Posts Tagged foods
Health Dangers Of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can pose serious health dangers. An eating disorder is a serious problem that will not only affect your entire self-image but also permanent damage to your body. In the most severe cases, eating disorders can cause complications that are life threatening.
You should consult your doctor right away if you suspect that you are suffering from an eating disorder. Do not wait too long for a consultation as early treatment is crucial.
Here are some of the most common health consequences that you can get due to developing an eating disorder include:
1. Anorexia. In your quest to being thin, you deny your body of important food and nutrients. When you stop eating, your body grows weak and its natural processes slow down as it tries to conserve energy. You will grow weak and lose muscle and bone density. If you allow this to continue over an extended period of time, you may end up with several serious health complications.
Your heart rate also starts to slow down and you suffer from low blood pressure. You may also get kidney failure if your body is dehydrated long enough.
Physically, you would see dry hair, dull skin, and hair loss. You may also start to grow fine hair over your entire body because your body is trying to maintain a steady temperature. You also become easily fatigued, have fainting spells and feel a general sense of weakness.
2. Bulimia. If you are bulimic, then you are engaging in a cycle of binging and purging. This cycle is unhealthy. Your binging and purging sessions will lead to chemical and electrolyte imbalances. This can have vast consequences on the health of your heart and other vital organs.
You can get irregular heartbeats and heart failure because of this. Since you are suffering from dehydration and the loss of potassium and sodium you may end up with gastric rupture and other serious digestive problems.
You may also rupture your esophagus because of your repeated vomiting. You will also have dental problems including serious tooth decay because of the stomach acids that you are frequently vomiting.
Of course, you can also suffer from irregular bowel movements and constipation. Since these things are so dangerous, you really should seek some eating disorders prevention tips here.
3. Binge Eating. If you are a binge eater, then you would find it hard to control how much and what kind of food you eat. Eating large amounts of unhealthy foods put you at risk of high cholesterol. You are also at greater risk of high blood pressure, clinical obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and gallbladder disease.
Tags: aging, balance, cholesterol, clinic, constipation, foods, gastric, health, healthy, healthy food, healthy foods, heart, heart disease, muscle, obesity, stomach acid, treatmentRelated posts
Does Someone You Care About Have Anorexia?
Anorexia is an eating disorder that develops when someone stops eating enough food for adequate nutrition. It can happen slowly, over several months or even years, as when some people grow older or develop an underlying disease like cancer. As their appetite dwindles, they may stop eating altogether or gradually eat less and less. Without taking in enough calories or nutrients, a person can get sick or become weak. Any other health condition that develops during this time can then further compromise that person’s health.
Another type of anorexia is based on personal self-image. People who are trying to lose weight sometimes take extreme measures by reducing the amount of food they eat and eating much less frequently. While it can be easy to lose several pounds each week in this way, such dramatic weight loss can lead to unhealthy consequences, including heart arrhythmias, weakness, dehydration, loss of concentration, and nutritional imbalances, among others. If left undiagnosed and untreated, some of these results can be fatal.
If you suspect someone you care about has anorexia, here are some of the possible symptoms that may indicate the presence of this situation.
1. The person may eat little or nothing for many meals. Watch to see how much food is placed on the person’s plate, whether she eats it all, and if she has second helpings. If she picks at her food, spits some bites into her napkin, or leaves some on her plate, this could signal that she isn’t getting much nutrition, especially if it happens frequently. She may sip water instead or poke at her food instead of taking regular bites, chewing, and swallowing.
2. The person may binge and purge. You might see the person stuffing her face with regular or high-calorie foods, and then disappearing into the bathroom soon after eating. Excessive eating followed by fasting, or binging following by prolonged bathroom visits may be signs that the person is not processing food correctly.
3. The person may use diet aids or medications to slow eating. If you have access to her medicine chest, or feel comfortable enough asking, you can find out if the person is taking diuretics to make her urinate more frequently and eliminate extra water for temporary weight loss. An anorexic also may be taking appetite suppressants that cause her to feel less hungry and to eat less. She also might have medication to cause frequent bowel movements, or even take enemas fairly often. This, however, may cause the intestines to become sluggish and stop working much on their own.
4. The person might show signs of moodiness, fatigue, or depression. These, however, also may represent other conditions as well, so urge the person to see the doctor if you’re not sure anorexia is the cause.
If someone under your supervision shows symptoms like these, take her or him to the doctor. If the person is an independent adult, make yourself available as a confidante, and when opportunities arise, be ready to advise a medical examination.
Tags: balance, calories, cancer, depression, diet aids, foods, health, healthy, heart, lose weight, meals, to lose weight, vision, weight, weight lossRelated posts
Tips On Losing Weight To Control Diabetes
Diabetes is a medical condition of the body which affects that way in which our body uses the food we eat to turn it into energy. Whenever we consume food, the majority of it is turned into glucose. Glucose is a form of sugar, and when taken into our body’s cells, it is used as energy. However, for those who suffer from diabetes, many require insulin in order to deliver glucose to their body’s cells. Unfortunately, there are some diabetics who either produce too little insulin or no insulin at all. As a result, their body’s sugar to cell energy process is disrupted.
There are two known types of diabetes: Type I and Type II. Type I diabetes is labeled as an autoimmune disease where one’s body begins to attack the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. On the other hand, Type II diabetes is known as adult onset diabetes which is caused by being overweight or lacking the proper physical activity. In most cases, Type II diabetes accounts for 90%-95% of diabetic cases. In fact, it is this type of diabetes that affects weight loss the greatest.
If you desire to take control of your diabetes, the first step you should take is to institute a weight loss plan. Unfortunately, for some, this is easier said than done.
Typical weight loss diets for diabetics should be low in fat, carbohydrates, and very restrictive of one’s calorie intake. It is recommended that at least 40% of your calorie intake be in the form of protein. For those who suffer from kidney problems, or other related illnesses, be sure to consult a doctor first before consuming this amount of protein per day.
Another component of effective weight loss for those who suffer from diabetes is exercise. Aerobic exercises help to strengthen your cardiovascular system as well as burn calories. Because muscle burns more than fat, it is also advisable to undergo a strength training routine in order to build muscle while simultaneously burning fat. This will greatly impact your weight loss efforts – much more than if you were to simply walk or bike ride.
The bottom line is: if you can adopt a whole foods diet in conjunction with regular exercise, you can realistically lose weight. For those who suffer from Type II diabetes, there’s a very strong chance that such weight loss can help your condition, if not cure it altogether.
Type II diabetes is largely due in part to a metabolic syndrome which goes hand in hand with high blood pressure, diabetes and coronary artery disease. If you can decrease your chances for one, you can certainly work towards a cure for the others. By losing weight and adopting a healthy diet, you are started on the right path to a cure.
Tags: a healthy diet, calories, diabetic, diets, diets for diabetics, effective weight loss, exercise, exercises, foods, health, healthy, healthy diet, lose weight, losing weight, muscle, of the body, weight, weight loss, weight loss diet, weight loss diets, weight loss planRelated posts