HORMONE REPLACEMENT DRUGS MAY NOT BE FOR YOU

Again, the question is raised about hormone replace therapy for menopausal women. The cancer risk argument raged on a few decades ago, then quieted down with the discovery that adding progestin to estrogen actually decreased the risk of ovarian cancer in women. Now, a few small studies have shown that the combination of progestin and estrogen can increase the incidence of some types of cancer in women, quite the reverse of previous large-scale studies' findings. 

What to do now? Have a heart-to-heart talk with your doctor (even if you had one earlier, before this latest information) and discuss personal genetic issues such as heartdisease, cancer, osteoporosis and other debilitating diseases that must be considered along with your prescription for hormone replacement therapy.

Question of the Week

Question: Flat Stomach and Svelte Body?

What is the easiest was to lose stomach fat? Also, what is a good dieting plan?

Answer: 
You have just asked the two million dollar questions of the century. Breathes there a soul in this world who does not want a flatter stomach or slimmer body? Well, maybe a few. But the majority of us want both, big time! 

There is no magic pill, easy answer or mythical genie that can grant us these two wishes. All we have is our motivation, our know-how and ourselves. We can help with the know-how. The rest is up to you. 

Abdominal exercises are essential for toning the muscles, even if they are hidden beneath a layer of fat. You want to build those muscles so they will shine when the veil of fat falls off. Crunches are good as are a number of other abs-tightening exercises such as the halfway sit-up, the lie-flat-on-your-back knee-raises and the lying-in-bed- pull-your-abs-muscles-into-the-mattress routines. All are easily available in any abdominal exercise book or on the Internet. 

Just as important, if not more so, are cardio-vascular exercises that burn fat. The fat stored in your stomach area is excess blubber that may be reduced through exercise and diet. Fat-burning exercises most effective are running, power walking, jumping rope, and swimming laps. Machines that burn fat best are stair-masters, treadmills, and elliptical trainers. Classes that also burn fat fast are spinning (organized biking), aerobic dance and kickboxing. 

We're not guaranteeing 'washboard' abs but if you stick to diet and exercise, you should see results within a few weeks. As the pounds come off, so does the circumference of your stomach shrink. If you don't believe us, use a tape measure before you start and compare before and after. That should be enough to motivate you to a lifetime of healthy living.

No fad or trendy diets are going to be long lasting so prepare to suffer a bit for the results you seek. Cut out all fatty foods such as fried items, whole milk and cheese, (use low fat or fat free), processed foods (bakery goods, cured meats, cookies, crackers etc.), and nuts. (Okay, okay, we're going to get letters out there from all the slender vegetarians who claim they eat nuts every day and they are a good source of protein blah, blah, blah) But we're talking weight reduction here. The amount of fat in nuts does not justify the amount of protein contained therein. And that's that. You can add some of the healthier ones later, maybe, but not while trying to reduce. Avoid sugary drinks, alcohol (okay, okay, a few glasses of wine or beer two to three times a week) and soda pop. If you must, use diet drinks. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice as it is more satisfying, will fill you up more and contains more essential vitamins and fiber. Eat more slowly; concentrate on your food; wait 20 minutes before eating more when you still feel hungry.

Drink eight glasses (64 oz.) of water a day. It will help you eat less and flush out the toxins in your system. 

Check our Health & Fitness Home Page for more health tips on exercise and weight loss and just plain healthy living. And let us know how you're doing. Good luck.

The HFT Staff

NOTE: If you would like to see your question featured here, please submit to: questions@health-fitness-tips.com

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