An All New Eating Disorder; The Fine Line Between Eating Healthy, Looking Good and Simply Being Obsessive

Obsessive Weight Loss is not Healthy Weight Loss

Of course everyone wants to be healthy, active and implement a healthy diet into their lifestyle. However, as with everything in life, there is such thing as taking it too far. With the ever growing obsession in our world when it comes to nutrition and health, a new sort of eating disorder has arisen recently. Eating disorders have come full circle and it isn’t just about the unhealthy anymore. Orthorexia is a new disorder that has recently surfaced and comes about when someone has an obsessive fixation on eating healthy food.

Society’s Obsession with Health

Society has become so intent on being thinner, having a better body and looking younger that it is sometimes all we think about, every minute of every day. Of course marketing companies and food product businesses are taking advantage of this and playing on our heartstrings in hopes of making just a little bit more profit. When it comes to Orthorexia statistics, there are not really any evident as of yet, as the disease is relatively new and often goes undiagnosed. It is known that close to five percent of our population suffer from other eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia.

A Sneaky Disorder

Orthorexia often goes undiagnosed because there is such a fine line between healthy eating and a healthy obsession. It can start by just making simple, positive changes in your life. Some sufferers begin by becoming a vegetarian and then slowly start cutting out more and more foods from their diet. That is why it can creep up on you, because it can often begin when people start of in a very good, healthy and positive place.

One of the most common progressions amongst people who suffer from Orthorexia is when they begin as a vegetarian, then become a vegan then turn to ingesting only raw foods and simply start thinking and obsessing about food every waking minute of the day. It gets to a point where it can take over your entire life, from counting the calories in a single cracker or insisting you skip out on parties because you know there will be a snack spread.

Signs of Possible Orthorexia

There are a few signs that may become obvious if you, or someone you love, may be headed down the track towards Orthorexia. They include;

-Obsessing about everything eaten
-Reading books every day about health and dieting
-Looking good becomes a priority above all else, including family or a career
-Refusing to eat in social atmospheres
-Lying about possible food allergies to get out of eating
-Spending 4 or more hours a day thinking about food that is consumed
-Caring more about the calories in food rather than the pleasure
-Continually engaging in stricter diets
-Feeling intense guilt when straying away from a diet
-Feeling superior to other people that eat less healthy

The Mind of Someone Suffering from Orthorexia

Just as with most other eating disorders, Orthorexia revolves around control issues. People feel that Orthorexia will keep them from aging, prevent bad days and allow them to control their lives in an uncontrollable world. The truth is that eating well simply cannot protect you from all of those things. This is why it can spiral so out of control, because other people will notice before the actual sufferer realizes what is going on. Orthorexia can only truly be diagnosed and fixed once the person suffering from it can acknowledge what is going on. As with most eating disorders, you cannot help the person until they are willing to receive the help that you are offering.

How to Try and Resolve Orthorexia

One of the main steps that will help cope with the issue is defining the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. Mediation and relaxation techniques can also improve the body’s ability to fight off all eating disorders such as Orthorexia. It is really about finding the perfect balance when it comes to your healthy life. It is of utmost importance to teach yourself, or the ones you love, that you need to love your body, eat healthy foods and become active, but to not take it so far that it becomes an obsession. It is a truly fine line, that can be hard to tip toe, but it can make all the difference between thinking that you are healthy and actually being truly healthy.

Reduce your Risk for Heart Disease with an Easy to Follow, Heart-Healthy Diet

Think of your Heart when you Eat

Heart health is quickly becoming one of the most discussed health issues around the world. Changing the way you eat can often be quite difficult, as you probably already know. However eating healthy has a direct impact on the health of your heart are there are some changes that you will definitely want to make.

The good news is that you don’t always have to make drastic changes to your diet to start benefiting your heart health. There are a number of foods that can increase your risk for heart disease but there are also some easy strategies you can implement into your daily routine to decrease the risk. Whether you have a family history of heart disease, have been eating poorly for years or are just looking to make a positive change, here are five quick tips on implementing a heart-healthy diet into your daily routine.

Cut Down on Saturated and Trans Fats

This is possibly the most important step if you want to have a healthy heart for the long term. Cutting out saturated and trans fats will reduce your blood cholesterol and prevent coronary artery disease. High blood cholesterol levels can greatly increase your risk when it comes to strokes or heart attacks.
You can easily reduce these fats in your diet by cutting out the solid fats that you add to food when cooking, such as butter or margarine. Instead of adding butter to your popcorn, find a healthier alternative. Instead of butter on toast or a baked potato try low-sugar jam or salsa. When in the store, steer clear of foods labeled as “partially hydrogenated” and don’t buy into all the labels that claim “reduced fat”. Your best bet is to avoid creams, butters and bacon and instead choose olive oil, canola oil and comparable products.

Opt for Low-Fat Protein

Egg whites and lean meat is what you are after here. These are your best sources of protein to keep your heart healthy. Try your best to stick to low fat options such as skim milk and skinless chicken breasts rather than opting for whole milk and fried chicken.
If you are really after a healthy heart then you want to make fish your new best friend. Fish like tuna and cod have a lot less fat than other meats and a good amount of protein. Also cold water fish such as salmon and herring are great sources of Omega-3 fatty acids which can lower certain blood fats.
Legumes such as beans and lentils are also a healthy source of protein and opting for a soy burger, instead of a trip to McDonalds every now and then, will do wonders for your long term health.

Listen to your Mother; Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

You heard your mother say it to you over and over again growing up, but it still rings true. Fruits and Veggies are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and are also low in calories while being rich in dietary fiber. Soluble fiber can reduce your risk for heart disease and lower your cholesterol. Vegetables and fruits can also go a long way in making you feel full, thus allowing you to avoid those fatty late night snacks.

The best part is that stocking up on a diet full of veggies and fruits is not as hard as you think. Simply prepare a lot of veggie snacks at the beginning of the week and let them sit in your fridge. Chances are when you are hungry you will grab the first thing that is readily available. By leaving fruits on the counter and veggies cut up in the fridge you will be reminded to eat them, and more likely to pass on the bag of potato chips at the back of the cupboard.

Fall in Love with Whole Grains

Whole grains are an excellent source of nutrients, fiber and vitamins and minerals. There are a number of nutrients found in whole grains that are attributed with increasing your heart health and regulating blood pressure.
It is really quite easy to introduce whole grains into your lifestyle. Pass on the white bread, white rice and regular pasta. Instead opt for brown rice, whole grain bread and whole wheat pasta. Chances are you will not even taste the difference once you cook up a delicious, healthy sauce.
A more unique but extremely healthy alternative is ground flaxseed. These seeds are high in fiber and rich with omega-3 fatty acids. You can grind them up and add them to any food, from yogurt to applesauce, and not even taste the difference yet receive all the benefits.

Salt is a Sneaky Killer

A diet full of salt can be linked directly to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.  Cutting back on salt is a very necessary step if you want to put together a heart-healthy diet. You should do your best to ingest as little as one teaspoon of salt a day as recommended by the American Heart Association.

Of course, cutting down the amount of salt you cook with is a great first step, however it is often not enough. Do not forget about all those processed foods and salt that comes from canned goods and frozen dinners. Obviously it can be tough to say goodbye to the convenience of canned soups and packaged meals but instead choose the options that offer 40 percent less sodium or more.

If you want to live a healthy life then you need to start taking care of your heart. When people first think of a heart-healthy diet, they get turned off as they think it will be too hard to stick to, or too strict. That does not have to be the case.  You can start taking simple, easy steps that will lower your cholesterol and go a long way to allowing you to live a longer, healthier and carefree life. Adopt these simple strategies and get the peace of mind that you are making a positive change for yourself and your heart.

Achieve Weight Loss Success; Simple Steps to a Better Body and a Healthier Life

Stop Struggling to Lose Weight

We are going to cut to it right away. Dieting and weight loss is difficult. There really is no easy fix and no you are not going to read about some other weight loss plan that guarantees you to look like Heidi Klum in two weeks. However, being informed about new research and new ideas when it comes to dieting can help you get on the right track towards meeting your weight loss goals.
With that in mind there is new research that has begun to prove the effectiveness of cutting “liquid calories” out of your diet. The study was performed and printed within the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition”. Over 800 men and women ranging between the ages of 25 and 79 were studied in the trial and the results are rather surprising.
From the get go we have all been bred to believe that all calories are created equal. Well it appears that this mentality may be completely and utterly false. It seems that by cutting out “liquid calories”, by reducing intake of sugary beverages such as pop, fruit drinks, vegetables juices, alcoholic beverages and coffee and sugar, your body may shed weight a lot faster. The recent study shows that;
-Cutting 100 solid food calories from your diet results in a 0.1 pound loss over a period of 6 to 18 months.
-Cutting 100 “liquid calories” from your diet results in a 0.5 pound loss over a period of 6 to 18 months.
-Cutting out just 12 ounces a day of “liquid calories” can lead to a loss of 1 pound over 6 months and 1.5 pounds over 18 months. 12 ounces is equal to just one small can of coca cola or one cup of coffee.
I know what you are thinking, “Well why should I get excited over losing just 1 pound over a period of 6 months?” The fact is that that one pound can be lost by simple not having a glass of pop with your lunch. If cutting out just 100 “liquid calories” per day from your diet can lead to a loss, imagine what cutting out sugary beverages altogether can do.
The point of this whole discussion is quite simple. Is this mostly preliminary research? Yes, indeed. Is the weight loss extremely substantial? Not by a long shot. But, when compared to all those diet plans that have you starving yourself with cabbage soup or running to the gym nine times a week, is it really that hard to start cutting down on your liquid calorie intake?
This can be a great way to get started on a weight loss routine or get that extra little push to meet your weight loss goals. Do not wear yourself out by hopping on board with the new fad diet of the week or eating like a rabbit. Just take small, simple easy steps. This is the most effective way to not only lose weight but to maintain your healthy body for a longer period of time.