What Are the Treatments for Compulsive Eating Disorder?

Compulsive overeating disorders are also called binge eating disorders. Compulsive overeating disorders affect two percent of all American adults. Fortunately, there are many ways to heal this eating disorder, including therapy, group support and medical treatment. A person in treatment for overeating needs a lot of support throughout his or her recovery process.

Identification
Compulsive eating disorders involve frequent occasions of uncontrollable, excessive eating, called binges. A binge eating episode usually lasts about two hours, but some people binge periodically throughout the day. Binge eaters consume food even when they're not hungry and continue to eat long after they are full. They feel extremely upset or distressed during or after their binge sessions but do not attempt to vomit, fast or over-exercise afterward (unlike people with the eating disorder bulimia).

Significance
According to the National Institutes of Health, two percent of U.S. adults have compulsive eating disorder---making compulsive overeating more common than the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia. Compulsive eating disorders also affect a significant number of men (unlike anorexia and bulimia). Most people don't seek help for compulsive overeating until the weight gain causes health problems.

Prevention/Solution
There are many natural ways to treat compulsive eating disorders. Eat breakfast every morning to avoid overeating later in the day. Remove foods that tempt you to overeat from your house. Exercise and stress management techniques are also helpful. In addition to all these things, however, it is important to seek professional treatment. Health professionals who provide treatment for compulsive eating disorders include therapists, psychiatrists, nutritionists and obesity specialists. The goal of treatment is to reduce compulsive overeating and binge episodes. If obesity endangers your health, weight loss might be another goal. Dieting can contribute to binge eating, so you should see a treatment team to help monitor your weight loss efforts.

Types
Therapy is one treatment option for compulsive overeaters. It can teach you how to fight the compulsion to overeat, develop healthier habits, monitor your eating and help you gain stress management skills. You may also find joining a support group helpful. Group therapy and support group sessions are led by trained health professionals. They provide the opportunity to reduce any feelings of loneliness or stigma you may have. Medications like antidepressants and appetite suppressants are another treatment option for compulsive eating disorders.

Warning
If someone you care about has a compulsive overeating disorder, it is important to keep in mind that you cannot force him or her to stop overeating. The cause of this eating disorder is often an attempt to escape from painful feelings that are certain to arise during the recovery process. Ongoing support from multiple sources is essential for your loved one to recover fully.

Proper Diet, Meditation and Exercise

You already know that a healthy diet and exercise can help you lose weight, look great and reduce the risk of certain diseases, such as diabetes and high blood-pressure. It's also becoming more apparent that meditation can do wonders for your health by reducing stress. So what happens when you combine all three?

Treat Anxiety
Healthy behaviors might be just what you need if you suffer from anxiety. A 2012 metareview published in "Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine" reviewed complementary and alternative therapies and lifestyle modifications for their effectiveness and growing acceptance as an anxiety treatment. The authors found many confirming studies to show that healthy diet, physical activity and meditation are particularly promising in the treatment of several anxiety disorders, such as general anxiety, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Improve Brain Power
Meditation has long been praised for its positive associations with increased brain activities. Vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids are associated with higher levels of brain function, and you can find both nutrients in ground flax seed, for example. Aerobic exercise increases the flow of oxygen to your brain, reducing levels of harmful oxidative stress and increasing cognitive function. Lifestyle factors, including diet and physical and mental exercises, raise the level of verbal skills and may increase cognitive abilities in older adults, according to a study review by Dr. Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA memory and aging research Center.

Control Hypertension
Stress, excess sodium intake and clogged arteries that are the result of eating foods high in saturated fat and living a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to high blood pressure. While you can definitely control high blood pressure with prescription medication, you can help manage the disease naturally by consuming a diet that is low in sodium and saturated fat and high in plant foods and whole grains, getting regular exercise and lowering stress levels with meditation.

Tips
Meditation doesn't have to be an elaborate practice. To gain its benefits, you may simply close your eyes and focus on breathing deeply in a quiet room for 10 to 30 minutes a day. A healthy diet includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains and has minimal amounts of processed foods. Exercise could involve any form of physical activity you do regularly, like walking at a moderate pace for at least 30 minutes daily. Always consult your doctor before beginning a diet or exercise program.

Yoga Hamstring Tips

Hamstrings, the muscles that run up the back of your thighs, need attention to stay strong and healthy. If they become too tight from sitting at a desk hour after hour, you may be at risk for a painful pull or tear. When hamstrings are too loose -- which can be caused by hanging out in a split or stretching without strengthening -- you can unbalance your thigh by developing powerful quads and weak hamstrings. Yoga can help you strike a good balance and keep hamstring muscles in tip-top shape.

Long and Loose
Inactivity causes hamstrings to tighten. Most hamstring injuries arise from hamstrings that are too short or too tight. When you feel an ache or mild pain in your "sit bones" during yoga practice, you've probably strained your tight hamstrings. The smart move is to skip poses like Forward Bends that stress your hamstrings and give muscle tissue time to heal. Continue to work gently on lengthening hamstrings and maintaining or developing flexibility with modified poses. Use blocks to shorten the stretch in Triangle and Intense Side Stretch poses. For reclining Head-to-Big-Toe, don't grab your toe for the maximum stretch. Use a strap around your instep to gently raise your leg and avoid stressing the hamstrings, recommends Yoga Journal.

Yoga Stretches
Standing Forward Bend, Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend and Wide-Legged Forward Bend are powerful hamstring stretches. They can contribute to a painful injury, however, if you do them before you've warmed up or if you approach the poses without appropriate caution. Safeguard your tender tendons by warming up to get the blood flowing to lower body and leg muscles before bending into a challenging stretch. Avoid pushing hard or abruptly into the stretch -- hamstrings could react with a reflex contraction that tightens them against your stretch and causes a tear. Practice a well-rounded stretching routine and always work both sides to avoid hamstrings that are not evenly stretched and strong. Avoid intense stretching at the end of a workout or routine when you are hot, sweaty, tired and more likely to overstretch a hamstring muscle.

Stronger Equals Safer
Lower your risk of hamstring injury with poses recommended by Yoga Journal to strengthen tendons and muscles. Upward Plank, in which your torso forms an unbroken, slanted line as you face the ceiling and support yourself on your hands and pointed feet, contracts hamstrings. Keep hips high and shoulder blades down as you hold for 30 seconds. Warrior III strengthens your entire leg and improves balance as you stand on one leg, folding forward at the hips, extending arms and lifted leg to form a flat torso. Pressing the heel of the supporting leg into the floor and pointing the toes of the extended leg intensifies the pose. Hold for 30 seconds and resist locking either knee. Alternate sides.

Rehab for Runners
Runners tend to develop powerful quads with weaker hamstrings, and a quick stretch before or after a run may not be enough to protect against a pull. Mild hamstring strains benefit from rest -- a couple of yoga poses that can be added to the runner's arsenal for rehab and future protection. Lie on a yoga mat and use a strap around your arch to assist with a Supine Leg Stretch. Pull your knee to the chest with the strap, exhale, lengthen the leg toward the ceiling just as far as it is comfortable and hold between 30 seconds and one minute. With no weight on your leg, the hamstring relaxes into the stretch easily. Lying face-down with legs and arms extended, toes pointed, squeeze your glutes and thighs and contract your core to lift your legs and upper torso into Locust pose. Hold 30 seconds, release, and repeat three times.

Proper Diet for Ulcer Treatment

In the past, diet was believed to be responsible for most ulcers. Patients were advised to avoid fatty and spicy foods to help alleviate the pain of an ulcer. Today, doctors know that most ulcers are caused by the bacteria heliobacter pylori. Foods and a special diet are not likely to cure an ulcer, but it can be beneficial to monitor the foods that upset or irritate a stomach ulcer.

Food Journal
Foods are not thought to be responsible for stomach ulcer, but you can keep a food journal and write down the foods that you eat each day. When symptoms flare up, make a note in your journal. Over time, you will begin to notice the foods that cause the most stomach upset. Many people find that fatty or spicy foods cause their stomach to be upset, but it is not essential that you only eat bland foods.

Losing Weight
Losing weight may help reduce the pain and symptoms of stomach ulcer. A low calorie diet that eliminates 500 calories per day from the amount needed to maintain your weight is enough to lose one pound per week.

Make healthy choices when meal planning. A well balanced diet includes 30 percent of calories from lean protein sources and 30 percent of calories from healthy fats. Good choices for lean protein are skinless chicken and fish. Cold water fish such as tuna and mackerel also contain omega 3 essential fatty acids which are important for good health. Healthy fats must be a part of your diet. Nuts and olive oil are good sources of healthy fat.

The final 40 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables are the best source of carbohydrates for a weight loss diet. These foods can also help to keep you healthy and free of ulcer pain.

Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes are more important than a specific diet. Don't eat too close to bed time and keep your head elevated to avoid acid reflux. The methods used to avoid acid reflux are also healthy for a stomach ulcer.

Stop smoking if you smoke. This is a more important habit to break than a diet. Smoking inhibits the healing process for an ulcer. Some medications should be avoided such as NSAIDS, which are anti-inflammatory medications used for pain. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen are a better choice for those with ulcer.

Definition of Rehabilitation Center

According to Princeton University's WordNet, rehabilitation is restoring someone to a useful place in society. As such, a rehabilitation center is a location in which rehabilitation can occur. People get displaced from society for a variety of reasons. Some may experience an accident or illness that temporarily makes them unable to function the way they used to. Others may have an addiction that handicaps them. A rehabilitation center provides a support system to help restore people to their place in society.

Function
The function of a rehabilitation center is to provide the means and space to help in the recovery process. This process varies depending on the rehabilitation that is needed. Rehabilitation centers use a combination of therapy, small groups, individual sessions and highly structured living. The function of a rehabilitation center is to both increase the quality of life and to help the patient integrate back into the community. Rehabilitation centers typically fall into one of four categories: occupational, physical, addiction and psych-social.

Occupational
Occupational rehabilitation centers are often found in clinics and hospitals. These rehabilitation centers focus on helping their clients regain skills needed to function. For example, an occupational therapist may work with a patient who has had a severe spinal cord injury regain the use of her arms or legs. An occupational rehab center can help the patient in talking, writing, dressing herself and eating without assistance. The occupational therapist uses consistent rehabilitation exercises that help retrain the body.

Physical
Physical rehabilitation centers are similar to occupational rehabilitation centers, except they focus more on using physical exercises to help patients regain motor skills. Physical therapy rehabilitation centers specialize in helping rehabilitate patients who have accident-related injuries or who have lost a limb, They also help rehabilitate those who have spinal, muscular or bone problems due to degenerative diseases.

Addiction
Rehabilitation centers also work with those who have addiction problems. Addictions rehab centers provide both in-patient and out-patient programs. Rehabilitation centers are an important part of treating those addicted to drugs and alcohol. However, rehabilitation centers can also treat eating disorders and other addictions, such as gambling, sex and shopping.

Psych-social
Psych-social rehabilitation centers focus less on physical rehabilitation and more on the rehabilitation of the mind. Psych-social rehabilitation centers specialize in the treatment and rehabilitation of psychiatric disorders such as major depression, bi-polar disorder, and schizophrenia. Psych-social rehabilitation was implemented as an alternative to long-term institutionalization. It works to help those suffering from psychiatric disorders stabilize themselves through therapy and medication. Patients also learn skills to cope with their disorder while living in society.

how to Prevent Heart Attacks

More than 1 million Americans suffer heart attacks every year. Many of them do not survive. Some never even make it to the hospital. The good news is that having a heart attack is not inevitable. Here is a step-by-step process that will help you improve your health, strengthen your heart and reduce your heart attack risk.

Things You'll Need

• Folder
• Notebook

Tips

1. Know your risk. Visit your doctor and talk with him about your personal risk for heart disease. While you cannot change some factors--such as your age, gender and heredity--that increase your risk for heart attack, you can reduce other factors that contribute to your heart attack risk. Risk factors you can modify include: tobacco use, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, an inactive lifestyle, excess weight and diabetes. Your doctor can assess your health and personal history and give you advice about what you need to do to reduce your heart attack risk.

2. Know your key numbers. Keep track of your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as your weight. Place any lab tests or reports from your doctor in a folder so you can access them easily. Monitor your numbers and pay attention to how they change over time. If, for example, your blood pressure or weight are inching higher, take action to lower your blood pressure or lose weight before they become significant problems.

3. Make positive lifestyle changes. Live a healthier, more active life. Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat or poultry. Start exercising most days of the week. If it has been years since you laced up your athletic shoes, ask your doctor if it is safe for you to exercise regularly.

4. Take any medications your doctor prescribes as directed. Work with your doctor to control chronic conditions--such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes--that raise your heart attack risk. If you are morbidly obese, ask your doctor about surgical weight loss solutions.

5. Stay committed. Do not let your resolve falter like long-forgotten New Year's resolutions. Reducing your heart disease risk is something you should do for the rest of your life. In fact, even people who do not currently have risk factors may want to live healthier lives now because their heart attack risk will rise as they age.

How to Make Yoga Pants

One of the tricks to being able to do yoga --- and do it well --- is to wear clothing that will move and bend with you. Clothing that restricts your movement in any way will not be suitable for yoga, as your body and your energy must be allowed to move as freely as possible. However, if you are an odd size, or if the price of yoga pants is too much for you to afford, you can make your own, guaranteed to fit and likely to be cheaper than what you can purchase online.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape Fabric Scissors Sewing machine Pins Thread Elastic or drawstring rope Iron

Tips

1. Choose fabric that is stretchy enough to withstand any yoga pose and is breathable (so your workout sweat will dry). Measure the distance from your waist to the floor, and double that measurement. That is how much fabric you will need.

2. Cut out the fabric. You will need four panels that are one-fourth of your waist measurement wide and your waist-to-floor measurement plus 4 inches long.

3. Sew two panels together on the long edge, right sides together. Only sew one seam, leaving the other edges open. Do the same with the other two panels.

4. Measure the distance from your waist to your crotch. Sew one open side of a set of already-sewn long panels to the open side of the other set, right sides together; the seam should be the length of your waist-to-crotch measurement plus a few inches to make the front seam (where a zipper would be, if there were one). Repeat for the back seam. Sew up the remaining "V" inner leg seams.

5. Fold over 1/2 inch at the bottom of each leg, and press the fabric. Fold over another 1/2 inch, and stitch as close to the fold edge as possible. Repeat for the other leg.

6. Fold over 1/4 inch at the waist opening, and press the fabric. Fold over another 2 inches, and sew as close to the fold edge as possible, making a casing for elastic or a drawstring. Leave 2 to 3 inches open. Thread elastic or a drawstring through the casing. If you use elastic, sew the ends of the elastic together, and stitch the opening shut. If you use a drawstring, hem the opening so it will not unravel.