Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Anorexia - What Your Daughter Or Loved One Goes Through During the Deadly Stages of Anorexia

All of the mental activity leaves little time for friends and family. The anorexic has begun to detach herself emotionally from other as she turns inward in her struggle against her body's hunger. This hunger is her brain's message that to lose more weight will result in the body's inability to use calories to keep her warm and energetic, to maintain muscle tissue, a normal heart rate and blood pressure. Skin wrinkles develop in the crook of her arm and behind her knees, or where her arm meets her shoulder.She mistakes them for fat, in fact these wrinkles indicate that she has shrunk her body more than her skin can contract.Her skin has become like an oversize sweater with folds. As she becomes thinner, the anorexic is unable to think about anything but food,drink and eating day and night.

The young girl's brain adapts to what it perceives as the famine conditions that must exist in her environment. She develops a sleep disorder, haunted by thoughts of food and eating. Like her confusion about the skin folds, she mistakenly believes that she has developed an appetite that will make her fat if she starts to eat.
The young girl or woman's brain is trying to tell her to save herself from dying because of starvation. Many anorexic women develop phobias of food and liquid. The many phobias she develops begin to add up very quickly: phobia of fat, food phobia, and slowed metabolism phobia. This disorder becomes more seriouas everyday and help will be needed as soon as possible.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips


Added: November 30, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Anorexia - What Goes on Mentally When Your Daughter Has Been Suffering From Anorexia?

Much of the mental activity of an anorexic leaves small amount of time for friends and loved ones. The young girl will eventually become anti social and detach herself from others. Her primary focus is to fight her body's hunger. The hunger she is trying to face is her brain's message telling her that if she keeps losing weight, calories cant be used to keep the body warm and full of energy. These calories also can't be used to keep up a normal heart and blood pressure. Skin wrinkles around her arms and knees. She mistakes the skin wrinkles for more fat and continues her excessive weight loss behavior.

The skin wrinkles are actually a sign that her body has shrunk more than her skin can even contract. Her skin doesn't seem to fir her undersized body anymore because of her behavior. As the anorexic loses more and more weight, she cant help but to think about food all the time. She may even start to develop a sleep disorder because she constantly thinks about food and eating. These thoughts lead her to think that if she gives in to eating she will become fat. The young girl's brain is trying to tell her to eat before she dies of starvation. She remains confused and continues her behavior to limit her intake and food and drinks in order to remain thin. Later on the anorexic may even develop a phobia of food and liquid along with a phobia of fat.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips


Added: November 29, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Second Deadly Stage of Anorexia - The Signs Loved Ones and Parents Should Look For!

Stage Two: The Security Compulsive Stage

The second stage starts with the loss of two pounds a week as a goal. The thinner the anorexic gets, the more overweight she feels. The women or girl has now crossed the border into psychopathology, or mental illness. She becomes preoccupied with measuring her arms, waist, thighs, trying on smaller sizes of clothing, and thinking about nothing else. She also looks at every other girl her age and imagines she is fatter than they are. This body-size distortion is invented by her in order to maintain the mission to lose weight.If she can pretend to herself that she is fat, she can believe it is crucial to be a fat fighter, and this will become an important part of her sense of identity.

It is this thought that drives her on to intensify her weight-losing behaviors. She may start to walk more, add unreasonable amounts of stressful exercises like climbing additional flights of stairs, and using other exercise machines to excess.She may increase her weight loss goal to more than two pounds a week. Each pound loss is a reason for her to lose even more. All other girls and women seem to be thinner than she is, regardless of the reality. Her compulsion to lose weight becomes the focus. It soon becomes an obsession, something she is always thinking about. Because it has become an obsession, she must continue to find refuge in weight loss in order to reduce her anxiety.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips


Added: November 28, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Facts of Anorexia

We as normal human beings are fun of eating, we eat what we want, then if we think that we are gaining more weight, we go to the gym have some exercise to lose all the calories and fats we gained, but we are never scared of gaining too much weight. But there are some people who are really scared of gaining weight, in medical term they are those who are called Anorexic, those people or usually teenagers who are scared of gaining weight because they are afraid to be teased, hate by family members, will not be accepted in the social group they want to be with. Here are some of the facts about anorexia.

An eating disorder characterized by obviously condensed appetite or total aversion to food. Anorexia is a serious psychological disorder. It is a condition that goes well beyond out-of-control dieting. The person with anorexia, most often a girl or young woman, initially begins dieting to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control.

The drive to become thinner is thought to be secondary to concerns about control and fears relating to one's body. The individual continues the endless cycle of restrictive eating, often to a point close to starvation. This becomes an obsession and is similar to an addiction to a drug. Anorexia can be life-threatening. Also called anorexia nervosa.

For people with anorexia, it really is true that one can never be too thin. Despite being dangerously underweight, anorexics see a fat person when they look in the mirror. What they don't see is the tremendous physical and emotional damage that self-starvation inflicts, so they continue to diet, fast, purge, and over-exercise.

While people with anorexia often deny having a problem, the truth is that anorexia is a serious and potentially deadly eating disorder. Fortunately, recovery is possible. With proper treatment and support, you or someone you care about can break anorexia's self-destructive pattern and regain your health and happiness.



Autor: Darren Blair

Check out http://www.kongdogtoys.net/ for kong dog toys news and reviews.


Added: November 27, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

How to Stop Emotional Eating Now

Most binge eating or compulsive overeating is linked to emotional eating. People overeat when they are overcome by negative emotions. Although being an emotional eater is a hard habit to break, it is not an impossible habit to break.

The first step you need to break the cycle of emotional binge eating is to identify what emotions make you binge eat. An easy way to do that is to keep a detailed journal. In your journal you should track what you eat, how much you eat, what time of day you eat, and how you are feeling when you eat. Initially you should keep this journal for at least a two-week period.

Then analyse everything you recorded. Go through the journal with a highlighter and highlight all the times you were compulsively overeating. Then write down the emotional you recorded feeling on a separate sheet of paper. Go through each day of your journal writing down the emotions on a separate list. When you are done, look at the list of emotions. What emotion do you see over and over again on the list?

Common emotions that cause compulsive overeating include loneliness, sadness, depression, and anger. Once you identify the emotion causing you to overeat, you need to create a game plan for what you can do when you are feeling those emotions. For example, if you are feeling lonely, you call a friend or family member instead of going to the refrigerator. If you eat when you are angry, you should take up a physical activity or buy an exercise video you can throw in when you are angry. Exerting yourself physically is a great way to work through negative emotions; thirty minutes of kick-boxing can help most people get through anger.

If you can't distract yourself, and you feel you need to eat, restrict yourself to eating fresh fruits and vegetables. You will certainly be less likely to binge on them. Another good idea is to avoid having foods you commonly binge on readily available in your home or work.

Continue keeping a food journal after you have identified your emotional triggers. This will allow you to track your progress.



Autor: Irsan Komarga

Do visit Irsan's latest website at LG wireless phones which contains the best deals on T mobile wireless phones and other information about wireless phones.


Added: November 25, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Monday, November 23, 2009

Anorexia - More Details About How Serious the Disorder Can Become With Your Daughter

When the person is losing weight, of they have reached the starvation weight, the body burns smaller amounts of calories in the attempt to keep the person alive until the next time food is available in sufficient quantities. Calories are not used to keep the body at its normal temperature so the person is always cold. Calories are not used to keep the blood pressure up to normal so that causes the person to be dizzy quite frequently.

Calories are also not wasted to maintain a normal heartbeat, so the heart shrinks and the number of beats per minute disappears. Protein stores are decreasing, so the body doesn't waste protein on such nonessentials as growing scalp hair, which seems to become thinner. Their monthly cycle requires many calories and protein, and iron.

All of these many bodily changes are most often misunderstood by the anorexic. All she seems to understand is that she is "calorically cheaper" to feed, which usually means to her " I have a larger appetite, I eat less despite it, and I don't lose weight.If I give in this strong desire, I will gain weight until I'm obese.

She eats less and exercises more, they have become the only solutions to achieve that security she looks for. It will leave the victim obsessive, compulsive, distanced from others, ashamed, embarrassed, and depressed at her state of mind. This concludes stage two of anorexia. As you have read in the previous articles the stages become more and more severe.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard. Click Here for Anorexia Tips.


Added: November 23, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Anorexia - The Dangerous Medical Conditions That Can Occur With Your Daughter Because of Anorexia

Usually if an anorexic continues to lose weight they will eventually reach the weight of starvation. The body will start to conserve calories instead of burning them in order to keep the person alive. The body will make all attempts to keep the person alive until food is available once again. Calories are no longer used to keep the body warm anymore, this will cause the anorexic to become cold all the time.

Their blood pressure is always down because calories are not used to keep the blood pressure up, this will result in the anorexic fainting and becoming dizzy often. The anorexic's behavior is starting to cause many medical issues that can lead to death and failure of vital organs.

The victim starts to experience an irregular heartbeat because calories are used to keep the heart beating regularly. The heart shrinks and the beats per minute begin to decrease as well. Protein in the individual starts to decrease as well so the body doesn't use protein to grow hair on the scalp anymore. This causes the victim's hair to suddenly start thinning.

The monthly cycle of the young girl requires calories, protein and iron, the body stops this activity in a effort to keep the girl alive. The changes in the body of the anorexic are misinterpreted by her, she thinks it's a good thing that she intakes fewer and fewer calories despite how unhealthy the behavior is. She thinks that if she gives in to the strong desire of eating she will become obese, that's her main fear.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard. Click Here for Anorexia Tips.


Added: November 21, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Friday, November 20, 2009

Anorexia - How Serious the Disorder Can Become and the Medical Effects it Can Have on Your Daughter

As anorexia progress, the individual starts to reach a stage of starvation. When this stage is reached the body burns fewer and fewer calories to keep the person functioning and alive. The person's body does this until food is available again. The young girl is always cold because her body doesn't have enough calories to burn in order to keep her warm.

The young girl's blood pressure also begins to drop because calories are not used to keep the blood pressure up anymore. This will cause them to become dizzy very often and may even faint from time to time. Hair will start to thin and even stop growing. As the disorder progresses the heartbeat becomes irregular because calories are not used to keep the heart beating at a normal rate.

A young girl's monthly period is deceased because their cycle needs calories, iron and protein so the young girls stops having a monthly cycle. The anorexic thinks this is a good thing that consumer fewer and fewer calories, whatever it takes to stay thin she will do it. She's scared that if she does start to eat she will become overweight. She eats less and exercises excessively, doing this will help her feel much better about herself.

The young girl is trying to avoid any insecurity by engaging in this behavior, by consuming fewer calories and excessive more often. She's unhappy with herself and the only way to feel better is engage in anorexic behavior. Doing all these things will give her the security that she needs.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard. Click Here for Anorexia Tips.


Added: November 20, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Anorexia - Details About the Disorder When it Gets Worse and Help is Desperately Needed!

A girl that develops anorexia has a history of being nice, sweet, and agreeable. Usually they are not very confrontational and do anything they can to avoid conflict. The third stage of anorexia starts to develop when others start to notice and comment about the anorexic becoming too thin. The comments are ignored by the young girl as people encourage her to stop losing weight and start gaining it. For the first time in life she doesn't care about the conflict, it doesn't bother her one bit. She is proud of her body and also her actions to stay thin.

The anorexic is now comfortable engaging in her anorexic behavior. She feels as if people are jealous of her being of her new weight loss. A sure way for family to recognize that their daughter has reached the third stage is to take note of her requesting special demands in order for her to eat. For example, when going out to eat she may take forever to choose a meal because it's not the perfect fat free meal. Even if a meal is perfectly healthy she will always seem to find something wrong. When someone in the kitchen is cooking a meal she will watch over them to make sure their making a fat free meal or not adding any extra calories. She will make comments like "I can't eat when you're in the kitchen" or "I can't be around when you're cooking". These are signs that the disorder is getting worse.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips


Added: November 18, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Are You an Emotional Eater?

Over my many years of being in the fitness industry and working with individuals from all walks of life, I've seen women struggle with quite a variety of eating disorders. The truth is that the majority of women do, at one point or another, battle at least one of many abnormal eating patterns. Some of them recover quickly, and others, sadly, never do.

Since I'm well aware of the effects of these disorders on the women who have them, along with the embarrassment and misinformation that often comes with the territory, I've decided to write a series of articles addressing the different disorders, their symptoms, and possible treatments.

This article will address emotional eating. The reason I've decided to go with this particular disorder first, is because it just happens to be the most common among my female clientele. The majority of the women with whom I've worked have, at one point or another, dealt with emotional relationships with food and would consider themselves to be compulsive overeaters.

Because there's a lot to be said about this particular problem, the emotional eating disorder will be discussed over a series of articles. In this one, we'll cover the definition of the term, determine your personal tendencies to be one of the millions of emotional overeaters, and take a look at a few steps you can take today to start healing.

Emotional Eating: The Definition

Your primary reason for consuming food should be to provide it with fuel. If you're eating for reasons other than that, you're most likely eating for emotional reasons. Every time you're "craving" chocolate, chances are, you're craving the comfort that comes along with eating it. That's an emotion.

If you find yourself mindlessly devouring portion after portion of even healthy foods, chances are good that this is your body's response to an emotion. Whether stress, loneliness, happiness, sadness, anxiety, or even boredom, many people get into the habit of eating as a response to various feelings, in hopes of numbing them.

Notice the word "habit." Habits are hard to break. This isn't something anyone decides to do mindfully. Compulsive overeating can be a vicious cycle.

But there is hope! If you can learn to alter your response to various feelings, you can break the cycle. Is it easy? NO. But nothing worthwhile ever is.

Are You an Emotional Eater?
If you aren't sure whether what I'm talking about here applies to you or not, consider the following questions:

  1. Do you tend to randomly open the fridge and start "picking" at foods when you *just* ate and are in no way hungry?
  2. Do you reach for food when you're bored, feeling stressed, irritated, angry, or sad?
  3. Do you have a hard time stopping yourself from finishing the food that's in front of you, even when you're stuffed?
  4. Do you feel guilty and regretful after consuming your unplanned meal?
Can you identify with any of the above? If you can, then you're not alone - you're one of the many emotional overeaters who consume food to satisfy feelings rather than hunger pangs or the body's energy requirements.

Breaking the Cycle

We all go through various stressors, that's part of being alive. We, as women, are especially prone to undergoing an emotional roller-coaster as we run around taking care of everyone's needs, doing a million unrelated tasks... and then, there are the natural, hormonal changes we all undergo each month that add fuel to the fire.

It's hard to overcome bad emotional habits when there are so many emotions with which to deal. But you see, this is precisely the first step to overcoming your habit - dealing with your emotions!

You're so busy taking care of everyone else, that all you have the time to do for yourself, is stuff your face with food that you know you shouldn't be eating as you keep running around like a chicken without a head!

We'll talk in depth about dealing with this eating disorder in upcoming articles, but for now, try asking yourself whether you really need the food you're about to eat when you're standing there and staring at the fridge.

When you've decided that breaking your diet for those cookies is worth it, give yourself ten minutes to calm down and reassess the situation. If you still think it's a smart decision, go ahead and have a cookie.

Those treats won't disappear if you just wait and let your emotions calm down a bit. If you find that you're bored, get busy doing some other pleasurable, enjoyable activity - paint your nails, call a friend, go for a walk (or a drive) - and when you get back, those cookies will still be there! Your mind is telling you that you need to occupy it - if it wanted you to eat, you'd be feeling hungry!

Your body is craving attention from you, not from the food you're consuming. The minute you learn to refocus, to be patient with yourself, to stop treating yourself with mindless, thoughtless actions, you'll notice your habits start to slowly shift and the vicious cycle will begin to break.

Get to know yourself. Be patient. You deserve it.

I Eat Because I Like to Eat!

Oftentimes, when asked whether she overeats due to being an emotional eater, a client will respond by saying that she overeats because she loves food, but that it has nothing to do with emotions. "I love food, so it's hard for me to stop," she'll say. "I enjoy eating tasty stuff, and get carried away - that's how my whole family are overeaters," is another variation.

Believe it or not, statements like these are another sure-fire way to tell whether food consumption stems from an emotional place. Sure, we all love certain foods, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying treats that taste good to us, but when you're eating past the point of fullness, as if you'll never see that food again, you know there's a problem.

It's never as simple as "I eat because I like to eat," and admitting that to yourself is the first step to stopping this defeating behavior. Sit down with yourself, and really listen to what your mind is telling you. If you're overeating - whether it's chocolate, cookies, cake, chicken, or even broccoli - there's something there to be dealt with.

Begin being mindful with yourself, starting today. Take the first step toward a healthy relationship with food, a healthy mind, and a healthy body.

In the next article, we'll go over possible trigger situations and cues that may prompt emotional eating, along with more ways to break the cycle.



Autor: Olesya Novik

Olesya Novik

President and CEO of Olicious Life LLC

http://oliciouslife.com

Olicious Life: Get fit, beautiful, healthy, and happy -- Shape Your Best Life! Daily articles on topics ranging from eating disorders, health issues, and fitness to relationships, recipes, and beauty.


Added: November 17, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Monday, November 16, 2009

Anorexia - Details About the Disorder As it Progresses and Effects it Has on Your Daughter Over Time

Young girls who develop anorexia were at one time very friendly, easy going and non confrontational, for the most part they are not very outgoing outside of their immediate family. The third stage of anorexia which is called the assertive stage begins when people start to criticize the young girl for becoming too thin. The criticism is ignored and now people are telling the girl to stop losing weight and start gaining. The anorexic just realizes that people are just jealous and they will not be satisfied, everyone around her is just jealous because they can't lose as much weight.

Conflict doesn't bother the girl anymore as she becomes accustomed to it. After a while she becomes empowered in defense of her anorexic behavior. This one area in her life is very important to her and makes her feel good about herself along with her actions. The young girl confirms that she has reached the third stage when she starts to request special demands of her family for her to eat. For instance, when going out to eat with the family the young girl may not be satisfied with the menu because there is no perfect fat free meal. She will request to go from one restaurant to the other looking for that perfect meal. When at home when someone is cooking, she will monitor their cooking to make sure that they will not add any extra calories to the meal. While others see her as too thin she will believe otherwise thinking she is fine, she should decide how much she should weigh.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips


Added: November 16, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Break Free From Emotional Eating

Do you avoid confrontation for weeks on end only to blow up in one huge fight? Do you jump from one thing to the next so quickly you barely can keep track of your days anymore?

How we eat often reflects the way we live our life. You may find yourself eating a snack only to be thinking of the next treat you are going to have. Others may follow a strict diet for weeks on end, then binge eat when willpower just isn't enough.

If you eat fast, slow, mindful, or mindless; I encourage you to take a moment to think about your eating habits and how they mirror your day to day living.

If you are ready to improve your relationship with food and how it serves you, begin with these 5 questions:

1. What I am hungry for?
A fulfilling career, nourishing relationships, joyful movement, and a sense of community are all non-food sources of nourishment. These are called Primary Foods. If you are eating a "perfect" diet, but are in a dysfunctional relationship, broccoli is NOT going to solve the problem. Neither is a pint of ice cream. Examine what areas in your life may be weighing you down. Also, recognize what truly fuels you. Whether it's writing, sports, or cooking, find ways to incorporate Primary Foods into your day.

2. Am I distracted?
Be fully present when eating. The less aware we are of a meal as we eat, the more the brain will signal us to consume excess food. Notice the times when you go on automatic pilot when eating. Remind yourself to wake up and you'll find yourself being satisfied with much less. Turn off the television. Put away the magazines. Focus on your food.

3. Am I tired, stressed, or overworked?
People sometimes turn to food as a way to alleviate these feelings. Something about crunchy snacks can be quite appealing when stressed. Maybe you turn to sugar when you are feeling exhausted in the middle of the day. If you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator asking yourself "what do I want?" also ask yourself, "Am I tired, stressed, or overworked?" In many instances, a warm bath, a nap, a brisk 15 minute walk, or a funny movie may be all you really needed..

4. Do I label foods "good" and "bad?"
Once we label food, we associate guilt or pride with the choices we make. In instances where we come home stressed and feel we deserve to pamper ourselves, we often go to "bad" foods as rewards, as if we have somehow paid our dues. This type of black and white thinking can lead to episodes of overeating, where having one cookie makes us feel like a complete failure. This can lead to consuming mass quantities, with the rationalization that we "blew it today anyway."

5. Do I enjoy what I eat and eat quality foods?
You have two choices: enjoy what you eat or don't. Life is short. If we deprive ourselves our foods we love, we will eventually crave it so badly we may overdo it. One of the best things you can do is write a list of your favorite foods and then come up with the healthiest versions of those foods. Do you love ice cream? Freeze a couple frozen bananas and blend them in a food processor for a delicious treat. Love pizza? Make your own with whole grain crusts, organic sauces, cheeses, and toppings. Be creative. Your self confidence will get a boost from the time you are setting aside to make your health a priority!



Autor: Laura Burkett

Laura K Burkett is a Holistic Health counselor in Grand Rapids, MI. She received her education from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and is certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). Laura works with clients individually as well as in groups, workshops, and corporate programs. She works with men and women to deconstruct chaotic eating patterns and emotional eating. learn what foods serve them best. and reconnect with what they want for their health and their life.

You can find Laura at http://www.laurakburkett.com


Added: November 14, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Stage 3 of Anorexia and the Effects That it Can Have on Your Daughter Or Loved One

Stage Three: The Assertive Stage

Frequently, girls who develop anorexia have a history of being friendly, protective, compliant, agreeable, and non confrontational- usually they are not assertive out side their immediate family (where they can be opposite). The third stage develops when the girl with anorexia has been criticized for becoming too thin by many around her. The girl has disregarded their scolding, and now their demands to stop losing weight and to start gaining are renewed. Around some time the girl realizes that for the first time in her life she has become defiant to everyone around her. From this point on conflict doesn't bother her. She doesn't worry about what other think or say about her actions. She doesn't feel the need to please them.

The anorexic is aware, however, that she is comfortable with this new-found defiance only in defense of her anorexia. The girl or woman does at least feel a new sense of empowerment, even if its only in this one area. It has become the area that's the most important to her. The young girl demonstrates to her family that she has reached the third stage when she begins to demand special conditions before she will eat. For example, the girl may drag her loved ones from restaurant to restaurant in search for the perfect fat-free meal or menu. At home, she may watch over whoever is cooking to make sure they aren't adding any extra calories with the meal. These are sure signs that the disorder is getting worse and help is needed.



Autor: Keith L. Simpson

Keith Simpson would absolutely love to help ANYONE who is fighting to overcome Anorexia & Bulimia. Keith is taking surveys in order to EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS you or your loved ones deepest concerns and issues regarding Anorexia & Bulimia. Your voice is important to Keith and it will be heard.

Click Here for Anorexia Tips.


Added: November 12, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Food Addiction

Food addiction, previously referred to as "compulsive overeating" is a condition wherein a person cannot stop themselves from eating. This means they eat continuously all day, and have frequent periods where they eat much more they need to. They will feel strongly compelled to continue eating, or helpless to stop. Oftentimes, the addict feels down, or will have guilt feelings once done binging.

Food addicts don't need to be hungry to eat. There's a lot of time spent thinking about food, and when, and what to eat. In between binges, addicts will also pick at food continuously. The drive to eat for some addicts is such that it the motivation to engage in other rewarding activities diminishes and disappears, and self-control becomes difficult to impossible. Overweight or morbidly obese people are not necessarily food addicts. Sufferers may also experience sleeplessness, headaches, mood swings, or even clinical depression.

Needless to say, there are a very high number of calories consumed in a short time, despite the fact that the actual calorie consumption per sitting may or may not be large. In the absence of professional intervention, a food addiction can result in serious ailments such as: high cholesterol count, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and depression. Longer-term disorders can include kidney disease, bone disease including deterioration, stroke, and arthritis.

For many sufferers, food addiction can be successfully treated with a personalized program of a physician's care and monitoring, therapy, proper nutrition, and sometimes medication. Also, Overeaters Anonymous (OA) and other similar 12-step groups hold meetings regularly in many places, or even over the Internet.



Autor: Alfred R.

Alfred R.
Please visit http://treatmentnj.net for more information on treatment for food addiction.


Added: November 11, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Monday, November 9, 2009

Emotional Eating and Coping With Stress

A colleague sent me a gift recently. She sent me a timer. She did not have to explain what it was for, because I know her strategy. She is about getting big things done by making them do-able.

That is such an important key. When we are facing something that feels overwhelming, when we are staring up at a mountain, it may feel intimidating to even think about getting started. We can feel so overwhelmed simply thinking about how big the mountain is that we never even begin to climb.

Last year I ran a marathon for the first time. Here is what I know. If I had stood at the starting line thinking about how I was going to be running for the next 26.2 miles I might not have started. I certainly would have panicked. I started the race by moving forward. I took some steps and then I took some more. I looked for the mile marker that told me I had run the first mile. I ran from mile marker to mile marker and I did not let myself think much farther ahead then that.

Today I had to work through some difficult and rather uninspiring tasks. I will be honest. They were overwhelming and I have been avoiding them. I have been sitting here all day setting my timer for fifteen minutes at a time, taking a break with a more pleasant activity each time it goes off. It is only noon and my desk is almost clear. I am amazed at how much I have accomplished and I never would have really gotten started if I had not broken it down into small chunks.

I know that when you are facing an overwhelming project or decision or whatever your mountain is, those small fifteen minute chunks can seem like nothing. They can seem insubstantial and "not serious." Do not give into that thinking. It will sink you before you start.

My suggestion for you is to pick something you feel overwhelmed by or that you have been avoiding because you do not know where to begin. And then dig in, anywhere. Just start moving in a small, time limited way. Work through the first fifteen minutes. Just start. Give yourself permission not to do the whole thing or have the whole course charted out. Taking action feels better than feeling stuck.



Autor: Melissa McCreery, Ph.D.

Are you a smart, busy woman struggling with emotional eating, overeating,and balancing work and life? Claim your free psychologist-designed audio series: "5 simple steps to move beyond overwhelm with food and life" at http://TooMuchOnHerPlate.com. Just look for the yellow post-it note at the top of the page.

Melissa McCreery, PhD, ACC, is a Psychologist, ICF Certified Life Coach,emotional eating coach, and the founder of TooMuchOnHerPlate.com, a company dedicated to providing smart resources to busy women struggling with food, weight and overwhelm.


Added: November 10, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/