Obviously, if you are looking to lose a lot of weight then the goal would probably be to try and keep the calorie intake too 500 calories or less per day. Important to note though, this is not the type of diet that should be a long term diet since the human body needs a certain minimum amount of calories per day to maintain itself in a healthy fashion. Remember before going and doing a diet like this, that your body requirements are 1200 calories per day.

Another thing to realize when attempting to have your body go on a 500 calorie a day diet is that your body should only lose two pounds a week without actually causing a health risk to your body.

But if you are serious about such a diet then you probably should be staying away from most meats while on this diet. It might be alright to eat a little bit of chicken, baked and never fried and make sure that all of the skin is removed. You can eat the chicken with vegetables or you can add it to a salad making sure that you either have oil and vinegar or try using the new salad dressing spritzers that are out on the market.

Another suggestion would be for steamed vegetables seasoned with sea salt, no butter or margarine and you should stay away from mashed potatoes, you’ll be tempted to add gravy or margarine. Add a little lean beef to this and cottage cheese with some apple slices and cinnamon for dessert.

Another meal you could include in this diet would be steamed chicken, rice and carrots. This makes for a filling meal, which is what you will need to help curb the cravings the body will have on such a low daily caloric intake.

You also might want to add fresh baby spinach leaves to your diet and it is OK to include fish as part of your caloric intake.

Pita bread is a good item that can be filled with chicken, fish, lean meat along with spinach leaves, carrots, celery, etc. Then consider spraying with the salad dressing spritzers that are available, to add more flavor. Cucumbers and mushrooms would also be additions to this type of sandwich.

Fruits that would be good on this type of diet would be bananas, grapes, papaya, cherries, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew and any other fruits in the melon family.

Legumes and wheat products are always good for this type of diet and are both good for the digestive tract as well, which is highly important when on such a strict diet.

Beverages that you might consider would be small amounts of milk, green tea, regular tea, diet sodas, herbal tea and plenty of water. The last thing you want to do while you are on a diet is to become dehydrated, so it is vital that you drink as much fluids as possible.

Each year millions of people worldwide suffer from insomnia.  Many may not know however that insomnia is solely a symptom, not an independent diagnosis or disease.   Insomnia in definition is the difficulty of falling asleep and the inability to stay asleep.   Although there are many different degrees of insomnia, over time three different types have clearly been identified; transient, acute and chronic.  In this article we will focus on chronic insomnia and its link to memory loss.

It is known that chronic insomnia can cause both short-term and long-term memory loss.  Chronic insomnia can be caused by a number of disorders or can be a primary problem.  The effects can differentiate depending on the causes.  Some of these causes may include, but are not exclusive to, sleepiness, mental fatigue, hallucinations, muscular fatigue and restlessness. Studies preformed at numerous universities have had interesting findings that link memory loss and insomnia.  Such studies stated that cognitive defects such as memory loss caused by sleep deficiency could be reversed by decreasing the concentration of particular enzymes in the hippocampus, the portion of the brain which is the key to memory and learning.  Other medical professionals believe that insomnia triggered memory problems are all lifestyle related.  Traveling, frustrations, worries, daily stressors, large late meals and intense activites all can lead to the onset of chronic insomnia.  Wherever it may hail from, when insomnia becomes chronic to the point of memory loss or memory loss remains after the insomnia, one seeks a cure.

The most recent of medical discoveries to cure memory loss due to insomnia is an enzyme inhibitor called Rolipram.  Rolipram is a drug used to treat depression and has the possibility to improve memory problems of sleep-deprived individuals.  These findings have defined a molecular mechanism underlying the numerous effects of sleep deprivation of the hippocampal functions at the synaptic and behavioral level.   This progress will give researchers and doctors alike insight into what is truly going on in the brain.

For those who wish to seek a more holistic cure without medication, there are numerous avenues from which one can choose.  Diet is key.  It is important to stick to three well-balanced healthy meals low in sugar and hydrogenated oils.  Also one should avoid coffee, soft drinks, tea, chocolate, alcohol, strong condiments, white rice, and foods containing white flour products, food colorings, and all chemical additives.  Simple home remedies such as the usage of the herb Brahmi and consuming raw almonds can prove to be extremely beneficial in combating weakness of the brain caused by lack of sleep.  Apples are a great treatment for lack of memory, rich in potassium, b1, phosphorous and glutamic acid.  Outside of diet, meditation and relaxation are well renowned techniques available to treating memory loss.  Relaxation eliminates fatigue and enables muscles to work more efficiently.  It promotes arterial blood circulation throughout the body.  Meditation will aid in the creation of a balance in one’s nervous system.  Doing so will allow glands to be in a more accurate state creating the hormonal balance needed to treat memory loss.  Memory loss and mental weakness are the most common of symptoms caused by insomnia and can be well treated and even cured by the application of various home and natural remedies.

The key in curing any symptom is to discover the cause of the disorder.  Once you get to the root of the problem, you will be able to create the best plan of recovery for you and your own specific situation.  Dealing with the consequences is secondary.  Focusing on the basics of how we lead our lives and the direct impact that our choices have on our sleep is primary.  Memory loss, whether coinciding with insomnia or lingering after a cured case of insomnia, can be handled through both medical and holistic lifestyle changes resulting in the return of memory.

Bone injury of one type or another is one of the most common reasons that people seek emergency room care and it is statically  implied that in a developed country a person is likely to suffer from at least two bone injuries over the course of their life.

Contrary to popular belief broken bones and fractures are essentially the same bone injury, but there are many types of fracture and a number of different ways to treat them effectively:

Stress Fractures – A bone injury that occurs as a result of overuse of a certain body part. A series of small traumas or over exertions build up over time, weakening the bone and resulting in a fracture. Athletes are prone to stress fractures, especially runners, gymnasts and basketball players. Treatment for a stress fracture is usually fairly conservative. This type of bone injury can usually be remedied with rest, ice and the use of anti inflammatory medications. Typically they heal within 6-8 weeks but one must be careful not to return to usual activity too soon, as reinjures is certainly a possibility.

Compression Fractures – These fractures occur most commonly in the back and are often a simple result of the aging process. When older bones begin to lose calcium they weaken resulting in some cases  in a condition called osteoporosis, which is very common amongst post menopausal women. As the bones in the spine weaken as a result of this calcium loss they can begin to crumple, resulting in pain that can be very severe. Treatment for a compression fracture can range from rest and wearing a brace to surgery, depending upon the severity of the bone injury.

Open Fracture – An open fracture is when a broken bone penetrates the skin, adding an open wound to the difficulties the patient is facing. An open fracture is a bone injury that usually results from a severe trauma such as a car crash or sports injury. Few football fans of a certain age can forget the site of the Washington Redskins’ Joe Theisman ending his career on television, as a result of a horrific open fracture of the leg.

Immediate treatment, and usually surgery is required when an open fracture occurs. The areas around the fracture must be surgically “cleaned “of any bone fragments to minimize infection. Open fractures can take months to heal even with prompt treatment.

Closed Fracture – In the case of this type of bone injury the fractured bone does not pierce the skin but can still cause a great deal of pain. Closed fractures are diagnosed with the help of x rays and are usually treated by casted immobilization to allow the bones to heal properly.