How Losing Weight Can Improve Your Health

Most of us always seem to have a few excess pounds, at least in the gap between one diet and the next. Everyone wants to look good, and most of us fight the good fight to keep weight off.

But if you think about it, instead of dieting to improve your looks, maybe you should consider what excess weight does to our health. You can drop a few pounds, and do it over again if you need to, but a health problem isn’t always that easy to correct.

It’s common sense to maintain a healthy weight for good health, but that’s not quite the same thing as losing weight purposefully in support of better health. Maybe we think we won’t be able to keep the weight off. So we think losing a few pounds won’t make that much difference in the long run.

But it turns out that isn’t true.

With the advent of bariatric surgery, researchers have had good access to people as they lost weight. They’ve studied what happens to overall health as the pounds drop away, and the results should lead anyone to thinking about the benefits of weight loss.

From these studies, it’s not clear that even a small loss can make a difference in health. If you can drop just 10 percent of access weight, you will most likely improve your health.

Here are some of the recent findings on how people have improved their well-being.

Allergies and Asthma

Excess weight stresses the respiratory system, and stresses your ability to adapt to changing conditions.

Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Inflammation is a problem in both of these diseases and reduced weight leads to lower inflammation levels in the body. It may have to do with improved nutrition, but pounds make a difference, too.

Foot and Knee Pain

In addition to improvements in arthritic conditions, you can expect to have less foot and knee pain as you lose excess weight. Your feet and knee joints will thank you for lessening the work they do to keep you mobile.

Heart and Vascular Health

Lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, and an increase in the good HDL cholesterol are just a few of the changes you can expect in heart health by losing weight.

Memory

Studies have shown that compared to control groups people at a normal weight have better memories. How? Who knows, but it happens.

Sleep

Losing weight helps people get better sleep, and it’s been specifically shown to decrease sleep apnea.

Sex Appeal and Sexual Satisfaction

We all want to be admired by the object of our affection, but losing weight really will do more for your love life than just improve the way you look. In one study men with 30 extra pounds were tested to be about 10 years older than their actual chronological age as judged by their testosterone levels.

And here again studies show that losing just 10 percent of body weight results in higher levels of sexual satisfaction. So if need a reason to put effort into weight loss, here it is!

Type 2 Diabetes

Problems with blood sugar are more common among overweight people, but what you need to know is that many people who’ve lost significant weight have been able to reverse a problem with Type 2 Diabetes.

Moringa Tree Seeds

Maybe you’ve heard about the tremendous benefits of Moringa oleifera, of Moringa Tree. It’s a superfood, and has many applications in Ayurvedic medicine. In recent years interest in Moringa Tree has expanded in the west, for its use as a food source, and in medical and pharmaceutical research.

The tree grows quickly, and isn’t fussy about soil conditions, plus the leaves and pods can be harvested year round.

People eat almost everything except the root because it can be toxic, although the root is sometimes used by Ayurvedic practitioners. Don’t use it without professional advice. Practitioners sometimes use the bark for treating diarrhea, but again this needs to be done under the supervision of a practitioner.

The leaves, pods, and oil are all everyday basic food sources in Asia and Africa, and they’re gaining in popularity in western countries. They’re all excellent sources of nutrition, even sometimes used to treat malnutrition. Moringa oil, which is made from Moringa seeds, is highly valued because it doesn’t tend to grow rancid. It’s used for cooking and, for example, in salad dressings, just as you would use any vegetable oil. Like olive oil, Moringa oil is high in oleic acid and is an unsaturated fat. Moringa seeds serve a variety of purposes. The residue from processing the seeds for oil is used to purify water from wells, and at least one study shows that Moringa seed extract may be useful in controlling mosquitos. The seeds are also being studied for new applications in cosmetics and pharmacology.

Moringa seeds are effective in water purification because they have an ability to bind impurities. Because of this researchers are studying the seeds as a possible way to internally detoxify the body. For the same reason, Moringa seed extract has cosmetic uses in facials.

As with other parts of the Moringa plant, the seeds are high in vitamins and minerals, and they have the same antibacterial and antiseptic qualities.

You don’t typically find much written about Moringa seeds as a food source, but the seeds can also be eaten. People report that at first they taste slightly sweet, but then the taste become slightly bitter.

People who eat the seeds report using them in dishes such as stews, casseroles, and soups, and also popping the seeds, like you would pop popcorn in a frying pan.

Eating the seeds comes with the same possible side effects that can occur from eating the leaves and pods. Moringa Tree has laxative qualities and if you eat too much you might have a problem. People are also advised to slowly add Moringa, either food or supplements, to the diet because too much too soon can cause nausea.

You can grow your own Moringa Tree from the seeds. Planting them directly in soil will usually cause them to sprout. If they don’t, soak the seeds in water overnight and then lay them on paper to sprout. Once they sprout you’ll be able to see the root side, and you can plant it in soil.

What Do You Choose, Drugs or Supplements?

Okay, maybe you don’t have a choice. Say you’re being treated by your doctor right now for high blood pressure, or diabetes, or any of a hundred other conditions. You need to follow doctor’s orders, and doctor’s orders often involve taking prescription drugs for the duration of the problem. We all know that. We see the doctor and follow the recommendations and hope for the best.

But what about supplements? You know, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal remedies, and the myriad of other products available for solving any kind of health problem you might be experiencing. Do supplements have a place in your ongoing efforts to improve your health and so your ability to enjoy life to the fullest?

Does it matter to you that you have a choice, regardless of whether you’re exercising that choice at any particular point in time? Like some of us who routinely supplement with vitamins and minerals, and who sometimes use herbal remedies for specific conditions, does it matter to you that at any moment you choose you have the option to stop by your natural food store and pick a remedy from the shelves? The Food and Drug Administration oversees the efficacy of all supplements sold in the United States. And as anyone knows who pays much attention, the FDA is proactive in guarding us from any harm related to supplementation. If you really pay attention, you might have noticed the focus, in fact, on supplements. This is surprising considering the high usage of supplements and low rates of associated problems as compared to prescription drugs.

Here’s the thing. More than two-thirds of adults in this country use supplements in one form or another, mostly vitamin and mineral supplements, but many others as well. Just scan the shelves in any natural food store and you’ll quickly understand that many people are using many kinds of products for many reasons. It’s a booming industry.

No statistics exist to prove the case either way, but people don’t necessarily use supplements to cure health problems. Many people routinely use supplements in an effort to stay healthy, for example, by using a multi-vitamin or by taking an herb like burdock root to support the immune system.

Yet there are problems associated with the use of prescription drugs, and you’d think the FDA would have their hands full guarding us from that. Read the drug information included with almost any prescription and you’ll find a lot to worry about. You’ll see warnings for possible side effects that can make the original health problem seem benign in comparison.

And take a look at the death rates in any given year associated with the use of prescription drugs. Well over a 100,000 people die each year after taking such drugs. And those are drugs taken as ordered. Those aren’t drug deaths associated with misuse.

Some people are starting to ask why there is so much focus on supplements when they have proven to be much safer than prescription drugs. In most years, for example, there are no deaths associated with the proper use of supplements.

What it comes down to it we need prescription drugs and we need supplements. What we need is the FDA is use their resources to keep both drugs and supplements available and safe. A world without drugs doesn’t work, and a world without supplements doesn’t work, either. What we need is for the FDA to get that message.

Will Moringa Tree Help You Lose Weight?

Moringa leaves are packed with superior nutrition, including protein, large amounts of numerous vitamins and minerals, and it provides all essential amino acids. As an example, besides a truckload of vitamins and minerals, one serving of Moringa supplies a large percentage of your daily protein, and it supplies lots of B vitamins to help your body use the food as energy.

Moringa Tree is so nutritious that many are calling it a superfood, which is no exaggeration. If the only food you had was Moringa Tree, you could definitely survive being shipwrecked on a deserted island.

So yes, Moringa supplies the nutrition you need. It also has lots of fiber and is low fat. It’s an ideal food for supplying nutrition while helping you lose weight.

So far so good, sounds like other articles you’ve read on dieting, right? Well yes, and no. Yes, you’ll get the nutrition you need, but there’s more to Moringa Tree.

Studies haven’t given us a lot of data yet on whether or how Moringa can help you lose weight, but dieters who’ve lost weight using Moringa are reporting success, and they’re saying many of the same things.

What Dieters Say about Moringa Tree

Dieters report they feel fuller, more satisfied, when taking Moringa, and so are better able to pass on processed carbs and sugary foods. In other words, Moringa is helping people stop the cravings and live with a diet of the right foods for weight loss, and helping them control portions.

Second, people report a feeling of well-being. This fits with Ayurvedic reports about Moringa, where it’s used to improve mood and lift depression.

Dieters also report that Moringa seems to speed up their metabolism, which is also supported by Ayurvedic medicine.

How to Add Moringa to Your Diet

You’ve got choices because Moringa Tree leaves, pods, and oil are all edible. You can also use Moringa as a tea. If you don’t like the taste, you can use Moringa powder and capsules.

Eat the leaves as you would spinach, for example, by adding them to salads or cooking them as a vegetable. Cook Moringa pods as you would green beans.

Moringa oil can be used in salad dressings and in cooking. It will last a long while because it doesn’t tend to grow rancid as is the case with most other vegetable oils.

If you use powder, you’re advised not to cook it because it loses some nutrients. Add it to smoothies and sprinkle it on other foods, for example stews or soups.

Consult your Doctor

We know it’s smart to consult your doctor before dieting, and adding Moringa to your diet is no exception. Most of what we know about Moringa and dieting is anecdotal, and you may or may not get the same results that other people experience. This is especially of concern if you take prescription medications because Moringa may have interactions with them.

Also be aware that some people shouldn’t use Moringa at all. Those with low blood pressure and those who use blood thinner medications should avoid Moringa because it lowers blood pressure and is a blood thickener. Pregnant and nursing women should also consult their doctors because using Moringa.