Obesity

"Obesity" specifically refers to an excessive amount of body fat. "Overweight" refers to an excessive amount of body weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. As a rule, women have more body fat than men. It usually results from consumption of food in excess of physiological needs. Being seriously overweight puts you at greater risk of developing high blood pressure and many other serious health risks.

Jump to - Causes , Treatment, Other suggestions

{mosgoogle}

Causes of Obesity

Weight gain occurs when you eat more calories than your body uses up. If the food you eat provides more calories than your body needs, the excess is converted to fat. Initially, fat cells increase in size. When they can no longer expand, they increase in number. If you lose weight, the size of the fat cells decreases, but the number of cells does not. * Obesity, however, has many causes. The reasons for the imbalance between calorie intake and consumption vary by individual. Your age, sex, and genes, psychological makeup, and environmental factors all may contribute.

Treatment Of Obesity

Lime Juice-Honey: Fasting on lime juice-honey water is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity. In this mode of treatment, one teaspoon of fresh honey should be mixed with the juice of half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water and taken at regular intervals.

Lemon Juice: Another effective remedy for obesity is an exclusive lemon juice diet. One the first day, the patient should be given nothing but plenty of water. On the second day, the diet should consist of the juice of three lemons, mixed with an equal amount of water. Subsequently, one lemon should be increased each day until the juice of twelve lemons is consumed per day. Then the number of lemons should be decreased in the same order until three lemons are taken in a day. The patient may feel weak and hungry on the first two days, but afterwards, his condition will stabilize.

Jujube: The leaves of jujube or Indian plum are another valuable remedy for obesity. A handful of leaves should be soaked overnight in water and this water should be taken in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. This treatment should be continued for at least one month to achieve beneficial results.

Cabbage: Cabbage is considered to be an excellent home remedy for obesity. Recent research ahas revealed that a valuable chemical called tartaric acid is present in this vegetable which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction. Substituting a meal with cabbage salad would be the simplest way to stay slim.

Tomato: Tomatoes are valuable in obesity. One or two ripe tomatoes taken early morning as a substitute for breakfast, for a couple of months, are considered a safe method of weight reduction. They also supply the food elements essential to preserve health.

Finger Millet: Finger millet is an ideal food for the obese, because its digestion is slow and due to this, the carbohydrates take a longer time to get absorbed. By eating preparations made of ragi, the constant desire to eat is curbed, thus reducing the daily calorie intake. At the same time, ragi supplies an abundant quantity of calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1 and B2 and prevents malnutrition in spite of restricted food.

Dietary Considerations

1. Increasing the amount of fiber in your diet. This is essential and helps eliminate fats from your body through the stool, helps decrease cravings for sweets, and can make you feel full quicker. You can eat too much white flour and sugar products before you feel full. Instead, use foods that contain fiber such as fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, bran, and whole grains. You will feel satisfied quicker. Eat the following amounts:

• Two pieces of fruit a day. Use a variety of fruits.

• At least 1 cup of raw vegetables a day. These can be eaten in unlimited amounts.

• One-half cup a day or more of cooked vegetables, mainly vegetables such as chard, spinach, or kale, steamed and not overcooked.

* Avoid large amounts of grains

• Eat 1 to 2 tablespoons a day of bran from either oat, wheat, or rice. This can be sprinkled on foods or mixed with water or diluted fruit juice.

2. Include protein in your diet. The best proteins for this purpose are from a vegetable source. These are usually better digested and contain less fat. Beans, soy products, and seeds and nuts in moderation are the best. Also, include fish and some chicken or turkey, without the skin. Eat approximately 4 to 6 ounces of protein twice a day. Red meat and pork should be very limited since they contain very high amounts of fats.

3. Fats – use 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil for salad dressings or cooking.

4. Avoid, as much as possible, artificial colorings and flavors. Read the labels of packaged food.

5. No fried foods, please.

6. Between-meal snacks or junk food sabotages your weight loss plan, so use the following for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack:

• A piece of fresh fruit
• Celery or carrot sticks
• One or two tablespoons of almonds or seeds
• Rice cakes
• Herbal teas, coffee substitutes, and grain beverages

Avoid eating late at night.

7. Drink a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.

Other effective Remedies for Obesity

The patient should adopt all other natural methods of reducing weight. These include exercise such as walking, swimming, bicycling; yogic asanas, and deep breathing exercises; and measures to bring on excessive perspiration such as sauna baths, steam baths, and heavy massage. Above all, obese persons should make every effort to avoid negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, hostility, and insecurity, and develop a positive outlook on life.

Comments

Add New