WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Between the ages of 8 months and 2 years, its normal for a
child to cry when its mother leaves the room or a stranger
enters it. Neither overprotection nor constant punishment will
change the situation. Its a natural stage that usually passes
on its own. If, however, an older child continues to react to
potential separations with unreasonable fear, professional help
may be needed. If the problem isnt resolved, it can damage the
childs self image, leading to teenage and adult emotional
problems.

Causes

Separation anxiety disorder may run in families. It is most
likely to affect shy, nervous children. The disorder is often
triggered by a major change in the childs life, such as a death
or hospitalization, the parents separation or divorce, a new
school, or a move.

Signs/Symptoms

Children with this disorder express their anxiety in a variety
of ways:

* Screaming or temper tantrums when left with others *
Insistence on sleeping with parents in their room * Difficulty
going to sleep * Fear of the dark * Nightmares * Fear of
sleeping away from home * Difficulty settling down * Fear of
meeting new people * Clinging to parents at home * Following
parents from room to room * Worrying about the familys safety
in the home * Fear of going to school * Headaches, bellyaches,
or body aches when a separation approaches * Sadness * Quietness
* Lack of concentration

Care

This disorder poses the threat of a vicious circle in which the
childs dependence and the parents protectiveness reinforce and
amplify each other. For that reason, both the parents and the
child may need to see a counselor. If the youngster refuses to
go to school, an immediate priority is to arrange a return as
quickly as possible. Risks

If this problem isnt successfully resolved, it can lead to
greater emotional problems, such as depression, as the child
grows older. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

* Try to prepare the child for a change such as a divorce or a
move. Talk openly about such changes and encourage him to voice
his worries. Give reassurance that everyone will be safe.

* Discuss the problem with the childs teachers. They may be
able to give you tips for dealing with this disorder both at
home and at school.

* Praise and reward the child for overcoming his fears. Call
Your Doctor If…

* The child cant sleep. * You fear you will lose patience with
the child. ——————————————-
Conditions and Treatments: * AIDS/HIV * Allergies * Anxiety *
Arthritis * Asthma * Breast Cancer * Cardiac Disease * Cancer *
Cosmetic Surgery * Depression * Diabetes * Digestive Problems *
Headaches * Hepatitis * High Blood Pressure * High Cholesterol *
Impotence * Infections * Infertility * Kidney Disease * Liver
Disease * Migraines * Respiratory * Problems * Sexually
Transmitted Diseases * Urological Conditions * Separation
Anxiety Disorder

SYMPTOMS

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive anxiety concerning
separation from home or from those to whom the individual is
attached, as evidenced by three (or more) of the following: *
recurrent excessive distress when separation from home or major
attachment figures occurs or is anticipated * persistent and
excessive worry about losing, or about possible harm befalling,
major attachment figures * persistent and excessive worry that
an untoward event will lead to separation from a major
attachment figure (e.g., getting lost or being kidnapped)

* persistent reluctance or refusal to go to school or elsewhere
because of fear of separation

* persistently and excessively fearful or reluctant to be alone
or without major attachment figures at home or without
significant adults in other settings

* persistent reluctance or refusal to go to sleep without being
near a near a major attachment figure or to sleep away from home
* repeated nightmares involving the theme of separation *
repeated complaints of physical symptoms (such as headaches,
stomachaches, nausea, or vomiting) when separation from major
attachment figures occurs or is anticipated The duration of the
disturbance is at least 4 weeks. The onset is before age 18
years. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or
impairment in social, academic (occupational), or other
important areas of functioning.

The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of
a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, or other
Psychotic Disorder and, in adolescents and adults, is not better
accounted for by Panic Disorder With Agoraphobia.

About the author:
Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show!

http://freesuccessaudios.com/Artlive.mp3 THIS LINK WORKS,
LISTEN TODAY!

With Much Love, Arthur Buchanan

President/CEO Out of Darkness & Into the Light 43 Oakwood Ave.
Suite 1012 Huron Ohio, 44839

567-219-0994 (cell)

www.out-of-darkness.com

www.adhdandme.com (still working on)

www.biologicalhapiness.com (still working on)

This was the best day of Pauls life. He married Maria in a
wonderful ceremony at the Catholic church in Coconut Grove,
Florida. They had been in love for a year and he had proposed
two months ago. A white Rolls Royce took them from the church to
the family gathering. Two hundred family and friends assembled
under a tent on Pauls parents property. They were all very
nice people who smiled, danced and laughed all evening. The food
and champagne were plentiful.

The married couple escaped to board a cruise ship in Miami
Beach. They had the best cabin and the newly wed Maria lay on
the bed surrounded by flowers and presents. Marias shoes and
stockings were removed by Paul and he started to undress her as
the ship left the shores to the sea.

A few minutes later, Paul was no longer with Maria. He was on
the lower deck, his bow tie hanging on the side, his white shirt
half-undone. Pauls suntanned face had turned to green. He was
hanging on the riggings having the worst case of sea-sickness
you can imagine. He was dizzy, his mind was foggy and he was
vomiting the three course meal from the reputed French chef his
parents had hired for the wedding.

It was Paul and Marias worst night.

Many people experience sea-sickness or motion sickness and it is
a normal response to conditions similar to those found on high
seas during stormy weather. Individuals can get nausea, malaise
and other unpleasant symptoms while on a boat, in a car, on a
plane, in space or even in an elevator. Space motion sickness is
a well-recognized problem for space flight and affects 73% of
crew members within the first 2 or 3 days of their initial
flight. Illness severity is variable, but over half of the cases
are categorized as moderate to severe.

Some people actually get “seasick” after returning to land after
being out on a boat for an extended period of time. To
experience motion sickness, one must have a normally functioning
vestibular, or balance, system. Most people adapt fairly rapidly
to motion, and after a few days at sea, for example, no longer
experience the symptoms.

Most medications used for prevention and treatment (e.g.,
anticholinergics and antihistamines) induce unwanted sedation.
Furthermore, no one drug is completely effective or preventive.

Some of the medications used for sea and motion sickness are:

Antihistamines

Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl®) 25 -
50 mg. every 4-6 hrs. According to a comparative study with
transdermal scopolamine at the Israeli Naval Institute,
dimenhydrinate adversely affects psychomotor function

Meclizine 12.5 to 25 mg. every 24 hrs. Up to 25 mg. every 6 hrs.
This is available over the counter (OTC) as Bonine® and
Dramamine II®. The prescriptive form is called Antivert®.
Antihistamines may be contra-indicated. Contraindications and
cautions are: High blood pressure, glaucoma, prostatic
enlargement. Side-effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, goose
bumps, blurred vision, chills, urinary retention and
hallucinations.

Scopolamine

Transdermal Scopolamine consists of patches that are placed on a
clean, dry, hairless area behind the ear. Transdermal
Scopolamine should be applied 4 hours prior to when its effects
will be needed. The patches usually last for 3 days. Drinking
alcohol should be avoided when using these patches as increased
drowsiness and dizziness may result. Scopolamine may in fact
cause dizziness, drowsiness or blurred vision and has been
involved in cases of toxic psychosis. According to a 1996
article published in Ear Nose Throat Journal, long-term use of
transdermal Scopolamine patches carries a risk of chemical
dependency.

Acupressure

The Pc-6 point on the wrist is well known to all Oriental
medicine practitioners. The PC-6 point is located on the palm
side of the wrist. To find the PC-6 point, place your middle 3
fingers on the inside of each wrist, with the edge of the ring
finger on the wrist crease. The PC-6 point is just under the
edge of your index finger (i.e. 1.5″ to 2″ from the wrist
crease) between the two central tendons.

An Acuband worn on the wrist or forearm decreases the symptoms
of motion sickness and the gastric activity that usually
accompanies motion sickness

The Relief Band® Device is a watch-like apparatus worn on the
underside of the wrist. When turned on, the device emits a
low-level electrical pulse across two small electrodes.

Ginger

Ginger is well known in the form of ginger sticks or ginger ale.
The efficacy of ginger rhizome for the prevention of nausea,
dizziness, and vomiting as symptoms of motion sickness, as well
as for postoperative vomiting and vomiting of pregnancy, has
been well documented. It is more likely that any reduction of
motion sickness symptoms results from the influence of the
ginger root agents on the gastric system.

Homeopathy

While the homeopathic literature describes several homeopathic
remedies for sea-sickness and/or the symptoms associated with
motion sickness, very few well designed studies are available.
One German medication, Vertigoheel® was compared to SERC
betahistine hydrochloride, a vertigo medication used in Canada
and Europe. Both remedies reduced the frequency, duration and
intensity of vertigo attacks during a 6-week treatment period.
In a previous study with the same homeopathic medication
vertigo-specific complaints were significantly reduced in both
treatment groups. Statistical evaluations showed that the
different vertigo and nausea symptoms as well as the trigger
mechanisms of vertigo and nausea (i.e. getting up, turning the
head or gazing aside), highly significantly improved due to the
therapy.

One homeopathic medication suggested for sea-sickness is Nux
vomica (poison nut), a well known remedy in the homeopathic
literature. It is indicated for irritability, nervousness and
digestive conditions, nausea and vomiting, vertigo, with an
intoxicated feeling and headaches. It seems to trigger an
adverse attraction to alcohol and to be safe in homeopathic
dilutions even in children.

Another homeopathic remedy, Bryonia (wild hops), is indicated
for all symptoms that are worse from motion and specifically for
symptoms of vertigo and nausea.

Tabacum (tobacco) is indicated for incessant nausea which is
worse from the smell of tobacco smoke, also for seasickness and
when the skin may be cold and sweaty.

Cocculus (Indian cockle), Conium (Poison hemlock), Petroleum
(Crude rock oil) and Theridion (Orange-spider) are indicated for
vertigo with nausea and vomiting on the least motion.

Besides the conventional and non-conventional methods of
treatment for sea-sickness, common sense measures are suggested
such as staying on deck and fixing a point at the horizon (or a
star in the sky at night) which is not moving.

As far as Maria and Paul are concerned their marriage did not
last. They divorced the following year. Paul re-married with
Shirley and took his new wife on a boat ride on the Gondolas at
the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

About the author:
Richard Clement is a French Medical Doctor with more than 20
years of practice worldwide he teaches Homeopathy and
Pharmacology at the ATOM school of Acupuncture in Fort
Lauderdale Florida and has developed his own line of
homeopathics and nutritional products

http://www.web-outpatients.com

4. Dont Skip Meals

Ever heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the
day? Well its true. The one meal you should never skip is
breakfast. It is the meal that sets the tone for your
metabolism. When you miss breakfast your metabolism responds by
slowing down. Your body receives signals of famine from the
brain and switches to energy conservation mode. This means
rather than burning calories the body gets stingier with them.

The other thing that happens, when missing breakfast is, by the
time lunch time comes around you feel starved and you almost
always end up overeating. And as a result of this added pressure
on your digestive system, most of your energy gets used up as
your body works hard to digest and absorb all that food. Needles
to say, you wont feel very productive when you return to work,
a feeling which may last for the next few hours.

Another important benefit of not skipping meals is that your
blood sugar level is more stable, which keeps insulin in check -
reducing unnecessary fat storage and ensuring that you have
adequate energy levels required to perform your daily tasks with
less physical and psychological stress.

5. Water

It was thought that drinking plenty of water throughout the day
was a crucial part of a good weight loss strategy; the theory
was that an adequate amount of water – 8 eight-ounce glasses per
day – gives you a feeling of fullness which reduces periods of
hunger; and the less you feel hungry the less you are going to
snack – which translates to fewer calories. Recent studies have
suggested, however, that choosing foods with high water content
like fruits and vegetables and blending water into meals like
soup has a greater effect on satiety, than simply just drinking
water. And that it may result in a reduction of total daily
calories.

In other words, including water rich foods like watermelon and
other fruits and vegetables, fruit juice, and soups in your
diet, is more effective with respect to satiety than relying on
just drinking water. As a result, you wouldnt need to drink 8
glasses of water a day, if you were getting an adequate supply
from your diet. In fact, drinking 8 glasses of water per day is
a misconception. This number was originally reported by the
National Academy of Sciences of the United States Food and
Nutrition Board. They also mentioned, however, in the same
report, that the majority of water people need comes from food.
(4)

The recommendation for a healthy individual is to drink one cup
of water or juice with every meal. (ibid)

Its also important to keep in mind that the human body is made
up of 60-70% water. All our organs consist of a lot of water.
Blood is mainly composed of water. So it makes sense to ensure
that youre always getting an adequate supply. Here are some
functions of water:

- regulates your body temperature - transports nutrients to your
organs - transports vital oxygen to your cells - removes waste
from your body - protects all your organs and joints

6. Exercise

As you know, exercise participation is an important factor in
weight loss and weight loss maintenance. In addition to weight
reduction here are 20 important health benefits of physical
activity.

1. Increases thermogenesis (increase in body temperature to burn
calories). 2. Raises basal metabolic rate increasing calorie
expenditure even during periods of rest or sleep. 3. Releases
natural stimulants in the body helping to improve overall
psychological condition. In other words it may alter your mood
to a more positive state. (5) 4. Relieves stress and reduces the
risk of stress related chronic diseases. (ibid) 5. Improves sex
function 6. Lowers High Blood pressure levels. 7. May increase
levels of good cholesterol (HDL) 8. Lowers elevated blood
cholesterol levels. 9. Improves blood circulation. 10. Increases
the level of oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and improves endurance. Vo2
max varies directly with the level of physical fitness. 11.
Increases lean body mass (muscle) while reducing body fat -
improving body composition and therefore improving physical
appearance. 12. Improves self esteem. 13. Causes a natural
tendency to be more conscious about eating healthier and
therefore may improve a persons diet. 14. Strengthens the
musculoskeletal system protecting the body from unexpected
physical shock. 15. Strengthens the bodys immune system and
therefore slows down the aging process. 16. Strengthens bones
and fights against osteoporosis – especially important for post
- menopausal women. (6) 17. Strengthens the bodys immune system
and therefore slows down the aging process. 18. Helps to fight
against chronic diseases including many forms of cancers and
heart disease. (7) (8) 19. When combined with stretching it may
help to reduce lower back pain. 20. Improves physical condition
in pregnant women making it easier to cope with the trials of
childbirth: It increases energy levels; helps to reduce back
pain; improves circulation and reduces swelling and development
of varicose veins; tones muscles making it easier for the body
to return to pre-pregnancy condition. You should check with your
doctor, however, before you begin exercising during pregnancy.
(9)

How Much exercise is Necessary for Weight Loss?

It depends on your goals and your body condition. Here are some
questions you should ask yourself:

- How much weight do you want to lose? - Whats Your Age - How
much do you weigh? - What is your physical condition? - What is
your daily caloric intake? - Will you combine exercise with
caloric restriction?

If youre overweight, by more than 20 pounds, you need to
participate in a program that includes diet restriction (reduce
total daily calories by 500 cal.) and regular exercise (6-7 days
a week). You should exercise for at least 30 continuous minutes
- for best results increase the duration (up to 60 minutes).
Your target intensity should be between 65-75% of your maximum
heart rate – in other words, a comfortably vigorous level of
intensity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends
that a good weight loss program should consist of daily caloric
expenditure of 300-500 calories from exercise. (10)

How do you calculate your heart rate? An easy formula for
figuring out your maximum heart rate works by simply subtracting
your age from 220. If youre 40 years old, for example, your
maximum heart rate is 180 beats per minute (220-40). To train at
70% of your maximum heart rate, simply multiply 180 by 70 and
divide by 100, which equals 126 beats per minute. Therefore in
order to train at an intensity level of 70% of maximum heart
rate your training heart rate should be 126 beats per minute.
How do you calculate your heart rate during exercise? Simply
take your pulse by counting the number of beats over a 10 second
period. Multiply that figure by 6 and you have the number of
beats for a 1 minute period – thats your training heart rate.
Before you begin exercising, however, get clearance from your
doctor, especially if youre a beginner.

7. Exercise for Weight Loss Maintenance

Once you reach a desirable body weight, you can switch your
exercise routine to weight loss maintenance mode. That means you
can reduce the frequency of your workouts to 3-4 times a week.
The duration and the intensity should remain the same – 60
minutes at a comfortably vigorous level. You will notice as you
reach higher levels of fitness, exercise intensity must be
turned up a notch to keep the workout challenging and also to
burn more calories.

What types of activities should you participate in? There are
many forms of exercise that are efficient in producing adequate
weight loss and fitness. Some of them include aerobics, step or
boxing aerobics, cycling, spinning, step-climbing, training on
elliptical machines, cross country skiing (real or machine
version), in line skating, ice skating, swimming, jogging, skate
boarding, and sports like basketball, hockey, and soccer. There
are many more. The important thing is to choose one that youll
really enjoy. This way, your chances of sticking with it in the
long run will be much higher.

Have fun, get in shape, lose those extra pounds and keep them
off!

References:

1. http://www.sciencedaily.com, “Healthy diets need fat,
according to new study”, retrieved 22 June 2005 from

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/04/980424031929.htm

2. http://www.ajcn.org, “Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease
risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies”, retrieved
15 August 2005 from

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/70/3/451S

3. http://www.jacn.org, “Contribution of Meals and Snacks to
Nutrient Intake of Male and Female Elite Figure Skaters During
Peak Competitive Season”, retrieved 19 May 2004 from

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/21/2/114

4. http://www.drmirkin.com, “HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?”,
retrieved 30 August 2005 from

http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/9942.html

5.

Continuing our series on healthy eating, this seems to be the
perfect time to talk about fruits and vegetables and how
critical they are to our health.

WHERE WE ARE TODAY:

The sad truth is that we (Americans) are just not eating enough
vegetables. The proliferation of pre-packaged foods and
heat-and-eat meals has just made it more convenient for us to
add pounds, while robbing us of the health benefits of natural
vegetables. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the
average adult American eats 4.4 servings of fruits and
vegetables a day, which is an increase from 3.9 servings a day
when the 5 A Day program began in 1991. Children eat 3.4
servings a day, which is an increase from 3.1 servings a day in
1991.

WHERE WE NEED TO BE, AND THE BENEFITS OF GETTING THERE:

The goal is for each of us to eat at least five servings of
fruits and veggies every single day. Research has shown that
eating 5 A Day reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and
other illnesses. Cancer, heart disease and stroke are the three
leading causes of death in this country. All three are
diet-related due to diets high in fat and too low in fruits and
vegetables. People who eat 5 A Day have half the risk of
developing cancer as those who eat only 1-2 servings a day. In
fact, more than one-third of the 500,000 cancer deaths each year
could be prevented by eating a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables.

Veggies are an excellent source of vitamins and fiber. Eating
fruits and vegetables does more than reduce the risk of cancer:

Research continues to find strong links between increased fruit
and vegetable consumption and the decreased risk of chronic
diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Convincing
evidence proves that fruit and vegetable consumption plays a
positive role in the reduced incidence of cataracts,
diverticulosis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchitis, and osteoporosis. Eating
5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily will reduce
health risks substantially.

HOW TO EAT MORE FRUITS & VEGGIES:

Americans are 4 times more likely to pick a processed snack,
than a fruit or vegetable. In addition, Americans are 10 times
as likely to select a carbonated soft drink than 100 percent
juice. So how do we get more fruits and veggies into our diets?
One answer is to select fruits and vegetables for a snack full
of vitamins, nutrients, and good taste. Lose those empty
calories! Strategies to reach the goal of 5 or more servings of
fruits and vegetables a day also include having fruits and
vegetables at every meal.

Another way to make sure we get all the healthy fruits and
veggies we need is to find new recipes that we might enjoy.

Some helpful tips to get the health benefits of veggies:

1) Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

2) Eat at least one high-fiber selection a day.

3) Eat cruciferous (cabbage family) vegetables several times a
week.

4) Enjoy the most colorful fruits and vegetables often.

5) Eat at least one dark green vegetable daily.

COOKING & EATING TIPS:

“As soon as a fruit or vegetable is harvested or sliced, a
process called oxidation begins,” says Holly Brewer, R.D., a
dietitian at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas.
“To fight the damage, the plants cells use up their antioxidant
stores, leaving less for you to eventually consume.” The fix is
to eat fresh produce within a day of purchase, or buy frozen
instead. According to a University of Illinois study, fresh
green beans retain only 36% of their vitamin C after six days,
while frozen green beans keep 77%.

Steam your veggies (or eat them raw) instead of boiling them.
When boiled, or microwaved in water, veggies release their
nutrients into the cooking water. Steaming them will prevent
much of this nutrient loss. Another alternative is to make
soups, stews and other dishes in which the cooking liquid is
consumed.

Always choose fresh, whole fruits and veggies over canned or
frozen – EXCEPT do not “stock up” on fresh fruits and vegetables
because they lose their nutrients so quickly.

When its not possible or convenient to eat fresh, go with
frozen instead of canned veggies.

Always choose whole fruits & veggies over processed or juiced.
For example, a whole apple is much healthier than a glass of
apple juice. Too many juices add sugar, and almost all juices
eliminate the fiber.

FRUITS & VEGGIES ON A BUDGET:

Sad but true, it is often less expensive to eat junk food than
it is to eat healthy. Follow these tips to save money on produce:

1) Buy fresh fruit in season, when prices can drop drastically.
For example, as the holidays draw near well see the price of
oranges drop sharply (assuming the hurricanes in Florida didnt
destroy the crop). In previous years, weve been able to buy an
entire case of fresh oranges for about $10.

2) Stock up on frozen veggies when theyre on sale. Many grocery
stores sell frozen veggies as loss leaders, which means they
sell them below cost just to get us in the door (hoping well
also buy more profitable items). Its not uncommon to see 16 oz.
bags of frozen veggies for 33 cents or even less during the week
before Thanksgiving. Stock up and save!

3) Buy whats on sale. Every single supermarket in the country
has some kind of produce on sale each week, so take advantage of
the lower price. Take kiwi for example. While the regular price
is often 2 for $1, a typical sale will bring the price down to 4
for $1.

4) Buy in bulk. Even though we dont want to stock up on fresh
veggies, how about buying more and splitting it with a friend or
family member? For example, a 10 lb. bag of onions is much less
expensive per pound than buying single onions.

5) Grow your own fruits and veggies. Gardening is fun,
profitable, healthy and also great exercise. Remember that
produce begins to lose nutrients the minute it is cut from the
plant, so gardening gives us the healthiest foods available -
the picked-to-table time is lower than what well find at the
store.

6) Shop the local growers or processors. Weve all seen those
road-side stands where the local farmers sell their goods out of
the back of their truck. Why not take advantage of that? Often,
its a fresher, healthier product for a much lower price than
what wed normally pay in the grocery store.

THE FINAL BITE

Hopefully weve all learned something about fruits and
vegetables, and how eating more of them can benefit our health.
This is one of those rare times when its okay to eat more.

So get going to the garden or the produce section of the
supermarket!

About the author:
Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute
exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and
nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit
http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

With so many diets and fads being offered on the market today,
it is no wonder why people are not just confused about weight
loss and health, but in many cases, actually doing their body
more harm than good. Unfortunately, one of the aspects of
dieting that you see most often is the reduction or elimination
of fat. The problem is that the body needs a certain amount of
fat to function but without going over a healthy level. As you
will see in this article, knowing what the right level is and
how to monitor it are crucial to overall health and wellness.

Studies have been able to link certain conditions such as heart
disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure with high levels of
body fat. The key is to ensure your body has enough fat to
function properly but not too much, whereby disease could become
a problem. The best way for a person to determine the level of
body fat is by measuring it on a consistent basis with a simple
tool called a caliper. In a matter of minutes, you will know
exactly how much body fat you are carrying around with you. With
this information, you will then be able to adjust your diet,
cardio exercises, and weight training to bring the fat-to-muscle
ratio in line.

Keep in mind that there are several options, one being a body
fat analyzer. Additionally, there is the skin fold test whereby
waist to hip ratio measurements will be taken, circumference
measurements, hydrostatic weight, near infrared analysis,
bioelectrical impedance, total body potassium determination, and
a test recently offered called the plethysmographic measurement,
which is based on the principle of air displacement. All of
these tests are good indicators of your current fat-to-muscle
ratio.

Now, if you want to go through a professional to determine your
true body fat level, you have two excellent options, both being
accurate. The first is the Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
(DEXA) and the second, Hydrostatic Weighing. With DEXA, a full
body scanner is used that reads and differentiates between bone
mass and soft tissue mass. This type of scan can be completed in
about 20 minutes and is painless, providing accuracy within a 2%
error margin. Many insurance companies will cover the cost of
DEXA but if not, you can have the scan performed for around
$100.

With Hydrostatic Weighing, the body is weighed underwater. The
test consists of sitting on a scale underneath water while
blowing out as much air from your lungs as possible. Then when
dunked below the waters surface, you would blow out even more
air. Because fat does not weigh as much as water, the more fat a
persons body has, the more they will float. Therefore,
Hydrostatic Weighing works by measuring underwater weight so
that body density can be determined.

On the other hand, if you want to have the option of determining
your fat-to-muscle ratio on your own and every day if you like,
you can simply purchase a caliper from drug stores, health
equipment stores, and even on the internet. Just remember that
if you are interested in losing weight, instead of depending on
the bathroom scale, it is important that you worry more about
the excess fat being carried. While a standard scale will tell
you if you are losing weight from diet and exercise, a scale
will not tell if you are losing the bodys muscle or fat.

Understanding how to measure and monitor your body fat gives you
a level of control to your future. The problem is that the
majority of people know very little about their bodies. To
become and stay healthy, you need to understand your body – how
it works and what your body composition is so you can make
choices that will be best for your overall health and wellness.
Again, the best way to achieve this is to incorporate good diet,
cardio exercise, and moderate weight training into your daily
routine, along with measuring your fat-to-muscle ratio with a
caliper.

While there are many different websites that provide you with
valuable information and guidance, one of the best is
Composition Tracker. With more than 25 different body fat
formulas from which to choose, you will feel confident knowing
you can and will succeed with losing unwanted fat. Composition
Tracker offers tremendous benefit to all types of people,
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