8 Reasons To Lose Weight

Research has shown that losing weight can significantly improve your health. And you don’t have to look like a skinny supermodel to reap the benefits. Says Mary Holroyd, Founder and Chairman of Weigh-Less: "Interestingly losing as little as 2.3kg can mean a healthier body. From lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes symptoms, to relieving depression, losing weight has many health-boosting benefits to brag about.”

Lose 2.3kg…To lower cholesterol

Cholesterol is a type of fat in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol for cells to function properly, and produces all the cholesterol it needs. But you can also get cholesterol from the foods you eat. If your body makes too much cholesterol or you eat foods that raise your cholesterol levels, it starts to build up in your arteries. Eventually your arteries start to harden and less blood is carried to your body tissues. Your heart has to work harder to pump blood to your organs. This can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

Trans fats and weight loss

The public often want to know if taking a CLA supplement will aid weight loss. CLA or conjugated linoleic acid is a trans fat that occurs naturally in the fat of ruminant animals (i.e. animals that chew the cud like cows, sheep, goats and water buffalo in more exotic climes) (Dairy Nutrition, 2013). CLA supplements are also produced commercially and sold for a variety of purposes, including weight loss.

Trans fat conundrum

We have been repeatedly warned not to eat any trans fats because the so-called "industrial" trans fats that are found in hard or block margarine and processed foods that contain such fats, are regarded as even more atherogenic (“artery clogging”) and carcinogenic than saturated fats and any other type of fat that humans may ingest.

Now researchers come up with statements that "current evidence suggests ruminant trans fats are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In fact, emerging evidence suggests a beneficial effect of specific ruminant trans fatty acids on cardiovascular health". (Dairy Nutrition, 2013).

Age and your skin

As you age, the collagen in the dermis of your skin gradually loses water, causing the skin to lose its elasticity and flexibility. This process is compounded by the decreasing activity of the oil-producing sebaceous glands and the water-producing sweat glands.

These factors, along with the loss of fat in the sub cutis results in the formation of wrinkles and blemishes. It’s a process that’s aggravated by damage inflicted by the sun and – to a lesser degree – the wind.

This is an unstoppable process and one that can only be partly halted by moisturising creams and lotions. They can however slow the process by providing a protective coating against the elements.

The alchemy of attraction

Looking back over people you've dated or crushed on, what do they all have in common? Is there a particular physical type you go for, or is it something else like a wonderful laugh or a razor-sharp wit that they all share?

Recent research shows that men tend to find higher-pitched voices attractive, while women go for a deeper timbre in a man. Tell that to husky-voiced actresses like Demi Moore who made fantastically successful careers out of those smoky tones. The truth is, we all have those things that will trigger attraction - and it's definitely not the same for everyone.
It's more subtle than just being "a boob man" or women "loving a man that can make them laugh". Some people seem to seek out soul mates who are their mirror, with very similar looks, tastes and personalities. Others will date a series of seeming opposites - there are even possible biological reasons why tall men often seem to choose really short women.

How much do you know about your heart

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when part of the heart muscle is sufficiently deprived of blood to result in death of muscle cells. This is called an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (where infarct means cell death). Most cases are caused by plaque rupture and thrombosis.

The symptoms of an AMI are severe – a pressing pain in the center of the chest that often spreads to the arms and/or jaw. You may feel extremely anxious and nauseous. People often describe a feeling of impending doom.

Your blood pressure falls, you look pale and grey, your pulse is rapid and scarcely perceptible and you are sweating profusely. You may also feel short of breath.

This is an emergency and you must be rapidly diagnosed and treated in hospital. About 20% of untreated patients die within the first two hours of an AMI and another 20% will die in the following four weeks.

Why Is Smoking Bad For You?

Smoking is responsible for several diseases, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) respiratory diseases, and heart disease, as well as premature death. Over 440,000 people in the USA and 100,000 in the UK die because of smoking each year. According the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), $92 billion are lost each year from lost productivity resulting from smoking-related deaths.

Of the more than 2.4 million deaths in the USA annually, over 440,000 are caused by smoking.

Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in the world. Recent studies have found that smokers can undermine the health of non-smokers in some environments.

In an article published online in Medical News Today on 30 May 2013, we presented data demonstrating that, on average, smokers die ten years sooner than non-smokers. 

Electronic Cigarettes Harm The Lungs

Electronic cigarettes, seen by many as a healthy alternative to tobacco smoking, do cause damage to the lungs, scientists from the University of Athens, Greece, explained at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress 2012, Vienna, on Sunday. Electronic cigarettes, also called e-cigarettes have also been marketed as effective smoking cessation devices.

Professor Christina Gratziou and team set out to determine what the short-term effects of smoking with e-cigarettes might be on different individuals, including those with no known health problems, as well as existing smokers with and without lung conditions.

They carried out experiments on 32 volunteers; of whom 8 were lifetime non-smokers and 24 were current regular smokers. Some of them had healthy lungs, while others lived with asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).