I get this question all the time, “What workout or exercises should I do to get rid of fat?”

Regarding the reduction of body fat, these problems are almost always diet, not workout, related. The “Iron Guru” Vince Gironda stated “body sculpting is 80% diet…if you don’t have your diet down first, the rest is moot.

I was told a story of a nineteen-year old named Pete who was overweight and fat, his diet consisted of mainly pasta and other carbohydrates. Pete’s goal was to become a Mr. America winner. Under Vince Gironda’s wing, Pete got ripped and won the Mr. California title. How did he do this? By taking Vince’s advice, he gradually reduced

his carbs and increased his protein intake.

Stone Age Eating

The vast majority of nutrient consumption for the past 100,000 years or so has been in the form of saturated animal fat and protein, with fat taking the larger percentage. The balance was made up of things that could be eaten in a raw state such as vegetables, berries, some fruits (in season) and nuts. That’s basically it. It has only been fairly recently that mans diet has shifted to a diet of high carbs – breads, pastas, candy bars, sodas, etc. And we grew fat and sicker and weaker after that change was made.

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Types Of Acne Defined

Comedonal acne is just the medical name for whiteheads and blackheads. Inflammatory acne is defined as having red papules or pustules, and can also have whiteheads or blackheads mixed in. Finally, nodulocystic acne has deeper nodules or cysts. Acne care varies for each of these types, as does the strength of the acne treatment.

Treatment Of Whiteheads And Blackheads

Comedonal acne is best treated with topical solutions such as benzoyl peroxide and Retin-A. The key with these treatments is patience, as both of them can cause skin irritation if used too much too fast. To see maximum benefit from either of these treatments, six to eight weeks needs to elapse with consistent daily use.

In order to avoid the skin irritation that is common with these treatments, a good quality skin moisturizer is recommended. Used frequently throughout the day, a moisturizer can go a long way to keep the skin soft and pliable as the acne care products of choice do their job of sloughing off the old skin and removing the whiteheads and blackheads.

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There are many acne products
on the market and it can be very confusing as to which one will work best. By understanding what each of the different ingredients that are commonly found in acne medication, you will have a better understanding of what acne product is right for you and your skin.

Salicylic Acid

Dead skin cells can get caught in pores causing clogging. This acne product slows down dead cells from sloughing off of your skin. In addition, salicylic acid can help destroy whiteheads and blackheads. Use this product sparingly as it can irritate skin. It is best to start with a lower dose of salicylic acid at around .5% and if this does not work gradually increase up to 2%.

Benzoyl Peroxide

This acne product is the most popular over the counter treatment on the market. It kills bacteria that can cause acne. In addition, is cleans away oil and dead skin preventing pores from getting clogged. Be careful with its use as it can dry out your skin and produce redness, scaling and some swelling. In addition, benzoyl peroxide can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. It is best to start with a lower dose of 2.5% and gradually increase as long as your skin shows no negative reaction to this product.

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The brand managers for the companies that develop antibiotics have managed a neat trick. They have convinced the majority of people that their products will cure all ills. It’s something the snake oil salesmen tried in the late 1800s and early twentieth century. The idea is very attractive. That a single, all-powerful drug will banish all forms of sickness. Simply keeping it on the shelf beside your bed will always keep you safe. Unfortunately, life is never that simple. Antibiotics are only useful when you have a bacterial infection. If your sickness comes from any other cause, antibiotics will be completely useless. Worse, antibiotics are reasonably specific. Bacteria come in many different strains and the effectiveness of antibiotics is limited either to one of those strains or, like Doxycycline, to a limited number. There are thousands of different bacteria in the world and only some of them are susceptible to treatment with the antibiotics currently on the market. So what is acne? Acne is where the sebaceous glands in your skin grow overactive as the level of hormones increases. This releases more sebum, a natural oil, into the skin. Under normal circumstances, dead skin cells fall from the surface of the skin or are expelled from the skin and drop off. But with more oil in the skin, dead skin cells remain in the hair follicles and block the follicles. This environment is perfect for the growth of a bacterium called Propionibacterium acnes. This bacterium lives harmlessly on your skin but once a warm, moist environment is created, it feeds on the sebum. As a result of this additional food, the bacteria expel chemicals that trigger your body’s immune system. In turn, this causes an inflammation of the skin. You know this because your skin turns red and can grow a little painful. The moment anyone sees the two words in the same sentence, “bacteria” and “inflammation” everyone assumes that antibiotics are the answer. (more…)

The headline news is that bacteria do not cause acne. The medical evidence is absolutely clear. All those pimples and zits are caused by excess hormones in your skin. This triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, a substance like oil that lubricates and keeps the skin supple. Unfortunately, where the oil builds up in the hair follicles, those small tubes that hold each hair, it traps the dead skin cells that would otherwise drop off the body. These cells block the pore and this causes the blackhead or whitehead to form. There are bacteria that live on the skin. Under normal circumstances, they are perfectly harmless. But if they have access to food, they grow. In this case, Propionibacterium acnes feeds on sebum. As this bacterium grows, it excretes chemicals that trigger your body’s immune system and this produces the redness and soreness as your body fights the infection. At first, the problems will be mild. If you feel that something more than simply washing your face with a neutral soap is required, the best forms of treatment are available over the counter. Look for products containing benzoyl peroxide. This has an antibacterial effect by drying out the skin. As the skin dries, your body sheds the surface layer of dead skin. This helps to reduce the amount of dead skin cells available to block up the pores and therefore reduces the chances of an infection. (more…)

Asthma has been reported in literature over the last two thousand years. As a medical condition, however, it was considered relatively uncommon and most people grew out of it as they passed through their teenage years. Although a small percentage of people could continue to suffer as adults, it was not considered to be a major problem. Indeed, it was often dismissed as a psychosomatic disorder. Over the last fifty years, however, the precise physical causes have been identified and better treatments devised. Curiously, there has also been an explosion in the number of people who suffer from it at all ages. One of the standard approaches to treatment is the use of steroids such as Prednisone. Steroids can be administered orally, through inhalation or by injection and they help to reduce inflammation of the airways. For this reason, oral Prednisone is used not only for asthma, but for other lung diseases as well. There is no doubt that, when Prednisone is used on an emergency basis to relieve a serious asthma attack requiring hospital treatment, the benefits outweigh the risks. A short-term, high dosage use can quickly reduce the inflammation contributing to the breathing difficulties and prevent the symptoms from worsening. Unlike the inhaled steroids which go straight into the lungs, Prednisone is absorbed into the blood stream. In this form, it is used alongside other medications to control long-term and often difficult problems. This so-called “short burst” treatment is highly effective. (more…)

Let’s start off with two facts. Prednisone was approved for use in 1955. It is a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and so helps to treat arthritis. When a drug has a track record of more than fifty years, you respect its effectiveness. No medication survives in today’s highly competitive market unless it delivers. On that basis alone, it would be right to recommend its continuing use. But, like every other simple truth, this needs just a little qualification. Your body naturally produces cortisol. This is a hormone and it helps to reduce inflammation by modifying the way in which the immune systems works. Inflammation is actually a good sign. That sounds counter-intuitive so, to explain, when your body is invaded by bacteria, viruses and other foreign matter, your white blood cells gather round to defend you against infections and other damage. That swelling, pain and redness are signs the white blood cells are doing their job. All you have to do is to slow down and let the battle continue. Except that sometimes your immune system does not work as it should. If it becomes overactive, too many white blood cells are released and can cause tissue damage. Prednisone and other steroids reduce the activity level of the immune system and modify the way in which the white blood cells function. This distinguishes them from the anabolic steroids whose function is to build up muscle mass. Thus, used in low doses over a period of time, Prednisone can reduce the stiffness and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. (more…)

When spring comes and buds threaten to turn into leaves, many look forward to summer little realizing the danger that lurks in the undergrowth. Now, wherever you see green think danger. The dreaded poison ivy and oak are on the warpath, and they are out to get you. You think you’re going to be safe in your local parks. Think again. You’re not even safe in your own yard! Without you noticing, the green menace has been spreading through your neighborhood. Now, if you’re out there on the front line, pulling weeds from the flower beds close to the hedge, keep your eyes peeled. It only takes one touch of more or less any part of the plant. That includes the stems, vines, leaves, flowers and roots. They all contain the resin called urushiol. If you do not wash off this resin with ten minutes of contact (using an alcohol-based rub is best), prepare for misery. You get about one day of peace before the rash and fluid-filled blisters come, and then it all begins to itch. Except that the resin can be picked up on your clothes or the garden tools. Even your pet cat or dog can carry it into your home. During the season, you’re not safe. If you’re caught, wash all your clothes and everything else you were wearing or using at the time. Failure to take this simple precaution could result in a further exposure. The urushiol remains active for months. One final word of warning. It’s tempting to go out and root out every last sign of these “evil” plants and burn them. Except that, if you burn these plants, the droplets of urushiol can be carried down wind. (more…)

Acne is one of the most common symptoms that can be found in human. It can happen to every body. Although there are many definitions given to acne, we will use a simple term here. This article will give you some information on what the acne is.

Acne is a form of skin disorders. You have some pores on your skin. These pores are the ways to get the water out of the body, through sweat gland. They always give ways to fat glands, or in technical term sebaceous glands, to secret oil to your body. Why do you need oil on your skin?

Because your skin should not be too dry, the oil helps moisturizing your skin.The problem comes when these pores are blocked with some reasons.

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can be one annoying problem that can make your self confidence diminish. The most common area that people have acne is on the face or on the back. This article will talk about how to reduce acne on your back.

1. The first tip is to wash your back with salicylic soap frequently. If you do not know salicylic acid soap, just go for antibacterial soap. They are the same. Although, there are no evidence that frequent washing of the acne area will get rid of it, the researches show that reduction of the amount of the bacteria in the area significantly reduce the chance of having acne.

2. Moisturize your back with tea tree oil. There are some evidences that tea tree oil help improve your skin condition and at the end reduce the chance of developing acne. Apply the oil immediately after taking a bath and washing your back. You can use scrubber when your wash your back. Scrubber can help exfoliate the dead skin and make your back cleaner.

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