Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Body Fat Setpoint, Part IV: Changing the Setpoint
Prevention is Easier than Cure
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
- It must cause fat loss
- It must not involve deliberate calorie restriction
- It must maintain fat loss over a long period of time
- It must not be harmful to overall health
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
- Don't eat food that encourages the growth of harmful bacteria
- Eat food that encourages the growth of good bacteria
- Don't eat food that impairs gut barrier function
- Eat food that promotes gut barrier health
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
The Body Fat Setpoint, Part IV: Changing the Setpoint
Prevention is Easier than Cure
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
- It must cause fat loss
- It must not involve deliberate calorie restriction
- It must maintain fat loss over a long period of time
- It must not be harmful to overall health
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
- Don't eat food that encourages the growth of harmful bacteria
- Eat food that encourages the growth of good bacteria
- Don't eat food that impairs gut barrier function
- Eat food that promotes gut barrier health
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
The Body Fat Setpoint, Part IV: Changing the Setpoint
Prevention is Easier than Cure
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
- It must cause fat loss
- It must not involve deliberate calorie restriction
- It must maintain fat loss over a long period of time
- It must not be harmful to overall health
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
- Don't eat food that encourages the growth of harmful bacteria
- Eat food that encourages the growth of good bacteria
- Don't eat food that impairs gut barrier function
- Eat food that promotes gut barrier health
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
The Body Fat Setpoint, Part IV: Changing the Setpoint
Prevention is Easier than Cure
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
Experiments in animals have confirmed what common sense suggests: it's easier to prevent health problems than to reverse them. Still, many health conditions can be improved, and in some cases reversed, through lifestyle interventions. It's important to have realistic expectations and to be kind to oneself. Cultivating a drill sergeant mentality will not improve quality of life, and isn't likely to be sustainable.
Fat Loss: a New Approach
If there's one thing that's consistent in the medical literature, it's that telling people to eat fewer calories does not help them lose weight in the long term. Gary Taubes has written about this at length in his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, and in his upcoming book on body fat. Many people who use this strategy see transient fat loss, followed by fat regain and a feeling of defeat. There's a simple reason for it: the body doesn't want to lose weight. It's extremely difficult to fight the fat mass setpoint, and the body will use every tool it has to maintain its preferred level of fat: hunger, reduced body temperature, higher muscle efficiency (i.e., less energy is expended for the same movement), lethargy, lowered immune function, et cetera.
Therefore, what we need for sustainable fat loss is not starvation; we need a treatment that lowers the fat mass setpoint. There are several criteria that this treatment will have to meet to qualify:
- It must cause fat loss
- It must not involve deliberate calorie restriction
- It must maintain fat loss over a long period of time
- It must not be harmful to overall health
Strategies: Diet Pattern
The most obvious treatment that fits all of my criteria is low-carbohydrate dieting. Overweight people eating low-carbohydrate diets generally lose fat and spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. In fact, in several diet studies, investigators compared an all-you-can-eat low-carbohydrate diet with a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. The low-carbohydrate dieters generally reduced their calorie intake and body fat to a similar or greater degree than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that they ate all the calories they wanted (1). This suggest that their fat mass setpoint had changed. At this point, I think moderate carbohydrate restriction may be preferable to strict carbohydrate restriction for some people, due to the increasing number of reports I've read of people doing poorly in the long run on extremely low-carbohydrate diets (2).
Another strategy that appears effective is the "paleolithic" diet. In Dr. Staffan Lindeberg's 2007 diet study, overweight volunteers with heart disease lost fat and reduced their calorie intake to a remarkable degree while eating a diet consistent with our hunter-gatherer heritage (3). This result is consistent with another diet trial of the paleolithic diet in diabetics (4). In post hoc analysis, Dr. Lindeberg's group showed that the reduction in weight was apparently independent of changes in carbohydrate intake*. This suggests that the paleolithic diet has health benefits that are independent of carbohydrate intake.
Strategies: Gastrointestinal Health
Since the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is so intimately involved in body fat metabolism and overall health (see the former post), the next strategy is to improve GI health. There are a number of ways to do this, but they all center around four things:
- Don't eat food that encourages the growth of harmful bacteria
- Eat food that encourages the growth of good bacteria
- Don't eat food that impairs gut barrier function
- Eat food that promotes gut barrier health
Oligofructose is similar to inulin, a fiber that occurs naturally in a wide variety of plants. Good sources are jerusalem artichokes, jicama, artichokes, onions, leeks, burdock and chicory root. Certain non-industrial cultures had a high intake of inulin. There are some caveats to inulin, however: inulin and oligofructose can cause gas, and can also exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disorder (9). So don't eat a big plate of jerusalem artichokes before that important date.
The colon is packed with symbiotic bacteria, and is the site of most intestinal fermentation. The small intestine contains fewer bacteria, but gut barrier function there is critical as well. The small intestine is where the GI doctor will take a biopsy to look for celiac disease. Celiac disease is a degeneration of the small intestinal lining due to an autoimmune reaction caused by gluten (in wheat, barley and rye). This brings us to one of the most important elements of maintaining gut barrier health: avoiding food sensitivities. Gluten and casein (in dairy protein) are the two most common offenders. Gluten sensitivity is widespread and typically undiagnosed (10).
Eating raw fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and half-sour pickles also helps maintain the integrity of the upper GI tract. I doubt these have any effect on the colon, given the huge number of bacteria already present. Other important factors in gut barrier health are keeping the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in balance, eating nutrient-dense food, and avoiding the questionable chemical additives in processed food. If triglycerides are important for leptin sensitivity, then avoiding sugar and ensuring a regular source of omega-3 should aid weight loss as well.
Strategies: Micronutrients
As I discussed in the last post, micronutrient deficiency probably plays a role in obesity, both in ways that we understand and ways that we (or I) don't. Eating a diet that has a high nutrient density and ensuring a good vitamin D status will help any sustainable fat loss strategy. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate industrially processed foods such as white flour, sugar and seed oils. These constitute more than 50% of calories for the average Westerner.
After that, you can further increase your diet's nutrient density by learning to properly prepare grains and legumes to maximize their nutritional value and digestibility (11, 12; or by avoiding grains and legumes altogether if you wish), selecting organic and/or pasture-raised foods if possible, and eating seafood including seaweed. One of the problems with extremely low-carbohydrate diets is that they may be low in water-soluble micronutrients, although this isn't necessarily the case.
Strategies: Miscellaneous
In general, exercise isn't necessarily helpful for fat loss. However, there is one type of exercise that clearly is: high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). It's basically a fancy name for sprints. They can be done on a track, on a stationary bicycle, using weight training circuits, or any other way that allows sufficient intensity. The key is to achieve maximal exertion for several brief periods, separated by rest. This type of exercise is not about burning calories through exertion: it's about increasing hormone sensitivity using an intense, brief stressor (hormesis). Even a ridiculously short period of time spent training HIIT each week can result in significant fat loss, despite no change in diet or calorie intake (13).
Anecdotally, many people have had success using intermittent fasting (IF) for fat loss. There's some evidence in the scientific literature that IF and related approaches may be helpful (14). There are different approaches to IF, but a common and effective method is to do two complete 24-hour fasts per week. It's important to note that IF isn't about restricting calories, it's about resetting the fat mass setpoint. After a fast, allow yourself to eat quality food until you're no longer hungry.
Insufficient sleep has been strongly and repeatedly linked to obesity. Whether it's a cause or consequence of obesity I can't say for sure, but in any case it's important for health to sleep until you feel rested. If your sleep quality is poor due to psychological stress, meditating before bedtime may help. I find that meditation has a remarkable effect on my sleep quality. Due to the poor development of oral and nasal structures in industrial nations, many people do not breathe effectively and may suffer from conditions such as sleep apnea that reduce sleep quality. Overweight also contributes to these problems.
I'm sure there are other useful strategies, but that's all I have for now. If you have something to add, please put it in the comments.
* Since reducing carbohydrate intake wasn't part of the intervention, this result is observational.
Foto Seksi Syahrini di Tepi Pantai Beredar !
Syahrini baru saja memberikan pernyataan di media massa, bahwa dia ingin memupus kesan seksi yang melekat pada dirinya, namun di forum internet sudah beredar beberapa foto seksinya disaat sedang berada disebuah pantai.
Foto Sexy Syahrini yang memakai baju putih tersebut terlihat sedang memakai kaca mata hitam, dan tentang dari mana asal usul foto itu berada, sampai kini juga masih belum diketahui.
Foto Sexy Syahrini yang memakai baju putih tersebut terlihat sedang memakai kaca mata hitam, dan tentang dari mana asal usul foto itu berada, sampai kini juga masih belum diketahui.
10 Desainer Logo Paling Sukses di Dunia !
Beberapa bulan yang lalu tepatnya di bulan Novemver 2009, Aceh heboh dengan Sayembara logo Bank Aceh ditambah dengan hadiah yang sangat menggiurkan, dari sisi lain ada beberapa kalangan yang ikut partisipasi ingin “unjuk kebolehan” dengan harapan logonya dimenangkan dan digunakan pihak manajeman bank. beranjak dari sayembara tersebut, fakta dilapangan ternyata masyarakat lebih cenderung mengenali sebuah produk dari logo, sehingga keberadaan sebuagh logo secara langsung berperan dalam susksesnya sebuah perusahaan. seiring dengan sukssesnya perusahaan otomatis desainer pencipta logo pun namanya ikut terangkat kepermukaan. berikut 10 desainer logp paling sukses du dunia.
1. RUTH KEDAR
Dialah ideator logo Google. Ruth lahir di Brazil tapi kemudian pindah ke Israel untuk mendapatkan gelar arsitekturnya. Dia melanjutkan pendidikannya di Stanford University dan mendapatkan gelar Master di bidang desain, dan menjadi konsultan seni desain di Stanford selama 15 tahun. Hasil-hasil karyanya dapat di lihat di art.net
2. HERBERT I. LUBALIN
Herbert adalah seorang tokoh Amerika desainer grafis dan pengaruhnya dapat dilihat pada logo diciptakan pada 1990-an dan 2000-an. Dia adalah desainer untuk 3 majalah terkenal di luar sana, yakni majalah Eros, Fact dan Avant Garde.
3. PAUL RAND
Sang desainer dari logo IBM yang terkenal dan juga desainer logo ABC. Dia adalah desainer spesialis untuk logo-logo perusahaan. Dia juga salah satu pencetus Swiss Style of Graphic Design. Sampai saat ini masih mengajar di Yale University.
4. WALTER LANDOR
Pria kelahiran Munich ini adalah desainer logo FedEX. Dia jugalah yang mendesain logo-logo produk seperti FujiFilm, Del Monte, Marlboro, Tab & Bank of America. Dan bukan hanya itu, beberapa perusahaan penerbangan seperti British Airlines, Japan Airlines dan Singapore Airlines juga menggunakan jasa kreatifnya.
5. WALLY OLINS
Wally Olins adalah salah satu pribadi yang paling dilirik beberapa perusahaan saat mereka membutuhkan logo untuk produk barunya. Dia adalah pendiri Saffron Consultants di tahun 2001. Dia menerima penghargaan CBE pada tahun 1999 dan dinominasikan pada penghargaan desainer Pangeran Philip pada tahun 1999. Beberapa perusahaan yang menggunakan jasanya antara lain: Prudentials, Renault, Volkswagen, dan Repsol.
6. MILTON GLASER
Pasti tau logo I LOVE NEW YORK yang suka di pajang di kaos, topi, tas, sticker, dll kan? Nah inilah sang penciptanya.
7. BOB GILL
Seorang desainer dengan bakat luar biasa. Dia terkenal dengan desain-desain judul di beberapa film-film terkenal. Beberapa perusahaan yang menggunakan jasanya antara lain Universal Pictures, Rainbow Theater, Apple Corps records, High Times Magazines.
8. ALAN FLETCHER
Desainer logo Reuters, Victoria dan Albert Museum and Institute of Directors.
Bersama Colin Forbes dan Bob Gill di tahun 1962 mendirikan Fletcher/Forbes/Gill , sebuah perusahaan desain. Beberapa perusahaan yang menggunakan jasanya antara lain Pirelli, Cunard, Penguin Books.
9. CHERMAYEFF & GEISMAR
Kedua orang inilah yang mendesain logo Xerox, National Geographic, Mobil Oil, NBC, dan masih banyak lainnya. Mereka mendirikan sebuah perusahaan desain terkenal dengan Armani Exchange, Hearts Coorporations sebagai beberapa client yang menggunakan jasanya.
10. SAUL BASS
Seorang multitalenta, Saul Bass adalah seorang desainer dan juga pembuat film. Sebagai seorang desainer, logo hasil karyanya yang paling terkenal diantaranya logo United Airlines, logo Avery International dan logo Continental Airlines
Nah, itu dia 10 desainer grafis yang menggetarkan dunia dengan logo-logonya, kemudian ada yang bertanya, bro di aceh ada ga desainer logo yang sangat berpengaruh???jawabnya ada, yang pertama Alm Khairul Bahri (pencipta logo pancacita). dan yang kedua pemenang logo bank Aceh.
Sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org, www.kaskus.us
Vitamin D may fight Crohn's disease
Vitamin D may fight Crohn's disease - UPI.com: "Canadian researchers say vitamin D can counter the effects of Crohn's disease.
Researchers at Montreal's McGill University Health Center and University of Montreal found vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an anti-microbial peptide and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes."
Researchers at Montreal's McGill University Health Center and University of Montreal found vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an anti-microbial peptide and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes."
Walima Club :Omani Lamb Kabouli
The exquisite Lamb Rice feast from the cuisine of scenic coastal land of Oman,was chosen for the Walima cooking Club this month(Thanks Arlette).
The Omani cuisine is rich with aroma of spices but not as hot as the South Asian Cuisine.Lamb and rice is a royal combination meal of most Arab cuisines. Traditionally in Oman, the meat is cooked very slowly with spices in clay ovens for the most succulent and tender meat.The Omani Lamb Kabouli has a striking resemble with the Lamb Biryani of the Mughalai cuisine,with use of aromatic spices ,rice and meat.
Recipe Lamb Kabouli
Ingredients:
2 lbs(about 1 kg) lamb cut in small pieces,white fat trimmed
3 cups(about 500 grams)White or Brown Basmati rice,Rinsed and drained.
2 cups Cooked Chickpeas
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole cardamom pods
3-4 cloves
1 teaspoon Peppercorn( whole black pepper)
2 medium onions,thinly sliced
2 tablespoon raisins(optional)
2 tablespoon Omani spice mix(see below)
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
1 tablespoon rose water(optional)
2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Omani spice :
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger,grated
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) cumin seeds,
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) coriander seeds,
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) cardamom seeds,
2 teaspoon (10 ml) cayenne pepper,
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) ground turmeric and
About 2 tablespoon (30 ml) distilled vinegar or fresh lime juice
Method:
Prepare the spice mix
Combine all the spice ingredients in a food processor and process until a thick paste is formed, adding more vinegar if necessary. Keep aside.
Cook Lamb
Heat the oil in large heavy bottom skillet.Add the onions and saute until lightly brown.Reserve half for garnish.To the remaining onions add half of the whole spices,salt,the prepared spice mix and saute for a minute.Add the lamb pieces along with 2 cups of water ,cover and cook until tender about 1 1/2 hour or 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.When done mix in the chickpeas,raisins,saffron,rose water and cook another 10 minutes.
Cook the rice and layer with lamb
Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in another large skillet and season with salt and remaining whole spices.When rice is almost done,layer the cooked lamb mixture over.Cover and cook until rice is completely done ,about 10 minutes.Turn the heat off.Let cool for 10 minutes.Mix and Serve.Garnish with fresh parsley and the reserved onions.Include some roasted vegetables(I served roasted carrots and butternut squash) on side to make the meal complete.
Slow Growth and Rising Debt
From Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff:
As government debt levels explode in the aftermath of the financial crisis, there is growing uncertainty about how quickly to exit from today’s extraordinary fiscal stimulus. Our research on the long history of financial crises suggests that choices are not easy, no matter how much one wants to believe the present illusion of normalcy in markets. Unless this time is different – which so far has not been the case – yesterday’s financial crisis could easily morph into tomorrow’s government debt crisis.
In previous cycles, international banking crises have often led to a wave of sovereign defaults a few years later. The dynamic is hardly surprising, since public debt soars after a financial crisis, rising by an average of over 80 per cent within three years. Public debt burdens soar owing to bail-outs, fiscal stimulus and the collapse in tax revenues. Not every banking crisis ends in default, but whenever there is a huge international wave of crises as we have just seen, some governments choose this route.
We do not anticipate outright defaults in the largest crisis-hit countries, certainly nothing like the dramatic de facto defaults of the 1930s when the US and Britain abandoned the gold standard. Monetary institutions are more stable (assuming the US Congress leaves them that way). Fundamentally, the size of the shock is less. But debt burdens are racing to thresholds of (roughly) 90 per cent of gross domestic product and above. That level has historically been associated with notably lower growth.
While the exact mechanism is not certain, we presume that at some point, interest rate premia react to unchecked deficits, forcing governments to tighten fiscal policy. Higher taxes have an especially deleterious effect on growth. We suspect that growth also slows as governments turn to financial repression to place debts at sub-market interest rates.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Foto-foto ABG Dibawah Umur Bareng Om Senang Yang Menggemparkan Internet !
Mungkin sebagian besar dari anda sudah pernah melihat foto-foto ini di internet, dan foto tersebut sekarang banyak diperbincangkan di forum-2 internet. Sungguh miris sebab kalau kita perhatikan wajah si anak ABG tsb, tidak ubahnya seperti ayah dan anak. Alert buat semua orang tua yang mempunyai anak-gadis !!
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Tanda Si Dia Hanya Main-Main
Suka...tidak...suka...tidak, entah sampai kapan, namun ada banyak gadis dan wanita di luar sana yang sering dibayangi dengan pertanyaan ini jika berbicara tentang salah seorang pria dalam hidupnya.Anda begitu sungguh-sungguh, namun dia seakan menunjukkan sikap yang tak menentu. Kini Anda tak perlu menebak-nebak lagi. Anda bisa menguji apakah pria yang Anda idamkan selama ini benar-benar menyukai Anda atau hanya bermain-main saja dari beberapa ciri nyata berikut ini.
Dia menghubungi pada detik-detik terakhir
Seringkah ia menghubungi dan mengajak Anda keluar pada waktu yang mendesak?! Hal ini bisa jadi karena ia telah ditolak oleh wanita lain, sehingga satu-satunya wanita yang ia tahu bakal bersedia menemaninya adalah Anda. Seorang pria yang benar-benar menyukai seorang wanita tidak akan mempertaruhkan janji temu dengan ajakan dadakan. Sebaliknya jauh-jauh hari ia akan berusaha membuat janji dengan Anda.
Dia bersembunyi
Maunya hanya bertemu di rumah, entah rumahnya, entah rumah Anda. Dia tampak tidak ingin orang lain mendapati Anda jalan berdua dengannya.
Dia sering sungkan menerima telepon atau sms
Saat berduaan dengan Anda, ia selalu mengatakan bahwa orang yang sering meneleponnya adalah salah sambung atau seseorang yang tidak penting. Bisa jadi ia sedang menghindari kekasihnya yang lain.
Dia tidak memperkenalkan Anda pada teman-temannya
Seorang pria yang serius akan mengenalkan Anda pada teman-temannya, keluarganya, dan ia juga antusias untuk bertemu keluarga Anda.
Dia labil
Kemarin dia terlihat penuh dengan cinta dan kehangatan, hari ini dia berubah total, menjadi dingin dan kasar. Tanda ini jelas bahwa ia hanya menganggap Anda sebagai mainan yang berharga saat dibutuhkan, namun tak berarti saat tidak diinginkan.
Dia menolak disebut sebagai pacar Anda
Jika ia tampak stres dan tertekan dengan ejekan teman-teman tentang kedekatan Anda berdua, maka bisa jadi ia tak pernah menganggap Anda sebagai pacarnya. Seorang pria yang menyukai Anda akan tampak senang jika ada orang lain yang menjadi kompor bagi hubungan dekat Anda berdua. Jika ia tidak pernah memperkenalkan Anda sebagai pacarnya, maka memang ia tidak melihat Anda seperti itu. Dia hanya menganggap Anda sebagai teman atau seorang yang selalu ada saat dibutuhkan.
Dia tak pernah membicarakan tentang masa depan
Tak pernah ada rencana apapun yang keluar dari mulutnya untuk Anda berdua, baik untuk liburan akhir pekan depan, apalagi tentang yang namanya pernikahan.
Dia tertutup
Anda mungkin telah membagi semuanya dengannya, harapan, impian, bahkan rahasia terdalam Anda. Namun, Anda bahkan tidak tahu apa warna kesukaannya. Apakah ia memang misterius atau hanya sekadar mempermainkan Anda?! Anda tebak saja. Namun, kemungkinan besar, ia hanya bermain-main saja.
Pria yang hobinya hanya mempermainkan wanita memang menjengkelkan. Pria macam itu mungkin selalu ada di mana-mana. Ingin dekat namun tanpa komitmen. Jika hal itu menimpa Anda, maka hanya Anda yang bisa menyelamatkan diri Anda sendiri. Jauhilah pria macam itu, dan nantikan pria yang benar-benar menginginkan Anda.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Mengapa Pria Sukar Minta Maaf
Kerapkali setelah melakukan kesalahan kaum pria cenderung ngeles alias pura-pura tidak terjadi apa-apa, pura-pura lupa ingatan. Tidak ada kata maaf atas tindakan bodohnya. Malahan mungkin, dia kemudian balik menyalahkan Anda, saat Anda bertanya padanya tentang sikap teledornya itu.Yang perlu kita ketahui tentang perbedaan pria dan wanita adalah bahwa pria 'hidup' dari harga diri atau penghargaan, sedangkan wanita 'hidup' dari kasih atau cinta. Hal ini yang kemudian menjelaskan mengapa makhluk berkumis itu susah minta maaf.
Bagi pria, kata maaf berarti ia gagal, sementara bagi wanita, berani minta maaf itu merupakan tindakan terhormat
Maaf mengandung arti bagi pria bahwa ia telah gagal. Jika ia gagal, maka harga dirinya pun jadi tercoreng. Oleh karena itu, meski merasa bersalah atau menyesal, kaum pria jarang mengungkapkannya secara verbal.
Mereka cenderung melakukan hal-hal istimewa, seperti membeli bunga, mentraktir makan, atau merayu, untuk 'membayar' rasa bersalah itu. Mereka tidak ingin dicap gagal saat mereka minta maaf.
Oleh karena itu, kita perlu menjadi teladan bagi mereka. Jika Anda berbuat salah, minta maaflah. Dengan demikian mereka akan melihat bahwa minta maaf itu bukanlah bentuk kegagalan, namun sebaliknya.
Pria tidak tahu mereka salah, dan kalaupun mereka tahu mereka tidak suka disalahkan
Bisa jadi pria enggan minta maaf karena mereka tidak tahu bahwa mereka salah. Atau jika mereka tahu, mereka tidak menyadari bahwa Anda telah terluka karenanya. Dalam hal ini, Anda harus mengungkapkan secara jujur apa yang Anda rasakan jika ia berbuat seperti itu.
Bicarakan dengan nada lembut tanpa ada embel-embel menghakimi atau menyalahkannya, karena siapa juga yang suka disalahkan atau dipojokkan. Ingatlah, bahwa tujuan Anda adalah agar dia tidak mengulangi kesalahan yang sama, bukannya mencari kesalahannya dan mempermalukannya.
Pria sukar mengungkapkan perasaannya secara verbal
Memang banyak pria yang suka berkata muluk-muluk. Namun, hal itu dengan mudah dapat dipelajari oleh pria manapun. Berbeda dengan wanita, pria tidak terlalu pandai dalam hal membicarakan apa yang mereka rasakan. Oleh karena itu, tiap kali bila disinggung tentang yang namanya perasaan, mereka bakal lari terbirit-birit karena tidak tahu harus berkata apa.
Memang tidak mau
Yang satu ini merupakan alasan terakhir dan sebuah sinyal merah untuk Anda. Jika Anda mengenal pria yang sudah tahu bahwa dirinya bersalah, namun tidak melakukan apapun untuk memperbaiki kesalahannya itu, maka ia tak patut dipertahankan. Pria macam ini berhati kaku dan dingin, enggan minta maaf karena ia memang tidak mau disalahkan dan bertanggung jawab atas apa yang telah ia lakukan. Apa Anda mau hidup dengan pria egois macam ini?!
Setelah kita tahu beberapa alasan yang membuat pria bungkam tentang minta maaf, maka satu hal lagi yang perlu kita ingat adalah jangan memaksa mereka untuk minta maaf. Seorang pria yang dipaksa untuk minta maaf akan balik menyalahkan Anda karena ia merasa harga dirinya sedang terancam.
Sebaliknya, dekati ia dengan lembut. Minta maaflah lebih dulu atas reaksi negatif Anda padanya, dan baru nyatakan perasaan dan keberatan Anda atas sikapnya itu. Jika Anda melunak, ia juga akan melunak.
Jika Anda merendah, maka ia akan merasa tersanjung dan lebih mau mengakui kesalahannya karena ia tahu bahwa Anda takkan memandang sebelah mata jika ia minta maaf. Pria pun butuh rasa aman, sama seperti Anda.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Cerita Cinta Yang Wajib Anda Punya
Berbicara tentang cinta, pastinya yang terbayang-bayang kebahagiaan yang Anda jalani selama berdua. Kenangan-kenangan pada saat saling mencuri pandang, saling melirik, melempar senyum, berjabat tangan dan menyebutkan nama sambil tersipu malu. Stop! Apakah hanya itu saja pengalaman cinta Anda? Oh tidak, tunggu seharusnya Anda layak mendapatkan pengalaman cinta yang lebih spesial. Tentunya karena Anda adalah wanita yang istimewa.
Bagaimanapun juga, Anda pasti punya pengalaman romantis bersama pasangan Anda. Tapi lihat dulu beberapa pengalaman romantis ini, yang jelas Anda akan dibuat iri olehnya.
1. Cinta Pertama
Cinta pertama adalah pengalaman yang wajib Anda miliki. Pada umumnya cinta ini juga terkadang disebut cinta monyet, karena pada usia puber, remaja selalu memiliki ketertarikan dengan lawan jenis. Terbayangkan serunya ketika Anda masih malu-malu dengan pasangan Anda. Harapan dan keinginan yang selalu muncul dan bunga-bunga yang selalu menghiasi kepala Anda. Kata orang dunia seakan milik berdua. Manis dan tak terlupakan, inilah kenangan yang akan selalu tersimpan manis di kotak hati Anda.
2. Jatuh Cinta pada si Bad Boy
Reputasinya mengencani wanita sudah tak perlu dipertanyakan lagi. Jelas saja siapa yang tak kepincut tampang dan semua perkataannya yang manis. Hanya dengan sebuah lirikan mata dan senyuman saja semua wanita bertekuk lutut padanya. Anda menilai itu adalah warning, lebih baik menjauhi tipe yang seperti ini dan mencari pria baik-baik saja. Ooo Anda melewatkan pengalaman seru! Si bad boy ini memberikan salah satu pengalaman asyik bagi Anda, menantang karena dia adalah salah satu orang yang selalu diidamkan setiap wanita, dan Anda sempat memilikinya. Setidaknya Anda bisa merasakan dan merekam memori saat dia melancarkan jurus-jurus rayuannya. Dan ketika the right man datang, Anda merasa lebih beruntung terlepas dari kandang macan dan diselamatkan pria berkuda putih dan baik hati.
3. Jalin hubungan dengan 'Bronis'
Bronis, si berondong manis, wow tampangnya yang imut-imut dan aksinya yang selalu manja membuat gemas. Sifatnya memang terkadang kekanak-kanakan dan egonya tentu sangat besar. Tapi asyik juga jalan dengan si dia, kesannya memang selalu muda. Yah asal jangan pilih bronis yang kelewat muda saja, supaya tidak terlalu makan hati. Nikmati saja masa-masa dengan mereka, karena banyak hal-hal menyenangkan yang akan membuat Anda merasa cinta itu indah.
4. LDR (Long Distance Relationship)
Mengapa hubungan jarak jauh adalah pengalaman cinta yang menarik dan romantis? Di satu sisi memang jarak yang memisahkan bisa menimbulkan banyak masalah dan pertengkaran. Namun lihat juga sisi manisnya, ketika sama-sama merindukan dan hanya ada beberapa waktu khusus saja untuk bertemu. Bisa terbayangkan betapa kerinduan yang menumpuk selama berjauhan akan meledak-ledak ketika saling bertemu. Dan suasana yang terbentuk saat hanya bisa bertemu lewat telepon, SMS atau IM (instant messages). Perasaan Anda akan dibuat bermain, naik turun secara emosi. Dan hal ini sangat menarik bagi mereka yang membutuhkan sense baru dalam berhubungan. Kelebihannya, masing-masing pasangan tetap merasa bebas dan nyaman tanpa terbebani komitmen. Dan sensasi yang ditimbulkan tentunya akan menjadi suatu tantangan menarik bagi masing-masing pasangan.
5. Dicampakkan
Putus cinta atau patah hati bisa membuat orang serasa tak ingin hidup lagi. Tapi ini adalah salah satu pengalaman menarik yang harus Anda punya. Mungkin dunia serasa akan berakhir ketika si dia mengucapkan kata putus. Tetapi lihat sisi lainnya, Anda tak akan merasa sempurna ketika tak pernah ada rasa kecewa yang pernah Anda alami. Jadi ketika Anda mendapatkan seseorang yang memang mencintai Anda, hubungan Anda akan terasa lebih manis dan indah.
6. Jatuh Cinta pada sahabat
Sering kali Anda cenderung menolak terlibat urusan cinta dengan sahabat sendiri. Banyak alasan muncul, entah karena tak mau tak bisa berteman lagi jika putus nanti, atau tak nyaman lagi. Sebenarnya, lebih banyak keuntungan yang akan didapatkan dari hubungan seperti ini. Mengapa? karena sama-sama saling mengenal dan tak perlu lagi membatasi diri. Pada umumnya Anda selalu menonjolkan kesan-kesan positif agar menarik perhatian seseorang. Namun, berbeda dengan sahabat Anda karena mereka tahu betul sifat Anda, tanpa bicara mereka sudah memahami semuanya. Misalnya Anda memiliki suatu kebiasaan buruk, dengan orang asing Anda akan malu menunjukkannya, namun dengan sahabat mereka tentunya akan lebih mudah memahami dan menerima Anda. Hubungan akan lebih menyenangkan bukan?
7. Liburan romantis berdua
Pekerjaan seringkali membuat masing-masing pasangan sibuk, sehingga tak ada banyak waktu untuk berdua. Coba lakukan suatu hal gila, misalnya susun liburan romantis di tengah padatnya jadwal kerja. Berandai-andai layaknya pasangan yang sedang kabur. Kemudian susun liburan romantis, entah di pantai atau pegunungan, dengan dinner romantis yang tak akan terlupakan. Anda bisa menikmati indahnya alam, dan jangan lupa matikan semua alat komunikasi sehingga Anda merasa benar-benar berdua.
8. The Right Man
Finally, Anda menemukan orang yang selama ini Anda cari. Soulmate, sebut saja begitu, orang yang membuat Anda nyaman, aman dan bahagia. Si dia ini seseorang yang akan menjadi pendamping Anda seumur hidup. Dan percayalah, Anda akan sangat bersyukur menemukan dirinya di antara pengalaman-pengalaman cinta Anda.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Bagaimanapun juga, Anda pasti punya pengalaman romantis bersama pasangan Anda. Tapi lihat dulu beberapa pengalaman romantis ini, yang jelas Anda akan dibuat iri olehnya.
1. Cinta Pertama
Cinta pertama adalah pengalaman yang wajib Anda miliki. Pada umumnya cinta ini juga terkadang disebut cinta monyet, karena pada usia puber, remaja selalu memiliki ketertarikan dengan lawan jenis. Terbayangkan serunya ketika Anda masih malu-malu dengan pasangan Anda. Harapan dan keinginan yang selalu muncul dan bunga-bunga yang selalu menghiasi kepala Anda. Kata orang dunia seakan milik berdua. Manis dan tak terlupakan, inilah kenangan yang akan selalu tersimpan manis di kotak hati Anda.
2. Jatuh Cinta pada si Bad Boy
Reputasinya mengencani wanita sudah tak perlu dipertanyakan lagi. Jelas saja siapa yang tak kepincut tampang dan semua perkataannya yang manis. Hanya dengan sebuah lirikan mata dan senyuman saja semua wanita bertekuk lutut padanya. Anda menilai itu adalah warning, lebih baik menjauhi tipe yang seperti ini dan mencari pria baik-baik saja. Ooo Anda melewatkan pengalaman seru! Si bad boy ini memberikan salah satu pengalaman asyik bagi Anda, menantang karena dia adalah salah satu orang yang selalu diidamkan setiap wanita, dan Anda sempat memilikinya. Setidaknya Anda bisa merasakan dan merekam memori saat dia melancarkan jurus-jurus rayuannya. Dan ketika the right man datang, Anda merasa lebih beruntung terlepas dari kandang macan dan diselamatkan pria berkuda putih dan baik hati.
3. Jalin hubungan dengan 'Bronis'
Bronis, si berondong manis, wow tampangnya yang imut-imut dan aksinya yang selalu manja membuat gemas. Sifatnya memang terkadang kekanak-kanakan dan egonya tentu sangat besar. Tapi asyik juga jalan dengan si dia, kesannya memang selalu muda. Yah asal jangan pilih bronis yang kelewat muda saja, supaya tidak terlalu makan hati. Nikmati saja masa-masa dengan mereka, karena banyak hal-hal menyenangkan yang akan membuat Anda merasa cinta itu indah.
4. LDR (Long Distance Relationship)
Mengapa hubungan jarak jauh adalah pengalaman cinta yang menarik dan romantis? Di satu sisi memang jarak yang memisahkan bisa menimbulkan banyak masalah dan pertengkaran. Namun lihat juga sisi manisnya, ketika sama-sama merindukan dan hanya ada beberapa waktu khusus saja untuk bertemu. Bisa terbayangkan betapa kerinduan yang menumpuk selama berjauhan akan meledak-ledak ketika saling bertemu. Dan suasana yang terbentuk saat hanya bisa bertemu lewat telepon, SMS atau IM (instant messages). Perasaan Anda akan dibuat bermain, naik turun secara emosi. Dan hal ini sangat menarik bagi mereka yang membutuhkan sense baru dalam berhubungan. Kelebihannya, masing-masing pasangan tetap merasa bebas dan nyaman tanpa terbebani komitmen. Dan sensasi yang ditimbulkan tentunya akan menjadi suatu tantangan menarik bagi masing-masing pasangan.
5. Dicampakkan
Putus cinta atau patah hati bisa membuat orang serasa tak ingin hidup lagi. Tapi ini adalah salah satu pengalaman menarik yang harus Anda punya. Mungkin dunia serasa akan berakhir ketika si dia mengucapkan kata putus. Tetapi lihat sisi lainnya, Anda tak akan merasa sempurna ketika tak pernah ada rasa kecewa yang pernah Anda alami. Jadi ketika Anda mendapatkan seseorang yang memang mencintai Anda, hubungan Anda akan terasa lebih manis dan indah.
6. Jatuh Cinta pada sahabat
Sering kali Anda cenderung menolak terlibat urusan cinta dengan sahabat sendiri. Banyak alasan muncul, entah karena tak mau tak bisa berteman lagi jika putus nanti, atau tak nyaman lagi. Sebenarnya, lebih banyak keuntungan yang akan didapatkan dari hubungan seperti ini. Mengapa? karena sama-sama saling mengenal dan tak perlu lagi membatasi diri. Pada umumnya Anda selalu menonjolkan kesan-kesan positif agar menarik perhatian seseorang. Namun, berbeda dengan sahabat Anda karena mereka tahu betul sifat Anda, tanpa bicara mereka sudah memahami semuanya. Misalnya Anda memiliki suatu kebiasaan buruk, dengan orang asing Anda akan malu menunjukkannya, namun dengan sahabat mereka tentunya akan lebih mudah memahami dan menerima Anda. Hubungan akan lebih menyenangkan bukan?
7. Liburan romantis berdua
Pekerjaan seringkali membuat masing-masing pasangan sibuk, sehingga tak ada banyak waktu untuk berdua. Coba lakukan suatu hal gila, misalnya susun liburan romantis di tengah padatnya jadwal kerja. Berandai-andai layaknya pasangan yang sedang kabur. Kemudian susun liburan romantis, entah di pantai atau pegunungan, dengan dinner romantis yang tak akan terlupakan. Anda bisa menikmati indahnya alam, dan jangan lupa matikan semua alat komunikasi sehingga Anda merasa benar-benar berdua.
8. The Right Man
Finally, Anda menemukan orang yang selama ini Anda cari. Soulmate, sebut saja begitu, orang yang membuat Anda nyaman, aman dan bahagia. Si dia ini seseorang yang akan menjadi pendamping Anda seumur hidup. Dan percayalah, Anda akan sangat bersyukur menemukan dirinya di antara pengalaman-pengalaman cinta Anda.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Bagian Terlupakan Saat Mandi
Kegiatan membersihkan badan yang berhubungan dengan wewangian sabun dan segarnya air ini harusnya menjadi salah satu kegiatan favorit kaum wanita.Namun, meski dilakukan sedikitnya 1-2 kali dalam sehari, ada beberapa wanita yang lupa untuk membersihkan bagian tertentu dari tubuhnya. Apa sajakah itu? Mari kita tengok bersama!Telinga
Bagian ini kerap lupa disentuh saat mandi. Padahal kegiatan membersihkan telinga ini sangat penting, apalagi bagi Anda yang mempunyai masalah ketombe di rambut. Aneka debu, kotoran, dan ketombe bisa bersarang dengan mudah pada area daun telinga yang terbuka ini.
Oleh karena itu, setiap kali mandi, jangan lupa untuk membasuh bagian ini dengan air. Gosok-gosok dan basuh, jangan siram air secara langsung pada bagian ini, sebab masuknya air dalam saluran telinga akan membahayakan pendengaran. Bila Anda ragu untuk menggosoknya saat mandi, maka Anda bisa menggunakan cotton bud untuk membersihkan kotoran di area tersebut.
Leher
Baik leher belakang maupun leher depan kerap lupa digosok. Padahal bagian tubuh dengan tekstur kulit yang lebih tipis ini kerap menjadi sorotan, sama seperti pada wajah. Usahakan untuk selalu menggosok perlahan bagian ini saat mandi.
Punggung
Area punggung bagian atas kerap luput dari jangkauan tangan dan sabun. Jika Anda kesulitan untuk membersihkan area belakang ini, maka gunakan alat bantu yang banyak dijual di toko-toko terdekat.
Ketiak
Salah satu cara alami untuk mencegah ketiak hitam adalah dengan menggosoknya secara teratur. Jika setiap kali mandi, Anda selalu menyempatkan waktu beberapa saat untuk menggosok bagian ini dengan scrub, sepon lembut, maupun jari-jari (tanpa kuku panjang tentunya), maka niscaya kulit pada bagian ketiak ini akan tampak lebih cerah dari hari ke hari. Tidak percaya?! Buktikan saja sendiri!
Selangkangan
Menggosok selangkangan sama pentingnya dengan menggosok ketiak, keduanya memiliki efek mencerahkan warna kulit. Area selangkangan yang jarang digosok akan tampak hitam. Jadi, jika Anda ingin tampil percaya diri di hadapan pasangan nanti, maka sejak dini bagian ini jangan sampai luput dari perhatian.
Kaki
Kaki adalah bagian tubuh yang paling bawah dan paling dekat dengan tempat pijakan kita. Jika kita berjalan di area berdebu, maka kaki menjadi sasaran pertama tempat bersarangnya debu-debu itu. Tiap kali mandi selalu gosok kuku-kuku kaki dan jangan lupa, area telapak kaki juga. Dengan melakukan ini, Anda boleh berbangga hati saat mencoba sepatu baru di butik yang mahal.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Tipe Pekerja Apakah Anda
Dikatakan wanita modern tak lagi mau kalah dari pria. Berbagai profesi dan pekerjaan pria dilahap oleh wanita. Bukan sekedar aji mumpung dan menghormati jerih payah Ibu Kartini saja, namun jiwa wanita mulai sadar dan ingin mandiri, ingin selalu exist di kancah panggung dunia.
Jika tujuan Ibu Kartini ingin lebih cerdas dan ingin agar wanita dapat bersekolah seperti halnya pria, berbeda pula tujuan masing-masing pribadi sebagai wanita. Terlebih lagi wanita modern, termasuk Anda, yang memiliki masing-masing tujuan dalam menunjukkan eksistensi diri dengan bekerja.
Tujuan Anda dalam bekerja mengarahkan Anda pada beberapa tipe tertentu. Terkadang tipe itu tidak terlalu baik, namun bagaimanapun Anda memiliki alasan sendiri.
1. Bekerja demi kebutuhan ekonomi
Tak menutup kemungkinan Anda adalah single mother yang harus menghidupi keluarga Anda saat ini. Entah karena perpisahan dengan suami, atau alasan pribadi lainnya. Ketika Anda bekerja demi memenuhi kebutuhan saja, ada kecenderungan pekerjaan Anda kurang maksimal, karena tujuan utama Anda adalah mencukupi kebutuhan keuangan
Anda yang memiliki tujuan memenuhi kebutuhan, termasuk dalam tipe MATERIALISTIK. Konotasinya mungkin negatif, namun Anda masih bisa memperbaiki strategi Anda dalam meraih tujuan utama Anda. Tetap berpikir positif dan kerjakan setiap detail tugas Anda dengan baik. Nantikan hasil terbaik dari diri Anda.
2. Bekerja karena iseng
Anda mungkin tak tahu harus melakukan kegiatan apa. Kemudian tiba-tiba Anda bekerja, namun sayangnya pekerjaan itu hanyalah suatu pekerjaan asal yang sebenarnya tidak Anda inginkan. Alasannya hanya satu, Anda tak suka menganggur. Anda punya talenta yang berbeda dari wanita lain, coba Anda pikirkan kembali minat Anda di suatu bidang. Dengan sedikit semangat dan bumbu ketekunan Anda akan menjadi sosok wanita yang sukses dengan karier cemerlang Anda.
Tipe PRINCESS, hampir sama dengan putri-putri raja di negeri dongeng yang selalu bermain dan bahagia, Anda juga selalu kebingungan akan tujuan tak pasti Anda. Bukan karena Anda tak memiliki kemampuan, namun Anda mungkin masih bingung dan belum mengenali diri Anda sepenuhnya. Coba share dengan beberapa sahabat Anda yang telah bekerja, mungkin mereka bisa memberikan saran terbaik kepada Anda.
3. Bekerja karena ingin mendapat pujian belaka
Tipe WORKAHOLIC begitulah nantinya Anda dalam bekerja, selalu ingin sesuatu yang perfect dan tak ingin melakukan kesalahan. Ketika terjadi suatu kesalahan Anda akan merasa panik dan sangat sedih sekali. Anda cenderung mengharapkan sesuatu sesuai dengan apa yang Anda cita-citakan.
4. Bekerja sebagai karya diri
Energik dan profesional, mungkin latar belakang kebutuhan ekonomi masih menjadi salah satu dasar bagi Anda bekerja. Namun Anda tak hanya memikirkan soal materi belaka, Anda cenderung melakukan setiap pekerjaan Anda dengan baik. Berusaha untuk memenuhi setiap tingkatan jadwal yang Anda tentukan. Hmmm...not bad, Anda adalah tipe PERFECT WORKER. Anda selalu memiliki motivasi diri yang tinggi, selalu berusaha untuk yang terbaik dan penuh tanggung jawab serta disiplin.
Tak menutupi Anda juga pernah melakukan kesalahan, namun bagi Anda setiap kesalahan merupakan suatu pembelajaran baru.
Jadi saat ini tipe pekerja manakah Anda?
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Jika tujuan Ibu Kartini ingin lebih cerdas dan ingin agar wanita dapat bersekolah seperti halnya pria, berbeda pula tujuan masing-masing pribadi sebagai wanita. Terlebih lagi wanita modern, termasuk Anda, yang memiliki masing-masing tujuan dalam menunjukkan eksistensi diri dengan bekerja.
Tujuan Anda dalam bekerja mengarahkan Anda pada beberapa tipe tertentu. Terkadang tipe itu tidak terlalu baik, namun bagaimanapun Anda memiliki alasan sendiri.
1. Bekerja demi kebutuhan ekonomi
Tak menutup kemungkinan Anda adalah single mother yang harus menghidupi keluarga Anda saat ini. Entah karena perpisahan dengan suami, atau alasan pribadi lainnya. Ketika Anda bekerja demi memenuhi kebutuhan saja, ada kecenderungan pekerjaan Anda kurang maksimal, karena tujuan utama Anda adalah mencukupi kebutuhan keuangan
Anda yang memiliki tujuan memenuhi kebutuhan, termasuk dalam tipe MATERIALISTIK. Konotasinya mungkin negatif, namun Anda masih bisa memperbaiki strategi Anda dalam meraih tujuan utama Anda. Tetap berpikir positif dan kerjakan setiap detail tugas Anda dengan baik. Nantikan hasil terbaik dari diri Anda.
2. Bekerja karena iseng
Anda mungkin tak tahu harus melakukan kegiatan apa. Kemudian tiba-tiba Anda bekerja, namun sayangnya pekerjaan itu hanyalah suatu pekerjaan asal yang sebenarnya tidak Anda inginkan. Alasannya hanya satu, Anda tak suka menganggur. Anda punya talenta yang berbeda dari wanita lain, coba Anda pikirkan kembali minat Anda di suatu bidang. Dengan sedikit semangat dan bumbu ketekunan Anda akan menjadi sosok wanita yang sukses dengan karier cemerlang Anda.
Tipe PRINCESS, hampir sama dengan putri-putri raja di negeri dongeng yang selalu bermain dan bahagia, Anda juga selalu kebingungan akan tujuan tak pasti Anda. Bukan karena Anda tak memiliki kemampuan, namun Anda mungkin masih bingung dan belum mengenali diri Anda sepenuhnya. Coba share dengan beberapa sahabat Anda yang telah bekerja, mungkin mereka bisa memberikan saran terbaik kepada Anda.
3. Bekerja karena ingin mendapat pujian belaka
Tipe WORKAHOLIC begitulah nantinya Anda dalam bekerja, selalu ingin sesuatu yang perfect dan tak ingin melakukan kesalahan. Ketika terjadi suatu kesalahan Anda akan merasa panik dan sangat sedih sekali. Anda cenderung mengharapkan sesuatu sesuai dengan apa yang Anda cita-citakan.
4. Bekerja sebagai karya diri
Energik dan profesional, mungkin latar belakang kebutuhan ekonomi masih menjadi salah satu dasar bagi Anda bekerja. Namun Anda tak hanya memikirkan soal materi belaka, Anda cenderung melakukan setiap pekerjaan Anda dengan baik. Berusaha untuk memenuhi setiap tingkatan jadwal yang Anda tentukan. Hmmm...not bad, Anda adalah tipe PERFECT WORKER. Anda selalu memiliki motivasi diri yang tinggi, selalu berusaha untuk yang terbaik dan penuh tanggung jawab serta disiplin.
Tak menutupi Anda juga pernah melakukan kesalahan, namun bagi Anda setiap kesalahan merupakan suatu pembelajaran baru.
Jadi saat ini tipe pekerja manakah Anda?
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Pil KB untuk Kondisi Darurat
Pil KB adalah salah satu kontrasepsi yang banyak dipilih karena mudah dan praktis untuk mengatur atau mencegah kehamilan. Hanya saja wanita yang minum pil KB harus disiplin karena pil ini harus dikonsumsi tiap hari untuk mencegah sel telur berkembang.Bagaimana jika lupa minum pil KB dan baru ingat setelah senggama? Selama ini memang sudah ada jenis pil KB yang bisa dikonsumsi 2 hari setelah senggama.
Tapi bagaimana jika si wanita lupa minum pil KB lebih dari dua hari setelah senggama?
Peneliti dari Inggris berhasil menciptakan pil KB untuk kondisi darurat yaitu ketika si wanita lupa atau alasan lainnya setelah 5 hari senggama.
Pil bernama Ellaone ini dapat membantu mencegah kehamilan yang tidak diinginkan yang digunakan lima hari setelah berhubungan. Pil ini dipercaya bisa memberikan perlindungan yang lebih baik dibanding obat kontrasepsi lainnya.
Berdasarkan penelitian, penggunaan Ellaone lebih efektif daripada obat-obatan lain yang dikonsumi oleh ribuan perempuan setiap tahunnya.
Pil ini dapat mencegah hingga dua per tiga (60 persen) kehamilan yang tidak diinginkan jika digunakan secara teratur di pagi hari hingga batas waktu 72 jam (3 hari).
Sedangkan jika pil ini dikonsumsi lima hari penuh (120 jam) setelah melakukan hubungan seks yang tidak aman, maka tingkat keberhasilannya akan lebih tinggi.
Penelitian ini dipimpin oleh Profesor Anna Glasier dari NHS Lothian di Edinburgh. Hasil penelitian ini diterbitkan dalam jurnal medis The Lancet.
Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan Ellaone paling efektif ketika perempuan sedang berada pada masa subur yaitu tepat sebelum sel telur dilepaskan. Dan penggunaan setelah 5 hari dikarenakan itu adalah waktu yang diperlukan untuk membuat sperma mati saat gagal membuahi sel telur.
Ellaone diluncurkan September 2009 di Inggris dan hanya bisa dibeli dengan menggunakan resep dokter. Obat ini dijual lebih mahal 16,96 poundsterling per tablet (Rp 254 ribu/tablet) atau tiga kali lebih mahal dibandingkan dengan obat kontrasepsi lainnya seperti jenis Levonorgestrel.
"Suatu saat nanti pil ini bisa menjadi alat kontrasepsi darurat bagi beberapa pasangan, karena akan lebih mudah bagi seseorang untuk pergi ke apotek dibandingkan harus ke dokter jika kondisinya darurat," ujar Prof Glasier seperti dikutip dari Dailymail, Sabtu (30/1/2010).
Namun pil ini justru mendapat kecaman dari kelompok antiaborsi yang memperingatkan bahwa pil ini memiliki potensi untuk digunakan sebagai pil aborsi.
"Jika pil ini dikonsumsi pagi hari sebelum 24 jam, mungkin ada kemungkinan sperma belum membuahi sel telur yang berarti kehamilan belum terjadi. Tapi jika pil ini dikonsumsi setelah 5 hari, tidak bisa dibilang sebagai alat kontrasepsi tapi disebut pil aborsi," ujar Josephine Quintavalle dari Pro-Life Alliance.
Namun peneliti membantah hal tersebut dan mengklaim bahwa pil Ellaone bekerja dengan cara menunda pelepasan sel telur untuk fertilisasi dan bukan dengan menghancurkan embrio yang sudah tertanam di rahim (aborsi).
Meskipun beberapa kalangan menganggap pil ini bisa menjadi obat aborsi, tapi pil kontrasepsi darurat Ellaone dapat digunakan untuk membantu perempuan menghindari kehamilan yang tidak diinginkan.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
Untung Rugi Vasektomi untuk Pria
Vasektomi adalah kontrasepsi bedah untuk pria dengan cara memutus saluran spermanya. Lelaki yang melakukan vasektomi secara permanen tidak bisa menghamili perempuan sehingga kerap dicurigai mudah berselingkuh.Operasi vasektomi menghambat saluran spermatozoa (vas deferens) yang membawa sperma keluar. Operasi ini biasanya dilakukan di klinik atau rumah sakit dengan melibatkan pemotongan dan mengikat mati (cauterizing) saluran sperma.
Namun karena operasi kontrasepsi ini bersifat permanen, maka pria yang ingin melakukannya harus sudah benar-benar yakin tidak ingin memiliki anak lagi dan tidak akan berubah pikiran.
Pria yang sudah melakukan vasektomi masih terus memproduksi sel benih yang diproduksi buah zakar. Hanya saja karena salurannya diputus tidak bisa keluar bersama ejakulasi. Sel-sel benih itu akan diserap lagi oleh tubuh dan tidak membahayakan kesehatan. Vasektomi juga tidak mempengaruhi hormon testosteron.
Seperti dikutip dari Contraception, Jumat (29/1/2010), ada beberapa keuntungan dan kerugian dari kontrasepsi vasektomi yaitu:
Keuntungan
- Vasektomi adalah operasi kecil yang aman, sangat efektif dan bersifat permanen.
- Baik dilakukan pada laki-laki yang memang sudah tidak ingin memiliki anak.
- Vasektomi lebih murah dan lebih sedikit komplikasi dibandingkan dengan sterilisasi tuba.
- Pria memiliki kesempatan untuk gantian KB dengan istrinya.
- Tidak mempengaruhi kemampuan seorang pria dalam menikmati hubungan seksual.
Kerugian
- Beberapa laki-laki takut vasektomi ini akan mempengaruhi kemampuannya berhubungan intim atau menyebabkan gangguan ereksi.
- Ada sedikit rasa sakit dan ketidaknyaman beberapa hari setelah operasi, rasa sakit ini biasanya bisa hilang dengan konsumsi obat ringan.
- Seringkali harus melakukan kompres dengan es selama 4 jam untuk mengurangi pembengkakan, pendarahan dan rasa tak nyaman serta harus memakai celana yang dapat mendukung skrotum selama 2 hari.
- Operasi tidak efektif dengan segera. Pasien diharuskan memakai kondom terlebih dahulu untuk membersihkan tabung dari sisa sperma yang ada. Untuk mengetahui sudah steril atau belum, biasanya dilakukan pemeriksaan mikroskop setelah 20-30 kali ejakulasi.
- Vasektomi tidak memberikan perlindungan terhadap infeksi seksual menular termasuk HIV.
- Penyesalan setelah vasektomi lebih besar jika laki-laki masih berusia di bawah 25 tahun, terjadi perceraian atau ada anaknya yang meninggal.
- Dibutuhkan waktu 1-3 tahun untuk benar-benar memastikan apakah vasektomi bisa bekerja efektif 100 persen atau tidak.
Saat ini pria yang ingin membuka vasektomi bisa dilakukan yakni dengan cara menyambung kembali saluran spermanya, namun peluang keberhasilannya kecil.
http://dede-health.blogspot.com
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