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Ear stapling to lose weight is sometimes called body piercing as well as acupuncture. Some call it crazy.

The procedure itself is not complicated. A practitioner uses a special staple gun to put ‘staple’ through the ‘point zero’ of the ear.

Practitioners that do ear stapling to lose weight charge anywhere from $35 to $60 per ear and some may say you need both ears done to get the maximum benefits.

There have been studies in ear stapling to lose weight. The studies showed that the ‘pierced’ group was more likely to have reduced appetites and to lose weight than the control group.

Skeptics cite the placebo effect – which is the phenomenon of something working because one believes it will.

Whether you believe that ear stapling to lose weight will work or not, there are some things that you need to know.

1. Piercing cartilage has a high risk of infection.

2. If a nerve is damaged during the procedure, it can’t be repaired.

3. Ear stapling to lose weight is not well regulated. So be careful.

If you do decide to try the controversial ‘ear stapling to lose weight’, only go to a certified acupuncturist trained specifically in ear stapling. The biggest thing to remember, ear stapling to lose weight won’t work unless you eat healthy and exercise.

One could probably not get the staple or the hole in your ear and just pay attention to food and exercise and lose the same amount of weight.

Tagged with: acupuncture weight loss • ear stapling to lose weight • Weight Loss • weight loss tips

If you have been trying to shed some unwanted pounds with a drastic reduction in calories and it’s not working, there is a legitimate reason.

The reason people have trouble losing weight on this type of diet is the body feels like it is starving. A person’s body realizes that there has been a drastic reduction in calorie intake when switching to a low calorie diet. The body’s metabolism will then adjust to the amount of calories by burning fewer calories each day.

One example of this is:

If a person begins eating 2,500 calories per day then body metabolism will know the fuel that is available and begin burning 2,500 calories per day. Of course this is assuming one does more than just sit in front of the TV all day.

If a person goes on a low calorie diet and suddenly begins eating only 1,000 calories per day, eventually the body will then begin to burn only 1,000 calories per day.

If a person just merely goes on a low calorie diet for long periods of time the body actually thinks it is being starved and will continue to store fat reserves.

Being on a sensible, healthy diet along with exercise is the best and healthiest way to lose weight. Of course, when a person is going to change their eating and exercise habits, they should be sure to talk to your doctor first.

Tagged with: 1000 calorie diet • can't lose weight • lose weight naturally • low calorie diet

In many Asian countries, tea is their equivalent of coffee here in the United States. Tea is one of the most popular drinks all over the world which brings about a lot of health benefits. There are a few basic variants, including white tea, green tea, black tea and Oolong tea. All of these varieties come from the plant Camellia Sinensis, from which all forms of teas are born.

Some types of tea are known to have relaxing and therapeutic effects. Generally, though, ‘true teas’ are an excellent source of antioxidants which strengthens the immune system. Tea also helps prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers. 

The good thing about drinking tea on a regular basis is that it contains only 50% of the caffeine amount which is found in coffee. So the next time that you are tempted to run to your favorite coffee shop to get your caffeine fix, try sipping on a cup of hot tea instead and revel in its benefits to your health.
 

Tagged with: green tea health benefits • health benefits of black tea • tea and health benefits • tea health benefits • white tea health benefits

If you are fond of drinking sodas, soft drinks or any other sugar-based drinks, you may want to change your choice in beverage to a healthier one. Real fruit juices are a lot more beneficial to your health than artificially-sweetened ones. Take cranberry juice, for example. This refreshing drink is rich in vitamin C so you will have an extra layer of protection against the common cold when you go out.

Cranberry juice also has a high acid content, which helps prevent urinary tract infection and prevents kidney stone formation. If having a healthy heart is your goal, you should also drink up on cranberry juice because it has flavenoids which help prevent clogged arteries. Some components in this drink also fights gum disease, plaque and tooth decay.

When choosing the brand of cranberry juice to buy, make sure that it is made of 100% cranberry. It may taste a little bitter than the other variants, but you can rest assured that you are getting the real thing and not just a mixture of cranberry and other juices,  or worse - just water, sugar, and artificial coloring.

 

Tagged with: benefits of cranberry juice • cranberry juice • cranberry juice concentrate • cranberry juice diet • unsweetened cranberry juice

Sour, tangy, sweet and juicy – these are all of the flavors incorporated in one of the favorite citrus fruits of all time: grapefruit. This fruit, which always reminds me of a tropical island,  is used in grapefruit diets and is recommended by dieticians because of the numerous health benefits that it provides.

Grapefruit is rich in vitamin C, dietary fibers, vitamin A, folate, potassium and vitamin B5. Being an excellent source of vitamin C, you can easily reduce on the Ascorbic Acid pills that you are popping on a daily basis by including citrus-y fruits like these as part of your daily eating habit.

Due to its rich fiber content, grapefruit is known to reduce the risks of heart disease, stroke and cancer. It also helps with arthritis, asthma and is a good anti-inflammatory agent.  If only people will learn to incorporate grapefruit and other nutritious, healthy foods in their diet, ours will certainly be a healthier place to live in. 

Tagged with: florida grapefruit • grapefruit diet • grapefruit health benefits • pink grapefruit • red grapefruit

Mother Nature must have known that people like color, so she made the most nutritious foods the most colorful. Fruits and vegetables that have the brightest, the darkest, and the most vivid colors hold the most vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

If you want to assure yourself that you are taking in enough of what you need, use the color wheel to judge your diet.

Green -Wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, kale, spinach, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, mustard greens, and collard greens are all examples of green vegetables that contain Chlorophyll, Fiber, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Calcium, Foliate, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Beta-Carotene.

Red –fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, berries, peppers, and radishes, are full of nutrients such as Lycopene, Ellagic Acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin.

Orange and yellow- fruits and vegetables such as oranges, peaches, apricots, carrots, yams, squash, and papayas, provide you with Beta-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, Flavonoids, Lycopene, Potassium, and Vitamin C.

Blue and purple- fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, pomegranates, grapes, elderberries, eggplant, and prunes contain nutrients, which include Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Resveratrol, Vitamin C, Fiber, Flavonoids, Ellagic Acid, and Quercetin.

Tagged with: fruits • nutrition • vegetables

Triglycerides are the chemical name by which most fats in food are known. They are also found in blood plasma after the body converts the foods we eat, such as carbohydrates. The body doesn’t use all of calories that we ingest, and stores them for later use, releasing triglycerides as we need them.

If there are too many unused triglycerides present in plasma, this is called Hypertriglyceridemia. Research has linked this disorder to Coronary Artery Disease, and Diabetes Mellitus.

Your physician can find out if your triglycerides levels are too high, with the same tests used to determine your cholesterol levels. The guidelines set by the national cholesterol education program are listed below: These are based on plasma triglyceride levels, taken after fasting overnight.

Normal Less than 150 mg/dL

Borderline-high 150 to 199 mg/dL

High 200 to 499 mg/dL

Very high 500 mg/dL or higher

If your levels are too high, you can reduce them by making simple changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. Which are relatively similar to reducing cholesterol.

Tagged with: Cholesteral • Triglycerides

Having problems with your knees can be frustrating especially if you need to get up now and then.  Luckily, there is Drive Medical’s E-Z Assist Pole to assist you when you have to stand up or get out of your bed. 

It is impractical to bear the pain of standing up or getting when there are home medical equipment like this pole to make things easier for the weary knees.  It has a hand grip which you can hold on to for that much-needed support.  It can also be secured from ceiling to to your floor so there is no need to fear of slip-ups even if you are alone. 

This is good not only for those whose knees have been weakened by age or injury but also for women who have just given birth.  Most women who have just given birth have stitches in the perinatal area and having this pole around can provide them comfort when getting up.

AT 300 lbs, the pole is easy to ship and the manufacturers provide a limited lifetime warranty for the product.  Why take the risk of falling down, or bear the pain of stretching out when you can have the pole installed in your room?

Tagged with: Drive Medical • E-Z Assist Pole • Home Medical Equipment • standing support • weak knees

The grapefruit diet that came out of the ‘80s is getting some new research. And some say that adding grapefruit as part of a healthy, balanced diet can help you to lose weight.

The grapefruit diet calls for only 800 calories a day. The daily eating plan includes eating lots of so called ‘fat-burning’ grapefruit to give metabolism a boost. As well, as much black coffee as you want, some boiled eggs for protein and an occasional piece of dry toast.

Researchers are saying now that the grapefruit diet may have compounds unique to the grapefruit that slow down insulin production, which helps in reducing weight.

However experts are also saying that the grapefruit diet needs more research before it is recomended. It seems that so far the diet is still considered a fad, and it is unlikely that the grapefruit diet has any extraordinary powers for losing weight when there are no other diet or lifestyle changes.

Experts are saying that participants probably lost weight because they were included in a study and were paying more attention to calories and exercise.

The grapefruit diet is not only extremely low in calories but seems to be very boring which would make it hard to stick to. As well if the grapefruit diet does affect insulin levels, there could be severe consequences for those with blood sugar problems.

It seems the secret is No Food. As always check with your doctor first before trying any diet.

Tagged with: fruit diet • grapefruit diet • insulin and weight loss • low calorie diet

Any home and office should have this home medical equipment on stand by in case there is an emergency that may require drastic life-saving moves. The Heart Start Onsite Defibrillator of Phillips can make the different between the life and death of a friend, relative and someone you love.

This may be a complicated-looking gadget with a name that sounds gibberish to the unmedically-trained mind. However, it is fairly easy to use with step by step instructions to the user.  At 3.3 lbs, this defibrillator is lightweight and provides voice instructions on how to proceed with defribrillation as well as how to conduct CPR.

This equipment can pontentially save infants, children or adults who suddenly have cardiac arrest.  It is powered by a 4-year battery and once this is strapped to the gadget, the defibrillator starts to work.  One the green light is on, it means everything is ok and you can proceed.  However, the defibrillator alerts you by chirping so you need to push the information button (that’s the flashing blue light) for help. 

Make sure you call EMS or emergency medical services though after you apply first aid to make sure your patient gets the proper medical care.

Tagged with: cardiac arrest • CPR • emergency medical service • first aid • Heart Start Onsite Defibrillator by Phillips • Home Medical Equipment