If you’ve watched the news at all lately, you’ve likely heard about the dangers of energy drinks, especially in regard to how they are affecting our children – the largest consumers of these particular beverages. While the intent of these drinks is to give us more energy, it is becoming apparent that it is perhaps more energy than our bodies can safely handle.

What Makes Energy Drinks So Damaging?

We’ve known about the negative effects of too much caffeine for ages, which is why there are tons of recommendations about limiting the amount of coffee we drink. Therefore, it only makes sense that energy drinks would fall under this cloud as well as some of the brands have more than twice as much caffeine per serving as a cup of coffee. So, if you’re drinking two or three of them per day, you’re having about a pot of coffee, which isn’t good for you but, unfortunately, the negative side effects don’t stop there.

Hypnosis is the second topic in our three-part series that explores ancient alternative therapies that are being widely used to assist in weight loss: acupuncture, hypnosis, and meditation. These are being used successfully by many as part of a comprehensive health plan for weight loss and weight management. CLICK HERE to read Part 1, Acupuncture. CLICK HERE to read Part 3, Meditation and Mindfulness.

The subject of fascination and ridicule for centuries, hypnosis is gaining in popularity for its effectiveness in easing migraine headaches, lowering blood pressure, minimizing hot flashes, smoking cessation, and much more.

From ancient religious leaders to modern day scientists, the art of hypnosis has been facilitating healing for over 2000 years.  When you think of hypnosis you may see someone swinging a pocket watch or gem in front of someone’s eyes. You may think of mind control, or have other beliefs about this ancient practice.

There are many lessons to be learned when we study the ways that ancient groups of people acted. We can learn about art, architecture, food, family, religion, languages and health. Much of our current system of doing things is rooted in some very old, but wise, cultures.

Some very old ways of preventing and treating illness are still practiced in many parts of the world today.

America is just learning. We have been completely focused on putting our trust in doctors and pharmaceutical companies that we’re not accustomed to alternative ways to approach health. We have been conditioned to not consider alternative ways of treating our health.

However, many dedicated people are using ancient and alternative methods of healing and preventing disease. These people believe that what was done so very long ago, and is still being used today, has great value and can help in many ways.

It’s that time, yet again!  Is weight loss one of your resolutions for the New Year? If you’re like most people, this resolution is high on your list year after year – to get healthy and lose weight. Would you like 2014 to be the last time you make a weight loss resolution?

While it may seem like losing your love handles and jiggly thighs is a resolution that just keeps repeating itself, that doesn’t have to be the case. You can reach your weight loss goal this year, and here are our best suggestions to help you reach those goals, once and for all:

Define why you want to lose weight. You can’t go after something and expect to get it if you don’t have a clear understanding of why you want it. Take some time and think about why weight loss is important to you. Make a list of the positive ways your life will change once you reach a lower, healthier weight, and keep that vision in front of you at all times.

If you ask most any weight loss expert about how easy their program is to follow, they’ll tell you that it is very easy. But are they just trying to make a sale or is it true that their plan is simple to follow? What’s the answer? It depends.

The Plan vs. The Mindset

Generally when someone wants to know if the diet plan is easy, they think they are asking about the mechanics of it, or how the plan works. For instance, eating every three hours or adding certain foods into your menu would fall under this umbrella of information and certainly help you lose weight.

However, in reality, the person posing the question is more than likely asking about how easy it is to change their mindset to properly work the plan. This is a completely different question.

If you’ve spent any time in the weight loss supplement aisle in the store, then you probably realize that there are about as many options available as there are ingredients that exist. It can feel very overwhelming to try to figure out which ones work and which ones are a waste of money, so we want to help make the whole process much simpler.

Here are the seven supplements you are going to want to consider taking if your primary goal is to burn fat as fast as you can:

There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get your body to burn fat and having it defy you. It’s like trying to force a young child to share their favorite toy with a sibling. It doesn’t matter how much you beg and plead, sometimes you just have to physically remove the toy from their hands to get them to let go.

The same is true with body fat. You can talk to your jiggly thighs or round tummy until you are blue in the face, but sometimes you have to do things that make your body burn the fat because it isn’t going to do it on its own. What are those things? Here are seven of them:

How would you feel if you knew that your actions were likely putting your children’s health at risk? Certainly, this isn’t your intention, but your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors regarding nutrition and physical activity are handed down to your children just as easily as your genes.

When you make choices consistent with healthy living, your little ones are much more likely to do the same. And, that’s the goal – you don’t want them struggling with food and weight issues, perhaps like you did, when they become adults and start making decisions without your input.

It’s easy enough to point your finger elsewhere and blame your children’s weight issues on sugary cereals, unhealthy food commercials aimed at children and fast food places that promote eating greasy, high calorie food to kids but it’s time to get real and take some responsibility. Yes, all of these factors may contribute to the issue but the bottom line is that you, as a parent, play the starring role in determining your children’s health outcome.

Have you tried to lose weight so many times that you would need more than just your fingers and toes to count them on, as well as those of every member of your family? And does each attempt eventually result in you weighing the same as, if not more than, when you first started your weight loss journey? If so, unfortunately you are not alone.

Dieting is one of the most understood lifestyles around the globe. People everywhere are watching what they eat in an attempt to lose weight and gain health. But, if that’s the case, why is it that there is an obesity epidemic that is threatening the health of people all over the world?

The answer is simple: diet. Not diet as in what food people eat (although healthy eating is obviously very important), but diet as in the process. It’s about what effect calorie restriction has on your physical body.

You Can Blame Your Slow Metabolism on Your Grandparents

You are hungry, but you don’t have much time. You are in a hurry, so you grab something already prepared. Whether you reached for fast food or something prepared from the store, these choices are almost always filled with sodium, sugar, saturated fat, and preservatives. Exactly what your body needs to store more fat.

It’s a decision we have all faced, but, even when it seems like there are no healthy options, there are ways to eat right while on the go. You just need to know how to make better choices when faced with these decisions, and what all this can mean to your health and well-being.

Most people know that almost all fast food is unhealthy. Many fast food restaurants serve food that is loaded with saturated fat, sugar, and sodium. Even when you think you may be choosing the healthy option, you may be consuming more calories and sugar than you should.