What Are Diverticula?

As humans age, they often develop increased pressure in their colon. This pressure is often caused by increasing episodes of constipation. As the pressure is applied to the colon, over time, small tissue pockets or sacs develop outward from the wall of the colon. These sacs are called diverticula. The singular is diverticulum.

The diverticula most commonly occur in the lower 1/3 of the colon, in the area known as the sigmoid colon.

There is no known, specific biological purpose for diverticula. They are simply an anomaly that occurs with age and increasing colonic pressure. The biological reason for the development of diverticula is merely the weakening of the colon as a person ages.

The development of diverticula in the colon is known as “diverticulosis.” When they become inflamed, the condition is called “diverticulitis.”

What Causes The Diverticula To Become Inflamed?

When small particles of difficult to digest food become trapped in the diverticula, they tend to rub on the walls of the colon and develop a very small lesion or ulcer. This small ulcer becomes inflamed and can often react unfavorably to bacteria, which is highly populous in this area.

Once the bacteria enters the picture, the diverticula become very inflamed, swollen and painful. When inflammation occurs, the next step is rupture. If a diverticulum ruptures, the result can be peritonitis or infection of the interior gut, causing severe abdominal pain and tenderness, vomiting, fever and diarrhea, as well as some other serious symptoms.

The ultimate result of this diverticulitis is often serious surgical intervention. This surgery, called a “colon resection”, is the actual “cutting out” of affected diverticula. Once this surgery is performed it is essential for the patient to avoid further episodes as the next step is often the application of a colostomy or the removal of a large portion of the colon and the production of an abdominal “stoma” or hole in the gut from which defecation occurs.

The most effective and widely used preventative treatment for diverticulitis is the diverticulitis diet.

What Is A Diverticulitis Diet?

A diverticulitis diet is simply one that seeks to accomplish two tasks:

1) It prevents the further introduction of foods that have small, difficult to digest particles such as fibrous fruits or vegetables.

2) It lowers the pressure on the gut and allows the colon to rest as much as possible.

What Are The Most Common Diverticulitis Diets?

The most common diet used during acute episodes of the condition is what as known as a “low residue” diet. With this type of diet, fiber is reduced as much as possible because fiber particles can get into the diverticula and cause additional inflammation. The elimination of fiber allows the gut the flow and rest. It rests because fiber causes the bowel to move. Without much fiber, the colon tends to have less peristaltic action, which is the undulating movement that causes feces to move along through the colon. The lack of peristaltic action, unfortunately often leads to constipation so special types of laxatives, called osmotic laxatives, must be used. Most laxatives are bulk laxatives and use fibrous products to cause the bowel to move.

Osmotic laxatives, on the other hand, work by pulling large amounts of fluids into the colon. When this occurs the accumulation of all this fluid in the bowel leads to evacuation of the bowel contents.

With a “low residue” diet certain fruits and vegetables are allowed because their structure is such that very low fiber conditions occur. Some allowed vegetables include carrots, green beans, yellow beans, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage and cauliflower. Also skinless baked potatoes can be eaten effectively.

Some allowed fruits may be banana, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches and watermelon.

Corn, prunes, cherries, lima beans, red beans or nuts of any kind are strictly forbidden as are such products as popcorn.

A “low residue” diet is not easy to prepare nor to tolerate at all times. However, it is necessary in order to avoid an exacerbation of diverticulitis. It is also the most common diet for treatment of diverticulitis.

Another diet which is finding more popularity is the “food combining” diet. This diet should be used after the symptoms have dissipated and the gut is near normal; however, it can also be used to calm the symptoms if followed very strictly.

The “food combining” diet allows a person to eat almost any food that they enjoy eating. The difference is that these foods must be eaten in very specific combinations.

Here’s how this works in the gut:

The stomach and intestines can digest “almost” any kind of food as long as it has the appropriate pH to do so. When the pH is balanced as it should be, the appropriate enzymes, acids, alkalies and digestive juices are introduced at the right times. Thus, the efficiency of the digestive system is at maximum and most foods can be digested.

There are still some foods that simply do not break down well in any human digestive system so those particular foods are avoided at all costs.

The entire secret is determining which particular foods work the best, when combined properly. This is not difficult. It simply requires an appropriate information chart. Once a person understands how these food combinations work and use this diet, they often find that the symptoms of diverticulitis can be avoided as long as they remain loyal to the diet.

They also find that they can eat most of the foods they love as long as they maintain a certain combination of food mixtures.

Both diets are found to be highly effective if the patient sticks with them and remains compliant with the rules and requirements.

A decent diverticulitis diet can make the difference between a really horrible digestive experience or a near-normal epicurean life.

There are a variety of factors that affect our eating habits.

Our food preferences begin when we are children, so our food choices are governed by our experiences with the food served to us by our parents – and how are parents (typically the mother) prepared that food, and how much they knew – and incorporated into the menu – about nutrition and health. (And once we started school, the food preferences of our parents were also overlaid with what was on the menu in the school cafeteria!) The influences of our peers at that young age can also not be denied.

Our food choices are also controlled by our personal preferences as far as flavor and texture are concerned, as well as our lifestyle, our health, and of course the economic factor.

Another factor affecting our eating habits is education. Typically, the more people know about nutrition, the more careful they are about what they eat.

One’s knowledge about nutrition may do little good, however, if one doesn’t have the money to purchase healthy food. Pre-packaged and frozen foods are typically less expensive than fresh food, and so are purchased most often by those who have neither the money nor the time to prepare daily meals themselves. (On the other hand, businesspeople who have to travel also have a hard time getting fresh cooked, healthy meals, as they dine out in restaurants on a regular basis, and may consume more alcohol than is healthy during social rituals.)

Our eating habits may be constrained by our health. Individuals with diabetes, for example, must follow a certain regimen regarding sweets, whereas people with heart problems need to avoid salt. (Those individuals who do not follow their dietary regimens generally don’t live to regret it.)

Other factors include the convenience of food – stopping in at a fast food restaurant is so much easier and quicker than spending an hour or so cooking dinner, one’s sense of taste (adding salt to make food taste better can also add too much salt to the diet), and of course ever-present advertising on television or passing billboards that stimulate the appetite.

“God sendeth and giveth both mouth and meat.” Thomas Tusser

“The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of `real food for real people,’ you’d better live real close to a real good hospital.” Dr. Neal D. Bernard, MD

The ‘Western’ Diet is a ‘meat-sweet’ diet. This diet is high in red and processed meats, sweets, fried foods, refined grains, and desserts. And after almost a century, it has finally become clear that this diet has become a serious threat to our health.

Obesity is primarily related to excessive caloric intake. The meat-sweet diet of USA has resulted in sixty-five percent of adults aged 20 y being either overweight or obese. Unfortunately, the numbers are increasing and the estimated number of deaths ascribable to obesity growing. The western diet is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer. Cardiovascular disease is the cause of 38.5% of all deaths in the US. Almost 65 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease. The second leading cause of death is cancer in the US. It is estimated that one third of all cancers (25% of all deaths ) are related to diet and obesity. Other chronic diseases strongly related to and influenced by the western diet are hypertension (50 million Americans), diabetes (11 million), elevated cholesterol (37 million) and osteoporosis (7.2 million) and osteopenia (39.6 million). Hip fractures greatly increase the mortality, and osteoporosis plays a major role in this disease.

Indications of the dangerous nature of the western diet started emerging almost a century ago. In 1916, Dutch physician De Langen published a study of showing the higher cholesterol levels of Dutch immigrants as those of the native Javanese. This almost double cholesterol level was associated with metabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, and nephritis. In 1950’s, Keys and coworkers found that cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease mortality rates were high in United States and Finland, while being low in Japan and southern Europe. They attributed this to the substantial differences in the dietary patterns – an early indication that the ‘Western” diet was heart unhealthy.

In 1958 a major scientific study called the Seven Countries Study, involving 12,763 men between the ages of 40 to 59 years began. These countries were the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, the former Yugoslavia, and Japan. Over a period of 25 years, about 6000 men died, of which 1500 men died of coronary heart disease. Populations with the highest consumption of animal food groups, with the exception of fish, had a much higher 25-year coronary heart disease mortality rates, when compared to populations with the highest vegetable, grains, fish and wine consumption. During the start of the study, the consumption of milk, potatoes, butter, and sugar products was very high in Finland. Netherlands had a similar but lower consumption pattern. Meat, pastry and fruit consumption (meat-sweet diet) was high in the United States. The Italians ate a lot of cereal and drank moderate amounts of wine while bread consumption was high in the former Yugoslavia. Greeks consumed high amounts of olive oil and fruit, while the Japanese were fond of fish, rice, and soy products. Heart attacks… God’s revenge for eating his little animal friends. -Author Unknown

How did the western diet emerge? The Western diet developed gradually over the last 200 years and was mainly a result of industrialization. In the prehistoric times, milk intake was limited to mother’s milk as it was impossible to milk wild animals. “The human body has no more need for cows’ milk than it does for dogs’ milk, horses’ milk, or giraffes’ milk.” -Michael Klaper, MD, author of Vegan Nutrition: Pure & Simple. With domestication of cows and other animals and subsequent ability for refrigeration, a whole host of dairy products became a staple of the western diet. The mechanized steel roller mills and automated sifting devices of today remove most of the germ and bran of the cereal grains, leaving mainly the endosperm as flour. The recent production of high fructose corn syrup greatly increased refined sugar consumption. Industrialization also produced more atpical vegetable oils for consumption that are high in trans fatty acids, as is seen in margarine and shortening. Salt intake is very high in the United States. Unfortunately 90% of the salt in the typical US diet comes from manufactured salt that is added to the food supply, and not from salt added while cooking or from the table.

“Meat, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.”William C. Roberts, M.D. and Editor in Chief, American Journal of Cardiology, vol. 66, October 1, 1990. Unlike meat from wild animals or pasture raised cattle, 99% of all the beef consumed in the United States is high in the unhealthy saturated fatty acids and n-6 fatty acids and low in the beneficial n-3 fatty acids. This meat is mainly produced from grain-fed, feedlot cattle. “The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of `real food for real people,’ you’d better live real close to a real good hospital.” -Neal D. Barnard, M.D.

The western diet is also deficient in micronutrients (At least half the US population fails to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin B-6, vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, and zinc, and 33% of the population does not meet the RDA for folate), is conducive to an acidic body status (fish, meat, poultry, eggs, shellfish, cheese, milk, and cereal grains are net acid producing, whereas fresh fruit, vegetables, tubers, roots, and nuts are net base producing.), has less potassium (Industrial periods caused a 400% decline in the potassium intake while simultaneously initiating a 400% increase in sodium ingestion ) and fiber (refined sugars, vegetable oils, dairy products, and alcohol, are all devoid of fiber. Refined grains contain about 400% less fiber when compared to whole grains, and the former represent 85% of the grains consumed in the United States). These are all detrimental to the health, especially cardiac health. Because normally with Western cuisine, you’ll serve vegetables separate from the meat, so kids will eat the meat and never touch the vegetables. Martin Yan. Vegetables and fruits are mainly side dishes or desserts in the Western Diet.

More die in the United States of too much food than of too little. -John Kenneth Galbraith, The Affluent Society. The western diet has also become an excessive calorie diet, resulting in the obesity epidemic in the western world, with all its health consequences. Americans eat 3,770 calories a day, and have the highest per capita daily consumption in the world. This is more than a Canadian at 3,590 calories or an Indian at 2,440, according to data from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. Unfortunately switching to diet sodas does not help – a recent report has shown the diet soda drinkers may be more prone to the dangerous metabolic syndrome.

When combined with inactivity and smoking, the western diet has become lethal. So cut down on red meat, especially beef and change to a prudent heart healthy diet. So, as an old English Proverb warns: don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.

What is a Socratic seminar? A Socratic seminar is a formal discussion based on a topic where the leader asks open-ended questions. Throughout the Socratic seminar students will listen closely to the comments of others, think critically, and articulate their own thoughts and their responses to the thoughts of their peers. Students will learn to work cooperatively and ask questions intelligently and civilly. The Socratic seminar allows students to apply practical methods of a topic being discussed and enables the students to view certain points from several different perspectives. Throughout the discussion the teacher should minimally intervene, and when doing so it should be to lead the students to a specific topic or ask an additional open-ended question about a topic already being discussed. Giving the students the freedom to participate in a Socratic discussion will increase student involvement and student learning.

A Socratic discussion can be utilized in any subject including history, language arts, sociology, etc. but I would like to discuss the use of a Socratic discussion in a health education class. Incorporating a Socratic seminar in your health education class will be prevalent in most topics such as living a healthy life, building good character, physical activity, nutrition and health, managing stress, emotional problems, relationships, obesity, drug use, environmental health etc. this is because these topics are very relevant to your students everyday life. You can lead your students into a discussion with these topics with a current event article, after a discussion lecture, after watching a you tube clip, and relating it to something that may be going on or happening in your school. In addition these are all topics that I’m sure your students have interest in, hear about, and participate in on an everyday basis. With a proper questioning technique by the leader (teacher) you will be able to generate a very scholarly discussion among your students, you may be surprised how passionate some of your students are about specific topics.

The key to getting your students to participate and really get involved is to ask the right questions that will generate discussion. Once you are on a specific topic in class begin a Socratic seminar by asking a question on that topic, once a few students have responded start asking questions such as what do you mean by that? How does this relate? Could you give me an example? Could you explain further, what is he/she assuming? Why do you think that right? What lead you to that believe? What’s an alternative? Are you implying this? Etc. Again you may be shocked how some students may passionately agree with some of their peers responses and comments, or disagree and begin to debate which may be a good learning experience for the students because they will begin to view the topic/discussion from multiple perspectives which may enhance the learning experience.

The purpose of a Socratic seminar is to get your students engaged in a higher level of thinking to promote learning. Incorporating Socratic seminars into your class will lead your students in discussion, debate, critical thinking, acquiring greater interests, and the ability to apply practical methods. “He who learns but does not think is lost” Confucius (551-479 BCE).

The Seven-day Cabbage Soup Diet is proven to be one of the best, safest, and quickest ways to lose weight. It is very simple and easy to follow. You will be taking this diet for one week at a time. This is the best regimen for beginners. Dieters like this program because it can be taken anytime, whether morning or evening.

The benefits of the Seven-day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan are the following:

o It is low-caloric. The tendency is that you will not be overeating, thus you lose weight.

o It acts as good filler, thus you will not be feeling any hunger pang or starvation.

o There are very minimal side effects to this regimen.

o Losing weight is very fast.

Here are the ingredients that you will need in order to prepare the meal:

o 6 large onions

o 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes

o 2 green peppers

o 1 cabbage head

o 1-2 cubes of bouillon

o a bunch of celery

o a package of Lipton onion soup mix

On the first day, you may eat all the fruits that you wish except for bananas. You can also take in unsweetened tea, cranberry juice, and water. On the second day, you may eat all kinds of cooked or raw vegetables except dry beans, corn, and peas. On the third day, you may have all the soup you want as well as fruits and vegetables. On the fourth day, you must eat 8 bananas and drink plenty of water. On the fifth day, you may have 10-20 oz. of beef. On the sixth day, you may eat vegetables and meat. On the seventh, you may have vegetables, brown rice, and fruit juices.

In this probiotic supplements review you will discover 4 things you must look for when choosing a probiotic supplement. You first must understand that not all probiotics are created equal and I will show exactly what to look for when buying a probiotic supplement.

In order for us to achieve great health we must get proper nutrition, this includes drinking plenty of pure water and eating wholesome organic foods that are designed for you. But the sad fact is most of us are not getting the proper nutrition that we need from the food we eat.

So unless you are eating large amounts of organic raw, unprocessed and fermented foods daily, you will most likely need to supplement to get proper nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies are probably the #1 cause for illnesses and diseases, so you must a dress your nutritional deficiencies with proper nutrition through foods and supplements.

About 80% of our immune system is in our gut (aka your digestive track) and you want to constantly be introducing new micro flora (good bacteria) to your gut so it is running up to par. Now you can do this by eating more fermented food and by taking supplements daily.

So that saying is true “your are what you eat” so the better you feed your gut (body) the stronger your immune system will be. So if you are looking for a exclusive unbiased probiotc supplements review I have provided a link at the end of this article.

But for now I want to tell you 4 thing you must look for when choosing a probiotic supplement:

1.) Does it contain multiple strains of good bacteria? – You want to check to see if the product has multiple strains of good bacteria because many probiotics only contain one or two strains. Now even know the strain may be powerful on their own they can not do much so it will make the bacteria ineffective.

So make sure to look for probiotics that have multiple strains of good bacteria. The ones that I have found to be the best had 10 or more strains, so the higher the count the better.

2.) Does it deliver a potent dose? – most probiotics on the market only have a few billion bacteria in the supplement. It is key to look for a high quality probiotic formula that has a high count of good bacteria per dose. The best ones that I have found had a minimum of 66 billion good bacteria within one dose.

3.) Do the beneficial bacteria make it to your gut? – not all probiotics have live organisms and even if they do most are low quality and can not survive the journey to your gut. Some acidophilus-based products actually don’t survive your stomach’s acidity.So this then makes the probiotic useless as it will not be effective and the whole point is to release billions of live healthy good bacteria to your gut so you can gain maximum health.

4.) Are the beneficial bacteria supported in the GI tract? – you want to choose a probiotic supplement that will support the good bacteria once they arrive in the GI tract. Now most probiotics on the market will not even make it this far like I said above in the last paragraph, so make sure the formula is manufactured to prevent heat, air and moisture from having an effect on the organisms.

And that these organisms are actually surviving the journey down to the GI tract and next that once they get there they get their own nutrients. The probiotic supplements that I have found were nourished by nutraflora, this is a supply of food for the beneficial bacteria so they can thrive.

So you’ve made it to the end of your lemon detox diet – I hope that you feel amazing and are in a completely different mindset.

Has your attitude to food changed? Are you looking forward to a healthy, fresh start where you can continue on this path?

I do hope so! After all, it’s quite a challenge and if you can do that, then you can do just about anything!

So let’s get you off liquids and back on to solids again. Having given your digestive system the rest it needed to focus its energy on detoxing your body for the past 10 (or however many) days, it’s important to now reintroduce food back into your diet…..slowly!

Your body needs to adjust and if you suddenly start eating normally again there is a very good chance that you will be quite sick.

The first day after your detox has finished, introduce some fruit juice – preferably something like freshly squeezed orange. You no longer need to drink the detox drink but still drink plenty of fluids throughout the day.

In the afternoon, make up some homemade vegetable soup. Just pop the chopped veggies of your choice into some stock and let is simmer away. Add some seasoning and some fresh herbs and it will taste wonderful.

If you feel you could manage something substantial, liquidise some soup and have it as your evening meal. If your tummy is still adjusting to the addition of fresh orange and you feel a little delicate, don’t liquidize the soup, just have some of the broth.

Over the next couple of days make sure that you do start to eat the veggies as lumps and introduce some fruit, raw vegetables and salads.

You may think that you’ll have a hankering for a cheeseburger but it’s highly unlikely. Once your body has passed all of the toxins from processed food, you really do just crave healthy food. The kinda stuff that nature intended for us, before convenience food was invented!

You’ll find that the weight you have lost will probably drop a bit more and then stabilize for a while. Continue on your new healthy course and it will start to decrease again.

If you are already at your ideal weight then your body will naturally stay at that weight and any weight you lost on the detox will naturally return.

After this it’s your choice whether to detox again but once you’ve done it once I can almost guarantee you’ll be planning your next one. Don’t do it too often, 3 -4 times a year at the most is enough to keep you in tip top condition!

Ever heard of alkaline diet foods? If not, it is high time you do. Work pressure, home making, maintaining personal and professional relations is taking a toll on everyone’s food habits, resulting in more than 70% of the present generation suffering from acidity and heartburn. Every third person seems to be complaining of gastric problems, indigestion and acid reflux. All of this is due to the imbalance in the acid-alkaline pH of foods that consumed these days, where you simply grab something and rush to work. Fast foods, sodas and the like are being consumed left, right and center by the young generation, thus giving rise to deficiency in minerals, vitamins and nutrition.

Alkaline diets have been found to be extremely beneficial for optimum health. You can keep chronic ailments such as acidity, osteoporosis, and generalized weakness at arm’s length with foods rich in alkaline content. Alkaline foods are important since the pH of human blood is slightly more alkaline. This makes it necessary that we have more of alkaline pH than acidic content in the body.

What are the benefits of Alkaline Diets?

Alkaline diet foods have a plethora of benefits such as:

• Improved resistance
• Vibrant temperament
• Increased Alertness
• Strong teeth and Bones
• Easy Digestion

Alkaline diet foods are vital to maintain the pH levels of blood at an optimum of 7. Alkaline foods are mostly vegetarian foods consisting of fresh foods and vegetables.

Listed here are the top 10 healthiest alkaline foods for nutritional benefits:

1. Spinach and Greens – Spinach has been found to contain maximum benefits and is highly alkaline. It can be consumed raw or cooked with equal effect. Other leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, fenugreek leaves, basil etc. also are extremely good as alkaline foods. They also contain a lot of minerals and vitamins as an added advantage.
2. Cucumber – Raw cucumber is not only a zero-calorie vegetable, it is highly alkaline when consumed raw. It is delicious and contains a host of nutritional benefits. Cucumber improves overall digestion and keeps your skin fresh and glowing. It contains healthy alkaline water that helps in flushing out unwanted wastes from the body.
3. Banana – Banana can be considered a whole food due its numerous dietary advantages. It gives instant energy and is hugely alkaline. In fact, if you are suffering from severe acidic problems, a banana diet can work wonders in reducing the burning sensation and indigestion remarkably. Bananas have healthy sugar content and can be consumed by anyone irrespective of his health condition.
4. Celery – Celery is a delicious alkaline food that can help you immensely in keeping your pH levels at normal range of 7. When half-cooked, it gives maximum nutritional value and can be eaten as fresh salad too.
5. Broccoli – Broccoli is one of the most nutritious and alkaline foods that has proved itself time and again. It is easily digestible and is a rich source of valuable minerals such as carotene and calcium. These minerals help in improving immunity and combat diseases in a remarkable manner.
6. Avocado – This wonder fruit is a rich source of alkaline food and has an overall benefit in maintaining good health. Avocado improves your hemoglobin content and is extremely beneficial in restoring normalcy in a disease affected body.
7. Capsicum – Capsicum, also known as bell pepper is a rich anti oxidant and can be useful whether eaten cooked or raw. It is not only of high alkaline and nutritional value, it is also very delicious and adds taste to any dishes that are prepared with capsicum for flavor.
8. Potato Skin – Although potato is found to be acidic in nature, potato skin is very rich in alkaline content. Raw potato juice is found to be very useful in reducing the acidic content in the stomach.
9. Soy beans – Soy beans and soy milk are greatly alkaline and can be used as nutritional alkaline foods.
10. Cold Milk – Cold milk is found to have high alkaline content and is often recommended to combat heartburn and acid reflux disorders.

Why is it that Hollister models who sport a good amount of muscle mass look much different than your average bodybuilder in gyms today? Could there be a reason why their muscles look more visually stunning than the average weight lifter or is it because of good genetics? Is it possible to be as slim and fit as these models? Many people wonder this but it is important to understand why a Hollister models diet and exercise routine is radically different than your average muscle building program.

Strategic Muscle Gains In All The Right Places

A muscle building program for a Hollister model is specifically designed to enhance certain areas of the body. This is done on purpose so that the overall appearance is visually stunning. They focus on addressing both sarcoplasmic muscle growth and myofibrillar hypertrophy in order to gain the proper muscle mass and density. The areas of the body that receive the most attention are the upper and inner chest, biceps, triceps, deltoids, and back. Adding muscle size and density in these areas can dramatically improve your appearance. But did you notice that traps and the lower body were not included?

Why Direct Leg Work Isn’t Needed

Hollister models do not have huge legs nor do they have protruding trap muscles. Building the trap muscles will hide the appearance of wide, angular, shoulders and will create a more rounded look. A thick upper back and neck is not desirable. It is very important for the upper body to resemble a “V.” This is why exercises like squats and dead lifts are typically avoided. Squats and dead lifts do a great job of adding mass to the hips, thighs, butt, and waist. You do not want excess mass in these areas of the body. Adding muscle to these areas will take away from the slim and angular “V” that the upper body carries. Don’t worry; you are not a “bodybuilding heretic” by skipping out on direct leg work. Having too much lower body mass can cause the models to have a hard time fitting into pants or jeans. Models need to be able to look hip, not big and bulky. Well defined legs don’t have to be large. HIIT cardio and a good diet will give you the right size and definition.

But What About Six Pack Abs?

Of course this is a given. You can’t be a good looking model without great abs. Hollister models obviously have this down to a science. Their abdominal muscles are not big and bulky, but are well defined. Planks do a great job of sculpting the midsection without adding bulk while hanging leg raises develop the “V” between the lower portion of the hips and abs. Having a slim and angular waist is extremely important for models. Even though planks and hanging leg raises are great abdominal exercises, did you know that the key to revealing your abs actually has nothing to do with abdominal exercises? Diet is the most important aspect of great looking abs. I don’t care what your trainer or gym buddy says about the best ab exercises if your diet isn’t in check. As long as you are consuming more calories than what you are burning you will continue to have stubborn body fat blurring your definition.

Diet Is Key For Whole Body Definition

Now that we have established that great abs is more about diet than anything, what about the rest of your body? Hollister models have very low body fat levels. This can be very difficult for people to achieve because they tend to underestimate how much food they actually consume in a day. If losing fat is the goal, everything you put into your mouth counts. Models do not eat like huge bodybuilders or the average gym rat. If you want to lose weight then you need to cut back on the junk and fill it up with high intensity interval training. Combining intermittent fasting and HIIT workout routines with your muscle building program will burn off that list bit of stubborn body fat in no time. Simply eating less with high intensity interval cardio will help you stay lean and stick to low body fat levels comparable to Hollister models.

Why Slightly Chubby Models Don’t Make The Cut

This is why a Hollister models diet and exercise routine is so specific, slightly chubby models will never be considered. Being “photo ready” is crucial for models. This is why they have to stay lean and mean all year round. Even though it takes much more discipline to stay slim and fit, it pays off in the photo shoot.

Nutritional supplements can be bought over-the-counter–which means you do not need to get a prescription to avail of them. They are generally perceived as safe by the general public, even though most of them are not acknowledged and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration Board. How much do we really know about the nutritional supplements we take? Are there any nutritional supplements side effects? Here are some things to think about:

1. Dosage and topical application

Anything taken in excess is not good for health. The same is true with nutritional supplements. A study made by the Frederick W. Fraunfelder, M.D., researcher and ophthalmology professor in OHSU listed dry eyes, temporary visual loss, and retinal hemorrhages as some of the ocular nutritional supplements side effects of some nutritional and herbal supplements. Most nutritional supplements side effects were associated with topical application and high dosages. While there were no reported cases of permanent damage, there is still a possibility for it, should the patient continue the use of the product.

Of more than 300 reported cases, his study reported 8 variables associated with ocular side effects: Echinacea purpurea, ginkgo biloba, chamomile, canthaxanthine, licorice, Datura, vitamin A, and niacin. Some of these products, particularly gingko biloba, show nutritional supplements side effects when taken with other medicines such as aspirin and Ibuprofen.

Multivitamins should be taken in moderation– overdose of vitamins that are not excreted by the body can pose major problems. For example, high doses of iron and vitamin D can result to kidney damage; too much vitamin A can cause headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and possible damage to the bones and liver.

2. Medical history

Some nutritional supplements side effects are triggered by your pre-existing health conditions, medical history, or treatment. For example, some people with asthma may be allergic to a higher dosage of Vitamin C. Family history should also be considered; those with a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure/hypertension, kidney stones, and reflux nephropathy are at risk of nutritional supplements side effects such as kidney failure when taking supplements like creatine.

TIP: It is still best to consult a physician regarding the intake of nutritional supplements; this is especially important for patients undergoing any type of medication or recuperation, or for those in special circumstances, such as pregnant women.

It is also helpful to read medical guides, brochures, and consumer reports to gather information on certain nutritional supplements, whether they have any side effects. You can also look into the Food and Drug Association Board World Health Organization database for any banned or discouraged nutritional supplements. Remember that some supplements contain additives that can harm you. Make sure that the manufacturer of your supplement is pharmaceutical GMP compliant – this will guarantee that their product is devoid of damaging fillers.