PharmaPassport Health Tips Blog

April 12, 2010

Benefits of Eating Oatmeal for Breakfast

Filed under: balanced diet,blood sugar,breakfast,fast meals,low cholesterol,oatmeal,Uncategorized,weight loss — Tanveen @ 3:52 pm

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It provides us with necessary energy. However, approximately 40% of American’s choose not to eat breakfast. Some skip breakfast because they believe it will help them lose weight, others “don’t have time,” and some are just lazy. For all these reasons and more, oatmeal would be a perfect, healthy breakfast choice.

Lose Weight

A much better alternative to skipping out on Breakfast would be to eat oatmeal. Oatmeal has the ability to make you feel full for a long period of time by slowing down digestion. This occurs because of a soluble fibre contained in oats that is able to absorb a large quantity of water. As well, oatmeal has a relatively low fat content.

Lower Your Cholesterol

Eating oatmeal can lower you cholesterol significantly. The soluble fibre in oats gets rid of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which is essentially “bad cholesterol.” Having high levels of LDL can trigger more severe medical problems such as heart disease.

Control High Blood Sugar
People with diabetes can greatly benefit from eating oatmeal. The soluble fibre in oatmeal basically controls blood sugar.

One-Minute Meal
Oatmeal is very easy to make and requires almost no energy or skill. Instant oatmeal is easily accessible as it is available in all supermarkets. Even regular oatmeal takes less than 10 minutes to cook. Thus, not having enough time to eat is no longer a valid excuse. You can’t even brush your teeth in the time it takes to cook oatmeal- a minute!

A Balanced Diet
Eating oatmeal contributes to achieving a more balanced diet because it contains many essential vitamins and minerals. It is also a good source of iron.

Some people do not like the taste of oatmeal and find it to be very bland and boring. There are many ways to liven this dish. Almost anything you can think of can be paired with oatmeal to give it that extra boost of flavour. For example, you could top off oatmeal with some fruit or berries, and some nuts such as walnuts or almonds.

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April 1, 2010

Walk off Stubborn Belly Fat

Filed under: asthma,being healthy,belly fat,energy,exercise,mood,Uncategorized,walking,weight loss,weight training — Amanda @ 3:30 pm

Exercise is a key ingredient to a healthy lifestyle. It is also an important tool in getting rid of the belly fat that bulges out of your jeans. It seems that matter how hard we try, some of us just aren’t made for intense exercises like jogging and biking.

The simple and effective alternative to intense workouts is fitness walking. Fitness walking combines your basic knowledge of walking with a faster pace. Fast-paced walking is actually more effective at burning stomach fat than running. Another difference is that you won’t be gasping for air after your fitness walk. Many people think that if you aren’t running you aren’t working out, but if you walk briskly for 30 minutes, 4 times a week you can effectively lose weight and build strength.

Fitness walking is easy to do and very effective. It requires a quick pace and 90 degree angled arms that swing as you walk. When combined with healthy dieting, fitness walking can improve your overall health and figure, and will boost your mood and energy levels Be patient – You won’t start to notice results for several weeks. Combine fitness walking with weight training to help sculpt your body.

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February 4, 2010

All You Need To Know To Lose Weight

Filed under: losing weight,Uncategorized,weight loss,weight loss foods,weight loss tips — Candace @ 4:40 pm

Weight loss comes only with effort and time, and after the weight is gone you need to continually keep healthy habits to keep the weight off. Everything you eat and drink (excluding water) has calories. Everything you do burns calories. This is simple. To lose weight you need to have a balanced intake and outgo of the calories. There are two things which are essential in weight loss: diet (intake), and exercise (outgo).

Diet – Your diet controls how many calories you consume.

Salads – Salads with tomato, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, or cucumber are all low in calories. Rather than adding salad dressing, use lemon juice as a salad dressing,
Grapes and oranges – Grapes, though high in sugar, as long as you limit yourself, they are good for you. 100 grams of grapes have only 70 calories. Oranges have only 48 calories each.
Curds – When made with skim milk curds are scarce in calories and are full of nutrients and proteins. All you need to do is add a little fruit to cover the blandness in curds.
Cereal – Those who consume breakfasts which are high in fiber are more likely to eat less lunch. Try and find a cereal which has lots of fiber.
Ginger – When foods are flavored with strong spices such as ginger, you are more likely to eat less and be satisfied.

Exercise – How much and what exercise you do controls your outgo of calories.

Weightlifting – Although weightlifting is mostly focused on building muscles, it also burns a significant amount of calories.
Running – Running is a great idea as it helps you to burn a great deal of calories and is healthy for your body in every way.
Step Aerobics – Step aerobics require little props and can burn up to 400 calories in 30 minutes.
Other options include weight loss medications, and dietary supplements. See your doctor to see if other weight loss options apply to you.

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January 28, 2010

8 Breast Cancer Myths

Filed under: birth control pills,breast cancer,breast cancer awareness,breast cancer risk,breast exam,cancer risk,cheap ways to quit smoking,family genetics,Uncategorized,weight loss — Amanda @ 2:14 pm

Breast cancer is a touchy topic but it is important for you to know the facts about it. There are many rumors about your susceptibility of getting cancer and many of them aren’t true. Everyone should be aware about breast cancer. Here are the facts:

Myth: You’re more likely to get breast cancer if you are older

The truth is that although the risk of breast cancer increases as we become older, breast cancer is likely to occur at any age. One woman in 231 younger than 39 years of age will get breast cancer. Between the ages of 40 and 59, the risk becomes one in 25 women. From the age of 60 – 79, the risk is one in 15 women. If you live to the age of 90, your risk of getting breast cancer over an entire lifetime is one in 7.

Myth: If you have greater risk factors for breast cancer, you are more likely to get it
The truth is that getting breast cancer is not certain. Even if you have a stronger risk factor such as a breast cancer gene it is not certain that you will develop it. Out of the women with the inherited breast cancer gene, between 40 and 80% will develop cancer over their lifetime. 20-60% will not.

Myth: If breast cancer doesn’t run in your genes you won’t get it
The truth is that almost 80% of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of breast cancer. The biggest single risk factor is aging. For women who do have family history of breast cancer, the risk may go up, or not at all. Talk to your doctor about your family history if you are worried.

Myth: You can only get breast cancer if it comes from your mothers side of the family

The truth is that a history of breast cancer from either side of your family will affect your risk equally. Half of your genes come from your mother, and half of your genes come from your father. A man with a breast cancer gene abnormality is less likely to get breast cancer than a woman with a similar gene. If you would like to find out about your fathers family history, look at both the women and the men in his family.

Myth: Antiperspirants cause breast cancer

The truth is that there is no solid evidence that the ingredients in antiperspirants affect your risk of breast cancer. It is possible that certain products containing carcinogens can contribute to a an already existing breast cancer development, but antiperspirants alone will have no effect on your risk of developing cancer.

Myth: Birth control pills cause breast cancer
The truth is that there is no relationship between modern day estrogen and progesterone birth control pills and a risk of developing breast cancer. One study did show that there is a very small increase in the risk of developing breast cancer by using birth control, but after time the slight increase began to decrease. After 10 years birth control pills did not show any association with breast cancer development. In fact, birth control pills have been found to reduce certain cancer risks such as ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Myth: I cannot change that fact that I am at risk of developing breast cancer
The truth is there are things you can do to decrease your risk of developing breast cancer if you have the breast cancer gene. Lifestyle changes are the most effective way to reduce your risk. Minimize your alcohol intake, don’t smoke, and exercise regularly to improve your health and reduce your risk. Remember to have regular breast exams and mammograms to watch for cancerous lumps. There are also medicinal options for women with a high risk of breast cancer. Talk to your doctor about your risk of developing breast cancer.

Myth: Eating foods high in fat causes breast cancer

The truth is that there is no definite relationship between eating fatty foods and developing breast cancer. Avoiding fatty foods, however, will lower your cholesterol levels, make room in your diet for healthier alternatives, and help you control your weight. Being overweight does increase your risk of developing breast cancer. If you are overweight already, cutting back on fatty foods is a good idea.

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December 10, 2009

Weight Loss Surgery – Should I?

Filed under: gastric bypass,losing weight,stomach staple,Uncategorized,weight loss,Weight loss surgery,weight loss tips — Candace @ 4:32 pm

Weight loss surgery, or gastric bypass, involves stapling the abdomomen to make a small stomach pouch. The remainder of the stomach is not removed, but stapled shut. The small stomach is connected to the small intestine so that your large stomach is unused. This makes you less hungry, and fuller by eating smaller portions. Weight loss surgery has many risks and benefits.

Benefits

1. Eat less – An obvious benefit to weight loss surgery is the fact that you are no longer as hungry and so you lose weight. As long as you eat the right foods you should be able to rapidly lose weight. On average a successful patient loses between 70 and 80% of their access weight.

2. Cures other things – With weight loss surgery, some other food related issues can improve or even be resolved completely. Some of these conditions are diabetes, sleep apnea, asthma, urinary stress incontinence, gastro esophageal reflux, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension.

3. Reduce death risk – With weight loss surgery your risk of dying from being obese lessens by up to 895.

Risks

1. Death – The worst risk when it comes to the weight loss surgery, is dying during the operation. This is extremely rare. Statistics say 0% of people die during or soon after weight loss surgery because of its rarity.

2. Lacking Iron and Calcium – Unfortunately with Bariatric surgery the duodenum(the 1st part of the small intestine) is bypassed and results in reduced absorption of iron and calcium into your body. This may consequently increase your chance of getting iron deficiency anemia. Osteoporosis is already a high risk for women after menopause, so women should be warned by the potential for heightened bone calcium loss.

3. “Dumping syndrome” – Dumping Syndrome is another risk in weight loss surgery. This is when the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine too quickly. It is more commonly triggered when either too much sugar or too much food is consumed. Although this is not serious to your health, the symptoms are unpleasant. Some patients cannot eat sugar after the surgery because of “dumping syndrome.”

Although weight loss surgery may seem like a good option, there are a lot of risks to consider which are associated with weight loss surgery. It is important to mull over both the risks and benefits before choosing.

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December 4, 2009

5 Foods to Cut From Your Diet

Filed under: childhood obeseity,healthy diet,healthy food,losing weight,obesity,Uncategorized,weight loss,weight loss tips,worst weight loss foods — Candace @ 5:11 pm

Obesity is a major problem in North America and worldwide. One-third of American adults are obese. There are diet pills and tons of books written on weight loss and solutions. Fortunately small changes like omitting a few foods from your diet can have an immense effect.

1. Avoid white bread
Although something like a sandwich is considerably healthy, it is best if you do not use white bread. White bread has no nutritional value. White bread is equivalent to table sugar. It has high glucose levels and lacks any other important nutrients. A simple whole wheat bread offers much better nutritional value and is a good alternative.

2. Ice cream
Ice cream is tremendously calorie dense. It is full of sugar; one cup of vanilla ice cream has over 360 calories. A solution to this is to buy yogurt, and freeze it. Make sure you mix it before freezing it if it isn’t the premixed kind. It tastes just as good as ice cream, but has less calories and is a better, healthier snack.

3. No Pop!
The average pop can has 10 packets of sugar, which add up to 150 empty calories. Pop has been pegged guilty of association with childhood and adult obesity. A better option to a can of pop are fruit spritzers, or vanilla extract which you can add to plain seltzer water or tonic water.

4. Full fat cheeses
Full fat cheeses can have up to 10 grams of fat per ounce with a lot of saturated fat included. For example, lasagna is filled with cheese and saturated fat, which makes it a bad choice for dieters. A better alternative to full fat cheeses are low fat ricotta cheese. For other dairy products the healthier options include skim milk, plain yogurt (add your own fruit), and cottage cheese.

5. Regular bacon
Although bacon is extremely tempting and delicious, it is fried fat and salt. 2 slices of regular bacon contain 120 calories and 10 grams of fat. Cured meats, including bacon, have been linked to dangerous stomach and colon cancers. A better option would be vegetarian sausage. 2 links of this only have 80 calories and 3 grams of fat. Turkey bacon is another healthy choice, saving you 40 calories, and 7g fat.

Although it seems hard and almost impossible at times to lose weight, certain changes to your diet and lifestyle can greatly contribute to weight loss.

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October 19, 2009

Blood Type Diets

Filed under: blood type,diets,health,medicine,Uncategorized,vegetarian,weight loss — John @ 4:43 pm

Something I read kind of got me a little bit intrigued. Blood type specific diets. I’m not sure if these work, but they sound very interesting. The basis is that depending on what your blood type is you should eat differently.

There is a book written outlining what type of foods to eat for each different blood type. For example one blood type is suggested to eat a strictly vegetarian only diet, while another blood type is asked to eat a lot of proteins. There is also information about what types of exercises are best for people with different blood.

Now, again I’m not positive if any of this works, but I have heard some good things coming from people that have tried the diets. However, there isn’t a lot of medical evidence that really backs any of these claims up. Either way, if you’re the adventurous type our are looking for something new this might be it.

Talk to your doctor first and make sure the diet you’re choosing is healthy. If you get the green light from the doctor and decide to try the diet let me know what the effects are. I’ve heard of many health benefits from those that do follow the diet. Some of these benefits include weight loss and better digestion.

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October 15, 2009

5 Weight-Loss tips

Filed under: carbohydrates,cholesterol,chromium,diets,fibre,healthy diet,high fat,Uncategorized,vitamins and minerals,weight loss,weight loss tips — Amanda @ 4:33 pm

Lower Fat Intake

Diets that are high in fat will promote obesity. Try to consume under 25% of your calories from fat (non-saturated fat)

Watch that sweet tooth

Sugar = carbohydrates. Carbohydrates = fat. New studies have linked sugar to increased calorie consumption – we tend to eat more of what tastes good. Sugar also makes your body burn through chromium – and chromium is a mineral that helps you loose weight by making calorie burning tissues.

Drink Water

Drinking lots of water everyday will help your deliver vitamins and minerals to all parts of the body. Water also helps carry wastes out of the cells that that the body functions properly. Stay away from the flavored vitamin and mineral enhanced water and go with the old fashioned unflavored type.

Eat fibre

Fibre will give you a feeling of fullness so you will be full and eat less. Fibre can also lower cholesterol and fight against heart disease.

Exercise!

It is almost impossible to maintain a healthy beautiful body without exercise. Even a brisk 20 minute walk everyday will improve your health conditions and keep you in shape.

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September 22, 2009

9 Ways To Reduce Snoring

Filed under: alcohol,healthy,nasal spray,nasonex,sleep apnea,snoring,Uncategorized,weight loss — Amanda @ 4:16 pm

If you’ve got a father like mine then when you were growing up you could probably hear him snoring throughout the house. This snoring was pretty intense, not just minor sound that can only be heard if you were in the same room with him, but a ridiculous noise you could hear in every room of the house. It sounded like a combination of jet engines (engines because only one would not begin to describe this noise), and the noise your house would make if it was torn from the ground by a tornado. Yes, it was that bad. So eventually my mother was basically through with having to listen to that and forced my father to at least try something to help the snoring. Fortunately, there were many different options my father could try to prevent him from snoring. What works for my father might not work for you so I have compiled a list of different approaches one can try.

1.Elevate your head as much as possible by either sleeping on more than one pillow or else by sleeping on a thicker pillow.

2.Avoid dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese or ice cream before bed because these foods can cause the build-up of mucus in the throat.

3.Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. This allows the air to travel smoother and the muscles in your throat to stay a bit tighter and decrease the likelihood of snoring.

4.Avoid a big meal before you go to bed because when your stomach is full of food this puts pressure on the diaphragm and thereby limits breathing passages (this is especially the case if you have eaten fatty, fried or starchy food).

5.Before going to bed inhale steam or sleep in a room where a humidifier is turned on. This will help keep your throat well lubricated.

6.Try using nasal strips. Nasal strips help to open up airways and will make sure that plenty of air can be brought into the lungs.

7.Resist the urge to drink alcohol before going to bed.

8.If you are overweight make an effort to lose some weight. Even losing a few pounds say 10 or so, can make a difference when it comes to snoring.

9.Eat a spoonful of liquid honey before retiring for the night. (I’ve never actually tried this one, but some people on the internet have said that this is a good way to reduce snoring).

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