Hangover Recovery

During the course of the year we find ourselves going to all kinds of events such as birthdays, office luncheons, annual holidays, parties, and special occasions where alcohol is being served. Oftentimes along with feasting we also consume too much alcohol. As a result, we wake up the next morning with a hangover, which we then nurse for the next day or two. So as we approach the end of 2012 and the next New Year's Eve party, I wanted to offer this short article for dealing with a hangover.
This is a quick guide to alleviating or completely avoiding hangover symptoms through an understanding of alcohol itself, physiological changes related to alcohol consumption, and a variety of suggested remedies for specific hangover symptoms.
[Warning: First and foremost let me at least mention that you should always try to drink responsibly and arrange having a designated driver if you will be using your personal vehicle for transportation.]
Classes of Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. Beer and wine are produced by fermentation of sugar- or starch-containing plant material. Beverages produced by fermentation followed by distillation have higher alcohol content and are known as liquor or spirits. The alcoholic strength of beer is usually 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (ABV), but it may be less than 2% or greater than 25%. Beers having an ABV of 60% (120 proof) have been produced by freezing brewed beer and removing water in the form of ice, a process referred to as "ice distilling". Beer is part of the drinking culture of various nations and has acquired social traditions such as beer festivals, pub games, and pub crawling (sometimes known as bar hopping).
Wine is produced from grapes, and from fruits such as plums, cherries, or apples. Wine involves a longer fermentation process than beer and also a long aging process (months or years), resulting in an alcohol content of 9%-16% ABV. Sparkling wine can be made by means of a secondary fermentation. Fortified wine is wine (such as port or sherry), to which a distilled beverage (usually brandy) has been added.
Unsweetened, distilled, alcoholic beverages that have an alcohol content of at least 20% ABV are called spirits. Spirits are produced by the distillation of a fermented base product. Distilling concentrates the alcohol. For the most common distilled beverages, such as whiskey and vodka, the alcohol content is around 40%. Spirits can be added to wines to create fortified wines, such as port and sherry.
A 2009 study provided evidence that darker-colored liquors, such as bourbon, cause worse hangovers than lighter-colored liquors, such as vodka. The higher amount of "congeners" found in darker liquors compared to lighter ones was indicated as the cause. Studies that attempt to compare hangover producing potential and hangover severity of different alcoholic drinks suggest the following ordering (starting with the least hangover-inducing):
Distilled ethanol diluted in fruit juice, beer, vodka, gin, white wine, whisky, rum, red wine, and brandy.
Alcohol and its Effects, the Basics

Now let's cover some basics about alcohol. What is alcohol? Alcohol is a distilled or fermented beverage that transforms a grain, fruit, vegetable, or wood into ethanol. Ethanol, glucose, and sucrose are all in the same group of alcohols. Ethanol is the most common form of alcohol one finds in alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol is a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect. Alcohol also stimulates insulin production, which speeds up glucose metabolism and can result in low blood sugar, causing irritability and (for diabetics) possible death. Alcohol intoxication affects the brain and causing symptoms such as slurred speech, delayed reflexes, vomiting or unconsciousness. Alcohol also limits the production of vasopressin (ADH) from the hypothalamus and the secretion of this hormone from the posterior pituitary gland. This is what causes the intense thirst that goes along with a hangover.
Now when alcohol builds up in the bloodstream faster than it can be metabolized by the liver, we enter a physiological state known as drunkenness or inebriation. Alcohol is metabolized by a normal liver at the rate of about one ounce (one two-ounce shot of spirits, a normal beer, a regular sized glass of wine) every 90 minutes. An "abnormal" liver with conditions such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, gall bladder disease, and cancer will have a slower rate of metabolism.

Ethanol's acute effects are largely due to its nature as a central nervous system depressant, and are dependent on blood alcohol concentrations. Here's a breakdown of what effects one can expect to experience from alcohol consumption according to the quantity you consume:
20-99 mg/dL - Impaired coordination and euphoria
100-199 mg/dL - Ataxia, poor judgment, labile mood
200-299 mg/dL - Marked ataxia, slurred speech, poor judgment, labile mood, nausea and vomiting
300-399 mg/dL - Stage 1 anesthesia, memory lapse, labile mood
400+ mg/dL - Respiratory failure, coma
In addition to respiratory failure and accidents caused by effects on the central nervous system, alcohol causes significant metabolic derangements. Hypoglycemia occurs due to ethanol's inhibition of gluconeogenesis, especially in children, and may cause lactic acidosis, ketoacidosis and acute renal failure.
Some effects of alcohol intoxication are central to alcohol's desirability as a beverage. For example, some desirable effects from small quantities of alcohol consumption are euphoria and lowered social inhibitions. Other symptoms include slurred speech, impaired balance, loss of muscle coordination (ataxia), flushed face, dehydration, vomiting, reddened eyes, and erratic behavior. Other effects are unpleasant or dangerous because alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once.
This last point, the fact that alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once, is crucial to understanding the nature of a hangover. Why? Because everyone experiences different symptoms from their hangover, each hangover has to be dealt with individually. Here are 2 reasons underlying hangovers with completely different characteristics.

Many people from East Asian descent have a mutation in their genes that causes them to suffer from alcohol flush reaction, in which acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking, leading to immediate and severe hangover symptoms. Because for them a little alcohol goes a long way, they are also less likely to become alcoholics.
Older people report that their hangovers grow worse as they age. This is caused by declining supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme involved in metabolizing alcohol.
So what we've come to is the fact that there is currently no empirical proof for hangover prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed or waiting for the body to metabolize the alcohol ingested. This only happens when the liver oxidizes the alcohol. So what this means is that the most effective way to avoid any of the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is to control or avoid drinking.
Thus, no two hangovers are the same.
The Physiology of a Hangover
Excessive consumption of alcohol causes a delayed effect called a hangover. The hangover starts after the euphoric effects of ethanol have subsided. Hypoglycemia, dehydration, acetaldehyde intoxication, and glutamine rebound are all theorized causes of hangover symptoms. Hangover symptoms may persist for several days after alcohol was last consumed. Some aspects of a hangover are even viewed as symptoms of acute ethanol withdrawal, similar to the longer-duration effects of withdrawal from alcoholism.
Because alcohol impairs the ability of the liver to compensate for a drop in blood glucose levels, especially for the brain, it can result in the depletion of the liver's supply of glutathione, a detoxification agent, reducing its ability to effectively remove alcohol and its byproducts from the bloodstream. Since glucose is the primary energy source of the brain, this lack of glucose (hypoglycemia) contributes to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances, and decreased attention and concentration related to a hangover.
The human body is a system of systems so physiological changes in one system changes others. That's why the best approach is to try to handle several symptoms by resolving alcohol-related issues in multiple body systems simultaneously. For example, when you ingest alcohol, the salivary glands secrete enzymes to combine with the alcoholic beverage to make it more suitable for processing in the stomach and intestines. As the alcohol circulates throughout the digestive system and blood stream it moves from one system to another. Just one drink affects the central nervous system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, the muscular system, the immune system, and the respiratory system, so with each additional drink the effects compound and the potential dangers increase. Because the alcohol moves around in the body rather than remaining in an organ, region, or system, its produces a wide range of negative physiological effects.
The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dehydration, fatigue, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, weakness, elevated body temperature and heart rate, hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating, sweating, anxiety, irritability, erratic motor functions (including tremor), trouble sleeping, severe hunger, halitosis, and lack of depth perception. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary significantly from person to person, and it is not clear whether hangovers directly affect cognitive abilities. The effects of a hangover subside over time.
Just as with lesser cases of low alcohol consumption, cases where excessive amounts of alcohol have been consumed such as with alcohol poisoning treatment strives to stabilize the patient and maintain a clear airway and respiration, while waiting for the alcohol to metabolize. In general, health care professionals will provide treatment for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) with 50ml of 50% dextrose solution and saline flush, administer the vitamin thiamine to prevent seizure, check electrolytes to guide fluid replacement, apply hemodialysis (blood transfusion)if the blood concentration is dangerously high, or provide oxygen therapy.
Ineffective or unproven remedies
Recommendations for foods, drinks and activities to relieve hangover symptoms abound, here are some that have been found to be ineffective or unproven.
The "Prairie Oyster" restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
And in 1938, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the form of a mixture of cola and milk. By some accounts, cola beverages are believed to have been invented as a hangover remedy.
Alcoholic writer Ernest Hemingway relied on tomato juice and beer.
The "Black Velvet" consists of equal parts champagne and flat Guinness Stout.
A 1957 survey by a Wayne State University folklorist found widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice and sexual activity.
Activities said to be restorative include a shower-alternating very hot and very cold water, exercise, and steam bath or sauna (although medical opinion holds this to be very dangerous, as the combination of alcohol and hyperthermia increases the likelihood of dangerous cardiac arrhythmias).
A 1976 research came to the conclusion that "The results indicate that both fructose and glucose effectively inhibit the metabolic disturbances induced by ethanol but they do not affect the symptoms or signs of alcohol intoxication and hangover." Nevertheless, consumption of honey (a significant fructose and glucose source) is often suggested as a way to reduce some of the effects of hangover.

Food and Alcohol Metabolism
Studies have found that when food is eaten before drinking alcohol, alcohol absorption is reduced and the rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the blood is increased. The mechanism for the faster alcohol elimination appears to be unrelated to the type of food. The likely mechanism is food-induced increases in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and liver blood flow. While this may not decrease your chances for getting a hangover, it's a good idea to eat before you drink, but know that doing so will eliminate the alcohol from your system faster than normal.
Scientifically Based Remedies
Earlier I said that because alcohol affects many different areas of the body at once, each hangover has to be dealt with individually. Why? Because everyone experiences different symptoms from their hangover, different from everyone else, and even from one state of drunkenness compared to another time of drunkenness. So the conclusion here is that there is currently no empirical proof for hangover prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed or waiting for the body to metabolize the alcohol ingested. What this means is that the most effective way to avoid any of the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is to control or avoid drinking.
But what are we supposed to do if we get a hangover? Sometimes it's not possible to wait for the effects of the hangover to wear off, while coping with the symptoms. We need a way to effectively deal with this situation. You're right, we do. Here's the realization I've come to about how to handle the symptoms of a hangover.

The primary realization is that a hangover is not a thing, instead it's a series of symptoms related to excessive alcohol consumption. That's key.
The second important point is that in order to deal with any one hangover experience effectively you have to deal with the exact symptoms you're going through during a specific hangover. Although there are many common symptoms experienced by most people routinely, sometimes new symptoms appear that were never part of previous hangovers. This is why it's best to handle the symptoms vs. trying to recover from a "hangover."
So below is a list of practices, substances, and products that deal with specific symptoms that should help you fight the effects of hangover whenever they occur. You may also want to go back and re-read this article as there were remedies - such as eating before drinking, timing one's intake per ounce of ingestion, and preventing vomiting by abstinence in order to protect the stomach lining from erosion by alcohol - mentioned earlier that will not appear in this list.
Rehydration: Effective interventions include rehydration, prostaglandin inhibitors, and vitamin B6.
Milk thistle: A small dosage before and after alcohol consumption has been found to alleviate the some of the effects of a hangover such as headaches, sluggishness and nausea. Milk thistle works to regenerate liver cells and when combined with an excessive vitamin D intake from the sun, subjects have experienced rapidly decreasing hangover effects.
Tolfenamic acid is useful for nausea, vomiting, irritation, tremor, thirst, and dryness of mouth.
Vitamin B6 (pyritinol) can help to reduce some, but not all, of the symptoms of hangovers. For this Brewers' yeast or a B6 supplement are recommended.
Chlormethiazole was found to lower blood pressure and adrenaline output and, furthermore, to relieve unpleasant physical symptoms, but did not affect fatigue and drowsiness. Subjects with severe subjective hangover seemed to benefit more from the chlormethiazole treatment than subjects with a mild hangover.
Pedialyte may be an effective remedy for hangovers due to its replacement of lost electrolytes.
Candy or sugar: to raise lowered blood sugar levels caused by alcohol intake. Other options for sweeteners to use are honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, and fructose.
Alcohol: There is a belief that consumption of additional alcohol in decreasing quantity over a period of hours after the onset of a hangover will relieve symptoms. This is based upon the theory that the hangover represents a form of withdrawal and that by satiating the body's need for alcohol the symptoms will be relieved. Certainly the additional alcohol has a sedating and anesthetic effect, which also helps with symptoms. The professional medical opinion holds that the practice merely postpones the symptoms, and courts alcohol dependence and addiction.
Medical marijuana: It is commonly believed that THC, the active chemical in marijuana, is an effective hangover remedy. THC may help ease the main symptoms of hangovers: nausea and headache. The advantage is two-fold; as once a sufferer's nausea has abated, and his appetite is stimulated, hypoglycemia becomes easier to resolve.
A traditional hangover remedy from India is to drink coconut water for the natural electrolytes which will assist in rehydration.
Acetyl-leucine sold under the brand name of Tanganil is believed to help pull you out of the "whirling pit" or spinning sensation felt by people under the influence of alcohol. This is caused by a dysfunction between the nerves which control the notion of balance in the ears and the brain. Tanganil is the standard remedy prescribed to people suffering from chronic vertigo.
Oxygen: There have been anecdotal reports from those with easy access to a breathing oxygen supply - medical staff, SCUBA divers and military pilots - that oxygen can also reduce the symptoms of hangovers caused by alcohol consumption. The theory is that the increased oxygen flow resulting from oxygen therapy improves the metabolic rate, and thus increases the speed at which toxins are broken down.

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How to Get Rid of the Weight Gained During Christmas

The Christmas Holidays are among the most precious and pleasant ones throughout the whole year. But there is one major disadvantage of the Christmas Holidays and this is the weight we gain during this time of the year. There are several factors that simply cannot be avoided - loads of parties and visits of relatives and friends, skipping exercise, eating much more than you have been used to before the holidays.
Sometimes Christmas holidays even take longer than some days, because most people tend to get their vacations, travel, and forget about strict diet and exercise routines. But don't worry, there are many things you can do to lose all extra pounds you've put on during this period. Just stick to some simple rules and you'll lose the gained weight in no time.
1. Reduce the amount of food you eat
Once the Christmas holidays are over, you don't have to eat the same amount of food as during the holidays. You have to start reducing your portions. At the beginning it could seem difficult to do so, and if it really is difficult for you to accomplish it, don't starve yourself, just eat 2-3 times more, but smaller portions so you don't feel hungry.

2. Change your exercise routine
If you already have an exercising routine, then in the first days after the holiday "season" you would have to change it - not drastically, but for instance doing more cardio would accelerate the results. You can also try exercising 1-2 days more than usual, or simply increase the duration of your training. Try to run or cycle at least 30 minutes, preferably at the end of your training. If you don't do cardio every day of your workout program, then you should start doing so, in order to accelerate your metabolism, or you could simply add one day only for cardio.
3. Drink a lot of water
Forget about alcohol, juices and sweet drinks. It's all about water - increase the amount of water you drink every day. This would accelerate your metabolism, and help your body get rid of the unnecessary toxins easier.
4. Forget about alcohol
Well, we mentioned it in the previous point, however, it is necessary to point out, that alcohol is more than caloric - it stops your body from burning the calories it usually does. Imagine what happens to your body when you eat more than usual, less healthier than usual, and not being able to burn the calories, as the alcohol actually prevents your organism from doing so.
And we all know that we've drunk at least some wine regularly during the Christmas holidays. And besides this, every single diet outlines the lack of alcohol as a necessary measure for you to have a successful weight loss.
5. Reduce the carbs
Well, that may seem the hardest part to accomplish, but do you remember how much carbohydrate rich food you've eating during the Holidays - loads of sweets, loads of bread, loads of cookies. Try to avoid all these only for some time, and you'll notice a significant reduce in your weight.

6. Weight loss supplements
If all of the above tips seem to hard to accomplish, remember you can always use some weight loss supplements in order to accelerate weight loss and get back to your previous routines. There is a great majority of weight loss supplements, that is why it is not hard to choose one exactly according to your needs.
If you follow these basic tips we can guarantee you, you'll get back to your normal weight from before the holidays much faster than you expect. It is pretty certain that the most of the weight you've put on during these days is due to your organism retaining water, which means, that you'll be able to get rid of the extra pounds much easier, when they are not only extra fats.

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Healthy Eating While Traveling

Sticking to healthy foods while traveling can be one of the most difficult things to do in your life. If you learn how to make smart choices, then healthy eating is really not that difficult. This is probably not the best time to start a healthy eating program, but if you are currently making healthy choices in your foods already, modifying your diet slightly to accommodate travel is not as it first may seem.
When you are traveling by airplane, you may have to eat airplane food which can often be of poor quality, depending on the selection. When you book your flight, ask about your food options and ask if a vegetarian dish is available. Vegetarian dishes are sometimes more nutritional in this case, but it really depends on what they will be serving. If you can eat a larger meal before your flight, you don't have to eat the meal that is served.

When driving or taking a bus, you may be tempted to stop at fast food restaurants. Avoid this whenever possible! If you're on vacation, you may wish to splurge a tiny bit, but having fast foods more than once during a week can really be bad for you. If you must, choose the healthiest options available chicken breasts and diet soda is good choices.
Remember that you can take your own food when traveling. Carrying a loaf of whole-wheat bread or pita wraps, some lean lunch meat, and low-fat cheese in a cooler is a great way to avoid high-fat and high-cholesterol junk food meals. These are much better choices and you'll save a lot of money as well. Call ahead to ask if there will be a refrigerator in your hotel room.
Lastly, make smart choices when you eat out. If you choose salads or pasta get the dressing on the side and ask about low-carb options. In fact, many places print these options directly in the menu for the health conscious people. Control your portions by ordering lunch menu sizes or splitting the meal in half and don't forget to get a doggie bag. You'll be well on your way to healthy eating, even away from home.
Yes, eating healthy foods when you travel can be a challenge. Your health is worth it. When you eat good foods, you will also fight off illnesses that you are likely to encounter when traveling and you will be more alert so that you can enjoy your trip.
Healthy Eating and Peer Pressure
Whether you are on a diet or simply enjoying a healthy lifestyle, you probably know that peer pressure to eat foods that are not good for you, is a major part of your life. If you are concerned about the food that goes into your stomach, don't worry, there are ways to overcome peer pressure. It simply takes a little know-how to get people off your back!
Parties are a major source of peer pressure, especially with alcohol. Alcohol contains hundreds of calories in just one drink take beer for an example: "one beer equals a loaf of bread" so when you go to a party, people might be pressuring you to have a drink and relax. It can be difficult to say no when they are constantly trying to convince you. Offer to go with to a bar instead. That way, you become the designated driver, they won't want you to drink and drive, in fact, they will not pressurise you to drink. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
Other times when you may feel under pressure to eat, is at work, when the boss orders lunch for everyone at a meeting or when you have to visit a client. Instead of giving in to temptation, simply politely decline the food by letting your boss know in advance or order a meal that is healthy and split the portion in half so you have a meal for tomorrow's lunch as well.
Baby showers, weddings, birthday parties, and other special events can also wreak havoc on your diet, even if you are good at resisting temptation on your own. When someone hands you a piece of cake and won't take no for an answer, it can be difficult to know what to say! Here a little white lie might be appropriate. For instance, say that your stomach was upset earlier in the day, will convince a person that you don't want to eat at the moment or pretending to have a chocolate allergy, will get people to allow you to enjoy the party without a hassle surrounding food.
Refusing bad foods is fine, you should be eating good foods.
If you do not change your eating habits, disorders can develop, which will give your family, friends and doctor a real reason to be worried about your health. It's ok to say no to peer pressure, but don't say no to food in general!



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How To Detox Your Liver

10 Myths OF Homeopathy That Most People Do Not Know

Homeopathy is the second most popular medicine in the world. However, most people really do not know too much about Homeopathy. This article will help clear up some misconceptions associated with homeopathic medicine.

1) Homeopathic medicines are nothing more than sugar pill that contain no measurable substance.

Certain homeopathic medicines have no measurable substance. However, many remedies do have measurable substances. In medicine that is 24X or 12C has no measurable substance. However, some medicine potency such as 6X, 6C, 12X will have a measurable substance.

2) Homeopathy has never been successful in large scale well designed trials. Trials have only worked when homeopaths were doing the trials or poorly designed trials with quite a bit of author's bias.

Trials in Homeopathy is a very mixed bag. Sometimes people are looking at the wrong information source. Many skeptics will take successful trials and point out that when looking at larger trials in the study, homeopathy does not seem to work. Although, the conclusions of the authors were that homeopathy seems to works better than a placebo.

However, some trials that were successful were fairly large. Oscillococcinum trials were quite large and well designed but still yielded a positive result in shortening the flu duration. Similar studies with Osccillococcinum were replicated as well. The idea that homeopathic remedies have never been successful in a large scale well designed trial is not true.

3) Homeopathy should not be used to treat life threatening diseases.

Homeopathy can treat life threatening diseases with the help of a well trained homeopathic physician. Also, the general medical doctor and other specialists involved in treating the disease should be included on the treatment plan. Medical doctors should always be seen if you have a life threatening illness. Homeopathy can not cure all life threatening diseases.

Many people with life threatening diseases have fared well with Homeopathy. Homeopathy malaria trials show that in trials that homeopathic medicine worked as well as conventional medicine in treating people with malaria.

4) Homeopathy and modern medicine can not work together

Homeopathy can be quite complementary to modern medicine.Many patients under going chemotherapy have seen their side effects reduced when taking homeopathic remedies. Trials with reduction of cancer treatments provided encouraging results.

5) Homeopathy, Herbal, and Ayurvedic medicine are similar.

Homeopathy, Herbal and Ayurvedic are forms of alternative medicine but these forms of medicine are not similar in any other way. Homeopathy use diluted substances to treat patients. Every medicine has been diluted in water or alcohol.

Herbal medicine is medicine based on the use of plants. Ayurvedic is an ancient system of medicine started in India that operates with the theory that all materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value.

Ayurvedic use these materials to treat patients. Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines are used quite a bit in India so that creates some confusion in people thinking they are the same thing.

6) Homeopathy is slow to work

Acute conditions such as flu, colds, motion sickness and pain relief can be treated quickly using homeopathic medicines. Chronic conditions are slow to work because they are complicated to treat. Chronic conditions would be acne, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions will take longer to treat.

7) Homeopathy is only for human use.

Actually, petmeds is one of the fastest growing use of homeopathic products. Homeopathy offers a safe and inexpensive way to treat your pet of acute conditions such as allergies, anxiety and joint stress relief.

8) You can get a book on Homeopathy and treat yourself.

This may be the case in acute conditions such as cold and flu. However, more complicated and chronic cases will require you to see a homeopathic doctor. Chronic cases involve generally taking quite a few remedies in the course of a treatment. A book can not tell you which homeopathic remedies to take and how much to take when your condition starts to improve or worsen.

9) Homeopathic remedies are not widely available.

This may have been true a few years ago. However, many remedies can be found pretty much all over the US. Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, Target and larger retailers carry combination homeopathic remedies for acute conditions such as cold and flu and insomnia.

Single remedies which homeopaths claim to work the best are not as readily available. These remedies can be found in health food stores, natural pharmacies or on the Internet. They are more specialized and generally most people taking single remedies have some homeopathic knowledge or a doctor has prescribed that medicine.

10) All homeopathic remedies work the same on all people.

Homeopathy works different on different people. Classical homeopathy treats different individuals with different remedies according to their personality type. One person may use one remedy to treat a illness, while another person would use a different remedy to treat the same illness.

Homeopathy assumes everyone is different so using the same remedy to treat everyone will not work according to Classical Homeopathy principals. Modern medicine generally gives everyone the same medicine for general conditions.



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A Glass Of Wine Just As Calorific As a Doughnut?

It's Friday, which for us usually means a BIG glass of wine after work, but maybe these figures will change your mind. Doctors say a large glass of wine contains about 200 calories - the same amount of calories you get in a doughnut! Sob. But with most of us having NO clue what calories are in our drinks public health doctors are calling for change.

And with the UK being one of the most obese nations In. The. World. (with a 25 percent of adults classed as obese) this comes as no surprise . The worst part? Most people are completely unaware of it, which is why health experts are calling for calorie content labels on on alcohol STAT...

The drinks industry are open to the idea but warned that labelling drinks with units of alcohol is more important when making responsible decisions.

But who really takes into consideration how many units are in each glass of wine on a night out (usually we're guilty of far too many)? When it comes to calories, it may surprise them how much we might take it into consideration.

• A large 250ml glass of 8% wine is 170 calories
• The same amount of 14% wine is 230 calories - as many calories as a cornetto ice cream!
• A 275ml alcopop can be 170 calories
• A pint of 4% beer is more than 180 calories - similar to a slice of pizza

Shocked by the stats? Here's what The Royal Society for Public Health have to say...

RSPH's chief executive, Shirley Cramer says, "Quite startling really - 80% of adults have no idea what the calorie count is in anything they're drinking and if they do think they have an idea they totally underestimate it anyway.

"It could help the nation's waistlines as well as probably reduce alcohol consumption."

Being informed consumer is the best way to make a choice. So why should alcohol products be exempt?

We're all for calorie content labelling, are you? 

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Guy gives up added sugar and alcohol for 1 month

The Scientific Hangover Cure

Effects of Alcohol and Weight Loss

A lot of people try to lose weight while also consuming alcohol. These people are aware that alcohol has a negative effect on the body but very few people know the details. This vague understanding has tremendous consequences on their weight loss efforts.
As soon as you consume alcohol, it becomes the primary fuel in the body. Your body gives secondary importance to fat and carbohydrates. Calories from fat or carbohydrates are stored as fat as the body tries to use alcohol calories. This process effectively brings your fat metabolism to a complete halt. This can happen by taking as little as a single drink of vodka. This effect can last for up to 24 hours.

Alcohol also affects weight loss by disrupting your body's hormonal balance. Alcohol consumption has been shown to cause elevated levels of cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol promote fat storage instead of fat burning. Cortisol also promotes the breaking down of your muscles. This will suppress your metabolism in the long-run as you continuously lose muscles. Cortisol levels remain elevated so long as there is alcohol in the body.
Alcohol also suppresses testosterone levels. Testosterone is a potent fat burning hormone in men and women. Testosterone carries out some essential functions in women as well, although they carry lower levels of testosterone. As such it is a useful hormone in women as well as men.
Alcohol has a more pronounced effect on testosterone in men. Apart from the liver, the body also breaks down testosterone in the testicles. As long as there is alcohol in the body, testosterone production will be disrupted. Men who consume excessive amounts of alcohol will find themselves developing feminine physical characteristics such as overdeveloped fatty tissue in the chest area resembling breasts.

Lastly, alcohol plays a role in increasing appetite levels. Research has shown that drinking even a single glass of wine before a meal, will increase the amount of calories that you would eat in that meal. A lot of people consume alcohol with their meals. Not only do you eat more while consuming alcohol but whatever you eat also gets stored as fat as the body works hard to metabolize the alcohol.
Anyone trying to lose weight should abstain from alcohol consumption until their weight loss goals have been achieved. This is the best way to make sure that the harmful effects alcohol do not sabotage their weight loss efforts.

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