Resolve Acid Reflux with Care, Naturally

UPDATE: May 09
----------------
I've posted a number of articles about the conventional treatments for acid reflux here on several occasions, including problems with the Rx.
better-than-rx-for-gerd, Nexium, Why Acid and others.

I haven't said too much about what I think of the surgical treatments but that's for another day.

Now here's an article about two "non-surgical" surgical treatments that seem to have a requirement for anesthesia of some sort or another.

I am not a fan of the "reflux drugs" because of the interference they cause with protein metabolism and detoxification in the liver as well as bone lose and reduced immunity.

I am more in favor of natural care which might include the use of digestive enzymes, raw honey, water, apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water, Taoist salt, cayenne, several other natural therapies as well as just learning to properly chew your food and eating much more slowly.

How to apply Active Manuka Honey to the following Internal Ailments:

Acid Reflux
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the esophagus.

Heartburn
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the esophagus.

Esophagus Ulcer
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the esophagus.

Up-set Stomach
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out an up-set stomach. Taking Active Manuka Honey is soothing after an episode of restaurant food poisoning. Due to the large and quick loss of liquids when experiencing diarrhea and vomiting after a food poisoning episode, you must consult your doctor quickly.

Stomach Ulcer / Peptic Ulcer
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the stomach.

Helicobacter Pylori / h. pylori
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the stomach and naturally help destroy the h. pylori bacteria typically associated stomach ulcers.

Gastritis
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the stomach.

Duodenal Ulcer
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the duodenum.

Ulcerative Colitis
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the stomach and help sooth the ulcerative colitis.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Take 1 teaspoon of Active Manuka Honey 3-4 times per day on a small square inch size piece of bread, toast or bagel, 20 minutes before meals, to coat out the irritable bowel lining.

Nonsurgical acid reflux therapies work By Will Dunham, Mon Jan 19, 2009

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two nonsurgical procedures relieve many symptoms of acid reflux disease including heartburn in people who are not helped by the medications typically used to treat it, U.S. researchers said on Friday.

In this chronic condition, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, irritating its lining and causing inflammation. Persistent, often-severe heartburn is the most common symptom.

Most people are helped if they take a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors such as AstraZeneca Plc's Nexium and Prilosec, Wyeth's Protonix, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co's Prevacid and Eisai Inc's Aciphex.

For those who are not helped by medications, there are few options short of surgery.

The new study, published in the journal Archives of Surgery, found two rarely performed so-called endoluminal therapies reduced heartburn, swallowing difficulties and voice hoarseness in many patients who underwent them.

Both are done using an endoscope, a long flexible instrument inserted through the mouth and down the esophagus.

One procedure called full-thickness plication uses the endoscope to tighten the junction between the esophagus and the stomach with sutures. The other, called radiofrequency therapy, uses heat to improve the function of the valve between the esophagus and stomach.

In this study, 68 patients underwent radiofrequency treatment and 58 had full-thickness plication.

"I think medication is still the first thing that people should try for reflux," Dr. Louis Jeansonne IV of Ochsner Medical Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the researchers, said in a telephone interview.

"Surgery is still the most effective treatment in people who don't have relief with medications. But this study shows that this therapy without surgery is a viable option in patients who either can't have surgery or don't want surgery," Jeansonne added.

Surgery used to treat acid reflux is called laparoscopic fundoplication, in which doctors take the top of the stomach and wrap it around the lower part of the esophagus to create a barrier for acid reflux.

Acid reflux returns more than 80 percent of the time when people stop taking the medications.

"It's nice to be able to offer something less invasive," said Dr. Edward Lin of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, another of the researchers.

Lin noted the two nonsurgical treatments are uncommon in part because health insurance companies typically do not pay for them. Lin added that these nonsurgical treatments do not preclude a patient from getting surgery later if they do not provide relief.

(Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Todd Eastham)
Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

You can learn more from our articles found at leaflady.org

MRSA infections rapidly increasing in children

I have a number of articles at leaflady.org and 13 related articles about MRSA here at Natural Health News. I have been investigating this issue since 1993 and have developed an approach that would be effective without relying on drugs that are currently not effective for this bacteria.

My basic protocol involves the use of pure essential oils (a common therapy in conventional medicine in France)and an herbal formula that was tested at Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard. It was this herbal formula that led to the FDA attacking my organization several years ago.

I now have a new weapon in my arsenal (Alli-C, ref=Dr.Eversole). This product is tested for effectiveness against MRSA and it passes each and every time.

I also have a resource for cleaning that goes beyond the standard chemical approach used in most health facility housekeeping departments.

I surely wish all the medical types would get out of their "box" and forget trying to come up with a new drug that may or may not work.

Serious infections rising in U.S. children
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Children in the United States increasingly are developing serious head and neck infections with a drug-resistant type of "superbug" bacteria called MRSA, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

They said rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, are rising in children, and called on doctors to be more judicious in prescribing antibiotics.

"There is a nationwide increase in the prevalence of MRSA in children with head and neck infections that is alarming," said Dr. Steven Sobol of Emory University, whose study appears in the Archives of Otalaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

MRSA previously had been a major concern only in hospitals, attacking patients who are already weakened by disease. But recent outbreaks in the community in otherwise healthy children have raised new concerns.

Sobol noted that other studies have shown increases in community-acquired infections of the skin and soft tissue, but some institutions have observed MRSA infections among children with head and neck infections, such as those involving the ear, nose, throat or sinuses.

To get a sense of the scope of the outbreak, the researchers studied 21,009 children ages 1 to 18 with head and neck infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus from 300 hospitals across the nation between 2001 and 2006.

While only 12 percent of the staph infections in 2001 showed signs of antibiotic resistance, that number more than doubled to 28 percent in just five years.

Nearly 60 percent of all MRSA infections of the head and neck among children in the study were acquired outside hospitals. Most were in children's ears.

The researchers suggest that doctors conduct careful testing of head and neck infections, and prescribe antibiotics only when they will do some good.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 94,000 Americans get serious, invasive MRSA infections each year and 19,000 die.

Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen, editing by Will Dunham and David Wiessler.
Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

See also: A New Weapon in the Battle Against Drug-Tolerant Bacteria

Herbal remedies compete with mainstream medicine

If Dr. WES, a medical blogger had his way there would be no room for natural health care, anywhere any how.

He is just another one of those arrogant mainstream medical folks who can't fathom that there is real science behind natural remedies and it has existed for a very long time.

And of course if we all get savvy and work to keep our health in top shape or re-build it with a healthy food plan and natural supplements or related treatments, his income will be impacted.

I suppose my wish is that enlightenment hits Dr. WES square up the side of his closed mind.

from Essen, Germany -
Mon, 19 Jan 2009. Author: DPA: Herbal remedies compete with traditional medicine

Essen, Germany - From a chamomile infusion for a cold or some fennel tea for an upset stomach, herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular and are believed to strengthen the body's immune system. Though often self-prescribed, these treatments are gaining acceptance among practitioners of traditional medicine.

"Patients want to avoid the side effects of traditional therapies by turning to natural remedies," says Gustav Dobos, professor of internal medicine and Chairholder of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The Central Association of Doctors for Natural Medicine (ZAEN) also believes herbal and natural remedies are gaining acceptance, especially among people with allergies and chronic health problems.

"We don't want to condemn traditional medicine. Natural medicine is no substitute. But you can be more successful if you work on two tracks," says ZAEN spokeswoman and general practitioner Christel Papendick.

Traditionally, herbal remedies are used to combat minor ailments that can be treated without a doctor. Cloisters and monasteries were the original groundbreakers for herbal medicine, helping to spread them across Europe during the Middle Ages and into the 15th century, says Dobos.

Hildegard, a Benedictine nun from Bingen, who lived from 1089 to 1179, was one of the best-known practitioners. Today, some monasteries still have gardens focused on herbal medicine.

"There's something that reduces the problems and speeds up the healing for almost every illness," says Johannes Gottfried Mayer of the University of Wuerzburg. He runs a research group that focuses on the medical discoveries of monasteries.

Research shows that willow bark was used to combat fever and pain as early as the 13th century. In the 19th century, researchers discovered that the plant's active ingredient was acetyl salicylic acid (ASS), a substance used in modern pain relievers.

Mayer says people are beginning to turn to natural remedies amid growing scepticism about the ability of high-tech solutions to solve all health problems. In addition, most of these herbal remedies are easier for the body to process.

"The mildness of plant remedies is the most interesting part, especially when it comes to treating children," he says.

The only irony is that some plants that can be used medicinally present huge problems for people who could benefit from herbal remedies: the allergic. Plants from the daisy family such as leopard's bane or marigolds can cause allergic reactions and should be used with caution.

Copyright, respective author DHA or news agency, Essen, Germany

The 3 Main Categories Of Exercise

Exercise is the central ingredient of good health. It tones
the muscles, strengthens the bones, and makes the heart and
lungs work great. It increases your physical reserve
and your vitality. Exercise eases depression, assists the
function of the bowels, leads to sound sleep, and aids in
every activity of your daily life. Exercise helps prevent
heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and many more
diseases. Exercise for the body comes in three
different types:

Strengthening Exercise

Strengthening exercises are the traditional body building
exercises that build stronger muscles. These exercises can
be very helpful in improving function in a particular body
part after surgery where it's necessary to rebuild strength.
They also help to strengthen your bones, since bones react
to stress by becoming stronger; they can help strengthen
bones even at advanced ages. When using strengthening
exercises you should never use anabolic steroids or any
other drugs because you may damage your future health.
Examples of strengthening exercises are squeezing balls,
lifting weights, and doing push-ups or pull-ups.

Stretching Exercise

Stretching exercises are designed to help keep you loose.
These exercises are truly important and everyone should
be doing them everyday. Stretching can be of great
benefit, like if you have a joint that's stiff because of
arthritis or an injury. There's nothing strange about the
stretching process. Any body part that you can't completely
straighten or bend needs to be frequently and repeatedly
stretched. A good rule is at least twice daily. Over weeks
or months, you can often regain motion of that body part.
An example of a stretching exercise is like toe touching
without the bounce.

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercises is the most important of the three. It's
the key to fitness and vitality. The word aerobic means
that during the exercise period, the oxygen that you breathe
in balances the oxygen that you use up. A number of good
things happen while doing this exercise. Your heart speeds
up to pump larger amounts of blood. You breathe more
frequently and more deeply to increase the oxygen transfer
from the lungs to the blood. Your body develops increased
heat and compensates by sweating to keep your temperature
normal. At the same time you build endurance which improves
the function of all the cells of the body where you become
more fit. The best form is interval training.

It's never too soon to develop the habit of lifetime
exercise. It's never too late to begin an exercise program
and to experience the dramatic benefits. If you haven't
been exercising for some time, start at a lower level of
physical activity than a more active person would until you
build yourself up.

Muscle Building Workouts – How To Strengthen Your Abs

If you have ever done an internet search for “6 pack abs” then you have by now seen the dozens of ab workout programs that claim to have the most “amazing” and “incredible” ab workout known to man. There are a couple of problems with these amazing workout routines. First of all, not everyone can have nice looking 6 pack abs because everyone's body is different. Secondly, all of these programs are trying to sell you for $30 or more what you can easily find by simply doing just a little bit of research online.

It's important to understand that really defined abs will take a whole lot of work, no matter what any one else tells you. Again, everyone's body is different, so it's possible that you will be able to get the abs you want with little work. But chances are you will need to do an ab workout 5 days a week if you really want to see results. Remember too that you will need to minimize your fat and sugar intake and do at least 2 hours of cardio a week in addition to your ab workout.

That being said, here are a few great ab exercises that have the potential to make your midsection look great:

1.¾ Crunches – Lay flat on your back with your knees in the air and feet approximately one inch off the ground. Place your hands behind your head and hold your head approximately one inch off the ground. Lift your head forward and your knees backward until your knees touch your elbows. Repeat the motions making sure that your hands and feet never quite hit the ground.

You should aim for about 20-30 reps per set and about 8-10 sets total with this exercise.

2.Bicycle Twists – Lay flat on your back with your knees held upright and lift and swing your elbows until your elbow touches the adjacent knee. So if you are starting with your left arm then you would try to touch your right knee. Go back and forth with your left arm and right arm. Rinse and repeat.

With this exercise you should also aim for about 20-30 reps per side (each side of your body is a different ab muscle) and about 8-10 total sets.

3.Flat Raises – Lay perfectly flat on the ground with your legs stretched outward. Place your hands behind your head and lift your head until it is at about a 90 degree angle and then back down again. Make sure you keep your legs perfectly straight and flat on the ground while doing this exercise. You should be able to easily do 40 or 50 of these starting out for each set. You should aim to do about 10-12 of these per workout.

Strengthen Your Abs,strengthening abs,strengthen lower upper abs

Radiation of any kind increases cancer risk

UPDATE: 19 January, 2009 -More mammography madness, women's health really not a priority - Thermography needs to become the treatment of choice and women should not be subjected to high risk of harm or breast cancer (along with heart and thyroid damage from the screening). This is why for more than a decade we have been saying THINK Before You Pink! Women's Health Month is March, and that is not too far away.

FDA Warns of Potential of Serious Side Effects with Topical Numbing Agents
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today, Published: January 16, 2009

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 16 -- The FDA has issued a second warning about the potential dangers of using topical anesthetics for relieving pain from medical tests and conditions.

The latest advisory was prompted by a report last summer on the results of a randomized trial evaluating the use of lidocaine for the pain and discomfort of mammography. (See: Pre-Mammography Painkiller May Ease the Pinch)

The researchers found that women using lidocaine -- which was spread over the breasts and chest wall and covered with plastic wrap for a total absorption time of about 45 minutes -- reported significantly less discomfort than those using acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or placebo.

"Although no serious side effects were reported in this study," the FDA warning read, "it was not large enough to evaluate whether uncommon but serious reactions could occur with this use.

"FDA remains concerned about the potential for topical anesthetics to cause serious and life-threatening adverse effects when applied to a large area of skin or when the area of application is covered," the advisory read.

The agency said that some of the topical medication can pass into the blood stream upon application.

Under certain circumstances -- if a large area of skin is covered, the drug is applied to broken skin, or skin temperature increases -- the amount of medication entering the blood stream may be toxic, causing irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma, and death, the agency said.

This latest warning repeats the concerns of an advisory issued in February 2007 following the deaths of two women, ages 22 and 25, who applied topical anesthetics to their legs and covered them in plastic wrap to numb the anticipated pain of laser hair removal.

Both women had seizures, fell into a coma, and subsequently died because of the drugs' toxic effects.

The drugs involved were lidocaine and tetracaine.

The FDA advised physicians to determine whether a topical anesthetic would create the necessary pain relief when considering its use for any purpose and whether an alternate treatment would be as effective.

If a topical anesthetic is determined to be the best choice, the agency recommended using the lowest amounts possible, applying the medications as sparingly as possible, avoiding broken or irritated skin, and being aware that wrapping or applying heat to the areas treated with the medications can increase the risk of serious side effects.

and

Breast Imaging Premedication to Reduce Discomfort during Screening Mammography1
Colleen K. Lambertz, MSN, MBA, FNP, Christopher J. Johnson, MPH, Paul G. Montgomery, MD, and James R. Maxwell, MD

1 From the St Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute (C.K.L., P.G.M.), 100 E Idaho St, Boise, ID 83712; Cancer Data Registry of Idaho, Boise, Idaho (C.J.J.); and St Luke's Regional Medical Center, Boise, Idaho (J.R.M.). Received August 27, 2007; revision requested November 1; final revision received November 29; accepted January 24, 2008; final revision accepted March 4. Supported by the Mountain States Tumor Medical Research Institute grant. Address correspondence to C.K.L. (e-mail: lambertc{at}slrmc.org).

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that premedication with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and/or 4% lidocaine gel would decrease discomfort and improve satisfaction with screening mammography in women who expect a higher level of discomfort.

Materials and Methods: In this HIPAA-compliant, institutional review board–approved, prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 418 women aged 32–89 years who expected substantial discomfort with screening mammography were randomly divided to receive premedication with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and/or 4% lidocaine gel. Subjects provided informed written consent. The primary outcome was discomfort. Secondary outcomes were satisfaction and plans for future mammography on the basis of discomfort. Subjects completed structured questionnaires with visual analog scales to measure discomfort and satisfaction. A generalized linear mixed-models framework was used to assess the effect of medications on discomfort during mammography, and satisfaction with technologist and machine combinations was included as a random effect. The "plans for mammography next year" outcome was modeled by using a binary distribution and logit link function.

Results: Discomfort was significantly lower in the lidocaine gel group (P = .01). Satisfaction was significantly negatively correlated with discomfort (P < .001). Satisfaction and whether or not the subject had delayed her mammography because of fear of discomfort had significant effects on plans to undergo mammography next year (P < .001 for both). There were significant differences in discomfort between different combinations of technologists and machines.

Conclusion: Premedication with 4% lidocaine gel significantly reduced discomfort during screening mammography, and reduced discomfort may improve the likelihood of future mammographic screening and early detection of breast cancer.
(Radiology 2008;248:765-772.)© RSNA, 2008

Originally posted 9/5/08, Our new paper is linked with facts you do want to know.
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Each year, about 800,000 women around the world are diagnosed with early breast cancer.

It amazes me that there is so much closed minded "research" aiming at co-opting women to believe that mammogram or other radiation exposure is good for them to detect cancer earlier and better.

The fact is that tumours picked up on mammogram are at least 8-10 years old. If you are 40 and get a mammogram (x-ray) every year, the risk of your getting cancer rises exponentially. Why aren't you being told this?

Other less intrusive and decidedly less risky diagnostic techniques have been around for a long time. Ultrasound is one, but that still relies on EMF or radio waves, but it is a far sight safer than X-RAY.

Another health impact that seems to be overlooked in this allegedly novel approach is that radioactive "tracers" or dyes are in use. Often there is no pre-test screening to determine if you have an allergy to the substance. These allergies may elicit anaphylactic reactions and death. Other considerations is the impact of radioactive substances on your endocrine system, especially your thyroid gland.

Mammography does not save or extend lives and is not a justifiable practice. So how much money do insurance companies and consumers pay out for radiation treatment of breast cancer? This practice results in only a less than 1% chance of improving survival. Is this worth such a large investment when so many medical claims are denied and there is virtually zero coverage of preventive practices? from the Lancet 2000; 355: 129-134.

and versus MBI
One drawback of MBI: It uses about 8 to 10 times the radiation of mammograms, a dose that engineers like Hruska are trying to lower with newer technology. Other medical centers also are testing MBI.

and they are again experimenting with an unproven technology that may be exciting to the researchers, but harmful to your health as there are no long term studies. Once again the lab rats are lining up to be experimented on, and paying to do so.

And by the way, don't overlook the fact that it is you that become the lab rat in this an in many other mainstream medical situations.

Thermography is really your better bet. Stand up for your health and demand this test.

Study: New way to spot breast cancer shows promise
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer
Wed Sep 3, 2008

A radioactive tracer that "lights up" cancer hiding inside dense breasts showed promise in its first big test against mammograms, revealing more tumors and giving fewer false alarms, doctors reported Wednesday.

The experimental method — molecular breast imaging, or MBI — would not replace mammograms for women at average risk of the disease.

But it might become an additional tool for higher risk women with a lot of dense tissue that makes tumors hard to spot on mammograms, and it could be done at less cost than an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging. About one-fourth of women 40 and older have dense breasts.

"MBI is a promising technology" that is already in advanced testing, said Carrie Hruska, a biomedical engineer at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which has been working on it for six years.

She gave results in a telephone news briefing Wednesday and will present them later this week at an American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Washington, D.C.

Mammograms — a type of X-ray — are the chief way now to check for breast cancer. MBI uses radiation, too, but in a different way. Women are given an intravenous dose of a short-acting tracer that is absorbed more by abnormal cells than healthy ones. Special cameras collect the "glow" these cells give off, and doctors look at the picture to spot tumors.

Researchers tried both methods, on 940 women who had dense breasts and a high risk of cancer because of family history, bad genes or other reasons.

Thirteen tumors were found in 12 women — eight by MBI alone, one by mammography alone, two by both methods and two by neither. (The two missed cancers were found on subsequent annual mammograms, physical exams or other imaging tests.)

Looked at another way, MBI found 10 out of 13 tumors, missing three; mammograms detected three out of 13 tumors and missed 10. Using both methods, 11 out of 13 tumors would have been detected.

"These images are quite striking. You can see how the cancers would be hidden on the mammograms," Hruska said.

Mammograms gave false alarms — led doctors to conclude that cancer was present when it was not — in about 9 percent of patients, compared to only 7 percent for MBI. The MBI tests led to more biopsies than mammograms did, but they more often revealed cancer.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation and Bristol-Myers Squibb, which makes the imaging agent used in the study, paid for the work.

The next test will be to see how MBI stacks up against MRI. The federal government is paying for a new study Mayo is leading that compares the two in 120 high-risk women with dense breasts.

MRI is often used now for women with dense breasts, but it gives many false alarms that lead to unnecessary biopsies. Doctors hope MBI will prove more accurate and cost less — under $500 versus more than $1,000 for an MRI.

"We all know that mammography is, in and of itself, an imperfect tool, and we clearly need to do better in the future," said Dr. Eric Winer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston, a spokesman for the oncology group. "It is fair to say that MRI will not solve all problems either."

One drawback of MBI: It uses about 8 to 10 times the radiation of mammograms, a dose that engineers like Hruska are trying to lower with newer technology. Other medical centers also are testing MBI.

"We're just beginning to see what this technology can do," she said.
___

On the Net:
Cancer conference: http://www.asco.org and http://www.cancer.net
Mayo Clinic: http://tinyurl.com/5rrwx3
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

Related articles

Crunches - Not The Answer For Six Pack Abs

The truth about crunches! We all seek answers to achieving
ripped abs. The truth about crunches is that they are good
for our abdominal muscles, but they will not give you the
ripped abs that you want. To get ripped abs, you need to
work on fat burning exercises that will burn overall fat,
watching what we eat and eliminating stress from our lives.

Doing crunches may be stopping you from getting six pack abs
because it doesn't focus on what needs to be trained.
Crunches strengthen, stabilize and develop the abdominal
area. But to get six pack abs, we need to focus on overall
fat burning.

Overall fat burning exercises are activities that allow us
to train our whole body to increase our metabolism. By
increasing our metabolism, we are better able to burn fat
and utilize the excess belly fat, which results in more
visibility of the abdominal muscles.

Resistance training has been shown to increase metabolic
activity and help the body to consume more body fat.
Increasing lean body mass through resistance training allows
us to utilize more fuel for our muscles.

Watching what we eat is important as well. By eating quality
foods, which are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals, we fuel our body to function better.
Instead of eating 3 big meals per day, we can increase our
meals to 5-6 and decrease the meal portions. This will allow
us to maintain our energy and blood sugar levels throughout
the day.

Stress affects our bodies in a way that makes our bodies
react in an emergency mode. When our bodies are in a
stressful situation, Cortisol is released and causes fat to
be stored in the abdominal area.

There are several ways to decrease the amount of stress in
our lives. Activities like deep breathing, tai chi, and
yoga, have ways of calming the body down and help to reduce
stress.

Crunches, in truth, are good for you but to achieve defined
ripped abs, we need to focus on other factors. Activities like
resistance training, watching what we eat and eliminating stress
from our lives, will help us achieve our ripped six-pack abs.