You can't turn on the TV, drive down the road or go to a party without being confronted with Britain's hottest obsession especially at this time of the year: weight. Diets are a billion-pound industry; companies spend millions and millions luring you to try the latest diet (low carb, high protein, low fat, no fat, you name it) with promises that this will (finally!) be the solution--your shortcut to a thinner body. Advertising efforts also deeply affect our children, who develop distorted body images and are often on diets as early as nine or 10 years of age.

Our culture touts diet pills, celebrity workouts, convenience foods and trendy diets to help us achieve our desired weight, but these quick-fix solutions have backfired. Britain's populace has reached its highest weight in history. Almost half the population are overweight; one-third are obese. Diets steer us away from our common sense and dig deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results. Why?

Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom.

There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself in a nourishing way. Working with your body rather than against it will bring you increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.

This Blogger's Books and Other Items from...

Healing Foods - Healthy Foods: Use Superfoods to Help Fight Disease and Maintain a Healthy Body

by Gloria Halim

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Five Reasons Why Diets Don't Work | The Huffington Post - Huffington Post UK

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Beyonc is queen for a reason.

No matter what she's doingeven if it's the most mundane, basic thingshe can do little wrong. Bey can wear mismatched lingerie, workout in the rain and power through intense diets. She does it all with such ease that it makes mere mortals feel like we can do it, too.

It doesn't mean we should, though.

Take, for instance, the Master Cleanse Diet (a.k.a. the Lemonade Dietcoincidence, much?) that Bey underwent in 2006 to shed weight for her role in Dreamgirls. It's been talked about ad nauseum, with nutritionists criticizing its health benefits.

"I have a huge problem with any cleanse that doesn't allow you to have food. People want to eat food," celebrity fitness expert Latreal Mitchell told me. "I do get where they're coming fromlemon is an antioxidant and maple syrup is a natural sweetener, but at the end of the day, all you're giving yourself is lemon and sugar. It's not going to sustain you."

Still, I had to try it. If not for the sake of Beyonc Week, then to fully understand what exactly the singer went through.

The recipe includes: 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (not the pre-squeezed stuff, which contains preservatives), 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup, 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 10 ounces of pure waterfor one single serving.

If you're like me, you have no time to make a diet cocktail eight times a day. Also, talk about an awkward lunch-room conversation: "What are you eating today? Umm, syrup. So, I prepped a few days' worth at one time. Note: Not only will have you have jug of diet lemonade at the ready, but you'll have sore, stiff hands, too. I guess the juice is worth the squeeze. But those lucky enough should use a juicer to avoid arthritis.

Day 1: I was weirdlyexcited to get started because, well, I was seven days away from being as Dreamgirls-slim as I was ever going to get. I walked into work with "Crazy in Love" confidence. Instead of wearing a white tank and denim short-shorts, I was strutting into a newsroom in a shift dress and water bottles of Master Cleanse. Slay!

The first day was relatively easy. I normally eat a light breakfast anyway so I wasn't that hungry. Honestly, I probably drank half the servings I should havethe lemon and maple concoction kept me relatively full.

Day 2: Now if you have a voracious appetite, you'll be starving by now. When I woke, I was hungry, but already, I noticed the size difference in my tummyit was slightly flatter. That is, until I drank two 8-ounce glasses of juice in five minutes. Then, it was bloat central. The thing about juicing that no one ever tells you is that you'll constantly need to go to the bathroom, which is especially annoying for an equally busy and lazy girl like me.

Day 3: By the third day, I developed a superpower...or maybe it was my kryptonite: My sense of smell was extremely heightened. I'd be content one minute and then the next, the fine aroma of toasted bread wafting from the office kitchen had me dazed then ravenous. I could smell food from the corner office situated on the entire opposite side or the floor. While my co-workers couldn't smell a thing, I had to stop breathing through my nose. Even just a small whiff of tuna, tomato soup or other lunchtime marvels had me desperately wanting food, only to be met with unsatisfying diet juice. I began resenting everything and everyone: myself, lemons, even Beyonc for giving me this crazy idea.

Day 4: Let's just say no one dared to talk to me.

Day 5: Not going to lie, I felt a little fragile. I felt like I was exerting more energy just to keep my body up. I went to sleep earlier and woke up much later than usual. I wouldn't recommend anyone exercising while on this cleanse. I kept a protein bar in my bag just in case. I never needed it; but, it was reassuring to have sustenance nearby just in case.

Day 6: Let's go through the list so far: Hunger? Check. Irritable? Check. Full bladder? Check. Bloat? Check. Low energy? Check. Stiff hands? Check. Oh, did I mention my teeth started feeling extra sensitive? Maybe it was the acidity of the lemons, but I felt like they, too, were taking a beating.

Day 7: Victory! I'm going to be honestI didn't wait until the day was over to eat. I did start slow, however, with the recommended soups and light fare, as to not overwhelm my digestive system. I noticed a small change in appearanceI even felt a little lighter. But friends and family who hadn't seen me for the week instantly noticed a difference. Apparently, my cheeks were smaller, my collarbones were more distinct and, indeed, my waist looked slimmer. It worked! I never doubted you, Bey.

In total, I must've lost eight or nine pounds in a weekI'm 113 (I mean 115), for reference. However, once I got back into the swing of my regular diet (salads for lunch, whatever I want for dinner), I basicallygained the weight back in a few weeks' time.

"You might lose weight temporarily, but you're going to gain it right back once you start to eat again," warned Latrealand she was right.

If you're looking for long-term results, you're better off hitting the gym. I will say if you're looking for fast weight loss, to prep for a wedding, or in Beyonc's case, a movie, Master Cleanse might work for you. Just beware: Some gain more weight than when they started off.

"The most common thing that happens is you wind up binge-eating because you just want to eat so bad," the expert added.

And there you have it.

PS: I love eating too much, so you won't find medoing that again.

E! Online - Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows!

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Beyonc's Lemonade Diet: The Dark Side of the Master Cleanse - E! Online

The Jackson Sun 10:53 a.m. CT Feb. 9, 2017

Tom Purcell(Photo: Cagle Cartoons Syndicate)

I know Democrats and progressives are going nuts over President Trump's first few weeks in office I know the Middle East is a mess and that we have no small number of incredible challenges at home but I have my own worries.

Like millions of other Americans, I'm on my annual February diet.

You see, it's not easy to be trim and fit in America. Our culture is saturated with an abundance of high-calorie, processed foods that turn into instant fat.

We work long and hard in sedentary office jobs, then eat our stress away, two or three fast food treats at a time.

We've become so fat, to quote Rodney Dangerfield, that our bathtubs have stretch marks.

We know our increasing tubbiness isn't healthy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity-associated diseases such as diabetes have soared in recent years. Gallbladder diseases, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and heart disease are all caused by carrying too much weight.

And so we are on a continuous mission to lose weight. Our challenge is that the fad diets that promise to get us there go in and out of fashion faster than the white patent leather shoes and belts my father used to wear to church.

According to the website The Daily Meal (thedailymeal.com), the Mediterranean Diet it features natural, plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts is in.

So, too, is the Paleo Diet, which apparently is similar to the Mediterranean Diet, except legumes are forbidden.

Which is a shame, too, because I just learned that legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupin beans, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts and tamarind which go well with the bourbon I am driven to drink as I try to figure out which diet to go on.

Volumetrics is another in diet. It encourages the consumption of low-energy-density foods, which make you feel full with fewer calories than high-energy-density foods. It also sounds like too much math is involved.

The Gluten Diet is on the outs, though, according to The Daily Meal. Apparently, it puts people at risk for different deficiencies such as B vitamin deficiencies, calcium, fiber, vitamin D and iron.

The Daily Meal no longer favors the Atkins Diet, either, which makes me sore.

Dr. Atkins said we could eat delicious steaks, pork, chicken and fish. He said we could eat as much eggs and cheese and other tasty no-sugar treats as we could stuff into our bellies. His diet was all the rage for years.

But now The Daily Meal says his diet is a no go? That it is not heart-healthy and that most users are not compliant over the long term?

Not so fast! Several prominent studies have concluded that old Doc Atkins was onto something. Low-carbohydrate diets may actually take off more weight than low-fat diets and may be surprisingly better for cholesterol, too.

One of my greatest dieting disappointments of the last 20 years, though, was the failure of the exercise pill, which had shown promise at Duke University around 2002.

Researchers had located the chemical pathways that muscle cells use to build strength and endurance. With that knowledge in hand, there was hope that a pill could be created that would pump up muscle cells WITHOUT the need for actual exercise.

Dieting Americans could have sat on the couch, chomping potato chips and dip, while their biceps got as round as cantaloupes and their abs got as hard as stone but this uniquely American dieting innovation wasn't to be.

I think I'll try a new, restrictive diet this February: the Democrats in Congress Diet.

I'll deny myself everything.

Tom Purcell is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.

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Unlike fat, choices for the right diet keep shrinking - Jackson Sun

An old myth says that touching a toad will give you warts. This isn't true, but many species of toads and frogs in the family bufonidae do produce unique chemicals that can poison or even kill an animal or human foolish enough to try to eat one.

These chemicals, called bufotoxins, probably evolved to deter predators but they may offer a variety of other uses, including as medicine. Bufo gargarizans, an Asian species of toad, produces a substance that could even prove useful in the treatment of certain cancers. According to one 2011 study, the toad produces a substance that effects "significant antitumor activity, including inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell differentiation, induction of apoptosis, disruption of the cell cycle, inhibition of cancer angiogenesis, reversal of multi-drug resistance, and regulation of the immune response."

Other bufotoxins have been used to treat diseases among horses and cattle. Bufotoxins have been individually studied in the past but there was no single compendium of research on them. Roberto Ibez, a staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, has co-authored a paper in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology that brings together everything currently known to science about bufotoxins. He helped to identify 47 species of frogs and toads which are used in traditional medicines and then narrowed in on the 15 species that are members of the bufonidae family.

Our claim is that there are many compounds in the toadsthat are worth researching for humans. There are potentially many new drugs for humans and other species, Ibez says. Many of those local species are in rapid decline, mainly because of the fungus that is killing them.

That fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, commonly referred to as amphibian chytrid fungus, has spread across the globe during the past 40 years causing massive population declines and even extinctions among many species of amphibians. Amphibian chytrid fungus infects the skins of amphibians and causes them to stop feeding, move slowly and eventually die.

One affected bufonidaespecies is the Panamanian golden frog, which has been completely wiped out in the wild by the fungus. The Panamanian golden frog exists only in captivity now.

In his role as the in-country director of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, Ibez has been immersedin breeding, rescuing and researching the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog. But he fears that if the frogs only exist in captivity, there will be noway for scientists to preserve their bufotoxins.

There are some indications that some of the [Panamanian frogs] only produce toxins in the wild, Ibez says. But we don't know if without the right diet they don't produce the right toxins or any toxins at all. . . It could be from bacteria in their skin, but we don't know.

The skin of the Panamanian golden frog produces unique chemicals called zetekitoxins.

"Remarkably, toxins from a single [Panamanian golden] frog skin can kill 130 to 1,000 mice," says Candelario Rodriguez, another author of the review. "The mechanism of action is to reduce cardiac rhythm, making these interesting candidates as therapeutic compounds. . . if golden frogs were to disappear, they would take this potentially valuable chemical with them.

While Ibez and other scientists can create a sort of lifeboat for an endangered species of amphibianmany of the medically promising bufotoxins might only be available if chytridiomycosis can be defeated and the animals can be restored to the wild.

Meanwhile, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is using their captive populations of frogs to research a probiotic cure for the fungus that will allow the animals to be safely released.

The main message is just to show that there are a lot of species and many of them are disappearing and have compounds that can be used by humans for their own benefit, Ibez says. We should preserve these species in the wild.

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Here's Why You Should Never Kiss a Toad - Smithsonian

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Traditional whitening practices have proven to be quite harmful to the longevity of our teeth.

Dental specialist Linda Greenwall has thoroughlyinvestigatedthe harmful use of teeth whitening treatments, especially ones thatincludechlorine dioxide, and arguesthese chlorine dioxide treatments are advertised as safe for teeth. It is certainly not thecase.

Itremainsdifficult for people to find an effective and safe alternative to traditional teeth whiteningpractices practices that cause serious and irreversible damage to the enamel of our teeth,which is what protects them to begin with. Greenwall explains that chlorine dioxidewhitening treatments can cause serious damage, including: tooth etching,loss of tooth lustre, discolouration, stain absorption(due to loss of protective enamel), teeth feeling rough, and increased sensitivity (sometimes permanent).

Other risks include:

If you are serious about getting whiter teeth safely, you need to first determine what is causing theirdiscolouration to begin with. Coffee, tea, red wine, and cigarettes are all major culprits here, so start by cutting down or completely eliminatingthese four things.

These are the risks you face when choosing to go the conventional route. Fortunately, safer and more holistic alternatives are available.

This is a traditional Aryurvedic practice used to help detoxify and cleanse the body. Along with helping to whiten teeth, it alsoreduces tooth decay and gingivitis. Sesame oil is the traditional choice, but to see the best results, use coconut oil, which containsmonolaurin, a very effective antimicrobial against the main bug implicated with tooth decay, strep mutans.

Be sure to usea high quality oil. We often use thiscoconut oildue to its single origin quality. Start by taking a tablespoon of oiland swishing it in your mouth for 20 minutes.Move it through your teeth and the front and back of your mouth. Do not swallow! The longer its been in your mouth the more contaminated it will become, as it is literally pulling bacteria, fungi, and viruses into your mouth from your whole body. When you are done, spit it out (and brush your teeth if youd like).

Baking soda has a really lowRelative Dentin Abrasivity, or RDA, score.The scale goes from 0 (no abrasivity) to 269 (high abrasivity), with baking soda ranking in at just 7.

How to use:

Use a high quality baking soda such as Duda Energy.

1. Take a pinch of baking soda and put it into a small glass or bowl. 2. Add a small amount of purified water (ideally not tap water) to the bowl and mix it into the baking soda. The solution should be slightly runny, as you dont want too many of the granules present. Dip your toothbrush in to get some of the solution on the brush. 3. Brush your teeth, starting with your molars and then moving to the facings and backs of your teeth. 4. Optional: Once done, you can add some more water to the glass or bowl and swish it around your mouth. This will help keep your mouth alkaline. 5. Rinse out your mouth with purified water as you normally would after brushing.

Other people place baking soda directly on their toothbrush and begin with the front teeth. When the solution is mixed with saliva, it becomes liquid.

White kaolin clay has a low abrasivity score and is effective as both a polish and stain remover. It is alsohigh in calcium, silica, zinc, and magnesium, and safe for people withtooth sensitivity.

How to use:

Apply it directly onto your toothbrush, starting with your front teeth and then, as it mixes with your saliva, moving on tothe rest of the mouth.

You can also combine this with baking soda.

Activated charcoal is not absorbed by the body but is itself highly absorbent, allowing it to easilyremove toxins without harming the body. It isfantastic for people who have had a bout of food poising or have accidentally ingestedsomething toxic. If you take this within 30 minutes of ingestion you should see results, but do not take it with other vitamins or supplements, as it willabsorb those as well.

Be aware that while it can remove stains from teeth, it does stain clothes, tiles, counters, etc. It can also cause constipation and block mineral absorption, and should not be mixed with dairy. These are warnings in the case that you do ingest it.

How to use:

Wet your toothbrush and dip it into the charcoal. Put the charcoal covered toothbrush in the mouth (quickly to protect your sink) and brush in small, gentle circles for two minutes. Spit carefully and rinse really well. You can alsomix the charcoal with water and swish with it for two minutes.

You can also combine this withoil pulling.

Its important to dilute peroxide to between 1% and 1.5% concentration at the very most. Anything higher will damage your teeth, even a mere3%.

Ourbody produces hydrogen peroxide primarily in the lungs, gut, and thyroid gland, andthe presence of hydrogen peroxide calls the immune system to an injury. This mayexplain how diluted hydrogen peroxide aids someone who is fighting gum disease.

How touse:

Again, use a very low concentration and swish around the teeth for three to fiveminutes.

Just like activated charcoal, you need to be careful about where your turmeric lands! It will stain everything, including your toothbrush, so you may even need to have a designated turmeric brush. But we promise it wont stain your teeth!

Turmeric has extensivemedicinal properties, including as a digestiveaid and an anti-inflammatory. It has even been said to help prevent certain types of cancers.

How touse:

Wet your toothbrush and then dip it in 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder. Brush teeth as normal, but instead of rinsing when youre done, allow the turmeric to sit on your teeth forthree to fiveminutes. Follow this with a regular brushing to get rid of any excess yellow buildup.

You can also try this combo: 2 parts turmeric powder to 1 part coconut oil and 1 part baking soda. Mix together to form a paste, and keep in a cool place (coconut oil is liquid at around 74-76 degrees).

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, which helps to make your teeth whiter. Use them to whiten teeth by crushing a few berries and then applying them to your teeth. Let it sit for about three to fiveminutes and then rinse out your mouth well.

Lemon has a solid bleaching power. Many use it to lighten their hair, but it can be used on your teeth as well.Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl and add some sea salt to it. Grind it down to produce a soft paste. Apply that to your teeth and let sit for three to fiveminutes. Rinse well. Its important to rinse this thoroughly, as you dont want to let it sit over long periods of time and erode yourenamel.

This one is controversial and I personally wouldnt say this should be your go-to option. Some health professionals say it works, while others say it doesnt. In the end, the gritty surface, which is rich in magnesium and potassium, may polish teeth and help remove some stains on the enamel, but results vary widely.For this method, simply rub your teeth with the inside of a ripe banana peel for two to fiveminutes and rinse when finished. Do this twicedaily.

There are a number of whitening options one can explore via dentists, whitening professionals, or the drugstore. These include bleaching trays, professional bleaching treatments, and products like Whitestrips. There is no doubt that these products do work, but there are reported disadvantages to these options that dont exist withthe above natural methods.

Oftenthe treatments above utilize harsh ingredients that can have powerful effects on gums and teeth, creating prolongedsensitivity even afteroneuse. For example, studies suggest that between one-thirdand one-halfof all people who use Whitestrips will notice some degree of gum tissue irritation. [1] If youve tried these products in the past, you may have seen great results and had no irritation, but if you did experience irritation, try the options abovefor a more natural and sustainable approach.

When using natural healing methods, its essential to rememberthat change does not happen overnight. If you want to get your teeth looking whiter naturally, you need to first understand that this will take time. Give yourself at least a month ofcombining the practices listed above withlimiting discolouration factors (coffee, tea, red wine, smoking) and judge from there if this is working for you.

We live in an age that is almost ruled by coffee, which happens to be one of the biggest contributors to stained and yellow teeth.While step number one for whiter teeth would be to limit coffee intake, that may not be a desired option for some of us, sothe above list of natural teeth whitening options should at least help mitigate the damage of coffee consumption.

Dental hygiene is important. It can be a contributing factor to many diseases in other areas of the body if not properly taken care of. One of the biggest ways we can damage our teeth is through acidic foods and drinks. In fact, a lot of times, yellow teeth are the result of an acidic diet, which wears at teeth enamelif teethare not properly taken care of.

Sources

whitening_strips/a4_teeth_whitening.htm

Dr Oz: Teeth Whitening Home Remedy: Baking Soda + Lemon Juice

http://www.livestrong.com/article/15795-whiten-teeth-peroxide/

One of the biggest problems cancer patients face is that their doctors aren't telling them everything they need to know and patients don't know the right questions to ask.

Our friend (and 13-year cancer survivor) Chris Wark just finished creating a free guide for cancer patients and their loved ones called 20 Questions For Your Oncologist.

Read more here:
The Top 9 Natural Home Remedies For Yellow Teeth That Won't Destroy Your Enamel - Collective Evolution