Matt Tallis

Author's Posts

Mindful Eating

Breathing, eating and sleeping are practices essential to life. Although physically, eating may just be about consuming enough food to continue your day-to-day activities, there are some profound benefits to being a more mindful eater. What is mindful eating? How many times have we been asked about what we ate recently, and are left dumbstruck, unable to form a response? After a long day at work, it can be easy to amass heaps of unhealthy snacks, switch off in front of the television and eat on autopilot. Before you know it you’ve consumed twice your daily fat recommendation, your blood sugar is through the roof and a queasy...

Natural Diuretics

Diuretic Foods Diuretics, often known as water pills, are a commonly used type of medication that helps your body to rid itself of excess water and salt through the urine. These medications are most commonly used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), heart, liver and kidney failure, cirrhosis, and for their use in sports such as bodybuilding. They flush water out of the muscles, making them look leaner, and are also used in boxing and mixed martial arts, to lose water weight before a weigh-in. Although they can be a very effective treatment model, diuretic use isn’t without side its side effects, which include: ...

What Makes a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet will have a wide range of food groups in the correct proportions, and suitable portion sizes. Not everyone will be able to eat the same foods, for allergy or taste reasons, so it is important to find what works best for you individually, and adhere to it as best you can. The Eatwell Guide The Eatwell Guide divides up the five different food groups, to show you what you should try to eat to maintain a healthy diet. It explains that you should include fruit and vegetables, protein, fats and sugars, carbohydrates and dairy in your diet, to ensure you receive suitable amounts of the macronutrients and micronutrients that you...

Digestive System Physiology

There are six main stages of the digestive system, as whole food is turned into energy for the body, and in chronological order they are: Ingestion Ingesting food is the first stage, and this occurs at the mouth. All food enters the body through this orifice, which can act as storage while food waits to be digested, with the stomach also being used for storage. People can only eat a few times a day due to the storage size. Secretion Approximately seven litres of fluid are secreted by the digestive system throughout the day, consisting of saliva, mucus, hydrochloric acid, enzymes and bile. Dry food is moistened by saliva, which also...

Anatomy of the Digestive System

There are many stages of the digestion process, beginning at the mouth, and ending with excretion, with each listed in more detail below. Mouth Sometimes referred to as the oral cavity, the mouth is where the digestion process begins. Accessory organs such as the teeth, tongue and salivary glands are all involved as food passes through the mouth. Teeth The teeth are designed for the purpose of cutting and crushing food into small pieces, ready to be swallowed. There are 32 teeth in the mouth, located along the anterior and lateral edges. Made up of dentin, which is a substance similar to bone, and covered in enamel, the teeth are...

Understanding Hunger and Appetite

When we eat, it is for one of two primary reasons: hunger or appetite. What many people don’t know is that these processes are actually incredibly different. Put simply, hunger is the need for food, while appetite is the desire for food. What is hunger? In an instinctive mechanism to protect the body, physical reactions take place when a person is hungry, because the body looks to ensure it receives the energy it needs to function properly. This leads to chemical changes occurring which can result in blood glucose levels dropping a few hours after you have eaten. What is appetite? Appetite is a conditioned response to food, with...

The Digestion Process

The digestive system consists of a group of organs which break food down into tiny molecules, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream to provide nourishment to cells. The body uses the nutrients for energy, cell repair and growth. There are six major functions that make up the digestive process, which are: Ingestion Secretion Mixing and movement Digestion Absorption Excretion During the digestion process, food moves through a long tube in the body, called the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), or alimentary canal. This consists of the stomach, esophagus, small intestines, large intestines, pharynx and oral...

Vaser Liposuction

This is a new form of liposuction, which is laser assisted and has just been approved in America. The ultrasonic technique used explodes and melts fat cells with no disruption of surrounding tissues, causing little pain and swelling. This diet surgery procedure is unique in that it only needs two days for recovery! Such small incisions can be placed through old scars or moles to reduce the signs of liposuction further. Key Points Relating to Vaser Liposuction Doctors and patients have stated that vaser liposuction tightens extra skin above the fat deposit, more so than traditional liposuction. A pressure garment needs to be worn for two...

Tummy Tuck

A very common diet surgery is the tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty). This is another popular method used for the removal of abdominal fatty deposits which cannot be got rid of via diet and exercise. In many instances tummy tucks are used alongside liposuction or gastric bypass. This procedure is used following extreme weight loss to remove loose inelastic skin post operation. Key points relating to tummy tucks A tummy tuck procedure lasts between one and five hours. It is entirely dependent on how much skin needs to be removed, as well as the patient's size. Essentially, excess skin and fat are removed from the abdomen in order to tighten...

Mesotherapy

This area of medicine is known as homotoxicology. Herein your own healing processes cure different illnesses usually treated with medicine. Mesotherapy is part of this discipline, being a non-surgical choice to liposuction. This procedure has become more popular in America recently. It was originally tested in France. The attractions of this procedure are that it is non-invasive and the recovery times are shorter. Key points relating to mesotherapy A solution of natural plant extracts, vitamins, homeopathic medicines and pharmaceutical drugs is injected into the mesoderm of skin. Several tiny needles are utilised to place the...

Liposuction

Many of us know there are certain fat deposits on our body which just do not respond to diet or exercise. However many hours we may spend sweating at the gym or sticking to low-fat meals, those bulges refuse to disappear. Some people resort to liposuction or surgery for weight loss. Many people think that targeted exercise cuts down fat content in certain body areas. It does not matter about the number of sit-ups you do, you are only going to cut down overall body fat; the fat around the belly will remain constant. Liposuction is considered to be one the most effective methods for reduction of localised fat, if not the most effective...

Gastric Bypass

Gastric bypass is a procedure used for treatment of morbid obesity, that is, obesity which has become life threatening for the patient. Weight loss is almost instant and extremely dramatic. However, it is often accompanied by other health problems. This procedure means the patient has to instigate key lifestyle changes. In many cases, patients may have tried several diets without success. Key Points Relating to Gastric Bypass A Gastric Bypass means the stomach is divided into two areas, a smaller area and a larger one, in order that food is able to bypass part of the stomach. Thereby the functional volume of the stomach is decreased, as...

Butt Lifts

Butt lifts are a tool of cosmetic surgery as well as surgery weight loss. Patients who have larger butts will have liposuction undertaken there, prior to a butt lift for removal of excess skin. Patients who approach the surgery in terms of cosmetic surgery often have fat implants or injections which enhance the butt shape, known as a Brazilian butt lift. This diet surgery procedure is new, yet considered is quite safe. This technique is becoming increasingly more popular in America, for those wishing to lose weight as well as those who would like a more contoured body shape. Key points about butt lifts There are butt lift techniques....

Arm Lifts

Arm lifts are not specifically weight loss surgery. Patients can be placed in two clear categories. In the first category, there are those who have under arm fatty deposits which need removal. Herein, an arm lift is undertaken in combination with liposuction, in order to remove the fat as well as tighten the skin. In the second category are those who experienced dramatic weight loss; they may have had a gastric bypass and have not so pretty under arm flaps of skin. The skin has been stretched for such a long period of time that it is difficult to regain elasticity when the fat has disappeared. Key points relating to arm lifts A cut...

Portion Sizes Matter

It is amazing how many of us are on a diet. We are watching what we eat and are doing regular exercise, yet we have not lost weight. Incorrect portion size can have a positive impact or a negative impact on your attempts at losing weight. Incorrect portion sizes can make your diet or break your diet. Eating a handful of chips now and again and scoffing that spoonful of dressing can make a considerable difference. Check out the following information below to help you take control of your portion sizes, or check out our portion control tips. The impact of wrong portion sizes Cheese/Dressing Four cubes of cheese make up an ounce....

How to Spot Fad Diets

With the ever-increasing amount of new diet programs being introduced it’s hard to spot the real ones from the fake. Many fad diets promise miraculous results, but there are signs to look out for that can reveal a fad as opposed to a real diet. Lose weight the right way You may be looking for a fast way to lose weight and there’s no shortage of ‘fad diets’ around, but although they may provide short term results they are difficult to sustain and, ultimately, they deprive you of the essential nutrients that only balanced eating can provide. The following is a list of 10 Questions that should be asked before starting a diet...

Ensuring you Eat Good Carbohydrates in Your Diet

For good health, attain your grains from foods like whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta and brown rice, and other grains like whole oats, bulgur and quinoa. Such foods assist in protection against many chronic diseases. Here are good carbohydrates for inclusion in your diet: Breakfast: Should you be a cereal person, try hot cereals, like oats. Should you prefer cold cereal then try whole oats, whole wheat or wholegrain. Lunch: Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Ensure that whole grain or whole wheat is the first ingredient listed. Dinner: Don't always opt for potatoes. As an alternative, try brown rice or whole...

Low-Carb Diet

Should you want a lower carbohydrate method, try to include certain vegetables, fruits and whole grain carbohydrates on a daily basis. They have a lot of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients, vital for good health which are not available from a supplement bottle. It is better to do your heart a favour by opting for healthy fats, proteins to accompany those healthy carbohydrates. A 20-year prospective study of 82,802 women looked at the relationship between lower carbohydrate diets and heart disease; a subsequent study looked at lower carbohydrate diets and risk of diabetes. Women who ate low-carbohydrate diets high in vegetable...
Page 5 of 18...34567...