Posts Tagged ‘women’s issues’

Getting To Know Laser Liposuction

Thursday, February 26th, 2009
by Victoria Rowde

A new technology in fat reduction just got recently approved by the FDA as a method for removing fat in specific areas of the body. It seems that people no longer need to stick to the option of traditional liposuction. There is however, still a lot that we need to know about laser liposuction.

What Laser Liposuction Is

Laser liposuction is a minimally invasive procedure that causes little bruising or tissue trauma in patients. In this procedure, a very small incision is made into which a 1mm cannula is then inserted. The laser tip of the instrument then comes into contact with the fats, heats the fats up and breaks them down. The melted fat can then be removed from the body immediately.

The lymphatic system in our body can flush out and release fats that are not removed. Laser intensity is low and can be adjusted as needed. A local anesthetic is all that is needed for laser liposuction.

What Is It For?

Like other liposuction procedures, laser liposuction can only work on specific areas of the body. Although some may claim that laser liposuction can work wonders on all parts of your body, it can only really work on limited areas. Only smaller areas like the face, neck and arms can be subjected to this laser treatment.

Laser liposuction is similar to traditional liposuction in that it is also a form of a body sculpting procedure. It is therefore not a solution for obesity and cannot be used for weight loss. The appropriate candidates for this new technology are people who are fairly healthy and who have only small fat deposits.

The Advantages

Since the procedure is minimally invasive, there is less swelling, bruising, scarring, tissue damage and pain. The incision is said to be so small that a patient no longer needs to be stitched up. This means that the rate of recovery is faster. Patients can get back on their feet in a day or two.

Laser liposuction also promotes the production of collagen as well as tightens the skin after melting body fats. This is a great improvement compared to traditional liposuction. In traditional liposuction, some patients end up looking worse because of a lack of ideal skin elasticity. Some doctors may use laser liposuction after sessions of traditional liposuction to help tighten the skin.

Risks

Laser liposuction is only good for specific parts of the body. Traditional liposuction may still be needed for wider body areas such as the hips and thighs. It is also still a very young piece of technology. Experts agree that more studies need to be conducted to determine the possible negative side effects of this procedure.

A question that especially deserves more attention is the possible side effects of more fat fluid being retained in the body. Of course, the FDA would not approve something that could be potentially dangerous. It is a fact though that the full long term side effects of the procedure cannot be determined yet until it has been in use for quite some time. Be on the safe side by asking your doctor to extensively discuss the procedure with you.

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Natural Remedies for Menopause and Weight Loss

Friday, February 20th, 2009
by Ricardo d Argence

Menopause is a challenging time of transition from the reproductive years to the post-childbearing years for many women. A woman’s body stops causing egg follicles to mature every month and female hormones naturally decline when menopause occurs.

Unfortunately, menopause can be difficult for some women because of its often uncomfortable symptoms. These can include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of interest in sex, and irritability. Unexpected weight gain is another frequent consequence of menopause.

Occasionally, females who put on weight in menopause haven’t altered their diet or workout regimen. This can be frustrating, prompting women to wonder what caused this sudden and unexpected weight gain. In other instances, increased weight is caused by eating to excess that is stimulated by hormones. Another cause of weight gain is the natural metabolic slow-down that happens as people age. This more sluggish metabolic rate signifies that extra calories or a diet that lacks balance will produce a much bigger impact on females in menopause.

Estrogen and body fat work together in a unique way. Body fat helps regulate the production of estrogen, which declines dramatically in menopause. Sometimes, the body will fight to hold on to fat in an effort to stabilize estrogen levels. Hormones and the fat in body is linked together in complex which affect in gaining weight through changes in appetite, digestion, and metabolism.

Try using a more natural antidote to increased weight and other the negative symptoms of menopause, instead of turning to hormone therapy that is now linked to problems such as breast and reproductive cancers. Some of these remedies include black cohosh and sage, to regulate hot flashes; St. John’s Wort, a natural anti-depressant and stress alleviator; and chasteberry, for moodiness and general hormonal imbalance.

Many women make the mistake of thinking that these remedies will prevent weight gain and other menopause symptoms on their own. The truth is, the best thing you can do to prevent or reverse weight gain in menopause is through healthy diet and exercise.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in whole-foods is more effective approach than using herbal remedies. There are many herbal remedies available to alleviate menopausal symptoms. However, many women find that healthy eating and exercise are enough, and they do not need to waste their money on such products.

A healthy, balanced diet means eating heart-healthy fats and avoiding bad fats. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should form the bulk of the diet, supplemented by lean protein and dairy foods (or non-dairy foods that contain calcium). Obviously, you should generally avoid fats and fried food, too much sugar, and junk foods, and additionally you should stay away from foods that contain excess liquor, spices, and caffeine if you find that these complicate menopause symptoms for you.

Add eight glasses of water per day and about half-hour of exercise as many days per week as possible, and you could be on your way to significant weight loss, even in the face of the hormonal hurdles of menopause. You’re also likely to see an improvement in other menopause symptoms as a healthy diet and exercise program begins to stabilize hormone levels.

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How Much Weight You Should Gain During Pregnancy

Thursday, February 19th, 2009
by Ricardo d Argence

During and after the pregnancy, weight gain is common and something most women dislike. Putting on pregnancy pounds is absolutely necessary for the embryo to get the appropriate vitamins and minerals for healthy growth.

In years past weight gain was considered detrimental for the pregnant woman, but now it is accepted as a normal part of embryo development. Actually, the huge problem of pregnant women is, how much should they ideally put on weight while they are pregnant.

Some exercise and a proper diet is extremely important for the mother and her child. The weight gained during pregnancy is distributed throughout a woman’s body; most of it is the baby, some the placenta, some to the breasts (for milk production), and some as extra fluids needed during pregnancy.

A good natural weight limit to set for pregnant women would be a minimum of 15 lbs for overweight women who become pregnant. For skinny women who become pregnant, if they gained 45 or 50 lbs it is still considered a good weight.

Usually with the help of a ultra sound some women find out they are going to have more than one baby. Because both embryo’s need nutrition, it is natural for the pregnant woman to gain even more weight. Women who tend to maintain their weight usually have problems with the development of the embryo, which in turn can cause problems for the newborn baby and possibly make them quite sickly.

300 calories a day is what a pregnant woman should consume. Junk foods are not really good for pregnant women. Mothers who will be expecting children will most likely see some gain in their weight when pregnancy begins, yet they possibly will not experience a significant amount of weight gain until in a later stage.

Definitely not a good idea is losing weight when you gain too much weight. To help avoid futuristic problems for the baby you should refrain from consuming salt while you are pregnant.

Women that are obese tend to have higher blood pressure ratings, gestational diabetes, and other issue while they are pregnant. They also increase the chances of having a miscarriage.

With her doctor’s approval, the pregnant woman can engage in light exercise, including swimming. Swimming is a great way to burn calories; for further help in proper pregnancy development you can also take short walks or perform some of the exercises that your pediatrician can instruct you on.

Remember to take very good care of yourself because now you are eating and exercising for at least two people now.

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Muscle Building Tips to Achieve the Best Results in the Gym

Thursday, January 29th, 2009
by Ricardo d Argence

A healthy exercise routine should include weight training to build healthy muscles, even if you are not a bodybuilder. Your reason for working out may be to get healthy or to improve muscle definition. Whatever your motivation, these tips will help you to achieve your aims.

You could lift weights forever and not build any new muscle if your body doesn’t have enough protein, it is essential to build muscle. However, the question has always been how much is enough? Unfortunately, foods that are high in protein like dairy and red meat are also high in fat which can pack on unwanted pounds.

The rule of thumb for protein intake for dedicated bodybuilders is at least one gram for every pound of body weight. That means if you weight 170 pounds you should be eating 170 grams of protein every day in order to build muscle mass. Choose skim milk and low-fat protein sources such as fish and chicken over red meat, if you’re worried about that fat content.

Exercise and weight lifting enthusiasts have been known on occasion to develop something close to an addiction to working out. You can see them in the gym almost daily doing their routines. Surprisingly, all that dedication very possibly is detrimental to the health of their bodies. This is because studies have shown that you need more than exercise to build muscle.

You need to let your muscles rest for a time after exerting them like that. In order to recover between sessions, a person should eat well-balanced meals, drink plenty of fluids after working out, and take a day off before another sesssion.

While sleeping may seem like the antithesis to the weight lifting, you won’t build muscle without it. That’s because many of the bodily processes that go on do so while you are sleeping. The reason is simple, your body can redirect energy resources to these other tasks because it’s not being used for anything else.

Muscle development depend on multiple processes, one of those is protein synthesis. Your body needs enough time to complete these processes, so you need to make sure to get the recommended amount every night. Make sure to sleep for at least eight hours every night.

Talking about your workout routine, compound movements are going to build muscle faster than other types of exercises such as squats, which target isolated muscle groups. If you do not lift properly then the muscle groups will not get the most benefit from the workout.

It is very simple: just choose weights that feel heavy to you! That doesn’t particularly mean that you want the heaviest available on the rack. If you’re going to really benefit from your efforts, it just means that you need to feel the muscles working when you lift that weight. It could be as much as 20 pounds if you are new to bodybuilding.

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