Tag: OBESITY

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DIET – INTRODUCTION

Whether we like it or not, the health of our society is bad and getting worse. As technology continues to develop, convenience does as well, and ordering food is literally as simple as the clicking of a button. Long gone are the days of having to find your own food, let alone having to drive to a restaurant to get dinner. Cooking dinner looks less and less appealing when compared to the food conveniences and choices amongst diners, catering services, fast food, and takeout.

Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death, just in the United States alone. Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise due to poor lifestyle choices, such as too much unhealthy food and not enough exercise. “Globesity,” a term coined by the World Health Organization to describe the worldwide obesity epidemic, is another problem as well. These numbers continue to rise as do the associated health problems and diseases. As governments and local communities start to feel the impact of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc. due to poor lifestyle choices, awareness is increasing. Cheap, processed foods are so readily available and overwhelm the shelves in supermarkets. Toss desk-jobs, long drives or commutes, and electronics into the mix, and we do a lot of sitting around and very little to burn off that processed food.

With media covering the obesity epidemic and health and quality of life plummeting, some people are starting to see the light. Documentaries such as Fed Up are exposing food manufacturers’ concerns that lie only with profits and not health, and how added sugar is in over 80% of supermarket foods. We may be a long way off from getting back to “the good old days” where dinner was made from whatever was in the garden and processed foods were nearly unheard of. But the best we can do is inform ourselves about why healthy choices are the best for long-term health and quality of life.

As technology develops, our choices will only continue to grow. By making wise ones, we can help battle and slow this rising epidemic.
o today I want to give you a quick beginner overview of one of the best choices you can make in regards to overall health & a natural way of eating. The Paleo Diet…dodon’t worry if you don’t know what it is, within the next few moments you will discover why it has been one of the most talked-about diets of recent time Let’s dive in…

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Setting Productive Weight Loss Goals and Motivational Techniques

As you know, obesity can potentially be fatal, which is why it’s so important for us to get our weight under control as quickly as we possibly can. The sooner we act, the longer we will hopefully live. If you’re serious about losing weight, it’s vital that you stick with the plan for the long-haul.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to losing weight, nor are there any quick fixes. If you’re serious about losing weight, it’s important to set yourself goals. Goal setting, however, is easier said than done. To stick to your goals, you need to ensure that you are motivated and driven.

“Weight loss is not a physical challenge. It’s a mental one.”

Before you even set any weight loss goals it’s time for a reality check. Here are a few things you need to know and be aware of.
• Losing 1 or 2 pounds of fat a week is normal.
• The more overweight you are, the more fat you will lose in the initial stages. As you progress, your weight loss results will start tapering down.
• There maybe a week or two when the numbers on the scale just don’t change… or might even go up a pound.
• Your caloric deficit is the most important factor.
• It takes time to lose weight.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s a look at how to set goals and stay motivated.

Set realistic goals

When losing weight, the temptation is always there to set yourself an outrageous weight loss goal in a bid to help keep yourself driven and focussed. At first, this technique may prove beneficial, but as time goes by and reality sets in, you’ll begin to realize that, actually, the goals you set are not really viable.
Losing 3 pounds in a week, for example, is quite tough, but it is realistic. Setting a goal of losing 10 pounds in a week though, is not realistic or practical. If for example, you lost 4 pounds that week, ordinarily that would be an extraordinary loss. Because you set a goal of 10, as you would be 6 pounds light, you’d view it as a failure. This would then result in you adopting much more of a negative mindset. When you set weight loss goals, always be realistic.

Visualize

When we attempt to lose weight and get in shape, we will experience highs and lows.
Some days we’ll find ourselves full of energy and motivation, and ready to tackle whatever the day throws at us. Other days, however, we find ourselves tired, unmotivated and questioning why we’re even bothering. When you feel like this, visualize your goals and targets and remember why you’re losing weight in the first place. Visualize yourself leaner, fitter, healthier, and happier and focus on how much better you will look and feel.

Make small goals and meet them. Once you start cleaning up your diet and eating wholesome, nutritious food, your goal can be to slowly eliminate the detrimental foods over time. As far as your training regimen goes, your goal may be to get to the gym 3 or 4 times a week or walk daily. It doesn’t have to be
huge goals. Aim for ones that you can manage and each week, make small improvements.
While we’ve covered setting goals & motivation, the real work is about to begin. In the next chapter, we’ll look at nutrition and the fundamentals of a healthy diet.

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Weight Loss For Life

Hello and welcome to our short, beginners guide on how to lose weight and become healthy quickly, easily, and most importantly permanently! On paper, losing weight really is simply a case of eating less and exercising more. In reality, nothing is ever that black and white, and to be truthful, losing weight is one of the hardest processes you will ever endure. Lately, health experts and officials have grown increasingly concerned with the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation, and many parts of the developed world. The number of obese individuals in the world is now at an all-time high. Every single year, it is estimated that more than 2.8 million people lose their lives as a result, either directly or indirectly, of being obese and overweight. Each year, health officials and governments are spending billions on obesity-related healthcare, so something simply must be done before it’s too late.

Whereas once upon a time, obesity was prevalent in developed countries with high incomes, recent studies have found that obesity is now growing increasingly common in under-developed countries with poor incomes. This is a very worrying statistic. While new data is being gathered, we can tell you that back in 2016, the number of overweight individuals living on our planet came in at 1.9 Billion. Experts now predict that that number is even higher. Out of this 1.9 Billion, a staggering 650 million were obese.
Since the 1970s, obesity levels have tripled, which indicates that somewhere along the line, we’re doing things very wrong.

Health Risks Associated With Obesity

Now we’re going to take a look at a few major health risks associated with obesity and being overweight.

Type-2 Diabetes

Type-2 Diabetes is very much a condition heavily linked to obesity. The vast majority of people affected with type-2 diabetes are obese or overweight. Losing weight is a great way to manage the disease, and if you do happen to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle, you could even potentially rid yourself of the disease entirely.

Heart disease

Heart disease is the number one killer in the world. Each year, more people die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined. Being overweight means that your LDL cholesterol will likely be high, and you will also likely suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) these can be precursors for heart disease, as well as other potentially fatal conditions such as a stroke.

Joint issues

People that are overweight often suffer from joint issues such as osteoarthritis. This is because the extra weight that they are carrying is placing additional stress and pressure on their joints. The knees often bear the brunt of this weight, though back and hip issues are also common with overweight individuals. Losing weight can ease the pressure placed on these joints and can, therefore, improve their overall quality of life.

Fatty liver disease

Individuals who happen to be obese are far more likely to suffer from fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is a condition in which the liver literally becomes coated in a restrictive layer of fat. If not addressed, it could potentially be fatal. Well, that’s a brief look at the situation we are facing and why it’s important to do all we can to increase our health while decreasing obesity In the first part of the guide we’re going to start at the beginning which is our current state of health and the steps to begin a weight loss program correctly.

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What Exactly Is Wearable Tech? Should I Use It ?

Firstly we must ask the question…what exactly is wearable technology? Wearable techs, short for wearable technology, are gadgets or devices, which are worn on body parts, along with clothes and other accessories to help the wearer perform various functions that can be performed on our computers and phones while on the go. These gadgets usually include a type of tracking technology (such as motion sensors) that monitors various data such as heart rate, sleeping patterns, physical activity (steps, performance, etc.), and various other useful information.

Wearable tech has plenty of applications and can benefit people of all ages suffering from:

• Obesity – The biggest industry wearables have infiltrated is health and fitness. Today, you can find a bracelet, sports bra, jewelry, watch, belt, and other items that have been programmed to monitor physical activities, work as a pedometer, provide coaching, measure calorie intake and burned, and track other bodily functions.
Popular wearable fitness trackers like FitBit and JawBone have helped users get motivated with exercise. Meanwhile, obese kids can make losing weight fun with various game-type wearables that promote being active, offer challenges, and allow them to play against other kids.
• Insomnia and Sleep Apnea – Sleep is an important part of fitness, so wearable devices that monitor the quality of a person’s sleep can be a huge help. There are devices with a full list of sleep data analysis that can help people suffering from insomnia and sleep apnea.

Wearable technology may be all the buzz in 2016, but the process of adding technology to day-to-day life has been done for centuries. According to Giordano da Rivalto, the earliest “smartglass” was commissioned by Roman Emperor Nero. The glasses were made of a metal frame and emerald lens, which reportedly helped in improving Nero’s eyesight during fights from 54 AD to 68 AD.
In 17th-century China, the oldest smart ring was designed with the smallest abacus you’ll ever see.

In 1907 Germany, Julius Neubronner invented the first GoPro-looking device and the sub-niche Pigeon Photography. He fitted several pigeons with an aluminum breast harness, which holds a miniature camera with a timer mechanism that captures a single aerial-view photo.
By the early 1960s, the term wearable tech has not been coined yet but has been applied in countless inventions. Also in the 60s, the oldest HUD (head-up display) and virtual reality wearable devices were created by one person. From 2000 onwards, many wearable techs have popped up.

Different Types Of Wearable Technology & Are They Safe?

We will look at some of the wearable techs which are projected to take over the technology industry as the need for smaller and easy to carry computers are in demand and whether they are safe to use or not.
Wearable Smart Glasses
These are glasses embedded with some microchips that are worn on the face to help the wearer perform some tasks without being noticed. It can help take pictures, take video coverage, to magnify objects, to improve sight, and can be used as an industrial glass for detection.

Smart Watches
A smartwatch is a device worn on the wrist, which has a touch screen display that can be connected to your smartphone through Bluetooth, which keeps you updated on the digital networks of your phone such as notification of incoming calls, emails and various notifications from the applications you work with, track daily activities and more..

Fitness Trackers
These are sophisticated wristbands or watches, which are produced to help you track and count your fitness activities. They tell you how much distance you have covered in your walk or run, the number of calories burned, when you are not correctly seated, the number of calories you have consumed, monitor your heart rate, etc. They usually come in different styles, shapes, colors, and sizes.


Smart Clothing
These are clothes embedded with small sensors that are designed to help check and provide feedback on your health, fitness and sporting activities. They were also worn by the military in war fronts to provide a kind of health and emergency relief to soldiers when hurt or in danger. This clothing was usually hard and heavy and cannot be worn in normal circumstances. In recent years, there have been innovations in more fashionable and comfortable smart clothes.

Smart Jewelry
Smart jewelry is exceptionally designed jewelry like necklaces, rings, bracelets, and some wristwatches that are fashionable and trendy which like the others are embedded with a small device that can notify and track events.

Implanted Devices
These are devices implanted under the skin mostly for medical reasons, such as insulin pumps, the retinal implants, magnetic sensors, smart drugs, etc. Many proponents believe these implantation devices might become part of the human body in the near future.

How Safe Are These Wearable techs.
There has been a great deal of contention as to the potential health hazards of these wearable gadgets. It is a well-known fact that some low level radiating mobile phones can cause some health problems, how much more than would an electronic device that is worn very close to the body for a long time not cause even more serious harm to their users. Most researchers have confirmed this fact, while some have refuted it with heavy research to prove their stance. Nevertheless, there are so many advantages that can be derived from these wearable techs, as earlier sighted and since most wearable techs make use of Bluetooth, and Bluetooth uses a lower level of radio waves, then wearable techs might very well be safer than cellphones

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Why Are We In Need Of Fitness?

Firstly welcome to our beginners guide on the future of fitness and wearable technology, I just want to say thank you for joining me as we embark on a quick journey of discovery into this ever-changing landscape of technological advancement. In this first introductory chapter, we will be going over why we are in need of fitness and how technology is/will play a huge part in getting us fit. Let’s get started…
First and foremost, here we are, living in an era where fast food meals that are rich in fat are available on every corner and advertised on every platform available. There’s no wonder more and more people are suffering from obesity. There are dire consequences for those that are morbidly obese. Take a look at the facts and figures about obesity throughout the world.

How is obesity measured?


It is measured using BMI, or the Body Mass Index. This can be calculated by taking the weight of the individual in kg and dividing it by his or her height in meters. Mind you, this isn’t going to distinguish weight that is associated with muscle from eight associated with fat. Therefore, with those thoughts in mind, BMI provides an uncalculated measure of fatness. So, BMI is considered a “rough guide,” because it doesn’t correspond to the same degree of fatness in every person. An individual that has a BMI that is larger than 25 is “overweight.” However, if an individual has a BMI that is 30, they are considered obese.
Obesity is one of the leading causes of preventable death. A clinically obese child or adult is at risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, joint problems, cancer, depression, and breathing difficulties.


Probably the light beneath all these dreadful facts is that obesity can be reversed…especially with the help of fitness technology! Unlike those suffering from other diseases, an obese child or adult can fight obesity by prioritizing health and fitness before it becomes too late. If you or anyone you know is suffering from obesity, here are 5 main ways to reverse its effects:
1) Remove sugar, salt, and saturated fat – A high intake of salt, sugar and saturated fat all contribute to obesity. WHO has dropped its recommended fat (53 grams/day), sugar (25 grams/day), salt intake (5 grams/day) to help reduce the global population’s risk of diabetes and obesity.
2) Get enough sleep and control stress levels – Lack of sleep and chronic stress are the leading causes of insulin imbalance and weight gain. Poor sleeping patterns have been linked to damaged metabolism and increased cravings in carbohydrates and sugar. Religiously sticking to at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, paired with activities that promote relaxation (yoga, meditation, massage, etc.) could help reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes.

3) Get educated about nutrition – Food is the body’s fuel that enables us to think and perform day-to-day tasks, but it is important to be mindful of food choices. Aside from maintaining WHO-recommended fat, sugar, and salt intake, adding whole unprocessed foods (such as vegetables, fruits, and nuts) to the diet can prevent insulin resistance and in turn help reverse obesity. The right set of multivitamins and supplements can also promote proper metabolizing of fat and sugar. If you are unsure of the diet and supplements suitable for you, it is best to seek advice from a nutritionist.
4) Exercise – Any physical activity, may it be walking for several hours or performing high-intensity interval training for 30 minutes, is better than nothing. Make sure to get the heart rate up whenever you exercise.

5) Measure progress – Many studies have shown that people who track their diet and exercise progress with a notebook or spreadsheet lose twice as much weight. Self-monitoring had been a tedious task, since BMI measurements, calorie intake, and physical activities are logged in manually, but fitness phone apps made it much easier. Now with fitness trackers that can monitor everything from steps, distance ran, speed, estimated calories burned, and even sleeping patterns, self-monitoring provides much more motivation than ever. Anyone who has been diagnosed with obesity may find the situation bleak, but this shouldn’t be the case. Changes in lifestyle, diet, and fitness could help prevent or revert the effects of obesity and with the aid of fitness technology, the obesity situation may be easier to beat than ever!
Well, that’s a basic introduction to the current obesity situation in the world and why we need fitness and health. Over the next few chapters, we will take a more in-depth look at what wearable tech is, how it can aid fitness, and how it affects you. Are you ready? Let’s go…