Last week I talked about cereals and how much of a problem they can cause with health. I feel this is down to the high processing and high sugar content of the cereal. Today a topic a lot of people suffer with is cravings and cravings for sugar in particular(how often do we crave a bag of spinach!!). We all get the urge for something sweet, it’s normal, it is 2012 after all! But is there a reason why you may be craving sugar excessively?

To be the best Personal Trainer or Health Care Practitioner requires a lot of things including many hours of learning. We have over the past 2-3 years especially put a huge effort into learning from the very best in the business, by getting certified by them, doing internships, attending seminars from the creme de la creme in world health and fitness, people like Charles Poliquin, Dr Eric Serrano, Dr John Berardi and Phil Richards amongst others. We now have the answers to deal with many health problems which include today’s topic – sugar cravings. A lot of the information is only available to a small number of the elite health and fitness professionals throughout the world and will not always be on a google search.

I find most people who have sugar cravings have three major reasons why they do so:

1. High stress levels are a major problem in Ireland with the number of people out of work at present. If you cannot cope well with the stress of day to day life and your cortisol(the stress hormone) is always high you will opt for comfort foods over health foods – this will lead to you storing fat around your mid section in particular. I aim to talk more on this subject in future blogs and if you would like me to then please comment below.

2. Poor sleeping patterns can wreak havoc on your body. I could talk all day about the benefits of sleep and how important it is for health. You dont feel like having a head of brocoli after a night of uninterrupted or inadequate sleep do you? Its common, and this ties in with point 1 we reach for poor foods during times of stress(bad sleep causes stress). Managing your sleeping problems can be difficult but there are many relaxation techniques, herbal teas and natural supplements that can help you achieve proper sleeping patterns.

3. They overly restrict calories by cutting out nearly all carbs without replacing them and dont understand or have not been told the science of how to deal with such a diet and what nutrients are needed. If you take something away from someone you need to give something back. Following this type of eating pattern can be extremely dangerous if you do not understand the nutrients your body needs to function optimally or when is the best time to eat carbohydrates which when eaten at the right times can be highly beneficial. The problem is the drastic reduction in calories which is not being replaced sends the body into starvation mode. People who follow this type of eating pattern will lose weight initially but most if not all will binge on high sugar foods at some stage and “fall of the wagon completly” and generally stop training for long periods of time. Educating clients as a Personal Trainer is essential and I feel a lot of people are being mis lead by the internet now with a lot of fad diets promising this and that.

This is just 3 of the common problems which I have dealt with in the past that i have found to affect sugar cravings – there are many more causes of sugar cravings but I’m sure if you suffer from them if you address the above 3 your cravings will be much less if not gone. There are a number of other tips and tricks we have picked up from various health professionals. I will list 5 below

1. Get to bed before 11 pm and aim for 8 hours sleep each night

2. Increase Fibre, Veg(Green especially) and Protein intake

3. When a carb craving strikes mix 2-10 grams of glutamine with 10 ounces of organic/heavy cream. This we picked up from Charles Poliquin and has worked well for many clients.

4. Eat or drink something bitter!

5. Take a high quality Fish Oil and Magnesium supplement

No more sugar!!

Detox is one of the most feared parts of recovery from addiction or alcoholism without real justification. Movies, books and television shows have dramatized the process of detoxification to the point that people who really need help have hesitated or remained quiet due to their fears concerning detox. However, detox is different for everyone and in some cases may only last for a few days. Some people have mild symptoms and some have more severe symptoms, but the acute stage of detox rarely lasts longer than 2 weeks. During this time the entire process can be medically and psychiatrically managed, and in fact many recovering addicts or alcoholics can be made quite comfortable.

You should never attempt to detox from any drug or alcohol on your own. While detoxing from opiates such as heroin or Oxycontin a person can experience extremely uncomfortable and even painful symptoms, but if detoxing from alcohol, these symptoms can be much more dangerous. For this reason, detox should always occur in a professional medical setting. Medications can be administered to mitigate these risks and make the process far more comfortable and safe.

Detox is unavoidable when a person who is physically dependent on a substance suddenly stops using it. This is because the body has made changes in the central nervous system in order to cope with the constant presence of drugs or alcohol. These changes were so severe and persisted for so long that they become semi-permanent. The body literally becomes dependent on the substance in order to function normally. When the drug or alcohol is suddenly withheld from the system, the body essentially goes into shock as it works frantically to restore equilibrium. This can cause misfiring in the brain and other CNS components that can lead to an entire host of symptoms. Physical symptoms include:

Nausea and vomiting
Heart palpitations
Sweating/ night sweats and fever
Insomnia
Weight loss due to loss of appetite

In severe cases of alcoholism or barbiturate addiction, seizures, heart attack and hallucinations can occur. Some people will experience delirium tremens, which can be very dangerous in a non-medical environment.

Emotional and mental symptoms include:

Depression, often combined with suicidal thoughts or ideations that require monitoring
Paranoia
Irritability
Social isolation or impairment
Anxiety – just the thought of not using the drug or alcohol anymore can make a person exceedingly anxious

By seeking treatment for drug addiction or alcoholism at a professional medical facility these symptoms can be readily managed in a clean and safe environment. Medications are administered to counter unpleasant side effects and reduce the anxiety and stress associated with detox. Supervision is provided to ensure safety and addiction specialists can help to talk through difficult feelings or emotions experienced during the detox process.

Detox almost always lasts less than two weeks, but that’s just the beginning of the recovery process. Detox allows a person to be free from the effects of drugs and alcohol so that real treatment can begin- usually in the form of a residential inpatient substance abuse program, a partial hospitalization program or an intensive outpatient program.

If you or someone you care about needs help with detox or any step of the addiction process, then please do not hesitate- call or email our Florida drug rehab center now. If you’ve already detoxed and are ready to take action, then please use the links below for our true residential inpatient treatment program.

In today’s news, headlines of obesity and over weight children make for very startling reading. Unfortunately, without intervention, many overweight children eventually grow up to become obese and overweight adults. Obesity leads to a higher risk of life-threatening and limiting diseases, and, in many cases, results in a decreased life expectancy. Most definitely, weight loss for children is a very sensitive subject, but one that is very important as well.

We are living in an electronic age that makes it very easy for children to fall into a sedentary lifestyle. Apart from making healthier and more sensible food choices, another step that can help them with weight loss is to get them away from the TV, computers, and video games, just to name a few. So, what can be done to encourage our children to become more active in life so that they can achieve a healthier lifestyle and lose weight at the same time?

Most of all it is essential for parents to deal with the issue of weight loss for their children with care patience and understanding. Understand that your children are still growing and need a healthy nutritious balanced diet. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss any weight loss program with a dietician or family physician. Not eating properly while trying to be more active in order to lose weight is dangerous and not to be taken lightly.

While it is not possible for parents to control everything that their child eats, they must at least help them in developing healthy eating habits. You should teach them the importance of nutrition, and provide them nutritious and tasty food at home. Monkey see monkey do as they say, if you are eating chips, candy bars and soft drinks, then you are not setting a good example for them to follow.

A healthy nutritious diet is the key and is required by a growing child. Appropriate exercises and physical activities are also essential for your children to feel better and lose weight as well. Parents and children should opt for exercises that the entire family can do together. Making exercises a fun activity takes the chore out of exercising and will help achieve healthy weight loss for children. Exercises should become a part of daily routine in a house. They should be done in such a way that child enjoys it and does not see it as a task. You can make your kids move, by going for a daily family walk, perhaps with your family dog.

You can help your kids in achieving weight loss in less painful way by helping them in making sensible food choices. Today many kids love eating fast food at least few times a week as they feel it is a part of their lifestyle. Unfortunately, these foods are loaded with calories, sodium and fat. In addition, when kids get addicted to eating these highly salty and flavoured foods, they are most likely to reject bland vegetables or grilled chicken. Weight loss for children is possible if you can stop the fast food habit once and for all. This can be accomplished gradually, maybe limiting fast food to once a week, then once a month and of coarse not at all!

You should avoid being over-strict with either exercise or diet routines as this can have detrimental effect on your children. So, be careful and introduce new ideas in a gradual way and involve your kids in the planning and decision making to get the desired results in a much easier and faster way together. It is always best to be supportive and practice what you preach.

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While vitamin D deficiency is a common condition, a low level of vitamin D is not necessarily indicative of parathyroid disease or hyperparathyroidism. There may be other causes.

Vitamin D comes naturally from two sources. It is produced naturally in your body by exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. You also get vitamin D from the food and supplements in your diet.

Vitamin D is necessary for the proper formation of your skeleton. It is important for bone growth and renewal as it helps your body absorb and retain phosphorus and calcium. Vitamin D is also necessary for nerve and muscle activity.

Vitamin D deficiency or low levels of vitamin D can lead to a variety of health problems. Low vitamin D levels can cause bones to mineralize improperly. In children, this can lead to rickets, which is characterized by bowed legs, swollen joints, and malformed skeletons. In adults, vitamin D deficiency leads to osteomalacia, which is the softening of the bones due to inadequate bone mineralization. Decreased calcium absorption may also result in osteoporosis.

Primary hyperparthyroidism is most commonly caused by one or more of the parathyroid glands forming a tumor that secretes excessive parathyroid hormone (PTH). Normally, PTH regulates the calcium that is taken from your bones and put into your bloodstream. The excessive PTH due to primary hyperparathyroidism leads to increased blood calcium levels.

The body tries to correct the elevated calcium levels by secreting calcium in the urine. The higher calcium concentration in the urine from hyperparathyroidism creates an environment more favorable to the formation of kidney stones. If you have kidney stones and an elevated blood calcium level, you should be checked for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Vitamin D facilitates the intestinal absorption of calcium. With lower levels of vitamin D, dietary calcium is not absorbed efficiently, making your high calcium problem even worse.

Low Vitamin D levels in patients with a high calcium and a high parathyroid hormone level occurs as a protective mechanism for the body. Because the blood serum doesn’t require any additional calcium the production and conversion of vitamin D is down-regulated as a protective mechanism for the body. This is why over 60% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have a lower than normal vitamin D level. In this case the parathyroid tumor actually causes the decrease of vitamin D in your body.

It is generally accepted in the medical profession that persons diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism require surgery. Today, minimally invasive parathyroid surgery is an option. Preoperative imaging and localization of the abnormal parathyroid tumor enables a minimally invasive or “mini-incision” approach. This is an outpatient procedure that requires an incision of only a one-inch or less, and the procedure can be performed in less than half an hour.