Health Living Tips

When you are beginning a new weight loss program (or trying to make your current weight loss program work for you) it can be a big help to have some handy tips to help you along. A weight loss program is almost always a huge undertaking for a lot of people and as such breaking down your program is going to break down your work and it’s going to make sticking to your weight loss program a lot easier for you to stick to, and thus a lot more effective!

Weight Loss Tip #1: Get Real!

This is the first weight loss tip you’re going to see in any article claiming weight loss tips. It’s because setting unrealistic goals in your weight loss program is the most common error that deters a lot of people from really sticking with it. While it’s good to have an ultimate goal, you want to set smaller goals for you to meet along the way. Setting smaller goals allows you to achieve them and get ever closer to your ultimate goal. Baby steps is the key to any weight loss program. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk right?

Weight Loss Tip #2: Preparation! Preparation! Preparation!

This is the most painful part at the start of any weight loss program, but it’s one of the best things to do to get you started on your path to weight loss. It’s time to get rid of your potato chips, your Coke, your hidden treasure trove of chocolate, and anything else you might have stashed away. Having this stuff around makes it way too easy for you to cheat while on your weight loss program, and unless you are a self-control machine then there’s no way you’re going to meet the goals you’ve set for yourself unless you take the precautionary steps to remove temptation. Make a list of the healthy foods you need and stock them in mass quantities. If you’re worried about healthy food not tasting as good, look up some health food recipes because there is good stuff out there!

Weight Loss Tip #3: A Rewarding Weight Loss Program is a Successful Weight Loss Program

It’s something you’ll learn in any first year psychology class, human beings naturally excel at tasks when there is tangible or periodic reward. You want to buy that new CD that just came out? Well if you meet your next goal then treat yourself to your favourite music. Beware with rewards though, don’t reward yourself with junk food, you’ve gotta stick to that weight loss program!

Weight Loss TIp #4: The Most Important Meal Of The Day!

You’ve heard the saying so many times about Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, but why do people say that all the time anyway? It’s because it’s true. Your breakfast provides you with the energy to keep going through the day, and eating a healthy breakfast will actually help you with your weight loss. When you don’t eat breakfast it actually tricks your body in to believing that it could be starving and so it goes in to a mode which not only will hinder your self control around junk food, but it will also try and guard against the burning of precious fats and calories in your body (because you need that stuff to survive if you happen to be starving!) Always make sure to eat a complete breakfast! It really IS the most important meal of the day!

Weight Loss Tip #5: Don’t Just Eat Healthy, ACT Healthy!

Hopefully your weight loss program already includes something about getting plenty of exercise. It’s important to complement your weight loss program with a healthy dose of exercise. In fact, it’s one of the big factors that can make or break your weight loss program. The fact is that if you can stick to a weight loss program which involves a proper diet and exercise, no matter what program it is, you WILL lose weight! It’s what your body needs!

Weight Loss Tip # 6: So You Like To Sleep? That’s Good!

7-8 Hours of Sleep per night. That’s what the average adult needs each and every day. It keeps your body working in perfect order, it repairs all parts of your body and mind in tact and you need to keep both of those at your best in any weight loss program!

If you can follow these six simple tips, I have no doubt that you’re going to see some results in trying to lose weight! The power to lose weight is in your hands though, you’ve got to be the one that makes you stick to both these tips and your own personal weight loss program, if you can do that then you’re going to lose weight! Good Luck!

Medical Tourism is a fascinating new trend that sees people leaving the UK to receive medical treatment overseas. Luxury service and period of recuperation in the sun are two of the factors that are encouraging an increasing number of Brits to have their elective surgery abroad. In 2006 50,000 Britons travelled abroad for low cost medical treatment. For people looking to have private surgery, travelling abroad can save a considerable amount of money. Consumers can save up to 80% by going abroad for surgery and these savings are often enough to finance a relaxing break. So what types of overseas medical treatment are available and how much does medical treatment abroad cost?

Treatment available

One company offers a service that provides treatment in a private hospital in Malta. The treatments available cover a wide variety of clinical and cosmetic surgery packages. Clinical packages include procedures in General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Cardiology, Urology, Gynaecology and Ophthalmology. The company offers total hip replacements, total knee replacements, TURP prostate surgery, Total Abdominal Hysterectomy surgery, Hernia operations, Varicose Vein removals as well as Cataract removal and lens implant surgery.

The cosmetic services on offer include nose reshaping, a tummy tuck, liposculpture, prominent ear correction, breast augmentation, face lifts, Botox treatment, endermologie, lip augmentation, dermal fillers and laser hair removal.

Private Dental treatment abroad has also become more popular. This is reputedly due to the rising costs of dentistry in the UK. Customers are heading to Europe for savings on crowns, bridges, dental implants and cosmetic dentistry.

Cost of treatment

The cost of treatment includes all clinical costs, including the cost of hospital and Doctors fees, as well as all the necessary drugs, x-rays and implants. It includes transfers from the airport and hotel accommodation before and after treatment. The cost also includes post-operative care including food and rehabilitation care. It also includes 7 days drugs supply on discharge from hospital care. A total hip replacement will cost around GBP6300 as does a total knee replacement. TURP prostate surgery will cost around GBP2700 with total abdominal Hysterectomy surgery costing GBP3525. Hernia operations cost GBP1900 for unilateral or GBP2670 for bilateral. Varicose Vein removals are either GBP1570 or GBP2620 depending on whether they are unilateral or bilateral.

Cosmetic treatments range between GBP4102 for a facelift, neck lift and 4 eyelids to GBP2489 for Breast Augmentation 9which includes the implants). Abdominoplasty and Liposculture will cost around GBP2876 and includes advice on diet and fitness.

Dental work is offered in a number of countries and there are websites that will help you compare prices to the British equivalent. Wisdom tooth extraction will cost you around GBP425 in the UK but a trip to have it done in Croatia can cost as little as GBP206. Having dental implants in Italy can save 50%. The typical price from a UK private dentist is GBP2000 whilst the same procedure done in Italy (including fees, travel and accommodation expenses) will cost around GBP931. A trip to Hungary for porcelain bonded crowns will cost you GBP570, 24% less than the GBP750 you expect to pay in the UK.

is our largest organ, and yet it is one that so many of us forget to take care of as well as we should. We douse it with fragrances, lotions, and other beauty products that contain an amazing amount of chemicals, many of which have been proven to cause cancer (like parabans for example). The best way to nourish our skin is the same way we nourish the rest of our body–from the inside out, with fresh fruits and vegetables and plenty of good fats. There are also several ways to feed your skin from the outside too that are easy, cheap, and all natural:

Body Brushing: A wonderful way to detox your body, great for your lymph system, nervous and circulatory systems, dry body brushing is best done once a day to three times a week, preferably before taking a bath or shower. Using a loofah or natural bristle brush, and start at your feet. Brush toward the heart in circular movements for five minutes. After a few sessions you will notice a more natural glow to your skin, increased vitality, and a sense of invigoration, especially if done in the morning.

Masks: Our skin loves good food. Some wonderful masks that help nourish the face:

For dry/ sensitive skin: 1/2 an avocado mashed and mixed with ground oatmeal. The fat from the avocado nourishes the skin while the oatmeal soothes it.

For oily skin: a mixture of french green clay and pulverized strawberries or cranberries act to draw out impurities while giving your skin the astringent benefits it so needs.

For normal skin: A pina colada for the face! crushed pineapple and banana work wonders–the acid in the pineapple exfoliates the skin while the banana soothes and tightens.

Sea Salt Scrubs: These are yet another great exfolient for all skin types. Adding a bit of almond oil to the salt keeps it smooth and glowing. The salt helps relax muscles and detoxes the skin. Adding herbs to the scrub is great too–lavender to soothe, lemon or mint to invigorate, a pinch of cayenne on a cold day to warm you up, rosemary or calendula flowers to heal rashes or other skin problems.

Bug Spray: As the summer months approach, our thoughts turn to mosquitoes and how to prevent their nasty little bites. Most bug repellents are literally awful for you. Natural prevention is the best recourse–taking 3 or 4 capsules of garlic and 100mg of vitamin B1 create a smell that repels mosquitoes while avoiding sugar and fruit juice, to which mosquitoes are naturally attracted can cut down on your victimization. Using certain essential oils—such as eucalyptus, lemon balm, pennyroyal, citronella, tea tree, and geranium also makes effective bug sprays. Simply add a mixture of the above to a water/witch hazel (3 parts water to 1 part witch hazel) solution and transfer to a spray bottle. Several naturopaths say using these oils works as well as commercial mosquito repellent.

Baths: Warm baths are highly underrated. They soften the skin, relax the muscles and release stress from the body, mind, and emotions. Plus you can add all sorts of wonderful things to them– milk to soften skin, sea salt to soothe sore muscles, a tea of herbs such as lavender, mint, rose petals, chamomile, lemongrass, orange rinds to leave you smelling sweet and and all natural.