Healthy Weight Loss: it’s easy

More than any other time in history, people are all vying to have the best, healthiest body. The health and fitness industries are making billions of dollars every year on herbal supplements, fitness equipment, gyms, and special diets. If you watch TV or read magazines, there is always some intriguing commercial asking for money to help you get into shape.

While many of these options are good and healthy, others you should stay as far away from as possible. Recently, a professional baseball player died at the age of 23. In his locker, a bottle was discovered containing Ephedrine. The FDA issued a warning that people need to heed.

It is critical to your overall health that you do it the right way. Here are some tips for both health and fitness that will help you lose weight, discover ways to maintain a better healthy lifestyle, and be in the best shape of your life – all the smart way!

Everyone knows, whether they want to admit it or not, reducing calories will help you to lose weight. However, just as you should reduce the calorie intake, you need to know when to eat.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and the one meal that should not be missed. Lunch should be healthy but a less than what you ate for breakfast. As you approach dinner, eat healthy but light. Avoid after dinner snacks or eating before bed!

While some supplements and vitamins on the market are not worth buying and have been proven dangerous, other natural sources could prove healthier. Most important, you need to understand what it is you are taking, and strictly follow dosage just as you would medication that has been prescribed. If you are unsure, check with your doctor, a nutritionist, or a reputable qualified professional.

Many supplements that are good for overall health include grape seed extract, aloe vera, and Selenium. Vitamins to consider would include Vitamin E, Vitamin C, B-12, Iron, Magnesium, and Calcium.

People often confuse “dieting” with nutrition. Your body needs to have nutrients replaced, whether ideally through foods being eaten or supplements. Do you remember what you learned in elementary school about the four major food groups? As an adult, eating balanced meals from these groups still applies. It is important to remove the “junk food” from your diet as much as possible and stick with healthy foods.

If you really do not like certain foods such as fruits or vegetables, be sure you are taking a supplement to get the nutrients needed. Another consideration is if you are a vegetarian. There are certain benefits taken from meat such as iron and B-12 that you should consider taking a supplement for in exchange for the meat.

When you think about losing weight, more importantly than weight is the amount of fat you are carrying around. This fat is measured with what is called Body Mass Index, or BMI. For women, if you are fit, your percent of body fat should range from 21% to 31%. If you are in incredible shape, that could be as low as 10%. For men, fit should be between 14% and 25%, and excellent shape, as low as 2%.

To calculate your body fat, write down how much you weigh (be honest – no one will see this but you). Multiply your weight by 703. Next, write down your height, in inches. Multiply by that same number. Then you will divide your weight number by your height number. That is your BMI. For example, if your weight were 150 pounds x 703, your weight answer would be 105,450. If your height is 5′4″, that would be 64 inches x 64 for a total of 4,096. Taking the 105,450 divided by 4,096, you come out with a BMI of 25.7.

The figure 25 is ideal, more is considered overweight. A value in excess of 35 indicates severe obesity and weight loss is important. Many people with a value this high can end up suffering from diabetes without shedding this excess weight.

Vaginal Absence Syndromes

Thomas M. Price and G. William Bates

Müllerian agenesis or Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome is the most common cause of primary amenorrhea in women with normal breast development, with an incidence of one in 5,000. This syndrome originally was described by Mayer in 1829 and then redescribed by Rokitansky in 1838. Typically, the vagina that is proximal to the hymen and the uterus fail to develop. Visual inspection of the pelvis often shows bilateral small muscular swellings at the proximal end of each fallopian tube. The uterine anlagen usually are rudimentary, with functional endometrium found in less than 10% of cases. The ovaries are normal; thus, all other aspects of puberty, including breast development, pubic hair development, and growth spurt, occur as expected. The etiology of müllerian agenesis remains unknown. The discovery of homeobox genes responsible for segmental development in lower animals may provide a clue to the cause of this syndrome. Occasionally, young women with müllerian agenesis will complain of cyclic pelvic pain. In this situation, a functional uterine anlagen needs to be excluded, but the transient discomfort more often is due to periovulatory pain. Typically, Rokitansky syndrome is sporadic. In 40% to 50% of cases, associated renal abnormalities, including renal agenesis, ectopic kidney, horseshoe kidney, and duplication of the collecting system, are found. Bony abnormalities in 10% to 15% of cases typically are found in the axial skeleton, including hemivertebra leading to scoliosis, missing and abnormal ribs, and pelvic bone abnormalities. Other syndromes involving müllerian agenesis have been described. MURCS association includes müllerian agenesis, renal aplasia, and cervicothoracic spinal deformities. Other cases of vaginal agenesis have been associated with congenital deafness due to developmental abnormalities of the malleus, stapes, and incus bones. Finally, cases of müllerian agenesis have been associated with abnormalities of the distal extremities, instead of the axial skeleton, such as missing and abnormal digits. These cases, characterized by hand-foot-uterus syndrome, usually are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), also called testicular feminization syndrome, is a less common cause of primary amenorrhea with breast development. This X-linked disorder is caused by an abnormality of the gene for the androgen receptor located on the long arm of the X chromosome. More than 100 different gene defects, including deletions and point mutations, have been described. Most mutations result in complete inactivity of the receptor. The presentation is of a genetic male appearing as a phenotypical female lacking signs of androgen expression. Testes usually are intraabdominal, but they also may be herniated into the labia. The normal secretion of müllerian inhibitory factor (MIF) results in lack of development of the upper vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes. In addition, the lack of a functional androgen receptor results in absence of male internal structures such as vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and prostate. Affected persons appear as normal females at birth. With puberty, breast development ensues due to peripheral conversion of circulating androgens to estrogen. Breast development often is abundant due to the lack of any opposing androgen effect. Pubic and axillary hair is scant to absent and is the main distinguishing characteristic of this syndrome. The vagina is shortened but often not to the extent as seen with müllerian agenesis. Circulating testosterone levels are in the high-normal range for a male. This is due to higher than normal levels of LH because of lack of appropriate negative feedback to the pituitary. Unlike müllerian agenesis, concomitant renal or skeletal abnormalities are not found with AIS. Less commonly, mutations of the androgen receptor lead to a partially active receptor with androgen expression. The presentation includes ambiguous genitalia at birth, with clitoral enlargement and fusion of labioscrotal folds. Virilization occurs at puberty to a degree that depends on the activity of the receptor.