual perceives reality as maya, illusion, and the individual achieves liberation from it.[95] Both Tantra & Yoga offer paths that relieve a person from depending on the world. Where Yoga relies on progressive restriction of inputs from outside; Tantra relies on transmutation of all external inputs so that one is no longer dependent on them, but can take them or leave them at will. They both make a person independent.[96] This particular path to salvation among the several offered by Hinduism, links Tantrism to those practices of Indian religions, such as yoga, meditation, and social renunciation, which are based on temporary or permanent withdrawal from social relationships and modes.[95]

As Robert Svoboda attempts to summarize the three major paths of the Vedic knowledge, he exclaims:

Because every embodied individual is composed of a body , a mind and a spirit, the ancient Rishis of India who developed the Science of Life organized their wisdom into three bodies of knowledge: Ayurveda, which deals mainly with the physical body; Yoga, which deals mainly with spirit; and Tantra, which is mainly concerned with the mind. The philosophy of all three is identical; their manifestations differ because of their differing emphases. Ayurveda is most concerned with the physical basis of life, concentrating on its harmony of mind and spirit. Yoga controls body and mind to enable them to harmonize with spirit, and Tantra seeks to use the mind to balance the demands of body and spirit.[97]

During tantric practices and studies, the student is instructed further in meditation technique, particularly chakra meditation. This is often in a limited form in comparison with the way this kind of meditation is known and used by Tantric practitioners and yogis elsewhere, but is more elaborate than the initiate's previous me ditation. It is considered to be a kind of Kundalini Yoga for the purpose of moving the Goddess into the chakra located in the "heart", for meditation and worship.[98]
[edit] Goal of yoga

The goals of yoga are varied and range from improving health to achieving Moksha.[43] Within Jainism and the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism, the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara), at which point there is a realisation of identity with the Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman, or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things.[99] For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu.[100]

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Fitness Mantra for Your Mind, Body and Soul- Ashtanga Yoga!

How are you maintaining a balance with the fast paced world? Do you sometimes feel tired of life? Do you want to strengthen your body so that it can withstand the daily pressures of life? Are you sick of the daily exercises which are boring and which actually you want to avoid every morning? If your answer is a yes', then read on. And if it is a no', then I must say, there is something special for you too.

One of the biggest drawbacks of your regular exercises is that it can provide fitness to your body only; what about your mind and soul? One simple answer - Try the age-old practice of Yoga. Yes, whatever you call it, yoga, dance yoga, kickboxing yoga, yoga workout or anything else, the point is that it can certainly give you a solution.

What you need is to join a yoga class. You can go for a yoga centre or a yoga studio, whatever it is and start practicing. One advantage of joining such classes is that you can have the proper training from the yoga teachers. Once you have learnt Ashtanga Yoga you can easily practice it at your home. You just need to buy some equipment like a yoga DVD, a yoga bag and a mat to perform the exercise.

No matter where you practice, at home or at a class, doing the yoga correctly is very important for a positive outcome. Whereas a right posture can cure many diseases, a wrong one can create troubles too. Here are some types of yoga which are very popular nowadays.

Pilates Yoga- Developed by George Pilates, this type of exercise is very popular in the United States. Though it is referred as yoga, actually it is not. The only resemblance is that it also gives an exercise to the mind. It can be referred to as a yoga with movement or yoga with machines. Bikram Yoga- Bikram yoga is a more aerobic and a physical type of yoga. It was founded by Bikram Choudhry. This type of yoga is not meant for everyone. It is carried out in a warm room with a temperature around 90 to 100 degrees and therefore it is also called as hot yoga. Power Yoga- This is actually a modified version of Ashtanga yoga, which will be describedlater on. It is a practice of doing yoga poses' in a continuous series of exercises. This type of yoga helps you to enhance your inner power and to make a connection with your soul. Ashtanga Yoga- In Sanskrit, Ashtanga means eight limbs' and it refers to the eight limbs of the Yoga Sutras. It was taken from Yoga Korunta, a very ancient text. A student has to progress through six different series in this type of yoga.

This method helps in realignment of spine, detoxification of body, building strength and flexibility and also in strengthening of the nervous system.

There are three different levels of Ashtanga yoga. The first level helps you to align the body and gets the toxins out of your body. The second level helps to clean and open the energy channels. The last level is for the advanced ones and it helps in measuring power and grace.

Ashtanga yoga is a very popular type of yoga. It is a very energetic and athletic form of practice. It has many benefits like relieving from sore muscle and joint pain. Along with these physical benefits, it does have some mental and emotional benefits also. If you practice this yoga, you gain the ability to focus mentally and release the negative energy. It will give you relief from unwanted tensions as well.

If you are searching for a perfect yoga fitness program, Ashtanga yoga can be a good choice for you. If you are a beginner in the field of yoga then this can be quite tough for you to start with. You can start with some other simple methods. After bringing yourself up to its level and gaining the required fitness level, you can surely give it a try and reap the benefits!!

How are you maintaining a balance with the fast paced world? Do you sometimes feel tired of life? Do you want to strengthen your body so that it can withstand the daily pressures of life? Are you sick of the daily exercises which are boring and which actually you want to avoid every morning? If your answer is a yes', then read on. And if it is a no', then I must say, there is something special for you too.

One of the biggest drawbacks of your regular exercises is that it can provide fitness to your body only; what about your mind and soul? One simple answer - Try the age-old practice of Yoga. Yes, whatever you call it, yoga, dance yoga, kickboxing yoga, yoga workout or anything else, the point is that it can certainly give you a solution.

What you need is to join a yoga class. You can go for a yoga centre or a yoga studio, whatever it is and start practicing. One advantage of joining such classes is that you can have the proper training from the yoga teachers. Once you have learnt Ashtanga Yoga you can easily practice it at your home. You just need to buy some equipment like a yoga DVD, a yoga bag and a mat to perform the exercise.

No matter where you practice, at home or at a class, doing the yoga correctly is very important for a positive outcome. Whereas a right posture can cure many diseases, a wrong one can create troubles too. Here are some types of yoga which are very popular nowadays.

Pilates Yoga- Developed by George Pilates, this type of exercise is very popular in the United States. Though it is referred as yoga, actually it is not. The only resemblance is that it also gives an exercise to the mind. It can be referred to as a yoga with movement or yoga with machines. Bikram Yoga- Bikram yoga is a more aerobic and a physical type of yoga. It was founded by Bikram Choudhry. This type of yoga is not meant for everyone. It is carried out in a warm room with a temperature around 90 to 100 degrees and therefore it is also called as hot yoga. Power Yoga- This is actually a modified version of Ashtanga yoga, which will be describedlater on. It is a practice of doing yoga poses' in a continuous series of exercises. This type of yoga helps you to enhance your inner power and to make a connection with your soul. Ashtanga Yoga- In Sanskrit, Ashtanga means eight limbs' and it refers to the eight limbs of the Yoga Sutras. It was taken from Yoga Korunta, a very ancient text. A student has to progress through six different series in this type of yoga.

This method helps in realignment of spine, detoxification of body, building strength and flexibility and also in strengthening of the nervous system.

There are three different levels of Ashtanga yoga. The first level helps you to align the body and gets the toxins out of your body. The second level helps to clean and open the energy channels. The last level is for the advanced ones and it helps in measuring power and grace.

Ashtanga yoga is a very popular type of yoga. It is a very energetic and athletic form of practice. It has many benefits like relieving from sore muscle and joint pain. Along with these physical benefits, it does have some mental and emotional benefits also. If you practice this yoga, you gain the ability to focus mentally and release the negative energy. It will give you relief from unwanted tensions as well.

If you are searching for a perfect yoga fitness program, Ashtanga yoga can be a good choice for you. If you are a beginner in the field of yoga then this can be quite tough for you to start with. You can start with some other simple methods. After bringing yourself up to its level and gaining the required fitness level, you can surely give it a try and reap the benefits!!

http://easyashtanga.blogspot.com/

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Checking your Yoga Pants

Yoga Pants are just 1 of the priority stuffs before taking a Yoga exercise course. That is mainly because not all the trousers can make you feel comfy while carrying out some workout routines, movements or pilates poses. Yoga stretches learners have various preferences or qualities to decide on the best yoga pants for them. Nevertheless, we now have a set of requirements to take into account on how to decide on the finest yoga pants for you.



Sizes- Prior to purchasing yoga pants you've to ensure that the trousers you would like completely match your size. This really is to prevent any inconvenience even though getting yoga stretches practices. Yoga pants are offered for all measurements, regardless of whether it can be petite yoga pants, yoga pants plus, yoga pants for pregnant ladies, and so forth. You simply have to choose the size with the yoga pants that may comfort you the most.



Supplies Used- Cotton to silk or a few mixtu res. Some yoga pants were composed of supplies that are irritating for the pores and skin, so you might have to become extra cautious in selecting the yoga pants to make use of. Essentially the most advisable yoga pants component is cotton. It assures comfort and it can be never irritating to any pores and skin sorts.



Durability- Select yoga pants which are long lasting enough to choose a lot of yoga stretches workout routines and can resist several occasions of washing. It is possible to check the sturdiness in the yoga pants by stretching them thoroughly. If they're stretchable nevertheless maintain robust though stretching, they are sturdy. Most branded yoga pants assure long lasting quality. They guarantee that the cost you'll pay for are worth investing for. Manufacturers such as Aged Navy and Lululemon would be the foremost manufacturers for yoga pants ever.



Styles- That is for the style sense. Yoga Pants are accessible to various kinds and colors for example Fold Over Yoga Pants which could be the most recent development, hardtail yoga pants, Capri yoga pants, long yoga pants, plus size yoga pants, maternity yoga pants, and so on. These kinds are also referring about the kind of yoga exercises learners who will use them. Whatever type can make you comfy and will match your trend taste it could be the very best yoga pants for you personally.


Colors- This really is a fundamental factor to verify, yoga pants are obtainable to any colors that anybody may want to have. It will be the very best in case you decide on a couple of yoga pants which will game the color of one's tops and shoes to adhere to a pleasant trend style.



Price- Select a pair of yoga pants which have the very best qualities but inexpensive.



Yoga Pants are straightforward to put on but difficult to find the ideal ones. You've to be aware in the pair of pants that you may purchase in your Yoga and fitness courses.

Learn far more concerning the greatest stuffs required within the Yoga Practice, go to <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3498317']);" href="http://www.bestyogapants.org/">Yoga Pants</a>Checking your Yoga Pants



Yoga Pants are just 1 of the priority stuffs before taking a Yo ga exercise course. That is mainly because not all the trousers can make you feel comfy while carrying out some workout routines, movements or pilates poses. Yoga stretches learners have various preferences or qualities to decide on the best yoga pants for them. Nevertheless, we now have a set of requirements to take into account on how to decide on the finest yoga pants for you.



Sizes- Prior to purchasing yoga pants you've to ensure that the trousers you would like completely match your size. This really is to prevent any inconvenience even though getting yoga stretches practices. Yoga pants are offered for all measurements, regardless of whether it can be petite yoga pants, yoga pants plus, yoga pants for pregnant ladies, and so forth. You simply have to choose the size with the yoga pants that may comfort you the most.



Supplies Used- Cotton to silk or a few mixtures. Some yoga pants were composed of supplies that are irritatin g for the pores and skin, so you might have to become extra cautious in selecting the yoga pants to make use of. Essentially the most advisable yoga pants component is cotton. It assures comfort and it can be never irritating to any pores and skin sorts.



Durability- Select yoga pants which are long lasting enough to choose a lot of yoga stretches workout routines and can resist several occasions of washing. It is possible to check the sturdiness in the yoga pants by stretching them thoroughly. If they're stretchable nevertheless maintain robust though stretching, they are sturdy. Most branded yoga pants assure long lasting quality. They guarantee that the cost you'll pay for are worth investing for. Manufacturers such as Aged Navy and Lululemon would be the foremost manufacturers for yoga pants ever.



Styles- That is for the style sense. Yoga Pants are accessible to various kinds and colors for example Fold Over Yoga Pants which c ould be the most recent development, hardtail yoga pants, Capri yoga pants, long yoga pants, plus size yoga pants, maternity yoga pants, and so on. These kinds are also referring about the kind of yoga exercises learners who will use them. Whatever type can make you comfy and will match your trend taste it could be the very best yoga pants for you personally.



Colors- This really is a fundamental factor to verify, yoga pants are obtainable to any colors that anybody may want to have. It will be the very best in case you decide on a couple of yoga pants which will game the color of one's tops and shoes to adhere to a pleasant trend style.



Price- Select a pair of yoga pants which have the very best qualities but inexpensive.



Yoga Pants are straightforward to put on but difficult to find the ideal ones. You've to be aware in the pair of pants that you may purchase in your Yoga and fitness courses.

Le arn far more concerning the greatest stuffs required within the Yoga Practice, go to Yoga Pants.

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Learn Yoga

YOGA CLOTHES are of prime importance as the everyday clothes we wear are not suitable for doing such exercises as are found in YOGA CLASSES. Yoga clothing needs to be comfortable and stretchy to allow for your body to maintain stretches and positions without restriction.

The fabric the clothes are made from needs to breathe so that you do not get too hot and sticky. Cotton or bamboo material is the best for yoga clothing. Bamboos especially, wicks away perspiration and being anti-bacterial, helps to prevent odour. Yoga clothing comes as long or short pants and tops that can be sleeveless, or have short sleeves for the most comfortable experience. But if you are doing yoga during the cooler months, you need to wear longer sleeved yoga tops to make sure your muscles do not get chilled.

The next most important thing to have when taking yoga classes is a YOGA MAT to sit on. Yoga mats give you protection for the spine and knees. Where you may not be able to sit on a hard floor, a yoga mat you will feel quite comfortable. But what kind of yoga mat is best? Yoga mats are made from a variety of materials and fabrics: -

PVC. While comfortable the chemical phthalates is added for flexibility. But this is not bonded to the PVC and so may leach out over time.

Eco Yoga mats are made of foam or latex covered with various materials. Some people are allergic to latex so be aware of what is inside your yoga mat.

Rubber yoga mats give an excellent place to perform yoga exercises comfortably, although some people are allergic to rubber. It is an eco friendly choice as some have Jute or seagrass covers.

Wool yoga mats tend to be a bit slippery, with the wool pile often sticking between the toes.

Cotton yoga mats offer good grip, but may need to go over the top of another one with a little more padding.

Once you have your clothing and mat you will be all set for those yoga classes but you may want to add a mat bag to your collection for ease of carrying.

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Yoga Exercises Through DVD

Have you ever thought, how to improve your health conditions with the help of Yoga where in,you have the chance to lessen the intake of medicines. It really doesn't matter in which profession you are in, all matters is the thirty minutes of yoga a day which makes your body and mind totally fit and healthy. There are myriad benefits when you practice yoga regularly, as it helps you to increase your concentration and focus on your tasks and challenges in your life. Yoga Classes should be taken either in morning or evening only, to derive maximum benefits.

Yoga Online Training provides yoga videos through DVD for good practice and learn yoga classes online at home for better health benefits.

How Yoga helps you?

Yoga helps to achieve a balance between body and mind.

Yoga provides comprehensive health benefits for your body and mind.

It helps to maintain perfect health by maintaining a balanced weight for your body.

Yoga Postures helps you to fight with the daily stress at your work and yoga is a unique and wonderful way to achieve good health.

Yoga activities aim to provide flexibility and strength to muscles and provides stamina to a great extent.

Learn Yoga as it helps you by providing good endurance.

Yoga for Pregnancy is very beneficial and helps the mother to manage pain in the time of delivery

It increases digestion power and provides enough resistance for your health.

Undoubtedly yoga is a best and unique way of achieving health.

Yoga Exercises enable you to lose extra weight and helps you to keep in a perfect shape

Make yourself stronger both by inside and outside through the help of yoga

Yoga asana's are scientifically proven of benefiting each body part and increasing your health to a great extent.

Beginners Yoga should keep in mind about the safety while performing different asana's and pranayama's

It helps to fight against depression, anxiety and other psychological stress.

It enable you to deal with the daily challenges of your life to a great extent.

Yoga Training helps you in understanding what yoga is all about.

Yoga Positions help you to gain strength to your abs, spine, shoulders and neck.

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Online Yoga Training Classes

Why Yoga practice is so essential to deal with your daily challenges.

Practice of Ancient Yoga which is scientifically proven to be one of the best and effective activities to boost your health. Daily pratice of asana's and yoga exercises keep you fit and well. You can improve your health day by day and each of your body part functions very effectively and yoga helps to maintain. Furthermore, your immunity becomes more stronger day by day. You can have a total balance between body and mind. You can increase your flexibility in your body by effective practice. If you want to increase your concentration level then Yoga Training helps you a lot in your practice. Though normal exercises helps you to stay fit but yoga helps you to stay fit both internally and externally.

Yoga Exercises helps you stay fit and also helps you to be in good shape. There are many Yoga Courses available which make you understand right from the beginning. You can channelize your energies to all your body parts through practice of Yoga. Furthermore, you can increase your stamina with the help of yoga. Yoga Coaching involves making you to practice number of asana's and pranayama's. If you are thinking with practice of yoga you can gain only physical health benefits think again there are several yoga asana's, pranayama's and yoga mudras which help you to keep mentally active and agile. Yoga helps you in developing profound thoughts and also helps in executing creative tasks. Many sportsman, artists, creative professionals practice yoga to get benefited from its asana's. Learn Yoga to derive maximum health benefits. Yoga for pregnancy is beneficial but should be done only with the advise of medical practitioner.

Constant practice of yoga helps you to gain tremendous amount of memory power and also it keeps you mentally fit. Many psychological diseases can be treated with the regular practice of yoga. Yoga has undoubtedly many healing values as it provides good amount of energy to your body parts and thus increases their performance. Yoga Pilates emerging to be one of the effective activities for gaining physical fitness. Undoubtedly, yoga energizes you and makes you to be fresh throughout the day. You can kill your daily stress with the help of regular practice of yoga. Yoga Postures can be practiced in all seasons. There is a no age factor for practicing yoga. If you are suffering from any health problems it is better and advisable to consult your medical practitioner and then start practicing yoga. There are many Yoga Classes and yoga institutes which help you to learn Yoga in a step by step process. If you are a beginner to yoga then no need to worry try yoga as much as you can and dont force yourself to perform an complete asana, mudra or pranayama as this effort may cause injury to you, do as much as you can. There are precautions to be taken before practicing. Yoga should be practiced on empty stomach and you should have a sound sleep. Your mind should be totally free from any sort of tensions and you should make yourself relaxed and ready for yoga before practicing yoga.

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Running and Jogging 101 - A quick start guide

Hopefully a helpful guide for those of you looking to start jogging or running for weight loss or fitness.

Running lowers your resting heart rate, increases your aerobic capacity, reduces body fat and increases muscle tone, all of which improve your base level of fitness and amongst other things, make you feel damn good about yourself!

If fat loss is your ultimate aim then running is a good starting point. By improving your base level of fitness you are not only burning calories while running but are increasing your metabolism, which results in greater fat mobilisation even after exercise.

If you are looking to increase your fitness or undertake High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) than running is also a good starting point as by improving your base level of fitness you are preparing your body to be able to cope with higher intensity training and instead of wheezing to a stop after a few minutes of such sessions you wil l be able to sustain your efforts for longer, burning more calories and building more fitness.

You don't need any fancy equipment or expensive gym memberships to start running, but there are a few tips that you can follow to ensure you are both getting the most out of your running and also minimising your risk of injury.

I have written this guide from my experiences as a serious club runner of five years and have drawn on knowledge taken from my athletics and running coaching qualification, which i am currently undertaking. I hope it helps.


What do you need to consider before you start running?

As with starting any sport you should alwaysconsult a doctor if you have any underlying health problems that you think could either be made worse by running or could adversely affect your running performance. If you are overweight then you should consult your doctor as a matter of course as running pla ces a large amount of stress on venerable ankle, knee and hip joints which may already be delicate on an overweight person.

Adequate footwear is a very important part of running. Although most people shouldn't need to spend a fortune on top of the line running trainers, it is important that you consider the following points:

Make sure that your running shoe offers both padding and ankle support otherwise you run the risk of impact injuries such as stress fractures and joint damage, and also may be prone to twisted ankles, especially in the first few weeks of running until you build up the strength in your tendons. If you know you are flat footed or have collapsed arches then you may be what is known as a pronator' this is where the foot rolls excessively outwards whilst you are running and is very common in runners of all levels. If you think you may be a pronator then you can get checked in any good running shoe store and such stores will test for this when they advise you on what shoe to buy anyway. If you are a pronator then it is nothing to worry about but you will need to buy a pair of what are known as stability trainers' which control the excess roll of your foot and reduce the stress to your joints that running will cause.

Your First Run

When you are just starting out as a new runner it is important that you take it slowly to begin with until your body gets used to your new sport. Failure to do so might result in injury and put your weight loss and fitness plan on hold; which is not what anyone wants!
Your first run should be more of a walk/shuffle/jog as you see how your body adapts. Begin with a warm up of ten minutes of walking and then try and jog at an even pace for say five minutes. After this five minutes, if you are feeling out of breath, slow down and walk for two minutes to get your breath back before picking up the pace again and jogging for another five minutes. Maintain this pattern a few more times, before walking for another ten minutes as a cool down. The aim of this session is for you to see you fitness level so you can gauge how to approach your next run.

If you found this first session easy and weren't out of breath at all then in future sessions you will want to increase the time of the jogging periods and/or reduce the amount of rest time in-between each jogging interval. If you found this first session hard or did two jogging intervals instead of four then you might want to repeat this session before beginning to build up the time you spend running and decreasing the amount of time you spend walking in-between each jogging interval.


Technique

Technique is very important when you are new to running as if you learn correct body posture and form at this early stage then it will be a lot easier than re learning it at a later stage.

Good running technique is important as it enables you to run efficiently, which means you can run or longer with less effort. Also, from a health point of view, if you maintain good running form then you will minimise your risk of running related injuries.

When you are running, you should have a relatively straight back and be bending ever so slightly forward from the waist. Usually, people have problems with this because they are looking down at their feet and so if you look forward instead of down your body should naturally align itself. Running bend over is not good running posture as you will b e putting a large amount of strain on your lower back.

You arms should be bent at the elbows and loosely tucked into the site of your body. They should also naturally swing perpendicular and you should try not to be stiff or tense up whilst running by relaxing your shoulders. As you speed up you will find that you swing your arms more to compensate for your increased stride, but try not to let your arms swing horizontally across the front of your body as you will be putting alot of lateral force on your pelvis.

When it comes to your running stride, you should aim to move your legs in an almost cycling manner, bending them at the knees and making sure you keep your feet relatively in line with the direction you are running for the most efficient stride. You should also try not to place each leading footfall too far away from your body, as it it better to take lots of smaller steps than longer ones to begin with as this will minimise the impact of each st ride and will help your joints stay injury free.

This may be a lot to think about at first but over time you will find that you develop an efficient running style that you will automatically revert to when you go out on your runs.


How to progress after the first few weeks.

Before long you will find that you are able to jog for a sustained period of time without walking and you will be surprised at how far you have come since your first session. The aim now is to build up the distance and speed of your runs so that your body is continually being challenged and as a result your fitness will continue to improve.

You should try to aim for at least three 20-30minute runs a week to have the maximum impact on fitness and weight loss without increasing your risk of injury. As the months progress and you feel yourself becoming fitter then you should definitely increase your distance, speed and number of runs to whate ver you feel comfortable with.

As a general rule, you shouldn't increase your weekly mileage or speed by any more than 10% as this gives your body change to a repair and adapt to running at long distances. Obviously this is not an exact science as if this were the case, within six months you would be running over 50miles, so only bear this rule in mind as a general guide.

You will find that after a period of time where it was easy to add time and distance to your running your training will stagnate and it will become more difficult to add either speed or distance to your runs. This is natural and as with any sport, perseverance, some good guidance and a lot of hard work will see you make continual improvements in your running performance.


So how does all this help me loose weight?

If you have done a few months of running then, with all other things held constant, you will already have noticed the difference. You will feel great, have lost weight and will have toned up and it will all be thanks to your hard work. The simple rule of weight loss is that i you use more energy than you consume then you will loose weight as your body used stored fat reserves to run your body. A thirty minute run can burn upward of 500calories depending on your weight and exertion and increases your metabolism so your body convert more fat stores to energy even after you stop exercising.


How to take running further.

This guide was written as an introduction to running for weight loss but there are many more articles and resources available on the internet that can help you gain the most out of running, whether you are looking for morerunning tips, enter your first race,improve your running times, try a different kind of running such as hill running or trail running, or just improve your technique and stayinjury free .

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Health and cortisol. A new patented alarm clock reduces stress and stress hormone levels

This can be a huge threat to your health because abdominal fat is more dangerous - and increases disease risk more - than fat located in any other part of the body. Excessive abdominal fat is linked directly to serious health conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Women in particular have been found to accumulate more fat around their waists while they're under stress.

In fact, a Yale University study showed that even otherwise - slim women who are under high stress levels are prone to put on weight on around their abdominal area. The Cortisol Connection. What's the connection? When we are stressed out, our bodies release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol has been proven to encourage fat storage in the abdominal area. The worst part is if you don't learn to alleviate stress, cortisol levels stay high even when the original source of stress has subsided. The prolonged effects of cortisol will cause even more fatty deposits to find their way to your middle even when the stress seems to have passed. A recent retrospective study (Nutrition, 2010, Oct 8., Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy) investigated the relation between daily urinary free cortisol excretion rate, as a marker of cortisol production rate and waist circumference.

Obese women had significantly higher urinary free cortisol excretion than the normal-weight women. Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream have been shown to have negative effects, such as: weight gain, overweight, impaired cognitive performance, depression, suppressed thyroid function and blood sugar imbalances, decreased bone density, decrease in skeletal muscle tissue mass and power, skeletal muscle wasting, high blood pressure, lowered immunity, decreased testosterone levels, impaired erectile function, menstrual abnormalities, fatigue, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, headache, migraine, fibromyalgia, muscle pain and poor digestion.

The skin can present with symptoms such as oily skin, acne, eczema, and roughness. Elevated cortisol also decreases the skin's ability to regenerate leading to wrinkles, sagging, and impaired wound healing.

Elevated cortisol in pregnant mothers influences cortisol metabolism during the baby's crucial development periods.

Marathon running and cortisol.

Running marathon halves testosterone level and increases the stress hormone cortisol. It is important that the body's functions can return to normal following stress and stressful events. To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, an innovative adaptive stress free alarm clock, "The Gentle Alarm" (patent pending) for iPhone and iPod touch was developed by a clinical neurologist. The new gentle alarm adapts itself to the users' particular needs within a few nights. Running marathon h alves testosterone level and increases the stress hormone cortisol.

By the end of a marathon, men's cortisol levels have doubled and their testosterone levels have just about halved, according to a study done at Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, and published in Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia e Metabologia. The researchers monitored twenty health men aged between 25 and 42 for several days before, during and after they ran the 42.2 kilometre race. The researchers measured the levels of hormones and muscle damage-markers in the subjects' blood. Immediately after finishing the marathon the subjects' testosterone level halved, falling from 673 to 303 ng/dl. The cortisol level rose sharply, from 20.3 to 42.5 microg/dl. A day after the race, the cortisol level had not returned completely to the starting level. A marathon, triathlon or ironman race may cause marked physical stress, resulting in a distinct hormonal imbalance and cellular damage.

W hat is cortisol? Cortisol is a hormone that is produced by the adrenal cortex in the adrenal gland that plays different roles: Its primary function is to increase the amino acid supply to the liver when there are low levels present. This act, however, serves to increase protein catabolism. Cortisol also serves to increase blood pressure, blood sugar levels and will have an immunosuppressive effect on the body. Thus, when high levels are seen over time, there is also an increased chance of becoming ill due to a decreased functioning of the immune system. What affects the release of cortisol? Potentially, one of the largest factors that can affect the release of cortisol in the body is psychological or physical stress. Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. When the brain stimulates its release in response to physical or emotional stress, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol into the blood. Cortisol helps the body regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure. It also is an antiinflammatory, an antiallergic agent and reduces the actions of the immune system. Many synthetic versions of cortisol have medicinal uses.

Normally, it's present in the body at higher levels in the morning after waking up, and at its lowest at night. Although stress isn't the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed "the stress hormone" because it's also secreted in higher levels during the body's fight or flight' response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body.

Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects: A quick burst of energy for survival reasons, heightened memory functions, a burst of increased immunity, lower sensitivity to pain and it helps maintain homeostasis in the body. While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body's response to stress, it's important that the body's relaxation response to be activated so the body's functions ca n return to normal following a stressful event like a marathon run, a half marathon run or a triathlon. Higher and more prolonged levels of (catabolic) cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with acute or chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as: Impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, decreased bone density, muscle tissue degradation, skeletal muscle wasting, high blood pressure, lowered immunity and inflammatory responses and slowed wound healing.

Stress, cortisol and erectile function.

Recent Japanese research shows that male virility and erectile function is closely related to the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol measured in saliva or blood.

Kobori and coworkers (Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan) were able to demonstrate, that the concentrations of bioavailable cortisol in blood and in saliva show a significant inverse c orrelation with the IIEF-Score. The IIEF-Score measures male virility and erectile function. This correlation indicates that high concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol worsen male virility and erectile function while low cortisol concentrations have beneficial effects. Clinical Neurologist Dr. Hans Joerg Stuerenburg, M.D., Ph.D. developed and patented an innovative adaptive stress free alarm clock, "The gentle alarm". Compared to conventional alarm clocks, the revolutionary Gentle Alarm introduces an individualized, natural wake up procedure, which adapts itself to the users' particular needs within a few nights. This patented alarm clock is leading to a gentle and stress free wake up.

Sudden, abrupt waking in the morning as with loud, conventional alarm clocks and the associated release of stress hormones and cortisol from the adrenal gland can be avoided by using this novel and intelligent self adapting sleep cycle alarm clock. One effect of this indiv idualized, stress free and natural wake up process and the gentle, soft wake up, could be a improvement of the male virility and erectile function.

The fact that stress is a risk factor for erectile dysfunction is no surprise given life in modern America. A million years ago, human stress may have been related to protecting yourself from a wild animal. The stress response is known as a sympathetic dischargethe sympathetic nervous system releases the hormone called cortisol. This is the "fight or flight" hormone, allowing humans to face the situation or run away from it. When cortisol is released, it causes an increase in blood pressure, increased blood flow to organs that are needed for rapid activity, increased mental activity, increased blood glucose and an increased rate of metabolism. It decreases blood flow to organs not needed for rapid activity. The sex organs are not vital for rapid activity and receive less of the blood flow. One way to imagine this res ponse is to imagine someone walking in on you when you're in the midst of sexual activity. What's the first thing that happens? Usually,a loss of an erection. This is a sympathetic event. You are startled, you have a "fight or flight" response and your body releases cortisol. Blood flow is diverted from the sex organs.
Unfortunately, today the fight of our life may be in the board room, the office or on the highway. The stress isn't met with aggressive physical activity output but the stress is real and constant. Cortisol levels become too high and glands become exhausted. The way you handle stress can dramatically affect erectile dysfunction.

Stress is a contributing factor for hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and depression--all of which are in turn contributing factors for erectile dysfunction. Additionally, the penis needs an ample blood supply in order to achieve an erection. Stress constricts the blood vessels in the extremities, including the penis, preventing adequate blood flow. Even short-term stress may affect sexual functioning because the body is not designed to perform sexually while fighting or running away. However, in the case of short-term stress, the body should be able to respond sexually once the stress is gone. With long-term stress, once the s tress has passed, the patient may have to treat any remaining stress-related diseases in order to restore sexual function.

Body Building and cortisol.

When designing a skeletal muscle gain program, most people don't even consider stress management an important factor. The truth of the matter is that high levels of stress make building lean muscle tissue very difficult. Hormonal Imbalances - Having the right balance of hormones in your body is important. Too few anabolic hormones and too many catabolic hormones can sabotage your success quickly. Chronic stress can put all of your body's hormones out of whack. There is often both a decrease in anabolic hormones like testosterone and HGH, and an increase in catabolic hormones like cortisol - a deadly combination.

Higher and more prolonged levels of (catabolic) cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with acute or chronic stress) have been shown to have negative e ffects, such as: Impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid function, blood sugar imbalances, decreased bone density, muscle tissue degradation, skeletal muscle wasting, high blood pressure, lowered immunity and inflammatory responses and slowed wound healing.

Beauty and cortisol.

A good rest has always been called beauty sleep - but how about a lean body sleep? New research shows that individuals who are not sleep deprived have an increased capacity to lose weight and keep it off. Sleep reduces stress hormones, important for fat loss. Sufficient rest and recuperation effectively reduces our stress hormone, cortisol. When we are sleep deprived, cortisol levels rise. Cortisol controls our appetite, often making us feel hungry even when we have eaten enough. It also raises blood sugar and insulin levels and results in increased fat deposition around the abdomen. To further complicate the situation, high cortisol can negatively affect our sleep patterns, making it difficult to fall or stay asleep when we finally do go to bed. This increase in stress hormone also has detrimental effects on other aspects of our endocrine system, like thyroid gland function which governs our metabolism. The effects of sleep deprivation are similar to those seen in normal aging; therefore, sleep debt may increase the severity of age-related chronic disorders such as weight gain, elevated cholesterol or triglyceride levels and eventually diabetes and/or heart disease. Growth hormone released during sleep is also important for fat loss. It is not just lack of sleep that negatively affects body fat percentage and the risk of chronic disease - poor sleep quality does as well. Deep sleep is accompanied by an increased secretion of growth hormone necessary for repairing and rebuilding body tissues like muscle and bone. It also helps to negate the bad effects of cortisol. Growth hormone naturally decreases with age and also w ith increased abdominal fat, leading to a viscious cycle of fatigue, excess stress hormone and increased abdominal fat.

How do you get a good beauty sleep? Try to get enough sleep. Seven to nine hours of sleep per night is optimal for adults. Aim to get to bed before 10 or 11 pm as this is the time when the adrenals, our stress glands that release cortisol, recuperate. Improve the quality of your sleep. Be sure to sleep in complete darkness to optimize the release of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone which is essential to healthy sleep patterns and it also helps reduce the negative effects of cortisol. Reduce your stress and adopt methods to manage your stress more effectively. Regulate blood sugar levels. Eating regularly will avoid swings in blood sugar levels. Stay away from sugar and excess caffeine.

The Skin and cortisol.

Stress affects every aspect of our lives. Whether the stress comes from physical, chemical, or nutritional origins it affects multiple systems in our body. These three categories of stressors can include accidents, trauma, broken bones, falls, nutritional imbalance, heavy metal toxicity, divorce, marriage, work assignments, financial obligations, and many, many more. A common result from stress, no matter the origin, is our body's ability to increase cortisol to help us cope with the presenting stressor. This does not mean cortisol is the enemy, or even bad. We need cortisol to be healthy, active, and stress free. Cortisol has many beneficial functions in the body such as regulating blood sugar when we sleep and helps balance glucose (sugar) handling of our cells. Cortisol is so important that it provides approximately 95% of all glucocorticoid activity. Glucocorticoid hormones are made by the adrenal glands, which are the stress regulating glands in our body. Chronic stress (stress over a long period of time) causes the adrenal glands to over produce cortisol. Sustai ned cortisol stimulation in the body can begin to present with multitude of symptoms. Some of these symptoms include impaired immune system, weight gain, menstrual abnormalities, fatigue, and poor digestion.

The skin is another organ system that can present with symptoms when chronic stress alters our normal cortisol balance.

The skin is the largest organ in our body. It has nerve, blood, and lymphatic supply to it. When cortisol levels increase over a long period of time, the skin can present with symptoms such as oily skin, acne, eczema, and roughness. Elevated cortisol also decreases the skin's ability to regenerate leading to wrinkles, sagging, and impaired wound healing.

The best approach to improving our skin is to reduce our stress. As mentioned before, stress has many origins, and as we recognize the stressors in our lives, we can reduce them. This will produce less cortisol, and improve our skin (as well as many other areas). B e mindful of your stressors, and look for alternatives.

Pregnancy and cortisol.

Got kids (or are you about to have kids)? Then you've got stress! If you have stress, then you also have cortisol, and you need to know what to do about it - because excess exposure to cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) is associated with weight gain, increased hunger (sugar cravings), diabetes, elevated blood pressure, immune suppression, depression, memory problems.

What is cortisol? Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. Under stressful circumstances cortisol is part of the body's "fight-or-flight" reaction, where it helps to regulate carbohydrate metabolism, cardiovascular function, and immune system activity. In this way, a small amount of cortisol is released, for a short period of time. Under conditions of chronic stress, however, cortisol exposure is prolonged - and bad things happen to your health.

Who has elevated cortisol? The scientific literature shows quite clearly that there are three main groups of people who are likely to have elevated cortisol levels: Those who are exposed to daily stress from physical or psychological factors, those who sleep unregularly and those who excessively restrain their eating patterns for weight loss.

Who needs to control their cortisol levels? Everybody, but especially women. Men and women are known to respond to stress with pretty much the same cortisol response. This means that when both men and women are stressed-out, their cortisol levels go up, and when the stress goes away, their cortisol levels come back down. The differences between men and women in stress response come not from physiology, but from psychology.

Research from the University of California at San Francisco shows us that women tend to get stressed-out by different things (family and kids) than men do (careers). Evidence from studies at Gote berg University in Sweden show us that women also are exposed to more hours of stress in a given day then are their male counterparts. This means that working men and women will have similar cortisol levels at work, but upon returning home for the evening, women still had elevated cortisol levels, while those in men fell back top normal ranges. This probably indicates that the women had additional sources of stress at home (laundry, dinner, childcare) compared to the men (who came home to relax).

Why should you control your cortisol levels? Aside from the strong link between elevated cortisol and obesity, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, skeletal muscle wasting, (and in men: erectile function problems) and many other chronic conditions, there is also growing evidence that stress/cortisol exposure during pregnancy may pass an increased risk for certain health problems onto children.

In a variety of animal studies, elevated cortisol levels (such as those that might be seen during "normal" emotional distress in humans) have been linked to high blood pressure, memory problems, immune suppression, and mood disturbances in both pregnant mothers and their children. Researchers believe that the excess cortisol produced by the mother's stressful experiences may influence cortisol metabolism during the baby's crucial development periods. What can you do to control your cortisol levels?

There are a variety of approaches that can be effective in managing stress and controlling cortisol levels. In addition, Clinical Neurologist Dr. Hans Joerg Stuerenburg, M.D., Ph.D. developed and patented an innovative adaptive stress free alarm clock, "The Gentle Alarm" (http://gentle-alarm.com)

Noise and stress.

Sudden sound is an urgent wake-up call that alerts and activates the stress response a biological alarm that affects the brain in powerful ways. Because loud noise often heralds bad news, animals and humans have evolved a rapid response to audio stressors: the roar of a carnivore, the crack of a falling tree, the scream of a child. More recently: the explosion of a weapon, the wail of a siren, the crash of the stock market.

Our Startle Response to Noise. Human infants are all ears. They are very conscious of sound and focus on every word they hear, so they can learn to speak. Loud noises trigger a "startle response" large movements of the baby's limbs and torso even while in the womb. Until 18 months old, infants react strongly to distress sounds from other infants. Crucial to survival, this instinctual reaction to noise enables us to go from a deep sleep to a quick sprint in a matter of seconds. . . or to do battle with surprising strength. Today, however, our stress response is getting knee-jerked around by all the bells and whistles of modern civilization. From the clatter and jar of diesels and dump trucks, to chest-thumping teena ge car tunes, noise is almost impossible to block. It's very uncontrollability further adds to the stressful impact.

Sudden Death from Noise. A disorder of the heart's electrical system, known as the Long QT Syndrome (LQTS), is a life-threatening disorder that can be triggered by a loud noise. In people with LQTS, the electrical recovery of their heart takes longer than normal after each heart beat. Dr. G. Michael Vincent, an expert in LQTS, says this prolongation "renders patients vulnerable to a very fast, abnormal heart rhythm. . . no blood is pumped out from the heart, and the brain quickly becomes deprived of blood, causing the usual symptoms of sudden loss of consciousness (syncope) and sudden death." Acoustic stress such as awakening because of a loud noise can trigger an episode. Vincent notes that "symptoms usually occur during physical exertion or emotional excitement like anger, fear, or startle" Common examples of startle events include sudden nois e, like sirens, the telephone, and the alarm clock. LQTS is estimated to cause as many as 3,000 deaths in the U.S. each year mostly in children and young adults says Vincent, who founded the Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation.

Preconscious Response to Noise-Study. Because of the immediate need to respond to noise threats, the conscious mind is bypassed. It may not be fast enough to deal with a situation that could be a matter of life and death.

University College London researchers observed the process using functional MRI brain scans of human test subjects who had been stressed by an unpleasantly loud noise that was combined with visual images. Even when a fearful stimulus was present only at the unconscious level, the threat signal triggered activity in the attention center of the cerebral cortex, where the fear response is then channeled to other parts of the brain that prepare the body in the classic flight or fight reaction. Lead re searcher Jorge Armony said, "It makes perfect sense you can't stop and think about certain things, you have to react."

The auditory system is permanently open - even during sleep. Its quick and overshooting excitations caused by noise signals are subcortically connected via the amygdala to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis (HPA-axis). Thus noise causes the release of different stress hormones (e.g. corticotropin releasing hormone: CRH; adrenocorticotropic hormone: ACTH) especially in sleeping persons during the vagotropic night/early morning phase. These effects occur below the waking threshold of noise and are mainly without mental control. Animal experiments show noise-induced changes in sensitivity of cellular cortisol receptors by increase of heat-shock proteins, and ultrastructural changes in the tissue of the heart and the adrenal gland. Increased cortisol levels have been found in humans when exposed to aircraft noise or road traffic noise during s leep.

The cortisol awakening response is an increase of about 50% in cortisol levels occurring after awakening in the morning. Shortly after awakening, a sharp increase occurs in the blood level of cortisol.

To keep cortisol levels healthy and under control, Clinical Neurologist Dr. Hans Joerg Stuerenburg, M.D., Ph.D. developed and patented an innovative adaptive stress free alarm clock, "The Gentle Alarm".

Compared to conventional alarm clocks, the Gentle Alarm introduces an individualized, natural wake up procedure, which adapts itself to the users' particular needs within a few nights. This patented alarm clock is leading to a gentle and stress free wake up. Sudden, abrupt waking in the morning as with loud, conventional alarm clocks and the associated release of stress hormones from the adrenal gland can be avoided by using this novel and intelligent self adapting, personal sleep cycle alarm clock. Stuerenburg sees health benefits o f this intelligent innovation in weight loss, stress reduction, increase of skeletal muscle mass and strength, pain and headache reduction, enhanced male virility and erectile function, improvement of cognitive performance, fatigue, muscle pain and fibromyalgia. And better general health and physical fitness. The Gentle Alarm is easy to use. In order to be woken up smoothly, sleepers will be guided from the deep sleep phase or dream phase into the light sleep phase by gentle sounds.

Unlike the hitherto existing sleep cycle alarm clocks The Gentle Alarm does not require additional implement such as wristband motion sensors, sound sensors or movement sensors. Users simply set their desired wake up time. After waking up, they merely slide a finger across the screen to stop the alarm. Everything else is taken care of by the patented and intelligent system.

The Gentle Alarm (patent pending) was developed for iPhone in collaboration with Craft mobile and can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes AppStore for iPhone or iPod Touch (requires iPhone OS Version 3.0 or newer).

In November 2010 "The Independent", London, UK, one of the four largest British quality newspapers named "The Gentle Alarm" for iPhone and iPod touch one of "The ten best alarm clocks" and the best alarm clock - app worldwide. "The Independent" mentioned: "Best alarm clock for stress heads. The Gentle Alarm app for iPhone and iPod touch. This app monitors your natural sleep patterns and produces a personalised waking programme which stirs you from your slumber at the least stressful point of your sleep cycle".

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