Make A Meal out of Weigh Loss

As popular TV presenter Fern Britton comes under fire for admitting to gastric banding, are there less drastic and deprivating options available?

Fern Britton’s svelte new physique has attracted plenty of favourable media attention, as a woman who historically found it difficult to fight the flab. Attributed to good diet and embarking on extensive cycling tours, after two years Britton resembles her digitally enhanced Ryvita figure.

However, after it was recently revealed a gastric banding operation played a part in her weight loss, the press have been banding around accusations, from misleading her fans to abusing a position of trust within the public eye.

As a society we shouldn’t come down so hard on someone making an active and healthy effort to lose weight, no matter the method. Levels of obesity in the UK have soared to epidemic proportions, expecting to cost as much as £45 billion a year by 2050 to pay for growing incidents of diabetes, strokes and heart disease as well as the loss of earnings by those too heavy to work.

It’s no wonder that over the past year, the number of people having gastric bypass surgery in the UK has risen by 41%, to 3,459 operations in all. But this is not a simple procedure and not without risks. A gastric band operation is a form of weight-loss surgery where a surgeon puts an adjustable silicon loop (like an elastic band) around the upper part of the stomach to make a smaller pouch, leaving a tiny gap leading to the rest of the stomach.

This makes you feel full after eating only a very small amount. The operation - done with keyhole surgery - is reversible, and involves a general anaesthetic and usually an overnight stay. Studies show that, on average, people lose between 50% and 65% of their excess weight within two years after fitting.

One in 2,000 people die as a result of gastric band surgery, and for between 10% and 50%, the operation is unsuccessful. The procedure is very painful, and any surgery carries a risk of infection, bleeding, blood clots or heart attack - and the dangers rise if you are obese. According to the British Obesity Surgery Patient Association (BOSPA), studies suggest that one in 10 people will need a further operation at some point, as gastric bands can slip, erode into the stomach, leak or become infected. It is also possible to sabotage your gastric band by grazing constantly, and still managing to take in too many calories.

All in all a daunting diet tool, and it’s no wonder Britton was loathe to be seen supporting such a measure, but are there less drastic, effective means of weight loss for those unfamiliar with their kitchens?

The equation is simple - regular exercise alongside healthy eating is key - but for those unable to cook it’s all too easy to fall into bad habits, surviving on fat laden snack foods that need minimal preparation and cooking time. The good news is there are pre-prepared products out there you can eat.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, the leading provider of nutritious frozen ready meals prepares all their meals in-house at their headquarters in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. An experienced team of chefs create each recipe, with every meal frozen immediately after production, locking in their vitamins and goodness.

At every step an expert team monitors the nutritional content of every product, conducting daily tests and working alongside top dietitians to ensure they’re healthy, address dietary requirements and taste great.

Sue Baic, consultant dietitian for the brand explains how: “We make sure each dish is nutritionally balanced and satisfies a wide range of dietary needs. For example, we provide special products for people with diabetes, those needing low-salt, low-fat diets, vegetarian and vegan, and people seeking milk, egg and gluten-free products. We also offer Kosher and ethnic dishes, so whatever your requirement, Wiltshire Farm Foods has the meal to match.”

The company’s Reducing range is specially designed, low calorie main meals and desserts, with mains consisting of less than 320 calories, and desserts under 75 calories. A sensible weight reducing diet for women is usually between 1000 and 1200 calories a day, with 1500 for men.

Leytonstone resident Carol Seear lost nearly 20 pounds after using Wiltshire Farm Foods following an incident where she was mugged. The assault last year marked the start of a healthy diet, as Carole explains:

“I was left bruised down my right side and couldn’t get out to the shops. It meant I had to order ready-made meals direct to my door, but as it turned out the food was much healthier than my normal diet and the weight fell away!

Although I’ve now fully recovered, I’ve stuck to the food delivery service for my meals. I look and feel better than I have done for years, and best of all there’s no washing up!”

Carole, 60, who has diabetes, had tried to diet several times before but this is the first time she has had any success. She now weighs 14st and is closing fast on her target of 10st.

You can choose from traditional classics like Cottage Pie, tasty Liver & Bacon Casserole, tangy Pork, Leek & Mustard Casserole, succulent Roast Chicken Breast & Stuffing or treat yourself to Venison in Mushroom & Ale Sauce from the Gourmet range.

All main meals come complete with accompaniments, and summer heralds some seasonal dishes you’ll simply snap up – Monkfish with Peas & Pancetta Bacon, and aromatic Spanish Chicken inspired by the Basque region of Spain.

Dieting has never been more enjoyable, with no need to deprive yourself or opt for drastic measures. Give it a go – a little willpower and some nutritionally balanced, nutritious ready meals will go a long way.

www.missgroovy.co.uk - the must know site for modern girls!

Miss Groovy is an online boutique dedicated to bringing girls the best of the world’s cute and cult brands including Fake Bake, Burt’s Bees, GHD, Tweezerman and Hair Devils.

From Miso Pretty’s hot sake soak to Shavata’s eyebrow perfector www.missgroovy.co.ukis a one stop shop to get girls plucked, pampered and polished!

Miss Groovy caters for every aspect of a girl’s life; for the traveller there is a dedicated section with essential products including the badger anti-bug balm and a personal UV monitor. Celebrity watchers need to check out Miss Groovy’s celebrity style section which reveals the A-Listers must have products. For those after something just a little bit different there is the groovy gadgets section with items including illuminated tweezers and a professional spray tanning kit. If you are looking to give a present check out the groovy gifts section where you can get your purchase gift wrapped and dispatched!

Whatever you are looking for, even if it’s just a bit of fun, www.missgroovy.co.uk has the answer!

Hayfever Sufferers; Prepare for summer with Medinose

With spring and summer fast approaching, many of us are thinking of holidays and summertime. It's a great time of year isn't it - everyone seems to be so happy, well almost everyone.

For millions worldwide the thought of summertime brings mixed feelings. Yes, for Hay fever sufferers this can be a really annoying and irritating time of year. Take myself for example; I 'developed' hayfever 6 years ago at the age of 19 and I couldn't believe it. As this was a new experience for me, I thought I had a cold and didn't realise that it was hayfever. My eyes were literally streaming and the constant sneezing was so irritating.

Over the past few years I have tried all sorts of drugs and natural remedies but to be honest they really didn't do a great deal. Then one day a friend of mine cut out a newspaper article about a revolutionary device that had been clinically proven to reduce Hayfever symptoms. The device was called Medinose and had been featured on TV programmes like This Morning TV (reviewed by Dr Chris Steele) and been recommended by hayfever suffers.

The Medinose device retails at £79.95 which I thought was a bit expensive for a hayfever treatment but it did come with a 30 day money back guarantee. Am I glad I made the purchase? With no doubt. Although I still have some symptoms they are by far reduced.

The official Medinose blurb goes like this:

"Medinose heralds a breakthrough in the way hayfever and allergies are treated. Using photo therapy (light therapy) medinose can practically eliminate allergic symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, and headaches within a couple of weeks of use."

Personally I found my symptoms were reduced in 6 days and then I would use the unit before going out to give myself the best chance to avoid the symptoms.

If you search medinose online you can find a retailer easily but I personally bought my Medinose unit from www.anhealth.co.uk.

Vibration Training... How it works!

Although vibration training has been around for 40 years, the potential benefits for sportsmen and women have only recently begun to be properly researched.

The Russians also performed experiments with vibration training for the benefit of their space program. RSI, the Russian Space Institute as well as ESA, the European Space Agency are experimenting with various types of Vibration Training Systems in order to get the ultimate benefits from the vibration stimulus. Due to the lack of gravity in space, cosmonauts exhibited muscle atrophy (muscle impairment) and a decrease in bone mineral density, which forced them to return to earth rather quickly. In order to solve this problem the Russian scientists had their cosmonauts train on vibration machines.

Once the Iron Curtain had been dismantled, the West could finally profit from the information and experience that had been gathered in the previous years, and from the nineties the possibilities and applications of WBV were researched all over the world. There were also several countries where scientists and experts continued to develop its techniques.

Vibration training requires the use of specially designed machines that vibrate at specific frequencies (normally between 30 and 50Hz). The most popular type of vibration machines are ‘platform-based’, which allow the user to perform a variety of exercises while standing, or placing their hands on the vibrating plate to perform upper body exercises, such as triceps dips. Other items of vibration equipment include dumbbells and breathing devices.

Vibration training can recruit nearly 100% of a muscle’s fibres. This contrasts with the 40%-60% recruitment normally associated with other resistance training activities. Vibration training achieves these high recruitment levels by creating an almost continuous stretch/reflex in muscles. This is known as a tonic stretch/reflex and means that while undergoing vibration training, muscles are contracting at incredibly high frequencies, which also subjects them to considerable forces. These vibrational forces are believed to be highly advantageous for the enhancement of fast-twitch muscle fibre.

Vibration training isn't cheap, but with these kind of boosts in training speed, what more could you want?!

Why not take a look at sweatband fitness, save over £2500 on a leading

vibration trainer now!

DKN Technology EXC1 Pro Vibration Power Plate Trainer (Full Commercial Grade)

Vibration training is the most talked about training aid today and is revolutionising the toning, rehabilitation and fitness world. Just 10 minutes a day on these machines is the equivalent of 60 minutes of conventional exercising.

DKN Technology Exclusive Pro is the next step in Whole Body Vibration training. The UK Exclusive Sweatbandfitness.co.uk, this is the quick, easy and ultimately speedy way to get toned and shapely. The exclusive integrated ‘Virtual Personal Coach’ offers a new approach for use with physiotherapists, wellness centres and healthclubs.

The Full Commercial Grade DKN EXC1 Exclusive Pro Vibration Power Plate Trainer is the ultimate in whole body vibration training available today. Suitable for any environment from home use to offices and full commercial gyms, this DKN vibration trainer is well under half the price of the Power Plate equivalent, and just as good if not better.

 Sweatbandfitness.co.uk are currenty offering the DKM technology EXC 1 Pro Vibration Power Plate trainer for just £3499! This is an absolutely phenomenal saving over £2500!

So what are you waiting for? Read more about this market leading product and BUY NOW!

Ian Marber launches brand new book, The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet, helping you get slimmer, fitter and healthier for life.

Leading nutritionist, Ian Marber, a regular guest on Richard and Judy and the doyen of good health and sustained weight loss to the stars, is back with this gloriously glossy and taste bud-tingling book, The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet. The brand new book is filled with sensible advice and delicious recipes to help you get control of your weight and maintain a healthier life style for the longer term.

Ian says, “With this book I want to show that you can be the slimmer, fitter, healthier person you’ve always wanted to be. It’s all about changing the way you eat for good.”

The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet, begins with a choice of two 7-day blitzes to kick start your diet, and continues with a 21-day programme to help you change the way you eat forever. The second part features an array of mouth-watering, quick and really easy-to-prepare recipes that include Chinese five-spice lamb, Mediterranean risotto and Spicy roast ratatouille.

He continues, “In a size-zero, image-obsessed age, of diet-related health issues and celebrity obsession, we are under pressure to “eat well”. It’s the driving force that motivates millions of us to look at what we’re eating.”

Ian, with his passion for optimal health, is a refreshing oasis of calm and common sense against a confusing landscape of quick-fix, starve-to-get-thin regimes, the vast majority of which simply do not work.

The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet book is based on Ian’s ten principles of healthy eating, this weight-loss programme is easy to stick to and there’s no deprivation, which thousands of his happy and successful followers will attest to. This plan really works. Unlike most faddy diets, it allows for those times when you have a three course dinner with all the trimmings or overdo it on the double chocolate brownies, so there’s no shame or guilt for having fallen off the dietary wagon.

Ian’s friendly, authoritative expertise and caring advice equips you with the knowledge to eat healthily and maintain your perfect weight forever.

The Food Doctor Ultimate Diet features the best of Ian’s inspirational diet coaching and delicious recipes from four of his bestselling diet books, The Food Doctor Diet, The Food Doctor Everyday Diet, The Food Doctor Everyday Diet Cookbook and The Food Doctor Diet Club, combining them into one fantastic value bumper book at £14.99. Now available on www.thefooddoctor.com for only £11.99 including P&P and £50 worth of vouchers that can redeemed against The Food Doctor food range in major supermarkets and our clinical services.

Proform 500CX for £599?!

Health-etc have teamed with Sweatband Fitness to offer the Proform 500CX Folding Treadmill for just £599.

This is an absolute bargain, in fact its £750 off the RRP and by far the cheapest I've found online. Why not take a look at Health-etc's full Proform 500CX Folding Treadmill Review. You'll see its packed full of features and offers a top of the range treadmill for a low low price!

Baxolve - Relieve your Osteoporosis!

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a fairly common ailment affecting the spine. As you age, bone cells start to regenerate more slowly.  When more bone cells are lost than replaced by the body the density of the bone tissue starts to decrease. Osteoporosis is the name given to this condition. Osteoporosis is often undetectable until a small fall or impact causes a bone to break as the only real symptoms are brittle bones.

What Can Relieve my Osteoporosis Back Pain?

A TENS machine can be used on the affected area, (in this case, the spine) to help numb the pain. We suggest that you try a Baxolve unit from Neurotech. This market leading, clinically proven TENS (Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation) machine uses 2 different types of pain relief to help different symptoms.

1. "Pain Gate Control" - This setting masks the pain, stimulating the nerves in the affected area enough to provide total, immediate pain relief, ideal for shooting pains and twinges.
2. "Endorphin Release" - This setting provides a unique tapping sensation. This stimulates endorphin release in the back. Endorphins are the bodies natural pain relief, and can remain in circulation through out the body for hours after using Baxolve.

The baxolve belt itself is designed to provide lumbar support. This helps correct your posture and takes some strain off the muscles in your lower back allowing them to relax

This market leading Baxolve can be yours for just £132 from Neurotech. Order yours today!

Slendertone System £20 OFF!

That's right!

To help you get back into shape this January Slendertone are offering their Slendertone System with a £20 discount code! This is the best price that slendertone system has ever been so make sure you get yours now.

Slendertone system is modular. There is a whole range of toning products available for use with the one controller. That means, if you you buys your slendertone system abs now, you'll be able to save more money on every other garment you buy.

Current you can get the Slendertone:

• System Abs, for your stomach,
• System Arms, for your bingo wings,
• System Short, for your bum and thighs
• System mini, again for your bum and thighs but this one is in the shape of a skirt.

The code you need is: aff0801.

This code will get you £20 off your system abs. Again, this is the best deal on this product EVER. So dont wait, order today!

Baxolve now available to the consumer market

Baxolve, from Neurotech, is an innovative combination therapy for effective relief of back pain. It uses two clinically proven therapies - a medical grade lumbar support belt, to support the lower spine, whilst simultaneously using TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) technology, which provides a drug free, non-invasive and highly effective method of pain relief.

Neurotech is part of the Bio-Medical Research Group, a medical device company based in Galway, Ireland, and is a European leader in the provision of pain management devices. Neurotech’s team of researchers and developers work closely with local and international universities and over the last 40 years has successfully launched many pain management and rehabilitation products. Neurotech’s products currently help 200,000 European patients annually to improve their quality of life.

TENS is a well established means of combating pain used by the medical community for many decades and is often used as a means of pain relief during labour! It works by using the body’s own natural mechanisms to combat pain by sending comfortable pulses to the nerves which suppress the pain signals to the brain and release endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killers.

The benefit of lumbar support ensures that the spinal and abdominal muscles are supported and painful movement is restricted, which automatically improves posture and positional awareness.

Baxolve has recently become available directly to consumers in the UK and Ireland through Neurotech’s website www.neurotech.co.uk. For the first time consumers can now directly access this unique combination therapy device, which provides clinically proven therapies that relieve pain, directly from Neurotech.

On average 13 million working days are lost in the UK per annum due to lower back pain, which is an astonishing figure. Back pain can be treated by a number of methods, including medication and physiotherapy. In a survey conducted by Bio-Medical Research Ltd, half of those suffering regular back pain said they rely on medication to get them through the day. However the side effects associated with long-term use of many of these drugs can lead people to seek out alternative treatments.

Baxolve from Neurotech can significantly reduce or eliminate one’s pain medication and subsequent side affects in a natural and non-invasive way.

What does Baxolve do and how does it work?

Baxolve, from Neurotech, is an innovative combination therapy for effective relief of back pain. It uses two clinically proven therapies - a medical grade lumbar support belt, to support the lower spine, whilst simultaneously using TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) technology, which provides a drug free, non-invasive and highly effective method of pain relief. Baxolve is the first product to integrate both TENS and lumbar support in one product.

TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, and works by sending comfortable pulses to the nerves, through pads placed on the skin, suppressing pain signals to the brain and releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. TENS is proven by clinical research to be a highly effective therapy for pain relief and to reduce medication costs by up to 55%.

The Baxolve TENS unit provides pain relief in 2 ways:

1: Pain Gate Control: by delivering a strong comfortable ‘tingling’ stimulation sensation TENS blocks the pain pathway to the brain thereby masking the pain and offering immediate pain relief.

2: Endorphin Release: which encourages the release of the body’s own natural pain relieving chemicals to fight pain and reduce the pain sensation.

The Baxolve TENS product is unique in providing a TENS programme which simultaneously combines pain gate control and endorphine release thereby providing immediate and prolonged pain relief.

In addition to TENS therapy, Baxolve also has the unique benefit of having a medical grade lumbar support belt which supports the spinal and abdominal muscles. This restricts painful movement and improves posture. Studies show that lumbar support results in significant improvements in posture and reduced chronic lower back pain, and Baxolve is the first to bring this unique combination to market.

The benefits of Baxolve are significant to the patient.

Baxolve is offered as a home based therapy and gives the patient the power to control their own pain management programme. Similarly it is 100% portable and provides immediate pain relief, allowing the patients to get on with their life.

Baxolve can be used to provide pain relief from a variety of back conditions such as Osteoarthritis, Herniated Disc, Osteoporosis, Sciatica, Chronic Lumbago, Lumbosacral Arthritis and general degenerative conditions.

Dr Gillian McKeith Health Plans

Its the time of year where everyone is trying to loose weight. Its always so difficult to keep to those new years resolutions, especially if you're trying to give up more than just chocolate!

That's why health-etc has teamed up with Dr Gillian McKeith to offer personalised health plans for you.

Dr Gillian McKeith is most famous for her TV show 'You are what you eat', where she turns peoples diets upside down with absolutely astounding effects!

Now you can get a personalised diet plan from Dr Gillian McKeith for less than £25! Order your Dr Gillian McKeith Health Plan today!

PainWave X4000

PainWave X4000

The PainWave X4000 is a revolutionary new pain management device, which is a natural alternative to prescription medication. Unlike TENS and micro electric current therapy, PainWave does not block pain; it promotes healing at a cellular level.

PainWave treats the cause rather than the symptom.

How does the PainWave x4000 work?

Injured or inflamed cells resist the body’s natural electric current, preventing the supply of blood, oxygen and vital nutrients. The PainWave x4000 delivers an electrical current. This electrical current penetrates the inflamed cells, restoring the essential blood supply, removing cell waste and bringing about direct pain relief. The patented technology in the PainWave device produces the electromagnetic field – this device doesn’t contain magnets of any kind.

The device (about the size of a large pen) is simply placed against the area of pain to deliver the therapy. PainWave can be used as often as required and is pre-programmed to deliver therapy in 7-minute cycles.

PainWave is effective against pain related to the following conditions:

• Heel Pain
• Hip Pain
• Housemaid's Knee
• Knee Pain
• Ligament Strains
• Muscle and Joint Pain
• Muscle Spasms
• Neck Pain
• Spondylosis
• Synovitis
• Tennis Elbow
• Arthritis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chronic Back Pain
• Neuropathy
• Frozen Shoulder
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Rheumatism
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Sciatica

For more information on this device or to buy a PainWave x4000 please visit: http://www.anhealth.co.uk/cgi-bin/product.pl?id=pain01.