Obesity is an Increasing Health Risk

High blood pressure, joint pains, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, heart ailments, palsy, liver ailments, menstrual abnormalities, breast cancer, female infertility, decline in libido, endometrial cancer, mental stress, blood circulation diseases like arteriosclerosis, cholelithiasis etc. These are some of the diseases which might come up with obesity. This list seems endless. But before knowing how to end obesity one must know "what is obesity?"

Whom would you consider a person to be obese? A person who has BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 30 is considered to be an obese individual. But how does one become obese? In theory causes of obesity are gene, intake of fatty foods, lacking of physical activity, food habits, laziness and endocrine problems.

What are the available remedies for getting out of obesity?
Liposuction: It is a surgical process where the fat is removed by sucking out the fat from the body by inserting a needle.

Surgery: Commonly this procedure involves surgery of stomach and intestine to lower the intake of food.

Diet Pills: Majority of the diet pills are for short-term use only. These diet pills are effective only if they are used in combination with exercises and a controlled diet.

Fat burning pills: These are short-term quick fat burning pills. But the main problem with this medication is that the results are short lived. Once the medication is stopped the fats again show up.

Exercises: It is an age old technique of obesity reduction. It is a natural process so side effects are not there.

Controlled diet program: Like exercises this too is a natural process. Here a limited amount of food is taken which controls the formation of fat in the body.
Acupressure and acupuncture: Age old technique but nothing concrete has been proved yet.

Whatever be the method of getting over obesity there is no better method than natural methods like exercises and controlled diet program. And if a diet pill like Phentermine, Adipex, Acomplia is introduced the effects would be visible within a short time period.

Apart from physical aspects obesity may also let you feel dejected, out of the world and may make an individual abstain from social gatherings. If you are obese it is time to act. Whatever remedy you choose you should always consult your doctor for his view on that remedy.

Award Honors Success in Fight Against Diabetes

Ice cream or yogurt? Regular or diet soda? These may not be critical decisions at your dinner table - unless you're one of nearly 18 million Americans living with diabetes today.

People with diabetes face daily challenges. To remain healthy, they must monitor their blood sugar levels, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Some people also need to take insulin to stay alive.

In an effort to recognize champions of these challenges, Eli Lilly and Co. established the LillyforLife Achievement Award in 2002. The award celebrates the inspiring achievements of people of all ages who live with diabetes.

Those recognized do not have to be well known or famous for their achievements but can be everyday people who have accomplished or are working toward exceptional personal success.

This year, Lilly has expanded the award program to include not only people with diabetes but also anyone impacted by the condition or involved with the diabetes community.

Categories of submission include: patients age 18 or over; patients age 17 or under; professionals; caretakers or spouses; and journalists.

One person from each category will be selected by a panel of judges to receive this special award. Applicants are eligible to apply for one category. Peer or self-nominations are accepted from the public through Aug. 30, 2004.

Last year, Rick Largent was honored with the first ever LillyforLife Achievement Award. Largent has been living with type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes for 25 years. He has faced extraordinary challenges during his life beyond diabetes. An unfortunate accident left him quadriplegic, and he later lost his 19-year-old daughter to cancer.

Largent neglected to control his blood sugar, putting himself at risk for diabetes-related complications. It was not until he began using an insulin pump that he started taking control of his health again.

Largent began traveling cross-country sharing his story and teaching others that anything is possible when diabetes is managed well. He also visited Capitol Hill in an effort to educate policymakers on the dual dilemma of diabetes and disabilities.

Largent's resilience to conquer diabetes and quadriplegia represents the kind of spirit the LillyforLife Achievement Award stands for. As many who live with diabetes know, if the disease is managed, there's no reason you can't achieve your goals.

How to Substitute Fat in Your Everyday Diet

Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It's stored in the fat cells of the body. The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person.

Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have.

Fats are found in foods such as butter, margarine, oils, fats, dripping, nuts and oil seeds. Research conducted indicates that good fats such as fish oils especially deep sea fish, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts contain important fatty acids which if taken by people aged 65 plus reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by 44%.

Other names for fats include… Lard, animal shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable oil, butterfat, whole milk solids, copra, tallow, chocolate chips, shortening, margarine, cocoa butter.

Now lets have a look at the different types of fat. There are three types of fat to found in the diet.

Saturated fats - are found mainly in animal products and do the most damage and are the most related to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries. . Research has indicated that saturated fats in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which is the unwanted cholesterol and should be avoided. The following foods contain this type of fat:

Meat
Dairy
Eggs
Cakes, biscuits and pastries

Monounsaturated fats - Monounsaturated fats help to decrease the cholesterol and LDL levels in the blood. The following foods contain this type of fat:

1. Olive Oil
2. Canola Oil
3. Peanut Oil

Polyunsaturated fats - Polyunsaturated fats in small quantities can help to decrease total cholesterol. Examples of polyunsaturated Fats - would be vegetable oil and palm oil.

As pointed out before, consuming fats is the major culprit that leads to fat being on the human body mainly because fats are high in calories. I recommended that people eat less than 20% of total their total calories from fat.

We also know that eating too much fat leads to health problems and weight-gain, but we do need some healthy fats in our diet. Fats are a source of soluble vitamins A, D and E.

Fats provide hormone production and skin health and protection of vital organs and insulation Too much fat in the diet however, can increase the risk of a number of lifestyle diseases that are common in the western world

So Please…
Limit the saturated fats in your diet - which includes butter, cream, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats, cakes, pastries and fried foods.

Choose lean meats where possible and trim visible fat and skin before cooking
Select low fat dairy products where possible

Be aware of the hidden fats in processed foods and foods high in salt
Choose liquid fats over solid fats e.g. olive and canola oil over butter

Include amounts of unsaturated or 'good fats' in your diet. Sources include fish, olive and canola oil, nuts and avocado

Also try to include the good omega-3 fats daily – fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines are good sources and try to eat three fish meals a week if you can.

Below is a list of fat substitutions that you can apply in your everyday diet whether it is at work, home, or dining out.

Current Food Change to
Cheese – High fat types…
Cheddar and other hard cheeses. Lower fat varieties e.g. Edam, Cottage, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Gouda.
Chips/French fries Thick cut 'wedges' or oven baked chips
Chocolate Eat in moderation and buy the best quality. Substitute jelly babies or other sugar treat.
Cream Reduced fat cream, use low-fat yoghurt or evaporated skim milk.
Creamed Soups Check label for fat, use clear soups.
Croissants, pastries Bagels, bread rolls, finger buns.
Custard Low fat custard
Doughnuts Crumpets, plain scones, raisin loaf.
Ice Cream Reduced fat Varieties.
Meat (beef, lamb, pork) Lean beef, trim lamb, new pork or other 90%. Fat free cuts/mince.
Muesli Bars Check label for fat, buy breakfast bars, Power bars.
Pies Reduced fat pies, use filo pastry
Potato Crisps Pretzels
Salad dressings – Mayonnaise, French Use vinegar or lemon juice
Savoury biscuits Wheat crisp bread
Sweet biscuits Plain biscuits wheat meal.
TV meals Lower fat varieties (check label for fat).


There are many ways to achieving a reduced fat diet. Here are some examples:

Breakfast

· If you like butter or margarine on toast, only have it on the last slice you eat.
· If you don't feel like a solid breakfast, have a fruit smoothie.
· Mix up your own cereal from two or three types and give your creation a
name.

Lunch

· If you eat lunch away from home, plan it the night before. Make sandwiches
before you go to bed.
· Try some thick vegetable soup with a fresh bread roll to dip.
· Invest in a cool bag to keep your lunch fresh.

Dinner

· Try oven-baked potato wedges with a salsa topping.
· Go for fresh pasta with a quick tomato and basil sauce.
· for dessert, have a piece of fresh fruit with a yoghurt topping.

Snacks

· Salsa dip with pretzels
· Plain fruit loaf
· Yoghurt
· Vanilla dairy custard.

Before a workout
· Small glass of fruit juice
· Banana and Custard
· Half a slice of toast with jam.

After a workout

· Fruit/canned fruit
· Wheat Bites
· Rice cakes with honey.

At Work

· On your desk – bottle of water or glass to use at the water dispenser.
· In your desk – piece of fruit, small pull-top can of baked beans/creamed
corn/stewed fruit.
· Bring a few ingredients from home to be combined at work.
· Keep some cutlery where you work.

On a Plane

· Order a special meal when you book your ticket. You'll usually get served
first.
· Ask for an extra roll or two.

At the Hotel
· Take your own favourite cereal and reduced fat milk.
· Ask that the foods be removed from the snack bar. Eat your own low fat
nibbles.

Take-Aways
Burger Bar – Plain grilled burger, skim milk milkshake.

Pizza Parlour – Gourmet pizza with lots of veggies, go easy on the cheese.

Kebab House – A little meat with a lot of salad.

Sandwich Bar – Salad sandwiches/Rolls.

Club – A little meat, heaps of mashed/jacked potato and veggies, pasta/rice.

Indian – Lots of boiled rice, tikka, plain naan, dahl soup, raita.

Chinese – Lots of boiled rice, chop suey, steamed dishes, plain noodles.

Italian – Tomato-based dishes, plain bread.


Suggestions in General

1. Record your food intake to identify problem areas. E.g. emotional eating, unwanted hunger cravings, over-eating.

2. Pay specific attention to the times when you over eat.

3. Try to avoid severe food restriction (like fasting, low calorie dieting).

4. When measuring your progress, monitor body fat levels, not weight  throw the scale out.
5. Aim for slow fat loss (one pound / week)

Importance Of A Healthy Diet

Is sleeplessness bothering you? What about the difficulty to loose weight despite hardest efforts? 
Or is your hair line receding faster than what it had taken your father? Well, ever wondered 
why this was so? Scientists and dieticians of this world are arguing that 
this is and many other hosts of similar problems are connected to our diet!
Modern food is unfortunately not without harmful chemicals used either f
or growing vegetables, preserving or cooking (flavonoids). Many dietary problems 
like indigestion and ulcer are frequent in people who have to depend on chemically treated 

food. In this background, the new school of theory which is gaining moment is eating whole 

and natural food. Meat and vegetables without preservatives, buying fresh and raw milk from vendors directly and fresh fruits are some of them.

Diet
Having said this, it doesn't diminish the importance of daily intake of various nutrients 
and calories. Deficiency in any of them will gradually show up as trivial problem initially.

Let us see what USDA has recommended for the Americans. If you are taking less than 1,800 
calories as a teen, you must raise it by at least 200 counts a day. The figure goes further up 
for an active man. Also calorie needs of women are different from that of men. Example, 
an 18-year male needs 400-800 extra calories than women. What food gives these calories 
and how to calculate the calorific values? And what other nutrients make food balanced?

USDA has a chart (food guide pyramid) with suggestions to get these calories. You have 
to do some calculations to balance your diet.

o 5 servings of vegetables
o Four servings of fruits
o Three servings of milk products
o 11 of pasta, cereals, and bread
o Two to three servings of meat (both red and white), eggs, nuts and beans put together.
o Sparingly, fats and sweets.

As per USDA (US Department of Agriculture), one serving equals a bread slice; an ounce of cereal, ½ a cup cooked rice and veggies each, one glass juice-milk each and 2-3 ounces lean meat, 1½ cups boiled beans

Diet must not be seen in a limited context. Diet is a generic word so you have diets that suit patients too. The secret is eating as much as needed your body would absorb. Keeping a balance diet since young is important if you want to live to old age. It could save you a substantial savings on medical bills!

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Cake Tape Pisang

Kocok mentega dan gula hingga putih, agar adonan cake mengembang dengan baik.
BAHAN:
250 g mentega tawar
150 g gula pasir
3 butir telur ayam, kocok lepas
1 batang vanili, belah 2, ambil bijinya

Ayak bersama:
200 g tepung terigu serbaguna
½ sdt baking powder
½ sdt garam

Saus, didihkan hingga mengental:
225 ml susu cair
2 sdm gula pasir
1 batang vanili, belah 2 membujur, ambil bijinya
1 sdt tepung maizena, larutkan dengan 2 sdm air
3 sdm sirop karamel

Isi:
50 g gula pasir
250 g tapai singkong, buang seratnya, haluskan
50 ml santan kental, dari ¼ butir kelapa parut
2 sdm mentega

Pisang mentega, panaskan di atas wajan datar hingga kecokelatan seperti karamel:
1 sdm gula pasir
2 sdm mentega tawar
1 buah pisang ambon, kupas, iris bulat 1 cm
CARA MEMBUAT:
• Siapkan cucing tahan panas volume 100 ml, olesi dengan margarin hingga rata. Sisihkan
• Isi: Panaskan gula pasir di atas wajan datar hingga membentuk karamel. Masukkan tapai, aduk  hingga rata. Tambahkan santan dan mentega, aduk rata.  Angkat, sisihkan.
• Kocok mentega bersama gula hingga putih. Masukkan telur, sambil terus dikocok hingga rata. Tambahkan biji vanili, aduk rata.
• Masukkan campuran tepung sedikit demi sedikit, aduk rata. Tuang adonan isi sedikit demi sedikit, sambil aduk perlahan hingga rata.
• Tuang adonan cake ke dalam cucing hingga ¼  tinggi, letakkan 1 potong pisang mentega, tutup dengan adonan hingga ¾ tinggi cucing, ratakan.
• Panggang cake dalam oven panas suhu 180° C selama 20 menit hingga matang, angkat. Sajikan bersama saus dan siraman karamel dari pisang.

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