The Healthy Solution

It is that part of the brain, known as the mid-brain, that controls emotional feelings and moods that is most susceptible to the influence of nicotine. This results in feelings of pleasure and well being, which can turn to anxiety and ill feeling once the dosage stops, even to cravings for more. These feelings can to some extent be diminished by using such devices as chewing gum to mask the craving or nicotine patches to feed the craving without the more harmful effect of inhalation. Smokers who try to quit are trying to beat a double whammy. Firstly, the physical addiction to nicotine is reinforced by the very immediacy with which its pleasures can be obtained. Secondly, they have to overcome the psychological association they have of a cigarette and pleasurable experiences.

In addition to the physical aspects of addiction, smokers are subject to peer pressure cultural influences and social customs. For the average smoker, going to the pub or at the end of a meal are times when they naturally light up a cigarette as part of the socializing process. A particularly vulnerable time for those with the habit, comes when under stress. As well as these influences, it is clear that that some individuals are more prone to nicotine addiction than others. There is probably a genetic explanation for this. It appears that some smokers absorb nicotine at a higher rate, which leads to greater addiction tendencies. Once in the body, nicotine is chemically broken down by a particular enzyme contained in the liver. There is evidence to show that where a genetic defect exists, which reduces the presence of the enzyme, that person is less likely to smoke. Additionally, compared to someone with a normal level of the enzyme, the addictive effect is somewhat reduced and they actually smoke fewer cigarettes.

Despite these psychological, genetic and cultural pressures, habitual smokers may take comfort in the fact that it is still possible to quit the smoking habit. Clearly it is an easier goal for some more than others, but there are organizations and self-help groups out there ready to help. Anti smoking counselling is always beneficial and physical help is always available through medical treatment. The psychological aspects are also well understood.

Nicotine in some respects is just like any other addictive substance and the longer a person has been exposed to it, the longer it will take to give it up. Smokers in their twenties may find it easier to kick the habit than an older person who has been smoking for twenty years. Although the latter of course probably has the extra motivation of understanding, and indeed feeling, some of the harmful consequences the habit carries with it.

Carcinogens attack the human cells attaching themselves to DNA and either altering cellular metabolism or the damaging the DMA directly. Normal DNA that is damaged and cannot repair itself leads to ‘programmed cell death’ a process called Biotransformation in which the damaged cells harmlessly become water soluble and are flushed from our body. Sometimes damaged DNA in a cell has no pathway and the cell has no choice but to become cancerous. Cancer tumors are formed when normal biological processes are hindered and the normally aggressive immune system is weak or has been weakened.

Some common carcinogens are tobacco smoke, asbestos (when inhaled), dioxins, radioactive material such as gamma rays, alpha particles (when ingested or inhaled) and x-rays which are highly carcinogenic due their retention in human organs. Also there are many natural carcinogens one being Aflatoxin B. which grows on stored nuts and grains. Another potent carcinogen is formaldehyde, which is used, in embalming and plastic making. In PCV manufacturing vinyl chloride is used which is a strong carcinogen.

Carcinogens are also produced by cooking foods at a very high temperature or by cooking meats until their well done. Some researchers say that the carcinogens present are so minute that they present no health threat. Others especially those in the natural health community say carcinogens in over cooked food do present a significant health threat and do add to cancer growing cells over a period of time.

The human body has a remarkable disposition to ward off disease through our built in immune system but a weakened immune system allows deadly carcinogens to get a foot hold in our cells enabling DNA damage. Acrylamide, a known carcinogen is created in frying or overheating foods such as potato chips, french fries and any other fried foods.

Smoking cigarettes and cigars may cause irreversible damage to human genes. There are over 4,000 chemical compounds, which are toxic to the human body and are carcinogenic. With all the education readily available on how deadly tobacco smoke is one would think smoking related diseases would be eradicated but that is not the case. Smoking still is a serious health problem.

With the advent of processed foods came innumerable additives that are foreign to the human body. Additives that add color or taste to a food and preservatives that unnaturally extend shelf life of processed foods. All man made additives are unnatural and may conflict with natural bodily functions. I won’t bore you with long scientific names, which can easily be found, on any processed food ingredient list. Suffice it to say all processed foods lend it to diminish. health.

Our water supply has been tragically compromised with the addition of chemicals added to the water in the name public health. Chlorine in massive amounts has been added to most public water supplies to kill off harmful germs when ironically it is the chlorine that is adding a foreign chemical in to millions of trusting people. Remember anything that is not natural in origin becomes a potentially dangerous ingredient in the ‘all-natural human body’. The human body reacts positively to natural wholesome foods and natural supplements and negatively to man made stuff that do not have natural ingredients in them.

In addition to harmful and potentially cancer causing preservatives added to food, pesticides and herbicides are liberally used to kill and deter insects and disease in our produce industry. These chemicals are poinsious to human consumption and studies support an increased cancer risk when consumed. As previously stated, any foreign entity introduced into the human body may potentially be harmful and increase cancer risk.

With that in mind one must place pharmaceutical drugs in the category of foreign material. Pharmaceutical drugs are used like eating candy in a brainwashed society. Every pill taken offers a challenge to our immune system and our naturally created normal bodily functions. Pharmaceutical drugs for the most part are a concoction of man made material created to mask the symptoms of a disease, to temporarily eliviate a medical problem. The pill inevitably is time stamped to ‘work’ or be effective for a period of time thus the masking effect wears off and you need to take another pill.

Our brave new world with boundless good intentions has opened up a Pandora’s box of genetic mutants that have cancer-causing implications. We are self-inflicting ourselves with poisons that immeasurably produce a hostile environment for our wondrously created immune system. Cancer in my opinion is a man made creation and could be eliminated if we all insisted, no demanded, that only all natural ingredients be added to our food, water, products, and medicine. Individually you can create your own ‘Cancer Free Zone’ by living ‘all natural’ and allowing your body to function as it was intended; “Free and Clean of Foreign Poisons”.

Firstly, let's take a look at why these not-so-lovable love handles appear in the first place. All that they are is an area where your body tends to store excess fat. The reason that the fat goes to these spots is because they are a way to carry fat for your body without it really getting in your way and where there is less activity to actually use the fat. It's like a storage room for the fat that your body does not need at the moment.

Also, love handles are located where there are no major muscles that would move the fat, so it sits there nicely and is harder to get rid of from this area. Now, if you wish ot get rid of these little (or big) storage rooms on your body, what you need to do is activate those areas. There are a few ways to do this.

One of my favorite is the "side bend" exercise. What you do is stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Then you put your hands on your hip bones and move your upper body side to side. If you are bending to the left, you will be using your right stomach muscles by elongating them while going down to the left. As you are going up to your original position, you are contracting these side muscles of your stomach to pull you up.

What I also like to do is put my hands on these muscles. This way I can feel them contracting and it makes me feel good about exercising them. Try to concentrate your mind on pulling yourself up using these muscles only. This will be beneficial to toning your tummy and diminishing the love handles as the fat in that area becomes activated to support your muscles during exercise.

Another great exercise for love handles is to move only your upper torso in an isolated way from your lower body. What you need to do is move your upper body (from hip bones up) horizontally to the left, to the right, forward and backward. You can then combine them and move your upper body in a circular motion. If you are doing this exercise correctly, your movements will be small since you are not actually bending, but instead moving your upper body to the site while your lower body is firmly attached to the ground. You should feel your stomach and back muscles activated when doing this move.

I love these exercises because usually they don't tire you out and instead feel like a nice stretch. Make sure you do them as often as you can so that you are nice and flexible in that area, which will keep your love handles fat activated instead of stored for the winter :).

I hope this was helpful to you since it surely helped me to get rid of my love handles! I wish you to achieve the same result and feel great about yourself and your narrow waist! Good luck!