| Back pain affects the majority of people - up to | | | | from pain but to protect yourself from a number |
| 80% of all adults will have at least one episode of | | | | of diseases and conditions that can be directly |
| back pain during their lifetime and half of those | | | | related to being overweight. It starts with |
| people will never find out the cause of their pain. | | | | knowing how much food you should actually be |
| The most common cause of back pain is a | | | | eating every day and then knowing how to divide |
| muscular strain or sprain, which is the culprit in | | | | that amount amongst each of the nutrients. It is |
| around 85% of the cases. Many people will try a | | | | also important to know what a good choice is for |
| variety of home remedies for their back pain, | | | | each of the nutrients and what is not. |
| some with very limited success. Others may go | | | | Calories, Weight Stabilization and Weight Loss |
| to the doctor, however, they will find that the | | | | Sir Isaac Newton's first law of thermodynamics |
| doctors think that 80-90% of all episodes of back | | | | states that all energy in the universe is conserved. |
| pain will clear up on their own, usually in six to | | | | The theory applies to weight loss theory in a |
| twelve weeks time. | | | | very simple way: if you take in the same number |
| There are a number of reasons that people end | | | | of calories that you burn each day, your weight |
| up with back pain, including organic reasons like | | | | will stay the same. If you eat more calories than |
| problems with the spine and the muscles that | | | | you burn, you will gain weight. If you eat less, you |
| surround and support it as well as other problems | | | | will lose weight. It sounds simple enough, however, |
| including being overweight or having poor posture, | | | | it is not always the case. If you eat a diet that |
| a bad mattress or shoes that do not fit correctly. | | | | consists of 1200 calories of mini marshmallows, |
| Each area of the back can have pain that is | | | | you might lose weight initially, but eventually you |
| changed by different reasons and mechanics. For | | | | will not lose weight at all, in fact you may gain |
| instance, upper back pain can be caused by stress | | | | weight. First, you will get bored with the mini |
| or strain. In older women, upper back pain can be | | | | marshmallow diet and you will eventually eat |
| related to osteoporosis. Upper back and shoulder | | | | something else. Your body will have slowed its |
| pain can be noted in women with large breasts, | | | | metabolism down dramatically, holding on to every |
| especially if they do not have properly fitting bras | | | | single calorie that it takes in instead of burning it |
| to support the weight, leaving the muscles in | | | | for fuel. You will feel tired, grumpy and miserable. |
| these areas to compensate. | | | | You might feel like you are starving because in |
| Lower back pain may be caused by arthritis, | | | | essence you will be. |
| kidney infection and disease, premenstrual | | | | The problem with very low calorie diets and with |
| syndrome and from sitting too many hours in a | | | | a very limited variety diet is the same: you do |
| poorly designed or poorly fitting chair. Lower back | | | | not get enough fuel of the right kinds for your |
| pain is often caused by weight and by a | | | | body to work with. Your body burns fat and |
| sedentary lifestyle and is best affected by | | | | carbohydrates for fuel. Protein is used by the |
| lifestyle change, including weight loss, a new | | | | body for a number of vital functions and is |
| mattress and better posture. Yoga is also | | | | digested much slower. Every food that you eat |
| beneficial, with many chronic back pain sufferers | | | | affects the metabolism differently, regardless of |
| reporting significant improvement after only six | | | | how many calories it is. Some foods are broken |
| months of twice weekly practice. | | | | down faster while others are broken down very |
| You do not always have to have back pain and it | | | | slowly. It is simple to remember this: the faster |
| does not automatically start because you have | | | | that a food goes from food to your blood |
| reached a certain age. There are many athletes | | | | stream, the more weight you will gain from eating |
| and active seniors who never have any back pain | | | | it. |
| at all. They accomplish this by reaching and | | | | Healthy calories which come from healthy foods |
| maintaining a healthy weight and by making sure | | | | help the body to function at its top condition. |
| that they keep the back area strong and supple | | | | Lowering the calorie intake too far will result in a |
| with exercise and stretching, including but not | | | | stalled, or even worse, a stopped metabolism, |
| limited to yoga and other sports. They also make | | | | which equals weight gain. To keep from taking in |
| sure that they are getting good nutrition so that | | | | either too many or too few calories, you need a |
| the body has the building blocks that it needs to | | | | basic idea of how many calories you should be |
| be strong and resilient no matter what age it is or | | | | eating. To do so, you can estimate your basic |
| what it is going through. | | | | resting metabolic rate, add in your activity level |
| The role of all nutrients in the body is important. | | | | for the day and you will have an idea of the |
| They all work together to provide the energy | | | | calories that you need to maintain your current |
| that the body needs to move around and to stay | | | | weight. To lose one pound per week, a safe and |
| active. There are three macronutrients, fat, | | | | achievable goal, you decrease your daily intake by |
| carbohydrates and proteins, which should be | | | | 500 calories. |
| included in a healthy and well-balanced diet. All | | | | - The resting metabolic rate formula: multiply your |
| foods, no matter what they are, can be classified | | | | desired weight in pounds by 8 and then add 200. |
| as one of these three. There are good choices | | | | - The activity level formula: multiply the minutes |
| and bad choices in all three categories. Despite | | | | spent doing easy exercise, like walking, gentle |
| diets and diet gurus that would have you believe | | | | yoga and stretching, by 4 or multiply the minutes |
| otherwise, there are no bad food groups, nor are | | | | spent doing cardiovascular or resistance exercise |
| there any of the macronutrients that we should | | | | by 8. |
| wholly eliminate from our diet. There are no fad | | | | - Add the two numbers together to get your |
| diets that work for the long term, and many of | | | | daily calorie count. |
| them are dangerous in the general scheme of | | | | Protein and Protein Supplements |
| things. | | | | Protein is one of the most important of the |
| It is important to make sure that you are getting | | | | macronutrients and comes from plant and animal |
| enough food to keep your body healthy and | | | | sources (Surprisingly, peas are one of the best |
| strong. You need to make sure that you are | | | | sources of protein, with 8.5 grams of protein per |
| getting the right nutrition so that you are well and | | | | one cup serving). Good sources of protein include |
| able to be active. It is important that you lose | | | | lean poultry, fish and soy products. |
| any excess weight, not only to protect your back | | | | |