Advice and opinion about health, exercise, nutrition and alternative medicine. http://morganarticlearchive.com editor@morganarticlearchive.com editor@morganarticlearchive.com The most dreaded word in many dieter's vocabulary is 'fat'. It is not uncommon to hear a dieter discuss their avoidance of eating fat as if it were something thoroughly unwholesome, or even life-threatening, like an allergen, or a contagious disease. In one way, this impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a generally understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods often causes unwanted, and unhealthy, weight gain. However, in another way, this fat-phobia is potentiall ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/109.htm Every year millions of people decide to make fitness goals. Their intentions are good. No one really wants to be overweight for health reasons. By the end of the month, most individuals will quit their fitness goals. The reasons run from the popular "I don't have enough time in my schedule to exercise." to "I am just big boned. It runs in my family." The truth is that the USA is leading the world in obesity. Our children are now being diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/108.htm Rope skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise according to the U.S. Olympic Committee Sports Medicine Council. It is far less hard on the muscles and bones than jogging. While running or jogging, each foot absorbs up to 5 times the body weight from the force of the impact as the foot hits the ground. This force of hitting the ground can cause damage to the feet, ankles, hips and knees. But in rope skipping, the shock of hitting the ground is absorbed by both feet allowing the calf muscl ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/107.htm Most people understand that it is wise to limit the amount of fat grams in their daily diet. The dietary reference intake amount for an adult ranges from 20% to 35%[i] of daily calories; or about 44 to 55 grams per day[1]. Since a single slice of pecan pie carries with it 27 grams of fat, and a mere tablespoon of thousand island salad dressing contains 8 grams of fat[ii], it is not surprising to see more and more people checking food labels and "passing over" an order of onion rings[2] as they t ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/106.htm Dieters who dejectedly complain they are figuratively "stuck" with their excess fat may be surprised to learn there is a scientifically-accurate truth to their statement. Fat cells -- which are created when the body is unable to convert excess calories to energy -- are permanent. Fat cells cannot be removed by any diet known to humanity [1]. They can, however, be reduced in size. This is the experience enjoyed by people who lose weight [i]. There is, however, an increasingly popular - and contro ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/105.htm America's war on drugs, which has been fought in the opium fields of Afghanistan and the cocaine plantations of Columbia, will have to reinvent itself to combat what is set to be America's biggest drug abuse problem, pharmaceuticals. One in five American's, nearly 48 million, have used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes at least once in their lives. The current past month misuse rate among Americans is 6.2 million. According to a recent white paper by Carnevale Associates, this rate of ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/104.htm In an article, The Irreversible Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking, Paul H. Brodish, MSPH of the American Council on Science and Health defined irreversible health effect as a permanent change in the structure and/or function of an organ system or a permanently increased risk of suffering from a disease or some other threat to health. Thus, in Brodish' article, he does not expound on the diseases and health problems which may be encountered by a cigarette smoker, but rather, he goes on to enume ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/103.htm WHAT IS HYPOGLYCEMIA? Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. This can be caused by a sudden rise in glucose in the blood due to sweets and other sweeteners. This then leads to a sudden drop once the sweets or sweeteners are no longer in the blood system. Too much insulin released into the blood system can also cause it. Diabetes on the other hand is just the opposite and is an abnormally high level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Learn more about hypoglycemia a ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/102.htm 17.6 million American adults are either alcohol dependent or abuse alcohol. According to the recently released 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, alcohol dependence - particularly among men - has decreased; however, rates of alcohol abuse have increased. Super Bowl Sunday has long been associated with over consumption of alcohol and the problems of alcohol abuse. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has compiled statistics for Super Bowl day alcohol related dri ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/101.htm Pain is like the warning lights on your car's dashboard. It alerts you to something that needs investigation. Pain serves an important function. It's your body's way of saying, Pay attention. We all avoid pain. You wouldn't knowingly slam your thumb in the car door or touch a hot stove. It's human nature to avoid situations that cause pain, and we do what we can to rid ourselves of the pain as soon as possible -- such as taking an aspirin for a minor headache. When your pain is severe enough, ... http://morganarticlearchive.com/article/health/100.htm