Now here’s an interesting thought…cutting calories does not have to mean going on a “diet.” Most people who want to lose weight think they have to go on a proven and well-thought out program prescribed by their doctor. Or they purchase
the latest diet tome to hit the bookstore shelves. After several frustrating weeks of attempting to follow the latest in diet codes or shopping for complicated beach recipes, they give up and go back to their old habits.

Here’s the deal…for those of us who don’t suffer some sort of thyroid problem or other metabolic imbalance (and that’s most of us!), we put on fat when we eat more calories (in food and drink) than we burn up. To lose weight, we have to reverse this by burning up more calories than we take in. We can do that in one of three ways:

1. eat less (thereby consuming fewer calories)
2. burn more (by exercising)
3. or both

Cutting down on calories adds up much quicker than trying to lose weight by exercising alone. Let’s say you are trying to cut your daily calorie consumption by 500 calories and that you determine that you will walk daily for exercise. Depending on your weight, at a speed of 15 minutes per mile, you would burn between a whopping 44 and 70 calories!

At that rate, you will never lose weight!

So what’s the solution?

The conventional wisdom is of course, a combination of diet and exercise, the old “eat less and exercise” more advice. And that’s still good advice…up to a point.

A new study from the University of Minnesota showed that when women and men reduced the fat in their diets, their weight dropped, regardless of how much they changed their pattern of exercise! Now here’s the interesting thing…in women, even a substantial increase in exercise was not enough to produce weight loss if they did not reduce fat consumption. Men, on the other hand, were able to lose weight through exercise alone.

A combination strategy is still the best advice, but for women it seems there must also be a decrease in dietary fat for the weight to come off.

Now back to the “no diet” plan.

You really don’t need a book to begin to avoid or limit one or more foods which are high in fat (such as high fat meat, full fat cheese or high fat snacks). Sweetened beverages, although they contain no fat, are a source of a lot of “hidden” calories in many peoples’ diets. A simple reduction in portion sizes can also go a long way to make cutting calories easier.

To sum up, avoid high calorie beverages (switch to water or unsweetened tea). Be cautious about consuming artificial
sweeteners. Cut portion sizes…a little less food at each meal can add up to a lot of calories in a day. Look for lower
fat protein choices…skim or 1% milk, low fat yogurt or cottage cheese, lean meat and fish. Get plenty of whole fresh fruits and vegetables and when you do eat bread products, make them whole grain. Go for a brisk walk for 30 minutes four to five times a week.

This plan isn’t really too glamorous is it?

No mysterious Codes, and no Beach recipes. Maybe I should write a book called the “No Diet”…coming soon to a
bookstore near you!

Ellen Britt, PA, Ed.D., is executive producer of the beautiful and relaxing Flash movie, Lessons from Water. See it at: http://www.LessonsfromWater.com or visit our website at http://www.primalwaters.com

Many people think they know what causes acne, the inflammation of skin pores that results in problems such as blackheads, whiteheads or pimples, primarily in teenagers. There are a lot of misconceptions about acne though. Officially common acne is known as acne vulgaris. And in explaining it, the answer becomes bit complicated. Acne is an inflamed disease of the skin, and it has many causes, one of which is bacteria in the pores of the skin. The body in many ways becomes allergic to this type of bacteria. This attracts while blood cells to fight the allergy, and the pores become blocked. Oil secretions will build up and provide a breeding ground for even more bacteria. Then pimples will form. These red bumps resemble small boils, which fill with a nasty puss caused by the body fighting the infection of the bacteria.

There is probably no perfect cure for acne other than outgrowing it but there are a number nothing that can be done to lessen the physical effects. First, remember that for many years, people thought that acne was caused by poor hygiene and by eating certain foods. Fried foods and chocolate were especially blamed for acne, probably because teenagers eat fried foods and chocolate commonly, but that may have been blaming the messenger for the message. There is no scientific evidence linking diet to acne. Also, while personal hygiene is important and a good thing, over washing can damage skin and actually make acne worse. But good hygiene and a good diet can’t hurt, and they might just help a little. Also using makeup that doesn’t clog pores but can at least assist the body in not making acne worse.

Treatments that kill the bacteria that cause acne included the use of antibiotics like tetracycline, doxycycline and minocyclne, which are taken orally. Also topical antibiotics or bactericides like Benzoyl peroxide or erythromycin can help. The bacteria also known as “P. acnes”, does however become resistant to the antibiotics eventually. However Benzoyl peroxide, an oxidizer, does not seem to generate resistance by the bacteria. While the acne will come back, it is a short term and temporary cure and is applied topically.

Exfoliating the skin can also help. This method can be done by using a cloth or a liquid scrub, or by using certain chemicals. Chemical exfoliating substances include salicylic acid and glycolic acid. Both of these agents cause a peeling of the top layer of skin, which prevents a build up of dead skin which blocks pores when combined with oil. This in turn, makes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Another over the counter remedy is salicylic acid, which softens skin and gets rid of dead skin cells, which in turn unclogs pores. Many face wash products contain this ingredient. Also sulfur contained in many over the counter products works well for many people. Another product is glycolic acid, which is found in anti-aging products as well as acne medicines.

There are also a number of natural remedies that can fight acne and the bacteria that causes it. Tea tree oil is gaining in popularity. It kills the bacteria and also reduces redness and inflammation. It works much the same as Benzoyl peroxide but causes less skin irritation and is carried at health food stories.

Acupuncture is used by some and is thought to alleviate hormonal imbalances n the body. Those who use acupuncture also usually suggest lifestyle changes and a change n diet, including cutting back on dairy products.

Light therapy is another natural remedy to fight the bacteria that has many adherents. Many people believe that the bacteria that causes acne insensitive to light in the blue wavelength of the light spectrum. Light therapy means shining blue light onto a patient for fifteen minutes at a time twice a week, usually for four weeks. This treatment can be expenses, running about $150 per treatment. Not all patients have had good results, but some have. Also since light in this wavelength is not harmful to the skin, there are no side effects or after effects.

Fighting the bacteria that causes acne is of major concern for many medical professionals, and surely with time they will find more and better ways to do so. In the meantime, the treatments listed here can help many people.

To learn moreno about acne cure visit

http://www.manifestingpower.com/seo/acne.html

It is estimated that eighty percent of people between the ages of fourteen and twenty suffer from acne. For most of us, acne is a short-lived annoyance during certain periods of our lives. Unfortunately, for some people acne is painful long after the pimples have been treated. Scarring from acne is most common for those who have suffered from severe acne, but scarring can affect anyone who has experienced acne.

If you are one of the millions of people living with acne scars, there’s good news. There are many options available to diminish these unseemly blemishes. All of these techniques work to restore the normal, healthy appearance of scarred skin; it may not always be possible to get rid of all acne scars, but with the right treatment for you, no one will ever know you were scarred. Acne scar treatments vary in their approaches depending on the severity of your scarring and your budget. You should discuss all of the available options, costs, and side effects with your dermatologist.

Before we talk about the treatments available, we should take a look at why acne can cause scarring. The primary reason for any kind of scar is tissue damage. When body tissue is damaged, our body tries to heal and protect it from infection. In the case of acne, dead skin cells block the body’s pores, preventing the secretion of natural oils in the skin. This creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow, which irritates the skin and causes acne. When acne is aggravated due to harsh scrubbing or other forms of physical attention, it further aggravates the condition and harms the sensitive skin tissue. When the skin finally is able to heal, a scar is left behind.

One of the most popular acne scar treatment techniques is injecting collagen under the surface of the scarred skin. Collagen puffs out the skin and evens out the scarred area, making acne less noticeable. Another important acne scar treatment technique is what is called autologous fat transfer. This process makes use of your own body’s fat. Fat is taken from another part of your body and is injected into the affected part, filling up the scar. This technique requires repeated applications because the fat is eventually absorbed into the body, making the scar noticeable once again. Your dermatologist may suggest you try laser treatments or dermabrasion. Both of these techniques are very effective. In the most extreme cases, skin grafting and skin surgery may be considered.

Keep in mind that these are only a small number of the options available for acne scar treatment.

Sarah Cannon, writer and webmaster, makes it easy to quickly and easily find the latest news and resources on acne care. For more information visit her website at Acne-Care-Advice.com.