No one knows the reason, but there is a close relationship between acid reflux and obesity. A recent and staggering statistic that was published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that approximately 61% of the American population is obese or overweight.

That now puts 6 out of 10 U.S. Citizens at risk for gastro-esophageal reflux disease (commonly referred to as GERD) which is now nearing epidemic proportions. Acid reflux, is heartburn in the most severe form.

It is often accompanied by a variety of other symptoms and it is more challenging to treat than heartburn alone.

Statistics like the ones recently released from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are very telling. Americans, who are prone to super-size everything, now have one more reason to re-think their diet and exercise regimen: acid reflux.

Although researchers are still unsure as to why acid reflux and obesity are linked, they are certain that a notable correlation does exist. If you are a sufferer and you think that your weight might be the culprit, a visit to your family physician may be in order.

Only he or she is qualified to make that diagnosis. The specific measure that is used to determine whether a person is “obese” or “overweight” as it is related to the symptoms of acid reflux is called a BMI, or body mass index, which is a calculation that is based on your weight and height.

BMI typically correlates with, but does not directly measure, body fat. The BMI is the measurement recommended by the CDC because it is inexpensive, readily available and easy to use for both the general public as well as doctors. It also allows you to gauge how your own body mass index compares to the vast majority of the country’s population.

If you would like to see where you rank, you can use the BMI calculator found www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/ You cannot depend on the kitchen scales to accurately measure your BMI, and there may be extenuating circumstances that you may not be taking into consideration, so it is essential that you consult a professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment options.

Once your healthcare provider calculates your BMI it is important to know that current studies have consistently revealed that the severity and frequency with which an individual experiences acid reflux symptoms is greater as their BMI increases. In other words, the heavier you are, the more you risk getting acid reflux.

That alone should be enough to motivate most sufferers to change their habits. Losing weight is not an easy thing to do. Nobody likes the word “diet” but if your acid reflux interferes with your life (with things like “heart-attack like” symptoms) you may be doing yourself a disservice by not exploring all of the non-medically related options that are available.

Prescription medications for acid reflux can be very expensive, especially if you are a cash paying patient. Although they are effective, they only mask the problem: your weight. Since acid reflux and obesity are obviously linked, the right diet and exercise plan may eventually eliminate the need for medication altogether by treating the underlying cause instead of the symptom.

In an effort to discourage the levels of obesity in Britain, recent research is recommending a tax on unhealthy foods, such as those high in sugar, fat and salt. They claim that this ‘fat tax’ could prevent over 3,000 deaths from strokes and heart attacks every year. The research was led by Dr Oliver Mytton at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

One suggested approach is to levy a tax against foods measured on what is called the ‘SSCg3d’ score – an ‘unhealthiness score’ to the rest of us. The SSCg3d score takes into account Energy levels, saturated fat, sodium and NME sugar content (the ‘A’ points), then the total Iron, Calcium, n-3, fruit and veg content (the ‘C’ points). An overall rating is than calculated by deducting the ‘C’ points from the ‘A’ points and given a rating between 0 and 10. A rating under 2 is considered ‘healthier’ food, 3 to 8 as intermediate, and 9 or above is considered ‘less healthy’. To give an example, Spinach scores a rating of -12, whereas chocolate digestive biscuits score +29.

An alternative economic model put forward in the study was to apply VAT to foods with a high level of saturated fat, e.g. butter and cheese, cakes and pastries. This model was found to be the least desirable as it could increase purchases of products high in salt, resulting in an increased number of deaths from strokes and heart disease.

A third suggestion was to introduce a tax across a wider range of food products containing high levels of sugar, fat and salt across the board. Many stores already use the ‘traffic light’ labelling system to indicate levels of sugar, fat, saturates, and salt in their foods. Products containing a red indicator should be avoided or taken in moderation, those labelled as amber are relatively neutral and can be eaten most of the time, while green indicates the healthier choice.

This model could prevent around 3,200 deaths per year and would add 4.6 per cent to the average household food bill, amounting to an extra £2 billion a year. A small cost compared to the dangers of obesity currently experienced in Britain.

Of course this is not an entirely new concept. It was pioneered by Kelly Brownell in the early 80’s. His proposal was to use the revenue gained from the junk food taxes to subsidise the cost of healthier foods. Twenty years on and we still find that healthy foods tend to cost more than unhealthy alternatives.

Tony Blair rejected the idea of tax on fatty foods in 2004, as it would make Britain too much of a ‘nanny state’! Perhaps we should all forget the healthy diet and keep popping diet pills such as Acomplia instead?

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Jeff Talbot writes on several health issues including erectile dysfunction, weight loss and hair loss. Popular topics include research into the treatments of these conditions such as the use of Viagra, Acomplia, and Propecia.

If you’re new to flavored teas, no doubt you’re wondering how to choose flavored teas of the best quality. The variety of the tea, the country in which it’s grown, the way it’s processed, the time it’s harvested and the way it’s flavored all affect the way a flavored tea will taste. In many varieties of tea, the time of harvest is particularly important, and can be difficult to understand and determine.

Following is some information that can help you choose the best flavored teas based on their harvest time. Flavored teas come in white, green, black and oolong varieties, and all varieties have different harvesting requirements for the best flavor.

Green tea –Flavored green teas have a very natural and mild flavor and brew to a pale green or light amber color. They are often somewhat sweet, and are described by many to be grassy in flavor. Many people who don’t particularly like the flavor of plain green teas, love flavored greens, because the flavorings mask the grassy taste while leaving the lightness that makes green tea so tasty.

Green tea harvesters often pluck green tea multiple times during the growing season. However, the first pluckings, or the “first flush” green teas will always be the best. This is because this first flush is picked in the spring, before the weather gets too hot. Tea that is plucked later in the growing season has baked in the heat and sun before harvest, which compromises the tea’s flavor.

White tea- All white tea is first flush tea. White tea is, by definition, picked only in the spring, when the tea plant blooms for the first time of the growing season. The tea is harvested before the buds are fully opened and while they’re still covered with a fine white hair, which is why it’s called white tea. One of the reasons that white tea is the rarest of all teas is because it can be harvested just once during the growing season. Flavored white teas are not yet common, but they are gaining availability. White teas are the mildest and sweetest of all teas, and absorb the fragrances and flavorings very well.

Black Tea – Most flavored teas are made from black tea, though other varieties are growing in availability. The best flavored black teas are also made from the first flush, for the same reason that was mentioned about green tea. Later flushes of black tea have been exposed to more heat and sun, and their flavor may have been compromised. The exception to this rule is Assam black teas, grown in the Assam region of India. The second flush of Assam black teas are said to be the best of the season. So, if you find an Assam flavred tea, look for second flush of the season.

Oolong Tea –Oolong teas are semi-fermented, meaning that they go through a fermentation process like black teas, but for a much shorter period of time. Most oolong teas are fermented to about 30%, unless they are pouchong oolong teas from Taiwan, which are only about 15% fermented. The longer an oolong tea is fermented, the more it tastes like a black tea. Therefore, pouchongs are much closer in flavor to a green tea. As with green and black teas, oolong teas are best from the first flush, when the weather is milder and the tea has had more rain.

Oolong teas have a fruity flavor and a very smooth finish that pairs beautifully with many fruit flavors. When choosing a flavored oolong tea, be certain to check as to whether it is a true oolong or pouchong, if you have a preference for a tea that is closer to green or closer to black.

Some of the best tea gardens only sell first flush black, green and oolong tea. Tea gardens that do harvest their tea all throughout the growing season should label their tea according to the harvest from which it was plucked, so there is no confusion about which teas are the best of the year. First flush teas are typically priced higher than teas harvested later in the season.

To choose the best quality flavored teas, you need to consider all of the following elements:

• The grade of the tea – this indicates the quality of the leaf itself.

• The tea plucking – this is a good measure of the tea’s flavor, as earlier pluckings are more flavorful.

• The quality of the flavorings – You should always choose teas flavored with all natural ingredients over those that use artificial flavorings.

By considering all of these elements, you’ll be able to choose a delicious, high quality tea, whether it’s green, black or oolong. Shop with tea merchants that specialize in only the very best quality of flavored loose teas, regardless of the variety.

Flavored teas are a wonderful treat. The combination of your favorite flavors with your favorite tea varieties makes for a great beverage, whether hot or cold, morning or evening. And, if you’ve never compared the taste of really high quality teas with that of inferior teas, you’ll be very surprised at the difference. High quality flavored teas are well worth the trouble and expense you’ll go to finding them!

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Jon Stout is Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, black tea and wholesale tea go to www.goldenmoontea.com

Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a relatively common problem, affecting up to seven million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

But you don’t need to suffer from this uncomfortable backing up of stomach acid that manifests as heartburn, regurgitation of stomach liquid and nausea. And you don’t need to resign yourself to taking a pill every day for the rest of your life to keep symptoms down.

I know what I’m talking about because my father had a major reflux problem caused by a surgery in which a bile duct was connected to his stomach instead of his intestine. For almost a year, he suffered for GERD that was so severe he threw up several times a day.

But eventually he discovered, quite by chance, that a simple supermarket apple made him feel better. He eventually determined how much apple and what kind of apple was the best to be consumed each day to keep all of his symptoms in check for good.

There are many other things that people with acid reflux can do to eliminate their symptoms. One of the most important things is to try to stop causing irritation and scratching of your esophagus, which will just make your acid problems worse.

Eating smaller meals is often helpful for people who have acid reflux. Some people recommend not drinking during a meal, since the liquid dilutes the acid and makes it easier for the acid to reflux. On the other hand, it’s a good idea to drink a glass of water after eating, because it helps cleanse the lower esophageal sphincter, which then closes up tighter, which means less acid will be able to get to your esophagus.

Cutting back coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages, especially at meal times, are also good natural aids to eliminating acid reflux. It’s a good idea to cut back your coffee intake to just one cup a day, because coffee is acidic. If you do continue to drink coffee, drink a glass of water right after to clear away the acid.

One of the most important things you can do if you have GERD and you smoke is to quit smoking. Of course there are all sorts of wonderful reasons to quit smoking, but one that has to do with acid reflux is that smoking actually irritates your throat. What’s more, the chemicals in cigarettes cause your lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which allows even more fluid and other unpleasantness into your esophagus. Some people find that even quitting for just a couple of days is a big help for eliminating some of their irritation.

No one remedy works for everyone, but these ideas (plus tons of others in the Reflux Remedy Report) should get you back to feeling like your old self in no time.

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Joe Barton is an expert in natural healing of acid reflux, heartburn, gastritis and other gastroesophageal problems. His Reflux Remedy Report shares more successful ideas for quickly, safely and naturally treating acid reflux. Find out more at http://www.refluxremedy.com.

On average, we need about seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. In today’s fast paced and high stress society, a third of the population reports difficulties with sleep, and about 10% of people report chronic insomnia, a condition that involves trouble falling or staying asleep, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, persistently poor sleep quality, and trouble functioning the next day.

There are many reasons why people have trouble sleeping. High levels of stress, anxiety, and/or depression are often the culprit. Other possible causes include medical problems or conditions, chronic pain, use of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine, or the presence of a more complicated sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome).

In order to address sleep difficulties, it is important to identify the specific cause. It is wise to consult with your family physician to rule out medical problems that could be causing poor sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by depression, anxiety, or high levels of stress, consulting with a psychologist is a good idea, as psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioural therapy have been shown to very effective at decreasing anxiety and depression and helping people to improve how they cope with stress. Certain medications that target anxiety and depression can also be prescribed by your physician. If an underlying depression or anxiety disorder is properly treated, sleep problems often improve.

Sometimes people have sleep problems or insomnia in the absence of any other psychological difficulties such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, seeing a psychologist can still be very helpful, as certain psychological interventions have been shown to be effective at addressing poor sleep directly. Psychologists can teach you to learn to relax, cope with stress, and improve your “sleep hygiene” (or habits). Psychologists can also use other behavioural strategies to help target sleeping problems. About 75% of people with insomnia report significantly improved sleep after undergoing such psychological treatment.

Family physicians often prescribe hypnotic medications that help people to sleep. These medications are often helpful for individuals who are going through a stressful period. It is advised to only use these medications in the short-term as they can become addictive and less effective if you use them nightly over longer periods of time. Moreover, some of these medications can result in drowsiness and concentration difficulties the following day. Over the counter sleep supplements have generally been found to be ineffective.

As a general rule, sleeping medication can be helpful in the short-term but becomes less effective over time, whereas psychological treatments are effective in the long-term.

For more information on sleeping problems and insomnia, go to National Sleep Foundation website.

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Dr. Jeremy Frank is a Toronto psychologist in private practice in North York.

Obesity is increasing worldwide and is becoming the world’s biggest health problem. Obesity is no longer limited to adults only – the percentage of obesity amongst children is growing at alarming rates. The skinny on obesity or being overweight is that it is no longer just a cosmetic issue. Obesity or being overweight increases the risk of serious health problems such as diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, back and joint problems and discomfort, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, infertility, breathlessness, sleeping disorders, sweating among others.

AND … being overweight stops us from getting the very best out of life and shortens our life by years. A report by the National Audit Office in the UK, suggested that being overweight can take off up to 9years of our lives. There are many reasons for this, but in developed countries, the easier access to over-processed diets and a less-active lifestyle play a major role.

In this article I focus on a fun, interesting and self-educating way you can cut down the amount of fatty and sugary foods (2 of the main contributing factors to obesity) in your diet. Believe it or not – it is quite easy to do. Follow my quick and easy steps and you will have a head start on your weight, health and other shoppers.

Without going into the science of the labels, if you want to lose weight and live a healthy life this is what you need to be looking at each time you buy foods that are packaged in a box, packet or can. To do a quick lesson at home on how to read labels, take out any one product from your grocery closet right now. Look for the NUTRTION FACTS food label on the box or can. You will be able to tell if your product is healthy if:

• It contains less than 4g of sugar per serving.
• The ingredients do not include corn sugar or high fructose.
• The ingredients do not include any enriched – flour products. All flours need to be wholegrain ones.
• The ingredients do not include hydrogenated, saturated fat oils or the term “transfats”. If there are saturated oils, it should contain less than 4g of saturated fats per serving.

Test this on a couple more items in your pantry and determine how healthy your household is. If you are serious about losing weight and being healthy, throw away all those products that are causing harm every time you cook and eat them. Replace them with healthier options. Of course the healthiest option is to cook fresh produce only. But, if you do use processed foods, have fun with the simple food label test and read your way to weight loss. Over time it will show. It does make a difference to both your waistline and your health.

To summarize, when reading the food label on the can or box, check for the amount of sugar, fat and fiber per serving. Pay special attention to the amount of “transfats” in the product. Avoid foods that have higher than 4g or sugars or fats per serving, foods that contain corn syrup and foods that include enriched flours.

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Kim Knight, The Success Weight Loss Coach, has helped a number of clients target and reach their goals. The Weight Loss Coach is not only a sought-after trusted and inspirational coach. She has also written EBooks for all those who want to help themselves or support others. There are many successful clients whose friends and family are amazed at finding out that someone else coached them on their overall transformation. For more information, visit Kim’s site at www.kimknightcoaching.com and sign up for up for her FREE Weight Loss Tips at http://www.thesuccessweightlosscoach.com

These are often called curl boosters and curl revitalizers. There are several benefits that you will get from this curly hair care product. These curly hair products can help you by getting your styling product back up and running, so to speak. They also work on moisturizing your hair and giving you that refreshed look. They can also minimize frizz considerably. It is something you have to have for curly hair.

For those that use water in a spritz bottle, this will actually work against you giving you more of a frizz when the hair dries. What makes these curly hair products work then? There are many ingredients in them that help to deliver moisture and help to define curls. Magnesium sulfate works to activate styling products. Humectants like glycerin, botanical oils and honey work to help you as well in this manner. Polyquateriums as well as silicones are contained in these boosters and they help to minimize frizz and give your hair more definition.

One product that can help is that of the Mop Top Detangler & Refresher. It helps to add more moisture to your hair without leaving you with a sticking and frizzy mess. This curly hair care product is ideal because it has sea botanicals, aloes and honey in it along with glycerin, all of which help to promote healthy hair. The salts that are included, such as magnesium sulfate and sea salt, are ideal for helping to boost the quality of your curl without causing that sticky feeling. These help to balance the curly hair care product and keep it weightless without limiting the curly hair benefits it offers.

Another product that can be helpful is that of the Curlisto Glow and Shine. It helps to give this same weightless shine and provides a finished, tailored look. Another solution to keep your curly hair looking great for more than one day is to use Davacurl Set It Free. To use, flip your hair over and spray it down. Then, flip it back over and do a very light misting of the curly hair care product over the top. You can also use this product to help you with a freshened up look so that you do not have to wash it as often as you are currently doing.

When you add a curly hair revitalizer to your hair the second day after a washing, you will be able to extend the use of the curly hair products that you used the day before. More so, you are increasing the moisture of the products in your hair as well. The key to success here is using a water soluble product that will not build up in your hair. You also do not want to overuse the product because that too can cause frizz and a weighed down look that you do not want.

Those that have locks and twists in their hair will want to use a curl rejuvenator as well. Here, the curly hair product is going to work to provide you with more moisture and a refreshed look. To use this product for this need, simply give each of your curls a spray with the product when they need it. Your curly hair will look nothing short of amazing when you do so.

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Hair care products by CurlMart.com : Beautiful curly hair are easy with our unique collection of hair products that cater to the curly-headed woman, man and child.